Integrated import/export system

• US 7,406,472 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Management Systems Resources Inc. (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Constanzo, Paul R., Crozier, Steven L., Lefevre, Lynn, Manucha, Rajiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHECHTMAN, CHERYL MARIA
• Application Number:
  US10/024,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 4, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 705/80, 705/8, 705 22- 23, 705/26, 705/24, 705/1, 705 37- 39, 705/77, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/826
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An integrated import/export system includes a database of records relating to a plurality of shipments of goods, a database server and an application server. The application server communicates with the database server to provide members of a supply chain for a shipment of goods an opportunity to modify records relating to the shipment. As the shipment moves through the supply chain, the records relating to the shipment may be repeatedly updated and accessed by interested parties such as customs brokers and government officials. A central repository for such data minimizes errors from repetitive data entry and provides a more complete source of information relating to the shipment than is typically associated with a shipment at any time in transit.

Claims

1. An integrated import/export system comprising:

a database containing data related to a plurality of shipping transactions,

each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions relating to a transfer of goods, between at least two jurisdictions,

with the data organized into records associated with each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions,

where each record includes a primary key, where said primary key uniquely identifies said shipping transaction associated with said record,

where each record also includes data required to process a plurality of steps of said shipping transaction associated with said record

including data required to process a step of exporting of a product from a first jurisdiction and data required to process a step of importing of said product to a second jurisdiction;

a database server hosting said database; and

an application server in communication with said database server for providing a user interface to any of a plurality of clients, each client associated with a member of a supply chain for a particular shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions, said interface allowing said at least one client to modify a portion of a record associated with said particular shipping transaction if said member associated with said client has security authorization to modify said portion.

2. The integrated import/export system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic data interchange server in communication with said database server.

3. The integrated import/export system of claim 2 wherein said electronic data interchange server allows said system to exchange information with databases and data repositories of said member of said supply chain.

4. The integrated import/export system of claim 2 wherein said electronic data interchange server allows access to databases maintained by governments of said jurisdictions.

5. The integrated import/export system of claim 1 further comprising a file transfer protocol server for enabling receipt and transmission of said records using the file transfer protocol.

6. The integrated import/export system of claim 1 further comprising a hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) server for enabling receipt of a request for a page and transmission of said page to an origin of said request.

7. A method of operating an integrated import/export system comprising:

maintaining a database containing data related to a plurality of shipping transactions,

each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions relating to a transfer of goods between at least two jurisdictions;

with the data organized into records associated with each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions,

where each record includes a primary key, where said primary key uniquely identifies said shipping transaction associated with said record,

where each record also includes data required to process a plurality of steps of said shipping transaction associated with said record

including data required to process a step of exporting of a product from a first jurisdiction and data required to process a step of importing of said product to a second jurisdiction;

providing an interface for accessing particular ones of said records in said database to a member of a supply chain for said particular ones of said plurality of shipping transactions;

receiving, from said member, an instruction to modify one of said particular ones of said records relating to said particular one of said plurality of shipping transactions;

determining whether said instruction to modify relates to a portion of said one of said records for which said member has modification authority; and

modifying said one of said records according to said instruction if said member has said modification authority.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a query for information stored in databases maintained by governments of said at least two jurisdictions;

responsive to receiving said query, accessing said databases maintained by said governments of said at least two jurisdictions to retrieve a result; and

presenting said result of said accessing to a source of said query.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising submitting documentation for entry into said databases maintained by said governments of said at least two jurisdictions.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising querying said databases maintained by said governments of said at least two jurisdictions to determine a clearance status of a given shipping transaction.

11. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by a processor in an import/export system, cause the processor to:

maintain a database containing data related to a plurality of shipping transactions,

each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions relating to a transfer of goods between at least two jurisdictions;

with the data organized into records associated with each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions,

where each record includes a primary key, where said primary key uniquely identifies said shipping transaction associated with said record,

where each record also includes data required to process a plurality of steps of said shipping transaction associated with said record

including data required to process a step of exporting of a product from a first jurisdiction and data required to process a step of importing of said product to a second jurisdiction;

provide an interface for accessing particular ones of said records in said database to a member of a supply chain for said particular ones of said plurality of shipping transactions;

receive, from said member, an instruction to modify a particular one of said records relating to said particular one of said plurality of shipping transactions;

determine whether said instruction to modify relates to a portion of said one of said records for which said member has modification authority; and

modify said one of said records according to said instruction if said member has said modification authority.

12. A record editing system in communication with an integrated import/export system, said record editing system operable to:

display an interface to a member of a supply chain for a particular shipping transaction, said interface allowing interaction with a database containing data related to a plurality of shipping transactions,

each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions relating to a transfer of goods between at least two jurisdictions;

with the data organized into records associated with each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions,

where each record includes a primary key, where said primary key uniquely identifies said shipping transaction associated with said record,

where each record also includes data required to process a plurality of steps of said shipping transaction associated with said record

including data required to process a step of exporting of a product from a first jurisdiction and data required to process a step of importing of said product to a second jurisdiction,

said database maintained at said integrated import/export system;

receive, from said member, instructions to modify a record relating to said particular shipping transaction;

determine whether said instructions to modify relate to a portion of said one of said records for which said member has modification authority; and

modify said one of said records according to said instructions if said member has said modification authority.

13. A record editing system in communication with an integrated import/export system, said record editing system comprising:

an output means for displaying an interface to a member of a supply chain for a particular shipping transaction, said interface allowing interaction with a database containing data related to a plurality of shipping transactions,

each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions relating to a transfer of goods between at least two jurisdictions;

with the data organized into records associated with each shipping transaction of said plurality of shipping transactions,

where each record includes a primary key, where said primary key uniquely identifies said shipping transaction associated with said record,

where each record also includes data required to process a plurality of steps of said shipping transaction associated with said record

including data required to process a step of exporting of a product from a first jurisdiction and data required to process a step of importing of said product to a second jurisdiction,

said database maintained at said integrated import/export system;

an input means for receiving, from said member, instructions to modify a record relating to said shipping transaction; and

a processing means adapted to;

determine whether said instructions to modify relate to a portion of said one of said records for which said member has modification authority; and

modify said one of said records according to said instructions if said member has said modification authority.