Systems and methods for integrated global shipping and visibility

• US 7,895,092 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• 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: Marcus, Stuart D., Amling, Alan, Rankin, Kenneth T., Post, George R., Woods, Bruce L., Zamsky, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLASS, RUSSELL S
• Application Number:
  US12/506,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• 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 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated global shipment system that provides end-to-end visibility of the movement of a package. The integrated global shipment system employs a shipment consolidating application for integrating one or more freight tracking systems with one or more end-delivery systems. As a result, shippers are provided with complete visibility of the movement of their shipments of goods from an origin country to a destination country and till the final consignees. In addition, the integrated shipment system significantly decreases the cost of managing inventories by providing a virtual inventory solution. Under this virtual inventory solution, suppliers are able to bypass distribution centers and delay allocation of goods until after the importation of goods into a destination country.

Claims

1. An integrated global shipment system providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising:

one or more shipment databases; and

a web portal having one or more processors, one or more memory devices and one or more displays;

wherein said web portal is configured to;

(1) provide a web interface to said web portal through which a user is enabled to query for a specific shipment or a specific package by entering a particular identifier;

(2) in response to receiving said particular shipment identifier, determine whether said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number;

(3) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number, identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment, and display said shipping data to said user, said shipping data including at least said consolidated shipment reference number;

(4) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is not a consolidated shipment reference number, determine whether said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number or a package tracking number,

a. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number,

i. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific shipment is included;

ii. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment; and

iii. display to said user said shipping data in a(i) if said specific shipment has not reached a destination country, or said shipping data in a(ii) if said specific shipment is in delivery within said destination country; and

b. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a package tracking number,

i. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific package is included;

ii. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific package; and

iii. display to said user said shipping data in b(i) if said specific package has not reached a destination country, or said shipping data in b(ii) if said specific package is in delivery within said destination country.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shipping data in Step (3) further comprises a list of child shipments included in said specific shipment, and wherein said web portal is further configured to:

receive from said user a selection of a particular child shipment from said list of child shipments;

retrieve, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said particular child shipment; and

display to said user said shipping data associated with said particular child shipment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said shipping data in Step (3) further comprises a list of packages included in said specific shipment, and wherein said web portal is further configured to:

receive from said user a selection of a particular package from said list of packages;

retrieve, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said particular package; and

display to said user said shipping data associated with said particular package.

4. A computer apparatus for providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said computer apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory devices, and

one or more displays;

wherein said one or more processors execute a shipment tracking application program, said shipment tracking application program including instructions executable on said one or more processors for;

(1) receiving a request by a user to query one or more shipment databases for a specific consolidated shipment by entering a particular identifier;

(2) identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with the particular identifier;

(3) receiving shipping data from one or more shipment databases associated with the particular identifier;

(4) displaying an interactive consolidated shipment detail section to said user;

(5) receiving a request by said user to display one or more LTL child shipments and one or more packages associated with said consolidated shipment;

(6) identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with one or more LTL child shipments and one or more packages;

(7) generating an interactive display from said shipping data including;

i. said consolidated shipment detail section;

ii. an LTL child shipment detail section; and

iii. a package detail section;

wherein the LTL child shipment detail section comprises a list of LTL child shipments associated with the consolidated shipment; and

the package detail section comprises a list of packages associated with a child shipment associated with the consolidated shipment;

(8) displaying said interactive display to said user.

5. A computer apparatus for providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment comprising:

one or more shipment databases; and

a web portal having one or more processors, one or more memory devices and one or more displays;

wherein said web portal is configured to;

(1) receive a request by a user to query one or more shipment databases for a specific shipment or package by entering a particular identifier;

(2) identifying, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with the particular identifier;

(3) receiving shipping data from one or more shipment databases associated with the particular identifier;

(4) in response to receiving said particular identifier, determine whether said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number;

(5) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a consolidated shipment reference number, identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment, and displaying said shipping data to said user, said shipping data including one or more LTL child shipments and one or more packages associated with said consolidated shipment;

(6) in response to the determination that said particular identifier is not a consolidated shipment reference number, determine whether said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number or a package tracking number,

a. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is an LTL shipment reference number,

i. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific shipment is included;

ii. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific shipment; and

iii. display to said user shipping data associated with specified shipment said shipping data associated with the consolidated shipment including other LTL child shipments and one or more packages associated with said consolidated shipment;

b. in response to the determination that said particular identifier is a package tracking number,

i. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a consolidated shipment in which said specific package is included;

ii. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with a child shipment in which said specific package is included;

iii. identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said specific package; and

iv. display to said user said shipping data of associated with said package, and said shipping data of associated consolidated shipment including one or more LTL child shipments and one or more other packages associated with said consolidated shipment.