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Methods and apparatus for exchanging shipping information and commitments

  • US 20020049660A1
  • Filed: 02/09/2001
  • Published: 04/25/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. The method of providing an Internet-based shipping marketplace which permits charterers and ship owners to exchange information and make commitments relating to the transportation of goods, said method comprising, in combination, the steps of:

  • connecting one or more Web database servers to the Internet, programming said one or more servers to act as a communication hub for exchanging information with charterers and ship owners and for establishing communications links between said charterers and ship owners, employing said communications hub to accept and store from individual ones of said ship owners vessel description information that identifies individual vessels and their describes their current location and availability, employing said communications hub to accept from individual ones of said charterers cargo descriptions which specify a particular cargo, the loading and discharge locations of the route of a desired shipment of said particular cargo, and a specification of the time at which said desired shipment should occur, matching a received one of said cargo descriptions with the vessel description information stored by said communications hub to produce a result listing identifying vessels which are potentially available to handle the cargo specified by said received cargo description, transmitting said result listing to the particular charterer that submitted said received cargo description, accepting from said particular charterer the designation of a particular vessel specified on said result listing as being potentially available to handle said desired shipment, employing said communications hub to transmit to the owner of said particular vessel a request for an offer, said request for an offer containing information extracted from said received cargo description, employing said communications hub for accepting from said owner of said particular vessel an offer to handle said desired shipment and for transmitting said offer to said particular charterer, accepting from said particular charterer an acceptance of said offer, and communicating to said particular charterer and to said owner of said particular vessel a description of the shipping commitment represented by said accepted offer and acceptance.

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