Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel shipping management
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:
- identifying a relationship between;
(A) a particular parcel;
(B) a carrier-specific tracking number used by a carrier-specific computer system for a particular carrier of a plurality of carriers to track the particular parcel; and
(C) a system-generated tracking number that uniquely identifies the particular parcel within the multi-carrier, shipping management computer system;
storing the relationship in a memory accessible by the shipping management computer system; and
in response to receiving, via a remote computer device, a shipment status request that comprises the system-generated tracking number;
(A) using the system-generated tracking number to identify the carrier-specific tracking number and the carrier-specific computer system for the particular carrier from a plurality of carrier computer systems;
(B) using the carrier-specific tracking number to obtain shipment status information for the particular parcel from the carrier-specific computer system by transmitting a request to said carrier-specific computer system for shipping status information for the particular parcel according to the carrier-specific tracking number, and receiving a response from said carrier-specific computer system comprising said shipping status information; and
(C) displaying the shipment status information to a user via a display associated with the remote computer device.
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Abstract
The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods providing a single system available over a global communications network for shipping management for each parcel from a plurality of parcels that each Shipper of a plurality of Shippers ships using any one of a plurality of services offered by any one of a plurality of carriers.
124 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:
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identifying a relationship between;
(A) a particular parcel;
(B) a carrier-specific tracking number used by a carrier-specific computer system for a particular carrier of a plurality of carriers to track the particular parcel; and
(C) a system-generated tracking number that uniquely identifies the particular parcel within the multi-carrier, shipping management computer system;storing the relationship in a memory accessible by the shipping management computer system; and in response to receiving, via a remote computer device, a shipment status request that comprises the system-generated tracking number; (A) using the system-generated tracking number to identify the carrier-specific tracking number and the carrier-specific computer system for the particular carrier from a plurality of carrier computer systems; (B) using the carrier-specific tracking number to obtain shipment status information for the particular parcel from the carrier-specific computer system by transmitting a request to said carrier-specific computer system for shipping status information for the particular parcel according to the carrier-specific tracking number, and receiving a response from said carrier-specific computer system comprising said shipping status information; and (C) displaying the shipment status information to a user via a display associated with the remote computer device.
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2. A shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:
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receiving a set of shipping criteria that has been input by a user via a remote computer device for shipping a particular parcel, said shipping criteria comprising a selection by said user of a particular carrier of a plurality of carriers for shipping the particular parcel; generating a system-generated unique tracking number for the particular parcel that is to be shipped by said particular carrier according to said set of shipping criteria; associating the system-generated unique tracking number for the particular parcel with a corresponding carrier-specific tracking number assigned by the particular carrier for the particular parcel, said carrier-specific tracking number being used by a particular carrier computer system for the particular carrier to track the particular parcel; and in response to receiving, via a remote computer device, a shipment status request that comprises the system-generated tracking number; (A) using the system-generated tracking number to identify the carrier-specific tracking number and the particular carrier computer system for the particular carrier from a plurality of carrier computer systems; (B) using the carrier-specific tracking number to obtain shipment status information for the particular parcel from the particular carrier computer system for the particular carrier; and (C) displaying the shipment status information to a user via a display associated with the remote computer device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:
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receiving an online tracking request for a particular parcel from a user, wherein the user submits the online tracking request to the shipping management computer system via a global communications network using a user client computer device, and wherein the online tracking request comprises a tracking number that corresponds to the particular parcel; using said tracking number to identify a carrier-specific tracking number, a particular carrier of a plurality of carriers that is to deliver the particular parcel and a corresponding particular carrier shipping status system of a plurality of carrier shipping status systems; polling, via a global communications network, said corresponding particular carrier shipping status system for a shipping status of the particular parcel according to the carrier-specific tracking number, said particular carrier shipping status system being associated with said particular carrier; and responding to the online tracking request with an online tracking report that includes the shipping status of the respective particular parcel.
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8. A shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:
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receiving an online user tracking request to obtain current tracking status information for a particular package, wherein said online user tracking request comprises an indication of a tracking identifier that uniquely identifies the particular package within the shipping management computer system; using the tracking identifier to identify a carrier-specific tracking identifier, a particular carrier of a plurality of carriers, and a particular carrier shipping status system from a plurality of carrier shipping status systems, said particular carrier shipping status system being associated with said particular carrier that is to deliver said particular package; using the carrier-specific tracking identifier to poll, via a global communications network, the particular carrier shipping status system for current tracking status information for the particular package; and responding to the online user tracking request with an online tracking report that comprises the current tracking status of the particular package.
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Specification