Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CUSTOMER CONTROLLED MANAGEMENT OF SHIPMENTS
BACKGROUND
Shipping customers are increasing their expectations regarding various
delivery
services. Thus, new concepts are needed to enhance customer experience and
loyalty by
improving the delivery experience.
BRIEF SUMMARY
In general, embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods,
apparatus, and computer program products for customer controlled management of
shipments.
In accordance with one aspect, a method for changing the delivery service
level for
at least one item to be delivered by a carrier is provided. In one embodiment,
the method
comprises (A) electronically receiving a request to automatically change a
first delivery
service level to a second delivery service level for items to be delivered by
a carrier in
accordance with the first delivery service level, wherein the request is
associated with a
customer profile; (B) updating the customer profile to reflect the request to
automatically
change the first delivery service level to the second delivery service level
for items to be
delivered by the carrier in accordance with the first delivery service level;
(C)
electronically receiving shipping data corresponding to an item, wherein the
shipping data
indicates that the item (1) is to be delivered by the carrier in accordance
with the first
delivery service level and (2) is associated with the customer profile; and
(D)
automatically changing the first delivery service level to the second delivery
service level
for the item, wherein (1) changing the first delivery service level to the
second delivery
service level for the item occurs prior to a first delivery attempt of the
item based at least
in part on the customer profile and (2) the item is subsequently delivered in
accordance
with the second delivery service level.
In accordance with another aspect, a computer program product for changing the
delivery service level for at least one item to be delivered by a carrier is
provided. The
computer program product may comprise at least one computer-readable storage
medium
having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-
readable
program code portions comprising executable portions configured to (A) receive
a request
to automatically change a first delivery service level to a second delivery
service level for
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items to be delivered by a carrier in accordance with the first delivery
service level,
wherein the request is associated with a customer profile; (B) update the
customer profile
to reflect the request to automatically change the first delivery service
level to the second
delivery service level for items to be delivered by the carrier in accordance
with the first
delivery service level; (C) receive shipping data corresponding to an item,
wherein the
shipping data indicates that the item (1) is to be delivered by the carrier in
accordance with
the first delivery service level and (2) is associated with the customer
profile; and (D)
change the first delivery service level to the second delivery service level
for the item,
wherein (1) changing the first delivery service level to the second delivery
service level
for the item occurs prior to a first delivery attempt of the item based at
least in part on the
customer profile and (2) the item is subsequently delivered in accordance with
the second
delivery service level.
In accordance with yet another aspect, an apparatus comprising at least one
processor and at least one memory including computer program code is provided.
In one
.. embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer program code may be
configured
to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least (A) receive a request
to automatically
change a first delivery service level to a second delivery service level for
items to be
delivered by a carrier in accordance with the first delivery service level,
wherein the
request is associated with a customer profile; (B) update the customer profile
to reflect the
request to automatically change the first delivery service level to the second
delivery
service level for items to be delivered by the carrier in accordance with the
first delivery
service level; (C) receive shipping data corresponding to an item, wherein the
shipping
data indicates that the item (1) is to be delivered by the carrier in
accordance with the first
delivery service level and (2) is associated with the customer profile; and
(D) change the
.. first delivery service level to the second delivery service level for the
item, wherein (1)
changing the first delivery service level to the second delivery service level
for the item
occurs prior to a first delivery attempt of the item based at least in part on
the customer
profile and (2) the item is subsequently delivered in accordance with the
second delivery
service level.
In accordance with one aspect, a method for changing the delivery service
level for
at least one item to be delivered by a carrier is provided. In one embodiment,
the method
comprises (A) receiving a request to automatically change a first delivery
service level to a
second delivery service level for items (1) originating from an identified
consignor and (2)
to be delivered by a carrier in accordance with the first delivery service
level, wherein the
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request is associated with a customer profile; (B) updating the customer
profile to reflect
the request to automatically change the first delivery service level to the
second delivery
service level for items (1) originating from the identified consignor and (2)
to be delivered
by the carrier in accordance with the first delivery service level; (C)
receiving shipping
data corresponding to an item, wherein the shipping data indicates that the
item (1) is to be
delivered by the carrier in accordance with the first delivery service level,
(2) is associated
with the customer profile, and (3) originates from the identified consignor;
and (D)
automatically changing the first delivery service level to the second delivery
service level
for the item, wherein (1) changing the first delivery service level to the
second delivery
service level for the item occurs prior to a first delivery attempt of the
item based at least
in part on the customer profile and (2) the item is subsequently delivered in
accordance
with the second delivery service level.
In accordance with another aspect, a computer program product for changing the
delivery service level for at least one item to be delivered by a carrier is
provided. The
computer program product may comprise at least one computer-readable storage
medium
having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-
readable
program code portions comprising executable portions configured to (A) receive
a request
to automatically change a first delivery service level to a second delivery
service level for
items (1) originating from an identified consignor and (2) to be delivered by
a carrier in
accordance with the first delivery service level, wherein the request is
associated with a
customer profile; (B) update the customer profile to reflect the request to
automatically
change the first delivery service level to the second delivery service level
for items (1)
originating from the identified consignor and (2) to be delivered by the
carrier in
accordance with the first delivery service level; (C) receive shipping data
corresponding to
an item, wherein the shipping data indicates that the item (1) is to be
delivered by the
carrier in accordance with the first delivery service level, (2) is associated
with the
customer profile, and (3) originates from the identified consignor; and (D)
change the first
delivery service level to the second delivery service level for the item,
wherein (1)
changing the first delivery service level to the second delivery service level
for the item
occurs prior to a first delivery attempt of the item based at least in part on
the customer
profile and (2) the item is subsequently delivered in accordance with the
second delivery
service level.
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In accordance with yet another aspect, an apparatus comprising at least one
processor and at least one memory including computer program code is provided.
In one
embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer program code may be
configured
to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least (A) receive a request
to automatically
-- change a first delivery service level to a second delivery service level
for items (1)
originating from an identified consignor and (2) to be delivered by a carrier
in accordance
with the first delivery service level, wherein the request is associated with
a customer
profile; (B) update the customer profile to reflect the request to
automatically change the
first delivery service level to the second delivery service level for items
(1) originating
from the identified consignor and (2) to be delivered by the carrier in
accordance with the
first delivery service level; (C) receive shipping data corresponding to an
item, wherein
the shipping data indicates that the item (1) is to be delivered by the
carrier in accordance
with the first delivery service level, (2) is associated with the customer
profile, and (3)
originates from the identified consignor; and (D) change the first delivery
service level to
the second delivery service level for the item, wherein (1) changing the first
delivery
service level to the second delivery service level for the item occurs prior
to a first
delivery attempt of the item based at least in part on the customer profile
and (2) the item
is subsequently delivered in accordance with the second delivery service
level.
In accordance with one aspect, a method for receiving authorization to deliver
at
least one item is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises (A)
receiving a
request to automatically authorize items to be delivered to a customer by a
carrier without
an in-person signature for items that have corresponding shipping data that
indicates that
an in-person signature from the customer is requested for delivery, wherein
the request is
associated with a customer profile; (B) updating the customer profile to
reflect the request
to automatically authorize items to be delivered to the customer by the
carrier without an
in-person signature for items that have corresponding shipping data that
indicates that an
in-person signature from the customer is requested for delivery; (C) receiving
shipping
data corresponding to an item to be delivered to a customer by a carrier,
wherein the
shipping data indicates that an in-person signature from the customer is
requested for
delivery of the item; and (D) automatically updating the shipping data
corresponding to
the item to indicate that the item is to be delivered to the customer without
an in-person
signature based at least in part on the customer profile, wherein the item is
subsequently
delivered without an in-person signature.
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In accordance with another aspect, a computer program product for receiving
authorization to deliver at least one item is provided. The computer program
product may
comprise at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-
readable
program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code
portions
comprising executable portions configured to (A) receive a request to
automatically
authorize items to be delivered to a customer by a carrier without an in-
person signature
for items that have corresponding shipping data that indicates that an in-
person signature
from the customer is requested for delivery, wherein the request is associated
with a
customer profile; (B) update the customer profile to reflect the request to
automatically
authorize items to be delivered to the customer by the carrier without an in-
person
signature for items that have corresponding shipping data that indicates that
an in-person
signature from the customer is requested for delivery; (C) receive shipping
data
corresponding to an item to be delivered to a customer by a carrier, wherein
the shipping
data indicates that an in-person signature from the customer is requested for
delivery of
the item; and (D) update the shipping data corresponding to the item to
indicate that the
item is to be delivered to the customer without an in-person signature based
at least in part
on the customer profile, wherein the item is subsequently delivered without an
in-person
signature.
