Package delivery notification system and method
View Patent ↗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.
1. A system for reporting impending vehicle deliveries, comprising:
memory storing a vehicle schedule, said vehicle schedule identifying packages that are to be respectively delivered to a plurality of recipients by a vehicle during a first time period and indicating an order that said vehicle is expected to deliver said packages;
a first communications device configured to establish communication with remote communications devices; and
a system manager configured to analyze said vehicle schedule and to determine, based on said order, a second time period that said vehicle is expected to deliver one of said packages, said system manager further configured to transmit a notification message for a respective one of said recipients of said one of said packages via said first communications device, said notification message identifying said second time period,
wherein said second time period is within said first time period.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said notification message is an e-mail message.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first time period is a day.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle schedule identifies each recipient that is to receive at least one of said packages, said notification message identifying each of said packages to be received by one of said recipients during said first time period.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said notification message is transmitted to a recipient remote communications device of said one of said recipients.
6. A method for reporting impending vehicle deliveries, comprising the steps of:
receiving a plurality of packages;
assigning each of said packages to a vehicle;
determining an order that said vehicle is to deliver said packages;
determining, based on said order, a first time period that said vehicle is expected to deliver one of said packages to a recipient;
causing a notification message to be transmitted to said recipient based on said determining a first time period step;
indicating said first time period via said notification message;
simultaneously transporting each of said packages via said vehicle; and
transporting said one package to a premises of said recipient via said vehicle.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of transmitting said notification message via an e-mail message.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
determining whether each of said packages is expected to be delivered during a second time period; and
performing said assigning step based on said determining whether step,
wherein said first time period is within said second time period.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said second time period is a day.
10. A system for reporting impending vehicle deliveries, comprising:
means for receiving a plurality of packages;
means for assigning each of said packages to a vehicle;
means for determining an order that said vehicle is to deliver said packages;
means for determining, based on said order, a first time period that said vehicle is expected to deliver one of said packages to a recipient;
means for causing a notification message to be transmitted to said recipient, said notification message indicating said first time period;
means for simultaneously transporting each of said packages via said vehicle; and
means for transporting said one package to a premises of said recipient via said vehicle.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said notification message is transmitted via an e-mail message.
12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
means for determining whether each of said packages is expected to be delivered during a second time period; wherein:
said packages are assigned to said vehicle based on an expectation of delivery during said second time period; and
said first time period is within said second time period.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein said second time period is a day.