Concepts for maintaining updated electronic task-management records reflecting planned shipment activities

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided. A first image comprising at least a portion of a package is received from a first user device. A first set of location information associated with the package is extracted from the first image. An electronic shipment record associated with the package is then identified based on the first image. A second image comprising at least a portion of the package is then received from a second using computing device. A second set of location information is extracted from the second image, and the second set of location information is compared to the origin location. If the origin location and the second set of location information match, a shipment confirmation is generated. And, responsive to generating the shipment confirmation, delivery of the package is facilitated in accordance with the determined electronic shipment record.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for determining successful delivery of a package, the method comprising:
 receiving a first image comprising at least a portion of a package from a first user computing device;   extracting, from the first image, a first set of location information associated with the package or the first user computing device;   identifying an electronic shipment record associated with the package based on the portion of the package included in the first image, the electronic shipment record comprising an origin location and a delivery location;   receiving a second image comprising at least a portion of the package from a second user computing device;   extracting from the second image of the package, a second set of location information associated with the package or a location associated with the second user computing device;   comparing the origin location to the second set of location information extracted from the second image associated with the package;   responsive to the comparing identifying a match between the first set of location information and the second set of location information, a shipment confirmation is generated; and   responsive to generation of the shipment confirmation, facilitating delivery of the package according to the determined electronic shipment record.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of location information corresponds to the origin location. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the origin location is generated based on the first set of location information, the delivery location, and a delivery time. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , where the method further comprises:
 identifying a drop off location within a predetermined distance from a geo-location corresponding to the first set of location information; and   modifying the electronic shipment record by defining the origin location as the drop off location.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 comparing a geo-location corresponding to the first set of location information with a plurality of potential drop off locations;   determining that none of the plurality of potential drop off locations are within a predetermined distance from the geo-location;   responsive to determining that none of the plurality of potential drop off locations are within a predetermined distance from the geo-location, modifying the electronic shipment record to define the origin location as the geo-location.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the second user computing device is a tendered location. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating a notification to the first user computing device in response to generation of the shipment confirmation. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable media comprising at least one non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to:
 receive a first image comprising at least a portion of a package from a first user computing device;   extract, from the first image, a first set of location information associated with the package or the first user computing device;   identify an electronic shipment record associated with the package based on the portion of the package included in the first image, the electronic shipment record comprising an origin location and a delivery location;   receive a second image comprising at least a portion of the package from a second user computing device;   extract from the second image of the package, a second set of location information associated with the package or the second user computing device;   compare the origin location to the second set of location information extracted from the second image associated with the package;   responsive to the comparison identifying a match between the first set of location information and the second set of location information, a shipment confirmation is generated; and   responsive to generation of the shipment confirmation, facilitate delivery of the package according to the determined electronic shipment record.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic shipment record further comprises logistical instructions for facilitating delivery of the package. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the first image further comprises a geocode associated with the location the first image was take. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the second image further comprises a geocode associated with the location the second image was take. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the first image is taken by a user computing device having location-determining functionality. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable media of  claim 12 , wherein the location-determining functionality comprises at least one of GPS or cellular assisted GPS. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a computer readable media communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the computer readable media comprising executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
 receive a first image comprising at least a portion of a package from a first user computing device; 
 extract, from the first image, a first set of location information associated with at least one of the package or a location associated with the first user computing device; 
 identify an electronic shipment record associated with the package based on the portion of the package included in the first image, the electronic shipment record comprising an origin location and a delivery location; 
 receive a second image comprising at least a portion of the package from a second user computing device; 
 extract from the second image of the package, a second set of location information associated with the package or the second user computing device; 
 compare the origin location to the second set of location information extracted from the second image associated with the package; 
 responsive to the comparing identifying a match between the first set of location information and the second set of location information, a shipment confirmation is generated; and 
 responsive to generation of the shipment confirmation, facilitate delivery of the package according to the determined electronic shipment record. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first image is taken by a user computing device having location-determining functionality. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the location-determining functionality comprises at least one of GPS or cellular assisted GPS. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising communicating a notification to the first user computing device in response to generation of the shipment confirmation. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first set of location information corresponds to the origin location. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the origin location is generated based on the first set of location information, the delivery location, and a delivery time. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , where the executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a drop off location within a predetermined distance from a geo-location corresponding to the first set of location information; and   modify the electronic shipment record by defining the origin location as the drop off location.