HK1240378B - Parcel shipping screening and validation - Google Patents

Description

Package shipment screening and verification

Related applications

This application claims priority to and the benefit of co-pending U.S. Application No. 14/579,768, filed December 22, 2014, all subject matter common to both applications. The disclosure of said application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to establishing a customs-approved database and system suitable for verifying and authenticating the value and/or merchandise of product packages passing through customs. In particular, the present invention relates to establishing and displaying a database value and/or merchandise for efficient screening of product packages for shipment through customs and screening of product packages.

Background Art

Generally speaking, international trade involves the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. Companies and individuals large and small often rely on package shippers to transport their goods across international borders or territories for delivery to their desired destinations. Package shippers are able to ship a wide variety of goods efficiently and cost-effectively. One of the challenges of shipping internationally is getting items through customs. Customs authorities and/or departments are responsible for collecting duties and controlling the movement of goods into and out of their respective countries. Each country has its own laws and regulations governing the importation or exportation of goods into or out of that country. The importation or exportation of specific goods may be restricted or prohibited (for example, for counterfeit or illegal goods) based on the controlling jurisdiction.

Often, shippers of these goods are unsure which items are counterfeit and which are not. Therefore, to reduce the risk of importing something illegal, shippers are limited to using slow and unreliable channels (such as the postal system), which limits their commercial potential. When shipping packaged goods through the postal system, the packages are often presented vaguely to customs, with many declaring the contents as "gifts," "samples," or "electronics," and the contents often do not match the descriptions. Similarly, shippers unsure of the regulations or intellectual property laws of a specific jurisdiction may intentionally misrepresent product descriptions. Such practices complicate customs work, as customs officials cannot inspect all packages that are vaguely or improperly presented. This vague and inaccurate representation of packages leads to a large number of counterfeit goods entering the U.S. and other markets each year. Consequently, customs agencies are concerned about the volume of pirated goods entering the U.S. and other markets, but struggle with limited resources to enforce import regulations.

Another area of customs concern is the declared value of goods. Shippers often lower their declared value to reduce potential taxes and duties. Generally, this is unnecessary, as packing at full value may result in no taxes and duties. Customs organizations tend to impose penalties or even detain goods when such behavior is uncovered. Therefore, a method is needed to educate shippers on how to present appropriate information to customs in order to gain their trust.

Summary of the Invention

There is a need for effectively sorting and screening items that must pass through customs when shipped to a destination. The present invention is directed to providing a further solution to this need, in addition to having other desirable features. Specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for establishing a customs approval system includes receiving stock keeping unit (SKU) data. Also received is a uniform resource locator (URL) for a web page where one or more items associated with the SKU data are advertised or promoted. Using a processor, the SKU data is automatically associated with the URL in a database stored in a storage medium. Once the SKU data is stored in the database in association with the URL, the SKU data associated with the one or more items is converted into pre-approved SKU items, invalid SKU items, or SKU items under investigation.

According to aspects of the present invention, the SKU data is provided by a manufacturer or distributor of the one or more items. According to further aspects of the present invention, the URL is provided by the manufacturer or distributor of the one or more items. According to other aspects of the present invention, the step of associating the SKU data with the URL is performed by a processor and is based on automatically searching the SKU data, identifying a web page where the product package is advertised or promoted, and recording the URL of the web page.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method includes a customs approval system receiving stock keeping unit (SKU) data from a product package being shipped, the customs approval system searching a database for the SKU data for the product package. When the SKU data for the product package is located in the database, the customs approval system provides data identifying the SKU data and data identifying a uniform resource locator (URL) of a web page where the product package is advertised or promoted for display. When the SKU data for the product package is not located in the database, is classified as invalid, or is pending investigation in the database, the customs approval system rejects the product package.

According to various aspects of the present invention, a customs approval system receives SKU data from a scanning device configured to read the SKU data. According to further aspects of the present invention, a database stores the SKU data associated with a URL for a product package being shipped. According to further aspects of the present invention, upon receiving the SKU data, the customs approval system automatically initiates a step of searching the database for SKU data for the product package. According to various aspects of the present invention, a webpage displays at least one image of the product package being shipped. According to further aspects of the present invention, providing data identifying the SKU data and data identifying the URL of a webpage in which the product package is advertised or promoted for display includes causing the name and image of the product package to be displayed.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a customs approval system includes a database coupled to a storage device storing one or more stock keeping unit (SKU) data for a product package associated with a uniform resource locator (URL) for a web page in which the product package is advertised or promoted, and wherein storage of the SKU data associated with the one or more product image data is an indication that the product package is pre-approved by the customs approval system.