In accordance with yet another aspect, an apparatus comprising at least one
processor and at least one memory including computer program code is provided.
In one
embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer program code may be
configured
to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least (A) receive a request
to automatically
authorize items to be delivered to a customer by a carrier without an in-
person signature
for items that have corresponding shipping data that indicates that an in-
person signature
from the customer is requested for delivery, wherein the request is associated
with a
customer profile; (B) update the customer profile to reflect the request to
automatically
authorize items to be delivered to the customer by the carrier without an in-
person
signature for items that have corresponding shipping data that indicates that
an in-person
signature from the customer is requested for delivery; (C) receive shipping
data
corresponding to an item to be delivered to a customer by a carrier, wherein
the shipping
data indicates that an in-person signature from the customer is requested for
delivery of
the item; and (D) update the shipping data corresponding to the item to
indicate that the
item is to be delivered to the customer without an in-person signature based
at least in part
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on the customer profile, wherein the item is subsequently delivered without an
in-person
signature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be
made
to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and
wherein:
Fig. 1 is an overview of a system that can be used to practice embodiments of
the
present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a carrier system according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a mobile station according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating operations and processes that can be used
in
accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
Figs. 5-14, 15A, 15B, 16-18, 19A, 19B, 20-25, 26A, and 26B show exemplary
input and output of various embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Various embodiments of the present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but
not all
embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be
embodied in
many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments
set forth
herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will
satisfy
applicable legal requirements. The term "or" is used herein in both the
alternative and
conjunctive sense, unless otherwise indicated. The terms "illustrative" and
"exemplary"
are used to be examples with no indication of quality level. Like numbers
refer to like
elements throughout.
I. Methods, Apparatus, Systems, and Computer Program Products
As should be appreciated, various embodiments may be implemented in various
ways, including as methods, apparatus, systems, or computer program products.
Accordingly, various embodiments may take the form of an entirely hardware
embodiment or an embodiment in which a processor is programmed to perform
certain
steps. Furthermore, various implementations may take the form of a computer
program
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product on a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program
instructions embodied in the storage medium. Any suitable computer-readable
storage
medium may be utilized including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices,
or
magnetic storage devices.
Various embodiments are described below with reference to block diagrams and
flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus, systems, and computer program
products. It
should be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart
illustrations,
respectively, may be implemented in part by computer program instructions,
e.g., as
logical steps or operations executing on a processor in a computing system.
These
computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer, such as a special
purpose
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a
specifically-
configured machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer
or other
programmable data processing apparatus implement the functions specified in
the
flowchart block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable
memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus to
function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the
computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including computer-readable
instructions for
implementing the functionality specified in the flowchart block or blocks. The
computer
program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable
data
processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on
the
computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented
process
such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable
apparatus
provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart
block or
blocks.
Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations support
various combinations for performing the specified functions, combinations of
operations
for performing the specified functions, and program instructions for
performing the
specified functions. It should also be understood that each block of the block
diagrams and
flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and
flowchart
illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer
systems
that perform the specified functions or operations, or combinations of special
purpose
hardware and computer instructions.
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II. Exemplary System Architecture
Fig. 1 provides an illustration of a system that can be used in conjunction
with
various embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the system
may include
one or more carrier systems 100, one or more mobile stations 105, one or more
customer
computing devices 110, and one or more networks 115. Each of the components of
the
system may be in electronic communication with, for example, one another over
the same
or different wireless or wired networks including, for example, a wired or
wireless
Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area
Network
(MAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the like. Additionally, while Fig. 1
illustrates
certain communication system entities as separate, standalone entities, the
various
embodiments are not limited to this particular architecture.
/. Exemplary Carrier System
Fig. 2 provides an exemplary schematic of a carrier system 100 according to
one
embodiment of the present invention. In general, the term "system" may refer
to, for
example, one or more computers, computing devices, mobile phones, desktops,
notebooks
or laptops, distributed systems, servers, blades, gateways, switches,
processing devices, or
combination of processing devices adapted to perform the functions described
herein.
However, the carrier system 100 may also comprise various other systems, such
as an
Address Matching System (AMS), an Internet Membership System (IMS), a Customer
Profile System (CPS), a Package Center Information System (PCIS), a Customized
Pickup
and Delivery System (CPAD), a Web Content Management System (WCMS), a
Notification Email System (NES), a Fraud Prevention System (FPS), and a
variety of other
systems and their corresponding components.
As will be understood from Fig. 1, in one embodiment, the carrier system 100
includes one or more processors 205 that communicate with other elements
within the
carrier system 100 via a system interface or bus 261. The processor 205 may be
embodied
in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 205 may be embodied
as a
processing element, processing circuitry, a coprocessor, a controller or
various other
processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an
application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a
hardware
accelerator, or the like.
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In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 205 may be configured to execute
instructions stored in memory or otherwise accessible to the processor 205. As
such,
whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination
thereof, the
processor 205 may represent an entity capable of performing operations
according to
embodiments of the present invention when configured accordingly. A display
device/input device 264 for receiving and displaying data may also be included
in the
carrier system 100. This display device/input device 264 may be, for example,
a keyboard
or pointing device that is used in combination with a monitor. The carrier
system 100 may
further include transitory and non-transitory memory 263, which may include
both random
access memory (RAM) 267 and read only memory (ROM) 265. The carrier system's
ROM 265 may be used to store a basic input/output system (BIOS) 226 containing
the
basic routines that help to transfer information to the different elements
within the carrier
system 100.
In addition, in one embodiment, the carrier system 100 may include at least
one
storage device 268, such as a hard disk drive, a CD drive, and/or an optical
disk drive for
storing information on various computer-readable media. The storage device(s)
268 and its
associated computer-readable media may provide nonvolatile storage. The
computer-
readable media described above could be replaced by any other type of computer-
readable
media, such as embedded or removable multimedia memory cards (MMCs), secure
digital
(SD) memory cards, Memory Sticks, electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, or the like. Additionally, each of
these
storage devices 268 may be connected to the system bus 261 by an appropriate
interface.
Furthermore, a number of executable instructions, applications, program
modules,
and/or the like may be stored by the various storage devices 268 and/or within
RAM 267.
Such executable instructions, applications, program modules, and/or the like
may include
an operating system 280, a registration module 270, an alert module 260, a
delivery
options module 250, and identification module 245. As discussed in more detail
below,
these executable instructions, applications, program modules, and/or the like
may control
certain aspects of the operation of the carrier system 100 with the assistance
of the
processor 205 and operating system 280¨although their functionality need not
be
modularized. In addition to the program modules, the carrier system 100 may
store or be
in communication with one or more databases, such as database 240.
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Also located within the carrier system 100, in one embodiment, is a network
interface 274 for interfacing with various computing entities (e.g., with one
or more
mobile stations 105). For example, the carrier system 100 may be able to
receive data
and/or messages from and transmit data and/or messages to the mobile station
105. This
communication may be via the same or different wired or wireless networks (or
a
combination of wired and wireless networks). For instance, the communication
may be
executed using a wired data transmission protocol, such as fiber distributed
data interface
(FDDI), digital subscriber line (DSL), Ethernet, asynchronous transfer mode
(ATM),
frame relay, data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS), or any
other wired
transmission protocol. Similarly, the carrier system 100 may be configured to
communicate via wireless external communication networks using any of a
variety of
protocols, such as 802.11, general packet radio service (GPRS), Universal
Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 2000
(CDMA2000), CDMA2000 1X (1xRTT), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
(WCDMA), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA),
Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
(E-
UTRAN), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High-
Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), 802.16 (WiMAX),
ultra
wideband (UWB), infrared (IR) protocols, Bluetoothm4 protocols, wireless
universal serial
bus (USB) protocols, and/or any other wireless protocol.
It will be appreciated that one or more of the carrier system's 100 components
may
be located remotely from other carrier system 100 components. Furthermore, one
or more
of the components may be combined and additional components performing
functions
described herein may be included in the carrier system 100.
