Distribution Center Processing of Vehicles and Cargo

• US 20080010016A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eclipse Advantage, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eclipse Advantage, LLC
• Inventors: Moeller, Craig, Wickey, Edward, Simono, David, Wickey, Maria
• Application Number:
  US11/774,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

The efficiency with which loads carried by vehicles can be off-loaded is improved by allowing vehicle personnel or companies shipping goods by vehicle to directly schedule personnel and other resources needed for off-loading automatically without human intervention. During off-loading, information related to the off-loading is captured by dock personnel using a hand held terminal and sent to a database. The hand held terminal permits capture of images related to the load, including images of goods damaged during shipment. Control of access to an automated system is controlled by log-in identification and password. The privileges and format of information provided to a user is dictated by the log-in identification.

Claims

1. Apparatus for managing the off-loading of vehicles at a distribution point, comprising:

a. a computing element programmed to act as a server and to provide a graphical user interface;

b. a database associated with the server;

c. a communications mechanism for connecting a user terminal to the server to enter data relating to off-loading of vehicles at said distribution point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the user terminal is a hand held terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the hand held terminal can capture images of a load at the distribution point.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the hand held terminal is used to capture images of damage to the load.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the hand held terminal can email captured images to an interested party.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the user terminal is a computing element operated by a trucker or by a company shipping goods by truck.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the user terminal is connected to said communications mechanism by a wireless link.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the user terminal is used to by a trucker or a company shipping goods by truck to schedule resources at one or more distribution points.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the resources scheduled include personnel for off loading for off-loading goods.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which a hand held terminal is used by dock personnel to record information about the goods offloaded at a distribution center and the personnel used to complete off-loading and to cause the information to be stored in said database.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which access to the server is controlled by a log-in identification and password.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the functionality provided by the server to a user is determined by privileges associated with a particular log-in identification.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the format of at least one report provided by the server is determined by a user'"'"'s login.

14. A method of providing services related to the off-loading of vehicles at a distribution point, comprising the step of allowing vehicle personnel or a company shipping goods by vehicle to schedule resources needed for off-loading automatically.

15. The method of claim 14 in which scheduling resources is done over a wireless link.

16. The method of claim 14 in which scheduling of resources occurs without intervention of personnel from the company administering the resources.

17. The method of claim 14 in which information related to off-loading is recorded by a hand held terminal at a shipping dock and recorded in a database.

18. A computer program product for managing the off-loading of vehicles at at least one distribution point comprising:

a. a memory medium; and

b. computer instructions, stored on said memory medium, said computer instructions comprising instructions for allowing vehicle personnel or a company shipping goods by vehicle to schedule resources needed for off-loading automatically over a communication link without human intervention.

19. A computer program product for managing the off-loading of vehicles at a distribution point comprising:

a. a memory medium; and

b. computer instructions, stored on said memory medium, said computer instructions comprising instructions for recording information related to off-loading captured by a hand held terminal at a shipping dock for sending the information recorded to a database.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 in which the instructions permit capture of images by the hand held terminal.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 in which the instructions control the sending of information to the database over a wireless link.