WO2001055931A1 - Systeme et methode de fourniture de services logistiques complets - Google Patents

Systeme et methode de fourniture de services logistiques complets Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001055931A1
WO2001055931A1 PCT/US2001/002479 US0102479W WO0155931A1 WO 2001055931 A1 WO2001055931 A1 WO 2001055931A1 US 0102479 W US0102479 W US 0102479W WO 0155931 A1 WO0155931 A1 WO 0155931A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
shipment
data
tracking
server
providing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/002479
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Robert G. Van Zandt
Marshall F. Trotter
Thomas E. Catlin
Haili Wang Kowalski
Desh D. Srivastva
Mark A. Cummuta
Julie M. Mullen
David S. Stukel
Douglas H. Malick
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Trafficop, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by Trafficop, Inc. filed Critical Trafficop, Inc.
Priority to AU2001231144A priority Critical patent/AU2001231144A1/en
Publication of WO2001055931A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001055931A1/fr

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Definitions

  • the electronic quote request packet is sent to and received by a security application resident on the comprehensive logistics service provider's server 60, which verifies the data and sender, and forwards authorized data to appropriate applications.
  • the quoting engine 62 parses out the data contained in the electronic quote request data stream and saves it into memory for use in shipment cost calculations. While any electronic data transmission technology can be used, these examples use XML packets and parsers that transmit and parse out data to the quoting engine 62.
  • the quoting engine 62 determines the first component of the landed cost quote, pre-shipment costs.
  • Packing costs are relatively common pre- shipment costs and will be discussed for illustrative purposes for this example. Packing costs are calculated if the buyer 42 requests packing services, and/or the seller, insuring agent, shipping provider, and/or government regulations require packaging. A shipment packing cost depends on a number of variables including, among others, the volume and weight of the item to be shipped, the sensitivity of the item being shipped and any special handling requirements for such items (e.g., toxic waste). Note that if packaging is required and/or requested, all shipment calculations requiring the shipment's dimensions - size, volume, weight - always include the additional dimensions of the packaging.
  • the quoting engine 62 can use actual data values for each of these key elements to determine which vendors to use, or the quoting engine 62 can use codified tables for each of these elements. The process demonstrated here describes how codified tables could be used.
  • the quoting engine 62 calculates the actual weight of the shipment at step 124.
  • the quoting engine 62 next calculates a shipment volume-weight factor based on dividing the volume of a shipment item by a standard conversion factor (166 cubic inches/lb for international shipments, and 192 cubic inches/lb for domestic-only shipments within the United States).
  • the quoting engine 62 compares the actual weight of the shipment to the calculated volume-weight factor of the shipment to determine the shipment's chargeable weight. The greater of the shipment's actual weight versus the shipment's volume-weight factor is the shipment's chargeable weight. In the example request illustrated in Fig. 3, the calculated volume- weight factor is the chargeable weight because the volume- weight factor 1301 lbs. ((60in x 60in x 60in)/166 in 3 /lb) is greater than the shipment's actual weight of 20 lbs.
  • the origin region codes are stored in a pre-set look up table and are linked to possible shipment origin countries and postal codes.
  • the quoting engine 62 searches the pre-set look up table to find an origin code that corresponds to the shipment origin country and postal code sent by the electronic data request.
  • the quoting engine 62 uses the shipment destination and postal code sent by the electronic data request to find a destination region code stored in a pre-set destination region code look up table.
  • These electronic data requests can be made via any electronic data transmission technology, although XML is the sample technology described herein. Referring to Fig.6, the origin region code and the destination region code for the illustrated example are "1" and "24" respectively.
  • the chart illustrates that in some cases the same vendor may be able to handle the entire shipment, such as vendor set 100, or that in other cases, a number of different vendors work together to complete a shipment, such as vendor sets 105 and 108.
  • the vendor set table 264, and the vendor set numbers and codes contained therein, are created by the comprehensive logistics service provider 20.
  • the quoting engine 62 next determines the shipment rates for each selected vendor set at step 142.
  • the quoting engine 62 first determines if the rates for each vendor of the selected vendor sets are on file locally in a master vendor rate data table 80 (Fig. 1) and that they are current. If they are on file locally and current, the quoting engine 62 retrieves this rate information and, as indicated in step 148 and described below, performs calculations using this vendor rate information to determine each vendor set's rate for the shipment requested.
  • XML schemas go further by defining how to describe the structure of XML documents (Structures"), and providing improved management of dates, numbers, and other special data (“Datatypes").
  • the data streams sent back to the server 60 are parsed, and the parsed out data is saved to the appropriate fields in the master vendor rate data tables 80.
  • the quoting engine 62 performs the rate calculations for each vendor set to determine the shipment rate for each vendor set for the requested shipment. Referring again to Fig. 8, the quoting engine 62 has to determine the rates and costs for three main legs of the shipment.
  • the shipper/origin of the shipment is located in zone A for vendor set 100.
  • the rate to transport a shipment from zone A to the ORD gateway for vendor set 100 is fifty dollars ($50), as chart 310 on Fig. 8 indicates.
  • the next step 152 is to determine the rate for the second leg of the shipment for the selected vendor set.
  • the second leg of the shipment is from the origin gateway 302 to the destination gateway 306. Since this portion of the shipment is not dependent on the origin or destination location, this rate is pulled directly from the vendor set's rates on file in the - 3 master vendor rate data tables 80.
  • the gateway-to-gateway, rate is indicated on chart 312 of Fig. 8 as one thousand dollars ($1000).
  • the next step 154 is to determine the rate for the third leg 308 of the shipment (from the AKL to destination). This rate determination is similar to the rate determination for the first leg 300 of the shipment.
  • the zone for the destination location is determined (e.g., zone C) and the rate for that zone is retrieved.
  • the shipment destination is in zone C in relation to Auckland Airport (AKL).
  • the rate for vendor set 100 for transporting a shipment from AKL to zone C is one hundred dollars ($100) as indicated in chart 310 of Fig. 8. With all the rates for the legs of the shipment determined, the quoting engine 62, at step 156 (Fig.
  • the quoting engine 62 adds all of these rates together along with any additional costs, such as pickup/delivery costs, agent handling fees, special service fees (e.g., 2-3 day service), to determine the door-to-door freight charge for that particular vendor set.
  • the quoting engine 62 then calculates the door-to-door freight charge for each vendor set that the quoting engine 62 selected. Once all of the door-to-door freight charges are calculated for each vendor set, the quoting engine 62, at step 158 (Fig. 2E), selects the vendor set with the lowest cost. Similar processing can have the vendor sets evaluated for fastest delivery time, guaranteed delivery date and other factors against all vendor sets or against a subset of preferred vendors/vendor sets.
  • API calls to communicate to another system, but any data request and retrieval technology can be used with the invention described herein.
  • the API call opens up a communication line with each insurance provider's database 90 and retrieves the necessary information.
  • the retrieved information similar to the information retrieved from the vendors' rate databases, is sent back to the comprehensive logistics service provider's server 60, in this example via an XML data stream format, and is parsed with the current insurance information stored to the appropriate fields on the master insurance rate data table 86.
  • the quoting engine 62 uses various shipment information, such as its origin and destination, the HTS code, the product size and weight, the product's value, to search each insurance vendor's look up table information stored on the master insurance rate data tables 86 to determine the lowest cost insurance premium for the requested shipment quote.
  • the quoting engine 62 determines all the duties and taxes that may be due on the shipment.
  • the quoting engine 62 uses various shipment information, such as its origin and destination, the product size and weight, the product's value, the HTS code, the product size and weight and the product's value to search the duty and tax look up tables resident on the master duty and tax rate data tables 92 to determine the duties and taxes for the ⁇ requested shipment.
  • the quoting engine 62 adds all of the determined and calculated components of the quote together to come up with a final quote to return to the requesting buyer 42. Specifically, the quoting engine 62 adds together the pre-shipment charges (e.g., packing costs), if any; the calculated door-to-door freight charge; the determined insurance premium and the calculated, duties and taxes.