2. Exemplary Mobile Station
Fig. 3 provides an illustrative schematic representative of a mobile station
105 that
can be used in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention.
Mobile stations
105 can be operated by various parties, including carrier personnel (e.g.,
delivery drivers,
sorters, and/or the like). As shown in Fig. 3, the mobile station 105 can
include an antenna
312, a transmitter 304 (e.g., radio), a receiver 306 (e.g., radio), and a
processing device
308 (e.g., a processor, controller, and/or the like) that provides signals to
and receives
signals from the transmitter 304 and receiver 306, respectively.
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The signals provided to and received from the transmitter 304 and the receiver
306,
respectively, may include signaling information in accordance with an air
interface
standard of applicable wireless systems. In this regard, the mobile station
105 may be
capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication
protocols,
modulation types, and access types. More particularly, the mobile station 105
may operate
in accordance with any of a number of wireless communication standards and
protocols,
such as those described above with regard to the carrier system 100. In a
particular
embodiment, the mobile station 105 may operate in accordance with multiple
wireless
communication standards and protocols (e.g., using a Gobi radio), such as GSM,
UMTS,
lxRTT, and EVDO, and use multiple wireless carriers. To do so, the mobile
station 105
may include integrated mobile reception diversity and integrated power
management.
Such a configuration can provide for global connectivity to the user.
Via these communication standards and protocols, the mobile station 105 can
communicate with various other entities using concepts such as Unstructured
Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS), Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency Signaling (DTMF), and/or
Subscriber Identity Module Dialer (SIIVI dialer). The mobile station 105 can
also download
changes, add-ons, and updates, for instance, to its firmware, software (e.g.,
including
executable instructions, applications, program modules), and operating system.
According to one embodiment, the mobile station 105 may include a location
determining device and/or functionality. For example, the mobile station 105
may include
a Global Positioning System (GPS) module adapted to acquire, for example,
latitude,
longitude, altitude, geocode, course, and/or speed data. In one embodiment,
the GPS
module acquires data, sometimes known as ephemeris data, by identifying the
number of
satellites in view and the relative positions of those satellites.
The mobile station 105 may also comprise a user interface (that can include a
display 316 coupled to a processing device 308) and/or a user input interface
(coupled to
the processing device 308). The user input interface can comprise any of a
number of
devices allowing the mobile station 105 to receive data, such as a keypad 318,
a touch
display, voice or motion interfaces, or other input device. In embodiments
including a
keypad 318, the keypad 318 can include the conventional numeric (0-9) and
related keys
(#, *), and other keys used for operating the mobile station 105 and may
include a full set
of alphabetic keys or set of keys that may be activated to provide a full set
of
alphanumeric keys. In addition to providing input, the user input interface
can be used, for
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example, to activate or deactivate certain functions, such as screen savers
and/or sleep
modes.
The mobile station 105 can also include volatile memory 322 and/or non-
volatile
memory 324, which can be embedded and/or may be removable. For example, the
non-
volatile memory may be embedded or removable MMCs, secure digital SD memory
cards,
Memory Sticks, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, or the like. The memory can
store
any of a number of pieces or amount of information and data used by the mobile
station
105 to implement the functions of the mobile station 105. The memory can also
store
content, such as computer program code for an application and/or other
computer
programs.
3. Exemplary Customer Computing Device
The customer computing devices 110 may each include one or more components
that are functionally similar to those of the carrier system 100. For example,
in one
embodiment, each of the customer computing devices may include: (1) a
processor that
communicates with other elements via a system interface or bus; (2) a display
device/input
device; (3) transitory and non-transitory memory; and (4) a communications
interface.
These architectures are provided for exemplary purposes only and are not
limiting to the
various embodiments. The term "computing device" is used generically to refer
to any
computer, computing device, desktop, notebook or laptop, distributed system,
carrier
system, gateway, switch, or other processing device adapted to perform the
functions
described herein.
III. Exemplary System Operation
Reference will now be made to Figs. 4-14, 15A, 15B, 16-18, 19A, 19B, 20-25,
26A, and 26B. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating operations and processes that
may be
performed for customer controlled management of shipments. Figs. 5-14, 15A,
15B, 16-
18, 19A, 19B, 20-25, 26A, and 26B show exemplary input and output for customer
controlled management of shipments.
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1. Registration
In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 400 of Fig. 4, the process may begin
with the enrollment/registration of one or more customers for a customer
delivery
program. A customer may be an individual, a family, a company, an
organization, an
entity, a department within an organization, a representative of an
organization and/or
person, and/or the like. To register, a customer (e.g., a customer or customer
representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may access a webpage or portal of a
carrier,
such as United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS). For instance, as shown
in Figs. 5
and 6, the carrier system 100 may transmit a webpage that provides the
customer with an
option of logging into a customer account or enrolling/registering for a
customer delivery
program.
In one embodiment, as part of the enrollment/registration process, the
customer
(e.g., a customer or customer representative operating a customer computing
device 110)
may be requested to provide biographic and/or geographic information by the
carrier
system 100 (e.g., via the registration module 270). For instance, the customer
may provide
the customer's name, such as a first name, a last name, a company name, an
entity name,
and/or an organization name. The customer may also provide any aliases
associated with
the customer. For instance, if the customer were an individual named Joseph
Brown, the
customer may provide Joe Brown or Joey Brown as aliases. The customer may also
provide one or more addresses associated with the customer (e.g., street
address, city,
state, postal code, and/or country). For instance, Joseph Brown's address may
be 105 Main
Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, USA. As indicated, the customer may have
multiple
addresses associated with the account. For instance, Joseph Brown may have a
home
address and a business address associated with his account. Similarly, an
organization may
have multiple locations (e.g., addresses) associated with its account. When
multiple
addresses are provided, the customer may indicate which address should be used
as the
primary address. As will be recognized, the customer may provide other
biographic and/or
geographic information to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
In one embodiment, once the carrier system 100 receives the necessary
biographic
and/or geographic information from the customer, the carrier system 100 may
perform one
or more validation operations. For example, the carrier system 100 may
determine whether
the primary address (and/or other addresses) in the specified country or
postal code is
eligible for a customer delivery program. The carrier system 100 may also
determine
whether the primary address (and/or other addresses) is valid, e.g., by
passing the primary
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address through one or more address cleansing or standardization systems. The
carrier
system 100 may perform a variety of fraud prevention measures as well, such as
determining whether the customer or one of the customer's addresses has been
"blacklisted" from customer delivery programs. As will be recognized, a
variety of other
approaches and techniques can be used to adapt to various needs and
circumstances.
In one embodiment, the carrier system 100 may create a customer profile for
the
customer via the enrollment/registration process. Accordingly, the carrier
system 100 may
create and store various customer profiles (e.g., via database 240). In
addition to at least
the information described above, a customer profile may include one or more
corresponding usernames and passwords. Additionally, the carrier system 100
may also
create and store a customer identifier in association with the customer
profile. In one
embodiment, a customer identifier may be used to uniquely identify a customer
profile. In
another embodiment, a customer identifier may be used to uniquely identify a
given
address associated with a customer profile. In such an embodiment, if a
customer profile is
associated with four addresses, the carrier system 100 may create and store
four customer
identifiers in association with the customer profile. The customer identifier
may also be
stored in association with shipping data for an item to associate the item
(and its shipping
data) with the (a) correct customer (e.g., customer profile) and/or (b)
correct address for a
customer.
In one embodiment, a customer profile may correspond to one or more customer
delivery programs. For instance, a customer (e.g., a customer or customer
representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may subscribe to a specific
customer delivery
program. In one embodiment, there may be several customer delivery programs
from
which to choose, such as a free customer delivery program and a premium
customer
delivery program. Each customer delivery program may have different benefits,
such as
those shown in Fig. 7 and Table 1 below.
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Table 1
'1/4N
5.0,1v.K 14*i* Pmuippi Membel.
'FFee. i/iC Am:14' !.7.45.1b8006)
Osiiwzm.Nerh.:
=..t.Jalima.4. ian Etact
th.day:AA.