According to various aspects of the present invention, a webpage displays at least one image of a product package being shipped. According to further aspects of the present invention, the system provides data identifying the SKU data and data identifying the URL of a webpage where the product package is advertised or promoted to a display device for display. According to further aspects of the present invention, the display device comprises a mobile device. According to further aspects of the present invention, a combined scanning and display mobile device configured to communicate with the database is also included. According to further aspects of the present invention, the storage device resides in a cloud computing infrastructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG1 is an exemplary environment for implementing steps according to aspects of the present invention;

FIG2 is an illustrative flow chart depicting the establishment of a customs verification system database according to aspects of the present invention;

3 is an illustrative flow chart depicting the operation of a customs approval system according to aspects of the present invention;

FIG4 is a diagrammatic representation of a customs verification system according to aspects of the present invention;

5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, and 5E are diagrammatic representations of a customs approval system according to aspects of the present invention; and

FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a high-level architecture for implementing processes according to aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for establishing a database to provide product package information for shippers to screen and for customs to verify, as well as the corresponding operation of the system for screening product packages by shippers and customs. Specifically, the present invention enables shippers to screen product packages, allowing only pre-approved product packages for shipment, and presenting the pre-approved product package shipment data to customs in a transparent and easily auditable format. To perform the steps of the present invention, a customs verification system collects and organizes stock keeping unit (SKU) or item data for a product package in a specialized format to allow the shipper to verify the product package before it is shipped and passes through customs. In addition, the customs verification system can obtain links to web pages where the product package is sold, displayed, and/or promoted. The SKU or item data for a given product package and the corresponding web page link can then be stored in a database in association with each other and displayed to screeners in a specialized format. The database can be used to create a customs verification system that displays SKU or item data to shippers before accepting a shipment. The database may also be presented to a customs pre-approval system to display SKU or item data to customs for acceptance.

In many cases, a shipper may have hundreds or even thousands of different SKUs or items for a product package to be shipped. To effectively pre-screen product packages before shipping and passing through customs, the present invention enables screeners to quickly browse the latest photos and descriptions for each product package in an organized verification system. For example, SKU or item data and current web links for each potential SKU or item to be shipped are used to create a database with detailed information about the SKU or item (e.g., pictures and descriptions) for verification. Screeners can verify the detailed information of all SKUs or items included in a product package for any potential violations so that a specific customs authority or department can determine the import legality of the product package before accepting it for shipment. For example, all SKUs or items in a product package and their corresponding web links are organized in a format in which screeners can verify photos for registered brands, designs, or trademarks. Advantageously, in an exemplary embodiment, the customs verification system can include a regularly updated comprehensive list of commonly violating brands. Item names or descriptions that contain one of these violating brand names are automatically highlighted for easy detection/verification by screeners. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the customs verification system may also use image recognition software to locate and/or identify potential intellectual property infringements. Screeners may mark SKUs or items as invalid or valid based on detailed information associated with the SKUs or items contained therein. For example, screeners may verify that a SKU or item is valid or invalid based on a review of information displayed on a corresponding web link for the SKU or item (which should contain the latest information for the product).

Once the SKU or item data and web page link for the product package are verified, the customs verification system automatically accepts or rejects the product package based on the validity of the SKU or item in the product package. The product package that is verified to be valid is accepted for consignment, collected from customs, prepared for consignment, and consigned to the appropriate location. Before the consignment arrives at the appropriate customs department (e.g., U.S. Customs), detailed information about the product package can be displayed to the customs department/customs broker in a user-friendly system that enables the customs department/customs broker to browse high-level total consignment data. For example, the customs approval system enables the customs department to access database information for each individual product package, package location, and pictures and descriptions of all SKUs or items included in the product package. Specifically, the customs approval system can display the description, name, and value of the SKU or item, and present a web page link for each item to the customs. Based on the displayed consignment data, the customs department/customs broker can approve or reject the product package. Therefore, the customs can use the customs approval system to clear the product package or detain the product package for further inspection. For example, the U.S. Customs Department may detain product packages in its Automated Manifest System (AMS) based on the verified information.

