Stamps Com Inc.

Iship Inc.

United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

Other

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

David Allison Bennett

Paul A Bilibin

Charles D Mentzer

Jinyue Liu

Lynn Shaindell Goldhaber

William Ward Smith, Iii

Paul R McLaughlin

Scott Meyer

Lory Elizabeth Krett

Sean Hu

Daniel F Williams

Dennis Glavin

John M Dietz

Stephen M Teglovic

Scott Joseph Bean

Hsiangwen S Hu

Mark A Bjerke

Matthew J Smith

Reichie R Nelson

Lory E Moon

Gary Rhoe Ingram

Harland Fred Maier, Jr

Lory E Krett

Richard M Antush

John E Brezak

Patrick Jakubowski

Adam D Stritzel

Ciprian Gociman

Joerg Christof Zender

Chin Hung Lam

Christopher Michael Monsos

William W Smith

Geoffrey Carl McGrath

Harland F Maier

Nicholas Malaguti

Sarita Gupta

Geoffrey Carl Mcgrath

Paul R Mclaughlin

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a user interface for enforcement of shipping rules. In one aspect, a method includes accessing regulation information/data, the regulation information/data being a multi-level hierarchy of nodes arranged in a tree structure, each node specifying one or more keywords, wherein the nodes comprise one or more starting nodes having one or more child nodes and having no parent nodes, one or more intermediate nodes having at least one of a child node and a parent node, and one or more end nodes having at least one parent node and no child nodes. Determining, that a particular keyword from the received one or more keywords matches a keyword of a node in the hierarchy. Determining, a level and a type of the node in the hierarchy, wherein the type of the node specifies whether the node is one of a starting node, an intermediate node, and an end node. The method then identifies, based, at least in part, on the level and the type of the node in the hierarchy, one or more actions to be performed.

Enforcement of shipping rules

Embodiments of the present invention includes system and methods for the continued operation of a carrier management system having one or more user terminals that normally communicate with at least one data center over a network (online), when the one or more user terminals are unable to communicate with the data center (offline). Once communication is re-established between the one or more user terminal and the data center, local files and data on the user terminals that were used to rate and ship packages while offline are synchronized between the one or more user terminals and the data center.

Data synchronization for offline processing

Uprights and base plates provide adjustable, temporary support for drapery used to define event and theater space. An upright tube and a connected angled back support offer stabilized support to drapery lines. The upright tube extends from a support plate within a framed base plate. A hinge connector in the base plate attaches to the angled back support, which extends to a clamped connection with the upright tube. Alternative arrangements of the support plates and hinge connectors within the base plate offer multiple drapery support configurations.

Event drapery upright and base plate supports

Mechanisms for synchronizing an object set with a remote data store are often performed at a particular frequency, e.g., once per hour or day. However, the objects of the object set may have different priorities, and it may be advantageous to synchronize higher-priority objects more often than regular-priority objects. The synchronization mechanisms may also differ (e.g., high-priority object synchronization may be direct and/or holistic, while regular-priority object synchronization may be differential, cached, and/or involving version and/or conflict resolution). Additionally, a resource-based threshold may be applied to the high-priority objects (e.g., a bandwidth cap) in order to reduce resource exhaustion, and high-priority objects that are not synchronized within the threshold may be synchronized with the regular-priority objects. These techniques may be particularly advantageous for synchronizing objects comprising an application state of applications of current or recent usage by a user, where application state 'staleness' is acutely visible to the user.

Opportunistic, priority-based object synchronization

The present invention includes system and methods for the continued operation of a carrier management system having one or more user terminals that normally communicate with at least one data center over a network (online), when the one or more user terminals are unable to communicate with the data center (offline). Once communication is re-established between the one or more user terminal and the data center, local files and data on the user terminals that were used to rate and ship packages while offline are synchronized between the one or more user terminals and the data center.

Offline processing systems and methods for a carrier management system

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for the computerized generation and printing of a U.S. Postal Service Shipping Label over the Internet that provides postage, shipping address, delivery address, and shipment and delivery tracking indicia. According to the invention, human-readable postage payment indicia is formatted in such a way that the actual price of shipping postage is obscured; postage payment can only be translated from the postage payment indicia by someone who knows the format template. The present invention further provides a United States Postal Service shipping label comprising a representation of paid postage, said representation of paid postage comprising a human-readable character string, said character string comprising imbedded postage price information. The present invention further provides a United States Postal Service shipping label, comprising a machine-readable representation of paid postage and a ship to address.

