Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for creating and processing an electronic customs declaration manifest. These methods and systems include creating a image of the customs declaration form, converting the image of the customs declaration form into an electronic customs manifest, and transferring the electronic customs manifest to a database. In addition, a image is may also be forwarded electronically to a remote encoding center, where the customs declaration form data is manually converted into an electronic file for storing in a database. Customs services of both the originating and destination countries review the declared information stored in the database. When the international mailpiece arrives at the border, domestic customs service may find a matching unique identifiers on the international mailpieces and customs declaration forms stored in the database.

Abstract: A connected logistics platform is provided to integrate data from various logistics sources. The platform can provide rule-based messaging and/or tracking. The platform can also provide selective access to the integrated data based on user role profile. Related system, method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium are also provided.

Abstract: Automated package deliveries comprises a server at a package delivery system that receives a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of a package and an identification of a first kiosk location. The server associates the package with an aerial delivery device and a user authentication to retrieve the package. The server transmits to the delivery device instructions to deliver the package to the first kiosk. Subsequently, the server receives a request from a user computing device to retrieve the package from the first kiosk and deliver the package to an alternate kiosk. The server transmits to the delivery device instructions to retrieve the package from the first kiosk and instructions to deliver the package to the alternate kiosk. The delivery device retrieves the package from the automated kiosk and delivers the package to the alternate kiosk.

Abstract: Delivery orchestration arrangements to: access a financial institutional database including customer, rules and security requirements data, to determine customer eligibility for delivery of a product from a financial institution, the security requirements data defining minimum security level requirements for the product; responsive to a request, receive real-time delivery option data from offices of the financial institution and external vendors, where the delivery option data is related to a plurality of real-time delivery options combinable to devise delivery plans; analyze the customer data, the rules data, and the delivery option data according to one or more algorithms; generate, based on analysis from the analyze operation, one or more delivery plans selectable by the customer for delivery of the product; transmit, via a network connection to an electronic device, the delivery plans to the customer; and receive selection of one of the delivery plans from the electronic device via the network connection.

Abstract: When attending an event at a venue, the attendee typically presents ticket information that is scanned by a venue scanner. In conventional systems, once validated, the scanner prints a paper stub that typically includes seat location data. Production of this paper stub can be dispensed with, and the associated data conveyed by the paper stub as well as additional information not contemplated or possible with paper stubs can be conveyed by an electronic stub or e-stub that resides on a device of the attendee, generally the same device employed to present the ticket information.

Abstract: A device receives and stores location data and cargo transportation data. The cargo transportation data is received from a first system of a carrier and one or more other systems of partner carriers. The device receives, from the first system, a transportation availability request that is to be used to schedule transportation of cargo. The device generates and provides the first system with a recommendation that specifies recommended routes that may be used to assist in transporting the cargo. The device receives, from the first system, a booking request that identifies a selected route that vehicles are to use to transport the cargo, and provides the booking request to one or more other systems. The device receives a booking response from a second system of a partner carrier and provides the first system with an indication of whether the partner carrier has provided confirmation of assistance in transporting the cargo.

Abstract: A method for providing media for use with on-demand transport services is provided. A transport service is arranged for a user. The user is determined to have requested control over media to be outputted on an output device of the driver. A token of the user is identified and transmitted to the driver's computing device. In response to detecting that an event has occurred for enabling the user to control the media, the driver's computing device is enabled to output the media that is controlled by the user operating the user's computing device.

Abstract: The subject innovation relates to a system for optimizing collection trips and/or delivery trips of a courier service, comprising a computer system with a database for storing address data records and for providing the address data records for a navigation system which can at least be read in at least one of the courier vehicles belonging to the courier service, has a display screen for navigation information and comprises an input system in the courier vehicle, which input system is connected to the computer system and is intended for the input of at least one item of additional information relating to at least one address data record, wherein the computer system is suitable for inserting the additional information into the stored address data records. The subject innovation also relates to a method for using this system.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed to determine customer's pick-up information and their position while waiting at a brick-and-mortar store. The brick-and-mortar store may have one or more transmitters installed at predetermined locations. By utilizing an application installed on each customer's mobile computing device, each mobile computing device may transmit customer information and ranging data when within range of one or more of the transmitters. The ranging data may include an indication of a range between each of the customer's mobile computing device and one or more proximate transmitters. By correlating the customer information to pick-up information, each customer's pick-up order may be retrieved. Furthermore, by analyzing the ranging data, the position of each customer at the brick-and-mortar store may be determined. A brick-and-mortar store computing device is disclosed that may display each customer's position at the brick-and-mortar store along with their pick-up order information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for client-selectable power source options for network-accessible service units are described. A programmatic interface is implemented to enable clients of a service to select, from among a plurality of power source categories including a renewable category and a non-renewable category, a power source category to be used for a service unit. Based on inputs received via the interface, the respective amounts of power to be obtained from renewable and non-renewable categories during a time period may be estimated. A verification operation comparing the estimated amounts to the amount of power that is actually obtained from the different sources may be performed.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed to determine customer's prescription information and their position while waiting in a drive-thru lane. The drive-thru lane may have one or more transmitters installed at predetermined locations. By utilizing an application installed on each customer's mobile computing device, each mobile computing device may transmit customer information and ranging data when within range of one or more of the transmitters. The ranging data may include an indication of a range between each of the customer's mobile computing device and one or more proximate transmitters. By correlating the customer information to prescription information from recently filled and/or called in prescriptions, each customer's prescription order may be retrieved. Furthermore, by analyzing the ranging data, the position of each customer in the drive-thru lane may be determined.

