Method and system for providing shipment tracking and notifications

• US 7,212,829 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Lau, Chung, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/397,637
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/440, 340/539.13, 340/825.49, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 342/457, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• 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: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Improved approaches for monitoring status of articles being shipped are disclosed. The monitoring can produce notifications to interested parties. The notifications typically contain status information pertaining to the articles being shipped. Alternatively, interested parties can gain access to status information pertaining to the articles being shipped via a website. According to one embodiment, the status information includes at least position (location) information and shipping conditions information.

Claims

1. A method for tracking shipment of an article, said method comprising:

(a) receiving status information associated with the article, the status information being provided wirelessly by a mobile communication device within or affixed to the article;

(b) determining whether a notification condition exists based on the status information and at least one notification criterion; and

(c) producing a notification message when the notification condition exists,

wherein the status information includes at least position information and shipping condition information, the shipping condition being related to a physical condition of or around the article being shipped,

wherein the mobile communication device includes at least two types of sensing mechanisms, one for sensing position and the other for sensing shipping condition, and

wherein a notification condition exists if a shipping condition exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the article is shipped via a vehicle,

wherein the mobile communication device can provide the status information of the article even if the article is moved out of the vehicle, and

wherein the vehicle can carry another article with another mobile communication device providing status information of the another article.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device provides identifying information based on a RFID tag.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shipping condition information includes information on at least one of temperature, humidity, force, pressure, altitude, vibration, acceleration, speed, and chemical substances.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is related to a force of a predetermined amount.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is related to a predetermined temperature.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the notification message includes information regarding a corrective action in view of the shipping condition exceeding the predetermined threshold.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the notification message is sent to an interested user, and wherein the predetermined threshold was provided by the interested user.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises (d) sending the notification message to an interested user, and wherein at least said determining (b), said producing (c) and said sending (d) are automatically performed.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a server that couples to a wired network, and wherein the mobile communication device couples to the wired network through a wireless network.

11. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the method is managed by a company without assistance and independent of the shipping entity that performs the shipping of the article via the vehicle.

12. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the method further comprises (d) sending the notification message to an interested user,

wherein the notification message is an email message, and

wherein said sending (d) transmits the email message to the interested user.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(d) storing the status information in a tracking database.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises processing a refund in view of the shipping condition exceeding the threshold.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shipping condition information includes at least environmental information,

wherein the notification condition exists if the predetermined threshold has been exceeded as shown by the at least environmental information.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shipping condition includes a physical condition of the article and

wherein the notification condition exists if the physical condition exceeds the predetermined threshold.

17. A method for tracking a package, comprising:

(a) tracking status information of the package being shipped, based on a mobile communication device in or affixed to the package, by automated wireless communications between the mobile communication device and an Internet package tracking site, the status information including at least position information and shipping condition information;

(b) subsequently accessing the Internet package tracking site to retrieve the status information of the package; and

(c) presenting the status information of the package to an authorized representative,

wherein the mobile communication device includes at least two types of sensing mechanisms, one for sensing position and the other for sensing shipping condition,

wherein the authorized representative is associated with a company that has provided insurance for the package, and

wherein the shipping condition information relates to an insured criterion on the insurance policy coverage placed on the package.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the automated communications are text-based messages.

19. A method as recited in claim 17,

wherein the package is shipped via a vehicle,

wherein the mobile communication device can provide the status information of the package even if the package is moved out of the vehicle, and

wherein the vehicle can carry another article with another mobile communication device providing status information of the another package.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the shipping condition information indicates that the insured criterion has been breached.

21. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the mobile communication device is a one-way communication device.

22. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the mobile communication device is a pager.

23. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said accessing (b) restricts access to the Internet package tracking site to only authorized users.

24. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the mobile communication device is self-powered by a battery.

25. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the mobile communication device has no display screen and no keypad.

26. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said method enables tracking of the package without assistance and independent of a shipping entity that performs the shipping of the package.

27. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said presenting (c) further presents a map of a route traversed by the package depicting a plurality of its positions and times at such positions.

28. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the shipping condition information includes information on at least one of temperature, humidity, force, pressure, vibration, acceleration, speed and direction.

29. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the Internet package tracking site is personalized for the authorized representative and access thereto requires authentication.

30. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the mobile communication device is a two-way pager with a unique identifier, and wherein the unique identifier is a pager/telephone number of the two-way pager.