Method for providing a shortcut to shipping information
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorBradley Hammell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are provided for a user to determine the status of a shipment being transported by a carrier. The user performs a transaction at a web site, and chooses a type of shipment. A file in markup language includes at least one link to shipment tracking information, and this file is provided to the user and saved locally at a user device. The user activates the file to check the shipping status, which is then displayed. In this way, the user is able to access aggregated shipping information from a plurality of carriers. Also, the user is able to obtain pinpoint shipping status, if the user needs more details than merely finding out a checkpoint through which a shipment has passed.
Claims20
A method for a user to find pinpoint status of a shipment being transported by a carrier, comprising the steps of:
- clicking on a shipment pinpoint symbol on a computer screen;
- connecting automatically to an Internet or private network, if a connection is not already established;
- sending automatically a shipping pinpoint inquiry to the carrier via the Internet or private network;
- requesting a pinpoint location of the shipment in response to the shipping status inquiry;
- and
- receiving the requested pinpoint location of the shipment to the computer screen,
- wherein the pinpoint location identifies a position between checkpoints at each of which shipment presence is monitored regardless of user inquiries.
A method for providing a user the status of a shipment being transported by a carrier, comprising the steps of:
- processing a user transaction at a web site;
- receiving a type of shipment selection;
- creating a file that includes markup language and that includes at least one link to shipment tracking information;
- providing the file to the user for storage locally at a user device;
- receiving a check status request from the file after the file is activated;
- and
- providing the status to the user.
A system for a user to obtain via Internet or other network, a pinpoint status of a shipment being transported by a carrier, comprising;
- a server computer for providing to a user computer a clickable shipment pinpoint symbol that triggers a shipping pinpoint inquiry to a carrier;
- and
- a shipping location tracker device, responsive to the shipping pinpoint inquiry, for providing the pinpoint status to the user computer via the Internet or private network;
- wherein the pinpoint status identifies a position between two checkpoints at each of which shipment presence is monitored regardless of user inquiries.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.