Methods, apparatus, and systems for transmitting a corrective pickup notification for a shipped item accompanying an ID node moving with a courier away from a master node

• US 10,592,845 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Emmett K.
• Application Number:
  US14/979,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 705333
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Improved movement-based technical solutions for transmitting a corrective pickup notification for a shipped item are described. For example, a first master node at a first location receives shipping information about the item. That master node identifies an intended pickup master node from the shipping information and identifies the location of an ID node associated with the item over a time period, which may indicate the item is moving away from the first location. After identifying a courier master node accompanying the departing ID node, the first master node automatically senses an adverse pickup condition when the identified courier master node does not correspond to the intended pickup master node and the ID node'"'"'s detected location over time indicates the item is moving away from the first location. The first master node then transmits the corrective pickup notification to a second logistics devices based on the adverse pickup condition sensed.

Claims

1. An improved system for transmitting a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon detected node movement, the system comprising:

a logistics server that maintains a server copy of shipping information related to the item being shipped and an ID node associated with the item being shipped; and

a first master node disposed at a first logistics location along a transit path for the item being shipped, the first master node being in communication with the logistics server and in communication with the ID node associated with the item being shipped, the first master node comprising,

a node processing unit,

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit of the first master node, the node memory storage maintaining delivery notification code for execution by the node processing unit and a local copy of the shipping information related to the item being shipped and the ID node associated with the item being shipped,

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit of the first master node, the location circuitry being operative to detect a current location of the first master node that is the first logistics location,

a first communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a first wireless communication path connecting the first master node with at least the ID node associated with the item being shipped, and

a second communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a second wireless communication path connecting the first master node with the logistics server, the first wireless communication path being distinct from the second wireless communication path;

wherein the logistics server is operative to transmit the server copy of the shipping information to the first master node as part of a preloading operation; and

wherein the node processing unit of the first master node, when executing the delivery notification code, is operative to

receive the server copy of the shipping information from the logistics server over the second communication interface as part of the preloading operation;

store the received server copy of the shipping information as the local copy of the shipping information to complete the preloading operation;

identify an intended pickup master node that is distinct from the first master node from the local copy of the shipping information;

incrementally identify a plurality of locations of the ID node over a period of time;

detect whether the locations of the ID node over the period of time indicate the item is moving away from the first logistics location of the first master node;

identify a courier master node accompanying the ID node as the ID node moves away from the first logistics location;

automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item when the identified courier master node does not correspond to the intended pickup master node and the identified locations of the ID node over the period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first logistics location of the first master node; and

transmit the corrective pickup notification to a second logistics related device based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the first master node is operative to transmit the corrective pickup notification over the second communication interface to the identified courier master node operating as the second logistics related device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the first master node is operative to transmit the corrective pickup notification over the second communication interface to a second master node associated with a customer shipping the item, the second master node operating as the second logistics related device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the first master node is operative to transmit the corrective pickup notification over the second communication interface to a third master node associated with a recipient of the item being shipped, the third master node operating as the second logistics related device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the first master node is operative to transmit the corrective pickup notification over the second communication interface to the logistics server as the second logistics related device.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the corrective pickup notification to the identified courier master node identifies the item as being a wrong pickup.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the identified courier master node includes at least an instruction to be displayed on the identified courier master node to move to a specified location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location comprises the first logistics location of the first master node to allow for appropriate delivery of the item.

9. An improved system for transmitting a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon detected node movement, the system comprising:

a logistics server that maintains a copy of shipping information related to the item being shipped and an ID node associated with the item being shipped; and

a first master node disposed at a first logistics location, the first master node being in communication with the logistics server and in communication with the ID node associated with the item being shipped, the first master node comprising,

a node processing unit,

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit of the first master node, the node memory storage maintaining delivery notification code for execution by the node processing unit,

