Apparatus and method for providing shipment information

• US 7,253,731 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transcend Shipping Systems, LLC (Raymond Anthony Joao)
• Original Assignee: Raymond Anthony Joao
• Inventors: Joao, Raymond Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/055,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 414/803, 414/340, 211/189, 235/462.46, 340/573.1, 340/425.5, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.13, 340/438, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.13, 340/539, 340/991, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/588, 340/686.1, 340/689, 340/988, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/539.1, 342/357.01, 342/426.22, 700/226, 700/90, 700/115, 705/5, 705/7, 705/11, 705/14, 705/28, 705/29, 707/102
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An apparatus, including a shipment conveyance device, associated with a shipment, which is a shipping a container, pallet, or tote, a memory device, located at the shipment conveyance device, in which information regarding the shipment is stored, a global positioning device, located at the shipment conveyance device, which determines a position or location of the shipment conveyance device, a processing device which processes information regarding the shipment and/or shipment conveyance device in response to an occurrence of an event or in response to a request for information and generates a message containing information regarding the position or location of the shipment conveyance device and information regarding the occurrence of an event, a status of the shipment, a shipment temperature, or an impact or force on the shipment conveyance device, and a transmitter, located at the shipment conveyance device, which transmits the message to a communication device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a shipment conveyance device, wherein the shipment conveyance device is associated with a shipment, and further wherein the shipment conveyance device is at least one of a shipping container, a pallet, and a tote;

a memory device, wherein the memory device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein information regarding the shipment is stored in the memory device, and further wherein the information regarding the shipment includes a description of a good, product, or item, being shipped via the shipment conveyance device, and at least one of origination information, sender information, shipper information, destination information, receiver information, handling instruction information, delivery instruction information, invoice information, packing ship information, delivery time information, and payment instruction information, regarding the shipment;

a global positioning device, wherein the global positioning device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, and further wherein the global positioning device determines a position or location of the shipment conveyance device;

a processing device, wherein the processing device processes at least one of information regarding the shipment and information regarding the shipment conveyance device in response to an occurrence of an event or in response to a request for information regarding the shipment or the shipment conveyance device, wherein the processing device generates a message containing information regarding the position or location of the shipment or the shipment conveyance device and information regarding at least one of the occurrence of an event, a status of the shipment, a shipment temperature, and an impact or force on the shipment conveyance device; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein the transmitter transmits the message to a communication device associated with at least one an individual or entity, a sender of the shipment, a receiver of the shipment, a carrier of the shipment, and an individual or entity authorized to receive information regarding the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display device, wherein the display device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein the display device displays or provides information regarding the shipment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver, wherein the receiver receives the request for information regarding the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message contains information regarding a stop made by a carrier of the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a sensor, wherein the sensor monitors or measures at least one of a temperature during the shipment, a shock exerted on the shipment conveyance device, an impact exerted on the shipment conveyance device, and a force exerted on the shipment conveyance device,

wherein the message contains information regarding at least one of a temperature of the shipment, a change in a shipment temperature, and an impact or force exerted on the shipment conveyance device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message contains information regarding an unusual stopping period regarding the shipment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to automatically generate the message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device generates a shipment delivery message, and further wherein the apparatus transmits the shipment delivery message to the communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is a detection of a deviation from a pre-determined transportation route associated with the shipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is a detection of an unauthorized carrier or a wrong carrier transporting the shipment or the shipment conveyance device or a detection of an unauthorized receiver of the shipment or the shipment conveyance device or a wrong receiver of the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is a detection of a shipment temperature which deviates from a shipment temperature requirement.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event is a detection of at least one of an impact experienced by the shipment conveyance device, a force experienced by the shipment conveyance device, a mishandling of the shipment conveyance device, a dropping of the shipment conveyance device, and an accident involving the shipment conveyance device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input device for inputting information regarding a person or entity attempting to receive the shipment or the shipment conveyance device,