FIG1 through FIG6 illustrate an example embodiment of establishing a customs approval system and database according to the present invention, wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout. Although the present invention will be described with reference to the example embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be understood that many alternative forms of implementing the present invention may be employed. Those skilled in the art will also recognize different ways to vary the parameters of the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIG1 depicts a high-level architecture for implementing processes according to various aspects of the present invention. Specifically, FIG1 depicts a computing system 10 comprising a computing device 12 having a database 14 and an input device 16. The computing device 12 can be a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer system. For example, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the computing device 12 can comprise a single computing device, a collection of computing devices in a network computing system, a cloud computing infrastructure, or a combination thereof. In an example embodiment, the computing device can be a combined scanning (e.g., using the input device 16) and display mobile device configured to communicate with the database 14. Similarly, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the database 14 can comprise any combination of computer devices configured to store and organize data collections. For example, the database 14 can be a local storage device on the computing device 12, a remote database facility, or a cloud computing storage environment. The database 14 can also comprise a database management system that utilizes a given database model configured to interact with a user for analyzing database data.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the input device 16 can be used to scan, receive and/or otherwise obtain SKU or item data for a product package or consignment. For example, the input device 16 can be a barcode reader configured to scan, read and/or analyze SKU or item data 18 (e.g., a barcode for a product package) to be provided to the computing device 12 and/or database 14. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the barcode reader can be any combination of a physically attached barcode reader or a wireless handheld barcode reader. The input device 16 (e.g., a barcode reader) can be configured to read and analyze various 2D and 3D barcode standards (e.g., Universal Product Code (UPC), Quick Reference (QR) code, SKU, etc.). According to an example embodiment, a barcode on a product package can indicate a package number linked to one or more SKU data contained in the product package. For example, the input device 16 can scan a barcode on a product package that indicates SKU or item data 18 for one or more SKUs within the product package. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the input device 16 can receive SKU or item data 18 for a bulk shipment that includes multiple product packages containing many different SKUs. For example, the input device 16 can electronically receive a file from a manufacturer containing SKU or item data 18 for a bulk shipment that includes many larger product packages containing hundreds of unique SKUs. For purposes of this disclosure, the SKU or item data 18 may be referred to as SKU data, but this is not intended to limit the present invention to the use of SKUs. Similarly, in example embodiments, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the input device 16 can be any input device configured to receive, read, and/or scan data, and is not intended to be limited to a barcode scanner. For example, the input device 16 can be configured to receive input from a keyboard, a mouse, or to read a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a smart card chip, or the like.

