Electronic shipment planner and method for presenting shipment and scheduling information to a user

Abstract

An electronic shipment planner is adapted for electronically presenting shipment and scheduling information to a user. The shipment and scheduling information includes at least one shipment event date. The shipment planner is linked to a shipment data repository containing shipment and scheduling information. A system interface communicates with the shipment data repository. An interactive shipment data link is electronically associated with the shipment and scheduling information, and cooperates with the system interface as commanded by the user to access and retrieve the associated shipment and scheduling information contained in the shipment data repository. A calendar display interface displays the shipment planner to the user in a calendar format, such that the interactive shipment data link is provided on the shipment event date associated with the shipment and scheduling information.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An electronic shipment planner adapted for electronically presenting shipment and scheduling information to a user, and rendered using a client computer and web server, the web server providing the shipment and scheduling information to the client computer over an internet, said shipment planner comprising:
 a calendar display interface operating on the client computer for displaying said shipment planner to the user in a calendar format using a display screen connected to the client computer, said calendar format comprising a tabular register of days appearing on the display screen;   a plurality of electronic shipment data links contained within certain days appearing on the display screen of the client computer, and electronically associated with the shipment and scheduling information provided by the web server to the client computer, said plurality of shipment data links comprising:
 (i) a plurality of first shipment event data links; 
 (ii) a plurality of second shipment event data links; and 
   
       wherein said first shipment event data links and said second shipment event data links contained within said tabular register of days appearing on the display screen of the client computer are visually distinguished by a first data code and a second data code. 
     
     
         2 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of shipment data links comprises a predetermined portion of the shipment and scheduling information. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of shipment data links comprises a shipment reference code. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 3 , wherein said shipment reference code is selected from the group consisting of a bill of lading number and a purchase order number. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second data codes comprise color-coding to readily distinguish said first and second shipment event data links. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 5 , and comprising a legend for indicating the color-code for said first and second shipment event data links. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , and comprising a display options data repository containing format parameters for customizing the format of said calendar display interface. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 7 , and comprising a display options data interface communicating with said display options data repository for setting desired format parameters contained in said display options data repository. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , and comprising an input device for selecting said interactive shipment data link from said calendar display interface. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 9 , wherein said input device comprises a computer mouse. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , and comprising a report data repository containing profile parameters for displaying the shipment and scheduling information in a customized user report. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 11 , and comprising a report data interface communicating with said report data repository for setting desired profile parameters contained in said report data repository. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , and comprising a personal event data repository containing personal event information of the user, the personal event information being associated with a personal event date. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 13 , and comprising a personal event data interface communicating with said personal event data repository for loading personal event information into said personal event data repository. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 14 , and comprising a personal event data link electronically associated with the personal event information contained in a personal event data repository. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 15 , wherein said personal event data link comprises a predetermined portion of the personal event information. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second shipment event data links is associated with shipment event data comprising inbound freight. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second shipment event data links is associated with shipment event data comprising outbound freight. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic shipment planner according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second shipment event data links is associated with shipment event data comprising third party freight. 
     
     
         20 . A method for electronically presenting a shipment planner comprising shipment and scheduling information to a user, and implemented using a client computer and web server, the web server providing the shipment and scheduling information to the client computer over an internet, said method comprising:
 using a calendar display interface operating on the client computer, displaying the shipment planner to the user in a calendar format using a display screen connected to the client computer, the calendar format comprising a tabular register of days appearing on the display screen;   associating a plurality of electronic shipment data links with the shipment and scheduling information provided by the web server to the client computer, the shipment data links being contained within certain days appearing on the display screen of the client computer, and the plurality of shipment data links comprising:
 (i) a plurality of first shipment event data links; 
 (ii) a plurality of second shipment event data links; and 
   using a first data code and a second data code, visually distinguishing the first shipment event data links and the second shipment event data links contained within the tabular register of days appearing on the display screen of the client computer.