Inspecting and releasing goods at a land, air, or sea border

• US 20030069738A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Casey, Lynn Ann, Lerner, Stephen David
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,572 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 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions

Abstract

A method and system for use by a Customs Agency for clearing shipments of goods into a country is disclosed. A customs resource application may be used to integrate alert information, news, research, and communications capabilities. Customs inspectors may use the resource application with a conventional computer, or with a portable device in the field as they perform customs inspections. The portable device provides access to alert information regarding shipments that are to be inspected by the inspector, and provides alert resolution capabilities so that the inspector can clear shipments into the country from the location of the inspection and/or shipped goods without requiring the inspector to return to a field office to clear the goods.

Claims

1. A method of clearing a shipment of goods into a country, comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving at a client computer a task list from a server computer;

(ii) inspecting a shipment of goods corresponding to one of the tasks in the task list;

(iii) at a location of the inspection, inputting inspection results into the client computer; and

(iv) sending the inspection results from the client computer to the server computer, wherein the inspection results are sent over a wireless communications link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (i) is performed over a wireless communications link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods that is to be inspected.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the client computer communicates with a camera, and further comprising the steps of:

(v) photographing at least a portion of the shipment of goods using the camera;

(vi) storing the photograph in a memory; and

(vii) associating the photograph with the shipment of goods.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(v) sending a communication to a device associated with an X-ray team based on inspection information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(v) sending a communication to one of a device associated with a customs inspector and a device associated with an import specialist based on the inspection information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication is sent to a plurality of devices associated with customs inspectors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(v) accessing a research tool from the client computer; and

(vi) performing research corresponding to the shipment of goods.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the research tool comprises reports of trends of imported goods.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the research tool comprises an inspection look up function.

11. A portable device comprising:

a display screen;

a processing unit; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a task list, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) displaying task information on the display screen;

(iii) receiving inspection results from a user, wherein the inspection results correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list; and

(iv) transmitting the inspection results over a wireless communications link.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein step (i) is performed over a wireless communications link.

13. The portable device of claim 11, wherein step (i) is performed during one or more wired synchronization procedures.

14. The portable device of claim 11, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods that is to be inspected.

15. The portable device of claim 11, further comprising a camera, and wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the portable device to perform the steps of:

(v) photographing at least a portion of the one shipment of goods using the camera;

(vi) storing the photograph in the memory; and

(vii) associating the photograph with the task corresponding to the one shipment of goods.

16. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the device to perform the step of:

(v) sending a communication to a second device associated with an X-ray team, based on the inspection results.

17. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the device to perform the step of:

(v) sending a communication to one of device associated with an import specialist and a device associated with a customs inspector, based on the inspection results.

18. The portable device of claim 17, wherein the communication is sent to a plurality of devices associated with customs inspectors.

19. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the portable device to perform the steps of:

(v) displaying a research tool in response to a user input; and

(vi) receiving research criteria input by the user;

(vii) querying the research tool using the research criteria; and

(viii) displaying query results on the display screen.

20. The portable device of claim 19, wherein the research tool displays news articles.

21. The portable device of claim 19, wherein the research tool comprises an inspection look up function.

22. A computer, comprising:

a display screen;

a processing unit; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions wherein, when the computer readable instructions are executed by the processor, they cause the computer to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a task list from a second computer, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) displaying task information on the display screen;

(iii) receiving inspection results from a user, wherein the inspection results correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list; and

(iv) sending the inspection results to the second computer;

wherein the task information comprises at least one of a digital image, a selectable link to view a bill of lading, and a selectable link to alert an X-ray team.

23. The computer of claim 22, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods that is to be inspected.

24. The computer of claim 22, further comprising a camera, and wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the steps of:

(v) photographing at least a portion of a first shipment of goods using the camera;

(vi) storing the photograph in the memory; and

(vii) associating the photograph with the task corresponding to the first shipment of goods.

25. The computer of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(v) sending a communication to a device associated with an X-ray team, based on the inspection results.

26. The computer of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(v) sending a communication to a device associated with one of an import specialist and a customs inspector, based on the inspection results.

27. The computer of claim 26, wherein the communication is sent to a plurality of devices associated with customs inspectors.

28. The computer of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the steps of:

(v) displaying a research tool in response to a user input; and

(vi) receiving research criteria input by the user;

(vii) querying the research tool using the research criteria; and

(viii) displaying query results on the display screen.

29. The computer of claim 28, wherein the research tool comprises an inspection look up function.

30. The computer of claim 28, wherein the research tool displays reports of trends of imported goods.

31. A portable device comprising:

a display screen;

a processing unit; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a task list, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) displaying a task summary list on the display screen;

(iii) displaying detailed task information on the display screen, wherein the task information comprises information associated with a shipment of goods corresponding to a selected task;

(iv) receiving inspection results from a user, wherein the inspection results correspond to the shipment of goods; and

(v) transmitting the inspection results.

32. The portable device of claim 31, wherein step (i) is performed over one of a synchronization process through a second computer and a wireless communications link.

33. The portable device of claim 31 wherein the task summary list comprises a priority level, an arrival date, an importer name, a risk level, and a commodity name for each task.

34. The portable device of claim 31, wherein in step (v), the results are transmitted over a wireless communications link.

35. A computer, comprising:

a display screen;

a processing unit; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions wherein, when the computer readable instructions are executed by the processor, they cause the computer to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving a list of tasks from a central database, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) displaying a task list on the display screen, wherein, for each task, the computer displays a priority level, an arrival date, an importer name, a risk level, and a commodity name;

(iii) displaying task information on the display screen, wherein the task information comprises information associated with a shipment of goods corresponding to a selected task;

(iv) receiving inspection results from a user, wherein the inspection results correspond to the shipment of goods; and

(v) transmitting the inspection results to clear the shipment for passage.

36. The computer of claim 35, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(vi) displaying an analysis report list on the display screen, wherein, when a user selects on the of the analysis reports, a complete report corresponding to the selected report is displayed on the display screen.

37. The computer of claim 36, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the computer to perform the step of:

(vi) displaying an inspection look up box on the display screen, wherein, when a user enters a selected date, a list of inspections corresponding to that date is displayed on the display screen.

38. A method of clearing a shipment of goods into a country, comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving a task list into a portable device, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) displaying task information on a display screen of the portable device;

(iii) receiving inspection results from a user of the portable device, wherein the inspection results correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the task list; and

(iv) transmitting the inspection results from the portable device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the inspection results are transmitted over a wireless communications link.

40. A computer, comprising:

a processor; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that cause the computer to perform the steps of;

(i) sending a task list to a portable device, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) receiving inspection results from the portable device, wherein the inspection results correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the sent task list; and

(iii) clearing the shipment of goods into a country based on the received inspection results.

41. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more computers to perform the steps of:

(i) sending a task list to a portable device, wherein each task corresponds to a shipment of goods;

(ii) receiving inspection results from the portable device, wherein the inspection results correspond to one of the shipments of goods in the sent task list; and

(iii) clearing the shipment of goods into a country based on the received inspection results.