Methods, apparatus, and systems for transmitting a corrective pickup notification for a shipped item to a courier master node

• US 10,726,382 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• 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:
  US14/979,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 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

Methods, apparatus, and systems for various ways to transmit a corrective pickup notification for a shipped item to a courier master node are described. For example, such a method generally has a master node at a first location receiving shipping information related to the item. The master node then parses the received shipping information to identify an intended delivery location related to the item. The method then has the master node automatically sensing an adverse delivery condition related to the item based upon the first location of the master node and the intended delivery location for the item. The master node then transmits the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node based upon the adverse delivery condition sensed by the first master node.

Claims

1. An improved system for transmitting a corrective delivery notification to a courier master node where the corrective delivery notification is related to an ID node enabled item being shipped, the system comprising:

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

a master node disposed at a first location and in communication with the logistics server and in communication with the courier master node about the item being shipped, the master node 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,

a communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to wirelessly communicate with the server, the courier master node, and the ID node, and

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

receive shipping information from the server through the communication interface, the shipping information being related to the item being shipped,

store the received shipping information in the node memory storage of the master node,

parse the received shipping information to identify an intended delivery location for the item,

cause the location circuitry to detect the current location of the master node as the first location,

while the ID node is approaching the master node, begin communicating wirelessly with the ID node,

based on communicating wirelessly with the ID node, automatically sense an adverse delivery condition related to the item based upon the first location of the master node and the intended delivery location for the item, and

cause the communication interface to transmit the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node based upon the adverse delivery condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the master node is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to determine a difference between the first location of the master node and the intended delivery location for the item when the ID node associated with the item arrives at the first location, wherein the determined difference indicates an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the master node is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to:

compare the detected current location of the master node to the intended delivery location to determine if the first location does not correspond to the intended delivery location for the item;

detect that the ID node associated with the item is proximate and stationary relative to the master node while detecting that the courier master node is moving away from the first location; and

determine the ID node is in an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition when the first location does not correspond to the intended delivery location for the item and the ID node is detected to be proximate and stationary relative to the master node while the courier master node is detected to be moving away from the first location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the master node is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to detect a movement of the ID node associated with the item away from the first location as the adverse delivery condition when the first location corresponds to the intended delivery location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as being at an incorrect location for delivery.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node includes at least an instruction not to deliver the item to the first location of the master node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as not being delivered to the intended delivery location.

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

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

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the master node is further operative to receive the shipping information over the communication interface from the ID node associated with the item, the ID node providing the shipping information over a secure connection established over the wireless communication path as part of a broadcasted signal from the ID node, the secure connection being between the ID node and the communication interface.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the master node is further operative to receive the shipping information over the communication interface from the server, the server provides the shipping information over a secure connection between the communication interface and the server in a preloading message from the server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server provides the shipping information in response to a shipping information request transmitted by the communication interface of the master node to the server.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the shipping information comprises an intended delivery time parameter related to the item;

and

wherein the node processing unit of the master node is operative to automatically determine the adverse delivery condition based upon the intended delivery location, the first location of the mobile master node, and the intended delivery time parameter.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically sensing further comprises determining, by the first master node, a difference between the first location and the intended delivery location for the item when the ID node associated with the item arrives at the first location, wherein the determined difference indicates an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition.

14. A master node apparatus disposed at a first location for transmitting a corrective delivery notification related to an item being shipped to a courier master node where the item is associated with an ID node that accompanies the item, 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;

a communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a wireless communication path; and

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

receive shipping information via the communication interface, the shipping information being related to the item being shipped,

store the received shipping information in the node memory storage,

parse the received shipping information to identify an intended delivery location for the item,

cause the location circuitry to detect the current location of the master node apparatus as the first location,

while the ID node is approaching the master node apparatus, begin communicating wirelessly with the ID node;

based on communicating wirelessly with the ID node, automatically sense an adverse delivery condition related to the item based upon the first location of the master node apparatus and the intended delivery location for the item, and

cause the communication interface to transmit a corrective delivery notification to the courier master node based upon the adverse delivery condition.

15. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the node processing unit is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to determine a difference between the first location of the master node apparatus and the intended delivery location for the item when the ID node associated with the item arrives at the first location, wherein the determined difference indicates an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition.

16. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the node processing unit is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to:

compare the detected current location of the master node apparatus to the intended delivery location to determine if the first location does not correspond to the intended delivery location for the item;

detect that the ID node associated with the item is proximate and stationary relative to the master node apparatus while detecting that the courier master node is moving away from the first location; and

determine the ID node is in an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition when the first location does not correspond to the intended delivery location for the item and the ID node is detected to be proximate and stationary relative to the master node apparatus while the courier master node is detected to be moving away from the first location.

17. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the node processing unit is operative to automatically sense the adverse delivery condition by being further operative to detect a movement of the ID node associated with the item away from the first location as the adverse delivery condition when the first location corresponds to the intended delivery location.

18. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as being at an incorrect location for delivery.

19. The master node apparatus of claim 18, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node includes at least an instruction not to deliver the item to the first location of the master node apparatus.

20. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as not being delivered to the intended delivery location.

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

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

23. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to receive the shipping information over the communication interface from the ID node associated with the item, the ID node providing the shipping information over a secure connection established over the wireless communication path as part of a broadcasted signal from the ID node, the secure connection being between the ID node and the communication interface.

24. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to receive the shipping information over the communication interface from a server, the server apparatus providing the shipping information over a secure connection between the communication interface and the server in a preloading message from the server.

25. The master node apparatus of claim 24, wherein the server apparatus providing the shipping information in response to a shipping information request transmitted by the communication interface to the server.

26. The master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the shipping information comprises an intended delivery time parameter related to the item;

and

wherein the node processing unit is operative to automatically determine the adverse delivery condition based upon the intended delivery location, the first location of the mobile master node apparatus, and the intended delivery time parameter.

27. An improved method for transmitting a corrective delivery notification related to an item being shipped to a courier master node where the item is associated with and accompanied by an ID node, the method comprising:

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

parsing the received shipping information, by the first master node, to identify an intended delivery location related to the item;

while the ID node is approaching the first master node, begin communicating wirelessly with the ID node;

based on communicating wirelessly with the ID node, automatically sensing, by the first master node, an adverse delivery condition related to the item based upon the first location of first master node and the intended delivery location for the item; and

transmitting, by the first master node, the corrective delivery notification to a courier master node based upon the adverse delivery condition sensed by the first master node.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of automatically sensing further comprises:

determining, by the first master node, the first location does not correspond to the intended delivery location for the item; and

detecting, by the first master node, when the ID node associated with the item is proximate and stationary relative to the first master node when the courier master node is moving away from the first location, wherein the detected stationary location of the ID node indicating an incorrect location for delivery of the item as the adverse delivery condition.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of automatically sensing further comprises detecting, by the first mobile master node, a movement of the ID node associated with the item away from the first location as the adverse delivery condition when the first location corresponds to the intended delivery location.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the first master node, the shipping information as part of a broadcasted signal from the ID node associated with the item.

32. The method of claim 27 further comprising establishing a secure connection from the first master node to the ID node associated with the item.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the secure connection comprises an encrypted exchange of the shipping information from the ID node to the first master node.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the first master node, the shipping information as part of a preloading message from a server in communication with the first master node.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the first master node, the shipping information as a response from a server to a shipping information request from the first master node.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the first master node, the shipping information a server over a secure connection between the first master node and the server.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the shipping information further comprises an intended delivery time parameter related to delivery of the item;

and

wherein the adverse delivery condition is further based upon the intended delivery time parameter.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as being at an incorrect location for delivery.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node includes at least an instruction not to deliver the item to the first location of the first master node.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node identifies the item as not being delivered to the intended delivery location.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the corrective delivery notification to the courier master node includes at least an instruction to move to a specified location.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the specified location comprises the first location of the first master node to allow for appropriate delivery of the item.