.1 =:.iJmaritAd
F= .UrciAitod: ?===.k.ittleti
F. 1JIFIr.
Elit6M iD a ROO Loc4.-tion (QP5 &Aro 1 r re. E, tithlirfiaa4
Ran, h,=d,A!E =.:FF88 LthOriftst
0.0yr
With:NEggtiim X.
COM-v.1:M DOiyery.WiPaow.
Q.01iNOry.P.Iam-0:
........................
....................................................................
As shown in Table 1 above and in Fig. 7 for illustrative purposes, the free
customer
delivery program and the premium customer delivery program may have different
benefits. For example, the free customer delivery program may allow customers
to have
access to certain features, e.g., delivery alerts, approximate delivery times,
change delivery
options, electronically authorize the release of an item, and/or route items
to will call.
Similarly, the premium customer delivery program (e.g., requiring a fee) may
allow
customers to have access to certain features in addition to those provided via
the free
customer delivery program, e.g., route items to other retail locations,
reschedule deliveries,
request that items be delivered to another address, and/or provide
instructions for delivery.
As will be recognized, these features are provided for illustrative purposes
and are not
limiting to embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, a variety of other
approaches
and techniques can be used to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
In one embodiment, once a customer profile has been created by the carrier
system
100, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer representative operating a
customer
computing device 110) can provide various preferences associated with the
customer
delivery program to the carrier system 100 via a webpage (Block 405 of Fig.
4), for
example. For instance, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the customer (e.g., a
customer or
customer representative operating a customer computing device 110) can provide
a variety
of preferences, such communication preferences, delivery preferences, delivery
options,
and/or delivery instructions.
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2. Customer and Item Matching
In one embodiment, once a customer profile has been created by the carrier
system
100, one or more items to be delivered to the customer by the carrier may need
to be
identified. By identifying items to be delivered to the customer, the carrier
system 100 can
provide the customer with access to various features of a customer delivery
program for
the item. As will be recognized, an item may be a parcel or group of parcels,
a package or
group of packages, scrap metal banded together, a vehicle part, a box, a
crate, a drum, a
box strapped to a pallet, and/or the like. In one embodiment, each item may
include an
item/shipment identifier, such as a barcode, a MaxiCode, electronic
representation, and/or
text. The item/shipment identifier (e.g., 123456789) may be used by the
carrier to identify
and track the item as it moves through the carrier's transportation network.
Such
item/shipment identifiers can be affixed to items by, for example, using a
sticker (e.g.,
label) with the item/shipment identifier printed thereon (in human and/or
machine readable
form) or an RFID tag with the item/shipment identifier stored therein.
In one embodiment, the carrier system 100 may store an item/shipment
identifier in
association with shipping data for the item. The shipping data may include
information
about the item, such as delivery service level. For example, the delivery
service level may
be Next Day Air, Next Day Air Early AM, Next Day Air Saver, 2nd Day Air, 2nd
Day Air
Early AM, 3 Day Select, Ground, and/or SurePost. The shipping data may include
information about the party shipping the item (e.g., consignor), such as the
party's address,
the party's phone number, the party's return address, the party's name, and/or
the like. The
shipping data may also include information about the customer to whom the item
is to be
delivered (e.g., consignee), such as the customer's address (e.g., delivery
location), the
customer's phone number, the customer's name, and/or the like.
In one embodiment, the shipping data may include information about the item
itself and any tracking information. The tracking information may reflect the
item's
movement in the carrier's transportation network, including expected delivery
date and
time. To reflect the item's movement, an item/shipment identifier associated
with the item
may be scanned or otherwise electronically read at various points as the item
is transported
through the carrier's transportation network. For example, the item/shipment
identifier
may be automatically scanned by a barcode or MaxiCode device, an RFID
interrogator, by
a camera controller, or by a carrier employee using a handheld device (e.g.,
mobile station
105). In one embodiment, each time the item/shipment identifier is scanned or
read, an
appropriate device can transmit the item/shipment identifier and other
appropriate
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information (e.g., location and time of the scan or reading) to the carrier
system 100. The
carrier system 100 can then receive and use the information to track the item
as it is
transported though the carrier's transportation network and update the
shipping data
accordingly. Although the term customer refers to consignees throughout, the
term
customer may refer to consignors as well.
In one embodiment, the carrier system 100 can use the shipping data to
identify
one or more customer profiles corresponding to the item (e.g., via the
identification
module 245). As described, each customer profile may include one or more
addresses
associated with the customer. Thus, when the carrier system 100 receives
shipping data (or
a portion of shipping data) for an item (Block 410 of Fig. 4), the carrier
system 100 can
determine whether the item corresponds to any customers enrolled/registered
for a
customer delivery program. In particular, the carrier system 100 can use the
delivery
address of the intended recipient (e.g., consignee or customer) in the
shipping data for an
item to identify any customer profiles with a substantially similar delivery
address (Block
415 of Fig. 4). For example, if the shipping data of an item indicates that
the delivery
address of the intended recipient is 105 Main St., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, the
carrier
system 100 may identify Joseph Brown's customer profile as corresponding to
the item
even though the address in Joseph Brown's profile is 105 Main Street, Atlanta,
Georgia
30309, USA. In other words, in making such determinations, the carrier system
100 can
accommodate variations for a given address. As will be recognized, the carrier
system 100
may be configured to compensate for various discrepancies.
In one embodiment, as a secondary measure, the carrier system 100 can use the
delivery name of the intended recipient (e.g., consignee or customer) in the
shipping data
to confirm that the identified customer profile is correct. To do so, the
carrier system 100
may compare the delivery name of the intended recipient in the shipping data
to the
primary name and/or any aliases in the identified customer profile. If the
names are
substantially similar, the carrier system 100 can confirm that the identified
customer
profile is correct. By way of example, if the shipping data indicates that the
delivery name
of the intended recipient is Joe Brown and Joseph Brown listed Joe as a first
name alias,
the carrier system 100 could confirm Joseph Brown's customer profile as
corresponding to
the item. As will be recognized, a variety of other approaches and techniques
can be used
to identify a customer profile corresponding to at least one item to be
delivered by the
carrier.
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In one embodiment, after identifying the appropriate customer profile, the
carrier
system 100 can associate the shipping data with the customer profile (Block
420 of Fig. 4).
This may include appending the shipping data with the appropriate customer
identifier (or
other identifier corresponding to the customer profile). For instance, the
shipping data for
all shipments corresponding to Joseph Brown's customer profile may be appended
with
the customer identifier (or other identifier) created for Joseph Brown. In
various
embodiments, using this approach allows items (and their shipping data) to be
linked to
appropriate customer profiles. Thus, when Joseph Brown accesses his account,
he can
view all of his shipments (e.g., those shipments with shipping data appended
with his
customer identifier (or other identifier)). Similarly, any actions selected by
the customer
for an item can be passed to the shipping data for the item.
3. Item Tracking
In one embodiment, by appending the shipping data with the appropriate
customer
identifier, the corresponding customer can view tracking information for any
shipments
associated with the customer profile. For instance, as shown in Figs. 10-12,
the carrier
system 100 can be used to identify (e.g., retrieve the shipping data with the
appropriate
customer identifier) all shipments associated with a customer (e.g., customer
profile) using
the customer identifier and provide them to the customer for viewing in a
customer-
friendly format, such as via a dashboard/webpage/application. For example,
Fig. 10 shows
a dashboard/webpage/application with a list of all inbound shipments to a
customer. Fig.
11 shows dashboard/webpage/application with a calendar (which may have a day
view, a
week view, a multiple week view, and/or a month view) having a list of all
inbound
shipments to a customer. In Fig. 11, the calendar is sorted by delivery
address, indicating
that the customer has more than one delivery address associated with the
customer profile.
Fig. 12 shows another dashboard/webpage/application with a list of all inbound
shipments
to a customer.
In various embodiments, these concepts can provide customers with ongoing
visibility of all inbound packages, as well as preferences. For instance, for
each item, the
dashboard/webpage/application can be used to show the item/shipment
identifier, a
delivery indicator, last activity scan date, a non-confirmed delivery window,
a confirmed
delivery window a commit time, whether an in-person signature is requested for
delivery,
a delivery service level, and/or various other information. As will be
recognized, though, a
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variety of other approaches and techniques can be used to provide tracking
information to
a customer.
4. Messages
In one embodiment, the dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 can be used to customize and/or
provide
communication preferences regarding items to be delivered to customers (shown
in Fig.
