Method for providing a shortcut to shipping information

• US 8,051,014 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Hammell, Bradley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Alum
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obeid; Fahd A
• Application Number:
  US10/722,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,898 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/333
• 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 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and system are provided for a user to determine the status of a shipment being transported by a carrier. The user performs a transaction at a web site, and chooses a type of shipment. A file in markup language includes at least one link to shipment tracking information, and this file is provided to the user and saved locally at a user device. The user activates the file to check the shipping status, which is then displayed. In this way, the user is able to access aggregated shipping information from a plurality of carriers. Also, the user is able to obtain pinpoint shipping status, if the user needs more details than merely finding out a checkpoint through which a shipment has passed.

Claims

1. A method for a user to find pinpoint status of a shipment being transported by a carrier, comprising the steps of:

clicking on a local shipment pinpoint symbol on a computer screen;

connecting automatically to an internet or private network, if a connection is not already established;

then, in response to clicking on the shipment pinpoint symbol, sending automatically a shipping pinpoint status inquiry to the carrier via the internet or private network;

requesting a pinpoint location of the shipment in response to the shipping pinpoint status inquiry; and

receiving the requested pinpoint location of the shipment to the computer screen,

wherein the pinpoint location identifies a position between checkpoints at each of which shipment presence is monitored regardless of user inquiries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipment pinpoint symbol is an icon of a file, in a markup language, including a tracking code of the shipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipment pinpoint symbol is provided to the computer screen in conjunction with a shipment checkpoint symbol, and

wherein the shipment checkpoint symbol is for obtaining information as to the presence of at least one of the checkpoints.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the step of providing the pinpoint shipping status information to the computer screen is performed later than a certain time after the step of sending automatically the shipping pinpoint inquiry, due to a delay, then a user of the computer screen is compensated for the delay, and if the step of providing the pinpoint shipping status information to the computer screen is not performed later than a certain time after the step of sending automatically the shipping pinpoint inquiry, due to a delay, then the user of the computer screen is not compensated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position is separate from all of the checkpoints.

6. A system for a user to obtain via internet or other network, a pinpoint status of a shipment being transported by a carrier, comprising;

a server computer for providing to a user computer a clickable shipment pinpoint symbol that is stored locally and when selected by the user triggers a shipping pinpoint inquiry to a carrier; and

a shipping location tracker device, responsive to the shipping pinpoint inquiry, for providing the pinpoint status to the user computer via the internet or private network;

wherein the pinpoint status identifies a position between two checkpoints at each of which shipment presence is monitored regardless of user inquiries.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the shipment pinpoint symbol is an icon of a file, in a markup language, including a tracking code of the shipment.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the shipment pinpoint symbol is provided to the computer screen in conjunction with a shipment checkpoint symbol, and

wherein the shipment checkpoint symbol is for obtaining information as to the presence of at least one of the checkpoints.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the position is separate from all of the checkpoints.