System apparatus and method for conducting an outline transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering

Abstract

A method, as wells as an associated server arrangement and a computer, for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering are described. A customer system is directed to implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to accept a customer identifier. In response to a specific customer identifier, the GUI displays a customer specific set of route parameters extracted from a customer profile. The GUI also presents customer-selectable shipment options configured to accept options conveying a first and a second geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as an origin and a destination of a shipment. The GUI may also be configured to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI in response to specific customer-selected shipping options and/or to provide a control component configured for allowing a user to place an order to fulfill a shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. The rail-shipment service may then be performed for according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.

1 . A method for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering, the method comprising:
 a. directing a customer system to implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing an input object configured to accept a customer input conveying a customer identifier;   b. the GUI configured for presenting a plurality of customer-selectable shipment options including a display object identifying a set of route parameters that a user of the GUI can choose for shipping a commodity by rail, the set of route parameters being dynamically adaptable based on the customer identifier;   c. in response to a specific customer input conveying a specific customer identifier associated with a specific customer at the input object, directing the GUI to display at the display object a customer specific set of route parameters extracted from a customer profile associated with the specific customer;   d. the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI being configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying:
 i. a first geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as an origin of a shipment; and 
 ii. a second geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as a destination of the shipment; 
   e. adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI in response to specific customer-selected shipping options or providing a control component configured for receiving an input from the user of the GUI to place an order to fulfill a shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.   
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the GUI is configured to display at the display object the set of route parameters as individually selectable items, the GUI being responsive to a specific selection of at least one route parameter in the set of route parameters to accept the specific selection of the at least one route parameter as part of the customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI are further configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying a commodity to be shipped and a quantity of the commodity to be shipped for the rail-shipment service. 
     
     
         4 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step of adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI and wherein the step of adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI includes presenting to the user of the GUI shipment options including at least two route options that the user of the GUI can choose from between the origin and the destination. 
     
     
         5 . A method as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the at least two route options are independently selectable. 
     
     
         6 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , comprising the step of providing the control component configured for receiving the input from the user of the GUI to place the order to fulfill the shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         7 . A method as defined in  claim 6 , said method further comprising performing the rail-shipment service according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         8 . A server arrangement for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering, the server arrangement configured for:
 a. directing a customer system to implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing an input object configured to accept a customer input conveying a customer identifier;   b. the GUI configured for presenting a plurality of customer-selectable shipment options including a display object identifying a set of route parameters that a user of the GUI can choose for shipping a commodity by rail, the set of route parameters being dynamically adaptable based on the customer identifier;   c. in response to a specific customer input conveying a specific customer identifier associated with a specific customer at the input object, directing the GUI to display at the display object an customer specific set of route parameters extracted from a customer profile associated with the specific customer;   d. the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI being configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying:
 i. a first geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as an origin of a shipment; and 
 ii. a second geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as a destination of the shipment; 
   e. adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI in response to specific customer-selected shipping options or providing a control component configured for receiving an input from the user of the GUI to place an order to fulfill a shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.   
     
     
         9 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the server arrangement is configured for adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI at least in part by presenting to the user of the GUI price information corresponding to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         10 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the GUI is configured to display at the display object the set of route parameters as individually selectable items, the GUI being responsive to a specific selection of at least one route parameter in the set of route parameters to accept the specific selection of the at least one route parameter as part of the customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         11 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI are further configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying a commodity to be shipped and a quantity of the commodity to be shipped for the rail-shipment service. 
     
     
         12 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the server arrangement is configured for adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI at least in part by presenting to the user of the GUI shipment options including at least two route options that the user of the GUI can choose from between the origin and the destination. 
     
     
         13 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the at least two route options are independently selectable. 
     
     
         14 . A server arrangement as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the server arrangement is configured for providing the control component configured for receiving the input from the user of the GUI to place the order to fulfill the shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         15 . A computer for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering, the computer including a storage medium containing instructions for execution by a CPU, the instructions configured for:
 a. implementing on the computer a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing an input object configured to accept a customer input conveying a customer identifier;   b. the GUI configured for presenting a plurality of customer-selectable shipment options including a display object identifying a set of route parameters that a user of the GUI can choose for shipping a commodity by rail, the set of route parameters being dynamically adaptable based on the customer identifier;   c. in response to a specific customer input conveying a specific customer identifier associated with a specific customer at the input object, directing the GUI to display at the display object an customer specific set of route parameters extracted from a customer profile associated with the specific customer;   d. the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI being configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying:
 i. a first geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as an origin of a shipment; and 
 ii. a second geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as a destination of the shipment; 
   e. adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI in response to specific customer-selected shipping options or providing a control component configured for receiving an input from the user of the GUI to place an order to fulfill a shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.   
     
     
         16 . A computer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are configured for adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI at least in part by presenting to the user of the GUI price information corresponding to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         17 . A computer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the GUI is configured to display at the display object the set of route parameters as individually selectable items, the GUI being responsive to a specific selection of at least one route parameter in the set of route parameters to accept the specific selection of the at least one route parameter as part of the customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         18 . A computer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options presented by the GUI are further configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying a commodity to be shipped and a quantity of the commodity to be shipped for the rail-shipment service. 
     
     
         19 . A computer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are configured for adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI at least in part by presenting to the user of the GUI shipment options including at least two route options that the user of the GUI can choose from between the origin and the destination. 
     
     
         20 . A computer as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the at least two commodity options are independently selectable. 
     
     
         21 . A computer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are configured for providing the control component configured for receiving the input from the user of the GUI to place the order to fulfill the shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         22 . A method for conducting an online transaction to fulfill a rail-shipment service inquiry or a rail-shipment service ordering, the method comprising:
 a. directing a customer system to implement a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing an input object configured to accept a customer input providing customer log-in credentials;   b. in response to a specific customer input conveying specific customer log-in credentials associated with a specific customer:
 i. processing the specific customer log-in credentials to identify a customer profile; 
 ii. processing the customer profile to derive a customer specific set of route parameters; 
   c. the GUI configured for presenting a plurality of customer-selectable shipment options including a display object identifying the customer specific set of route parameters associated with the specific customer that a user of the GUI can choose for shipping a commodity by rail;   d. the GUI being configured for accepting customer-selected shipping options conveying:
 i. a first geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as an origin of a shipment; and 
 ii. a second geographic location chosen from the customer specific set of route parameters as a destination of the shipment; 
   e. adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI in response to specific customer-selected shipping options or providing a control component configured for receiving an input from the user of the GUI to place an order to fulfill a shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.   
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the method comprises the step of adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI and wherein the step of adapting the GUI to deliver additional information to the user of the GUI includes presenting to the user of the GUI price information corresponding to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the GUI is configured to display at the display object the set of route parameters as individually selectable items, the GUI being responsive to a specific selection of at least one route parameter in the set of route parameters to accept the specific selection of the at least one route parameter as part of the customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the GUI is further configured to accept customer-selected shipping options conveying a commodity to be shipped and a quantity of the commodity to be shipped for the rail-shipment service. 
     
     
         26 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of customer-selectable shipment options include at least two route options that the user of the GUI can choose from between the origin and the destination. 
     
     
         27 . A method as defined in  claim 26 , wherein the at least two route options are independently selectable. 
     
     
         28 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , comprising the step of providing the control component configured for receiving the input from the user of the GUI to place the order to fulfill the shipment according to the specific customer-selected shipping options. 
     
     
         29 . A method as defined in  claim 28 , said method further comprising performing the rail-shipment service according to the specific customer-selected shipping options.