Stamps Com Inc.

Auctane, Inc.

Psi Systems, Inc.

Other

John Roland Clem

Kenneth Thomas McBride

Byron J Wier

J P Leon

Daniel David Farino

Charles John Atkinson

Kyle Huebner

John Michael Boswell

Michael John Biswas

James Michael Bortnak

Pradipe Yoggi

Richard Stables

Jp Leon

Paul D Henry

Shea Robert Felix

Amine George Khechfe

James Nathan Jones

Bry Willis

Julian Thomas

Dhara Christina Sheila Hara

Sebastian Buerba

Jeffery M Carberry

John R Clem

David E Rosen

Haining B Zhang

Systems and methods providing an itinerant processing methodology wherein one or more processes, functions, etc. may be performed as an item to be shipped is transported from a shipper to an intermediary processing provider or other shipment processing point. For example, embodiments may comprise an itinerant prepay process in which international fees may be collected prior to the items entering the jurisdiction in which the international fees become due, an itinerant change process to facilitate making changes, such as to change a delivery address, add, change, or remove special service selections, and/or an itinerant business procedure process, such as a fraud detection process, during the time in which an item is transported from a shipper to a shipment processing point. Changes to the shipment, such as to cancel or abort the shipment, change a shipping service, etc., may thus be made after shipment of the item has been initiated.

Systems and methods for international shipping

Systems and methods which facilitate return shipment of items, such as to provide for the return of goods from a purchaser to a merchant, are shown. Embodiments provide shipping management functionality for managing return requests, processing of return requests, authorizing returns, tracking of the processing of a return request, and/or tracking of return shipments. A shipping management system of embodiments operates to make shipping functionality and/or information utilized with respect to return shipments, which may not otherwise be readily available to the return shipper, conveniently accessible for use by the return shipper. Embodiments provide for some or all return shipping fees to be borne by the merchant rather than the return shipper.

Systems and methods for managing and/or facilitating return shipment of items

Systems and methods which facilitate automated querying of shipping services status information using a rules based engine are disclosed. A shipping status query engine of embodiments implements various rules for intelligently querying one or more shipping service provider systems for information regarding the status of shipped items. Using the intelligent determinations of a rules base shipping status query engine, embodiments enable large scale, automated status queries for a very large number of shipped items. Having such automated access to updated status information for the shipped items, additional functionality may also be supported, such as to provide alerts, reminders, notifications, etc., upon detecting certain events and/or failure to detect certain events. Moreover, embodiments may be adapted to utilize the updated status information to initiate actions with respect to particular shipments based upon detected events and/or failure to detect certain events.

Systems and methods implementing automated shipment status tracking

Systems and methods which provide localized item procurement fulfilment using virtual distribution center inventory are described. For example, stocking locations of one or more intermediaries may provide virtual distribution center inventory for use by a supplier in facilitating localized item procurement fulfilment for acquirers. A supplier may provide a web based sales platform allowing acquirers to purchase items of the supplier's goods wherein the item procurement fulfilment is configured to utilize a network of intermediaries to facilitate competitive and satisfactory delivery timeframes, such as next day, same day, and even on-demand delivery of the goods, using economy shipping options. An intermediary may share inventory data and/or account information to facilitate operation of the web based sales platform to provide transparent and seamless order and/or checkout processing for items of the supplier's goods purchased by the acquirer that are to be fulfilled out of the intermediary's stocking location.

Systems and methods providing virtual distribution center inventory for localized fulfilment

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would determine exemplary projected routes, delivery dates, times and rates for multiple carriers and multiple delivery services/methods. Exemplary embodiments would generate and provide an exemplary interactive graphic comparison mapping of the exemplary projected carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific routes, and associated projected delivery dates, times and rates. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would generate and provide an exemplary interactive graphic mapping of a projected carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific route, and associated projected delivery date, time and rate for a user-selected carrier and delivery service/method. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would then track shipping/mailing progress and delivery status of the item according to carrier-provided shipping/mailing progress and delivery status 'events,' such as, for example, carrier-provided item scanning events.

