Apparatus, systems and methods for zone level rating for each of multiple carriers

• US 7,421,400 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Jinyue, Bilibin, Paul, Smith, William W. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US11/123,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,214 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0834 Choice of carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for determining for each of a plurality of users upon each user'"'"'s input of a particular origin postal code and a particular destination postal code an origin rating zone identifier corresponding to the identifier corresponding to the particular destination postal code for each of the plurality of carriers. Each user accesses the present invention over a global communications network using a client computer device, and each user client computer device has an individual electronic connection to the global communications network.

Claims

1. A shipping management computer system that is configured for:

receiving, from a first client computer that is connected to communicate with said shipping management computer system via a global communications network, a set of first-item shipping specifications associated with delivering a first item from a first-item origin to a first-item destination, said set of first-item shipping specifications comprising;

(A) a first-item origin postal code corresponding to said first-item origin, and (B) a first-item destination postal code corresponding to said first-item destination;

identifying a first first-item carrier that would deliver said first item in accordance with said first-item shipping specifications;

identifying a first first-item origin rating zone identifier that corresponds to said first-item origin postal code;

identifying a first first-item destination rating zone identifier that corresponds to said first-item destination postal code;

using said first first-item origin rating zone identifier and said first first-item destination rating zone identifier to calculate a first first-item service charge that said first first-item carrier would charge to deliver said first item from said first-item origin to said first-item destination;

identifying a second first-item carrier that would deliver said first item in accordance with said first set of shipping specifications;

identifying a second first-item origin rating zone identifier that corresponds to said first-item origin postal code;

identifying a second first-item destination rating zone identifier that corresponds to said first-item destination postal code; and

using said second first-item origin rating zone identifier and said second first-item destination rating zone identifier to calculate a second first-item service charge that said second first-item carrier would charge to deliver said first item from said first-item origin to said first-item destination.

2. The shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said shipping management computer system is configured for receiving said set of first-item shipping specifications from said first client computer via said global communications network.

3. The shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said shipping management computer system is further configured for displaying said first first-item service charge and said second first-item service charge on a display screen associated with said first client computer.

4. The shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said shipping management computer system is further configured for:

receiving, from a second client computer that is connected to communicate with said shipping management computer system via said global communications network, a set of second-item shipping specifications associated with delivering a second item from a second-item origin to a second-item destination, said set of second-item shipping specifications comprising;

(A) a second-item origin postal code corresponding to said second-item origin, and (B) a second-item destination postal code corresponding to said second-item destination;

identifying a first second-item carrier that would deliver said second item in accordance with said second-item shipping specifications;

identifying a first second-item origin rating zone identifier that corresponds to said second-item origin postal code;

identifying a first second-item destination rating zone identifier that corresponds to said second-item destination postal code;

using said first second-item origin rating zone identifier and said first second-item destination rating zone identifier to calculate a first second-item service charge that said first second-item carrier would charge to deliver said second item from said second-item origin to said second-item destination;

identifying a second second-item carrier that would deliver said second item in accordance with said second-item shipping specifications;

identifying a second second-item origin rating zone identifier that corresponds to said second-item origin postal code;

identifying a second, second-item destination rating zone identifier that corresponds to said second-item destination postal code; and

using said second second-item origin rating zone identifier and said second second-item destination rating zone identifier to calculate a second second-item service charge that said second second-item carrier would charge to deliver said second item from said second-item origin to said second-item destination.

5. The shipping management computer system of claim 4, wherein said shipping management computer system is configured for receiving said set of second-item shipping specifications from said second client computer via said global communications network.

6. The shipping management computer system of claim 4, wherein said shipping management computer system is further configured for:

displaying said first first-item service charge and said second first-item service charge on a display screen associated with said first client computer; and

displaying said first second-item. service charge and said second second-item service charge on a display screen associated with said second client computer.