Arranging for shipment of a package without generating a shipping label

• US 9,501,754 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gillen, Robert J., Lewis, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/645,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for arranging for shipping a package without the customer needing to generate or apply a shipping label, or any other information, to the package. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a carrier server and a carrier device. The carrier server may receive and store a smart code and shipping information associated with the package, which it may link together. The carrier device may capture the smart code from the package and send a request, including the smart code, to the carrier server for related shipping information. The carrier server may receive the request from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information based on the smart code, and send the shipping information to the carrier device. The carrier device may receive the shipping information and generate a shipping label for the package based on the shipping information.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to at least:

provide an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of a package;

retrieve previously stored shipping information from a user profile, wherein the shipping information comprises a destination address;

populate the interface with the retrieved shipping information; and

transmit the shipping information and data associated with a smart code, associated with the package, to a carrier server for storage of the shipping information and the data associated with the smart code in association with each other.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein prior to transmit the shipping information, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

receive input from a user relating to the shipping information; and

capture an indication of the smart code associated with the package.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein capture the indication of the smart code further comprises:

capturing an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein determining the smart code further comprises decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

determine a geographic location of the mobile device; and

identify a carrier drop-off location proximate the geographic location of the mobile device for providing the package to the carrier.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without associating further information with the package.

7. A carrier server comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to at least:

transmit information retrieved from a user profile to a user device;

receive shipping information comprising a destination address and an indication of a smart code associated with a package from the user device;

link the shipping information to the smart code;

receive a request for shipping information for the package from a carrier device, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code associated with the package;

retrieve the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code; and

transmit the shipping information to the carrier device.

8. The carrier device of claim 7, wherein prior to link the shipping information, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

store at least one of the shipping information and the smart code.

9. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

determine the smart code based at least in part on the indication of the smart code received.

10. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

receive a request from the user to schedule pick-up of the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the package; and

arrange for dispatch of a carrier vehicle to the location to pick up the package.

11. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

12. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

verify the validity of the smart code.

13. A system comprising:

a carrier server; and

a carrier device;

wherein the carrier server is configured to;

transmit information retrieved from a user profile to a user device;

receive shipping information, comprising a destination address, and an indication of a smart code associated with a package from the user device; and

link the shipping information to the smart code;

wherein the carrier device is configured to;

capture an indication of the smart code associated with the package; and

transmit a request to the carrier server for shipping information associated with the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code, and

wherein the carrier server is further configured to receive the request for shipping information from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code, and transmit the shipping information to the carrier device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the carrier device is further configured to;

receive the shipping information from the carrier server; and

generate a shipping label for the package based at least in part on the shipping information.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to;

provide an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of the package;

receive input of shipping information from a user;

capture an indication of the smart code associated with the package; and

transmit the shipping information and the smart code to the carrier server.

16. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

program code instructions configured to provide an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of a package;

program code instructions configured to retrieve previously stored shipping information comprising a destination address from a user profile;

program code instructions configured to populate the interface with the retrieved shipping information; and

program code instructions configured to transmit the shipping information and a smart code, associated with the package, to a carrier server for storage of the shipping information and the smart code in association with each other.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein prior to transmit the shipping information, the computer program product further comprises:

program code instructions configured to receive input from a user relating to the shipping information; and

program code instructions configured to capture an indication of the smart code associated with the package.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code instructions configured to capture the indication of the smart code further comprises:

program code instructions configured to capture an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

program code instructions configured to determine the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein the program code instructions configured to determine the smart code further comprises program code instructions configured to decode the encoded version of the smart code.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to determine a geographic location of the mobile device; and

program code instructions configured to identify a carrier drop-off location proximate the geographic location of the mobile device for providing the package to the carrier.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without associating further information with the package.

22. A method comprising:

transmitting information retrieved from a user profile to a user device;

receiving shipping information, comprising a destination address and an indication of a smart code associated with a package from the user device;

linking the shipping information to the smart code;

receiving a request for shipping information for the package from a carrier device, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code associated with the package;

retrieving the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code; and

transmitting the shipping information to the carrier device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein prior to linking the shipping information, the method further comprises:

storing at least one of the shipping information and the smart code.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the smart code based at least in part on the indication of the smart code received.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to schedule pick-up of the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the package; and

arranging for dispatch of a carrier vehicle to the location to pick up the package.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

verifying the validity of the smart code.