United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

Anthony G Creasy

Andrew Dotterweich

Matthew Collins

Joseph Guerrisi

Steven D Brill

Chris Bolton

Daniel Kettleson

Robert J Gillen

John Hernandez

Greg Loppatto

Michael Mulholland

Butch Butler

Scott Lord

Christopher T Schenken

Mark R Hilbush

Thomas Dorris

Robert Gephart

Kurt L Stadele

Jim Deveney

Jane Sneeringer

Charles G Orf

David Michel

Phillip G Lawson

John Yanikov

Lawrence Wight

Steve Yeung

Mark Trowbridge

Diane Lynn T Rashbaum

Ralph Gallagher

Diane Minahan

Michael Mullholland

Diane Minahan Griffith

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being located along a common street segment. Accordingly, serviceable point data identifying corresponding street segment identifiers are stored for a plurality of serviceable points. Thereafter, shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to a first serviceable point is received, and a determination is made whether a second shipment scheduled to be delivered to a second serviceable point is available for synchronized delivery with the first shipment. The determination comprises determining whether the street segment corresponding to the first serviceable point is the same as and/or is connected to the street segment corresponding to the second serviceable point.

Systems and methods for synchronized delivery

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being logically clustered. Accordingly, various embodiments store a record for a serviceable point comprising data identifying the serviceable point and data identifying a second serviceable point. Thereafter, shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to the serviceable point is received, and the record for the serviceable point is accessed to retrieve the data identifying the second serviceable point. A second shipment scheduled to be delivered to the second serviceable point is identified, and an indication is provided that the first and second shipments are eligible for synchronized delivery.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being associated with a common geographic descriptor. Accordingly, various embodiments receive shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to a first serviceable point and a second shipment to be delivered to a second serviceable point. A first geographic descriptor is identified as associated with the first serviceable point and a second geographic descriptor is identified as associated with the second serviceable point, and a determination is made whether the first and second geographic descriptors are the same. Upon a determination that the first and second geographic descriptors are the same, an indication is provided that the first and second shipments are eligible for synchronized delivery.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being located within a common geofenced area. Accordingly, a geofence is defined surrounding a geographical area comprising a plurality of serviceable points. The geofence is associated with a record for a serviceable point located within the geofenced area, wherein the record comprises a physical address and a geocode for the serviceable point. Thereafter, shipping data for a shipment to be delivered to the serviceable point is received, and is compared to a database of shipments to determine whether a second shipment is to be delivered to a second serviceable point located within the same geofenced area.

A commerce system for serving a customer of delivery services using dynamically updated data including platform services, an operations-management server maintained by a vendor, and a local commerce server and a remote computer system maintained by a delivery services company. The operations-management server is positioned at a customer location and operatively connected to the platform services. The commerce server is operatively connected to the operations-management server and operatively connected to the platform services and includes local programs configured for providing services of the delivery services company to the customer. The remote computer system is connected to the local commerce server by a network. The remote computer system includes a message-management system, wherein at least one of the message-management compartments holds update data connected to the local commerce server for updating the commerce data, and includes remote programs. The operations-management and local commerce servers run interactively on the platform services.

Systems and methods for providing and dynamically updating customer-specific shipping information on an on-site server

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on a determination of distance between serviceable points and/or time required to travel between serviceable points. Accordingly, shipping data for a first shipment is initially received, and a determination is made whether a second shipment is available for synchronized delivery with the first shipment. To make such a determination, a previous distance is identified between a first serviceable point and a second serviceable point, a time elapsed is identified between the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point, and the distance and the time elapsed are compared with respective thresholds. Upon a determination that the distance and/or the time satisfies a respective threshold, the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point are identified as nearby.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points within a common delivery density area. In various embodiments, serviceable point data identifying a serviceable point cluster are stored for a plurality of serviceable points. Shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to a first serviceable point is then received, and a determination is made whether a second shipment is scheduled to be delivered to a second serviceable point within the same cluster as the first serviceable point. Historical delivery activity is identified for the serviceable point cluster, and is compared with a threshold frequency. Upon a determination that the historical delivery activity satisfies the threshold, an indication is provided that the first and second shipments are eligible for synchronized delivery.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for encouraging online merchants to tender shipments according to specified criteria such that its delivery can be synchronized with anticipated and/or forecasted deliveries to the same or nearby addresses. In this way, a more efficient delivery of the shipment may be achieved. The encouragement or incentive may be in the form of a decrease in shipping cost for the particular shipment, a general shipping discount for selecting a threshold number of incentivized shipments, or some other incentive schedule. In some embodiments, the incentives may not be financially based and instead may be reductions in emissions, fuel consumption, improved customer experience (e.g., multiple deliveries at the same time versus separate deliveries) and the like. Of course, any combination of incentives may be provided both financial and otherwise.

Systems and methods for shipping a package from a package sender to an intended recipient, utilizing Internet communications to place shipping orders, request on demand package pickup, maintain and utilize pre-stored profile information, view shipping history, track orders, etc. A package sender with an Internet-accessible computer accesses an Internet site and associated shipping system operated by a shipping service provider. The package sender enters information required for shipping the package, including shipping options and methods for payment, and the shipment transaction is validated. If the transaction is validated, printer indicia are communicated to the customer's computer, which is enabled to locally print a prepaid label containing special machine-readable as well as human-readable indicia. The shipping service provider acquires the package by drop-off, standard pickup or on call pickup, scans the machine readable indicia, verifies other indicia of authenticity, and processes the package in accordance with information encoded on the label.

Internet package shipping systems and methods

A system and methods for shipping a package () from a package sender () to an intended recipient (), utilizing Internet communications () to place shipping orders, request on demand package pickup, maintain and utilize prestored profile information, view shipping history, track orders, etc. A package sender () with an Internet-accessible computer () accesses an Internet site and associated shipping system () operated by a shipping service provider (). The package sender () enters information required for shipping the package (), including shipping options and methods for payment. The options and payment for the shipment transaction are validated. If the transaction is validated, printer indicia are communicated to the customer's computer (), which is enabled to locally print a prepaid label () containing special machine-readable () as well as human-readable indicia (). The shipping service provider () acquires the package by drop-off, standard pickup or on call pickup, scans the machine readable indicia, verifies other indicia of authenticity, and processes the package () in accordance with information encoded on the label.

Growing community of inventors

Suwanee, GA, United States of America

Anthony G Creasy