Estimated time of arrival (ETA) systems and methods

• US 8,219,503 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shinichi, Kawano, Takenari, Nishioka, Ken, Tsuga, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US12/467,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 705/330, 705/7, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system on a network provides estimated time of arrival information to a client located on the network. The system is adapted to present to the client pages for eliciting a product inquiry including a product number. The system receives the product inquiry, determines estimated time of arrivals for various destinations for at least one in-transit unit having the product number, and transmits to the client the estimated time of arrivals.

Claims

1. A server system for diverting a quantity of in-transit units having a product number, comprising:

a unit configured to present to a client located on a network a form adapted to elicit product inquiry information including the product number;

a unit configured to receive the product inquiry information including the product number;

a calculation unit configured to calculate, using a processor, a plurality of estimated time of arrivals to a plurality of destinations for a plurality of in-transit units having the product number and a due date associated with the plurality of estimated time of arrivals by which a diversion request must be completed to cause the quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted, wherein at least one of the plurality of in-transit units is designated to a customer;

a unit configured to present to the client the plurality of estimated time of arrivals and the due date; and

a unit configured to receive the diversion request to cause the quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted to at least one of the plurality of destinations.

2. A server system according to claim 1,

wherein the diversion request includes a shipping carrier identifier, the product number, the quantity, and a destination identifier, and

wherein the server system further comprises a unit configured to present to the client an acknowledgement that the quantity of in-transit units have been diverted to a final destination corresponding to the destination identifier.

3. A server system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a unit configured to receive a product purchase order including a product number, the quantity, and a customer identifier;

a unit configured to present to the client an acknowledgement that the product purchase order has been accepted; and

a unit configured to instruct diversion of the quantity of in-transit units of that product number to a final destination based on the customer identifier.

4. A server system according to claim 1, wherein the due date by which the diversion request must be completed is calculated based on when the quantity of in-transit units will be coded as unavailable for diversion.

5. A server system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sales history source configured to collect sales history information and transmit a sales history value corresponding to one of the plurality of destinations.

6. A server system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an inventory information source configured to collect inventory information and transmit a current inventory value for one of the plurality of destinations.

7. A server system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a back order information source configured to collect back order information and transmit a current back order value for one of the plurality of destinations.

8. A server system according to claim 1,

wherein the quantity of in-transit units is represented by a number of containers holding the plurality of in-transit units, and

wherein the server system further comprises a unit configured to transmit a number representing how many units a container holds.

9. A server system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit is further adapted to calculate a suggested quantity of in-transit units to be diverted to one of the plurality of destinations.

10. A server system according to claim 9, wherein the calculation unit is further adapted to calculate the suggested quantity of in-transit units to divert based on historical allocation data of the plurality of destinations.

11. A server system according to claim 1, wherein the form is composed of one or more pages adapted to elicit from the client a product diversion request including a shipping carrier identifier, a product number, a quantity number, and a destination identifier.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

present to a client located on a network a form adapted to elicit product inquiry information including a product number;

receive the product inquiry information including the product number;

calculate a plurality of estimated time of arrivals to a plurality of destinations for a plurality of in-transit units having the product number and a due date associated with the plurality of estimated time of arrivals by which a diversion request must be completed to cause a quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted, wherein at least one of the plurality of in-transit units is designated to a customer;

present to the client the plurality of estimated time of arrivals and the due date; and

receive the diversion request to cause the quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted to at least one of the plurality of destinations.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code, which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

present to the client an acknowledgement that the quantity of in-transit units have been diverted to a final destination corresponding to the destination identifier,

wherein the diversion request includes a shipping carrier identifier, the product number, the quantity, and a destination identifier.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code, which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

receive a product purchase order including a product number, the quantity, and a customer identifier;

present to the client an acknowledgement that the product purchase order has been accepted; and

instruct diversion of the quantity of in-transit units of that product number to a final destination based on the customer identifier.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

collect sales history information; and

transmit a sales history value corresponding to one of the plurality of destinations.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

collect inventory information; and

transmit a current inventory value for one of the plurality of destinations.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

collect back order information; and

transmit a current back order value for one of the plurality of destinations.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, further storing code which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

transmit a number representing how many units a container holds,

wherein the quantity of in-transit units is represented by a number of containers holding the plurality of in-transit units.

19. The non transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 further storing code, which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

calculate a suggested quantity of in-transit units to be diverted to one of the plurality of destinations.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, further storing code, which when executed by the computer causes the computer to:

calculate the suggested quantity of in-transit units to divert based on historical allocation data of the plurality of destinations.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the form is composed of one or more pages adapted to elicit from the client a product diversion request including a shipping carrier identifier, a product number, a quantity number, and a destination identifier.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the due date by which the diversion request must be completed is calculated based on when the quantity of in-transit units will be coded as unavailable for diversion.

23. A method for diverting a quantity of in-transit units having a product number, comprising the steps of:

using at least one processor to perform the steps of;

presenting to a client located on a network a form adapted to elicit product inquiry information including the product number;

receiving the product inquiry information including the product number;

calculating a plurality of estimated time of arrivals to a plurality of destinations for a plurality of in-transit units having the product number and a due date associated with the plurality of estimated time of arrivals by which a diversion request must be completed to cause the quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted, wherein at least one of the plurality of in-transit units is designated to a customer;

presenting to the client the plurality of estimated time of arrivals and the due date; and

receiving the diversion request to cause the quantity of in-transit units having the product number to be diverted to at least one of the plurality of destinations.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

presenting to the client an acknowledgement that the quantity of in-transit units have been diverted to a final destination corresponding to the destination identifier,

wherein the diversion request includes a shipping carrier identifier, the product number, the quantity, and a destination identifier.

25. The method according to claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a product purchase order including a product number, the quantity, and a customer identifier;

presenting to the client an acknowledgement that the product purchase order has been accepted; and

instructing diversion of the quantity of in-transit units of that product number to a final destination based on the customer identifier.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the due date by which the diversion request must be completed is calculated based on when the quantity of in-transit units will be coded as unavailable for diversion.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

collecting sales history information; and

transmitting a sales history value corresponding to one of the plurality of destinations.

28. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

collecting inventory information; and

transmitting a current inventory value for one of the plurality of destinations.

29. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

collecting back order information; and

transmitting a current back order value for one of the plurality of destinations.

30. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a number representing how many units a container holds,

wherein the quantity of in-transit units is represented by a number of containers holding the plurality of in-transit units.

31. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

calculating a suggested quantity of in-transit units to be diverted to one of the plurality of destinations.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of:

calculating the suggested quantity of in-transit units to divert based on historical allocation data of the plurality of destinations.

33. The method according to claim 23, wherein the form is composed of one or more pages adapted to elicit from the client a product diversion request including a shipping carrier identifier, a product number, a quantity number, and a destination identifier.