Visual graphic tracking of item shipment and delivery

Systems and methods which provide postage indicia using mobile communication handsets are shown. According to embodiments, users are enabled to introduce mail pieces into a mail delivery stream which are accepted as having acceptable postage indicia having value associated therewith without the use of traditional metering systems or processor-based postage generation and printing systems. Instead, a mobile communication handset is used to obtain tokens to be used as postage indicia. The tokens may be transmitted to or otherwise printed by appropriate, available printing equipment, such as facsimile machines, network printers, network photo copiers, etc., in response to a request by a mobile communication handset for postage indicia. The foregoing tokens may be printed upon various stock for inclusion with or as a mail piece. The mail piece bearing the token may be placed into the mail stream for processing and delivery using the token as activated as postage indicia.

Systems and methods for on-demand mobile device postage printing and user access to printed postage indicium

Systems and methods which provide postage indicia using mobile communication handsets are shown. According to embodiments, users are enabled to introduce mail pieces into a mail delivery stream which are accepted as having activated, value comprising postage indicia associated therewith without the use of traditional metering systems, processor-based postage generation and printing systems, or even printers. Instead, a token comprising substantially unique identification information identifying a mail piece is activated as an activated token having postage value associated therewith using mobile communication handsets, such as a smart phone, network enabled personal digital assistant, etc. according to embodiments of the invention.

Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage

Systems and methods which invoke multiple shipment legs to provide an international shipment architecture adapted for efficient and reliable international shipping of items and facilitating configuration of aspects of one or more of the multiple shipment legs for particular shipments, shippers, recipients, origination countries, and/or destination countries are described. According to embodiments, an item is transported from a shipper to an international processing provider or other origination country egress processing point in an ingestion leg of an international shipment. The item is provided international processing and international border passage by the international processing provider in a bridge leg of the international shipment. In delivery leg of the international shipment, the item is transported from the international processing provider or other ingress processing point in the destination country to the recipient. Embodiments utilize multiple shipping labels and/or a unified tracking number for an item shipped in a multiple leg international shipment.

Multi-leg international shipping

Systems and methods which provide for order fulfilment using drop shipping from participating suppliers in an electronic marketplace are described. A drop shipping management system may utilize various rules and information regarding merchants, suppliers, items, etc. in facilitating electronic marketplace drop shipping. Drop shipping management systems may, for example, utilize merchant drop ship rules with respect to merchant drop ship information for determining whether drop shipping is to be provided for a merchant with respect to one or more items in the electronic marketplace. Further, drop shipping management systems may utilize supplier drop ship rules with respect to supplier drop ship information in determining a supplier to provide drop shipping with respect to one or more items in the electronic marketplace. Drop shipping management of embodiments provides a many-to-many drop shipping solution in which multiple merchants are connected to multiple drop ship suppliers in an electronic marketplace environment.

Electronic marketplace drop shipping

Systems and methods which provide a shipping service resale platform enabling single shipper account access to multiple shipping service rate schedules are disclosed. Shipping service rate optimization is facilitated for a shipper using a single shipper account of embodiments of the invention, whereby the shipper is enabled to utilize rates available from various rate schedules, such as may include reseller negotiated rates, shipping service provider published rates, etc., according to embodiments. The shipper is enabled to establish, manage, and maintain a single shipper account for use in purchase and payment of shipping services which implicate different shipping service provider payment mechanisms, different shipping service resellers, and/or different shipping service providers.

Systems and methods facilitating shipping services rate resale

Embodiments of the invention involve an integrated thermal printer with a scale that is connected to a computer. The computer is connected to a web server that is authorized by a government postal agency, e.g. the USPS, to issue postage.

Growing community of inventors

Hermosa Beach, CA, United States of America

John Roland Clem