Delivery tracking system

Abstract

A novel tracking system is disclosed. In one embodiment, users obtain access to tracking information by entering a destination address in a query. In another embodiment, package shippers are given a “shipper password” and a “recipient password.” In this embodiment, the shipper may query the system with the shipper password to track all packages it has sent, and the recipient may query the system with the recipient password (and, optionally, one or more portions of the recipient's address information) to track all packages that the shipper has sent to that address. Different amounts of detail may be shown to shippers and recipients. In another embodiment, a service bureau may accept packages from shippers, collect information about the packages, process queries by shippers and recipients, and track packages that it handles using a separate “service bureau password.”

1 . An electronic method to access shipment tracking data, comprising:
 accepting a tracking request at a server location over the Internet from a client location with the tracking request being authenticated by a password, in which the tracking request does not include a tracking number but includes one or more shipment identifiers, such as a recipient's name, a shipper's name, a recipient's address, a shipper's address, a date of shipment, a date of delivery or other identifiers that are not tracking numbers;   first querying at said server location using the accepted tracking request to access a first database not controlled by the carrier, but containing both tracking numbers and at least one of shipper or recipient name or address, shipping time or date information related thereto, the first database providing a correlating response that correlates the tracking request to tracking numbers located by said first querying; and   second querying using a tracking number from said correlating response to access a second database that is controlled by the carrier and which contains shipping status for the shipment that was associated with the correlated tracking number so that the shipping status results from said second query can be supplied over the internet to the client location.   
   
   
       2 . An electronic method to access shipment tracking data, comprising:
 accepting a tracking request at a server location over the Internet from a client location with the tracking request being authenticated by a password, in which the tracking request does not include a tracking number but includes one or more shipment identifiers, such as a recipient's name, a shipper's name, a recipient's address, a shipper's address, a date of shipment, a date of delivery, or other identifiers that are not tracking numbers;   querying at said server location using the accepted tracking request to access a first database containing both tracking numbers at least one of shipper or recipient name or address, shipping time or date information related thereto, the first database providing a response that correlates the tracking request to tracking numbers located by said querying; and   enabling the shipping status associated with the correlated tracking numbers to be supplied over the Internet to the client location.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said accepting, first querying, and second querying steps are performed by a service bureau; and wherein said carrier is a common carrier separate from said service bureau. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the service bureau processes shipments being sent using multiple common carriers. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said password is uniquely associated with a shipper and allows access to shipment information to no other shippers; and wherein said response contains a listing of shipments sent by the shipper. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said password is uniquely associated with a recipient and allows access to shipment information to no other recipients; and wherein said response contains a listing of shipments sent by the shipper to the recipient. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said password is uniquely associated with a service bureau and allows access to shipment information to no other service bureaus; and wherein said response contains a listing of shipments processed by the service bureau from the shipper. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said tracking request includes at least two of said shipment identifiers. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said response includes tracking numbers for at least one shipment corresponding to at least a subset of the shipment identifiers provided in said tracking request. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said response includes tracking numbers for at least one shipment corresponding to all of the shipment identifiers provided in said tracking request. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said recipient or sender address includes at least one of a group of address types consisting of:
 a delivery address;   a shipping address;   a drop address;   a routing number; and   a postal code.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said date of shipment or date of delivery includes at least one of a group of date types consisting of:
 an expected shipping or delivery date;   an actual shipment or delivery date; and   a time stamp.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said date of shipment or date of delivery defines a range of time; and said response is limited to tracking information based upon said range of time.