Patent ID: 7698175

Claim:
A package tracking system that provides visibility for inbound packages, comprising: a carrier database configured to store package information about one or more packages that are in transit in a carrier system; a visibility engine configured to communicate with said carrier database, said visibility engine configured to review said package information and to identify a package that is inbound to a location associated with a user, who is to receive said package; and a user computer configured to communicate with said visibility engine via a network, said user computer configured to: receive shipping information associated with said inbound package, enable said user, who is to receive said package, to create a unique location identifier and associate said unique location identifier with said location, wherein said unique location identifier is not an address associated with said location, is not an account number associated with said location, and is not a carrier tracking number; and enable said user to assign multiple unique location identifiers to a single address; wherein in order to identify a package that is inbound to said location, said visibility engine is configured to identify a package having said unique location identifier associated with said location included in the package information associated with the package.