  • the quoting engine 62 sends the final determined quote in an electronic data stream to the site host server 30 that requested the quote. A status message is also sent which states that a shipment quote was successfully generated.
  • the buyer 42 Once the buyer 42 has received the product price quote, which includes the shipment quote, he can either do nothing or accept the quote by purchasing the product. If the buyer 42 purchases the product, this activates the process to book the shipment of the product as indicated in step 400 (Fig. 9A).
  • the web site 34 activates a booking interface 93 from the site host server 30.
  • the booking interface 93 retrieves as much of the information it needs to book the shipment from the local data tables stored on the host site 22.
  • the booking interface 93 generates a web page 36 for the buyer's review with the retrieved information inserted in the appropriate fields.
  • the buyer 42 verifies the retrieved information, correcting it where necessary, and approves it. Figs.
  • the booking web page is very similar to a quote request web page, except that the booking web page requests more detailed information on the seller and the buyer.
  • the additional information is needed because when a shipment is booked, the booking engine 64 also registers the seller and the buyer (e.g. , to verify that they are not on a domestic and/or international denied parties lists), as discussed in detail below.
  • the customer ID 500 is usually a required field and is used as an identifier between the web site merchant and the comprehensive logistics service provider 20.
  • the next thirteen fields 502-524 contain detailed information about the seller.
  • the next field 550 contains a description of the item being shipped.
  • the next field 554 is for the HTS code. When booking a shipment, this field must be completed. The buyer 42 can enter the HTS code directly if he remembers it or, as with the quote request web page, he can use the HTS Classifier by clicking on the HTS classifier icon 556. Once in the HTS classifier, the process of using it to determine the HTS code is the same as described above for a quote request.
  • the next field is the piece type field 557. In the piece type field 557, the configuration of the item to be shipped is designated (e.g., package, pallet, container, loose). The piece type field 557 preferably uses a pull down menu.
  • the next field is the service type field 559.
  • the delivery manner is specified (e.g., air-parcel standard; ocean-parcel standard; 2-3 day service, via air; ocean container).
  • the service type field 559 preferably uses a pull down menu as well.
  • the next seven fields 558-569 contain information specific to the item being shipped and are the same entries required when requesting a quote.
  • the booking engine 64 Before booking the shipment, the booking engine 64, at step 412, runs a registration subroutine.
  • the registration subroutine functions exactly like the registration engine 68.
  • the registration subroutine and the registration engine 68 perform the necessary function of checking whether the parties to the transaction are on the U.S. State Department's denied party list, as indicated at step 414. Parties listed on the denied party list are not allowed to ship items in or out of the U.S.
  • the registration subroutine and the registration engine 68 use the detailed information submitted about the parties to the shipment (the seller and the buyer information) to determine if a party to a shipment is a denied party by comparing the submitted seller and buyer information to data stored on a denied party data table 95 maintained and updated by the comprehensive logistics service provider 20.
  • the comprehensive logistics service provider 20 monitors and tracks all the shipments that are booked in its system.
  • the vendors 26 responsible for the shipment provide cunent and updated shipment status information to the master shipment data tables 94 on a periodic basis.
  • the vendor 26 can provide the status information to the comprehensive logistics service provider 20 in any manner feasible.
  • the vendor 26 can provide it manually or preferably via an information network, for example through a web page via a browser or by sending an electronic data sfream such as EDI or XML directly from the vendor's shipment data tables 99 to the server 60 for parsing and storage on the master shipment data tables 94.
  • the container tracking system 710 of the embodiment through a central tracking station 712, has the flexibility and capability to automatically track containers and their shipments worldwide, regardless of country, industry, carrier, owner or mode of transportation. It is flexible enough to allow for manual data collection using the same technology if any automated means become unavailable for reasons such as, but not limited to, maintenance, damage, or interference.
  • the system of the present invention can automatically track containers and their shipments inter- and/or intra-modally, inter- and/or infra-industry and inter- and/or infra-carrier.
  • the central tracking station 712 includes a container tracking server 714 which serves as the information hub and data storage device for all of the containers 722 in the system.
  • the container tracking server 714 can be a single unit, or set or sets of coordinated servers and/or mainframe computers (not depicted).
  • a communications link 742 is established between the container tracking server 714 and numerous station servers 716.
  • the communications link 742 between the container fracking server 714 and the station servers 716 may be established in any manner suitable for that purpose, including the Internet, direct land lines, satellite, telecommunications or any other securable transmission and receiving method.
  • the Internet because of its interconnectivity and established worldwide infrastructure of multi-hosted, multi-located web servers is the preferred communications method.
  • each station server 716 is located at a container tracking site 718.
  • the container tracking sites 718 may be any site or sites where the operator of the container fracking system 710 wants to collect data on a system container 722. These sites usually include, at a minimum, any place where a container changes possession among carriers, vendors, industries, or modes at areas such as airports, shipping ports, rail yards, truck docking areas and staging areas.
  • Each station server 716 communicates with a single or numerous automated and/or manual tracking device readers 720.
  • the tracking device readers 720 collect the information encoded on each container fracking device 740 when the tracking device 740 is read.
  • the information collected on each container 722 by the readers 720 is communicated to each respective station server 716 which communicate all of the collected information to the main container tracking server 714 via the communication links 742.
  • the client's server and the container tracking server 714 receive information simultaneously from the station servers except that the container tracking server 714 only receives information the operator of the container tracking system has designated as critical for its fracking purposes.
  • the information collected and stored on the central container tracking server 714 is made available to each client of the system.
  • Each client can access the information on the container tracking server 714 at any time to find the location and status of one of their tracked containers.
  • An interested client may access the container fracking server 714 by an extranet 730 set up with the tracking system operator.
  • the extranet 730 is a direct link between a server 726 at the client's site 728 and a web server 732 located at the central tracking station 712.
  • clients may access the client servers in addition to accessing the container fracking server 714 to retrieve information.
  • the client servers are the client's primary information retrieval resource when the container 722 is within the client's tracking and monitoring network because the client servers collect and maintain more detailed, client specific information than the more general information stored on the container tracking server 714.
  • the client can still track and monitor these same containers 722 through the global information available on the container tracking server 714.
  • the container tracking system 710 is depicted.
  • the containers 722 are tracked using satellite-based, global positioning system (GPS).
  • GPS global positioning system
  • the container tracking devices 740 attached to each container communicate directly with the container tracking server 714 through the satellites 738 of the GPS.
  • the container tracking system 710 of the present invention has the capability to pinpoint the exact location of every container 722 anywhere in the world at any time.
  • each client can access the information on the container tracking server 714 or on a client server at any time to find out the location and status of one of its containers.
  • container fracking devices container monitoring devices
  • container tracking server client accessible information
  • the fracking device 740 may be a passive or active GPS tracking chip, a passive or active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a combination of both RFID and GPS or, it is foreseen, any form of remote tracking tag technology developed. If combined chips are used, means of programming and reading the chips may be slightly different based on the technologies used, but the data tracked and collected will be the same. Additionally, in any combined-chip embodiment, additional means for turning each chip on and off are included in these designs.
  • RFID radio frequency identification
  • a code is AKE3123FX where "FX" identifies the owner of the container, "AKE” specifies the type of container based on standard industry designators and "3123" is a unique alphanumeric value assigned to that specific container by the operator of the container tracking system.
  • the permanent code programmed into the tracking device 740 is also stored on the container tracking server 714 at the central fracking station 712. Once a container 722 is tagged and coded, the system of the present invention can track it.
  • a powered GPS fracking chip is used to allow for uninterrupted, real-time, global fracking of each container. Each powered GPS tracking chip sends the information for the container it is affixed to through the satellite system to the container tracking server 714.
  • a passive GPS tracking chip is used.
  • the passive GPS tracking chip receives a signal from the satellite system and, based on this signal, constantly stores and updates the location of the container 722 it is affixed to on the chip. This is known as passive positioning.
