Package delivery notification system and method

Abstract

A package delivery notification system reports impending package deliveries and precisely notifies recipients of when to expect the deliveries. The package delivery notification system utilizes memory, a communications device, and a system manager. Package data identifying a package that is to be delivered to a recipient is stored in the memory. The package data indicates that the recipient is to receive the package and indicates the expected time that the package is to be delivered. When the package is assigned to a vehicle that will deliver the package to a premises of the recipient, the system manager transmits, via the communications device, a notification message to the recipient. The notification message preferably indicates the approximate time that the package is expected to arrive.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of copending U.S. utility application entitled, “Package Delivery Notification System and Method,” having Ser. No. 09 / 516,288, filed Mar. 1, 2000.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention generally relates to delivery information systems and, in particular, to a package delivery notification system and method for reporting when a vehicle is expected to deliver a package. [0004] 2. Related Art [0005] In providing package delivery services, a recipient of a package is not always aware when a package is being sent to the recipient. In this regard, a sender does not always inform the recipient when sending a package to the recipient via a package delivery service. Furthermore, the operator of the package delivery service usually does not provide the recipient with advanced notice of the package. Therefore, the recipient is often not aware that a package has be...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The present invention overcomes the inadequacies and deficiencies of the prior art as discussed hereinbefore. Generally, the present invention provides a package delivery notification system and method for reporting impending package deliveries and for precisely notifying a recipient of when to expect delivery of a package.

[0014] In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the package data indicates the order in which deliver vehicle is to deliver a plurality of packages assigned to it. The system manager can precisely determine the time period that each package is to be delivered based on the order of delivery. Therefore, the time period indicated by the notification message is more precise and accurate.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, the operator of the package delivery service usually does not provide the recipient with advanced notice of the package.

Therefore, the recipient is often not aware that a package has been sent to the recipient until the package is actually delivered to the recipient.

However, the sender may not know or may not provide to the recipient an approximate date on which the package should arrive.

However, the recipient is not usually aware of the precise time that the package will be delivered.

In addition, in some cases, the delivery service may fail to meet its guarantee and may deliver the package after the specified time period.

The delivery service often does not contact the recipient when the package does not arrive on time, and the recipient, therefore, is usually not aware of the failure in delivery until the specified time period has expired.

In such a situation, the recipient may not be available to receive the package, since the recipient may not be expecting the package until the next day.

As a result, the recipient does not receive the package at the earliest possible time, and / or the package may be left unattended at the recipient's premises until discovered by the recipient.

Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for providing a delivery system and method of reporting package deliveries and of more precisely notifying a recipient of when to expect delivery of a package.

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