Inspecting and Releasing Goods at a Land, Air, or Sea Border
First Claim
1. A portable device comprising:
- a display screen;
a processing unit; and
memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of;
(i) receiving a task list, wherein each task includes information known about shipments of goods prior to the shipments being inspected;
(ii) displaying task information on the display screen to inform a user about upcoming inspections;
(iii) displaying shipment information on the display screen to inform a user about one of the shipments of goods in the task list;
(iv) receiving inspection results from the user, wherein an on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the task list is performed by the user and the inspection results correspond to the user'"'"'s on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the task list; and
(v) transmitting the inspection results.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for use by a Customs Agency for clearing shipments of goods into a country is disclosed. A customs resource application may be used to integrate alert information, news, research, and communications capabilities. Customs inspectors may use the resource application with a conventional computer, or with a portable device in the field as they perform customs inspections. The portable device provides access to alert information regarding shipments that are to be inspected by the inspector, and provides alert resolution capabilities so that the inspector can clear shipments into the country from the location of the inspection and/or shipped goods without requiring the inspector to return to a field office to clear the goods.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A portable device comprising:
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a display screen; a processing unit; and memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of; (i) receiving a task list, wherein each task includes information known about shipments of goods prior to the shipments being inspected; (ii) displaying task information on the display screen to inform a user about upcoming inspections; (iii) displaying shipment information on the display screen to inform a user about one of the shipments of goods in the task list; (iv) receiving inspection results from the user, wherein an on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the task list is performed by the user and the inspection results correspond to the user'"'"'s on-site inspection of one of the shipments of goods in the task list; and (v) transmitting the inspection results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A portable device comprising:
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a display screen having a first region for displaying task information and a second region for displaying shipment information; a processing unit; and memory storing a database and computer readable instructions, wherein each entry in the database is representative of a task; and wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to perform the steps of; (i) receiving a task list, wherein each task includes information known about shipments of goods prior to the shipment being inspected; (ii) displaying a task summary list on the display screen in the first region to inform a user about upcoming inspections; (iii) displaying shipment information on the display in the second region, wherein the shipment information includes information related to one of the shipment of goods in the task list; (iv) receiving inspection results from the user, wherein the inspection results correspond to the shipment of goods; and (v) transmitting the inspection results. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of clearing a shipment of goods into a country, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a portable handheld computer a task list including a plurality of tasks, wherein each task includes information known about shipments of goods received at a customs border prior to the shipment being inspected; displaying the task list on a display of the portable handheld computer to inform a user about upcoming inspections; receiving user input selecting a first task from a plurality of tasks in the task list; displaying task detail information corresponding to the first task to inform the user about upcoming inspections; receiving user input into the portable handheld computer corresponding to the user'"'"'s on-site inspection of the shipment of goods corresponding to the first task; sending a inspection result corresponding to the first task from the portable handheld computer to a server computer, wherein the inspection result is determined as a function of the received user input; and sending shipment information corresponding to the first task from the portable handheld computer to another portable handheld computer for display on the display of the other portable handheld computer, wherein the shipment information is determined as a function of the received user input. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a task list on a display of a portable handheld computer, wherein each task in the plurality of tasks includes information known about shipments of goods received at a customs border prior to the shipments being inspected; identifying one of the shipments of goods to be inspected based on the information known about the shipments of goods; at a location of goods being inspected, receiving user input into the portable handheld computer corresponding to the user'"'"'s on-site inspection of the shipment of goods corresponding to the identified shipment of goods; and transmitting the inspection results from the portable handheld computer to a server computer. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification