Electronic shipping system for package pickup and anywhere to anywhere delivery

Abstract

The present invention is an improved shipping system that provides for third-party billing and shipment of a package from a first location to a second location where neither the first or second location is the location of the third-party. An embodiment is disclosed in which a pre-existing call-tag system is modified to permit third-party billing and anywhere to anywhere functionality.

That which is claimed:  
     
         1 . A shipping system to allow a facilitator to request that a carrier pick up a package from a first location and deliver said package to a second location, said shipping system comprising: 
 a carrier shipping application that receives shipping information from a facilitator, said shipping information including address information for a first party located at said first location and address information for a second party located at said second location; said carrier shipping application configured to identify a local carrier facility responsible for package pickup at said first location; and said carrier shipping application further configured to generate shipping label information based at least in part on said shipping information received from said facilitator;    a printing device located at said local carrier facility configured to receive said shipping label information from said carrier shipping application, and print a shipping label based at least in part on said shipping label information; and    a carrier that receives said shipping label from said printing device, affixes said shipping label to said package at said first location and delivers said package to said second location.    
     
     
         2 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitator is located at a third location.  
     
     
         3 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier charges a shipping fee to said facilitator, and wherein said shipping fee is based at least in part on said delivery of said package from said first location to said second location.  
     
     
         4 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier shipping application is further configured to charge a shipping fee to said facilitator, wherein said shipping fee is based at least in part on said delivery of said package from said first location to said second location.  
     
     
         5 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein the shipping label information generated by said carrier shipping application is an electronic image of a shipping label.  
     
     
         6 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein the shipping label information generated by said carrier shipping application is a proprietary flat file.  
     
     
         7 . The shipping system of  claim 1 , wherein said shipping label includes a date and time, and wherein further said carrier takes said shipping label to said first location at said date and time specified on said shipping label.  
     
     
         8 . A package delivery method that allows a facilitator to have a package picked up from a first location and delivered to a second location, said facilitator being at a third location separate from said first and second locations, said method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving shipping information from said facilitator, said shipping information including address information for said first and said second locations;    printing a shipping label based at least in part on said shipping information;    affixing said shipping label to said package at said first location;    delivering said package to said second location; and    charging a shipping fee to said facilitator, said shipping fee based at least in part on said delivery of said package from said first location to said second location.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of printing a shipping label comprises the steps of: 
 identifying a local carrier facility responsible for pickup at said first location; and    printing a shipping label on a printing device, said printing device associated with said local carrier facility.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of affixing said shipping label to said package at said first location comprises the steps of: 
 traveling to said first location to pick up said package; and    affixing said shipping label to said package.    
     
     
         11 . A product fulfillment system that allows a merchant to have a good purchased by a buyer delivered to said buyer from a supplier, the system comprising: 
 a carrier shipping application that receives shipping information from a merchant, said shipping information including a supplier address and a buyer address, said carrier shipping application configured to identify a local carrier facility responsible for package pickup at said supplier address, and said carrier shipping application further configured to generate shipping label information based at least in part on said shipping information received from said merchant;    a printing device located at said local carrier facility configured to receive said shipping label information from said carrier shipping application, and print a shipping label based at least in part on said shipping label information; and    a carrier that receives a package containing said good at said supplier address, affixes said shipping label to said package, and delivers said package to said buyer address.    
     
     
         12 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a merchant application in electronic communication with said carrier shipping application, said merchant application configured to electronically transmit said shipping information to said carrier shipping application.    
     
     
         13 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said carrier shipping application is configured to query a carrier facility database with said supplier address to identify said local carrier facility responsible for package pickup at supplier address.  
     
     
         14 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said carrier shipping application is configured to query a carrier facility database with a zip code associated with said supplier address to identify said local carrier facility responsible for package pickup at supplier address.  
     
     
         15 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said carrier shipping application is further configured to obtain a package tracking number and include said package tracking number in said shipping label information.  
     
     
         16 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said merchant is located at an address that is separate from said supplier and buyer addresses.  
     
     
         17 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said carrier charges a shipping fee to said merchant, and wherein said shipping fee is based at least in part on said delivery of said package from said supplier address to said buyer address.  
     
     
         18 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said carrier shipping application is further configured to charge a shipping fee to said merchant, wherein said shipping fee is based at least in part on said delivery of said package from said supplier address to said buyer address.  
     
     
         19 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said shipping label information generated by said carrier shipping application is an electronic image of a shipping label.  
     
     
         20 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said shipping label information generated by said carrier shipping application is a proprietary flat file.  
     
     
         21 . The product fulfillment system of  claim 11 , wherein said shipping label includes a date and time, and wherein further said carrier arrives at said supplier address at approximately said date and time specified on said shipping label to pick up said package.  
     
     
         22 . A modified call-tag system capable of fulfilling an anywhere to anywhere package shipping request, the system comprising: 
 a client application configured to generate and transmit a call-tag record, said call-tag record comprising at least one of a call-tag request and an anywhere to anywhere request, said anywhere to anywhere request including a first shipping address and a second shipping address;    a carrier application in electronic communication with said client application, said carrier application configured to receive said call-tag record from said client application, said carrier application additionally configured to determine whether said call-tag record includes said anywhere to anywhere delivery request, said carrier application further configured to generate a shipping label request based at least in part on said anywhere to anywhere request;    a shipping label application in electronic communication with said carrier application, said shipping label application configured to receive said shipping label request and generate a shipping label; and    a carrier in communication with at least one of said carrier application and said shipping label application to receive said shipping label, affix said shipping label to a package at said first address, and deliver said package to a second address.    
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said carrier application determines whether said call-tag record includes an anywhere to anywhere request by examining whether said call-tag record includes a second shipping address.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said carrier application determines whether said call-tag record includes an anywhere to anywhere request by examining whether said call-tag record includes both a first shipping address and a second shipping address.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said carrier application determines whether said call-tag record includes an anywhere to anywhere request by examining whether said call-tag record includes a unique destination address.