High fidelity confirmation of parcel delivery

Abstract

According to various embodiments, system, methods and computer program products are configured for providing high fidelity confirmation that a parcel shipped from a consignor via a common carrier have been delivered the proper consignee. As opposed to solely receiving a delivery confirmation signature from the consignee, a common carrier device receives an audio-visual input from the consignee confirming that the parcel has been delivered to the consignee at a delivery location indicated on a shipping label of the parcel. Location information of the common carrier device at the time of the audio-visual input is also collected. The enhanced delivery confirmation may be stored or communicated to the consignor.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for high fidelity parcel delivery confirmation comprising:
 one or more location determining modules configured to determine a location of the computer processing component;   one or more components configured to communicate information to a remote storage component; and   one or more computer processing components configured to perform a method comprising:
 receive an audio-visual input confirming that a parcel has been delivered to a consignee at a delivery location indicated on a shipping label of the parcel; and 
 determine, using the one or more location determining modules, location information associated with the apparatus at a time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee, the location information comprising a latitude and longitude of the user device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the location information associated with the apparatus at the time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee is associated with the delivery location. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee and said location information to the remote storage component. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a user interface comprising a touch display configured to receive a touch input from the consignee and the method further comprises receiving a consignee signature at the time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises the consignee providing a verbal indication to the apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises an image of the consignee receiving the parcel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises a video of the consignee receiving the parcel. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises receiving an audio-visual message to the consignor from the consignee in addition to the audio-visual confirmation. 
     
     
         9 . A method for improving accuracy of parcel delivery in a logistics system, the method comprising:
 receiving an audio-visual input at a user device from a consignee confirming that a parcel has been delivered to the consignee at a delivery location indicated on a shipping label of the parcel; and   obtaining, using one or more location determining modules, location information associated with the user device at a time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee, the location information comprising a latitude and longitude of the user device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the location information associated with the user device at the time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee is associated with the delivery location. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee and said location information to a remote storage component. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the audio-visual delivery confirmation and said location information to the consignor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving a consignee signature via a touch interface of the user device at the time when the user device receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the consignee signature to the remote storage component with the audio-visual delivery confirmation and said location information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises the consignee providing a verbal indication to the user device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises an image of the consignee receiving the parcel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the audio-visual confirmation comprises a video of the consignee receiving the parcel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving an audio-visual message to the consignor from the consignee in addition to the audio-visual confirmation and communicating the audio-visual message to the consignor with the audio-visual confirmation, location information, and consignee signature. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising capturing an image of the parcel at a time the parcel is delivered to the consignee with a camera of the user device and communicating the image to the consignor. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer program product operated by a carrier and comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising one or more executable portions configured for:
 receiving an audio-visual input at a user device from a consignee confirming that a parcel has been delivered to the consignee at a delivery location indicated on a shipping label of the parcel; and   obtaining, using one or more location determining modules, location information associated with the user device at a time when the apparatus receives the audio-visual delivery confirmation from the consignee, the location information comprising a latitude and longitude of the user device.