  • This internally stored container location information is then retrieved in several ways by a GPS chip reader which sends this retrieved information to the container tracking server 714.
  • the passive GPS chip information may be retrieved by periodic timed bursts, at preset way points, at preset destination points or via any other programmed data transmission trigger.
  • the fracking device 740 may be an RFID tag.
  • the RFID tag may be supplied by any number of commercial suppliers. One such supplier is Intermec Technologies Corporation which supplies an RFID tag identified by the trade-mark Ihtellitag. Intermec, as well as other suppliers, supply both passive and active RFID tags. Active RFID tags transmit a signal for retrieval by a data collection device. Passive RFID tags reflect or backscatter an RF transmission sent from the data collector back to the data collection device.
  • the RFID tracking devices 740 may be read, may be written to, may be rewritten to or may have individual bytes programmed and permanently locked.
  • automated tracking devices 740 such as GPS and RFID
  • the embodiment eliminates the need for manual container tracking, and no personnel are required to intercept, interpret or optically scan containers 722 within the system of the invention.
  • the system 710 of the present invention is flexible enough and has the capability to adjust for real world situations where the automated systems of the present invention might go down.
  • the system containers are tracked when they pass by RFID readers. These readers are preferably fixed, either geographically or permanently affixed to container fransports (e.g., ships, trucks, conveyors, cranes, tractors, etc.), but may be portable (hand-held).
  • the GPS system embodiment the capability exists to track the system at any time, at any location in the world. The only present limitations on using a GPS system, as opposed to an RF system, are mostly non-technical restraints such as government regulations (U.S. or foreign) on the use of GPS in certain situations (e.g., the FAA presently does not allow the use of external GPS while in flight).
  • U.S. or foreign government regulations
  • FIG. 14 an example container tracking area 750 is depicted.
  • the depicted container fracking area 750 is an airport, but it should be clear from the description of the present invention that the container fracking area could be any area where the operator of the container tracking system 710 desires to track container 722 movement, such as a port, a truck staging area, a warehouse, etc. An airport is only described by way of a single example.
  • the container tracking area 750 of Fig. 14 has container monitoring sites 752 at several locations throughout the container tracking area 750. There is a container monitoring site 752 at the point where containers 722 are passed into the terminal baggage area 754. There is a container monitoring site 752 where the baggage is loaded onto the plane 756, and there is a container monitoring site 752 at the cargo staging area 758.
  • the hardware to collect information at each container monitoring site 752 is essentially the same. As such, the container information collection process at the cargo staging area 758 is described herein as exemplary of the container information collection process at all the container monitoring sites 752.
  • the cargo staging area 758 is set up to track containers 722 anywhere within the boundaries of the cargo staging area 758.
  • the cargo staging area 758 has fixed data collectors 760 at each access point to the cargo staging area 758.
  • These fixed data collectors 760 in this example are RFID tracking device readers. These RFID data collectors 760 operate by constantly sending out an RF signal and when an RFID tracking device 740 passes within this fransmitted signal, the RFID tracking device 740 reflects or backscatters this RF signal back to the RFID data collector 760. From this reflected signal, the RFID data collector 760 collects all of the container's programmed information.
  • RFID data collectors including intermec Technologies Corporation which sells several types of data collectors, both portable and fixed.
  • the RFID data collectors 760 read the tracking devices 740 of the containers 722 on the truck.
  • the RFID data collectors 760 relay this information to a monitoring site RF antenna 762.
  • the monitoring site RF antenna 762 downloads this information to a station server 716 which in turn transmits this information to the master data files on the container tracking server 714 at the central tracking station 712.
  • the fixed RFID data collectors 760 may also be programmed to collect additional and more specific information.
  • the fixed RFID data collectors 760 on one side of the access gate can be programmed to detect inbound traffic and the RFID data collectors 760 on the other side of the gate can be programmed to detect outbound fraffic.
  • the monitoring site 752 may also use portable RFID data collectors 764 carried by site monitoring personnel, if the fixed RFID readers become temporarily unavailable. These portable RFID readers could also be used to spotcheck a container or update its status by the site monitoring personnel reading the RFID tracking device 740 of the container 722 of interest with the portable RFID data collectors 764.