Abstract: A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Abstract: A system of modules which control and measure energy usage at a building that are in communication with a software program executing on a remote server controlled by a third party. The third party said usage via the software program that communicates with the modules to modify energy usage and demand for energy and is responsible or liable for energy usage charges the building where the third party does not actually use the energy.

Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computer systems for reporting unusual or anomalous usage or spending of a commodity by consumers. A computer system retrieves a set of usage-information datasets corresponding to a set of consumers, each dataset including past usage of the commodity during at least one of a completed billing period and a current usage of the commodity during the current billing period. The computer system establishes a set of report-trigger conditions for the current billing period, each of the report-trigger conditions corresponding to a consumer. The computer system monitor usage or spending of the set of consumers to determine, for each consumer, whether an estimated usage established for each consumer fulfills the consumer's report-trigger condition. Once the report-trigger condition is fulfilled, the computer system outputs a report to the consumer.

Abstract: A device may receive a request for a product and, based on the request, determine a geographic location and delivery time for delivery of the product. The device may also identify a product location from which the product is capable of being provided. Based on the product and at least one product location characteristic, the device may determine an estimated fulfillment time associated with preparing the product for delivery. Based on the request and the product location, the device may identify a courier capable of transporting the product. In addition, the device may determine an estimated delivery time associated with delivering the product. The device may determine, based on the fulfillment time and the delivery time, a delay. The device may store the request in a data structure, associate the delay with the request, and perform an action based on the request and the delay.

Abstract: A system for fulfilling peer-to-peer transactions by autonomous robot vehicles includes processor(s) and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to: receive information on a peer-to-peer transaction between a seller and a buyer for an item, communicate instructions to an autonomous vehicle to travel to a first destination and receive the item, receive an indication that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous vehicle to travel to a second destination to deliver the item to the buyer, receive a signal indicating that buyer funds are in escrow, and receive a signal indicating that the item is accepted or rejected by the buyer. In a case where the item is accepted, the system communicates a release of the funds from the escrow to the seller. In a case the item is rejected, the system determines a handling itinerary for the item.

Abstract: A system and method of completing an activity via an agent. The agent is embodied as agent software, which facilitates and/or performs activities on behalf of a user. The agent software may have a characteristic persona that it presents to the user in the form of an avatar on a display. The agent software may be part of a computer program stored in a memory and executed by a processor of a smartphone or other computer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer readable media for facilitating reservation for a parking space with a near field communications (NFC)-enabled device are provided. A system can include an NFC-enabled parking meter associated with a parking space and a controller in communication with the NFC-enabled parking meter for measuring time and processing payment. A system can include an NFC-enabled device that upon interfacing with the NFC-enabled parking meter communicates with the controller to create a reservation of a parking space.

Abstract: A system is described that infers that a user will need to complete a trip and selects a transportation service that the user can use to complete the trip. The system predicts a time to request a vehicle associated with the transportation service for completing the trip such that the request has sufficiently high degree of likelihood, of causing the vehicle to arrive at a future location by a final departure time; the final departure time being a latest time at which the user is predicted to need to begin traveling. Responsive to determining that a current time is within a threshold amount of time of the predicted time, the system sends, to a reservation system associated with the transportation service, a reservation request for the vehicle associated with the transportation service for completing the trip.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for preventing double processing of a repeated or duplicated booking request received from a client in a transaction session over a computer network. A first booking request is received from the client over the computer network and processed. When a second booking request repeating or duplicating the first booking request is received from the client, response data prepared in response to the first booking request is assigned to the repeated booking request. A response to the repeated booking request is returned to the client. The response includes the response data prepared in response to the first booking request.