In operation, computing device 12 may use SKU or item data 18 to build database 14 for use with customs verification system 20. In an exemplary embodiment, customs verification system 20 may be used to collect, categorize, and otherwise convert detailed information about product packages being shipped (e.g., SKU or item data 18) for customs pre-approval. According to an exemplary embodiment, SKU or item data 18 may be received from a customer, manufacturer, or distributor prior to shipment acceptance and stored in database 14. In an exemplary embodiment, computing device 12 may collect SKU or item data 18 using input device 16 to receive and/or download SKUs for various product packages to be shipped and store their respective SKU or item data 18 in database 14. In an exemplary embodiment, a product package may include a barcode to be scanned (e.g., by an input device) that includes one or more SKUs entered into database 14. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the product package being scanned may include items that a shipper has already received from a customer for shipment, or may be products in the shipper's own inventory that are being prepared for shipment. In an example embodiment, SKU or item data 18 may be stored in a displayable and/or searchable format in database 14. Computing device 12 may search database 14 for SKU or item data 18 associated with a product package. For example, computing device 12 may connect to database 14 to search database 14 for SKU or item data scanned from a barcode on a particular package.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, computing device 12 may obtain/receive information associated with a product package, including the uniform resource locator (URL) of a web page that advertises, promotes, and/or displays the SKUs or items included in the product package. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the one or more URLs for a product package may be received directly from user input (e.g., manual entry, downloading from a storage device, etc.) or uploaded directly from a customer, manufacturer, or distributor via data transfer. For example, the SKU or item data 18 and corresponding URLs may be provided directly to computing device 12 by the customer, manufacturer, or distributor of the product package via electronic exchange or other means. Once the SKU or item data 18 and URLs for each product package being shipped have been received and/or obtained, computing device 12 may associate the SKU or item data 18 with the appropriate URLs in database 14. In an exemplary embodiment, database 14 may be updated to store all SKU or item data 18 and their associated URLs for the product packages being shipped. In other embodiments, the step of associating the SKU or item data 18 with a URL may be performed by the computing device 12, which performs an automated search for items associated with the SKU or item data 18, identifies web pages where the items are advertised or promoted, and records the URLs of the web pages stored in the database 14. In an example embodiment, the additional information may include a Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) code to be associated with the SKU or item data 18.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, computing device 12 uses customs verification system 20 to verify received and/or obtained SKU or item data 18 and their associated URLs for each product package to be shipped. When new SKU or item data 18 is received from a customer, distributor, or manufacturer, the SKU or item data 18 is automatically stored in database 14 and marked for review by a screener. For example, the new SKU or item data 18 can be sent to a screener via email and the SKU or item data 18 and associated URL can be displayed to the screener by customs verification system 20 for pre-approval. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, customs verification system 20 can be displayed using an interface having a combination of hardware and software for processing, sorting, and displaying the SKU or item data 18 stored in database 14. For example, the customs verification system 20 and the SKU or item data 18 can be displayed on a computer monitor (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), etc.), on a display device of a mobile device (e.g., a tablet computer, a mobile phone, etc.), on other display devices known in the art (e.g., a projector, a television, etc.), or a combination thereof. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the customs verification system 20 can be used in conjunction with the computing device 12, the database 14, and/or the input device 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the customs verification system 20 displays the information stored in the database 14 via a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI enables a screener to manipulate various views of the SKU or item data 18 and access different information about the SKU or item data 18, as discussed herein. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the customs verification system 20 can use other interfaces instead of or in addition to the GUI for communicating the SKU or item data 18 and related information in the database 14 to the screener.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the customs verification system 20 can organize, categorize and otherwise convert the SKU or item data 18 (e.g., and the associated URLs) for display in an easily verifiable format in which a screener can mark the SKU or item as valid or invalid. For example, a screener can browse the latest photos or descriptions for each SKU or item and the current web page link for each of the SKUs or items used for consignment. The screener can check the photos and descriptions for each SKU or item to find any potential violations so that a particular customs authority or department can determine the import legality of the product package. For example, the screener can check the photos for registered brands, designs or trademarks. Based on the screener's verification, each SKU or item is marked as "valid" or "invalid". Similarly, when the screener is unsure whether the SKU or item data is valid or invalid, the SKU or item data can be marked as pending investigation.

After the screener has verified the SKU or item data 18, package data for the shipment can be received from the customer. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the customs verification system 20 can use the SKU or item data 18 in the database 14 to automatically approve or reject product packages based on the validity of the SKU or item data 18 associated with the product package. For example, upon receiving package product data indicating the SKUs included in the product package for shipment, the SKU or item data 18 is searched to automatically classify each product package as pre-approved or rejected. Specifically, the product package can be automatically marked as accepted or rejected based on whether the SKU or item included in the product package (e.g., SKU or item data 18) is marked as "valid" or "invalid" by the screener. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the product package can be verified before it is received at the shipper, after it is received by the shipper, or a combination thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the customs verification system 20 can automatically reject the product package when one of the SKUs or items included in the product package is not in the database 14. For example, upon receiving the product package data, the customs verification system 20 automatically initiates a search for the included SKU or item in the database 14, and if the SKU or item is not found or is marked as invalid, the product package is automatically rejected. Similarly, in the exemplary embodiment, the storage of the included SKU or item in association with the URL is an indication that the customs verification system 20 pre-approved the product package. For example, if the SKU or item of the product package is found in the database 14 and the SKU or item data 18 matches the associated URL, the product package is automatically approved.

