Shipment monitoring method and system
First Claim
1. A method for identifying an entitlement to a refund for late delivery of a shipment, including a web-based service delivered by a portal and a transaction and refund processing system for tracking the shipment by a carrier on behalf of a shipping service user, the transaction and refund processing system being interconnected with a database of the shipping service user and the carrier using the internet, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving at the transaction and refund processing system, shipping information of the shipment by the carrier from the shipping service user;
(b) calculating an expected delivery date and time for the shipment corresponding to the received information;
(c) receiving an actual shipment delivery information, including date and time, from the carrier;
(d) determining in response to the expected delivery date and time, and the actual delivery date and time, if the shipment is delivered late; and
(e) determining a refund eligibility for a late delivery of the shipment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides for a web based service that allows shipping service users to track the status of delivery of their shipments with multiple carriers and determine shipments that are delivered late relative to the service levels committed by the carriers based on user supplied information. Further, the shipped-shipment monitoring system enables identification of the late shipments and the ones eligible for refunds and allows for refund claims to be processed with the respective carriers. The system further enables tracking of the refunds to ensure proper credits are passed on by the carriers to the users of the system. The portal based web service allows the users to access reports on various events relating to their shipping services in order to manage pricing, revenue-sharing and costing of such services. The methodology and system allows for communication between the users, carriers and authorized third parties and/or administrators who are connected to the system.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for identifying an entitlement to a refund for late delivery of a shipment, including a web-based service delivered by a portal and a transaction and refund processing system for tracking the shipment by a carrier on behalf of a shipping service user, the transaction and refund processing system being interconnected with a database of the shipping service user and the carrier using the internet, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving at the transaction and refund processing system, shipping information of the shipment by the carrier from the shipping service user;
(b) calculating an expected delivery date and time for the shipment corresponding to the received information;
(c) receiving an actual shipment delivery information, including date and time, from the carrier;
(d) determining in response to the expected delivery date and time, and the actual delivery date and time, if the shipment is delivered late; and
(e) determining a refund eligibility for a late delivery of the shipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of obtaining shipment delivery data including an electronic service and shipment monitoring system for tracking a shipment by a carrier on behalf of a shipping service user, the system being interconnected with the database of the shipping service user and the carrier using the electronic service, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving at the shipment monitoring system, shipping information of the shipment by the carrier from the shipping service user;
(b) calculating expected delivery data for the shipment corresponding to the shipping information;
(c) receiving actual shipment delivery data from the carrier;
(d) determining in response to the expected data, and the actual data, if the shipment is out of compliance. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for identifying an entitlement to a refund for late delivery of a shipment, including a web-based service delivered by a portal and a transaction and refund processing system for tracking the movement of a shipment by a carrier on behalf of a shipping service user, the transaction and refund processing system being interconnected with a database of the shipping service user and the carrier using the internet, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving at the transaction and refund processing system, shipping information of the shipment by the carrier from the shipping service user;
(b) calculating an expected delivery date and time for the shipment;
(c) receiving an actual shipment delivery information, including date and time, from the carrier; and
(d) determining a refund eligibility for a late delivery of the shipment.
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21. A shipment monitoring system for identifying an entitlement to refund for late delivery of a shipment comprising:
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(a) a database user supplied shipment information;
(b) software for calculating an expected delivery for the shipment;
(c) software configured to search the database of a carrier to determine an actual shipment delivery and compare the actual delivery to the expected delivery to determine if the actual delivery is within guarantees;
(d) computing software for computing an eligible refund amount for the shipment;
(e) processing software for processing a refund claim with the carrier to enable the shipping service user to receive credit and to ensure that the credit is received by the shipping service user; and
(f) reporting software for tracking and identifying out of compliance deliveries, eligible refunds and a status of the refunds and deliveries. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification