SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONSOLIDATED GLOBAL SHIPPING
First Claim
1. A method for integrating and facilitating global shipments, said method comprising the steps of:
- (1) receiving multiple child shipments at a first operation station of a carrier;
(2) identifying a subset of child shipments from said multiple child shipments, said subset of child shipments having an identical destination country;
(3) combining said subset of child shipments into a consolidated shipment and assigning a consolidated shipment tracking number to identify said consolidated shipment;
(4) processing said consolidated shipment through export and import customs for custom clearance;
(5) receiving said consolidated shipment at a second operation station of said carrier in said destination country; and
(6) separating said consolidated shipment so that each of said subset of child shipments can be delivered to a respective consignee location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an integrated global shipment system that provides end-to-end visibility of the movement of a package. The integrated global shipment system employs a shipment consolidating application for integrating one or more freight tracking systems with one or more end-delivery systems. As a result, shippers are provided with complete visibility of the movement of their shipments of goods from an origin country to a destination country and till the final consignees. In addition, the integrated shipment system significantly decreases the cost of managing inventories by providing a virtual inventory solution. Under this virtual inventory solution, suppliers are able to bypass distribution centers and delay allocation of goods until after the importation of goods into a destination country.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for integrating and facilitating global shipments, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) receiving multiple child shipments at a first operation station of a carrier; (2) identifying a subset of child shipments from said multiple child shipments, said subset of child shipments having an identical destination country; (3) combining said subset of child shipments into a consolidated shipment and assigning a consolidated shipment tracking number to identify said consolidated shipment; (4) processing said consolidated shipment through export and import customs for custom clearance; (5) receiving said consolidated shipment at a second operation station of said carrier in said destination country; and (6) separating said consolidated shipment so that each of said subset of child shipments can be delivered to a respective consignee location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for integrating and facilitating global shipments, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) receiving shipment data associated with a plurality of child shipments for consolidation, said shipment data comprising at least respective destination countries of said plurality of child shipments; (2) based in part upon said respective destination countries, classifying said plurality of child shipments into respective consolidated shipments, each one of said respective consolidated shipments comprising one or more child shipments that have an identical destination country; (3) for each one of said respective consolidated shipments, assigning a respective consolidated shipment reference number; (4) processing said shipment data to associate said plurality of child shipments with respective consolidated shipment reference numbers assigned in (3); (5) for each one of said respective consolidated shipments, receiving respective custom clearance data and updating said shipment data based in part upon said respective custom clearance data; (6) for each one of said respective consolidated shipments, receiving respective tracking status data and updating said shipment data based in part upon said respective tracking status data; (7) for each one of said respective consolidated shipments, receiving a respective de-consolidation signal that said consolidated shipment is separated into said one or more child shipments; and (8) for each one of said one or more child shipments, retrieving respective consignee address data from said shipment data for use in delivering each one of said one or more child shipments to a respective consignee.
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Specification