Continuing with FIG1 , computing system 10 may also include computing device 22 having a customs approval system 24 and input device 26. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, computing device 22 may include any combination of computing devices known in the art and operable to implement the present invention (e.g., as discussed with respect to computing device 12). Similarly, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, computing device 22 may include software for processing goods or packages received at customs (e.g., customs approval system 24). For example, the U.S. Customs Service utilizes an Automated Manifest System (AMS) for processing goods or packages. Customs approval system 24 may be designed to facilitate the arrival of goods and the release of shipments destined for or in transit from customs. In an exemplary embodiment, product package information in database 14 may be sent to customs approval system 24 before the shipment leaves the country of origin. For example, computing device 12 may send pre-approved SKU or item data 18 for a shipment from database 14 to computing device 22 for use by customs approval system 24. SKU or item data 18 may be sent to customs approval system 24 for verification by customs to facilitate faster and more efficient electronic customs clearance. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the input device 26 (eg, the input device 16 ) may be configured to read and/or analyze the SKU data (as discussed with respect to the input device 16 ) into the customs approval system 24 .

In operation, the customs approval system 24 can be used in conjunction with or in place of a customs department's existing verification/approval system. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, computing devices 12 and 22 can be configured to establish a connection and communicate via a telecommunications network 28. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, telecommunications network 28 can include any combination of known networks. For example, telecommunications network 28 can be a combination of a mobile network, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or other types of networks. Telecommunications network 28 can be used to exchange data between computing devices 12 and 22, to exchange data with database 14 (e.g., in a cloud environment), and/or to collect data from additional sources. For example, computing devices 12 and 22 can connect to a web host 30 hosting a URL associated with SKU or item data 18 to obtain additional information from a web page associated with a product package. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, computing devices 12 and 22 can use web host 30 to provide additional information to verify the details of the product package. For example, computing devices 12 and 22 can index data from the URL into database 14 by crawling the web page and store the indexed information (e.g., images, prices, descriptions) in database 14. Thus, information obtained from the web host 30 may be used to verify a specific price for a product package and/or download images of the product package for visual comparison.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate example flow charts illustrating embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 2 depicts an example flow chart illustrating the operation of computing device 12 and customs verification system 20, as discussed with respect to Figure 1. Specifically, Figure 2 depicts the establishment of SKU or item database 14 and the subsequent acceptance or rejection of product packages based on the SKU or item data stored in database 14. At step 200, SKU data (e.g., SKU or item data 18) for a product package to be shipped is received or otherwise obtained by computing device 12. For example, the SKU for the product package or the items within the product package may be received directly from a customer, manufacturer, or distributor (e.g., via a data upload as discussed with respect to Figure 1 or using an interface of input device 16). At step 202, one or more URLs corresponding to the received SKUs are received or otherwise obtained. For example, the URLs may be received from the customer, manufacturer, or distributor of the product package being shipped. At step 204, the one or more URLs are automatically associated with the appropriate SKUs in database 14 by computing device 12. According to example embodiments of the present invention, the one or more URLs may be used to collect additional information related to the relevant SKUs. For example, web pages corresponding to one or more URLs may be accessed and indexed to obtain additional information about the SKU (e.g., images, descriptions, prices, etc.). Computing system 12 may then convert the data in database 14 into a displayable format. For example, the SKUs and their associated URLs may be displayed in a GUI using a table format with multiple rows and columns populated with SKUs, URLs, and related collected data.

Continuing with FIG2 , at step 208, computing device 12 may receive a validity value for the SKU of the product package. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the received validity value may be derived from a screener verifying the SKU in customs verification system 20 marking the product package as invalid or valid based on consistency of data with the physical product package or other criteria, as discussed with respect to FIG1 . For example, the screener may have previously determined that an image or visual inspection of the SKU included in the product package, as depicted in database 14, is a violation of controlling copyright laws.

At step 210, a SKU for a product package to be shipped is received, and the packaged products are automatically accepted or rejected based on the validity value. For example, a product package including an item whose SKU is marked as invalid will be rejected for shipping. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the validity of the product package can be automatically determined by computing device 12. For example, the received SKU is searched in database 14, and SKUs found in database 14 are accepted, while SKUs not found or marked as invalid are rejected. In addition, the validity can be automatically accepted or rejected by customs verification system 20 based on an automatic comparison of values in database 14. For example, customs verification system 20 can compare the declared value of the SKU with the price of the SKU on the associated URL and automatically reject the SKU if the comparison of the values exceeds a predetermined threshold/percentage.

