Universal identifier methods in supply chain logistics
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for tracking packages shipped via one or more carriers, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a package visibility front-end that communicates with an interface over a network;
providing a visibility engine that communicates with said package visibility front-end, wherein said visibility engine is configured to capture user information from said interface, provide a tracking notification to one or more users, process user information and package-tracking information, and communicate with at least one of the one or more carriers'"'"', a vendor'"'"'s or said one or more user'"'"'s systems;
providing one or more carrier databases and at least one of a subscription database or a package visibility database;
wherein said subscription database is a database where at least user and account administration data is stored, said package visibility database is a storage area where at least information about inbound and outbound packages to said one or more users is stored, and said one or more carrier databases store at least package level detail information about packages in transit;
providing one or more universal identifiers that are assigned to authorized entities and said universal identifiers are associated with one or more packages, wherein said universal identifiers are stored in a package'"'"'s package level detail information, said authorized entity is assigned at least one universal identifier and said authorized entity is not a shipper and not a recipient of the certain packages receiving at least one valid universal identifier via said interface; and
providing at least a portion of said package level detail information about one or more packages associated with said at least one valid universal identifier via said interface, wherein said portion of said package level detail information contains information that may be used to track said one or more packages.
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Abstract
The present invention is generally directed to methods to provide a user with visibility to certain packages that are transported by one or more carriers and that have a universal identifier included in each package'"'"'s package level detail information. The universal identifier may be used to access the package level detail information in each package by the parties to a shipping transaction and by third-parties that are not the shipper, recipient or intended recipient of the packages.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for tracking packages shipped via one or more carriers, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a package visibility front-end that communicates with an interface over a network;
providing a visibility engine that communicates with said package visibility front-end, wherein said visibility engine is configured to capture user information from said interface, provide a tracking notification to one or more users, process user information and package-tracking information, and communicate with at least one of the one or more carriers'"'"', a vendor'"'"'s or said one or more user'"'"'s systems;
providing one or more carrier databases and at least one of a subscription database or a package visibility database;
wherein said subscription database is a database where at least user and account administration data is stored, said package visibility database is a storage area where at least information about inbound and outbound packages to said one or more users is stored, and said one or more carrier databases store at least package level detail information about packages in transit;
providing one or more universal identifiers that are assigned to authorized entities and said universal identifiers are associated with one or more packages, wherein said universal identifiers are stored in a package'"'"'s package level detail information, said authorized entity is assigned at least one universal identifier and said authorized entity is not a shipper and not a recipient of the certain packages receiving at least one valid universal identifier via said interface; and
providing at least a portion of said package level detail information about one or more packages associated with said at least one valid universal identifier via said interface, wherein said portion of said package level detail information contains information that may be used to track said one or more packages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for tracking one or more packages, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an on-line transactions module accessible via an on-line transactions website via the Internet by one or more buyers and one or more sellers to conduct buy/sell transactions, wherein said buy/sell transactions comprise said sellers offering items for sale under a set of seller rules and said buyers may buy said items under a set of buyer rules and shipping transactions via one or more carriers for items sold by a buyer to a seller may be arranged through the on-line transactions website for a selected carrier;
providing a universal identification module, wherein shipping transactions that are arranged through the on-line transactions website have at least one unique universal identifier associated with the on-line transactions website that is included in package level detail information maintained by the selected carrier for each package shipped from the seller subsequent to said buy/sell transactions;
providing a tracking and reporting module, wherein each package shipped via the selected carrier and having the unique universal identifier is tracked; and
reporting tracking information for each package shipped via the selected carrier and having the unique universal identifier in said package'"'"'s package level detail information to an authorized operator of the on-line transactions website having knowledge of the unique universal identifier. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for tracking packages having one or more universal identifiers, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one carrier database, wherein the carrier database stores package information about one or more packages that are in transit in a carrier system, said package information including each package'"'"'s universal identifier;
receiving from a user computer in communication with said visibility engine via a network a certain universal identifier;
providing a visibility engine in communication with the carrier database, wherein the visibility engine is configured to review said package information and identify the one or more packages having the certain universal identifier in their package level detail information; and
sending at least a portion of the package information for the one or more packages having the certain universal identifier in their package level detail information to the user computer in communication with said visibility engine via the network. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for allowing a first user to receive information about one or more packages that are inbound and outbound via one or more carriers from users other than the first user, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a carrier database that stores shipping information for packages that are in transit in a carrier system;
providing a visibility engine in communication with the carrier database;
creating an inbound subscription and an outbound subscription for the first user by use of the visibility engine and each subscription containing at least one universal identifier; and
providing a first user computer in communication with the visibility engine, wherein said visibility engine is configured to provide at least a portion of said shipping information for packages to the first user via the first user computer in accordance with the inbound or the outbound subscriptions. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of assigning a universal identifier to items bought and shipped via an on-line aggregator, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning at least one universal identifier to the on-line aggregator;
receiving information from one or more sellers about one or more items for sale by the on-line aggregator;
posting information about the one or more items for sale on an on-line aggregator'"'"'s website;
providing access for buyers to search for and buy the one or more items for sale from a selected seller on the on-line aggregator'"'"'s website;
providing the selected seller and buyer with on-line features to complete a buy/sell transaction and to arrange shipment of the purchased one or more items from the selected seller to the buyer or a buyer'"'"'s designee via at least one of one or more carriers; and
including the on-line aggregator'"'"'s universal identifier in an information file maintained by the at least one of the one or more carriers for each item in transit by the at least one of the one or more carriers. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method of tracking packages shipped by one or more carriers by using hierarchically-related universal identifiers, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning a master universal identifier to a parent entity;
assigning a unique sub-universal identifier to each of one or more sub-entities;
establishing a hierarchical relationship between each of the sub-universal identifiers and the master universal identifier and maintaining a record of this hierarchical relationship;
including a certain of the sub-universal identifiers in a shipping information file maintained by at least one of the one or more carriers for each package transported by the at least one of the one or more carriers for each package shipped to or package shipped from a certain of the sub-entities; and
accessing a visibility engine maintained by the at least one of the one or more carriers and reporting package tracking information to an authorized user in response to a request from said authorized user for packages associated with each certain sub-universal identifier identified to the at least one of the one or more carriers by the authorized user. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification