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US 2026/0300901 A1Published application
Systems and methods for targeted distribution item delivery
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsRobert E. Dixon, Jr., Scott R. Bombaugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for sending targeted items in a delivery network. Items can be targeted to geographical areas or routes based on attributes or criteria of the delivery points in the geographical areas or routes.
Claims20
A method for tracking items in a distribution network, the method comprising:
- receiving campaign information for an item distribution campaign, the campaign information identifying a plurality of delivery points selected to receive respective ones of a plurality of non-addressed distribution items, wherein the plurality distribution items do not have a delivery point identifier thereon;
- creating a respective delivery point record for each delivery point of the plurality of delivery points;
- receiving, from item sorting equipment, scan data of one of the plurality of distribution items;
- in response to receiving the scan data, generating, a respective induction event for each delivery point record corresponding to the plurality of delivery points;
- receiving carrier activity data associated with a carrier assigned to a delivery route that includes one or more of the plurality of delivery points;
- determining that the carrier activity data indicates that the carrier is approaching one of the of the plurality of delivery points;
- in response to determining that the carrier activity data indicates that the carrier is approaching one of the plurality of delivery points, transmitting, to a carrier device associated with the carrier, a delivery instruction indicating that one of the plurality of saturation items is to be delivered at the one of the plurality of delivery points;
- determining, based on the carrier activity data, that a delivery condition has occurred for the one of the plurality of delivery points;
- and
- in response to determining that the delivery condition has occurred, updating the delivery point record for the one of the plurality of delivery points.
7 more elements
A distribution network system comprising:
- one or more memories storing campaign information for an item distribution campaign, the campaign information identifying a plurality of delivery points on a carrier route that are to receive respective non-addressed distribution items, wherein the plurality of delivery points excludes at least one delivery point on the carrier route;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- transmit, to a mobile delivery device associated with a carrier assigned to the carrier route, delivery guidance identifying the plurality of delivery points;
- receive location data associated with the mobile delivery device as the carrier traverses the carrier route;
- determine, based on the location data, that the mobile delivery device is approaching or within a geofence associated with a first delivery point of the plurality of delivery points;
- in response to determining that the mobile delivery device is approaching or within the geofence associated with the first delivery point, cause the mobile delivery device to output an alert instructing the carrier to deliver one of the non-addressed distribution items at the first delivery point;
- and
- update a delivery-point record corresponding to the first delivery point to indicate delivery of the one of the non-addressed distribution items.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.