Patent ID: 7895132

Claim:
A system for generating a manifest of work in a package delivery system, said system comprising: a data capture system comprising a first device configured to capture shipping label data for a plurality of packages that are bound to a designated geographic location, said shipping label data comprising at least one package destination address and at least one service level; and a work allocation system comprising a second device that is configured to assign each of said packages to one of a plurality of preexisting delivery routes based at least in part on said shipping label data; wherein: (A) the second device is further configured to: monitor said assigned packages and to generate a manifest of work for each of said plurality of preexisting delivery routes; and generate the manifest to comprise one or more assignments in a predetermined order, wherein at least one of the assignments is associated with a time for completing delivery of at least one of the packages; (B) the system further comprises a portable computing device that is configured to: facilitate display of the assignments in the predetermined order, the order comprising a sequential order in which the assignments are to be completed; receive said manifest of work in an electronic format: receive one or more updates to the electronic manifest from the second device; revise the electronic manifest by adding or removing at least one assignment corresponding to delivery of one of said packages based on at least one of the updates received; and reposition the at least one assignment higher in the displayed predetermined order to increase priority in response to determining a current time that is within a predetermined time period of the time for completing delivery, wherein said portable computing device comprises a timing device configured to track an amount of time remaining before the expiration of a pending time deadline associated with the assignments, wherein said portable computing device is configured to dynamically update the manifest by adjusting the position of said assignments in said predetermined order to meet the timing deadline if the amount of time remaining is less than a predetermined minimum.