Methods and systems for accessing information related to an order of a commodity

• US 8,131,599 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trace Produce LLC
• Original Assignee: Trace Produce LLC
• Inventors: Farmer, James G., Farmer, Charles W., Farmer, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US11/363,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/28, 705/26.61, 707/104.1, 707/7, 707200-205, 119/721
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Methods of allowing a customer to access information related to an order of a commodity include entering the information into a central database, updating a content of a web-based application with the information within the central database, and allowing the customer to access the information via the web-based application. The information may include sales information, shipping information, tracing information, packout information, inventory information, and/or inspection information corresponding to the order of the commodity. Systems for allowing a customer to access information related to an order of a commodity include a server configured to store the information in a central database, one or more terminals having one or more applications configured to enter the information into the central database, and a web-based application configured to allow the customer to access the information within the central database. The information may include sales information, shipping information, tracing information, packout information, inventory information, and/or inspection information corresponding to the order of the commodity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allowing a customer to access information related to an order of a commodity, said computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a central database on an electronic storage medium;

receiving, by a server communicatively coupled to said central database, said information related to an order of a commodity;

entering, by said server, said information from said server into said central database;

allowing, by said server, said customer to access said information via said server using a web-based application running on a remote terminal;

wherein said information comprises inspection information corresponding to said order of said commodity and at least one or more of sales information, shipping information, packout information, inventory information, and tracing information corresponding to said order of said commodity;

transmitting, by said server, to said web-based application running on the remote terminal original source location information of said commodity;

transmitting, by said server, to said web-based application running on the remote terminal a photograph of a field used to grow said commodity; and

linking, by said server, a tracking identification (tracking ID) of said commodity to said information, said original source location information, and said photograph of said field used to grow said commodity, wherein said information, said original source location information, and said photograph are stored in said central database.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said original source location comprises at least one or more of a field and a packing facility.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said commodity comprises at least one or more of a produce, grain, meat, and livestock.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving, at a server communicatively coupled to said central database, said information related to an order of a commodity comprises:

assigning said tracking identification (tracking ID) to a lot of said commodity, said lot of said commodity having a common original source location and harvest date;

wherein said customer uses said tracking ID to access said information via said web-based application.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said tracing information comprises a photograph of said order of said inspected commodity and a photograph of a packing facility wherein said commodity is processed.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said tracing information comprises a photograph of a grower of said commodity, text describing said original source location, text describing said grower of said commodity, and text describing said packing facility.

5. A system for allowing a customer to access information related to an order of a commodity, said system comprising:

a server configured to store said information in a central database, said information comprising inspection information corresponding to said order of said commodity and at least one or more of sales information, shipping information, packout information, inventory information, and tracing information corresponding to said order of said commodity;

said server configured to link a tracking identification (tracking ID) of said commodity to said information and to a photograph of a field used to grow said commodity;

said server further configured to transmit the photograph of the field used to grow said commodity to a web-based application;

one or more terminals having one or more applications configured to enter said information and said photograph into said central database; and

the web-based application configured to display said photograph and allow said customer to access said information within said central database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said commodity comprises at least one or more of a produce, grain, meat, and livestock.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein one or more tracking identification (tracking ID) numbers are linked to said order of said commodity, wherein said tracking ID numbers are used by said customer to access said information.

8. A system for tracing a lot of a commodity to its original source location, said system comprising:

a server configured to store tracing information in a central database on an electronic storage medium, said tracing information comprising information describing said original source location of said commodity and a photograph of a field used to grow said commodity;

a first terminal having an application configured to link said tracing information within said central database to a United States Department of Agriculture positive lot identification number (USDA PLI number) corresponding to said lot of said commodity; and

a second terminal configured to display said tracing information by querying said central database via a web-based application, wherein said second terminal is configured to display said original source location of said commodity and said photograph of said field used to grow said commodity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said commodity comprises produce and said source comprises a field in which said produce is grown.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said commodity comprises at least one or more of a produce, grain, meat, and livestock.

11. A computer program product for providing a customer access to information related to an order of a commodity, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code programmed to receive said information related to an order of a commodity;

code programmed to enter said information into a central database on an electronic storage medium, wherein said information includes;

inspection information corresponding to said order of said commodity and at least one or more of sales information, shipping information, packout information, inventory information, and tracing information corresponding to said order of said commodity;

code programmed to link a tracking identification (tracking ID) of said commodity to said information and to a photograph of a field used to grow said commodity;

code programmed to allow a customer to access said information and said photograph in said central database via a web-enabled terminal; and

code programmed to transmit to said web-enabled terminal the photograph of the field used to grow said commodity.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

code programmed to generate a number of web pages configured to display said information related to said order of said commodity in response to an access request by said customer via said web-enabled terminal.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said commodity comprises at least one or more of a produce, grain, meat, and livestock.