METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A SHIPMENT COORDINATION SERVICE

摘要

A shipment coordination service, which may be a company or a business, coordinates shipment of a package between an origin and a destination using one or more carriers. The shipment coordination service may have one or more processing centers associated with it for processing packages. The shipment coordination service can use an origin carrier to deliver the package from an origin to an origin processing center, and a destination carrier can deliver the package from a destination processing center or another intermediate location to the destination. The shipment coordination service may also use an intermediate carrier to deliver the package from one processing center to another processing center or to another intermediate location.

主权项

1. A method of coordinating and processing shipment of a package by a business between an origin to a destination, the method comprising:
providing a data store comprising geographical area data store entries associated with a plurality of predetermined geographical areas and carrier data store entries associated with a plurality of carriers; providing a user interface on a computing device for a customer to conduct a transaction for shipment of a package from an origin to a destination; receiving shipment information from the customer through the user interface, wherein the shipment information comprises the origin and the destination; identifying a first predetermined geographical area encompassing the origin, wherein the first predetermined geographical area is one of the plurality of predetermined geographical areas; identifying an origin processing center located within the first predetermined geographical area; identifying a second predetermined geographical area encompassing the destination, wherein the second predetermined geographical area is one of the plurality of predetermined geographical areas; determining a shipment route from the origin to the destination, wherein the shipment route comprises:
an origin shipment segment for delivery of the package from the origin to an origin processing center;an intermediate shipment segment for delivery of the package from the origin processing center to an intermediate destination using an intermediate carrier, anda destination shipment segment for delivery of the package from the intermediate destination to the destination; selecting an origin carrier for the origin shipment segment, wherein the origin carrier is selected from a first group of carriers that are associated with the first predetermined geographical area; selecting a destination carrier for the destination shipment segment, wherein the destination carrier is selected from a second group of carriers that are associated with the second predetermined geographical area, wherein the intermediate carrier is a different carrier than the origin carrier and the destination carrier; assigning an origin carrier identification code associated with the origin carrier for the origin shipment segment such that the origin carrier uses the origin carrier identification code to identify the package for the origin shipment segment; assigning a destination carrier identification code associated with the destination carrier for the destination shipment segment such that the destination carrier uses the destination carrier identification code to identify the package for the destination shipment segment; assigning an overall shipment identification code for the transaction for shipment of the package from the origin to the destination, wherein the overall shipment identification code is different from the origin carrier identification code and also different from the destination carrier identification code; generating a label for attaching onto the package, the label comprising,
the overall shipment identification code,an origin shipment portion for use by the origin carrier during the origin shipment segment, the origin shipment portion including the origin carrier identification code and an address of the origin processing center as a destination of the origin shipment segment for the origin carrier, anda destination shipment portion for use by the destination carrier during the destination shipment segment, the destination shipment portion including the destination carrier identification code and an address for the destination; subsequently, receiving the package at the origin area processing center delivered by the origin carrier with the use of the address of the origin processing center appearing on the label attached to the package; packing, at the origin processing center, the package on a pallet with other packages for shipment of the intermediate shipment segment in pallet; and causing to send, from the origin processing center, the pallet for shipment of the package to the intermediate destination in pallet, wherein packing and shipment of the package in pallet to the intermediate destination occurs after the completion of the origin shipment segment to the origin processing center enabled by the address of the origin processing center appearing in the origin shipment portion of the label.