Buyer-initiated shipping system

• US 8,027,882 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• 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: Shroff, Sumeet, Kadaba, Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/627,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272, 705330-341
• US Class Current: 705/26.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method in which a buyer registers for a buyer'"'"'s shipping account and uses the shipping account to pay shipping costs associated with purchases made over the Internet. When a buyer purchases merchandise over the Internet from either a retailer'"'"'s website or from an individual through an online auction, the buyer is capable of controlling the shipping process by logging on to their buyer'"'"'s shipping account. Among other things, the buyer can use their shipping account to select the desired type of shipping service (overnight air or ground) and populate a shipping label with shipping information such as delivery address, return address, and preferred delivery time windows. Once the shipping label has been populated and verified, the shipping label is electronically transferred to the seller for use in shipping the package. The system and methods of the present invention allow the buyer greater control over the shipping process. In many cases, the present invention will also help buyers/receivers control costs by eliminating the shipper'"'"'s shipping and handling fee.

Claims

1. A system for providing a shipping label via an intermediary'"'"'s website comprising:

a first server configured to;

(A) receive registration information from a buyer computer, the registration information comprising data specifying registration of a buyer for a buyer'"'"'s shipping account with a shipping service provider upon accessing said intermediary'"'"'s website;

(B) receive buyer shipping information by said buyer accessing said buyer'"'"'s shipping account and entering said buyer shipping information into a transaction management system accessible via said intermediary'"'"'s website, said buyer shipping information being associated with a transaction with said seller and including information to facilitate, at least in part, shipment of goods to said buyer from said seller;

(C) receive a shipping label created by the transaction management system, wherein;

(1) said shipping label includes the buyer'"'"'s physical delivery address and preferred delivery time windows,

(2) said delivery address is human readable, and

(3) said shipping label is configured to facilitate shipment of said goods to said buyer; and

(D) transfer said shipping label to said seller via a link located on said intermediary'"'"'s website such that said seller can access said shipping label by using said link and can use said shipping label including said buyer'"'"'s physical delivery address and preferred delivery time windows to facilitate said shipment of said goods to said buyer via said shipping service provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to purchase said shipping label.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to prepurchase one or more shipping services.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to arrange for direct payment of shipping services with said shipping service provider.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second server providing a retailer'"'"'s website, wherein the transaction is conducted through the retailer'"'"'s website.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said transaction is conducted through an online auction website.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one phone, wherein said transaction is conducted over the phone or face-to-face.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is maintained by the shipping service provider.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one printer, wherein the seller utilizes the printer to print said shipping label and the seller attaches said shipping label to a package and transfers said package to said shipping service provider.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the shipping service provider delivers said package to said buyer.

11. A computer program product for providing a shipping label via an intermediary'"'"'s website, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code-portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

(A) a first executable portion configured to provide the shipping label with information including buyer shipping information received from a buyer computer for use by a seller to ship goods to a buyer via a shipping service provider;

(B) a second executable portion configured to receive registration information from the buyer computer, the registration information comprises data specifying registration of said buyer for a buyer'"'"'s shipping account with said shipping service provider upon accessing said intermediary'"'"'s website;

(C) a third executable portion configured to receive buyer shipping information by said buyer accessing said buyer'"'"'s shipping account and enter said buyer shipping information into a transaction management system accessible via said intermediary'"'"'s website, said buyer shipping information being associated with a transaction with said seller and including information to facilitate, at least in part, shipment of said goods to said buyer from said seller;

(D) a fourth executable portion configured to receive a shipping label created by the transaction management system, wherein;

(1) said shipping label includes the buyer'"'"'s physical delivery address and preferred delivery time windows,

(2) said delivery address is human readable, and

(3) said shipping label is configured to facilitate shipment of said goods to said buyer; and

(E) a fifth executable portion configured to transfer said shipping label to said seller via a link located on said intermediary'"'"'s website such that said seller can access said shipping label by using said link and can use said shipping label including said buyer'"'"'s physical delivery address and preferred delivery time windows to facilitate said shipment of said goods to said buyer via said shipping service provider.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to purchase said shipping label.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to prepurchase one or more shipping services.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the received registration information is generated by the buyer computer by allowing said buyer to arrange for direct payment of shipping services with said shipping service provider.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a sixth executable portion configured to facilitate the transaction through a retailer'"'"'s website maintained by a second server.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a sixth executable portion configured to facilitate the transaction through an online auction website.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a sixth executable portion configured to facilitate the transaction via at least one phone.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a sixth executable portion configured to initiate printing of said shipping label via at least one printer, the seller attaches said shipping label to a package and transfers said package to said shipping service provider.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the shipping service provider delivers said package to said buyer.