  • the portable RFID data collectors 764 work in the same way as the fixed RFJD data collectors 760.
  • the data collected from the containers 722 by the portable RFID data collectors 764 is sent to the station server 716 via the antenna 762 in the same manner as the fixed data collectors 760 transmit data to the station server 716. Since the monitoring site antennas 762 only have a set range, the portable RFID data collectors 764 are equipped to batch or store the read container information temporarily if they are outside the range of the antenna 762, and once the portable RFID data collector 764 comes back into range of the antenna 762, the portable data collector 764 uploads all of the batched container information to the station server 716 in the same manner as described above.
  • the portable RFID data collectors 764 may also be used to write information to the memory of the fracking device 740.
  • the types of information that may be written to the fracking device memory and ultimately collected is limitless. Nevertheless, some of the additional container information besides the name of the container owner and the container specifications that the tracking system operator may want includes information on the container's itinerary, information on the name of the organization that is currently in possession of the container, notification as to whether the container has ever carried any dangerous or hazardous goods, among other things.
  • the container fracking server 714 maintains a number of datatables.
  • the datatables depicted here are merely exemplary of some tables that a tracking system operator might desire to maintain.
  • the actual datatables maintained on the container tracking server 714 depends on the information that the system operator wants to maintain.
  • the datatables on the container tracking server 714 may include a container information datatable 800, a client company datatable 802, a data collection device datatable 804, a monitoring site datatable 806, a optional monitoring personnel datatable 808 and a shipment specific datatable 810.
  • the container information datatable 800 may include specific information about the container including the container's fracking device code, and the container's specifications, among other data items.
  • the client company datatable 802 contains information on clients that are participants in the container tracking system 710.
  • the data collection device datatable 804 includes information on all of the data collection devices that are part of the container tracking system 710.
  • the monitoring site datatable 806 contains specific information on the worldwide monitoring sites, such as specific airport or dock configuration information.
  • the monitoring personnel datatable 808 contains information on all the personnel that can monitor, collect, and/or update data from the system's containers.
  • the shipment specific datatables 810 may actually be a number of datatables. These datatables contain information on specific shipments using a system container.
  • the client can access the container tracking server 714 by either the Internet or client specific extranet. Refe ing to Figs. 16-20, sample client user screens are depicted for an assumed client airport.
  • FIGs. 16A and 16B sample screens are depicted showing container summary information.
  • Fig. 16A shows the container status, where containers are refened to as LED's (Unit Load Devices), of all the containers at a particular client site, in this case an airport.
  • Fig. 16B shows the status of all the containers for a particular client. Thirteen are inbound, sixteen are cargo containers, ten are mail containers and ten are baggage containers.
  • Fig. 17A shows how a user can change locations to check the status of containers at other sites.
  • Fig. 17B provides a listing of all the inbound flights for a particular client and a listing of all the containers, broken down by content, on those inbound flights.
  • Fig. 18 shows a screen displaying dynamic staging data so that the client can track a container through all facets of their staging and loading operation.
  • Fig. 19 illustrates a screen where the client has performed a historical search on a particular container. To do this, the client enters the container number into the search area and executes the search.
  • the container tracking server 714 returns a historical container activity list for the searched container.
  • Fig. 20 depicts a screen where the client is monitoring a specific load plan.
  • the client enters a specific transport identifier number, such as a flight number.
  • the search will query the container tracking server 714 for this transport identifier and return the load plan for this transport identification number.
  • the above described screens are merely a representative sample of all the screens that can be generated for use with this system. Any information that is stored on the container tracking server 714 or any combination of such information can be manipulated to make any screen that is considered worthwhile. For example, it is possible with the right data feeds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the exact real-time location of every flight, not just projected arrival times, can be displayed on these screens for the client's information as well. It is also possible to use the container positioning information and geographical mapping software to graphically depict where a client's container is actually located.