13). For example, the communication preferences may provide customers with the
ability
to request messages for items before the carrier attempts to deliver the items
(e.g., prior to
the first delivery attempt by the carrier) and/or after items have been
delivered.
In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, a customer (e.g., a customer or
customer
representative operating a customer computing device 110) can identify one or
more
communication formats for communicating with the customer. The communication
formats may include text messages (e.g., Short Message Service (SMS) and/or
Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS), email messages, voice messages, and/or a variety of
other
messages in various communication formats. In addition to identifying one or
more
communication formats, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer
representative
operating a customer computing device 110) can identify the corresponding
electronic
destination addresses to be used in providing information regarding items to
be delivered
to the customer. For instance, for text messages, the customer may provide one
or more
cellular phone numbers. For email messages, the customer may provide one or
more email
addresses. And for voice messages, the customer may provide one or more
cellular or
landline phone numbers. Additionally, in one embodiment, validation operations
can be
performed with respect to each input destination address¨to ensure their
accuracy.
In one embodiment, customers (e.g., a customer or customer representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may indicate the type of messages
they want
to receive (e.g., the content). For example, a customer may indicate that he
only wants to
receive messages when the shipping data for an item indicates that an in-
person signature
from the customer is requested for delivery of the item, when the delivery
options for the
.. item can be changed, when instructions for delivery of the item can be
provided, or when
the delivery service level of the item can be changed. In another example, a
customer may
indicate that he wants to receive messages for all items to be delivered to
the customer
with expected delivery dates and delivery times. As will be recognized,
customers may
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indicate that they want to receive messages regarding items in a variety of
other
circumstances.
In one embodiment, customers (e.g., a customer or customer representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may identify/define time periods in
which the
messages providing information regarding items to be delivered should be
transmitted to
the customer. For instance, the time periods may include (a) after shipment
and the day
before an item is delivered and (b) after shipment and the morning of the day
of delivery.
In such cases, the messages can serve as a reminder to the customer that an
item is being
delivered. Similarly the time periods may be after delivery for confirmation
of delivery.
The carrier system 100 can store communication preferences for providing
information in
association with the customer profiles. Moreover, the communication
preferences may
apply to the customer profile globally, to selected customer addresses, to
groups of items,
and/or an item-by-item basis.
In one embodiment, the carrier system 100 may impose time constraints for
placing, generating, and/or transmitting messages within the time periods
identified by the
customers. For example, the carrier system 100 may only transmit text messages
to
customers between 6:00am-11:00pm (based on time zones). Similarly, the carrier
system
100 may place calls and transmit automated voice messages between 8:00am-
9:00pm
(based on time zones). And for email messages, the carrier system 100 may
generate and
transmit them without time constraints.
In one embodiment, the carrier system 100 can automatically generate (e.g.,
via the
message module 260) one or more messages providing information regarding an
item to
be delivered to the customer (Block 425 of Fig. 4) in compliance with the
customer's
communication preferences and the carrier's time constraints. Similarly, the
carrier system
to 100 can automatically transmit the one or messages to the electronic
destination
addresses in compliance with the customer's communication preferences and the
carrier's
time constraints. For example, the carrier system 100 may generate (including
select) and
transmit an email message to Joseph Brown's email address and a text message
to
Joseph's cellular phone the day before an item is to be delivered to Joseph's
home address.
The messages may indicate the expected delivery date and/or delivery time,
such as shown
in Figs. 15A and 15B, and a variety of other information. As will be
recognized, a variety
of other operations and processes may be used with embodiments of the present
invention.
These operations and processes can be customized to adapt to various needs and
circumstances.
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5. Delivery Times
In one embodiment, the dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) can
be used to view expected delivery times (estimate delivery windows and/or
confirmed
delivery windows). In one embodiment, estimated time windows may indicate an
estimated delivery time of an item based on historical delivery times to the
area. Such
information may be included in messages to customers prior to the first
delivery attempt.
As shown in Fig. 13, the dashboard/webpage/application may also be used by the
customer (e.g., operating a customer computing device 110) to request that
items be
delivered within a delivery window. That is, the customer may want an item
delivered
within a specific time window. The carrier may provide such services as part
of a
customer delivery program or on a fee basis, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17.
Table 2 below
provides illustrative estimated delivery windows and confirmed delivery
windows from
which the customer can select to have an item delivered.
Table I
Estimated Delivery Windows Confirmed Delivery Windows
1 I :45am ¨ 1:45pm
11:45am ¨ 3:45pm 12:45pm ¨ 2:45pm
I :45pm ¨ 3:45pm
I I :30am ¨ 1:30pm
I I :30am ¨ 3:30pm 12:30pm ¨ 2:30pm
1:30pm ¨ 3:30pm
2:00pm ¨ 4:00pm
2:00pm ¨ 5:45pm
3:45PM ¨ 5:45pm
1:00pm ¨3:00pm
I:00pm ¨ 4:15pm
2:15pm ¨ 4:15pm
8:00am ¨ 10:00am
8:00am ¨ 11:00pm
9:00am ¨ 11:00am
3:00pm ¨ 5:00pm
3:00pm ¨ 6:00pm
4:00pm ¨ 6:00pm
3:00pm ¨ 5:00pm
3:00pm ¨5:45pm
3:45pm ¨ 5:45pm
4:00pm ¨ 6:00pm 4:00pm¨ 6:00pm
Additional information regarding estimated delivery windows and confirmed
delivery windows can be found in U.S. Patent No. 6,701,299, U.S. Patent No.
7,233,907,
and U.S. Patent No. 7,925,524. As will be recognized, a variety of other
operations and
processes may be used with embodiments of the present invention. These
operations and
processes can be customized to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
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6. Electronic Authorization for Item Release
In one embodiment, consignors, consignees, and/or the carrier may request that
a
recipient's signature be obtained at the point of delivery for certain items.
In-person
signature requests may be for high-value and/or high-risk items, such as
cellular phones,
computers, narcotic medications, and/or a variety of other items. Similarly,
in-person
signature requests may be designated by the carrier for items being delivered
in non-driver
release areas. A non-driver release area may be an area in which items have
been stolen
after being left at the delivery location (e.g., not delivered to a person)
and/or for various
other reasons. The following describes two separate approaches for delivering
such
packages without in-person signatures.
A. Electronic Authorization for Item Release
In one embodiment, items that are shipped with a request for an in-person
signature at the point of delivery may have a non-driver release status. The
non-driver
release status may be indicated in the shipping data. For example, the
shipping data for an
item may indicate that an in-person signature from a recipient (e.g., customer
or
representative of the customer) is requested for delivery of the item. In one
embodiment,
such information may be displayed via the dashboard/webpage/application (shown
in Fig.
13). For instance, the shipping data for the item represented in Fig. 13
indicates that an in-
person signature is requested for delivery of the item. In addition to an in-
person signature,
in this example, payment of $25.00 is also needed for delivery.
In one embodiment, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may electronically authorize
delivery of the
item without an in-person signature. To do so, the customer (e.g., a customer
or customer
representative operating a customer computing device 110) may electronically
authorize
release of the item without an in-person signature through the
dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier system 100,
for
example. Operatively, in one embodiment, the customer (e.g., a customer or
customer
representative operating a customer computing device 110) may select a
hyperlink (e.g.,
shown in Fig. 13) that reads "Authorize Shipment Release." After (e.g., in
response to) the
carrier system 100 receives the request to authorize shipment release, the
carrier system
100 can provide the appropriate information via the
dashboard/webpage/application for
the customer. For instance, as shown in Fig. 18, the carrier system 100 may
provide a
dashboard/webpage/application (e.g., displayed via a customer computing device
110) that
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provides a disclaimer for delivering the item without an in-person signature
(e.g.,
delivering the item by leaving it at a front door of a house). The
dashboard/webpage/application may require the customer to check a box, type in
his
name, and/or perform other affirmative steps. The customer computing device
110 can
then transmit the input authorization to the carrier system 100. The carrier
system 100 can
then receive the input authorization to deliver the item without an in-person
signature
(Block 430 of Fig. 4). After (e.g., in response to) receiving the
authorization, the carrier
system 100 can update the shipping data to reflect that the item can now be
delivered
without an in-person signature at the point of delivery.
