Reporting shipping rates and delivery schedules for multiple services and multiple carriers

• US 8,346,676 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bennett, David Allison, Goldhaber, Lynn Shaindell, Bilibin, Paul, Mentzer, Charles D., Smith, William W. III, Liu, Jinyue
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Traci L
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, MICHAEL M
• Application Number:
  US09/684,869
• Time in Patent Office: 4,470 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/28, 705/401, 705/408, 705/410, 705/1.1, 705/333, 705/335, 705/500
• US Class Current: 705/335
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• 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 10/0834 Choice of carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for displaying to each of a plurality of users upon each user'"'"'s request a preview of shipping rates and delivery schedules for the particular user to ship a particular package, wherein each user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a client computer device, and wherein each user has an individual electronic connection to the global communications network. The present invention compares shipping rates and delivery schedules for each service and each carrier for shipping a particular package and reports the carrier and service offering the lowest rate or the fastest delivery schedule, according to the user'"'"'s option.

Claims

1. A server-based shipping management computer system comprising at least one server computer, said at least one server computer comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by said at least one server computer for:

receiving, from a user, a user input through a remote client computer, said user input comprising an identification of a particular destination, a set of package specifications for a particular package that is to be delivered to the particular destination and an indication of a shipping date;

in response to receiving the user input;

determining a first shipping rate and a corresponding first target delivery date according to the user input, said first shipping rate being a rate that a first carrier would charge to deliver said package to said particular destination by the corresponding first target delivery date, according to a first delivery service and according to the user input,

determining a second shipping rate and a corresponding second target delivery date according to the user input, said second shipping rate being a rate that said first carrier would charge to deliver said package to said particular destination by the corresponding first target delivery date, according to a second delivery service and according to the user input,

determining a third shipping rate and a corresponding third target delivery date according to the user input, said third shipping rate being a rate that a second carrier would charge to deliver said package to said particular destination by the corresponding third target delivery date according to a third delivery service and according to the user input,

determining a fourth shipping rate and a corresponding fourth target delivery date according to the user input, said fourth shipping rate being a rate that said second carrier would charge to deliver said package to said particular destination by the corresponding fourth target delivery date according to a fourth delivery service and according to the user input, and

simultaneously displaying a graphic display to a display device operable with the remote client computer, said graphic display comprising simultaneous graphic display of said first, second, third, and fourth shipping rates with a corresponding indication of the corresponding first, second, third and fourth target delivery dates, said simultaneous graphic display of said first, second, third and fourth shipping rate comprising a corresponding indication of the respective first or second carrier, and further comprising a corresponding interactive selection indicator disposed for user-selection of one of the first, second, third or fourth delivery service respectively for shipping said package;

receiving a request from said user through the remote client computer to ship said package on the shipping date to said particular destination via a particular delivery service, said particular delivery service being selected from a group consisting of;

(A) said first delivery service;

(B) said second delivery service;

(C) said third delivery service, and (D) said fourth delivery service, said request comprising an interactive user selection of a particular corresponding interactive selection indicator that corresponds on said graphic display to said particular delivery service; and

in response to said request, facilitating delivery of said package to said particular destination via said particular delivery service.

2. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said first delivery service and said third delivery service are both next day delivery services.

3. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said first delivery service and said third delivery service are both second day delivery services.

4. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 1, wherein said step of simultaneously displaying said first, second, third, and fourth shipping rates with a corresponding indication of the corresponding first, second, third and fourth target delivery dates to said user comprises:

generating said simultaneous graphic display of said first, second, third, and fourth shipping rates with a corresponding indication of the corresponding first, second, third and fourth target delivery dates; and

transmitting said simultaneous graphic display to the remote client computer for display on a display device operable with said remote client computer.

5. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 1, said computer readable program code further adapted to be executed by said at least one server computer, in further response to receiving the user input, for;

identifying a corresponding first time on said corresponding first target delivery date by which said first carrier would deliver said package to said particular destination, according to the user input, if said first carrier were to deliver said package to said particular destination via said first delivery service;

identifying a corresponding second time on said corresponding second target delivery date by which said first carrier would deliver said package to said particular destination, according to the user input, if said first carrier were to deliver said package to said particular destination via said second delivery service;

identifying a corresponding third time on said corresponding third target delivery date by which said second carrier would deliver said package to said particular destination, according to the user input, if said second carrier were to deliver said package to said particular destination via said third delivery service;

identifying a corresponding fourth time on said corresponding fourth target delivery date by which said second carrier would deliver said package to said particular destination, according to the user input, if said second carrier were to deliver said package to said particular destination via said fourth delivery service and

said simultaneously displaying said graphic display further comprising simultaneously displaying said first, second, third, and fourth shipping rates with a corresponding indication of the corresponding first, second, third and fourth target delivery dates and the corresponding first, second, third and fourth times.

6. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 5, wherein said first day and said second day are the same day.

7. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 1:

said first delivery service comprising a next day delivery service;

said third delivery service comprising a next day delivery service; and

said first day and said second day comprising different days.

8. A server-based shipping management computer system comprising at least one server computer, said at least one server computer comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by said at least one server computer for:

in response to receiving an input by a user through a particular remote client computer, said input comprising of an indication by the user to purchase an item and further comprising an indication by the user to have the item shipped to a particular destination on a particular shipping date, obtaining from a seller, package specifications for a particular package comprising the item, calculating a first shipping rate a first carrier would charge for delivering said particular package to said particular destination via a first delivery service, and identifying a first date and time according to the input and according to the package specifications, by which said first carrier would deliver the particular package to the particular destination according to the input and according to the package specifications, if said first carrier were to deliver said package to said particular destination via said first delivery service;

in further response to receiving the input, calculating a second shipping rate said first carrier would charge for delivering said particular package to said particular destination via a second delivery service, and identifying a second date and time according to the input and according to the package specifications, by which said first carrier would deliver said particular package to said particular destination according to the input and according to the package specifications, if said first carrier were to deliver said particular package to said particular destination via said second delivery service;

in further response to receiving the input, calculating a third shipping rate a second carrier would charge for delivering said particular package to said particular destination via a third delivery service, and identifying a third date and time according to the input and according to the package specifications, by which said second carrier would deliver said particular package to said particular destination according to the input and according to the package specifications, if said second carrier were to deliver said particular package to said particular destination via said third delivery service;

in further response to receiving the input, calculating a fourth shipping rate said second carrier would charge for delivering said particular package to said particular destination via a fourth delivery service, and identifying a fourth date and time according to the input and according to the package specifications, by which said second carrier would deliver said particular package to said particular destination according to the input and according to the package specifications, if said second carrier were to deliver said particular package to said particular destination via said fourth delivery service; and

in further response to receiving the input, simultaneously displaying to a display device operable with the remote client computer;

(A) a first delivery schedule indicia comprising the first shipping rate in a graphic association with an indication of said first date and time and further comprising an indication of said first carrier and further comprising a corresponding first interactive selection indicator;

(B) a second delivery schedule indicia comprising the second shipping rate in a graphic association with an indication of said second date and time and further comprising an indication of said first carrier and further comprising a corresponding second interactive selection indicator;

(C) a third delivery schedule indicia comprising the third shipping rate in a graphic association with an indication of said third date and time and further comprising an indication of said second carrier and further comprising a corresponding third interactive selection indicator; and

(D) a fourth delivery schedule indicia comprising the fourth shipping rate in a graphic association with an indication of said fourth date and time and further comprising an indication of said second carrier and further comprising a corresponding fourth interactive selection indicator.

9. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 8, said computer readable program code further adapted to be executed by said at least one server computer for:

receiving a request from said user to ship said particular package to said particular destination via a particular delivery service, said particular delivery service being selected from a group consisting of;

(A) said first delivery service;

(B) said second delivery service;

(C) said third delivery service, and (D) said fourth delivery service, said request comprising a user-selection of one of said corresponding first, second, third or fourth interactive selection indicators; and

in response to receiving said request, charging the user for a shipping rate associated with the interactive selection indicator selected by the user and printing a shipping label in conformance with requirements by the carrier associated with the shipping rate selected by the use.

10. The server-based shipping management computer system of claim 8, wherein said first day and said second day are the same day.