Common carrier system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A system for creating booking requests pertaining to information relating to the transport of a container, said information including at least one of a carrier name, departure date, departure time, departure location, arrival date, arrival time, arrival location, origin, and destination, the system comprising:
- a plurality of entities registered with the system, each entity having a computer storage, each of the entities configured to communicate with users over a first communication pathway to establish a shipping rate pertaining to the shipment of containers using a given entity and generate a contract reference; and
a server at a second entity that is configured to receive information from said computer storage of said plurality of entities over a second communication pathway and provide a computer user interface for display on a user'"'"'s computer over a third communication pathway, the computer user interface including a field configured to receive the contract reference, said server configured to receive from a user over the third communication pathway an electronic booking request including the information relating to the transport of a container, said server including a storage configured to store templates of electronic booking requests and provide one of said templates based on a search of templates performed by said user, said electronic booking request received over the third communication pathway having been created from one of said stored templates,said server further configured to transmit said electronic booking request including the contract reference to at least a first entity of said plurality of entities over the second communication pathway, wherein the contract reference pertains to the established shipping rate between at least the first entity and the user.
3 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Reexaminations
Accused Products
Abstract
An on-line system and method for buyers and sellers of international container transportation services is disclosed. Specifically, the system offers importing and exporting customers the opportunity to request and select specific service patterns offered by participating carriers in the booking of full container shipments. The system includes user interfaces that allow a shipper to track and trace containers across multiple carriers and an event notifications system, which notifies the user when an event has or has not occurred.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A system for creating booking requests pertaining to information relating to the transport of a container, said information including at least one of a carrier name, departure date, departure time, departure location, arrival date, arrival time, arrival location, origin, and destination, the system comprising:
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a plurality of entities registered with the system, each entity having a computer storage, each of the entities configured to communicate with users over a first communication pathway to establish a shipping rate pertaining to the shipment of containers using a given entity and generate a contract reference; and a server at a second entity that is configured to receive information from said computer storage of said plurality of entities over a second communication pathway and provide a computer user interface for display on a user'"'"'s computer over a third communication pathway, the computer user interface including a field configured to receive the contract reference, said server configured to receive from a user over the third communication pathway an electronic booking request including the information relating to the transport of a container, said server including a storage configured to store templates of electronic booking requests and provide one of said templates based on a search of templates performed by said user, said electronic booking request received over the third communication pathway having been created from one of said stored templates, said server further configured to transmit said electronic booking request including the contract reference to at least a first entity of said plurality of entities over the second communication pathway, wherein the contract reference pertains to the established shipping rate between at least the first entity and the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for creating booking requests pertaining to information relating to the transport of a container, said information including at least one of a carrier name, departure date, departure time, departure location, arrival date, arrival time, arrival location, origin, and destination, the system comprising:
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a plurality of entities registered with the system, each entity having a computer storage, each of the entities configured to communicate with users over a first communication pathway to establish a shipping rate pertaining to the shipment of a quantity of containers using a given entity and generating a contract reference; and a server configured to receive information from a computer storage of a first entity of said plurality of entities over a second communication pathway and provide a computer user interface for display on a user'"'"'s computer over a third communication pathway, the computer user interface including a field configured to receive the contract reference, the server configured to receive from a user over the third communication pathway an electronic booking request including the information relating to the transport of a container, said server including a storage configured to store templates of electronic booking requests and provide one of said templates based on a search of templates performed by said user, said electronic booking request received over the third communication pathway having been created from one of said stored templates, said server further configured to transmit said electronic booking request including the contract reference to at least the first entity over the second communication pathway, wherein the contract reference pertains to the established shipping rate between at least the first entity and the user, wherein the system, responsive to confirmation from the first entity to the user and registered entity data, is configured to generate electronic event notification messages. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A system for creating booking requests pertaining to information relating to the transport of a container, said information including at least one of a carrier name, departure date, departure time, departure location, arrival date, arrival time, arrival location, origin, and destination, the system comprising:
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a first computer storage located at a first carrier registered with the system; a second computer storage located at a second carrier registered with the system, the first and second carriers configured to communicate with users over a first communication pathway to establish a shipping rate pertaining to the shipment of a quantity of containers using a given entity and generate a contract reference; and a server that receives information from said first storage and said second storage over a second communication pathway, said server configured to provide a computer user interface for display on a user'"'"'s computer over a third communication pathway, the computer user interface including a field configured to receive the contract reference, the server configured to receive from a user over the third communication pathway an electronic booking request including the information relating to the transport of a container, and to transmit said electronic booking request to at least one of the first and second carriers, said electronic booking request including information relating to the transport of a container, said server including a storage configured to store templates of electronic booking requests and provide one of said templates based on a search of templates performed by said user, said electronic booking request received over the third communication pathway having been created from one of said stored templates, said server configured; to receive a routing request from the user over the third communication pathway and to transmit the routing request to at least one of the first and second carriers over the second communication pathway; to receive shipping instructions from the user over the third communication pathway and to transmit said instructions to at least one of the first and second carriers over the second communication pathway; to receive a confirmation of the electronic booking request from at least one of the first and second carriers over the second communication pathway and to transmit the confirmation to the user over the third communication pathway; to receive routing information from at least one of the first and second carriers over the second communication pathway and to transmit the routing information to the user over the third communication pathway; and to receive a booking activity plan from at least one of the first and second carriers over the second communication pathway and to transmit the booking activity plan to the user over the third communication pathway, wherein the booking activity plan includes transport modes, transhipment locations, and interim arrival and departure dates and times. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A system for creating booking requests pertaining to information relating to the transport of a container, said information including at least one of a carrier name, departure date, departure time, departure location, arrival date, arrival time, arrival location, origin, and destination, the system comprising:
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a first storage located at a user registered with the system; a second storage located at a carrier registered with the system, the carrier configured to communicate with the user over a first communication pathway to establish a shipping rate pertaining to the shipment of a quantity of containers using a given entity and generate a contract reference; and a server including a storage configured to store templates of electronic booking requests and provide one of said templates based on a search of templates performed by said user, said server configured; to receive an electronic booking request sent from the first storage over a second communication pathway, said electronic booking request including information relating to the transport of a container, said electronic booking request including a field corresponding to a contract reference pertaining to an established shipping rate between the user and the carrier, said electronic booking request having been created from one of said stored templates, to store the electronic booking request including the contract reference field, to transmit information relating to said electronic booking request to the second storage over a third communication pathway, wherein the electronic booking request includes a request to transport one or more containers, to receive information from said carrier relating to said request over the third communication pathway, and to forward a message to said user over the second communication pathway based on said information received from said carrier regarding said request. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification