Method and system for preparing an electronic record for shipping a parcel

Claim 1

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, and means for receiving a parcel pickup request, said central computer for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) communicating with said central computer via a network; (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.

Claim 2

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, and means for receiving a parcel pickup request, said central computer for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) communicating with said central computer via a network; (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.

Claim 17

A method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel and parcel delivery, comprising: (a) receiving a parcel shipping procedure from a remote computer via a network; (b) displaying on a screen of an intelligent telephone said parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection; (c) recording via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; and (d) transmitting said delivery information and a parcel pickup request to said remote computer in response to receiving said delivery information, wherein a pickup of said parcel and a tracking database entry for said parcel is initiated from said central computer.

Claim 18

A method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel and parcel delivery, comprising: (a) receiving a parcel shipping procedure from a remote computer via a network; (b) displaying on a screen of an intelligent telephone said parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection; (c) recording via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; and (d) transmitting said delivery information and a parcel pickup request to said remote computer in response to receiving said delivery information, wherein a pickup of said parcel and a tracking database entry for said parcel is initiated from said central computer.

Claim 25

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, a recipient list, means for receiving a parcel pickup request, and means for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information, wherein said input device comprises a set of programmable keys; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said computer; (B) receiving and storing said recipient list from said computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel, said delivery information including an identification number of said parcel; (E) displaying said recipient list with said screen device when preparing said parcel for shipping; (F) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel, wherein said delivery information includes a zip code of a delivery address of said parcel; (G) validating said zip code; (H) automatically transmitting said shipping record of a said parcel to said central computer to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information. (I) disabling non-selectable features of said parcel shipping procedure; (J) printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information; (K) generating a bit map including said delivery information; (L) printing a label from said bit map; (M) printing a machine readable label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information; (N) generating a bit map of a machine readable label; (O) printing a machine readable label from said bit map; and (P) generating said identification number of said parcel.

Claim 26

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, a recipient list, means for receiving a parcel pickup request, and means for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) an intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information, wherein said input device comprises a set of programmable keys; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said computer; (B) receiving and storing said recipient list from said computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel, said delivery information including an identification number of said parcel; (E) displaying said recipient list with said screen device when preparing said parcel for shipping; (F) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel, wherein said delivery information includes a zip code of a delivery address of said parcel; (G) validating said zip code; (H) automatically transmitting said shipping record of a said parcel to said central computer to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information. (I) disabling non-selectable features of said parcel shipping procedure; (J) printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information; (K) generating a bit map including said delivery information; (L) printing a label from said bit map; (M) printing a machine readable label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information; (N) generating a bit map of a machine readable label; (O) printing a machine readable label from said bit map; and (P) generating said identification number of said parcel.

Claim 27

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, said central computer configured to receive a parcel pickup request and to download a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) art intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) communicating with said central computer via a network; (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.

Claim 28

A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising: (a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, said central computer configured to receive a parcel pickup request and to download a parcel shipping procedure; and (b) art intelligent telephone, comprising: (1) an input device for receiving information; (2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer; (3) an information storage device; (4) a screen device for displaying information; and (5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for: (A) communicating with said central computer via a network; (B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer; (C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection; (D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; (E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and (F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.