Method and apparatus for providing virtual capacity to a provider of services
First Claim
1. A method for arranging for the transporting of freight comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a request to transport the freight;
(b) determining that a carrier is not available to transport the freight;
(c) transmitting a request for a third party to transport the freight;
(d) determining that the freight can be transported by a third party vehicle of the third party carrier, the third party vehicle associated with a communications device;
(e) assigning the freight to the third party for transportation;
(f) reconfiguring a network management facility to redirect at least a portion of third party communications to a carrier dispatch center associated with the carrier; and
(g) receiving at the carrier dispatch center, freight status information transmitted by the communications device and redirected by the network management facility.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for providing virtual capacity to a service provider. A service provider contacts a third party service provider when the service provider can not perform services for a customer. A solicitation is sent by the service provider and accepted by the third party service provider. After acceptance, status and/or location information from the third party service provider is redirected within a network management facility so that the information is sent to the service provider, rather than to an entity normally associated with the third party service provider. After services have been performed by the third party service provider, the third party service provider is generally free to accept service requests from other service providers, whereby messages transmitted by the third party service provider are routed to the new service provider.
79 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for arranging for the transporting of freight comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a request to transport the freight; (b) determining that a carrier is not available to transport the freight; (c) transmitting a request for a third party to transport the freight; (d) determining that the freight can be transported by a third party vehicle of the third party carrier, the third party vehicle associated with a communications device; (e) assigning the freight to the third party for transportation; (f) reconfiguring a network management facility to redirect at least a portion of third party communications to a carrier dispatch center associated with the carrier; and (g) receiving at the carrier dispatch center, freight status information transmitted by the communications device and redirected by the network management facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16)
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14. An apparatus for arranging for the transportation of freight, comprising:
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a processor for receiving a request to transport freight, for determining that a carrier cannot transport the freight, for generating a request for a third party to transport the freight, for determining that the third party can transport the freight, for generating a message assigning the freight to the third party, and for instructing a network management facility to redirect at least a portion of third party communications; a transceiver for transmitting the request for a third party to transport the freight, for receiving a response from the third party, for transmitting the message assigning the freight to the third party and for receiving freight status information form a third party communications device, the freight status information redirected by the network management facility; and memory for storing information pertaining to the availability of carrier vehicles to transport the freight.
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15. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by digital processing apparatus to perform a method for arranging for the transportation of freight, said method comprising operations of:
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(a) receiving a request to transport the freight; (b) determining that a carrier is not available to transport the freight; (c) transmitting a request for a third party to transport the freight; (d) determining that the freight can be transported by a third party (e) assigning the freight to the third party for transportation (f) reconfiguring a network management facility to redirect at least a portion of third party communications to a carrier dispatch center associated with the carrier; and (g) receiving at the carrier dispatch center, freight status information transmitted by the communications device and redirected by the network management facility.
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17. A method for arranging for the transporting of freight comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting a request for a third party to transport the freight; (b) receiving a first carrier dispatch center, an acceptance message indicating availability of a third party provider having a communications device to transport the freight; (c) transmitting an approval message to the third party provider in response to the acceptance message; (d) temporarily reconfiguring a communications facility to allow communications between the communications device and the first carrier dispatch center during at least a portion of the period that the third party provider transports the freight. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification