NZ531858A

NZ531858A - Method for sending postal packets

Info

Publication number: NZ531858A
Application number: NZ531858A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Boris Mayer; Steffen Frankenberg
Original assignee: Deutsche Post Ag
Priority date: 2001-10-09
Filing date: 2002-10-07
Publication date: 2006-09-29
Also published as: EP1421537B1; CN1568471A; IL161240A; EP1421537A1; HK1067902A1; CA2461001A1; PT1421537E; WO2003034293A1; RU2004109913A; RU2298830C2; BR0213636A; DK1421537T3; ATE289099T1; PL368374A1; ES2237700T3; KR20050034598A; AU2002342524B2; DE10149621A1; NO331672B1; IL161240A0

Abstract

The first step in a method for sending postal parcels is recording a delivery address for the delivery of the postal parcels. The delivery address is changed according to a routine predefined by the recipient. The routine is stored in a table that contains the allocation of several delivery times and delivery addresses. The delivery addresses in the table comprises at least one electronic compartment system or a compartment of an electronic parcel compartment system. The delivery address is changed as a function of empty compartments of at least one parcel compartment system for the eventuality that, according to the routine predefined by the recipient, an electronic parcel compartment system is allocated to a delivery address for a delivery time period. The postal parcels are delivered to the changed delivery address.

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number 531 853 3 18 5 8 Method for sending postal packets intellectual property office Or N2. - 3 MAS 2006 RECEIVED Description: The invention relates to a method and to a device for dispatching postal parcels.

European patent application EP 1 053 798 A2 discloses a virtual post office box. The physically non-existent post office box can be rented by persons and is linked to the address of these persons. Postal parcels that are addressed to the virtual post office box are segregated from the sorting process and forwarded to the address of the renter. The renter can indicate the period of time during which the postal parcels are to be forwarded to a given address. By the same token, he can change this address by sending a notification to this effect to the postal service company.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,369 B1 describes a network-based contact manager with which selected address information of a first user can be made accessible to a second user. Changes in the address data of the first user are sent to the second user, and the address data is then updated in the address book of the second user.

With the known dispatching methods, the problem exists that the recipient of the shipment often cannot be reached at the time of the delivery.

This is especially a drawback in delivering postal parcels that cannot be placed into conventional mailboxes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for dispatching postal parcels; or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

The invention is based on a method of the generic type in that the delivery of the postal parcels is fast, reliable and involves as little dispatching effort as possible. 180) 59NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FEM la According to the invention, the method is carried out in such a way that it comprises the following steps: • recording a delivery address for the delivery of the postal parcels; • changing the delivery address according to a routine predefined by the recipient, whereby the routine is stored in a table and this table contains the allocation of several delivery times and delivery addresses, whereby the delivery addresses in the table comprise at least one electronic parcel compartment system or a compartment of an electronic parcel compartment system; • changing the delivery address as a function of empty compartments of at least one parcel compartment system for the eventuality that, according to the routine predefined by the recipient, an electronic parcel compartment system is allocated to a delivery address for a delivery time period; • delivery of the postal parcels to the changed delivery address.

The invention allows a flexible delivery of postal parcels. The invention especially provides a flexible control of the dispatching process. Preferably, the desired delivery address here is treated like a virtual ... 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FEM The following page is numbered 2 2 delivery address that can be changed as a function of the requirements of the customer or of the postal service company.

In order to combine great flexibility of the dispatching of the postal parcels with high reliability of the delivery, the delivery address and the time of the delivery are advantageously selected in such a way that the postal parcels reach the desired delivery location within a predefined delivery period and in that, within this prescribed delivery period, the delivery to the desired delivery address takes place under the anticipated dispatching sequence of the postal parcel.

The link between the recipient identification code and the delivery address can be freely changed and this can also be done according to a predefined procedure. A variable link between the recipient identification code and the delivery address translates into maximum flexibility for the postal service company as well as for the sender and for the recipient of the postal parcel.

For example, in this manner, negotiation documents can be sent to a business person at the location where the negotiations are being held, or spare materials or special tools can be sent to a service technician at the place of use or to a delivery point located close to the place of use.

A change in accordance with a predefined routine is likewise advantageous.

For example, a recipient might prefer to receive a delivery at his workplace during regular business hours, but might prefer the delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system while he is on his way home or else he might prefer the delivery to his home address after returning from work.

A stored table containing the allocation of delivery times and delivery places allows the postal service company to make the delivery to the place desired by the recipient in each case. 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FEM 3 The above-mentioned example of the delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system is another preferred example showing the execution of the invention.

Such a delivery to the electronic parcel compartment system is especially advantageous if it is to be expected that the recipient of the postal parcel does not want the postal parcel to be delivered to his home or workplace at the anticipated delivery time or else if he does not want such a delivery modality as a general rule.

For example, all postal parcels or all postal parcels with a definable and changeable delivery interval can be delivered to the electronic parcel compartment system.