  • FAA Federal Aviation Administration
  • the tracking system of the embodiment can also help clients in managing demmrage. It can help clients determine how much a company bonowing a client's container owes the client for bonowing such container. With this system, the client can know exactly how long and for what purposes the company bonowed the container. It also helps the client to track down what in the past would have been lost containers. With this system, it is conceivable that a container would never be lost again.
  • the tracking system of the embodiment also provides advanced warning of any shipment problems or delays. If while monitoring the shipment, the comprehensive logistics service provider 20 notices a problem or delay, the comprehensive service provider 20 can attempt to remedy the problem immediately and can provide the buyer 42, or any system user 28, pre-notification of the problem so they can re-act accordingly before the problem or delay becomes unconectable.
  • a system user 28 can track the status of its shipment at any time.
  • the user 28 accesses the web page 36 of the merchant that sold the item or that handled the auction, or the web page of the comprehensive service provider 20 and enters the shipment tracking number at the appropriate place on the web page 36.
  • the web page 36 may also allow the user 28 to search for the tracking number if the user 28 does not have it.
  • the web site 34 activates the tracking interface 97 which formulates an electronic tracking request data stream containing the tracking number.
  • the tracking request is sent to the tracking engine 66 resident on the comprehensive logistics services provider's server 60.
  • the tracking engine parses out the tracking number from the data stream.
  • the tracking engine 66 determines whether the tracking information on file in the master shipment data tables 94 for the requested tracking number is cunent. If it is not, at step 610, the tracking engine 66 requests a data update from the databases of the vendors 26 or the integrators/specialized service providers 24 handling the shipment. In the example described herein, this request is performed via an API call, but any data retrieval and transmission technology can be used.
  • the shipment status information retrieved from the vendors' databases 99 is sent back to the comprehensive logistics service provider's server 60, for example, in an XML data stream format. When received, the status data from the data streams are . parsed out and stored to the master shipment data tables 94.
  • the tracking engine 66 takes the updated status data and sends to the site host 22 as a data stream where the site host 22 re-formulates the data and presents the data on the web page 36. Refening to Fig. 12, a sample tracking status web page 36 is illustrated. The status web page shows that delivery of the shipment is complete and shows the date and time certain key shipping events happened.
  • tracking system as described herein may be implemented as a separate system, apart from other aspects of the embodiment described herein.

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Abstract

Cette invention concerne une méthode et un système de fourniture de services logistiques complets (20) possédant la capacité et la flexibilité requises pour intégrer des fournisseurs de services logistiques (26), via un réseau interconnecté, dans n'importe quelle branche d'activité, à tout moment, indépendamment de la spécialité du fournisseur (« fournisseur neutre ») ou du mode de transport utilisé, et quel que soit le pays expéditeur ou destinataire. Sont également proposés divers autres services dans le cadre de la présente invention : devis prix rendu (62), enregistrement des expéditions (64) et suivi des expéditions (66), ainsi qu'un système et un procédé de suivi distincts.
