SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FREIGHT TRACKING AND MONITORING

• US 20100057593A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• 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: Moir, William Mark, Vandy, Scott Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/083 lift truck scale
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/415 combined with recording means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/002 Means for correcting for obliquity of mounting for pendulum-weight apparatus G01G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/42 electrically operated
• 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 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier'"'"'s transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee.

Claims

1. A method for tracking the movement of freight shipments comprising:

receiving, via an enterprise system, shipping data associated with a freight shipment, wherein the shipping data comprises a unique identifier assigned to the freight shipment and information corresponding to a destination of the freight shipment;

generating, via the enterprise system, an electronic manifest, wherein the electronic manifest comprises at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting, from the enterprise system, the electronic manifest that comprises at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the freight shipment;

receiving, via a lift truck computing device disposed on a lift truck, the electronic manifest;

displaying, via a display disposed on the lift truck, at least a portion of the electronic manifest; and

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, input initiating a location event for the freight shipment, wherein the location event indicates the location of the freight shipment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, via a supervisory computing device, current status information, the current status information indicating movement and shipment progress information associated with the freight shipment.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via a handheld electronic device, the shipping data associated with the freight shipment; and

electronically transmitting, from the handheld electronic device to the enterprise system, the shipping data associated with the freight shipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is transmitted using a first message file and a second message file, the first message file comprising handling instructions for the freight shipment and the second message file comprising at least a portion of the shipping data associated with the freight shipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location event further indicates that the freight shipment is being moved from a first location to a second location.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving information identifying the second location of the freight shipment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received as input from a user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location is received from one or more barcode labels.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the information identifying the second location indicates that the freight shipment is within a trailer identified by a unique trailer number, a side of the trailer in which the freight shipment is located, and a distance the freight shipment is within the trailer relative to a trailer door.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising electronically transmitting, from the lift truck computing device to the enterprise system, at least a portion of the information identifying the second location of the freight shipment.

12. The method of claim 5 further comprising receiving, via the lift truck computing device, a location validation that confirms the second location of the freight shipment.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, inspection data corresponding to the freight shipment, wherein the inspection data identifies the physical condition of the freight shipment; and

generating an inspection alert if the inspection data corresponding to the freight shipment exceeds an inspection threshold.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, via a reweigh computing device disposed on the lift truck, a weight of the at least a portion of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting, from the reweigh computing device to the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment; and

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing, via an imaging device, one or more images of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting the one or more images to the lift truck computing device;

determining, via a reweigh computing device disposed on the lift truck, a weight of the at least a portion of the freight shipment; and

electronically transmitting, from the reweigh computing device to the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the one or more images captured by the imaging device;

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment;

determining dimensions of the freight shipment based on the one or more images captured by the imaging device; and

determining, via the lift truck computing device, a reweigh classification for the freight shipment based on the weight determination and the dimensions of the freight shipment.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the reweigh classification of the freight shipment and a billing classification of the freight shipment are substantially the same; and

generating a classification alert if the reweigh classification and the billing classification are not substantially the same.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the billing classification to indicate the reweigh classification of the freight shipment.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is received from the enterprise system.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic manifest is received from a supervisory computing device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein shipping data is received for two or more freight shipments.

22. A method for reweighing freight shipments comprising:

receiving, via an enterprise system, an electronic manifest that comprises at least a portion of shipping data associated with a freight shipment;

capturing, via an imaging device, one or more images of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting, from the imaging device to a lift truck computing device disposed on a lift truck, the one or more images;

determining, via a reweigh computing device disposed on the lift truck, a weight of at least a portion of the freight shipment;

electronically transmitting, from the reweigh computing device to the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment;

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the one or more images captured by the imaging device;

receiving, via the lift truck computing device, the weight determination of at least the portion of the freight shipment;

determining dimensions of the freight shipment based on the one or more images captured by the imaging device;

automatically determining, via the lift truck computing device, a reweight classification for the freight shipment based on the weight determination and the dimensions of the freight shipment; and

determining if the reweight classification of the freight shipment and a billing classification of the freight shipment are substantially the same.

23. (Canceled)

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

generating a classification alert if the reweigh classification and the billing classification are not substantially the same.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising updating the billing classification to indicate the reweigh classification of the freight shipment.