Patents Examined by Akiba K Robinson
  • Patent number: 11526833
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing logistics information related to a container using a container interface display apparatus. A scanner on the container interface display apparatus identifies an item during loading of the container. An association between the container and the item is recorded in memory of the container interface display apparatus as part of managed logistics information related to the container. A scale within the container detects a weight of the item and sends a signal to the container interface display apparatus indicating the detected weight of the item (which is also recorded in memory as part of the managed logistics information related to the container). Electronic logistics monitor information (e.g., at least a portion of the managed logistics information) is then generated on the display screen of the container interface display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Reuben F. Burch, V, Mark E. Scott
  • Patent number: 11507898
    Abstract: The invention provides control systems and methodologies for controlling a process having computer-controlled equipment, which provide for optimized process performance according to one or more performance criteria, such as efficiency, component life expectancy, safety, emissions, noise, vibration, operational cost, or the like. More particularly, the subject invention provides for employing machine diagnostic and/or prognostic information in connection with optimizing an overall business operation over a time horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Angel Sustaeta, Ka-Hing Lin, Ric Snyder, John Christopher Theron, Mark Funderburk, Michael Eugene Sugars, Frederick M. Discenzo, John J. Baier
  • Patent number: 11494727
    Abstract: A method and system for verifying job deliveries, the method comprising storing, by a server, at least one job item in a database of a server, receiving, by the server, delivery data associated with the job item, the delivery data received from a first client device and including a first location data from the first client device, generating, by the server, a token associated with the delivery data, transmitting, by the server, the token to the first client device, wherein the first client device generates a scanning code that represents the token, receiving, by the server, the token and a second location data from a second client device, the token decoded from the scanning code by the second client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TruckPay Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Scott Honig, Benjamin Martin Honig
  • Patent number: 11488436
    Abstract: Computerized locker banks and related computing systems, according to various embodiments, are adapted to track consignee-specific and non-consignee-specific data regarding the pickup of parcels from particular locker banks (or other alternate delivery locations) and to use that information to forecast inventories for the particular locker banks over time. For example, the system may use this information, and/or other suitable information, to generate a set of projected inventories for a particular locker bank for each sequential two-hour block of time on a particular day. This information may be used to determine which locker bank to route a particular parcel to. This may be especially useful in the context of “not-in-one” deliveries in which a delivery driver unsuccessfully attempts to deliver a parcel to a consignee's primary delivery address and the parcel is re-routed to a locker bank or other alternative delivery location for later pickup by the consignee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Kalin Robinson
  • Patent number: 11480958
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a collective UAV in which multiple UAVs may be coupled together to form the collective UAV. A collective UAV may be used to aerially transport virtually any size, weight or quantity of items, travel longer distances, etc. For example, rather than using one large UAV to carry a larger or heavier item, multiple smaller UAVs may couple together to form a collective UAV that is used to carry the larger or heavier item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Michael Paczan, Michael John Elzinga, Raphael Hsieh, Luan Khai Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11468392
    Abstract: A managing wireless device includes a local area communication device, a wide area communication device, a global position determination device, and a battery. The managing wireless device is attached to a first shipment component of a consolidated shipment. The managing wireless device is in communication with a server computing system. The managing wireless device has a unique identifier. Each of one or more additional wireless device(s) includes a local area communication device and a battery. Each of the additional wireless device(s) is attached to a respective shipment component of the consolidated shipment, other than the first shipment component. Each of the additional wireless device(s) is in bi-directional communication with the managing wireless device. Each of the additional wireless device(s) has a unique identifier. The managing wireless device and each of the additional wireless device(s) are associated with a same broadcast address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ICONTROL, INC.