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit of the first master node, the location circuitry being operative to detect a current location of the first master node that is the first logistics location,

a first communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a first wireless communication path connecting the first master node with at least the ID node associated with the item being shipped, and

a second communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a second wireless communication path connecting the first master node with the logistics server, the first wireless communication path being distinct from the second wireless communication path;

wherein the logistics server is operative to transmit the shipping information to the first master node using a message transmitted over the second wireless communications path; and

wherein the node processing unit of the first master node, when executing the delivery notification code, is operative to

receive the shipping information from the logistics server over the second communication interface;

identify an intended pickup master node that is distinct from the first master node from the shipping information received from the logistics server;

identify a location of the ID node over a period of time;

detect whether the location of the ID node over the period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first logistics location of the first master node;

identify a courier master node accompanying the ID node as the ID node moves away from the first logistics location;

automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item when the identified courier master node does not correspond to the intended pickup master node and the detected location of the ID node over the period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first logistics location of the first master node; and

transmit the corrective pickup notification to a second logistics related device based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the shipping information is received over the second communication interface from the server using a secure connection established as the second wireless communication path between the server and the first master node.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second logistics related device comprises at least one from a group consisting of a server, the identified courier master node, a third node device associated with a customer shipping the item, and a fourth node device associated a recipient of the item.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the corrective pickup notification is transmitted to the identified courier master node operating as the second logistics related device and wherein the corrective pickup notification identifies the item as being a wrong pickup.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the identified courier master node includes at least an instruction to be displayed on the identified courier master node to move to a specified location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the specified location comprises the first logistics location of the first master node apparatus to allow for appropriate delivery of the item.

15. A master node apparatus disposed at a first logistics location that transmits a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon detected movement, the apparatus comprising:

a node processing unit;

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit, the node memory storage maintaining delivery notification code for execution by the node processing unit;

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit, the location circuitry being operative to detect a current location of the master node apparatus that is the first logistics location;

a communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a first wireless communication path connecting the master node apparatus with at least an ID node associated with the item being shipped; and

wherein the node processing unit, when executing the delivery notification code maintained on the node memory storage, is operative to

receive shipping information related to the item;

identify an intended pickup master node that is distinct from the first master node from the shipping information;

identify a location of the ID node associated with the item;

detect whether the location of the ID node over a period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first logistics location;

identify a courier master node accompanying the ID node as the ID node moves away from the first logistics location;

automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item when the identified courier master node does not correspond to the intended pickup master node and the detected location of the ID node over the period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first logistics location; and

transmit the corrective pickup notification to a second logistics related device based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

16. The master node apparatus of claim 15, wherein the shipping information is received via the communication interface from the ID node over a secure connection using the first wireless communication path between the ID node and the master node apparatus.

17. The master node apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication interface is further operative to access a second wireless communication path connecting the master node apparatus with at least a server;

and

wherein the shipping information is received via the communication interface from the server over a secure connection using the second wireless communication path between the server and the master node apparatus.

18. The master node apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second logistics device comprises at least one from a group consisting of a server, the identified courier master node, a third node device associated with a customer shipping the item, and a fourth node device associated a recipient of the item.

19. The master node apparatus of claim 15, wherein the corrective pickup notification is transmitted to the identified courier master node operating as the second logistics related device and wherein the corrective pickup notification identifies the item as being a wrong pickup.

20. The master node apparatus of claim 19, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the identified courier master node includes at least an instruction to be displayed on the identified courier master node to move to a specified location.

21. The master node apparatus of claim 20, wherein the specified location comprises the first logistics location of the first master node to allow for appropriate delivery of the item.

22. An improved movement-based method for transmitting a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first master node at a first location, shipping information related to the item;

identifying, by the first master node, an intended pickup master node that is distinct from the first master node from the shipping information;

identifying, by the first master node, a location of an ID node associated with the item;

detecting, by the first master node, whether the location of the ID node over a period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first location;

identifying, by the first master node, a courier master node accompanying the ID node as the ID node moves away from the first location;

automatically sensing, by the first master node, an adverse pickup condition related to the item when the identified courier master node does not correspond to the intended pickup master node and the detected location of the ID node over the period of time indicates the item is moving away from the first location; and

transmitting, by the first master node to a second logistics device, the corrective pickup notification based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the shipping information is received from the ID node over a secure connection between the ID node and the first master node.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the shipping information is received from a server over a secure connection between the server and the first master node.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the second logistics device comprises at least one from a group consisting of a server, the identified courier master node, a third node device associated with a customer shipping the item, and a fourth node device associated a recipient of the item.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the corrective pickup notification is transmitted to the identified courier master node operating as the second logistics related device and wherein the corrective pickup notification identifies the item as being a wrong pickup.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the identified courier master node includes at least an instruction to move to a specified location.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the specified location comprises the first location of the first master node to allow for appropriate delivery of the item.