Advance notification systems and methods utilizing a computer network

• US 6,748,320 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shipping & Transit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arrivalstar SA
• Inventors: Jones, M. Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US10/326,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207-213, 701/215, 701/117, 340/994, 340/992, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.13, 340/993, 340/995.19, 340/995.21, 455/403, 455/411, 455/414.3, 379/67.1, 379/207.02, 379/156, 342/357.07, 342/357.17, 342/457
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

An advance notification system notifies users of the impending arrival of a vehicle, for example, an overnight package delivery vehicle, at a particular vehicle stop. The system generally includes an on-board vehicle control unit (VCU) for each vehicle and a base station control unit (BSCU) for sending messages to user computers in order to inform the users when the vehicle resides at a certain predefined time period, distance, prior stop, and/or location point from the vehicle stop. Moreover, vehicle tracking, the BSCU, a computer network (e.g., the Internet), and software located on a user computer may be combined in a plurality of configurations for launching and communicating a message of the impending arrival of a particular vehicle before it arrives. Significantly, the computer message is to advise of the impending arrival and preferably will exhibit a distinctive display and/or sound on the recipient computer so that the recipient is informed of the message. The VCU sends vehicle location and/or stop information to the BSCU, the BSCU compares the vehicle route stop list with route management software, then determines when to send an impending arrival message by preferences, normally chosen by the system operator or a user preparing to receive the advance notification message. The user computer displays information associated with the impending arrival of a vehicle in the form of the name of the vehicle, when the vehicle has finished a previous delivery, the miles before a stop, the time before arriving, and/or an actual location of a vehicle when a vehicle reaches a certain point/place. Additionally, other addressable communication devices could be used in place of or in addition to the computer message, such as personal pagers, mobile telephones, television box descramblers, etc. Users may also contact the computer site and/or computer address for impending arrival information.

Claims

1. A method for an advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, the system comprising (a) a user communications device associated with said user, (b) a system communications device, and (c) a computer system for monitoring travel of said vehicle in relation to said vehicle stop and for initiating a communication with said system communication device to the user communications device before the vehicle reaches said vehicle stop to thereby indicate impending arrival of the vehicle at said vehicle stop, the method comprising the steps of:

permitting said user to solicit a vehicle progress report relating to said vehicle by the following steps;

permitting establishment of a communication link between said user communications device and said system communications device; and

providing said vehicle progress report from said computer system to said user during said communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said progress report includes a time when a previous call was initiated by said system communications device to said user communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a reference caller identification number associated with said user communications drvice; and

when said communication link is established, determining whether said communication link is authorized by comparing a caller identification number associated with said communication link with said reference caller identification.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

permitting said user communications device to solicit a report corresponding to a previous communication made by said system communications device to said user telephone communications device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of indicating in said report whether said previous communication was successful.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

permitting said user to input notification timing information indicative of when the user is to receive a communication, the notification timing information indicative of a proximity of the vehicle to the vehicle stop.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user communications device is a computer, television, pager, or telephone.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link is established, at least in part, over the Internet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle progress report is provided in an email.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle progress report indicates a proximity of said vehicle in relation to said stop location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system monitors travel of said vehicle by reviewing data pertaining to travel status of said vehicle

11. An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop and for permitting a user to solicit a vehicle progress report relating to said vehicle, comprising:

a user communications device associated with said user;

a computer system for monitoring travel of said vehicle in relation to said vehicle stop;

a system communications device in communication with said computer system, said system communications device for communicating with said user communications device at a time before said vehicle reaches said vehicle stop; and

vehicle progress report generator associated with said computer system for permitting said user to solicit a vehicle progress report relating to said vehicle by providing said vehicle progress report from said computer system to said user communications device during a communication link between said user and said system communications device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said vehicle progress report generator is further configured to specify in said vehicle progress report a time when a previous communication was initiated by said system communications device to said user communications device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said user communications device is a telephone and wherein said vehicle progress report generator is further configured to indicate in said report whether said user communications device was answered when said system communications device initiated said previous communication to said user communications device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said computer system further comprises means for permitting said user to define a preset notification time period when the user is to receive a communication, the preset notification time period indicative of a proximity of said vehicle and said vehicle stop.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer system monitors travel of said vehicle by reviewing data pertaining to travel status of said vehicle.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the user communications device is a computer, television, pager, or telephone.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication link is established, at least in part, over the Internet.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said vehicle progress report is provided in an email.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said vehicle progress report indicates a proximity of said vehicle in relation to said stop location.