In certain embodiments, an electronic authorization may have the same effect
as an
in-person signature at the point of the delivery. Such electronic signatures
may apply to
the customer profile globally (e.g., allowing all items for a particular
address to be
delivered without in-person signatures), to selected customer addresses, to
groups of
items, and/or an item-by-item basis. Such authorizations may be provided prior
to the first
delivery attempt by the carrier, further streamlining carrier operations and
increasing
customer satisfaction.
In addition to providing for electronic authorization to release items, the
carrier
system 100 can provide for payment of items so that cash-on-delivery items do
not require
an in-person transaction for delivery. As will be recognized, a variety of
other operations
and processes may be used with embodiments of the present invention. These
operations
and processes can be customized to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
B. Automatic Electronic Authorization for Item Release
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 can be used to automatically
authorize
delivery of items without in-person signatures even when the corresponding
shipping data
indicates that in-person signatures are requested for delivery. For example,
the customer
(e.g., a customer or customer representative operating a customer computing
device 110)
may access the dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier
system
100 to provide authorization to allow all (or select) items to be delivered
without in-person
signatures even when the corresponding shipping data indicates that in-person
signatures
are requested for delivery.
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Operatively, in one embodiment, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer
representative operating a customer computing device 110) may select a
hyperlink (e.g.,
shown in Fig. 13) that reads "Authorize All Shipment Release." After (e.g., in
response to)
the carrier system 100 receives the request to authorize the release of all
(or select) items,
the carrier system 100 can provide the appropriate information via the
dashboard/webpage/application for the customer. For instance, as shown in Fig.
18, the
carrier system 100 may provide a dashboard/webpage/application (e.g.,
displayed via a
customer computing device 110) that provides a disclaimer for delivering the
items
without in-person signatures (e.g., delivering the item by leaving it at a
front door of a
house). The dashboard/webpage/application may require the customer to check a
box, type
in his name, and/or perform other affirmative steps to properly acknowledge
consent. The
customer computing device 110 can then transmit the input authorization to the
carrier
system 100. The carrier system 100 can then receive the input authorization to
deliver the
items without in-person signatures (Block 430 of Fig. 4). After (e.g., in
response to)
receiving the authorization, the carrier system 100 can update the customer
profile to
reflect that the items with corresponding shipping data indicating that in-
person signatures
are requested for delivery can be delivered without in-person signatures. This
feature can
be configured for items that have yet to be purchased, shipped, or delivered
(e.g., for
future transactions).
Thus, when an item to be delivered to the customer is matched to the customer
profile and has corresponding shipping data indicating that an in-person
signature is
requested for delivery, the carrier system 100 can automatically change the
corresponding
shipping data to reflect that the item can be delivered without an in-person
signature (e.g.,
based on the customer profile). In certain embodiments, this may require
applying a new
item/shipment identifier and/or label. For example, the carrier system 100 can
transmit to
the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing entities) updated
shipping
data indicating that the item can be delivered without an in-person signature.
In one
embodiment, the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing
entities) can
receive the updated shipping data. Then, when carrier personnel sorting items
or loading
delivery vehicles, for example, scan the item/shipment identifier (e.g., using
a mobile
station 105), the mobile station 105 can provide the carrier personnel with an
indication
that the item can be delivered without an in-person signature. This may
include indicating
that a new label (and/or item/shipment identifier) needs to be affixed to the
item. The item
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can then be transported and delivered with the new label by the carrier and
delivered
without requiring an in-person signature.
In another embodiment, this feature may also require that items satisfy
certain
criteria in order to automatically allow an item to be delivered without an in-
person
signature. For example, the customer may indicate that only items originating
from
identified consignors (e.g., Amazon, Lands' End, William Robinson, etc.) can
be delivered
without in-person signatures. In this example, customer Joseph Brown can
update his
customer profile such that all items to be delivered to him that originate
from Lands' End
are to be delivered without in-person signatures. Thus, as described above, in
this
example, all items to be delivered to Joseph Brown originating from Lands' End
can be
delivered without in-person signatures (if they were originally requested). As
will be
recognized, a variety of other approaches and techniques can be used to adapt
to various
needs and circumstances.
In various embodiments, the carrier may include such services as part of a
customer delivery program and/or require a fee on a transaction basis.
Moreover, a variety
of other operations and processes may be used with embodiments of the present
invention.
For example, such features can be used in conjunction with customer and item
matching
features, item tracking features, messaging features, delivery time features,
instructions for
delivery features, delivery option features, and/or the like. Thus, these
operations and
processes can be customized to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
7. Instructions for Delivery
In one embodiment, delivery persons working for a carrier (and other carrier
personnel) may carry and operate mobile stations 105 to assist in the delivery
of items. For
example, shipping data (or at least a portion of shipping data) corresponding
to items to be
delivered can be transmitted regularly, periodically, continuously, and/or on
demand to the
appropriate mobile stations 105. Thus, for instance, carrier personnel can
scan an
item/shipment identifier on an item (e.g., using a mobile station 105) to view
information
about the delivery of the item. The mobile station 105 may also be used to
provide
instructions for delivery to a delivery person. The instructions may include
information,
such as where an item should be left at a delivery location and/or access
codes needed to
deliver an item. The delivery person can also use the mobile station 105 to
record
information about the delivery of the item, such as where and at what time the
item was
delivered.
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As will be recognized, in one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or
other mechanism) in communication with the carrier system 100 (e.g., via the
delivery
options module 250) can be used to provide instructions regarding items to be
delivered to
customers (e.g., prior to a delivery attempt by the carrier). For example, the
customer (e.g.,
a customer or customer representative operating a customer computing device
110) may
access the dashboard/webpage/application to view items to be delivered to the
customer.
The dashboard/webpage/application may also provide the customer with the
option of
providing instructions for delivering one or more items.
In one embodiment, to provide such instructions, the customer (e.g., a
customer or
customer representative operating a customer computing device 110) may select
a button
(e.g., shown in Fig. 13) that reads "Provide Delivery Instructions." After
(e.g., in response
to) the carrier system 100 receives the request to provide instructions, the
carrier system
100 can provide the appropriate dashboard/webpage/application and information
to the
customer. For instance, as shown in Figs. 19A, 19B, and 20, the carrier system
100 may
provide a dashboard/webpage/application to the customer (e.g., displayed via a
customer
computing device 110) that provides the ability to input (e.g., via an input
form) one or
more instructions for using a code to enter an area proximate the delivery
address, such as
building code(s), door code(s), and/or gate code(s). The carrier system 100
may also
provide a dashboard/webpage/application to the customer (e.g., displayed via a
customer
computing device 110) that provides the ability to input (e.g., via a drop-
down menu) one
or more instructions that identify a location at the delivery address at which
the item
should be left. Table 3 below provides illustrative instructions and
corresponding codes.
Table 3
Leave-At Instructions Optional
Leave at ¨ Front Door Security Code to Access Front
Door
Leave at ¨ Rear Door Security Code to Access Rear
Door
Leave at ¨ Side Door Security Code to Access Side
Door
Leave at ¨ Garage Security Code to Access Garage
Leave at ¨ Porch Security Code to Access Porch
Leave at ¨ Deck Security Code to Access Deck
Leave at ¨ Patio Security Code to Access Patio
Leave at ¨ Reception Security Code to Access
Reception
Leave at ¨ Management Office Security Code to Access Office
Leave at ¨ Door Person Security Code to Reach Door
Person
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Leave-At Instructions Optional
Leave at ¨ Neighbor Security Code for Neighbor
In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 435 of Fig. 4, the carrier system 100
can
receive the one or more instructions for delivery (e.g., before a first
delivery attempt).
After (e.g., in response to) receiving the one or more instructions for
delivery, the carrier
system 100 can update the shipping data to reflect that the item should be
delivered in
accordance with the one or more instructions. The updated shipping data (or at
least a
portion of updated shipping data) can be transmitted regularly, periodically,
continuously,
and/or on demand by the carrier system 100 to the appropriate mobile stations
105. The
appropriate mobile station 105 can receive the updated shipping data (or at
least a portion
of updated shipping data). Then, a delivery person can scan an item/shipment
identifier on
an item (e.g., using a mobile station 105) to view information about the
delivery of the
item, and the updated shipping data (or at least a portion of updated shipping
data) can be
displayed, including the one or more instructions for delivery. The delivery
person can
then delivery the item in accordance with the one or more instructions for
delivery. For
instance, as shown in Fig. 21. The instructions may be to leave an item at a
rear door at a
delivery location and further provide a gate code needed to access the rear
door. A variety
of other instructions for delivery can be provided as well.
