Real-time pricing of shipping vendors

• US 8,712,924 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lynch Marks LLC
• Original Assignee: Lynch Marks LLC
• Inventors: Marks, Peter, O'Brien, Duane P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/009,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/335
• 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 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for real-time pricing of shipping vendors are provided. Various shipping vendors may be queried concerning shipping specifications. Some embodiments provide for a query to be transmitted to a shipping vendor through an interface associated with the particular shipping vendor. In response to the query, real-time pricing information associated with the shipping specifications is received and displayed to a user. Upon the user designating a shipping vendor, customized shipping labels for each shipping vendor may be generated.

Claims

1. A method for real-time pricing of shipping vendors, the method comprising:

maintaining vendor information in memory concerning a plurality of shipping vendors, the vendor information concerning querying each shipping vendor;

querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors with one or more shipping specifications, each query being specific to the shipping vendor;

receiving real-time pricing information associated with the one or more shipping specifications from one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors, the real-time pricing information including a price generated by the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors in response to the query;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor generates a menu display of the received real-time pricing information from the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors;

receiving a designation concerning a chosen shipping vendor, the shipping vendor chosen from the menu display; and

generating a shipping label specific to the chosen shipping vendor based on at least the one or more shipping specifications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a user device to receive shipping specifications, communicate with the plurality of shipping vendors, and display received information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring the user device further comprises storing account information associated with each of the plurality of shipping vendors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more shipping specifications is based on information provided by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more shipping specifications is based on information provided by a contacts manager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors occurs asynchronously.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors comprises using a vendor-specific interface associated with a shipping vendor from the plurality of shipping vendors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated menu display further includes shipping options associated with each shipping vendor.

9. A system for real-time pricing of shipping vendors, the system comprising:

a vendor database in memory and configured to store information concerning a plurality of shipping vendors, the information concerning querying each shipping vendor;

a communications interface configured to query each of the plurality of shipping vendors for real-time pricing information based on one or more shipping specifications, each query being specific to the shipping vendor, and to receive real-time pricing information associated with the one or more shipping specifications from one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors, the real-time pricing information including a price generated by the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors in response to the query;

a display generator stored in memory and executable by a processor to generate a menu display of the real-time pricing information received from the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors; and

a label generator configured to generate a shipping label based on the one or more shipping specifications, the shipping label being associated with a chosen shipping vendor, the chosen shipping vendor being chosen from the menu display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications interface is further configured to query the plurality of shipping vendors asynchronously.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications interface comprises a vendor-specific interface for querying a shipping vendor from the plurality of shipping vendors.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the query to the plurality of shipping vendors is further based on the one or more shipping specifications.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more shipping specifications is provided by a user.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more shipping specifications is based on information provided by a contacts manager.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the label generator is further configured to generate a plurality of shipping labels, each shipping label associated with a designated shipping vendor from the plurality of shipping vendors.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon at least one program, the at least one program being executable by a processor in a computing device to perform a method for real-time pricing of shipping vendors, the method comprising:

maintaining vendor information concerning a plurality of shipping vendors, the vendor information concerning querying each shipping vendor;

querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors with one or more shipping specifications, each query being specific to the shipping vendor;

receiving real-time pricing information associated with the one or more shipping specifications from one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors, the real-time pricing information including a price generated by the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors in response to the query;

generating a menu display of the received real-time pricing information from the one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors;

receiving a designation concerning a chosen shipping vendor, the shipping vendor chosen from the menu display; and

generating a shipping label specific to the chosen shipping vendor based on at least the one or more shipping specifications.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises configuring a user device to receive shipping specifications, communicate with the plurality of shipping vendors, and display received information.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors asynchronously.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises querying each of the plurality of shipping vendors using a vendor-specific interface associated with a shipping vendor from the plurality of shipping vendors.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises receiving the one or more shipping specifications from a contacts manager.