Method to facilitate the transport of shipments via hub based facilities

• US 8,131,573 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dibble, Robert W., Dickinson, Spencer K., Harwood, Thomas W., Larney, Donald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US10/384,883
• Time in Patent Office: 3,284 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

A method to facilitate the transport of shipments via hub based facilities according to a scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation by (a) acknowledging a customer request to transport at least one shipment between two uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; (b) determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying the customer'"'"'s request; (c) booking transport space for the shipment aboard the determined transport accommodation; (d) printing or otherwise displaying a shipment tag which denotes shipment routing information and bar coded information recognized by two distinguishably purposed and automated tracking systems; (e) attaching or otherwise affixing the shipment tag generated in step (d) to a shipment to be transported according to the routing sequence and transport accommodation determined in step (b); (f) stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d); (g) monitoring and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) as it is transported between uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; and (h) advising a customer of the shipments arrival in a final destination location.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the transport of shipments according to a scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation said method comprising the steps of:

(a) acknowledging a customer request to transport at least one shipment between two uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations;

(b) determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying said customer request;

(c) booking shipment transport space aboard said determined transport accommodation;

(d) generating a shipment tag which includes shipment routing information and bar coded information;

(e) attaching or otherwise affixing the shipment tag generated in step (d) to a shipment to be shipped according to the routing sequence and transport accommodation determined in step (b);

(f) stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d);

(g) monitoring and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) as it is transported between uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; and

(h) advising a customer of a shipment'"'"'s arrival in a final destination location;

wherein determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation further comprises;

determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying said customer request by accessing a computer resident cargo transport system;

providing shipment parameters to said system selected from a list including shipment weight limits, shipment size, commodity code, accommodation connect time standards, shipping and receiving rate location hours of operation; and

retrieving a routing sequence and transport accommodation from said system based upon optimal space and weight capacity yielded as a result of automated consideration of said shipment parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said shipments are cargo shipments and said uniquely identifiable transport accommodation is an aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said shipments are cargo shipments and said uniquely identifiable transport accommodation is either an aircraft or a transport vehicle limited to land based operations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said shipments are cargo shipments and said uniquely identifiable transport accommodation is either an aircraft or a transport vehicle limited to water based operations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein booking shipment transport space aboard said determined transport accommodation further comprises generating a computer recognizable booking entry and communicating said entry to software purposed for cargo shipment tracking.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said generated tag including shipment routing information and bar coded information is generated via software purposed for addressing passenger service requirements.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d) further comprises segregating said shipment according to the next destination city'"'"'s handling requirements prior to said stowing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring and recording the transport of shipment stowed in step (f) further comprises determining said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is the shipment'"'"'s final destination and thereafter transporting the shipment to a centralized handling/processing facility.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) further comprises determining said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is not the final destination of said shipment'"'"'s transport and then stowing the shipment tagged in step (e) aboard a subsequent transport accommodation consistent with continuing shipment routing information displayed upon the shipment tag generated in step (d);

tracking and recording the continuing transport of said shipment as it is transported between subsequent uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and termination locations in an iterative manners until said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is determined to be said shipment'"'"'s final destination and thereafter transporting the shipment to a cargo processing facility.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein acknowledging a customer request to transport at least one cargo shipment between two uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate locations further comprises determining said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is not the final destination of said shipment'"'"'s transport;

transporting the shipment to a centralized handling/processing facility for international gateway shipment and then stowing the shipment tagged in step (e) aboard a subsequent transport accommodation consistent with continuing shipment routing information displayed upon the shipment tag generated in step (d);

tracking and recording the continuing transport of said shipment as it is transported between subsequent uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and termination locations in an iterative manner until said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is determined to be said shipment'"'"'s final destination and thereafter transporting the shipment to a final destination centralized handling/processing facility.

11. A shipment tag having shipment routing information and bar coded information in accordance with the method of claim 1.

12. A method for facilitating the transport of shipments according to a scheduled and uniquely identifiable flight sequence and air transport accommodation said method comprising the steps of:

(a) acknowledging a customer request to transport at least one shipment between two uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations;

(b) determining a routing sequence and at least one scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodation satisfying said customer request by accessing a computer resident cargo tracking system and then providing shipment parameters to said system selected from a list including shipment weight limits, shipment size, commodity code, accommodation connect time standards, shipping and receiving rate location hours of operation;

retrieving a routing sequence and transport accommodation from said system based upon optimal space and weight capacity yielded as a result of automated consideration of said shipment parameters;

(c) booking shipment transport space aboard said determined transport accommodation;

(d) generating a shipment tag which includes shipment routing information and bar coded information from within a software system purposed for addressing passenger service requirements;

(e) attaching or otherwise affixing the shipment tag generated in step (d) to a shipment to be shipped according to the routing sequence and transport accommodation determined in step (b);

(f) stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d);

(g) monitoring and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) as it is transported between uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and destination locations; and

(h) advising a customer of a shipment'"'"'s arrival in a final destination location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein stowing the shipment of step (e) aboard a first transport accommodation consistent with shipment routing information generated in step (d) further comprises segregating said shipment according to the next destination city'"'"'s handling requirements prior to said stowing.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein monitoring and recording the transport of shipment stowed in step (f) further comprises determining said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is the shipment'"'"'s final destination and thereafter transporting the shipment to a centralized handling/processing facility.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein tracking and recording the transport of the shipment stowed in step (f) further comprises determining said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is not the final destination of said shipment'"'"'s transport and then stowing the shipment tagged in step (e) aboard a subsequent transport accommodation consistent with continuing shipment routing information displayed upon the shipment tag generated in step (d);

tracking and recording the continuing transport of said shipment as it is transported between subsequent uniquely identifiable and geographically disparate origination and termination locations in an iterative manners until said shipment'"'"'s arrival in a destination location is determined to be said shipment'"'"'s final destination and thereafter transporting the shipment to a centralized handling/processing facility.