Invented by Robert Klingenberg, Joe Rizzo, Sumeet Pradeep Shroff, United Parcel Service of America Inc

In today’s fast-paced world, people are always looking for ways to make their lives easier and more convenient. One area where this is particularly true is in the delivery of goods and services. As a result, there has been a growing market for systems and methods that provide personalized delivery services. The market for personalized delivery services is driven by a number of factors. One of the most important is the rise of e-commerce. As more and more people shop online, they expect fast and reliable delivery of their purchases. This has created a need for delivery services that can provide personalized, on-demand delivery options. Another factor driving the market for personalized delivery services is the increasing demand for convenience. People are busier than ever before, and they don’t have time to wait around for deliveries. They want their packages delivered when and where it’s most convenient for them. This has led to the development of systems and methods that allow for flexible delivery options, such as same-day delivery, evening delivery, and even delivery to a specific location, such as a locker or a car trunk. One of the key players in the market for personalized delivery services is Amazon. The company has been at the forefront of developing new delivery methods, such as its Prime Now service, which offers two-hour delivery of select items to customers in select cities. Amazon has also been experimenting with drone delivery, which could potentially revolutionize the way packages are delivered in the future. Other companies are also getting in on the action. UPS has launched a service called My Choice, which allows customers to customize their delivery options, such as choosing a specific delivery time or location. FedEx has a similar service called Delivery Manager, which allows customers to track their packages and customize their delivery options. In addition to these established players, there are also a number of startups and smaller companies entering the market for personalized delivery services. These companies are often focused on specific niches, such as delivering groceries or providing on-demand delivery of restaurant meals. Overall, the market for systems and methods to provide personalized delivery services is growing rapidly. As more and more people shop online and demand faster, more convenient delivery options, companies will continue to innovate and develop new ways to meet these needs. Whether it’s through drones, lockers, or other innovative delivery methods, the future of personalized delivery services looks bright.

The United Parcel Service of America Inc invention works as follows

Systems, methods and devices are disclosed to provide personalized delivery services by a carrier that provides a package delivery service. A consignee might indicate a delivery preference for delivery of a package. For example, the consignee could indicate the location that the package will be left upon delivery if they are not there to receive it. One embodiment may notify the consignee of the scheduled delivery date and link it to the carrier’s website to indicate a preference for delivery. The consignee may also indicate their delivery preference by proactively accessing the website. Once the carrier has communicated a delivery preference, its systems send it to a portable computing device that informs the delivery personnel. Other embodiments permit the consignor’s to indicate delivery preferences.

Background for Systems and methods to provide personalized delivery services

The three major entities involved in the delivery of packages are a carrier, consignor and consignee. The common term for the carrier is a carrier, which arranges delivery of the package between the consignor or consignee. The consignor, also known as the originator or shipper, is the entity responsible for shipping the package. The consignee is the intended recipient of the package. If a package is being shipped as part a mail-order purchase or an Internet-based order, the consignor is usually the merchant. The consignee is typically the customer of that merchant.

The process of shipping a package is very well-known. The consignor usually prepares the item for shipping, chooses a carrier and class (e.g. normal or expedited delivery) and arranges for the carrier’s custody. The consignor may arrange for the carrier to pick the package up at the consignor’s place of residence or bring it to the carrier’s pickup point. After the carrier has taken possession of the package, the carrier will route it to the handling facility within the city or service area of the consignee. The package is then transported to the consignee using a delivery vehicle.

Usually, the carrier will maintain a regular route for delivery of packages. Along the route, they will stop at the correct consignee’s house and attempt to deliver it. The carrier will deliver the package to the consignee on the first attempt. This ensures a smooth delivery experience.

However it is to be expected that in many cases the delivery experience is not ideal in that the package does not arrive on the first attempt. This could be due to a variety of reasons. One common reason for this is the inability of the consignee to sign for and receive the package. This may not be an issue if the delivery location has been determined secure. A class of service might not require the consignee to sign for delivery. Or, for deposit purposes, a lockbox or secure box may be provided. In many cases, however, the class or other constraints may require that a recipient be present to sign for delivery. The consignee and carrier then agree to follow up delivery attempts.

UPS handles millions of deliveries every day and each failed delivery requires extra time and resources to coordinate a follow up delivery attempt. This not only reduces the efficiency of the carrier but also results in a less pleasant delivery experience for the consignee and possibly the consignor, as the package is delayed.

To ensure a smooth delivery experience, coordination between consignor, carrier and consignee is essential.” Everyone has an interest in prompt delivery.

However, delays can occur in some cases, schedules may be changed, or all three parties may not have complete information about the delivery details. A consignor might delay delivering the package to shipment. This could lead to the consignee not receiving the package on the expected date. The consignee might not be available to accept delivery if he isn’t there. The consignee could be absent for a short time, or on vacation. The consignee may be at work during normal delivery hours, so they cannot accept delivery at a residential address. Sometimes, the consignee might not be able to accept delivery because of a change in their schedule.

In some cases, delivery may be possible, but under less favorable circumstances. Delivery of the package may be possible, but it may not be at the consignee?s preferred delivery address. The consignee might request that the carrier deliver the package to a side door rather than a front one to prevent theft. The consignee might prefer to use the side entrance over the front entrance. Although the consignee may want the package to be placed in a locked box, he or she has not given the combination to the carrier to unlock the lockbox.

Systems and methods are required to facilitate greater coordination between the consignor and carrier of a package and the consignee to ensure a successful delivery experience. This will help avoid wasteful resources and unnecessary delays in the delivery process.

In general, embodiments according to the present invention provide systems, methods, computing devices, and/or similar for providing at minimum one instruction for delivering an article to a customer via a carrier.

A method is provided in accordance with one aspect. One embodiment of the method includes receiving at most one instruction for delivering a parcel to be delivered to a customer by a carrier. The at least 1 instruction (a) comprises information for delivering package at customer’s delivery location and (b). This instruction is provided by the customer after shipment of package to customer.

A computing system is described in accordance with another aspect. It comprises at least one processor, and at most one memory. One embodiment of the invention is designed to receive instructions for delivering packages to customers by a carrier. The instructions (a) include information about delivering the package to a delivery address for the customer; (b) are provided by the customer after shipment to the customer; and (c) transmit at most a portion the at minimum one delivery instruction to a portable computing devices for display to delivery personnel to deliver the package according to the at least 1 instruction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE VIEWS OF MANY DRAWINGS

Having described the invention in general terms we will now refer to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn at scale and contain:

FIG. “FIG.

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FIGS. “FIGS.5” 5a and 5b show a method for providing different consignee services in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. “FIG.

FIG. “FIG.7” is a diagram that illustrates one embodiment of the architecture for a carrier’s information processing systems in order to provide personalized delivery services.

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