Postal shipping label

The present invention provides a plurality of Enterprises with a single online user interface with which the Enterprise can provide Enterprise Shippers, shipping origination users and shipping intermediary users with an automated parcel management system for a plurality of supported Carriers for a plurality of services. The present invention provides for the hierarchical definition of users, including the hierarchical definition of organizational units within each Enterprise. The present invention further provides for a distinct definition of policies, privileges, and other types of specifications for each user level, each user, and each organizational unit. The present invention applies the user and organizational policies, privileges and other specifications as they apply to each particular user to drive the interactive interface with each particular user and to provide among other things, shipping options, shipping services, shipping rates, traveler and/or shipping label preparation, and shipment tracking.

Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-parcel, multi-carrier, multi-service enterprise parcel shipping management

The present invention provides a computer system (the 'Return System') that provides multi-carrier shipment rating, shipment labeling, shipment tracking, shipment tracking management reports, returns analysis and returns management reporting. In an exemplary embodiment, the Return System has three major components: 1.) A Returns Manager Subsystem that provides a user interface to each Merchant to setup the Merchant's account, setup the Merchant's return policy and rules, and to monitor the status and movement of return shipments; 2.) A Consumer Returns Subsystem that provides each consumer using the Returns System with an online user interface that leads the consumer through the returns process, displays the return policies and rules to the consumer, provides shipping document to ship the return package if appropriate, and permits the consumer to track their return shipments; and 3.) a Returns Processing Subsystem that, in the exemplary embodiment, provides background shipping and tracking functionality.

Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-parcel, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel returns shipping management

The present invention provides a plurality of Enterprises with a single online user interface with which the Enterprise can provide Enterprise Shippers, shipping origination users and shipping intermediary users with an automated parcel management system for a plurality of supported Carriers for a plurality of services. The present invention provides for the hierarchical definition of users, including the establishment of at least one user for each Enterprise as a Super-Administrator with the highest level of privileges and authority for the Enterprise, and the identification of other users as Sub-Administrators, Desktop Users and Shipping Station Users. The present invention also provides for the hierarchical definition of organizational units within each Enterprise, including the definition of sites, groups within a site, and users within a group and for a distinct definition of policies, privileges, and other types of specifications for each user level, each user, and each organizational unit.

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods that apply to a single particular billing method selected by each of a plurality of users, in response to each particular user's request, a set of billing method rules for each carrier of a plurality of carriers and determines whether or not each carrier of the plurality of carriers supports the shipper's specified preferred billing method, and if so, any special pricing considerations for each particular Carrier. Each user of the present invention accesses the present invention over a global communications network using a client computer device, each user client computer device having an individual electronic connection to the global communications network.

Apparatus, systems and methods for applying billing options for multiple carriers for online, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel shipping management

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for displaying to each of a plurality of users, upon each user's request, as to each particular parcel to be shipped by each user, the carriers that provide delivery notification service options, including electronic mail delivery notification and verbal delivery notification, wherein each user accesses the present invention over a global communications network using a client computer device, and wherein each user has an individual electronic connection to the global communications network. The present invention further provides apparatus, systems and methods for identifying to each of the users, upon each user's request, as to each of the particular parcels to be shipped by the particular user, a service charge for each delivery notification service option, including electronic mail delivery notification and verbal delivery notification for the particular package to be shipped by the particular user as to each carrier that supports electronic mail delivery notification.

Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel shipping management featuring notification service option comparison for multiple carriers

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods that provide each of a plurality of users, in response to each particular user's request, information concerning, and an identification of: each carrier of a plurality of carriers that supports the shipper's preferred shipping location; whether each carrier supports the shipper's preferred shipping location for shipping a particular parcel; and pricing for each service offered by each carrier for the shipper's chosen shipping location, wherein each user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a client computer device, each user client computer device having their own individual electronic connection to the global communications network.

Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel shipping management featuring shipping location comparison across multiple carriers

Growing community of inventors

Bothell, WA, United States of America

David Allison Bennett