Method and apparatus for providing virtual capacity to a provider of services
First Claim
1. A method for transporting freight comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing freight intended for transport by a carrier having at least one carrier vehicle and a carrier control center for communicating with the carrier vehicle;
(b) determining that the carrier vehicle is not available to transport the freight;
(c) providing a third party carrier having at least one third party vehicle and a third party control center for communicating with the third party vehicle;
(d) determining that the freight can be transported by the third party vehicle of the third party carrier; and
(e) communicating freight transportation status from the third party vehicle to the carrier control center.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for providing virtual capacity to a service provider. A service provider contacts a third party service provider when the service provider can not perform services for a customer. A solicitation is sent by the service provider and accepted by the third party service provider. After acceptance, status and/or location information from the third party service provider is redirected within a network management facility so that the information is sent to the service provider, rather than to an entity normally associated with the third party service provider. After services have been performed by the third party service provider, the third party service provider is generally free to accept service requests from other service providers, whereby messages transmitted by the third party service provider are routed to the new service provider.
44 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A method for transporting freight comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing freight intended for transport by a carrier having at least one carrier vehicle and a carrier control center for communicating with the carrier vehicle;
(b) determining that the carrier vehicle is not available to transport the freight;
(c) providing a third party carrier having at least one third party vehicle and a third party control center for communicating with the third party vehicle;
(d) determining that the freight can be transported by the third party vehicle of the third party carrier; and
(e) communicating freight transportation status from the third party vehicle to the carrier control center. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for transporting and tracking freight comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing freight intended to be transported by a carrier having a carrier control center;
(b) determining that the freight cannot be transported by said carrier;
(c) determining that the freight can be transported by a third party carrier;
(d) transporting the freight by a vehicle of said third party carrier;
(e) transmitting to the carrier control center the status of the freight being transported by said vehicle of third party carrier; and
(f) transmitting the status of the freight by said carrier control center to a shipper of the freight. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for transporting freight comprising the steps of:
-
(a) informing a carrier control center that a shipper has freight to be transported;
(b) transmitting a first freight-transportation request from said carrier control center to a carrier having at least one carrier vehicle for transporting freight;
(c) informing the carrier control center that the carrier cannot transport the freight with the carrier vehicle;
(d) transmitting a second freight-transportation request from said carrier control center to a third party control center of a third party carrier having at least one third party carrier vehicle for transporting freight;
(e) transporting the freight by said third party carrier with at least one third party carrier vehicle; and
(f) transmitting freight status information from the carrier control center to the shipper of the freight. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system for transporting freight comprising:
-
a carrier dispatch center for transmitting and receiving messages;
a carrier having a carrier vehicle communicatively coupled to the carrier dispatch center;
a third party dispatch center for transmitting and receiving messages; and
a third party carrier having a third party carrier vehicle communicatively coupled to the carrier dispatch center and to the third party dispatch center. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method for providing personnel to furnish services comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a first organization having first personnel for performing services intended for a requestor of the services and having a first personnel control center for communicating with the first personnel;
(b) determining that the first personnel of the first organization are not available to provide the services requested by the requestor;
(c) providing a second organization having second personnel which are capable of performing the services requested by the requester;
(d) determining that second personnel of the second organization can perform the services requested by the requestor;
(e) assigning the services requested by the requestor to the second personnel; and
(f) communicating a service status from the second personnel to the first personnel control center. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 39, 40)
-
-
35. A method for allocating services comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a first organization having at least one first carrier for transporting first personnel to perform services for a requestor of the services and having a first personnel control center for communicating with the first carrier of the first personnel;
(b) determining that the first personnel of the first organization are not available to provide services requested by the requestor;
(c) providing a second organization having at least one second carrier for transporting second personnel which are capable of performing the services requested by the requestor;
(d) determining that second personnel of the second organization are available to perform the services requested by the requester;
(e) assigning the second personnel to do the services requested by the requester; and
(f) communicating a service status from the second carrier to the first personnel control center. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
-
Specification