Methods for shipping element processing
First Claim
1. A method of processing a shipping element containing an item being shipped by a user, the method comprising:
- providing the user access to a computerized user interface by which at least information relating to the shipping element can be remotely obtained by the user via at least one interposed computer network;
during at least one point during said shipping, evaluating the shipping element with respect to at least one physical parameter using an evaluation apparatus external to the shipping element, wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises an imaging device, and the evaluation comprises obtaining, using at least the imaging device, an image of at least a portion of the item within the shipping element; and
based at least on said evaluating, informing the user via the user interface as to a status or condition of the at least one physical parameter associated with the shipping element and providing the image of the at least the portion of the item for presentation to the user via the user interface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods useful for processing shipping elements such as boxes, envelopes, and transport devices during transfer. In one embodiment, the shipping element contains an item being shipped by a user, and the method includes providing the user access to a computerized user interface by which at least information relating to the shipping element can be remotely obtained by the user. During at least one point during shipping, the shipping element is evaluated with respect to at least one physical parameter, and the user is informed via the user interface as to a status or condition of the at least one physical parameter. In another embodiment, a radio-frequency device is inserted into the shipping element along with a user item to be shipped, and the device is used as a basis for the remote provision of information relating to the shipping element during at least a portion of the shipping.
378 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of processing a shipping element containing an item being shipped by a user, the method comprising:
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providing the user access to a computerized user interface by which at least information relating to the shipping element can be remotely obtained by the user via at least one interposed computer network; during at least one point during said shipping, evaluating the shipping element with respect to at least one physical parameter using an evaluation apparatus external to the shipping element, wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises an imaging device, and the evaluation comprises obtaining, using at least the imaging device, an image of at least a portion of the item within the shipping element; and based at least on said evaluating, informing the user via the user interface as to a status or condition of the at least one physical parameter associated with the shipping element and providing the image of the at least the portion of the item for presentation to the user via the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of shipping, comprising:
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obtaining a shipping element; physically associating a radio-frequency enabled device of a user with the shipping element, the device having at least data stored thereon specific to the user; providing the shipping element with associated radio-frequency enabled device to a shipping agent for shipping thereof; and remotely receiving information relating to the shipping element during at least a portion of the shipping, at least a portion of the received information obtained from the radio-frequency enabled device and comprising at least a portion of the data specific to the user, at least another portion of the received information comprising data relating to a luminance value associated with at least one of the shipping element or a shipped item disposed therein. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of shipping one or more items, comprising:
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providing a user with a shipping element; providing the user with a radio-frequency enabled device, the device capable of (i) storing a plurality of user-specific data thereon, and (ii) transmitting at least a portion of the user-specific data via a radio-frequency interface of the device; receiving the shipping element with the one or more items contained therein, and the radio-frequency enabled device, the radio-frequency enabled device having been encoded with the user-specific data; causing the shipping element to be shipped to a destination along with the encoded radio-frequency enabled device; during at least a portion of the shipping to the destination, reading the encoded radio-frequency enabled device while disposed among a plurality of radio-frequency enabled devices being shipped with respective shipping elements disposed in close proximity to one another; and providing the user information relating to the shipping element during at least a portion of the shipping to the destination, at least a portion of the provided information obtained from the radio-frequency enabled device during the reading and comprising at least a portion of the user-specific data, the information provided to the user at a remote location via a data network. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of shipping, comprising:
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receiving a shipping element from a user for shipment to a destination, the shipping element physically associated with a radio-frequency enabled device of the user, the device having at least data stored thereon specific to the user, the physical association comprising the radio-frequency enabled device being disposed within or attached to the shipping element; and enabling transmission of information relating to the shipping element during at least a portion of the shipment to the destination, the information obtained from the radio-frequency enabled device and comprising (i) at least a portion of the data specific to the user, and (ii) data relating to a luminance value associated with the shipping element. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method of processing a shipping element containing an item being shipped by a user, the method comprising:
