Computer system for routng package deliveries

Abstract

A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package.

1 . A method for tracking a parcel being transported by multiple carriers, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a second carrier computing system, a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein:
 (a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a specific area, 
 (b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier, 
 (c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier's transportation and delivery network, 
 (d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and 
 (e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier computing system, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and 
   updating, via the second carrier computing system, said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier computing system, to reflect the parcel's presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, updating, via the second carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the intermediate location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient's location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network:
 electronically reading at least a portion of the multi-carrier shipping label; and 
 updating, via the second carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient's location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, transmitting, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising transmitting the consolidated tracking information, via the second carrier computing system, to the recipient of the parcel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising pushing the consolidated tracking information from the second carrier computing system to the first carrier computing system. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer program product for tracking a parcel being transported by multiple carriers, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
 an executable portion configured to receive a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein:
 (a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a specific area, 
 (b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier, 
 (c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier's transportation and delivery network, 
 (d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and 
 (e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and 
   an executable portion configured to update said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier, to reflect the parcel's presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising an executable portion configured to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the intermediate location. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9  further comprising an executable portion configured to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient's location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 10  further comprising an executable portion configured to transmit, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising an executable portion configured to provide the consolidated tracking information to the recipient of the parcel. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising an executable portion configured to push the consolidated tracking information to the first carrier computing system. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
 receive a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein:
 (a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a specific area, 
 (b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier, 
 (c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier's transportation and delivery network, 
 (d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and 
 (e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and 
   update said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier, to reflect the parcel's presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the intermediate location. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient's location within the second carrier's transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel's presence at the recipient's location. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide the consolidated tracking information to the recipient of the parcel. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to push the consolidated tracking information to the first carrier computing system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the delivery destination is in the specific area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the specific area.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an executable portion configured to determine that the delivery destination is in the specific area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the specific area.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 determine that the delivery destination is in the specific area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the specific area.