For the postal service company, this eliminates the effort involved in a failed delivery attempt to an unwanted delivery address, including the logistic effort associated with this for storing or holding the postal parcel or else for attempting delivery again.

The use of the method entailing delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system is likewise advantageous for the customer of the postal service company since this saves him unnecessary trips to pick up postal parcels and he receives the postal parcel at the earliest possible point in time.

In the case of delivery to an electronic parcel compartment system, the flexibility of selecting the delivery location is especially advantageous. In this manner, especially a flexible allocation of individual electronic parcel compartment systems, or individual postal boxes, is possible.

In particular, the invention can be used to flexibly deploy the electronic parcel compartment systems, or the parcel compartments contained therein.

This makes it possible to provide especially recipient-friendly pick-up periods that optionally cover a longer period of time and, if a postal parcel is picked up from the parcel compartment assigned to it, then - immediately after this postal parcel has been 180159NZ_Amcnded Spec_Fcb2006_FEM 4 PCT/D E02/03759 picked up - another postal parcel can be placed into the parcel compartment that has just become free or empty.

The flexible selection of several potentially deployable electronic parcel compartment systems is another advantage for the customer. Thanks to the flexibility of the method used, this advantage for the customer can be utilized with relatively little effort by a logistic company executing the method.

Additional advantages, special features and practical refinements of the invention ensue from the subclaims and from the following presentation of preferred embodiments.

The invention allows the use of various modalities of delivery and forwarding.

For example, when the customer of a merchant places an order, he indicates his postal number (customer number for this service) as well as a delivery location (parcel compartment system) for the delivery of the ordered products.

The post number contains a check digit so that the correctness can be checked.

The recipient identification code can be issued individually for each order and it can also be used for multiple orders. In the first step, the system tracks the issuing of a post number for each customer. However, it is also conceivable that, for each transaction, a number is issued that provides authorization to use the system.

It is especially advantageous for the postal service company to assign a fixed recipient identification code to a customer of the postal service company.

The delivery address can refer to the entire parcel compartment system (as well as to the individual parcel compartment). Both definitions of the delivery address are included. The invention can be adapted to the delivery address that is used in each case. 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Fcb2006_FKM Addressing When the recipient places his order with the merchant, he provides his billing address as well as an alternative delivery address.

The address of the desired PACKSTATION (PACKSTATION address) is indicated in the delivery address. For purposes of unambiguously identifying the shipment as a PACKSTATION delivery and for identifying the customer, the post number has to be indicated, also in the delivery address.

The PACKSTATION address is a customer-individual automat address or branch office address to which deliveries can be made. Preferably, the address consists of the following: post number, PACKSTATION and number, actual postal code and city.

The addressing of the alternative delivery possibility is shown below by way of an example: First name, last name John Doe or Doe 123456789 Second name field 123456789 • If possible, the house number is selected in such a way that no same house numbers / automat numbers are issued to adjacent postal code regions.

• The house numbers are three-digit numbers.

• The house numbers are divided into two fields, so that an unambiguous allocation of the automat and the branch office is ensured.

Street, house number Postal code, city PACKSTATION 102PACKSTATION 102 53113 Bonn 53113 Bonn 180159NZ_Amended Spcc_Feb2006_FEM 6 • The number range is defined as 001-499 for automats and as 500-999 for branch offices.

• An automat in a branch office is designated and addressed as an automat.

• The numbering of the automats / branch offices is not done separately for each postal code, but rather according to defined postal code regions, for example, 53 or the city area of Bonn, that is to say, in a postal code district, here in the 53 district, the house numbers are issued consecutively on an overarching basis. Adjacent postal codes start with a different numbering.

The numbering is done according to PACKSTATION S. These are especially parcel compartment systems or branch offices that are integrated into the logistic system and that serve for picking up the parcels.

Example: 53113 53152 PACKSTATION 1 PACKSTATION 2 4 53114 53110 PACKSTATION 3 PACKSTATION 54025 54320 PACKSTATION 101 PACKSTATION 102 Advantages of this form of addressing • Expressive street names • Better marketing possibilities • Higher customer acceptance • The customer preferably has only one post number for all alternative delivery options. The post number is preferably, for instance, a 10-digit number that is assigned to a customer and that identifies him. Preferably, it is part of the delivery address as a suffix to the name. 180159NZ_Amended Spcc_Feb2006_FKM 7 • The customer does not have to register separately for each automat.

• The geographic "postal code system" is retained • No problems due to distortion of competition Disadvantages of this form of addressing • More manual work for the in-house personnel • Senders have to be thoroughly informed • The transmission of the post number is secured. 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FEM WO 03/034293 PCT/DE02/03759 8 The following table contains a presentation of preferred process steps.

Process No.

Process step Prerequisites Benefit Remarks 1.

Address entry during the order placement Entering the post number in the ordering process According to the postal address standard, a second name field must be present. Provision of the check algorithm for the post number. 2.