At step 212, the approved product packages are collected, prepared for shipment, and shipped to the appropriate destination. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a determination of which packaged products (e.g., from step 210) are accepted and rejected is returned to the customer, manufacturer, or distributor so that the shipper will only receive accepted product packages from the customer, manufacturer, or distributor. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, accepted and rejected product packages can be communicated to the customer, manufacturer, or distributor using an application programming interface (API) or through a web browser interface. Thus, product packages are accepted or rejected before the actual product packages are received from the customer, manufacturer, or distributor. For example, automatically rejected product packages will never be received at the shipper's location. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, product packages can be verified before being received by the shipper, after being received by the shipper, or both. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, once the packaged products are physically received from the customer, manufacturer, or distributor, the barcode on the product package can be scanned to obtain the SKU or item data 18 associated with the product package. If the product package was previously accepted, a shipping label is printed and the product package can be processed for shipping. Alternatively, if the product package was previously rejected, or if no data is available regarding the product package, a shipping label is not printed and the product package will not be processed for shipping. Rejected or unidentified product packages can then be returned to the customer, manufacturer, or distributor.

At step 214, the computing device 12 may send the SKU data, URL, and related information for the product package being accepted for shipment to the customs approval system 24 at the appropriate customs authority at the intended destination of the shipment. In an exemplary embodiment, all relevant SKU or item data 18 for the product package shipment is collected from the database 14, formatted, and sent to the appropriate customs approval system 24 at the receiving customs authority. For example, the SKU or item data 18 for a product package being shipped to the United States would be sent to the AMS at the U.S. customs authority. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the SKU or item data 18 may be sent in advance of the shipment, timed so that the SKU or item data 18 will arrive at customs prior to shipment, or included as a file containing the SKU or item data 18 for the shipment.

FIG3 depicts an example flow chart illustrating the operation of a customs approval system 24 according to aspects of the present invention. Specifically, FIG3 depicts an example flow chart illustrating the operation of the computing device 22 and customs approval system 24 discussed with respect to FIG1 and FIG2 . At step 300, SKU or item data 18 for a particular package containing one or more SKUs is received from a shipper's computing device 12 at the customs approval system 24. For example, as discussed with respect to FIG1 and FIG2 , the computing device 22 at the customs office may receive the SKU or item data 18, which includes the SKU, associated URL, and related information pertaining to the items contained in the product package received at the customs office. At step 302, the received SKU or item data 18 is loaded and/or accessed by the customs approval system 24 at the customs office's computing device 22. For example, the customs approval system 24 loads the SKU or item data 18 into a storage device on the computing device 22 and converts the SKU or item data 18 into a displayable format. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a customs broker may be able to search for a specific product package (e.g., using a HAWB number) and verify the SKU or item 18 associated with the searched product package. At step 304, the customs approval system 24 provides the SKU or item data 18 for display to the customs broker for review. For example, the customs approval system 24 displays the SKU or item data 18 so that the customs broker can review a photo, price, and/or description of the product package. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the customs approval system may display the data in a tabular format, such as the GIU discussed with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

Continuing with FIG. 3 , at step 306 , the product package is approved or rejected based on the displayed SKU or item data 18. For example, a customs authority may review the SKU or item data 18 provided by database 14 to determine whether the product package is suitable for customs acceptance. Specifically, based on the review, the customs authority may determine whether the SKU associated with the product package complies with the rules and regulations applicable to that customs authority, and then appropriately mark the product package as accepted or rejected. For example, a customs broker/department may use customs approval system 24 to compare the declared value of the product package with the price of the product package indicated by the SKU or item data 18 (e.g., the total price collected from the associated URL). Based on this comparison, the customs broker/department may be able to verify that the declared value of the product package is valid or invalid. At step 308 , based on whether the product package is accepted or rejected (e.g., verified as valid or invalid), the product package may be released from customs or detained for further evaluation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the customs processing status of the product package may be updated and sent back to the shipper's computing device 12. Thus, the customs verification system 20 on the shipper's computing device 12 may be able to receive status information for the product package and update the status (eg, as status 418 discussed below with respect to FIG. 4 ).

