Whoever thinks it’s too late to patent things that are obvious has clearly not read Google’s latest patent. In part, it says:
The broker sends an electronic message, such as an email or text message, to the customer prior to the estimated shipment arrival time to inform the customer of the impending arrival. The customer can thus arrange for someone to be at the shipping address to receive the shipment at the estimated arrival time.
Holy cow! That’s innovation!
For those who are confused or flabbergasted by such technology, Google has provided a helpful diagram showing this amazing process.
Does anyone in the room still believe the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is doing a good job reviewing applications like this?