As will be recognized, the one or more instructions for delivery may apply to
the
customer profile globally (e.g., providing that all items be delivered in
accordance with the
instructions), to selected customer addresses, to groups of items, and/or an
item-by-item
basis. As indicated, such instructions may be provided prior to the first
delivery attempt by
the carrier. Moreover, a variety of other operations and processes may be used
with
embodiments of the present invention. These operations and processes can be
customized
to adapt to various needs and circumstances. For instance, the carrier may
include such
services as part of a customer delivery program and/or require a fee.
8. Delivery Options
In one embodiment, as described, shipping data (or at least a portion of
shipping
data) corresponding to items to be delivered can be transmitted regularly,
periodically,
continuously, and/or on demand by the carrier system 100 to the appropriate
mobile
stations 105. Thus, for instance, carrier personnel can scan an item/shipment
identifier on
an item (e.g., using a mobile station 105) to view, access, provide, and/or
retrieve
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information about the item or delivery of the item. In one embodiment,
shipping data can
be updated to change delivery options, such as changing the delivery location,
the delivery
date, the delivery time, and/or the delivery service level.
A. Non-Vacation Delivery Options
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 (e.g., via the delivery options
module 250) can
be used to change delivery options regarding items to be delivered to
customers (e.g., prior
to a delivery attempt by the carrier). For example, the customer (e.g., a
customer or
customer representative operating a customer computing device 110) may access
the
dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier system 100 to
view
items to be delivered to the customer. The dashboard/webpage/application may
provide
the customer with the option of changing delivery options for one or more
items.
In one embodiment, to change delivery options, the customer (e.g., a customer
or
customer representative operating a customer computing device 110) may select
a button
(e.g., shown in Fig. 13) that reads "Change Delivery." After (e.g., in
response to) the
carrier system 100 receives the request to change delivery options, the
carrier system 100
can provide the appropriate dashboard/webpage/application and information to
the
customer. For instance, as shown in Fig. 22, the carrier system 100 may
provide a
dashboard/webpage/application to the customer (e.g., displayed via a customer
computing
device 110) that provides the ability to change delivery options. The delivery
options may
allow the customer to request to have the item held at a carrier facility for
pick up (e.g.,
will call or same day will call). The delivery options may allow the customer
to request to
reschedule delivery of the item for another date and/or time (e.g., a future
date and time).
The delivery options may allow the customer to change the delivery service
level of the
item (e.g., change the delivery service level from Ground to 2nd Day Air or
Ground to
SurePost) after the item has been shipped. In one embodiment, this may allow
for the item
to be delivered earlier than initially indicated (e.g., both date and time).
The delivery
options may allow the customer request to change the delivery location to a
carrier facility
(or other location), such as a UPS Store. And the delivery options may allow
the customer
to request to return the item to the consignor. As will be recognized,
embodiments of the
present invention may also allow a customer to change a variety of other
delivery options.
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In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 435 of Fig. 4, the carrier system 100
can
receive the changed delivery options as input from the customer. After (e.g.,
in response
to) the changed delivery options, the carrier system 100 can accept the
requested changes
(e.g. including validating the changes). The carrier system 100 can then
update the
shipping data to reflect that the item should be delivered in accordance with
the changed
delivery options. In one embodiment, the change in delivery options may
require applying
a new item/shipment identifier and/or label. For example, as described, the
updated
shipping data (or at least a portion of updated shipping data) corresponding
to items to be
delivered can be transmitted regularly, periodically, continuously, and/or on
demand by
the carrier system 100 to the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other
computing
entities).
In one embodiment, the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing
entities) can receive the updated shipping data (or at least a portion of
updated shipping
data) corresponding to items to be delivered. Thus, carrier personnel sorting
items or
loading delivery vehicles can scan an item/shipment identifier (e.g., using a
mobile station
105) on an item to view information about the delivery of the item, and the
updated
shipping data (or at least a portion of updated shipping data) can be
displayed. The
updated shipping information may indicate that a new label (and/or
item/shipment
identifier) needs to be affixed to the item (e.g., the new label may indicate
the new
delivery address). The item can then be delivered in accordance with the
changed delivery
options.
In various embodiments, the carrier may include such services as part of a
customer delivery program and/or require a fee. As indicated, in one
embodiment, the
delivery options may be changed prior to the first delivery attempt by the
carrier.
Moreover, a variety of other operations and processes may be used with
embodiments of
the present invention. These operations and processes can be customized to
adapt to
various needs and circumstances.
B. Vacation Delivery Options
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 (e.g., via the delivery options
module 250) can
be used to change delivery options regarding items to be delivered to
customers while the
customers are on vacation (or otherwise away from the delivery location, such
as being out
of town on a business trip). For example, a customer (e.g., a customer or
customer
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representative operating a customer computing device 110) may access the
dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier system 100 to
input
delivery options while the customer is on vacation.
In one embodiment, to input such delivery options, the customer (e.g., a
customer
or customer representative operating a customer computing device 110) may
select a
button (e.g., shown in Fig. 23) that reads "Add a Vacation." After (e.g., in
response to) the
carrier system 100 receives the request to add a vacation, the carrier system
100 can
provide the appropriate dashboard/webpage/application and information to the
customer.
For instance, as shown in Figs. 24, 25, 26A, and 26B, the carrier system 100
may provide
a dashboard/webpage/application to the customer (e.g., displayed via a
customer
computing device 110) that provides the ability to input vacation dates and/or
delivery
options (e.g., the delivery location, the delivery date, and/or the delivery
time). During the
vacation time period, the delivery options may allow the customer to request
to have items
held at a carrier facility for will call or to be rescheduled for delivery on
another date.
Similarly, during the vacation time period, the delivery options may allow the
customer to
request to have all items delivered to a carrier facility, such as a UPS
Store.
In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 435 of Fig. 4, the carrier system 100
can
receive the input vacation dates and/or delivery options. After (e.g., in
response to)
receiving the input vacation dates and/or delivery options, the carrier system
100 can
apply the vacation delivery options to all items to be delivered to the
customer (and/or one
of the customer's addresses in his customer profile) during the vacation time
period. For
instance, as shown in Fig. 26A, all items to be delivered to a customer
between
07/05/2011 and 07/11/2011 can be rescheduled for delivery on 07/12/2011.
Similarly, as
shown in Fig. 26B, all items to be delivered to a customer between 07/05/2011
and
07/11/2011 can be delivered to a carrier facility (such as a UPS Store) for
later pickup by
the customer. In one embodiment, vacation options may require applying a new
label
(and/or item/shipment identifier) to items to be delivered during the vacation
time period.
C. Change in Delivery Service Level
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 can be used to change delivery
service levels
for items to be delivered to customers prior to respective delivery attempts
by the carrier.
For example, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer representative
operating a
customer computing device 110) may access the dashboard/webpage/application in
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communication with the carrier system 100 to view items to be delivered to the
customer.
The dashboard/webpage/application may provide the customer with the option of
changing the delivery service levels for one or more items (e.g., change the
delivery
service level from Ground to 2nd Day Air or from Ground to SurePost).
In one embodiment, to change the delivery service level for an item, the
customer
(e.g., a customer or customer representative operating a customer computing
device 110)
may select a button, icon, or graphic (similar to Fig. 13, although not shown
in Fig. 13)
that reads "Change Service Level." After (e.g., in response to) the carrier
system 100
receives the request to change the delivery service level, the carrier system
100 can
provide the appropriate information via the dashboard/webpage/application to
the
customer. For instance, the carrier system 100 may be in communication with a
dashboard/webpage/application (e.g., displayed via a customer computing device
110) that
provides the ability to change the delivery service level. For example, this
may allow the
customer to change the delivery service level from SurePost to Ground, from
Ground to
2nd Day Air, from 2nd Day Air to Next Day Air, from 2nd Day Air to Ground,
and/or the
like. Thus, the delivery service level can be changed from a first delivery
service level
with which it was originally shipped to a second delivery service level (after
the item has
been shipped but) prior to the first delivery attempt of the item. In one
embodiment, this
may allow for the item to be delivered earlier or later than initially
indicated (e.g., both
date and time).
