System and method for processing orders involving full truck shipments

• US 20020173983A1
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Frost, Ken, Anderson, Michelle, Clifford, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A system and method of processing an order comprises receiving an order for desired items, and calculating a collective physical parameter(s) of the items such as a total weight of the items, a total volume of the items and/or a total number of cases of the items. The calculated collective physical parameter(s) is compared with a predetermined threshold(s) reflecting a physical capacity or capability of one standard full carrier. The processing of the order is stopped if the collective physical parameter exceeds the threshold.

Claims

1. A method of processing an order comprising:

receiving an order for items;

calculating at least one collective physical characteristic of the items;

comparing the at least one collective physical characteristic with at least one predetermined threshold; and

determining if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold reflects a value of at least one physical capability of a standard full carrier of a type of carrier to be used to carry the items.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one collective physical characteristic comprises at least one of a total weight of the items, a total volume of the items and the total number of cases of the items.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining whether the ordered items can be split for shipment among multiple carriers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining whether the ordered items can be split for shipment among multiple carriers comprises referring to information stored in a profile of a transmitter of the order.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising continuing the processing of the order if it is determined that the order can be split among multiple carriers.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining whether any of the items can be canceled from the order.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising continuing the processing of the order if it is determined that any of the items can be canceled from the order.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising canceling one or more of the items from the order so that a collective physical characteristic of the uncanceled items can be calculated that does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein one of more of the ordered items are canceled from the order so that the uncanceled items have a total volume that fits within a carrier to be actually used to carry the uncanceled items.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein determining whether any of the ordered items can be canceled comprises sending an inquiry to a transmitter of the order and receiving a response from the transmitter regarding whether any of the ordered items can be canceled from the order.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising continuing the processing of the order if it is determined that the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

14. The method of claim 12 determining whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used includes determining whether a total volume of the ordered items fits within the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the at least one collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, comparing a value of the at least one collective physical characteristic with at least one respective maximum tolerance limit, the at least one maximum tolerance limit exceeding the value of the at least one predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, if the at least one collective physical characteristic exceeds the at least one maximum tolerance limit, determining whether any of the items can be canceled from the order.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising, if the at least one collective physical characteristic does not exceed the at least one maximum tolerance limit, determining whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein determining whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used includes determining whether a total volume of the ordered items fits within the actual carrier used to carry the items.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold reflects a physical capability of a carrier that is actually to be used to carry the items.

20. A system for processing an order comprising:

a receiver that receives an order for items; and

a processor which;

calculates at least one collective physical characteristic of the items;

compares the at least one collective physical characteristic with at least one predetermined threshold; and

determines if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the threshold.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold reflects a value of the at least one physical capability of a standard full carrier of a type of carrier to be used to carry the items.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the at least one collective physical characteristic comprises at least one of a total weight of the items, a total volume of the items and the total number of cases of the items.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determines whether the ordered items can be split for shipment among multiple carriers.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the determination of whether the ordered items can be split for shipment among multiple carriers comprises the processor referring to information stored in a profile of a transmitter of the order.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor continues the processing of the order if it is determined that the order can be split among multiple carriers.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determines whether any of the items can be canceled from the order.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the processor continues the processing of the order if it is determined that any of the items can be canceled from the order.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the processor cancels one or more of the items from the order so that a collective physical characteristic of the uncanceled items can be calculated that does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the processor cancels one of more of the ordered items from the order so that the uncanceled items have a total volume that fits within a carrier actually used to carry the uncanceled items.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the determination of whether any of the ordered items can be canceled comprises the system sending an inquiry to a transmitter of the order and receiving a response from the transmitter regarding whether any of the ordered items can be canceled from the order.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor, if the collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, determines whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the processor continues the processing of the order if it is determined that the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the determination of whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier used includes the processor determining whether a total volume of the ordered items fits within the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

34. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor, if the at least one collective physical characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold, compares the at least one collective physical characteristic with at least one respective maximum tolerance limit, a value of the at least one maximum tolerance limit exceeding the value of the at least one predetermined threshold.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the processor, if the at least one collective physical characteristic exceeds the at least one maximum tolerance limit, determines whether any of the items can be canceled from the order.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the processor, if the at least one collective physical characteristic does not exceed the at least one maximum tolerance limit, determines whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier to be used to carry the items.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the determination of whether the ordered items can be carried by the actual carrier used includes the processor determining whether a total volume of the ordered items fits within the actual carrier to be used.

38. The system of claim 20 wherein the at least one predetermined threshold reflects a physical capability of the single carrier actually to be used to carry the items.