Back to results
US 6,889,194 B1Granted
Method and system for preparing an electronic record for shipping a parcel
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorNagesh Kadaba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel. The system utilizes an intelligent telephone to display a parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection, to store delivery information received via the parcel shipping procedure as a shipping record of a parcel, and to transmit the shipping record to update a parcel database.
Claims24
A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:
- (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, and means for receiving a parcel pickup request, said central computer for downloading a parcel shipping procedure;
- and
- (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising:
- (1) an input device for receiving information;
- (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;
- (3) an information storage device;
- (4) a screen device for displaying information;
- and
- (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for:
- (A) communicating with said central computer via a network;
- (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer;
- (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;
- (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel;
- (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel;
- and
- (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.
13 more elements
A method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel and parcel delivery, comprising:
- (a) receiving a parcel shipping procedure from a remote computer via a network;
- (b) displaying on a screen of an intelligent telephone said parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection;
- (c) recording via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel;
- and
- (d) transmitting said delivery information and a parcel pickup request to said remote computer in response to receiving said delivery information, wherein a pickup of said parcel and a tracking database entry for said parcel is initiated from said central computer.
2 more elements
A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:
- (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, a recipient list, means for receiving a parcel pickup request, and means for downloading a parcel shipping procedure;
- and
- (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising:
- (1) an input device for receiving information, wherein said input device comprises a set of programmable keys;
- (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;
- (3) an information storage device;
- (4) a screen device for displaying information;
- and
- (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for:
- (A) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said computer;
- (B) receiving and storing said recipient list from said computer;
- (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;
- (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel, said delivery information including an identification number of said parcel;
- (E) displaying said recipient list with said screen device when preparing said parcel for shipping;
- (F) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel, wherein said delivery information includes a zip code of a delivery address of said parcel;
- (G) validating said zip code;
- (H) automatically transmitting said shipping record of a said parcel to said central computer to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.
- (I) disabling non-selectable features of said parcel shipping procedure;
- (J) printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information;
- (K) generating a bit map including said delivery information;
- (L) printing a label from said bit map;
- (M) printing a machine readable label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information;
- (N) generating a bit map of a machine readable label;
- (O) printing a machine readable label from said bit map;
- and
- (P) generating said identification number of said parcel.
23 more elements
A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:
- (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, said central computer configured to receive a parcel pickup request and to download a parcel shipping procedure;
- and
- (b) art intelligent telephone, comprising:
- (1) an input device for receiving information;
- (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;
- (3) an information storage device;
- (4) a screen device for displaying information;
- and
- (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for:
- (A) communicating with said central computer via a network;
- (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer;
- (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;
- (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel;
- (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel;
- and
- (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.