In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 435 of Fig. 4, the carrier system 100
can
receive the request to change the delivery service level as input from the
customer. After
(e.g., in response to) receiving such a request, the carrier system 100 can
accept the
requested changes (e.g. including validating the changes). The carrier system
100 can then
update the shipping data to reflect that the item should be delivered in
accordance with the
second (e.g., changed) delivery service level, which may automatically change
the
delivery date and/or cost associated with delivering the item. In one
embodiment, the
change in the delivery service level may require applying a new item/shipment
identifier
and/or label. For example, as described, the updated shipping data (or at
least a portion of
updated shipping data) corresponding to items to be delivered can be
transmitted regularly,
periodically, continuously, and/or on demand by the carrier system 100 to the
appropriate
mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing entities).
In one embodiment, the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing
entities) can receive the updated shipping data (or at least a portion of
updated shipping
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data) corresponding to items to be delivered. Thus, carrier personnel sorting
items or
loading delivery vehicles can scan an item/shipment identifier (e.g., using a
mobile station
105) on an item to view information about the delivery of the item, and the
updated
shipping data (or at least a portion of updated shipping data) can be
displayed. The
updated shipping information may indicate that a new label (and/or
item/shipment
identifier) needs to be affixed to the item (e.g., the new label may indicate
the new
delivery service level). The item can then be transported and delivered with
the new label
by the carrier in accordance with the second (e.g., changed) delivery service
level.
In various embodiments, the carrier may include such services as part of a
customer delivery program and/or require a fee on a transaction basis. As
indicated, in one
embodiment, the delivery options may be changed prior to the first delivery
attempt by the
carrier. Moreover, a variety of other operations and processes may be used
with
embodiments of the present invention. For example, changing the delivery
service level
feature can be used in conjunction with other features described herein, such
as customer
and item matching features, item tracking features, messaging features,
delivery time
features, electronic authorization for item release features, instructions for
delivery
features, and/or delivery option features. Thus, these operations and
processes can be
customized to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
D. Automatic Change in Delivery Service Level
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 can be used to automatically change
delivery
service levels for items to be delivered to customers prior to respective
delivery attempts
by the carrier. For example, the customer (e.g., a customer or customer
representative
operating a customer computing device 110) may access the
dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier system 100 to
view
delivery service level options for items that have yet to be purchased,
shipped, or
delivered. In one embodiment, the dashboard/webpage/application may provide
the
customer with the option of automatically changing the delivery service level
for all (or
select) items to be delivered via a specific delivery service level (e.g.,
Next Day Air, Next
Day Air Early AM, Next Day Air Saver, 2nd Day Air, 2nd Day Air Early AM, 3 Day
Select, Ground, and/or SurePost).
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In one embodiment, to automatically change the delivery service level for all
(or
select) items to be delivered via a specific delivery service level, the
customer (e.g., a
customer or customer representative operating a customer computing device 110)
may
select a button, icon, or graphic that reads "Automatic Service Level Change."
After (e.g.,
in response to) the carrier system 100 receives the request to automatically
change
delivery service levels, the carrier system 100 can provide the appropriate
information via
the dashboard/webpage/application to the customer. For instance, the carrier
system 100
may be in communication with a dashboard/webpage/application (e.g., displayed
via a
customer computing device 110) that provides the ability to set automatic
delivery service
level changes for all (or select) items to be delivered via the specific
delivery service level.
For instance, the customer can input that all (or select) items to be
delivered via a first
delivery service level (e.g., SurePost) should automatically be changed to a
second
delivery service level (e.g., Ground). Thus, this feature may allow the
customer to
automatically change the delivery service level for all items to be delivered
via a first
delivery service level to a second delivery service level (e.g., from SurePost
to Ground,
from Ground to 2nd Day Air, from 2nd Day Air to Next Day Air, from 2nd Day Air
to
Ground, and/or the like). Thus, delivery service levels can be automatically
changed from
a first delivery service level (used when originally shipped) to a second
delivery service
level, which may automatically change the delivery dates and/or costs
associated with
delivering the item. As indicated, this may even occur after the items have
been shipped
but prior to the first delivery attempt of the items.
In one embodiment, as indicated in Block 435 of Fig. 4, the carrier system 100
can
receive the request to automatically change the delivery service level as
input from the
customer. After (e.g., in response to) receiving such a request, the carrier
system 100 can
accept the requested changes (e.g. including validating the changes). The
carrier system
100 can then update the customer profile to reflect that items to be delivered
in accordance
with the first delivery service level (and/or from a specific consignor)
should be
automatically changed to a second delivery service level during transport by
the carrier.
Thus, when an item to be delivered to the customer is matched to the customer
profile and is to be delivered via the first delivery service level (e.g.,
SurePost), the carrier
system 100 can automatically change the first delivery service level to the
second delivery
service level as reflected in the customer profile. As described, this may
require applying a
new item/shipment identifier and/or label. For example, the carrier system 100
can
transmit regularly, periodically, continuously, and/or on demand to the
appropriate mobile
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stations 105 (and/or other computing entities) that the first delivery service
level (e.g.,
SurePost) should be changed to a second delivery service level (e.g., Ground)
for the item.
In one embodiment, the appropriate mobile stations 105 (and/or other computing
entities)
can receive the indication. Then, when carrier personnel sorting items or
loading delivery
vehicles, for example, scan the item/shipment identifier (e.g., using a mobile
station 105),
the mobile station 105 can provide the carrier personnel with an indication
that the first
delivery service level should be changed to the second delivery service level.
This may
include indicating that a new label (and/or item/shipment identifier) needs to
be affixed to
the item (e.g., the new label may indicate the new delivery service level).
The item can
-- then be transported and delivered with the new label by the carrier in
accordance with the
second (e.g., changed) delivery service level.
In another embodiment, this feature may also require that items satisfy other
criteria in order to automatically change the delivery service level. For
example, the
customer may indicate that only items originating from identified consignors
(e.g.,
.. Amazon, Lands' End, William Robinson, etc.) have their delivery service
levels changed
automatically. In this example, customer Joseph Brown can update his customer
profile
such that all items to be delivered to him that originate from Lands' End are
to be
automatically changed to the Second Day Air delivery service level (if not
already Second
Day Air). Similarly, customer Joseph Brown can update his profile such that
all items
.. originating from identified consignors (e.g., Amazon, Lands' End, William
Robinson, etc.)
and to be delivered via a first delivery service level (e.g., SurePost) have
their delivery
service level automatically changed to a second delivery service level (e.g.,
Ground). In
this example, all items to be delivered to Joseph Brown via SurePost and
originating from
Lands' End can be automatically changed from the SurePost delivery service
level to the
Ground delivery service level. As will be recognized, a variety of other
approaches and
techniques can be used to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
In various embodiments, the carrier may include such services as part of a
customer delivery program and/or require a fee on a transaction basis. As
indicated, in one
embodiment, the delivery options may be changed prior to the first delivery
attempt by the
carrier. Moreover, a variety of other operations and processes may be used
with
embodiments of the present invention. For example, changing the delivery
service level
feature can be used in conjunction with other features, such as customer and
item
matching features, item tracking features, messaging features, delivery time
features,
electronic authorization for item release features, instructions for delivery
features,
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delivery option features, and/or the like. Thus, these operations and
processes can be
customized to adapt to various needs and circumstances.
9. Blocking Features
In one embodiment, a dashboard/webpage/application (or other mechanism) in
communication with the carrier system 100 can be used to block features from
being used
with a customer profile. The features that may be blocked include customer and
item
matching features, item tracking features, messaging features, delivery time
features,
electronic authorization for item release features, instructions for delivery
features,
delivery option features, and/or the like. To block such features, the
customer (e.g., a
customer or customer representative operating a customer computing device 110)
may
access the dashboard/webpage/application in communication with the carrier
system 100
to select the features he or she desires to block for the customer profile.
This may be used,
for example, if multiple users operate under a single customer profile. Thus,
an
appropriate party can select what features can be used with the customer
profile.
IV. Conclusion
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein
will
come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain
having the benefit
of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to
the specific
embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are
intended to be
included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are
employed
herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of
limitation.