PCT/US2001/002479 2000-01-28 2001-01-26 Systeme et methode de fourniture de services logistiques complets WO2001055931A1 (fr)

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AU2001231144A AU2001231144A1 (en) 2000-01-28 2001-01-26 System and method for providing comprehensive logistics services

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US17884900P 2000-01-28 2000-01-28
US60/178,849 2000-01-28
US58709900A 2000-06-02 2000-06-02
US09/587,099 2000-06-02

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EP1564648A2 (fr) * 2004-02-14 2005-08-17 Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts Procédé de surveillance d'échantillons de laboratoire
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EP1998473A1 (fr) * 2006-02-20 2008-12-03 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.) Systeme de synchronisation d'informations
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US7333942B1 (en) * 1999-03-26 2008-02-19 D-Net Corporation Networked international system for organizational electronic commerce
US7555535B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2009-06-30 Transurety, Llc Methods and apparatus for securing and providing coverage for transmission data
US6922720B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2005-07-26 Portogo, Inc. Systems and methods for insuring data over the internet
US10235717B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2019-03-19 Transurety, Llc Coverage for transmission of data apparatus and method
US7020692B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2006-03-28 Portogo, Inc. Systems and methods for insuring data transmissions
US8660962B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2014-02-25 Transurety, Llc Method and apparatus for providing coverage for transmission of data
US7908340B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2011-03-15 Transurety, Llc Methods and apparatus for providing coverage for sender of transmission data
US7246157B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2007-07-17 Transurety, Llc Systems and methods for underwriting coverage for data transmissions
US7711646B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2010-05-04 Transurety, Llc Methods and apparatus for providing coverage for receiver of transmission data
US7349954B2 (en) 1999-09-10 2008-03-25 Transurety, Llc Systems and methods for reports based on transmission-failure claims
US7735732B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2010-06-15 Promega Corporation Radio frequency identification method and system of distributing products
US7942321B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2011-05-17 Promega Corporation Radio frequency identification method and system of disturbing products
USRE47599E1 (en) 2000-10-20 2019-09-10 Promega Corporation RF point of sale and delivery method and system using communication with remote computer and having features to read a large number of RF tags
USRE46326E1 (en) 2000-10-20 2017-02-28 Promega Corporation RF point of sale and delivery method and system using communication with remote computer and having features to read a large number of RF tags
US7661591B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2010-02-16 Promega Corporation RF point of sale and delivery method and system using communication with remote computer and having features to read a large number of RF tags
US8025228B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2011-09-27 Promega Corporation RF point of sale and delivery method and system using communication with remote computer and having features to read a large number of RF tags
US7967199B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2011-06-28 Promega Corporation Radio frequency identification method and system of distributing products
US7784689B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2010-08-31 Promega Corporation Radio frequency identification method and system of distributing products
US7791479B2 (en) 2000-10-20 2010-09-07 Promega Corporation RFID point of sale and delivery method and system
EP1485775A2 (fr) * 2002-02-21 2004-12-15 Promega Corporation Point de vente rf et systeme et procede de distribution utilisant la telematique et ayant des caracteristiques de lecture d'un grand nombre d'etiquettes
KR100766679B1 (ko) * 2002-02-21 2007-10-15 프로메가 코포레이션 원격 컴퓨터와 통신하고 다수의 무선 주파수 태그를 판독하는 무선 주파수 판매 및 배송의 시점관리 방법 및 시스템
KR100850602B1 (ko) 2002-02-21 2008-08-05 프로메가 코포레이션 Ｒｆｉｄ 스캐닝 장치 및 방법
EP1485775A4 (fr) * 2002-02-21 2006-08-16 Promega Corp Point de vente rf et systeme et procede de distribution utilisant la telematique et ayant des caracteristiques de lecture d'un grand nombre d'etiquettes
EP1564648A2 (fr) * 2004-02-14 2005-08-17 Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts Procédé de surveillance d'échantillons de laboratoire
EP1564648A3 (fr) * 2004-02-14 2006-05-24 Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts Procédé de surveillance d'échantillons de laboratoire
EP1998473A1 (fr) * 2006-02-20 2008-12-03 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.) Systeme de synchronisation d'informations
EP1998473A4 (fr) * 2006-02-20 2011-03-23 Kobe Steel Ltd Systeme de synchronisation d'informations
US7602296B2 (en) 2006-06-02 2009-10-13 Ulibarri Giovanni M System and method for transport security control and tracking
EP2325787A1 (fr) * 2009-11-06 2011-05-25 Deutsche Post AG Procédé et système d'initiation de transport de courrier
EP2325785A1 (fr) * 2009-11-06 2011-05-25 Deutsche Post AG Procédé et système d'annonce de tâches de courrier
WO2011054710A1 (fr) * 2009-11-06 2011-05-12 Deutsche Post Ag Procédé et système d'annonce de tâche de messager
WO2011054712A1 (fr) * 2009-11-06 2011-05-12 Deutsche Post Ag Procédé et système servant à déclencher un transport de messager
WO2014146169A1 (fr) * 2013-03-19 2014-09-25 Tushare Australia Pty Ltd Systèmes et procédés de gestion de l'envoi d'articles

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