Method, apparatus and medium for obtaining shipping information

• US 7,349,854 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frederick, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Amee A.
• Application Number:
  US10/142,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 25- 28, 705/56
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• 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 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

The present invention enables users to access shipping information pertaining to the shipment of parcels by merely selecting an action from a tool bar or menu associated with a text string in a document or spreadsheet either recognized by a Microsoft Office smart tag or highlighted by user. The actions from which to select include but are not limited to tracking, time in transit, shipping history, label generation, address validation, proof of delivery and rate and service selection. The present invention automatically cuts the necessary text from the document or spreadsheet in which the user is working, opens or accesses databases, files, applications, websites, etc., as required to obtain the desired shipping information from a database accessible by the user, such as over a LAN or Internet connection. The present invention processes the data retrieved (including cutting, pasting, inserting or manipulating data and initiating actions such as dialing a phone number, generating a label or sending an e-mail) and preferably presents the results to the user in a message box or as an insert into the document or spreadsheet in which the user is working.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining shipping information, comprising:

providing a software add-in module configured for installation in connection with a software application, wherein the add-in module is stored on a computer readable medium operable comprising code that upon the user invoking one of one or more predefined actions causes the user computer to execute steps comprising;

recognizing one or more predefined text strings or user-selected text strings in a document or file being operated on by the software application and for which the one or more predefined actions can be invoked, wherein the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings are located in an electronic file or document containing a plurality of text strings, wherein at least some of the text strings in the file or document are unrelated to shipping information for a parcel; and

in response to the user invoking one of the one or more predefined actions,

analyzing text in the file or document;

identifying from the text in the file or document the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings that relate to shipping information;

generating a request for shipping information associated with the one or more identified text strings to be sent to a remote server including a database having shipping information associated with parcels in accordance with the invoked action;

transmitting the request to the remote server;

receiving from the remote server the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings;

parsing the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings received based on the invoked action; and

sending the parsed shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings to the software application in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the request includes transmitting user identification information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receipt of the requested shipping information includes receiving at least one of time in transit information, tracking information, address validation information, rate information or shipping label generation information. one of time in transit data, tracking data, address validation data, rate data or shipping label generation data.

4. A system for obtaining shipping information associated with a parcel, comprising:

a customer device comprised of a computer;

a server including a database having shipping information associated with parcels, wherein the information is accessible by users and the server is remote to the customer device;

a communication network connecting the customer device and the remote server; and

a software application operable on the customer device, wherein the software application recognizes one or more predefined text strings or user-selected text strings for which one or more predefined actions can be invoked, including accessing at least certain of the shipping information at the server associated with the parcels and based on the one or more recognized text string,

wherein the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings are located in an electronic file or document containing a plurality of text strings, wherein at least some of the text strings in the file or document are unrelated to shipping information for a parcel, and said software application in response to the user invoking one of the one or more predefined actions;

analyzes text in the file or document;

identifies from the text in the file or document the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings that relate to shipping information;

generates a request for shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings to be sent to the remote server in accordance with the invoked action such that the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings can be retrieved from the remote server;

transmits the request to the remote server;

receives from the remote server the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings;

parses the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings received based on the invoked action; and

sends the parsed shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings to the customer device in response to the request.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the shipping information includes tracking information.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the shipping information includes time in transit information.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the shipping information includes address validation information.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the shipping information includes shipping label generation data.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the shipping information includes rate information.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the parsed shipping information is pasted into a document opened on a desktop of the computer or displayed in a message window on a desktop of the computer.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings are located in a second software application, wherein said software application accesses the second software application, identifies the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings as relating to shipping information, and accesses said server to retrieve shipping information associated with the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings.

12. A computer program product for use integral with a software application executed by data processing system for obtaining shipping information from a remote source, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer-readable code means enabled stored in said medium that cause the computer to execute commands comprising;

recognizing one or more predefined text strings or user-selected text strings in a document or file being operated on by the software application and for which one or more predefined actions can be invoked, wherein the one or more predefined or user-selected text string are located in an electronic file or document containing a plurality of text strings, wherein at least some of the text strings in the file or document are unrelated to shipping information for a parcel; and

in response to the user invoking one of the one or more predefined actions,

analyzing text in the file or document;

identifying from the text in the file or document the one or more predefined or user-selected text strings that relate to shipping information;

generating a request for shipping information associated with the one or more identified text strings to be sent to a remote server including a database having shipping information associated with parcels in accordance with the invoked action;

transmitting the request to the remote server;

receiving from the remote server the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings;

parsing the shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings received based on the invoked action; and

sending the parsed shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings to the software application in response to the request.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shipping information includes time in transit information.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shipping information includes address validation information.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shipping information includes shipping label generation.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shipping information includes rate information.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code means that causes the computer to present the parsed shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings to a user.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code means that causes the computer to paste the parsed shipping information associated with the parcels and based on the one or more identified text strings in a document or file being operated on by the software application.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code means that causes the computer to generates a request causes the computer to generate a request including user identification information.