wherein the processing device processes the information regarding a person or entity attempting to receive the shipment or the shipment conveyance device and determines whether or not the person or entity is a proper receiver of the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device detects an occurrence giving rise to an insurance claim regarding the shipment, and further wherein the message includes insurance claim information.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message is transmitted on or over at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shipping container is at least one of a refrigerated container, a heated container, and an insulated container.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication device is at least one of a wireless device and a personal digital assistant.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message contains at least one of information regarding a description of a good, product, or item, being shipped via the shipment conveyance device, origination information regarding the shipment, sender information regarding the shipment, shipper information regarding the shipment, destination information regarding the shipment, receiver information regarding the shipment, handling instruction information regarding the shipment, delivery instruction information regarding the shipment, invoice information regarding the shipment, packing slip information regarding the shipment, delivery time information regarding the shipment, and payment instruction information regarding the shipment.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus stores at least one of information regarding a temperature requirement regarding the shipment, digitized map information, information regarding a stop or stops made during a transport of the shipment, and travel route information regarding the shipment.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a shipment conveyance device, wherein the shipment conveyance device is at least one of a shipping container, a pallet, and a tote;

a memory device, wherein the memory device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein information regarding a shipment is stored in the memory device, and further wherein the information regarding a shipment includes a description of a good, product, or item, being shipped via the shipment conveyance device, and at least one of origination information, sender information, shipper information, destination information, receiver information, handling instruction information, delivery instruction information, invoice information, packing slip information, delivery time information, and payment instruction information, regarding the shipment;

a global positioning device, wherein the global positioning device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, and further wherein the global positioning device determines a position or location of the shipment conveyance device;

a processing device, wherein the processing device is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein the processing device processes information regarding the shipment conveyance device in response to an occurrence of an event or in response to a request for information regarding the shipment conveyance device, wherein the processing device generates a message containing information regarding the position or location of the shipment conveyance device and information regarding at least one of the occurrence of an event, a status of the shipment, a shipment temperature, and an impact or force on the shipment conveyance devices; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is located in, on, or at, the shipment conveyance device, wherein the transmitter transmits the message to a communication device associated with at least one of an individual or entity, a sender of the shipment, a receiver of the shipment, a carrier of the shipment, and an individual or entity authorized to receive information regarding the shipment or the shipment conveyance device.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a shipping container, wherein the shipping container is associated with a shipment;

a memory device, wherein the memory device is located in, on, or at, the shipping container, wherein information regarding the shipment is stored in the memory device, and further wherein the information regarding the shipment includes a description of a good, product, or item, being shipped via the shipping container, and at least one of origination information, sender information, shipper information, destination information, receiver information, handling instruction information, delivery instruction information, invoice information, packing slip information, delivery time information, and payment instruction information, regarding the shipment;

a global positioning device, wherein the global positioning device is located in, on, or at, the shipping container, and further wherein the global positioning device determines a position or location of the shipping container;

a processing device, wherein the processing device processes at least one of information regarding the shipment and information regarding the shipping container in response to an occurrence of an event or in response to a request for information regarding the shipment or the shipping container, wherein the processing device generates a message containing information regarding the position or location of the shipping container and information regarding at least one of the occurrence of an event, a status of the shipment, a shipment temperature, and an impact or force on the shipping container; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is located in, on, or at, the shipping container, wherein the transmitter transmits the message to a communication device associated with at least one of an individual or entity, a sender of the shipment, a receiver of the shipment, a carrier of the shipment, and an individual or entity authorized to receive information regarding the shipment or the shipping container.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a display device, wherein the display device is located in, on, or at, the shipping container, wherein the display device displays or provides information regarding the shipment or the shipping container.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the message contains information regarding a stop made by a carrier of the shipment or the shipping container.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a sensor, wherein the sensor monitors or measures at least one of a temperature during the shipment, a shock exerted on the shipping container, an impact exerted on the shipping container, and a force exerted on the shipping container,

wherein the message contains information regarding at least one of a temperature of the shipment, a change in a shipment temperature, and an impact or force exerted on the shipping container.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the message contains information regarding an unusual stopping period regarding the shipment or the shipping container.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the event is a detection of a deviation from a pre-determined transportation route associated with the shipment or the shipping container.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the event is a detection of an unauthorized carrier or a wrong carrier transporting the shipment or the shipping container or a detection of an unauthorized receiver of the shipment or the shipping container or a wrong receiver of the shipment or the shipping container.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the event is a detection of a shipment temperature which deviates from a shipment temperature requirement.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the event is a detection of at least one of an impact experienced by the shipping container, a force experienced by the shipping container, a mishandling of the shipping container, a dropping of the shipping container, and an accident involving the shipping container.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the message is transmitted on or over a wireless communication network or on or over at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.