FIG4 depicts a representation of a customs verification system (e.g., customs verification system 20, as discussed with respect to FIG1 and FIG2 ) displayed to a shipper. Specifically, FIG4 depicts a representation of a customs verification system displaying SKU data (e.g., SKU or item data 18 and URL information) from a database (e.g., database 14) created based on SKU data (e.g., SKU or item data 18) received from a customer, manufacturer, or distributor. For example, the SKUs for a product package to be shipped, or all SKUs included in a large number of product packages for a bulk shipment, are collected and displayed in customs verification system 400 for analysis by a shipper's screener. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the customs verification system may include columns for name 402, seller 404, image 406, company 408, SKU 410, price 412, country (e.g., country of manufacture) 414, abbreviation 416, status 418, and designated user 420. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the columns in the customs verification system 400 may include displays of any combination of additional information.

In operation, a specific user can be designated to screen the SKU for a product package before shipping, as reflected in the designated user 420 column of the customs verification system 400. For example, "Nataliya Kulpinova" can be the designated user 420 responsible for verifying the SKU data shown in Figure 4. The screener (e.g., designated user 420) can use the customs verification system 400 to verify the consistency of the SKU data based on the displayed information and verify whether the SKU is valid or invalid. In the exemplary embodiment, the screener can verify the SKU name 402, seller 404, image 406, manufacturer/distributor company 408, SKU 410, price 412, country of manufacture 414, and product abbreviation 416 as part of their determination process.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a screener can obtain additional information about a specific SKU by clicking on a data link in a selection column in the customs verification system 400. In an example embodiment, the data link can be included in a column titled Seller 404, Image 406, and Product abbreviation 416, and can include additional information about the associated SKU. For example, selecting a data link in the Seller 404 column for a specific SKU can open a pop-up window containing the name of the SKU's seller, a URL associated with the specific SKU (e.g., a URL associated with the SKU or item data 18 discussed with respect to Figures 1 and 2), and/or the price of the SKU. Thus, the screener can click on the URL in the pop-up window to access the associated web page of the SKU to obtain additional verification information. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the web page can be loaded using a web browser implemented in the customs verification system 400, or can be loaded in an external default web browser of a computing device. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, selection of a link in the image 406 can result in an image of the product package being displayed in a pop-up window for visual comparison by the screener. Image 406 may be populated via a webhost (eg, webhost 28 ) of a webpage associated with the product package, as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

Continuing with FIG4 , the screener may be able to select a data link in the Status 418 column to update the validity status of a SKU based on a review of their SKU data. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the screener may be able to update the status of a specific SKU by selecting "Valid" or "Invalid" from the drop-down menu in the Status 418 column. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the screener's selection of "Valid" or "Invalid" is performed before the product package containing the SKU physically arrives at the shipping facility. Similarly, the screener's selection of "Valid" or "Invalid" can be used to automatically determine whether a shipper will accept or reject a product package to be shipped from its facility. For example, if a SKU in a product package is marked as invalid, the product package is automatically rejected and will never be accepted at the shipper's facility. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the Status 418 column may also include a status indicator regarding the status of the product package with customs. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, product package status updates (e.g., a packaged product being detained) can be received from customs and automatically updated, or the status information can be manually entered by the user.

Figures 5A through 5E depict representations of a tabular display 500 for a customs approval system (e.g., customs approval system 24) or an electronic manifest system (e.g., AMS) as viewed by a customs broker/department. For example, tabular display 500 may be a GUI for displaying package data (e.g., package data 18) for a product package received at customs, as discussed with respect to Figures 1 and 3. Figure 5A depicts an initial tabular display 500 for a customs approval system. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, initial tabular display 500 may include columns 502 with headers for Master Air Waybill (MAWB), Airline Name, Origin/Destination Airports, Arrival Date, BAGS, House Air Waybill (HAWB) (e.g., packaged product), Detention, Itemization, Total, Gross Weight, Clearance, and/or Detention Notice. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these columns 502 are not intended to be limiting and may include any such columns for commonly used data fields used by customs. The package data included below each column header may be package data populated based on database data (e.g., database 14) received from a shipper in a customs verification system (e.g., customs verification system 20), package data entered by a customs authority, or a combination thereof. In the exemplary embodiment, a customs broker/department may select a link to package data in certain columns 502 to display additional information for the selected data link. For example, selecting the link for 403-37664056 below the MAWB column header may bring up additional information about the product packages included in that particular MAWB.

