Compiled data for software applications

• US 8,584,107 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Skaistis, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROPHY, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US11/827,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20080127139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/427 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/44 Encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods of converting data used for shipment rate calculations into executable code. More specifically, certain embodiments if the present invention provide systems and methods of converting data used for shipment calculations into executable code by scanning the data from at least one source file, parsing the data in accordance with a template, and generating the executable code by utilizing the parsed data. As a result, the code may be executed to provide the data used for shipment rate calculations without having to access the original source file. In addition, compiling such data into executable code may improve look-up performance, may provide encapsulation of logic related to the specific nature of the data, and may provide a mechanism by which the raw data is not overtly exposed to end users of the software and third-parties.

Claims

1. A system for converting zone and rate data used for shipment rate calculations into executable code, said system comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to execute one or more applications, wherein said one or more applications, when executed, are configured to perform the steps of;

a) scanning said zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one rate chart and at least one zone chart;

b) after scanning said zone and rate data from said at least one source file, parsing said zone and rate data in accordance with at least one template, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

c) utilizing said parsed zone and rate data to generate said executable code, wherein;

said executable code is executable, without accessing said at least one source file, to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a shipment, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify a shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and (4) provide said shipping rate for said shipment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one source file comprises at least one attribute block that includes one or more data definition attributes.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said zone data or said rate data comprises at least one line of delimited values as defined by said attribute block.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising;

(a) a chart name for said at least one zone chart;

(b) an indicator of whether said zone data is domestic or international;

(c) an origin country of said shipment;

(d) a service for said zone data;

(d) a layout of said zone data;

(e) an origin postal code that said zone data applies to; and

(f) an effective date for said zone data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising a chart name for said at least one rate chart, an effective date for said rate data, header information, and prefix information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one template describes descriptors, types, and formats of elements contained within said at least one source file.

7. A system for retrieving zone and rate data used for shipment rate calculations comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to execute one or more applications, wherein said one or more applications, when executed, are configured to perform the steps of;

calling an executable code, wherein;

said executable code is generated by scanning said zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one rate chart and at least one zone chart and parsing said zone and rate data in accordance with at least one template, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

said executable code is executable without accessing said source file to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a shipment, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify a shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and (4) provide said shipping rate for said shipment.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one source file comprises at least one attribute block that includes one or more data definition attributes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said zone data or said rate data comprises at least one line of delimited values as defined by said attribute block.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising;

(a) a chart name for said at least one zone chart;

(b) an indicator of whether said zone data is domestic or international;

(c) an origin country of said shipment;

(d) a service for said zone data;

(d) a layout of said zone data;

(e) an origin postal code that said zone data applies to; and

(f) an effective date for said zone data.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising a chart name for said at least one rate chart, an effective date for said rate data, header information, and prefix information.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one template describes descriptors, types, and formats of elements contained within said at least one source file.

13. A computer-implemented method for converting zone and rate data used for shipment rate calculations into executable code comprising:

a) scanning said zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one rate chart and at least one zone chart;

b) parsing said zone and rate data in accordance with at least one template by at least one computer processor, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

c) generating said executable code by said at least one computer processor utilizing said parsed zone and rate data, wherein said executable code is executable, without accessing said source file, to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a shipment, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify a shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and (4) provide said shipping rate for said shipment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising;

(a) a chart name for said at least one zone chart, (b) an indicator of whether said zone data is domestic or international, (c) an origin country of said shipment, (d) a service for said zone data, (e) a layout of said zone data, (f) an origin postal code that said zone data applies to, and (g) an effective date for said zone data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising a chart name for said at least one rate chart, an effective date for said rate data, header information, and prefix information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one template describes descriptors, types, and formats of elements contained within said at least one source file.

17. A method for retrieving a shipping rate comprising the step of:

calling an executable code by at least one computer processor, wherein;

said executable code is generated by scanning zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one rate chart and at least one zone chart and parsing said rate data and said zone data in accordance with at least one template, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

said executable code is executable without accessing said source file to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a shipment, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify said shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and (4) provide said shipping rate for said shipment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising;

(a) a chart name for said at least one zone chart, (b) an indicator of whether said chart data is domestic or international, (c) an origin country of said shipment, (d) a service for said chart data, (e) a layout of said chart data, (f) an origin postal code that said chart data applies to, and (g) an effective date for said chart data.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said at least one source file comprises attribute blocks comprising a chart name for said at least one rate chart, an effective date for said rate data, header information, and prefix information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said at least one template describes descriptors, types, and formats of elements contained within said at least one source file.

21. A method for securing zone and rate data used in a transaction, comprising:

a) scanning said zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one zone chart and at least one rate chart;

b) parsing said zone and rate data in accordance with at least one template by at least one computer processor, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

c) generating executable code utilizing said parsed zone and rate data, wherein;

said executable code is executable without accessing said source file to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a transaction, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify a shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and to provide said shipping rate required to complete said transaction.

22. A method for securing zone and rate data provided to a user, comprising:

a) scanning said zone and rate data from at least one source file comprising source data for at least one zone chart and at least one rate chart;

b) parsing said zone and rate data in accordance with at least one template by at least one computer processor, said at least one template being embodied within said at least one source file; and

c) generating executable code by at least one computer processor utilizing said parsed zone and rate data, wherein;

said executable code is executable without accessing said source file to;

(1) receive one or more parameters related to a transaction, (2) perform a first lookup to identify a shipping zone based on at least one of said one or more parameters, (3) perform a second lookup to identify a shipping rate based on at least said shipping zone, and to provide said shipping rate to a user.