Systems and methods of reserving space attended delivery/pickup locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10909497-B2
Application number	US-201414200267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A system for enabling users to reserve space at attended delivery/pickup locations to at least substantially guarantee that the attended delivery/pickup locations will have capacity to receive parcels requested to be delivered to them. In various embodiments, the system is configured to substantially automatically reserve space in response to receiving a request to delivery one or more parcels to a particular attended delivery/pickup location. In other embodiments, the system is configured to enable users to reserve space at attended delivery/pickup locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of delivering a parcel to an attended delivery/pickup location, comprising:
activating a scanning sensor of a mobile scanning device configured to capture location data of the mobile scanning device upon scanning machine-readable indicia associated with a parcel, the captured location based on a broadcast signal received by a positional sensor of the mobile scanning device;
transmitting a set of data including at least a portion of information encoded in the machine-readable indicia associated with the parcel and the captured location data by the mobile scanning device through a wireless network that enables communicative coupling of the mobile scanning device to a central server, wherein the transmission of the set of data is an indication that the parcel was scanned at drop off;
responsive to collecting the transmitted set of data by the central server, modifying a registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by associating the machine-readable indicia with registry, wherein the registry is selected from a plurality of registries based on a determination that the transmitted location data is within a pre-determined distance from a geolocation corresponding to the first attended delivery/pickup location;
responsive to the modification of the registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by the central sever, estimating an available capacity of the first attended delivery/pickup based on a comparison of the machine-readable indicia associated with the registry and a total volume of storage space of the first attended delivery/pickup;
collecting, by the central server, a request from a communicatively coupled user device to deliver a first set of parcels to the first attended delivery/pickup location;
based on the estimated available capacity exceeding a predetermined threshold, determining that the first attended delivery/pickup location is able to accept a delivery of the first set of parcels;
responsive to the determination that the first attended delivery/pickup location is able to accept the delivery of the first set of parcels, automatically modifying the registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by associating the first set of parcels with the registry; and
facilitating, by the at least one server, the delivery of the first parcel from an origin location to the first attended delivery/pickup location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of data encoded in machine-readable indicia further comprises dimensions of the parcel
determining, by said at least one server, based at least in part on information associated with said first parcel, a total capacity of said first attended delivery/pickup location to accept delivery of said first parcel.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the central server, a request from a second user to deliver a second parcel to a second attended delivery/pickup location of a second set of said one or more attended delivery/pickup locations;
estimating, by the central server, a current available capacity of said second attended delivery/pickup location to store parcels based on a comparison of a total volume of storage space of said second attended delivery/pickup location and a total volume of parcels stored at said second attended delivery/pickup location;
based on said current available capacity, determining that said second attended delivery/pickup location is unable to accept said delivery of said second parcel;
at least partially in response to determining that said second attended delivery/pickup location is unable to accept said delivery of said second parcel providing said second user with a selection of one or more additional attended delivery/pickup locations to which said second user may request said second parcel to be delivered.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein said method further comprises:
receiving a selection of an additional attended delivery/pickup location of said one or more additional attended delivery/pickup locations;
at least partially in response to receiving said selection, substantially automatically reserving space, by the central server, for said second parcel at said additional delivery/pickup location;
and facilitating delivery of said second parcel from said origin location to said additional delivery/pickup location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
determining an estimated delivery time for said first parcel at said first attended delivery/pickup location based at least in part on said request;
said available capacity is a future available capacity based on said total volume of parcels stored at said first attended delivery/pickup location at said estimated delivery time; and
said substantially automatically reserving said space comprises reserving said space based at least in part on said estimated delivery time.

6. A computer system comprising a central server and a mobile scanning device, wherein said computer system is configured for:
activating a scanning sensor of a mobile scanning device;
responsive to scanning the machine-readable indicia, capturing location data representative of a current geolocation for the mobile scanning device based on a broadcast signal received by a positional sensor of the mobile scanning device;
transmitting a set of data including at least a portion of information encoded in the machine-readable indicia associated with the parcel and the captured location data by the mobile scanning device through a network that enables communicative coupling of the mobile scanning device to the central server, wherein the transmission of the set of data is an indication that the parcels was scanned at drop off;
responsive to collecting the transmitted set of data by the central server, modifying a registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by associating the machine-readable indicia with registry, wherein the registry is selected from a plurality of registries based on a determination that the transmitted location data is within a pre-determined distance from a geolocation corresponding to the first attended delivery/pickup location;
responsive to the modification of the registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by the central sever, estimating an available capacity of the first attended delivery/pickup based on a comparison of the machine-readable indicia associated with the registry and a total volume of storage space of the first attended delivery/pickup location;
estimating, by at least one server, an available capacity at the first attended delivery/pickup location to store parcels based on a total volume of storage space at the first attended delivery/pickup location and a total volume of parcels stored at the first attended delivery/pickup location, the parcels stored at said attended delivery/pickup location comprising at least the parcel;
collecting, by the central server, a request from a communicatively coupled user device to deliver a first set of parcels to the first attended delivery/pickup location; and
at least partially in response to the available capacity being above a predetermined threshold, modifying the registry representative of the first attended delivery/pickup location by associating the first set of parcels with the registry.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein modifying the registry with the first set of parcels represents reserving space at the first attended delivery/pickup location for subsequent delivery of the first set of parcels.

8. The computer system of

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Lievens Daniel
• Dethier Vincent
• Pirenne Luc

Classifications

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G06Q30/0233

  Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward · CPC title

• G06Q30/0207

  Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/0837 Primary

  Return transactions · CPC title