Gluing on the parcel label by the sender Printing option for the label with the post number in the address field, sender cannot print a master code Senders without master coding do not have to handle PACKSTATION parcels separately.

By updating the LOS file, this point can be improved in the future. Due to the product status as a PACKSTATION product, this can / will also be covered by the SW shipment. 3.

Transfer of the shipments to DPAG Standard process 4.

Master coding in the sender's PZ Update of the LOS file (post-internal) The update of the LOS file for internal processing (PZ) can be realized up until the test phase.

. Sorting in the freight center Separate chute (B-final places) Negative elimination of the PACKSTATION shipments, easier escalation possibilities 6.

Reworking in delivery basis (coding of the customer number) Training the in-house personnel, providing the SW/HW prerequisites Entering the post number can be dispensed with for the delivery; reduction of the potential for errors; simpler loading of the automat on site The post number should be applied onto the parcel by the in-house personnel as a barcode sticker; by means of a product identification (product code), this can be done by the shipment SW; all information can also be integrated into the NC2001 (going-live not confirmed yet)?? 7.

Delivery Scanning the post number; shorter loading times; correct time measurement 8.

Return shipments (retention time) Correct time measurement 9.

Standard process; return shipment Standard 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FEM 9 Sequence Prerequisites The sender has the possibility to accept and to activate an alternative delivery address and optimally an additional address line in his systems on the order form.

An automatic check of the delivery address, for example, in the on-line shop, in the goods management system or in the shipping logistic system, would have to be switched off, or would have to accept PACKSTATION addresses.

The recipient has to know the PACKSTATION address and enter it himself.

The post number should be indicated in the delivery address (= addressing of the parcel).

The prerequisites for the integration of an especially preferred embodiment are: • Defining the street designation • Updating the LOS file • Informing the central group BDV/LOS about the locations of the alternative delivery options • Transmitting the post number from the ordering party via the sender to the Deutsche Post AG In order to be able to realize a correct addressing of a print order (fax, letter) at post points, it is often necessary to implement a field for an alternative delivery address.

Data to be acquired / transferred The most important information is the correct delivery address with: • The post number • Last name, optionally first name (if sufficient space available) • Street and number of the desired PACKSTATION 180159NZ_Amended Spcc_Feb2006_FEM • Postal code and city of the desired PACKSTATION • The post number entered into the delivery basis by the in-house personnel The examples presented show preferred embodiments of the method for sending postal parcels.

Thanks to the transition from the first-selected provisional delivery address to the final delivery address, a flexible sending of the postal parcels to the recipient in question can be realized.

This also makes it possible for the recipient to designate other persons as the recipient.

For example, a customer who is unable to receive a parcel or to pick it up from an electronic parcel compartment system can inform a server that is centrally integrated into the process - preferably a web server- about another person as the recipient by entering identifying information about said person, if possible, in encrypted form.

In this manner, another person rather than the originally designated recipient can retrieve a parcel from an electronic parcel compartment system during a prescribed time period without there being a need for the other recipient to know the customer identification information of the first recipient, which is supposed to be kept secret. 180159NZ_Amcndcd Spec_Feb2006_.FKM

Claims

WO 03/034293 10a PCT/DE02/03759 Abbreviations in the description LOS Abbreviation for the three German words Leitzahlen, Ortsnamen and Stra(iennamen and it is the name of a central database which stores at least this information. Leitzahlen can be translated to "master code", Ortsnamen can be translated to "city names" and StraPennamen is translated to "street names". PZ Abbreviation for the German word Paketzentrum which can be translated to "parcel shipment centre". SW Abbreviation for software. SW/HW Abbreviation for software/hardware DP AG Abbreviation for the name of the applicant Deutsche Post AG. BDV Abbreviation for the German phrase Betriebsdatenverwaltung, which is a central administration tool for the management of operating data. NC2001 NC2001 is a special notation for a project of the applicant. 180159NZ_Amcndcd Spec_Feb2006_FEM The following page is numbered 11 WO 03/034293 11 PCT/DE02/03759 What we claim is::

1. A method for sending postal parcels comprising the following steps: • recording a delivery address for the delivery of the postal parcels; • changing the delivery address according to a routine predefined by the recipient, whereby the routine is stored in a table and this table contains the allocation of several delivery times and delivery addresses, whereby the delivery addresses in the table comprise at least one electronic parcel compartment system or a compartment of an electronic parcel compartment system; • changing the delivery address as a function of empty compartments of at least one parcel compartment system for the eventuality that, according to the routine predefined by the recipient, an electronic parcel compartment system is allocated to a delivery address for a delivery time period; • delivery of the postal parcels to the changed delivery address.

2. The method according to Claim 1, characterized in that a recipient identification code is assigned to the recipient, whereby the recipient identification code and the desired delivery address can be linked to each other.

3. A method for dispatching postal parcels substantially as herein before described. PIPERS Attorneys for DEUTSCHE POST AG 180159NZ_Amended Spec_Feb2006_FHM