SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING REAL-TIME COSTING INFORMATION

• US 20080097933A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arroyo, Nathan, Awaida, Antony
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Real-time costing information is provided by a central knowledge base in communication with a database. The central knowledge base provides an application programming interface (API) through which queries are run on the content in the database. The database content includes a harmonized system (HS) module holding an HS tree unified across multiple countries, a tariffs module holding tariffs applicable to goods classified in the unified HS tree, and a freight rates module holding rules and data for calculating freight rates for a shipment of goods. A knowledge workbench includes a catalog harmonizer that enables goods in a catalog to be harmonized according to one or more countries'"'"' HS trees and the results to be stored in the database. An applications server provides applications for generating queries for costing information, such as landed cost estimates, analyzing the results.

Claims

1. A system for delivering real-time landed cost information comprising a tariff for an indicated good associated with a specified country, comprising:

a database adapted to store content associated with a plurality of countries, the content comprising;

a harmonized system (HS) module for storing a data structure representing a HS tree associated with the specified country, the HS tree having a hierarchy of nodes in which the good can be classified, wherein the nodes comprise at least

     1) a plurality of classification nodes each associated with a respective HS classification number and

     2) a plurality of standard nodes each associated with a respective HS code, wherein there are a plurality of classification nodes each having a respective plurality of subordinate standard nodes;

a tariffs module for storing tariff data associated with said HS codes used to calculate the tariff associated with the good associated with said HS code;

a compliance module storing import or export data indicating a restriction associated with importing or exporting goods associated with the HS code; and

a processor configured to receive a query over an application programming interface (API) requesting said real-time landed cost information for the indicated good for said specific country, the processor accessing the database to retrieve a corresponding HS code associated with the good and a specific tariff data associated with said good to determine a tariff cost, said processor further configured to ascertain whether the compliance module stores any import or export restriction associated the HS code, said processor generating a response to the query indicating the landed cost information and any said import or export restriction for said good.

2. A method for providing real-time cost information comprising a tariff for an indicated good associated with a specified country comprising the steps of:

receiving a query at a processor comprising at least data identifying said indicated good;

accessing a database storing content associated with a plurality of countries, the content comprising;

a harmonized system (HS) module storing a data structure representing a HS tree associated with the specified country, the HS tree having a hierarchy of nodes in which the good can be classified wherein the nodes comprise at least

     1) a plurality of classification nodes each associated with a respective HS classification number and

     2) a plurality of standard nodes each associated with a respective HS code, wherein there are a plurality of classification nodes each having a respective plurality of subordinate standard nodes;

the processor retrieving a HS code associated with the indicated good based on ascertaining the closest matching standard node;

the processor accessing a tariffs module storing tariff data associated with said HS codes, the processor retrieving a tariff data associated with the HS code;

the processor using the tariff data to calculate the tariff associated with the good;

the processor accessing a compliance module storing import or export data indicating a restriction associated with importing or exporting a good associated with the HS code; and

the processor generating a response to the query indicating the tariff associated with the good.