Pitney Bowes Inc.

Brian D Flesser

Flavio M Manduley

Eugene Bryson

Murem S Sharpe

Eben M Riordan, Ii

Edward M Rauh

Glen A Boucher

Christopher S Kallas

A system and method of retrieving shipment data uses destination information, as well as the carrier and level of service data models to retrieve the appropriate shipment data which complies with the selected parameters. The delivery commitment systems returns information concerning the number of days, the delivery, the latest time of delivery, whether the delivery is guaranteed based upon selected parameters concerning the origin and destination of the package. Carrier specific data can be stored in a common, carrier-independent form including an origin map, (optional) one or more destination maps, a service token map, a zone token map, and a delivery commitment matrix. Origins and destinations can be defined by five-digit ZIP codes and the service can be identified by a TokenID. Each origin can be mapped to a destination within the destination map, where each destination in the destination map is resolved to a service level index. The desired class of service, as identified by a carrier's TokenID, is resolved in a look-up table to a service column index. The service level index and the service column index are then used as indices into a delivery commitment matrix so as to provide delivery commitment data. Zone mapping is also supported to obtain such delivery commitment data.

Method and system for resolution of carrier specific data utilizing a generic data model

A system for determining and accounting for the costs of transactions. The system is particularly suited for determining and accounting the costs of shipping goods. The system includes an input device which is located at the shipper's (or other buyer's) premises and a central data processing facility. The input device receives information defining a shipment sufficiently so that the cost of that shipment may be determined in accordance with the rates of a carrier (or other seller), and uploads the information to the central data processing facility. Preferably, the input device includes rate information and software for determining shipment costs locally. The central data processing facility maintains accounts for a shippers and carriers, appropriately debits and credits costs for each shipment and periodically issues statements of their accounts to all shippers and carriers. In a preferred embodiment, shippers may maintain a payment account with a trustee bank and the system may from time to time issue instruction to the trustee bank to make appropriate payments to each carrier. In another embodiment, carriers may from time to time enter new rate information into the system.

System for centralized processing of accounting and payment functions

Growing community of inventors

Norwalk, CT, United States of America

Brian D Flesser