Offline processing systems and methods for a carrier management system

• US 20060004675A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• 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: McLaughlin, Paul R., Liu, Jinyue, Mentzer, Charles D., Smith, William W. III, Smith, Matthew J., Hu, Hsiangwen S., Nelson, Reichie R., Bilibin, Paul A., Krett, Lory E., Bjerke, Mark A., Goldhaber, Lynn S., Bennett, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/402
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention includes system and methods for the continued operation of a carrier management system having one or more user terminals that normally communicate with at least one data center over a network (online), when the one or more user terminals are unable to communicate with the data center (offline). Once communication is re-established between the one or more user terminal and the data center, local files and data on the user terminals that were used to rate and ship packages while offline are synchronized between the one or more user terminals and the data center.

Claims

1. A system for applying carrier shipping rates to one or more packages shipped via a carrier management system (CMS), said system comprised of:

a data center accessible via a network, said data center comprising at least rating data and shipping data for rating the shipping of packages by one or more carriers; and

one or more user terminals that each provide access to said data center over said network for users to rate packages, wherein at least a portion of said CMS resides on each user terminal and said user terminal contains rating and shipping files so that said users may continue to ship and process packages when said user terminal is unable to access said data center.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a synchronization module, wherein said rating file and shipping file on said one or more user terminals is synchronized with the rating data and shipping data on said data center when said one or more user terminals have their access to the data center restored.

3. A method of applying carrier shipping rates to one or more packages shipped via a carrier management system (CMS), comprised of:

providing a CMS capable of applying carrier shipping rates to the one or more packages, wherein the CMS has a user terminal and a data center that is accessible by the user terminal over a network;

applying carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal while said user terminal is able to access said data center over said network; and

continuing to apply carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal after said user terminal is unable to access said data center over said network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein continuing to apply carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal after said user terminal is unable to access said data center over said network includes preparing labels to be applied to the one or more packages for their shipment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein preparing labels to be applied to the one or more packages for their shipment includes preparing shipping labels or traveler labels.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising synchronizing data stored on said user terminal when said user terminal is unable to access said data center with data on said data center when access to said data center by said user terminal is restored.

7. A method for synchronizing information on a user terminal with information on a data center in a carrier management system (CMS), comprising the steps of:

providing a CMS capable of applying carrier shipping rates to the one or more packages, wherein the CMS has a user terminal having application files and rating files residing at least on part on said user terminal and a data center that is accessible by the user terminal over a network;

applying carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal while said user terminal is able to access said data center over said network;

continuing to apply carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal after said user terminal is unable to access said data center over said network;

recording at said user terminal transaction information about the application of carrier shipping rates of at least one carrier to the one or more packages with said CMS at said user terminal after said user terminal is unable to access said data center over said network; and

synchronizing user terminal data stored on said user terminal with data center data on said data center when access to said data center by said user terminal is restored, wherein said user terminal data includes shipping files stored on said user terminal while said user terminal is unable to access said data center.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein synchronizing user terminal data stored on said user terminal with data center data on said data center includes synchronizing the application files and rating files on said user terminal with application files and rating files on said data center.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said shipping files on said user terminal includes data about shipping transactions that are processed while said user terminal is unable to access said data center including package weight and dimensions, address data, “

bill to”

data, and carrier and class of service.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said application files on said user terminal includes executable code and data used to process and apply shipping rates to the one or more packages while said user terminal is unable to access said data center.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said rating files on said user terminal includes package rating information of one or more carriers that is used to apply shipping rates to the one or more packages while said user terminal is unable to access said data center.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein synchronizing user terminal data stored on said user terminal with data center data on said data center when access to said data center by said user terminal is restored occurs automatically.

13. A method of universal logon for a user of a carrier management system (CMS) application that at least in part resides on a local user terminal and accesses a CMS data center over a network, comprising:

logging on to said CMS application through the local user terminal using a set of logon credentials established while said user terminal is connected with the CMS data center;

automatically detecting a connection state between said user terminal and said CMS data center;

transferring said local user terminal to an offline mode when said CMS application is unable to detect a connection between said local user terminal and said CMS data center, wherein in said offline mode said CMS application is able to process and ship packages in said offline mode at said local user terminal.

14. A computer program product for controlling a first computing device having at least a first memory, a first processor and a display device, the computer program product is for processing and applying rates to one or more packages for shipment by a carrier and comprises a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, said computer-readable program code portions comprising:

A) a first executable portion executable on said first processor for applying carrier shipping rates to one or more packages for shipment by a carrier by said first executable portion reading said carrier shipping rates of one or more carriers from a second memory associated with a second computing device and determining said carrier shipping rates to be applied to each package; and

B) a second executable portion executable on said first processor for detecting when said carrier shipping rates of one or more carriers from said second memory of said second computing device cannot be read by said first executable portion and then applying carrier shipping rates to one or more packages for shipment by a carrier by said first executable portion reading said carrier shipping rates of one or more carriers from said first memory associated with said first computing device, determining said carrier shipping rates to be applied to each package, and storing information about the carrier shipping rate applied to each package in said first memory.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, said computer-readable program code portions further comprising:

C) a third executable portion executable on said first processor for detecting when said computing device may access said second computing device and then synchronizing said carrier shipping rates stored in said first memory with said carrier shipping rates stored in said second memory and transferring at least a copy of said information about the carrier shipping rate applied to each package stored in said first memory to said second memory.