Methods and systems for supporting the production of shipping labels

• US 10,318,913 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Uslontsev, Alexander, Zimberoff, Rafael, Tugushev, Stanislav
• Primary Examiner(s): Erb, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US14/338,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Methods and systems for supporting the production of shipping labels are provided. Example embodiments provide a Shipment Management System (“SMS”), which facilitates the production of shipping labels. The SMS may be configured to generate a shipping uniform resource identifier (“URI”) that identifies a shipping protocol and includes shipment information and post-back information. The shipping URI may be provided to a shipping label module configured to produce a shipping label in accordance with the shipping protocol by outputting a shipping label based on the shipment information, and automatically posting information about the producing of the shipping label to a code module identified by the post-back information. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method in a client computing system for facilitating the production of a shipping label, the method comprising:

receiving a first uniform resource identifier comprising a scheme name and scheme data, the scheme name identifying a shipping protocol, wherein the scheme data of the first uniform resource identifier includes a network resource identifier, wherein the shipping protocol defines a syntax for item shipment instructions that define actions taken by a computing system that complies with the shipping protocol, wherein the first uniform resource identifier identifies one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

performing the specified one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

automatically populating user interface controls with shipment information received using the network resource identifier;

producing, by the client computing system, the shipping label in accordance with the shipping protocol and by using the scheme data; and

using the scheme data to automatically post to a remote computing system information about an order associated with the produced shipping label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the scheme data to automatically post to a remote computing system information about the produced shipping label includes:

transmitting an indication that an order associated with the shipping label has been shipped.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheme data identifies shipment information by including a shipment identifier, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a request to the remote computing system, the request including the shipment identifier; and

receiving from the remote computing system a destination shipping address associated with the shipment identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheme data identifies the remote computing system, the remote computing system configured to record status information about the order associated with the shipping label has been shipped.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource identifier identifies a resource that provides, to the client computing system, shipment information identified by the scheme data and/or post-back information identified by the scheme data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource identifier is a second uniform resource identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource identifier identifies a code module that is remote and separate from the client computing system, the code module configured, upon execution, to provide, to the client computing system, shipment information identified by the scheme data and/or post-back information identified by the scheme data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheme data includes a file identifier that identifies a file, the identified file identifying shipment information identified by the scheme data and/or post-back information identified by the scheme data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the identified file includes a second uniform resource identifier that identifies a code module that is remote and separate from the client computing system, the code module configured, upon execution, to provide shipment information to the client computing system and/or to record status information about the order associated with the shipping label has been shipped.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for controlling a client computing system to facilitate the production of a shipping label by performing a method comprising:

receiving a first uniform resource identifier comprising a scheme name and scheme data, the scheme name identifying a shipping protocol, wherein the scheme data of the first uniform resource identifier includes a network resource identifier, wherein the shipping protocol defines a syntax for item shipment instructions that define actions taken by a computing system that complies with the shipping protocol, wherein the first uniform resource identifier identifies one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

performing the specified one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

automatically populating user interface controls with shipment information received using the network resource identifier;

producing the shipping label in accordance with the shipping protocol and by using the scheme data; and

using the scheme data to automatically post to a remote computing system information about an order associated with the produced shipping label.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the identified item shipment actions include an instruction to obtain from a remote code module a destination shipping address, an instruction to replace a field with a data item associated with an order shipment, and an instruction to transmit to the remote computing system information about an order associated with the shipping label.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the identified item shipment actions include an instruction to:

determine that an error condition occurs; and

in response, transmit information to a specified code module.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the scheme data identifies a destination shipping address, and wherein the method further comprises:

printing the shipping label such that the shipping label includes the destination shipping address.

14. A client computing system configured to facilitate the production of a shipping label, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a module that is stored on the memory and that is configured, when executed by the processor, to;

receive a first uniform resource identifier comprising a scheme name and scheme data, the scheme name identifying a shipping protocol, wherein the scheme data of the first uniform resource identifier includes a network resource, wherein the shipping protocol defines a syntax for item shipment instructions that define actions taken by a computing system that complies with the shipping protocol, wherein the first uniform resource identifier identifies one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

performing the specified one or more item shipment actions defined by the shipping protocol;

automatically populate user interface controls of the module with shipment information received using the network resource identifier;

produce the shipping label in accordance with the shipping protocol and by using the scheme data; and

use the scheme data to automatically post to a remote computing system information about an order associated with the produced shipping label.

15. The client computing system of claim 14, further comprising a Web browser, wherein the Web browser initiates execution of the module in response to a user selection of a control corresponding to the first uniform resource identifier.

16. The client computing system of claim 15 wherein the module executes as a plug-in to the Web browser.

17. The client computing system of claim 14, wherein the module is further configured to:

receive a file including multiple uniform resource identifiers each having a scheme name identifying the shipping protocol; and

automatically produce multiple shipping labels in a non-interactive manner and in accordance with the shipping protocol, the production of each of the multiple shipping labels based on a corresponding one of the multiple uniform resource identifiers.

18. The client computing system of claim 14 wherein the first uniform resource identifier is received from a Web server executing an e-commerce application, wherein the remote computing system is configured to track information about shipments.

19. The client computing system of claim 14, wherein the module is a shipping label production system.