Load planning tables for a parcel shipping system
First Claim
1. A system for managing shipping parcels, the system comprising:
- a) a planning system, responsive to requests to plan shipping for a parcel, and responsive to stored planning information and to interactive planning information, for providing a rated route;
b) a shipping database, responsive to updates to planning information, for providing stored planning information, further responsive to a customer order including shipping requirements for the customer order, and further responsive to the rated route, for providing a stored rated route for shipping the parcel, the shipping database including a set of load planning tables, the set of load tables comprising;
i) a group table, for storing group identifiers, each group identifier used to identify a group of one or more parcels;
ii) a load table, for storing records of attributes associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field and a load identifier field;
iii) a stop table, for storing records of attributes associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a stop identifier field, and a drop bill number field;
iv) a shipment header table, for storing records of attributes associated with a shipment, which is in turn optionally associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a bill number field that serves as a shipment identifier and optionally relates the record to a record in the stop table via the drop bill number field in records of the stop table, an origin identifier field, and a destination identifier field; and
v) a cost table, for storing records of attributes associated with a component cost of a load, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a field indicating a cost type, and a field indicating a cost amount,wherein the set of load planning tables applies business rules to a consignee party, a shipper party and to a third party, such that a route priority table is used to determine a time of arrival, a party responsible for payment and a destination location and applies the business rules to events and subevents to determine delivery parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for managing shipping parcels that includes a specially adapted set of load planning tables, or, from another aspect, a set of load planning tables for use with a system for managing shipping parcels. The system includes: a planning system for providing a rated route; and a shipping database for providing stored planning information and for providing a stored rated route for shipping the parcel. Some of the shipping database is organized as a set of load planning tables, including: a group table, for storing group identifiers, each group identifier used to identify a group of one or more parcels; a load table, for storing records of attributes associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group; a stop table, for storing records of attributes associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load; a shipment header table, for storing records of attributes associated with a shipment, which is in turn optionally associated with a stop; and a cost table, for storing records of attributes associated with a component cost of a load, which is in turn associated with a load.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A system for managing shipping parcels, the system comprising:
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a) a planning system, responsive to requests to plan shipping for a parcel, and responsive to stored planning information and to interactive planning information, for providing a rated route; b) a shipping database, responsive to updates to planning information, for providing stored planning information, further responsive to a customer order including shipping requirements for the customer order, and further responsive to the rated route, for providing a stored rated route for shipping the parcel, the shipping database including a set of load planning tables, the set of load tables comprising; i) a group table, for storing group identifiers, each group identifier used to identify a group of one or more parcels; ii) a load table, for storing records of attributes associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field and a load identifier field; iii) a stop table, for storing records of attributes associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a stop identifier field, and a drop bill number field; iv) a shipment header table, for storing records of attributes associated with a shipment, which is in turn optionally associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a bill number field that serves as a shipment identifier and optionally relates the record to a record in the stop table via the drop bill number field in records of the stop table, an origin identifier field, and a destination identifier field; and v) a cost table, for storing records of attributes associated with a component cost of a load, which is in turn associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group, each record having a group identifier field, a load identifier field, a field indicating a cost type, and a field indicating a cost amount, wherein the set of load planning tables applies business rules to a consignee party, a shipper party and to a third party, such that a route priority table is used to determine a time of arrival, a party responsible for payment and a destination location and applies the business rules to events and subevents to determine delivery parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification