US Patent:
20040030572, Feb 12, 2004
Inventors:
Helen Campbell - Arlington VA, US
Jerry Kozelsky - Silver Spring MD, US
Oscar Valenzuela - Burke VA, US
Joseph Kopeck - McLean VA, US
International Classification:
G06F017/60
G01C021/26
Abstract:
A method and system for performing routed deliveries in a highly efficient manner enables both senders and recipients, as appropriate, to monitor relevant delivery routes and track the delivery progress in real time, access delivery summary reports, and manage invoices. Using the system, a same-day on-demand delivery order may be placed by phone or through a web site. A dispatch processor determines a branch server to handle the delivery order and transmits the order to the branch server. If an acknowledgement of the order is not received within a designated amount of time, an alarm is sounded. Upon receipt of the order at the branch server, a dispatch server assigns the delivery order to a driver to perform the delivery. The system also manages operation of same-day large-scale routed deliveries. For routed deliveries, couriers are assigned delivery routes which enable optimized efficiency in performing the routed delivery order in that the delivery stops are automatically placed in the most efficient sequence using a pre-designed, optimized route (e.g. destination address of each stop, travel directions to each stop from the previous stop). For each type of delivery, the courier provides delivery status information status in real time to a branch server as each delivery is made, which enables customers and recipients to track parcel delivery and monitor routes in real time through a web site.