Method and system for automatically detecting that international shipment movement has satisfied a threshold condition

• US 20060095358A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avolin LLC
• Original Assignee: TradeBeam Incorporated (CDC Corporation)
• Inventors: Karras, Kristopher W., Viarengo, Steve M., Cook, Mark T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network that tracks international shipments. In particular, it relates to automatic linking of supporting documents to electronic reports of shipment movements, including cross-border movements, and automatic detection when a shipment movement has reached a threshold condition, which may to be reported to an interested party, such as a bank.

Claims

1. A computer-network based method of electronically triggering bank financing activity in support of imports, the method including:

registering in a computer-based import-export status system an importer, an exporter, a bank and one or more logistics companies;

recording in the import-export status system contractual terms between the importer and the exporter, the contractual terms at least identifying when ownership of goods being imported shifts from the exporter or the exporter'"'"'s agents to the importer or the importer'"'"'s agents and when a payment comes due;

providing authorization-controlled access by the logistics companies to the import-export status system and receiving one or more event reports and corresponding logistical documents from the logistics companies regarding movement of the goods;

providing authorization-controlled access by the importer to the import-export status system and receiving at least one approval report from the importer or the importer'"'"'s agents regarding an invoice for the goods; and

tracking the event reports and the approval report against the contractual terms to trigger an electronic report to the bank that the contractual terms have been met and the invoice approved, and providing the bank access to the corresponding logistical documents and the invoice.

2. The method of claim 1, further including tracking the event reports and generating a notice to the exporter that it would be timely to generate the invoice for the goods.

3. The method of claim 1, further including receiving in INCO terminology at least some of the contractual terms and automatically translating the INCO terminology into a trigger that can be compared to the event reports.

4. The method of claim 1, further including triggering a payment by the bank to the exporter from the importer'"'"'s line of credit.

5. The method of claim 4, further including triggering a discount on interest payable by the importer for financing the payment, responsive to prompt generation of the electronic report leading to an opportunity for the bank to factor the payment with the exporter.

6. The method of claim 4, further including triggering an extended time for the importer to repay amounts advanced from the importer'"'"'s line of credit, responsive to prompt generation of the electronic report leading to an opportunity for the bank to factor the payment with the exporter.

7. The method of claim 1, further including receiving from the exporter a trade financing request supported by the electronic report to the bank that the contractual terms have been met and the invoice approved and forwarding the request to the bank.

8. The method of claim 1, further including promptness of the electronic transmission of the electronic report triggering financial consideration in favor of the importer upon realization by the bank of revenue from a factoring with the exporter of payment for the goods.

23. A server-based system including:

at least one secure network connection;

logic and resources coupled to the secure network connection adapted to carry out the method of claim 1.

24. One or more machine readable memories impressed with logic adapted to carry out the method of claim 1.

9. A method of receiving timely notice of satisfaction of a threshold condition related to transfer of title, the method including;

registering an entity electronically with a system trusted to reliably track international shipment movement;

identifying the registered entity in a role having an interest in the international shipment movement reaching a threshold condition corresponding to a change of title to goods in at least some international shipment movements;

receiving an electronic request by a seller or buyer of a particular shipment for financing after the threshold condition has been satisfied by the particular shipment'"'"'s international movement, supported by a report from the trusted system and by logistical documents electronically linked to said report; and

accessing an electronic copy of the supporting logistical documents.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic request for financing is received from the trusted system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic request for financing is supported by at least a bill of lading and an invoice electronically linked to the report of the particular shipment'"'"'s international movement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic request for financing comes from the seller of the particular shipment, further including extending credit to the seller and making an electronic transfer to a bank nominated by the seller at a date prior to the due date of the invoice.

13. The method of claim 12, further including requesting that the trusted system communicate to the buyer remittance instructions, whereby at least some of the extended credit would be repaid.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic request for financing comes from the buyer of the particular shipment, further including making an electronic transfer to a bank nominated by the seller at a date on or prior to the due date of the invoice and extending credit to the buyer in a similar amount.

25. A server-based system including:

at least one secure network connection;

logic and resources coupled to the secure network connection adapted to carry out the method of claim 9.

26. One or more machine readable memories impressed with logic adapted to carry out the method of claim 9.

15. A method of secure and reliable automatic recognition of threshold condition satisfaction related to international reporting of shipment movement, the method including;

exposing a registration module via a public or private network;

registering data sources in a plurality of countries involved in international shipment movement to report the shipment movement, including

establishing a secure connection,

authenticating the data source and

exposing a reporting module limited to an assigned role for the data source;

establishing a database of particular threshold conditions and required particular supporting logistical documents, automatically translating shipping terminology into the particular threshold conditions applicable to particular shipment movements;

accepting from the data sources reports of the particular shipment movements and automatically linking the reports to the required particular supporting logistical documents provided by the data sources;

accepting an electronically submitted invoice and automatically linking the invoice to the particular shipment movements; and

monitoring the reports and comparing them to the threshold conditions, notifying at least one interested party who is not moving shipments that the particular shipment movement has reached the particular threshold condition and that the required supporting logistical documents have been linked, and exposing the linked supporting logistical documents and the invoice to the interested party.

16. The method of claim 15, further including tracking the event reports and generating a notice to the exporter that it would be timely to generate the invoice for the goods.

17. The method of claim 15, further including receiving in INCO terminology at least some of the contractual terms and automatically translating the INCO terminology into a trigger that can be compared to the event reports.

18. The method of claim 15, further including triggering a payment by the bank to the exporter from the importer'"'"'s line of credit.

19. The method of claim 18, further including triggering a discount on interest payable by the importer for financing the payment, in consideration of prompt reporting of the advice leading to an opportunity for the bank to factor the payment with the exporter.

20. The method of claim 18, further including triggering an extended time for the importer to repay amounts advanced from the importer'"'"'s line of credit, in consideration of prompt reporting of the advice leading to an opportunity for the bank to factor the payment with the exporter.

21. The method of claim 15, further including receiving from the exporter a trade financing request supported by the electronic report to the bank that the contractual terms have been met and the invoice approved and forwarding the request to the bank.

22. The method of claim 15, further including promptness of the electronic transmission of advice electronically triggering financial consideration in favor of the importer upon realization by the bank of revenue from a factoring with the exporter of payment for the goods.

27. A server-based system including:

at least one secure network connection;

logic and resources coupled to the secure network connection adapted to carry out the method of claim 15.

28. One or more machine readable memories impressed with logic adapted to carry out the method of claim 15.