    Inventor: Earl Fred Tubb
  • Patent number: 11455592
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for facilitating interactive delivery of a product to a recipient, through compiled delivery scenarios. One exemplary method includes soliciting a parameter (or parameters) associated with a product subject to purchase by a consumer, and transmitting an invitation to an interactive delivery of the product to a recipient. The method also includes compiling a scenario for the interactive delivery of the product based on the parameter(s) and, in response to acceptance of the invitation, transmitting the scenario to a communication device associated with the recipient. The method further includes appending a product insignia to the scenario in response to the communication device traveling to at least one intermediate location of the scenario, and transmitting a confirmation for the product when the communication device travels to a delivery location associated with the product insignia, whereby the recipient is permitted to receive the product based on the confirmation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Uthra Agrawal, Shunmuga Sundaram Mohankumar, Smita Sebastian, Gautam Uppalapati, Steve Podgorski
  • Patent number: 11449958
    Abstract: A facility for valuing a distinguished home located in a distinguished geographic area is described. The facility receives home attributes for the distinguished home. For each of a plurality of valuation sub-models, the facility applies the valuation sub-model to the received home attributes to obtain a sub-model valuation for the distinguished home. The facility further applies a meta-model to the record home attributes to obtain a relative weighting factor for each sub-model. The facility then uses the obtained relative weighting factors to combine the sub-model valuations to obtain an overall valuation for the distinguished home. The facility reports the obtained valuation for the distinguished home.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Zillow, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley B. Humphries, Dong Xiang, Jonathan Lee Burstein, Yeng Bun, Jonathan A. Ultis
  • Patent number: 11403582
    Abstract: A logistics managing method according to example embodiments may include identifying at least one tote included in a tote set, identifying a station set corresponding to the tote set among at least one station set based on an attribute of an item included in the at least one tote, and determining one of the at least one station included in the station set to be a destination of the at least one tote. Other various embodiments are also possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Coupang Corp.
    Inventors: Sang Ho Yim, Kyung Jae Lee, Sang Hee Ahn, Sang Ho Lee, Woong Kim, Chang Geun Jin, Lianxi Bai
  • Patent number: 11403585
    Abstract: An inland freight management module for managing inland moves of freight from a plurality of vendor supply locations to port includes a profile maintenance component, a load planning component, and a load routing and booking component. The profile maintenance component is adapted for maintaining an inland planning zone profile including information relating to a plurality of inland planning zones generated according to one or more customs districts. The load planning component is programmed for planning field consolidation of one or more container loads via a multi-stop route between the plurality of vendor supply locations, where the multi-stop route is generated within one of the plurality of inland planning zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard S. Gabrielson
  • Patent number: 11380139
    Abstract: An identifier is received with a portion of a postal address. That portion is compared against multiple additional postal addresses associated with the identifier. If a match is detected, a confirmation is transmitted to a requestor who originally sent the identifier and the portion of the postal address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventor: Joerg Schleicher
  • Patent number: 11367040
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being logically clustered. Accordingly, various embodiments store a record for a serviceable point comprising data identifying the serviceable point and data identifying a second serviceable point. Thereafter, shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to the serviceable point is received, and the record for the serviceable point is accessed to retrieve the data identifying the second serviceable point. A second shipment scheduled to be delivered to the second serviceable point is identified, and an indication is provided that the first and second shipments are eligible for synchronized delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Bolton, Steven D. Brill, Matthew Collins, Anthony Creasy, Andrew Dotterweich, Joseph Guerrisi, Daniel Kettleson, Michael Mulholland, Robert J. Gillen, Greg Loppatto, John Hernandez, Butch Butler, Scott Lord
  • Patent number: 11334842
    Abstract: An automatic estimation method comprises a first step (STEP 01) of introducing a shape data on an item, a second step (STEP 02) of recognizing a shape of the item on the basis of the shape data, a third step (STEP 06) of acquiring a manufacturing condition which can be selected on the basis of the recognized shape, a fourth step (STEP 08) of displaying the manufacturing condition and corresponding price and delivery time, and a fifth step (STEP 09, STEP 10) of updating the displayed price and delivery time depending on change of the manufacturing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Misumi Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Wada, Mitsunobu Yoshida, Kenji Nakagawa, Atsushi Shibata
  • Patent number: 11321968
    Abstract: A method of calculating a parking fee in a public parking space based on coordinating a transfer of a parking space between vehicles and automatically decreasing the fee accordingly, comprising: creating a command to continuously increase a calculated parking fee for a parked vehicle currently occupying a public parking space, based on duration of the occupying; receiving a message from a client terminal associated with the parked vehicle, the message includes a notification of future departure of the parked vehicle from the public parking space; selecting an arriving vehicle to occupy the public parking space when the parked vehicle is departing, based on an estimated time of the future departure and a current location of the arriving vehicle; and creating a command to halt the increasing of the calculated parking fee before identifying a transfer of the public parking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventor: Natan Tomer
  • Patent number: 11321659
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for managing salvage shipments in a transportation network. The system includes a transportation planner coupled with one or more entities in the transportation network. The transportation planner determines an optimized transportation plan for delivery and pick-up of shipments throughout the transportation network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Ye, Keith Whalen, Mark J. Bateman, Rob E. Moore
  • Patent number: 11223544
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides apparatus and methods for queuing access by large numbers of Internet or other network-based users to networked systems and resources with limited capacity. In one example embodiment, a queuing system provides user access to network resources, such as that of a ticketing system. A ticket queue queues a request received from a client system. A request processing module causes the client system to repeatedly transmit messages to the system during a first period, and in response to determining that the client system has ceased transmitting messages during the first period, the request is remove from the queue and/or cause the request goes unfulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Hirose, Dennis Denker, Adam Sussman, Craig McLane, Sean Moriarty
  • Patent number: 11205152
    Abstract: Systems and methods to warehouse, handle, and deliver products are disclosed. The system can comprise a vendor-based virtual network that is associated with a supplier-based physical network. The system can enable vendors with institutional, market, or industry knowledge to manage inventory, logistics, and delivery more efficiently. The system can enable vendors to configure a virtual warehouse and delivery network based on the institutional, market, or industry knowledge. The virtual network can be mapped—behind the scenes—to physical warehouses and delivery networks by warehousing providers (“providers”) based at least in part on the virtual network. The provider can then adjust the physical network based on market knowledge, research, physical sales, warehouse and personnel availability, weather, and other factors. The provider can also offer periodic data to the vendor based on physical sales and delivery information to enable both the virtual and physical networks to converge on an efficient solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Deshanand Pratap Singh
  • Patent number: 11188867
    Abstract: An end-to-end animal care solution provides transportation and care services for animals. For instance, transportation of animals to/from a pickup/dropoff location may be provided by one or more buses and grooming services, daycare services, boarding services, training services, spa services, and/or veterinary services may be provided may one or more “ranches.” This provides an easy and safe way for owners to give their pets a healthy, pleasant, and engaging experience without having to drive their pets to the actual pet care location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Woofy Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Kellogg
  • Patent number: 11182733
    Abstract: Systems, according to various embodiments, are adapted to use any of a variety of different techniques to identify an individual. In particular embodiments, the system is adapted to, at least partially in response to confirming the identity of a consignee of a parcel, provide the consignee with access to a parcel stored within a secured locker. In particular embodiments, the system may use the current or past location of the consignee, or information from one or more objects physically associated with the consignee (e.g., a portable computing device or an electronic or paper info notice) to verify the consignee's identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kalin Robinson, David Carder, Robert J. Gillen
  • Patent number: 11164141
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on an identification of serviceable points being associated with a common geographic descriptor. Accordingly, various embodiments receive shipping data for a first shipment to be delivered to a first serviceable point and a second shipment to be delivered to a second serviceable point. A first geographic descriptor is identified as associated with the first serviceable point and a second geographic descriptor is identified as associated with the second serviceable point, and a determination is made whether the first and second geographic descriptors are the same. Upon a determination that the first and second geographic descriptors are the same, an indication is provided that the first and second shipments are eligible for synchronized delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Chris Bolton, Steven D. Brill, Matthew Collins, Anthony Creasy, Andrew Dotterweich, Joseph Guerrisi, Daniel Kettleson, Michael Mulholland, Robert J. Gillen, Greg Loppatto, John Hernandez, Butch Butler, Scott Lord