IP Library Granted Patent US 10,860,966
Granted Patent B2
US 10,860,966 · App. 14/542,902 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Preserving the highest shipping price using a logistics management system (LMS)

Inventors: Susan M Dohm (Apex, NC); JoAnn E Jancik (Eagan, MN); William A Loebertmann (Eagan, MN); Stephanie Kirkham (Quebec, CA)
Assignee: Unisys Corporation
G06Q10/083G06Q10/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,860,966
App. No.
14/542,902
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A logistics management system (LMS) may include receiving, at a server, a request from a requestor to amend a booking on an air carrier's cargo hold for a designated route; amending, by the server, at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a volume, a special handling codes, a product, an allotment, a flight, a container type, and a change of responsible participant for charges of the booking based on the received request; and assigning, by the server, a new price for the booking based on the amendment unless a total price for the amended booking and a rate for the amended booking are both lower than an original total price and an original rate for the booking created at a time of the booking.

Claims (39)

1. A method to improve the functionality of a logistics management system, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request from a requestor to amend a booking on an air carrier's cargo hold for a designated route, the request to amend including at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a volume, a special handling codes, a product, an allotment, a flight, a container type, and a change of responsible participant for charges of the booking based on the received request;

retrieving, by the server through a network, a real-time dynamic hurdle rate and a real-time carrier capacity availability;

wherein the logistics management system includes a first data storage and a consolidated data storage, the first data storage and the consolidated data storage including modules interfacing with the network, the server accesses the real-time carrier capacity from the first data storage, the server stores the real-time dynamic hurdle rate to the consolidated data storage;

amending, by the server, at least one of the group consisting of the routing, the weight, the volume, the special handling codes, the product, the allotment, the flight, the container type, and the change of responsible participant for charges of the booking based on the received request;

determining, by the server, whether a new price for the booking based on, at least partially, the amendment, the real-time dynamic hurdle rate, and the real-time carrier capacity availability and a rate for the amended booking are both assigning, by the server, the new price to the amended booking unless the new price and the rate are both determined to be lower than the original total price and original rate; and

sending, by the server, a confirmation notification to a customer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising amending the booking.

3. The method of claim 2 , in which the step of amending is completed regardless of whether the booking is locked.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the original rate is preserved by the server according to the logistics management system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a new, actual rate for the booking based on the amended booking characteristics including at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a volume, a special handling codes, a product, an allotment, a flight, a container type, and a change of responsible participant for charges.

6. The method of claim 1 , in which the server comprises the logistics management system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new price is generated by applying an appropriate rate and calculating the new price.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising: code to retrieve a real-time dynamic hurdle rate and a real-time carrier capacity availability through a network; wherein the real-time carrier capacity is retrieved from a first data storage and the real-time dynamic hurdle rate is stored to a consolidated data storage;

code to amend at least one of the group consisting of the routing, the weight, the volume, the special handling codes, the product, the allotment, the flight, the container type, and the change of responsible participant for charges of the booking based on the received request;

code to determine whether a new price for the booking based on the amendment, the real-time dynamic hurdle rate, and the real-time carrier capacity availability and a rate for the amended booking are both lower than an original total price and an original rate created at a time of the booking;

code to assign the new price to the amended booking unless the new price and the rate are both determined to be lower than the original total price and original rate; and

code to send, by the server, a confirmation notification to a customer.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises code to amend at least one of the values of the booking.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , in which the code to amend a value executes regardless of whether the booking is locked.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the original rate is stored in a logistics management system.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises:

code to generate a new rate for the booking based on the amended booking characteristics including at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a volume, a special handling codes, a product, an allotment, a flight, a container type, and a change of responsible participant for charges.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises code to restrict amendments to the actual rate of the bookings by users of a logistics management system.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the code to generate a new actual price applies an appropriate rate and calculates the new price.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory and at least one processor, in which the at least one processor is coupled to the memory and the at least one processor is configured:

to receive a request from a requestor to amend a booking on an air carrier's cargo hold for a designated route, the request to amend including at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a to retrieve a real-time dynamic hurdle rate and a real-time carrier capacity availability through a network; wherein the processor accesses the real-time carrier capacity from a first data storage and stores the real-time dynamic hurdle rate to a consolidated data storage;

to amend at least one of the group consisting of the routing, the weight, the volume, the special handling codes, the product, the allotment, the flight, the container type, and the change of responsible participant for charges of the booking based on the received request;

to determine whether a new price for the booking based on the amendment, the real-time dynamic hurdle rate, and the real-time carrier capacity and a rate for the amended booking are both lower than an original total price and an original rate created at a time of the booking;

to assign the new price to the amended booking unless the new price and the rate are both determined to be lower than the original total price and original rate; and

to send, by the server, a confirmation notification to a customer.

16. The system of claim 15 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to amend the values of the booking.

17. The system of claim 16 , in which at least one processor is further configured to amend the booking's values even when the booking is locked.

18. The system of claim 15 , in which the original rate is stored in a logistics management system.

19. The system of claim 15 , in which the at least one processor is further configured:

to generate a new rate for the booking based on the amended booking characteristics including at least one of a group consisting of a routing, a weight, a volume, a special handling codes, a product, an allotment, a flight, a container type, and a change of responsible participant for charges.

20. The system of claim 15 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to restrict amendments to a rate of the booking by users of a logistics management system.

Assignments (7)
AMENDED AND RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2025
From: UNISYS CORPORATION; UNISYS HOLDING CORPORATION; UNISYS NPL, INC.; UNISYS AP INVESTMENT COMPANY I
To: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 071759/0527 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 055602/0846 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2020
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 054481/0865 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2020
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054231/0496 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 044144/0081 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 27, 2017
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 042354/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2015
From: JANCIK, JOANN E; DOHM, SUSAN M; KIRKHAM, STEPHANIE; LOEBERTMANN, WILLIAM A
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036954/0168 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160140483A1 · May 19, 2016