Apparatus and method for providing shipment information

• US 20020099567A1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transcend Shipping Systems, LLC (Raymond Anthony Joao)
• Original Assignee: Raymond Anthony Joao
• Inventors: Joao, Raymond Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,253,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing shipment information, including a memory device for storing shipment information, a processor for processing at least one of a request and a prompt to provide shipment information, wherein the processor processes the information contained in the memory device, and further wherein the processor generates a delivery message, wherein the delivery message contains information regarding at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill, and an output device for at least one of outputting, displaying, and printing, information contained in the delivery message.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing shipment information, comprising:

a memory device for storing shipment information, wherein the shipment information contains at least one of information regarding at least one of a shipment, a shipment sender, a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, a receiver of a shipment, a destination of a shipment, a carrier of a shipment, a shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, a shipment bill, and information regarding a shipment conveyance device;

a processor for processing at least one of a request and a prompt to provide shipment information, wherein the processor processes the information contained in the memory device, and further wherein the processor generates a delivery message, wherein the delivery message contains information regarding at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill; and

an output device for at least one of outputting, displaying, and printing, information contained in the delivery message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and a request for shipment information, from a communication device associated with a sender;

wherein the processor processes the at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and a request for shipment information, and further wherein the processor at least one of stores the at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and generates a response to the request for shipment information.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a global positioning device;

wherein the response to the request for shipment information contains information regarding the location of the shipment.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting the response to the communication device associated with the sender.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communication device is at least one of a computer, a computer system, a group of computers, a telephone, a personal computer, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a video telephone, a personal communication device, a wireless device, a handheld device, and a palm-top device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at least one attached to, integrated with, built-into, located inside, and placed inside, the shipping conveyance device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the shipment conveyance device is at least one of conveyance structure, s pallet, a container, a refrigerated container, a protective container, a railroad container, a tractor trailer container, an air freight container, a marine vessel shipment container, a tote, a box, an envelope, a bag, a canvas bag, and luggage.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transmitter can transmit shipment information to a communication device associated with a shipment receiver, a shipment carrier, a shipment sender, and a third party, wherein the communication device is at least one of a computer, a computer system, a group of computers, a telephone, a personal computer, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a video telephone, a personal communication device, a wireless device, a handheld device, and a palm-top device.

9. A method for providing shipment information, comprising:

storing shipment information, wherein the shipment information contains at least one of information regarding at least one of a shipment, a shipment sender, a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, a receiver of a shipment, a destination of a shipment, a carrier of a shipment, a shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, a shipment bill, and information regarding a shipment conveyance device;

processing at least one of a request and a prompt to provide shipment information;

processing the stored information;

generating a delivery message, wherein the delivery message contains information regarding at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill; and

at least one of outputting, displaying, and printing, information contained in the delivery message.

10. An apparatus for providing shipment information, comprising:

a memory device for storing shipment information, wherein the shipment information contains at least one of information regarding at least one of a shipment, a shipment sender, a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, a receiver of a shipment, a destination of a shipment, a carrier of a shipment, a shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, a shipment bill, and information regarding a shipment conveyance device;

a processor for detecting a processing event, wherein the processor processes the information contained in the memory device in response to a detection of the processing event, and further wherein the processor generates a notification message, wherein the notification message contains information regarding at least one of the occurrence of the processing event, information regarding the event, and at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill; and

a transmitter for transmitting the notification message to a communication device associated with at least one a shipment sender, a shipment carrier, a shipment receiver, and a third party.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing event is a detection of a shipment deviation from a pre-determined transportation route, a detection of an unauthorized shipment carrier, a detection of a wrong shipment carrier, a detection of an unauthorized carrier code, a detection of an unauthorized carrier electronic signature, a detection of an unauthorized shipment receiver, a detection of a wrong shipment receiver, a detection of a stolen shipment, a detection of an accident involving the shipment, a detection of a damaging impact, a detection of a damaging shipment temperature deviation, an elapsing of an expected shipment time, and a detected shipment mis-handling.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and a request for shipment information, from a communication device associated with a sender;

wherein the processor processes the at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and a request for shipment information, and further wherein the processor at least one of stores said at least one of shipment information, revised shipment information, and an update to shipment information, and generates a response to the request for shipment information.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a global positioning device, wherein the processor processes information generated from the global positioning device in conjunction with expected positioning information, and further wherein the processor generates a message comparing the positioning information obtained from the global positioning device with the expected positioning information.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one of a temperature measuring device, for measuring the temperature of at least one of the shipment and the shipment conveyance device, and a force sensor for detecting at least one of a force and an impact imparted on the at least one of the shipment and the shipment conveyance device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication device is at least one of a computer, a computer system, a group of computers, a telephone, a personal computer, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a video telephone, a personal communication device, a wireless device, a handheld device, and a palm-top device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is at least one attached to, integrated with, built-into, located inside, and placed inside, the shipping conveyance device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the shipment conveyance device is at least one of conveyance structure, s pallet, a container, a refrigerated container, a protective container, a railroad container, a tractor trailer container, an air freight container, a marine vessel shipment container, a tote, a box, an envelope, a bag, a canvas bag, and luggage.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory device contains at least one of electronic signature information and electronic money information.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor processes electronic signature information regarding a shipment receiver, and further wherein the processor generates a message containing information for at least one of verifying a receiver as being the correct receiver and providing notification that a receiver is not the correct receiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor detects an insurance processing event, wherein the processor processes the information contained in the memory device in response to a detection of the insurance processing event, and further wherein the processor generates an insurance claim message, wherein the insurance claim message contains information regarding at least one of the insurance claim, the occurrence of the insurance processing event, information regarding the event, and at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment'"'"'s contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill,

wherein the transmitter transmits the insurance claim message to a communication device associated with at least one a shipment sender, a shipment carrier, a shipment receiver, a shipment insurer, and a third party.