Freight calculation system and method of operation

• US 6,219,653 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forest Products International Exchange, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Forest Products International Exchange, Inc.
• Inventors: OʼNeill, John C., Ainsworth, Johnny V., Jenkins, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US09/153,473
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/28, 705/29, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A freight calculation system includes a seller client, a buyer client, and a platform coupled to the seller client and the buyer client using a communication network. The seller client generates freight data and communicates it using a communication network. The buyer client communicates a delivery request for a load using the communication network. The delivery request specifies one of a number of delivery containers, an origination location, and a destination location. The platform receives and stores the freight data and determines a delivery cost for the load using the freight data, the specified delivery container, the origination location, and the destination location.

Claims

1. A freight calculation system, comprising:

a seller client operable to generate freight data and to communicate the freight data using a communication network, wherein the freight data comprises first freight data and second freight data;

a buyer client operable to communicate a delivery request for a load using the communication network, the delivery request specifying an origination location and a destination location associated with a particular destination zone; and

a platform coupled to the seller client and the buyer client using the communication network, the platform operable to receive and to store the freight data, the platform further operable to determine a delivery cost for the load using the origination location, the destination location, and one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the particular destination zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the seller client maintains a plurality of business locations, each business location supporting a plurality of delivery containers, and the delivery request specifies one of the plurality of delivery containers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery request specifies one of a plurality of delivery containers and the platform is further operable to determine the delivery cost using one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the specified delivery container.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular destination zone comprises a plurality of zip codes specified by a representative zip code and the platform is further operable to determine the delivery cost using a distance between the origination location and a representative destination location associated with the representative zip code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of delivery containers and by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones specified by zip code.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the seller client comprises a graphical user interface that presents a map to allow a user to specify a destination zone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the freight data comprises a plurality of delivery distance ranges and an associated delivery rate for each delivery distance range.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the buyer client is further operable to generate freight data and to communicate the freight data using a communication network; and

the platform is further operable to determine a delivery co st for the load using the freight data generated by the buyer client if the seller client provides authorization.

12. A freight calculation apparatus, comprising:

a communication device coupled to a communication network, the communication device operable to receive freight data from a seller client coupled to the communication network, wherein the freight data comprises first freight data and second freight data;

a memory coupled to the communication device, the memory operable to store the freight data; and

a server coupled to the memory, the server operable to calculate a delivery cost for a load using an origination location, a destination location associated with a particular destination zone and specified by a delivery request communicated by a buyer client coupled to the communication network, and one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the particular destination zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the seller client maintains a plurality of business locations, each business location supporting a plurality of delivery containers, and the delivery request specifies one of the plurality of delivery containers.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the delivery request specifies one of a plurality of delivery containers and the server is further operable to determine the delivery cost using one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the specified delivery container.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the particular destination zone comprises a plurality of zip codes specified by a representative zip code and the server is further operable to determine the delivery cost using a distance between the origination location and a representative destination location associated with the representative zip code.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of delivery containers and by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones specified by zip code.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the freight data comprises a plurality of delivery distance ranges and an associated delivery rate for each delivery distance range.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the communication device is further operable to receive freight data from the buyer client; and

the server is further operable to determine a delivery cost for the load using the freight data received from the buyer client if the seller client provides authorization.

22. A freight calculation method, comprising:

receiving freight data from a seller client, wherein the freight data comprises first freight data and second freight data;

storing the freight data;

receiving a delivery request for a load from a buyer client, the delivery request specifying an origination location and a destination location associated with a particular destination zone;

determining a delivery cost for the load using the origination location, the destination location, and one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the particular destination zone; and

communicating the delivery cost for the load to the buyer client.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the seller client maintains a plurality of business locations, each business location supporting a plurality of the delivery containers, and the delivery request specifies one of the plurality of delivery containers.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the delivery request specifies one of a plurality of delivery containers and the step of determining comprises determining the delivery cost using one of the first freight data or the second freight data according to the specified delivery container.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the particular destination zone comprises a plurality of zip codes specified by a representative zip code and the step of determining comprises determining the delivery cost using a distance between the origination location and a representative destination location associated with the representative zip code.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of delivery containers and by a plurality of destination zones for each of a plurality of origination locations.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the freight data is indexed by a plurality of destination zones specified by zip code.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the freight data comprises a plurality of delivery distance ranges and an associated delivery rate for each delivery distance range.

31. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving freight data from the buyer client;

storing the freight data; and

determining a delivery cost for the load using the freight data received from the buyer client if the seller client provides authorization.