Systems and methods are disclosed for providing personalized delivery services by a carrier providing a package delivery service. Typically, the consignee indicates a delivery preference to be applied to delivery of a package, such as indicating a specific location where the package is to be left upon delivery, if the consignee is not present to accept the package. In one embodiment, the consignee may be notified by the carrier of the scheduled delivery of the package, and may be linked to the carrier's web site to indicate a delivery preference. Alternatively, the delivery preference may be indicated by the consignee proactively accessing the web site. After conveying a delivery preference, the carrier's systems communicate the delivery preference at the appropriate time to a portable computing device which informs the delivery personnel of the consignee's delivery preference. Other embodiments allow the consignor to indicate delivery preferences.

Systems and Methods for Providing Personalized Delivery Services

Generally, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods that can identify the location of a consignee and propose one or more alternative delivery location(s). The proposed delivery location may be based on the current location of the consignee, current address on the package to be delivered, information located in a social network (private or public), "to - be" location as determined by the consignee which would be transmitted to the carrier and/or a predicted consignee location. In other embodiments, the consignee or "carrier" may suggest an alternative fixed location or alternative mobile location. In some embodiments, the consignee may indicate an alternative recipient of the item.

Systems and methods for delivery of an item

An inorganic, dielectric grid polarizer includes an optical stack with a diffraction grating and an inorganic, dielectric grid polarizer. The inorganic, dielectric grid polarizer includes a stack of film layers with an array of parallel ribs in accordance with P GP λ/2 where P DG is the period of the ribs.

Inorganic, Dielectric, Grid Polarizer and Non-Zero Order Diffraction Grating

An improved resilient support for a floor is described. A rigid support means is positioned between a base platform surface and the floor for rigidly supporting the floor above the base surface. A pneumatic support means is also positioned between the base platform surface and the floor for vertically displacing and resiliently supporting the floor above the rigid support. Control means cause the pneumatic support means to alternatively seat the floor on the rigid support means in order to provide a rigid support or to raise the floor above the rigid support in order to provide a resilient floor support. The control means is adapted for establishing a desired floor resiliency by varying operating pressure of the pneumatic support means.

Floor support arrangement

A laden ship is transported across a shallow portion of a watercourse by a submergible floating vessel, while the ship is lifted upwardly within the water by means of a vessel platform placed under the hull. The vessel is preferably comprised of a multiplicity of rigid U-shape, separately floodable, buoyant sections, including end sections, which have self-propulsion. The several sections are pivotably interconnected, as by hinge assemblies, so the transporter platforms adjust to major up or down bends along the length of the hull, during lifting. The platforms are surfaced with a layer of resilient deformable material, or movable blocks, to accommodate local irregularities in the bottom of the ship.

Transporting a ship over shallows of a watercourse

A "soft" support system, preferrably utilizing pneumatic bellows, capable of supporting a ship hull in a relatively level condition on its building foundations or ways during construction and during moving operations; the system uses either a dynamic or a static "soft" support insert between the basic "hard" foundation supports and the vessel shell; in addition to the preferred pneumatic bellows the "soft" support insert could be inter alia a hydraulic, steel or rubber/elastomeric "spring"; the system in its dynamic mode is capable of raising, lowering or leveling the ship hull, or in minutely positioning hull sections to be joined together during construction operations; the system effectively distributes all loads and reactions between the hull and the foundation or ways thereby tending to eliminate unequal elevations of the foundation or way support locations and tending to nullify hull movement effects due to welding stresses and/or temperature changes, thereby tending to provide a constant support system; during moving operations across the foundations or ways, the constant support system will more nearly allow the horizontal pushing force requirements at each support location to equalize; the preferred embodiment of the "soft" support element includes a series of pneumatic bellows units, each unit including a set of three rubber bellows fastened between two opposing plates, the pneumatic pressure in the bellows being variable, system control for the pneumatic pressure can be a simple manual operation or can be highly sophisticated.

Brinkmann F

Papers

Soft support system for hulls and the like