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causing shipping of the shipping element and item contained therein; at least once during said shipping, evaluating the shipping element with respect to at least one physical attribute using an evaluation apparatus external to the shipping element, the evaluation apparatus further comprising an imaging device, the evaluating further comprising obtaining, using at least the imaging device, an image of at least a portion of the item within the shipping element; and based at least on said evaluating, informing the user via a computerized user interface and at least one interposed computer network, as to a status or value of the least one physical attribute of the shipping element, and providing the image of the at least the portion of the item for presentation to the user via the user interface; wherein the shipping element comprises at least one integrated circuit device comprising a memory, the memory configured to store at least;
(i) user-specific information, and (ii) shipping element-specific information, the at least user-specific information and the shipping element-specific information being used at least in part to enable said act of informing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of shipping an item, comprising:
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receiving a shipping element containing at least a portion of the item from a user for shipment to a destination, the shipping element physically associated with a radio-frequency enabled device of the user, the device having at least data stored thereon specific to the user, the physical association comprising the radio-frequency enabled device being disposed within or attached to the shipping element; and enabling transmission, during at least a portion of the shipment to the destination and via one or more wireless transmissions from the radio-frequency enabled device, of information relating to the shipping element, the information comprising (i) at least a portion of the data specific to the user, and (ii) data relating to a luminance value associated with at least one of the shipping element and/or the item. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of shipping an item, comprising:
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receiving from a user for shipment to a destination, a shipping element containing at least a portion of the item, the shipping element physically associated with a radio-frequency enabled device of the user, the device having at least data stored thereon specific to the user, the physical association comprising the radio-frequency enabled device being disposed within or attached to the shipping element; causing shipment of the shipping element and the item to the destination; during at least a portion of said shipping, receiving at a network server acting as a proxy for one or more shipping service providers, one or more electronic messages initiated by the user via an application computer program operative to run on a computerized device of the user, the one or more electronic messages including data relating to a shipment services account associated with the user and requesting information relating to the shipping element; based at least on the received messages, causing the radio-frequency enabled device to wirelessly transmit information relating to the shipping element, the information obtained from the radio-frequency enabled device and comprising (i) at least a portion of the data specific to the user, and (ii) data relating to a luminance value associated with at least one of the shipping element and/or the item. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of shipping, comprising:
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providing a user with a shipping element having a radio-frequency enabled device associated therewith, the device capable of (i) storing a plurality of user-specific data thereon, and (ii) transmitting at least a portion of the user-specific data via a radio-frequency interface of the device; receiving the shipping element with radio-frequency enabled device, the radio-frequency enabled device having been encoded with the user-specific data obtained from a mobile computerized device of the user via a short-range wireless interface of the mobile computerized device; causing the shipping element and the encoded radio-frequency enabled device to be shipped to a destination; during at least a portion of the shipping to the destination, receiving at a network server apparatus an electronic communication from the user issued from an application computer program operative to run on a computerized device of the user and transmitted over an interposed internetwork; based at least on the received electronic communication, causing reading of the encoded radio-frequency enabled device while disposed among a plurality of radio-frequency enabled devices being shipped with respective shipping elements, the respective shipping elements disposed in a common shipping container, transportation modality, or facility; and providing the user, during at least a portion of the shipping to the destination and via an electronic communication transmitted to the application computer program on the computerized device over the internetwork, information relating to the shipping element, at least a portion of the provided information obtained from the radio-frequency enabled device during the reading and comprising at least a portion of the user-specific data. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of shipping an item, comprising:
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receiving a shipping element with the item therein, the shipping element having a radio-frequency enabled device associated therewith, the device capable of storing a plurality of data thereon; obtaining, using a sensing apparatus, data specific to at least one physical aspect of the item and/or the shipping element; encoding the radio-frequency enabled device with the obtained data; causing the shipping element with the item and the encoded radio-frequency enabled device to be shipped to a destination; at least once during the shipping, accessing the radio-frequency-enabled device to retrieve the encoded obtained data; utilizing at least the accessed data to conduct a verification or authentication of the shipping element with item; and upon successful completion of the verification or authentication, enabling further shipping of the shipping element with item. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification