Node-enabled proactive notification of a shipping customer regarding an alternative shipping solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10846649-B2
Application number	US-201414492146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for proactively notifying a shipping customer using a wireless node network about an alternative shipping solution when shipping a package. A master node in the network related to a shipping facility may detect a signal broadcast by a user access device related to the shipping customer as the device approaches the shipping facility master node with the package to be shipped. The shipping customer's user access device (e.g., smartphone, tablet) is operating as another node in the network. The shipping facility master node then associates with the user access device, and may receive shipping information on the package to be shipped from a server. The shipping facility master node may then provide a proactive notification about an alternative shipping solution to the user access device based upon a shipping status for the shipping facility.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for proactively notifying a shipping customer using a wireless node network about an alternative shipping solution when shipping a package, comprising:
detecting, by a master node related to a shipping facility, a wireless short-range signal broadcast by a user access device related to the shipping customer as the device approaches the shipping facility master node and without the shipping facility master node programmatically requesting the user access device to respond with the signal, the shipping customer approaching the shipping facility with the package to be shipped, wherein the user access device is operating as a node in the network;
associating, by the shipping facility master node, the user access device with the shipping facility master node, wherein the step of associating the shipping facility master node and the user access device further comprises generating association data on the shipping facility master node reflecting a pairing of the user access device and the shipping facility master node as the user access device approaches the shipping facility master node; and
providing, by the shipping facility master node, a proactive notification about an alternative shipping solution to the user access device based upon a shipping status for the shipping facility, wherein the shipping status for the shipping facility comprises facility operational information maintained by the server and available from the server to the shipping facility master node, wherein the facility operational information specifies whether the shipping facility is unable to accept a category of shipment related to the package due to a type of pickup entity for the category, and wherein providing the proactive notification about the alternative shipping method is based on the facility operational information maintained by the server and accessed from the server by the shipping facility master node when providing the proactive notification.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the shipping facility master node from a server in the network, shipping information related to the package to be shipped; and
wherein the providing step further comprises providing the proactive notification about the alternative shipping solution to the user access device based upon the shipping information and the shipping status for the shipping facility.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step further comprises providing the proactive notification as a prompt message to be displayed on the user access device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of receiving, by the shipping facility master node, a confirmation message originating from the user access device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user access device is one from a group comprising a laptop computer, a tablet device, a personal area network device, a smartphone device, and a smart wearable device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user access device is operating as an ID node in the network, wherein the ID node is operative to directly communicate with the master node related to the shipping facility but unable to directly communicate with the server in the network.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user access device is operating as another master node in the network, wherein the another master node is operative to directly communicate with the master node related to the shipping facility and able to directly communicate with the server in the network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipping status for the shipping facility further comprises whether the shipping facility is not currently open for business.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the shipping status for the shipping facility further comprises whether the shipping facility is no longer scheduled for a pickup event by a desired shipping courier identified in the shipping information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipping status for the shipping facility further comprises whether the shipping facility is unable to accept any package for shipment.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the shipping status for the shipping facility further comprises whether the shipping facility is unable to accept a package for shipment by a desired shipping service identified in the shipping information.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proactive notification about the alternative shipping solution further comprises information about an alternative shipping facility that is able to accept the package for shipment as the alternative shipping solution.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proactive notification about the alternative shipping solution further comprises information about a node-enabled logistics receptacle that is able to accept the package for shipment as the alternative shipping solution.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information about the node-enabled logistics receptacle that is able to accept the package for shipment further comprises directions to the node-enabled logistics receptacle.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of providing the proactive notification about the alternative shipping solution further comprises:
determining, by the shipping facility master node, a location of the user access device;
determining, by the shipping facility master node, if the shipping information and the shipping status for the shipping facility indicate the shipping facility is unable to accept the package for shipment;
identifying, by the shipping facility master node, a node-enabled logistics receptacle near the shipping facility as the alternative shipping solution; and
transmitting, by the shipping facility master node, the proactive notification to the user access device, the proactive notification providing directions to the identified node-enabled logistics receptacle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the identifying step further comprises:
determining one of a plurality of node-enabled logistics receptacles is a closest unit to the user access device with a capacity to accept the package for shipment; and
identifying the determined one of the node-enabled logistics receptacles to be the alternative shipping solution comprising the node-enabled logistics receptacle near the shipping facility.

17. A system for proactively notifying a shipping customer about an alternative shipping solution when shipping a package, the system comprising:
a server in a wireless node network, the server maintaining shipping information related to the package; and
a master node in the wireless node network, the master node being related to a shipping facility, the shipping facility master node further comprising:
a processing unit,
a memory coupled to the processing unit, the memory maintaining code for execution by the processing unit,
a short-range communication interface coupled to the processing unit and operative to communicate with another network device in the network, and
a longer-range communication interface coupled to the processing unit and operative to directly communicate with the server; and

wherein the processing unit of the shipping facility master node, when executing the code maintained on the memory, is operative to
detect a wireless short-range signal broadcast by a user access device related to the shipping customer as the device approaches the shipping facility master node and without the shipping facility master node programmatically requesting the user access device to respond with the signal, the shipping customer approaching the shipping facili

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• G01S2205/01

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04L67/01

  Protocols · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• G05D1/226

  Communication links with the remote-control arrangements · CPC title