FIG. 5B depicts a table display 500 after selecting one of the data links in the MAWB column. Specifically, FIG. 5B depicts a table display when MAWB link 403-37664056 shown in FIG. 5A has been selected. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in response to this selection, the data and columns 502 in table display 500 are updated to show the next level of information for the product package shipment for MAWB 403-37664056. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B , columns 502 may be updated to include information related to BAG ID, type code, HAWB, detention, itemization, total quantity, and gross weight. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these columns 502 are not intended to be limiting and may include columns for commonly used data fields used by customs. In an exemplary embodiment, an additional display window 504 is opened to provide additional information about the specific data link selected (e.g., MAWB 403-37664056). According to an example embodiment of the present invention, tab 506 may be displayed to show details for a particular level currently being displayed by table display 500. For example, the details for the current level depicted in FIG5B are BAGS tab 506. Similar to column 502 shown in FIG5A, certain data links in column 502 shown in FIG5B may be selected to provide detailed information for additional levels pertaining to the selected data link. For example, selecting the HKGCVG1362909 link from the BAG ID column may bring up additional information pertaining to that particular BAG.

Fig. 5 C has depicted the table display 500 after having selected one of the data links in the BAG ID column. Specifically, Fig. 5 C has depicted the table display 500 when having selected the BAG ID data link HKGCVG1362909 shown in Fig. 5 B. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the parcel data and column 502 in the table display 500 are updated to illustrate the information of the next level of product parcel consignment for BAGHKGCVG1362909. For example, as shown in Fig. 5 C, column 502 can be updated to include the information belonging to HAWB, BAG, MAWB, declared value, currency code, itemized, total amount, gross weight and detention. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, these columns are not intended to be limiting, and can include columns for the commonly used data fields used by customs. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, additional display window 504 is opened and/or updated to provide additional information (such as BAG HKGCVG1362909) about the specific data link selected for Fig. B. In other embodiments, the tabs 506 can be updated to show details for a particular level currently displayed by the table display 500. For example, the details for the current level depicted in FIG5C correspond to the HAWB tab 506. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, selecting one of the tabs 506 updates the table display 500 to include additional information. For example, selecting an itemized tab 506 can bring up additional information pertaining to the items contained within that particular tab.

FIG5D depicts the table display 500 after selecting the striping tab 506 from FIG5C . Specifically, selecting the striping tab 506 will update columns 502 and their respective parcel data entries for items (e.g., SKUs) in a specific BAG (e.g., BAG HKGCVG1362909). According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the parcel data and columns 502 in the table display 500 are updated to show the next level of information for the product parcel shipment for BAG HKGCVG1362909. For example, as shown in FIG5D , column 502 can be updated to include information for SKU, HAWB, BAG, MAWB, shipper, seller, declared classification summary amount, URL, name, description, abbreviation, and import. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these columns are not intended to be limiting and may include columns for commonly used data fields used by customs. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, additional display window 504 is opened and/or updated to provide additional information about a particular bag (e.g., BAGHKGCVG1362909). According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the information included in itemized list tab 506 may include package data received from the shipper (e.g., package data 18 in database 14), as discussed with respect to Figures 1 and 3. Similarly, with respect to column 502 shown in Figure 5A, certain data links in column 502 shown in Figure 5D may be selected to provide additional levels of detailed information pertaining to the selected data link. For example, selecting the YM638101 link from the SKU column may bring up additional information pertaining to that SKU.

Figure 5E depicts an additional display window 504 after a specific SKU data link has been selected from the SKU column 502 shown in Figure 5D . According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the additional display window 504 is opened and/or updated from the previous tabular display 500 to provide additional information regarding a specific SKU (e.g., SKU YM6338101). For example, selecting the YM6338101 link from the SKU column may bring up additional information pertaining to that specific SKU. As depicted in Figure 5E , the detailed information displayed in the additional display window 504 may include an image 508, price, and description of the item. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this detailed information is not intended to be limiting and may include additional SKU information commonly used by customs authorities. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the detailed information displayed in the additional display window 504 may include package data populated by the shipper's customs verification system (e.g., customs verification system 20). For example, the SKU image 508 may be obtained for display from an associated URL as discussed with respect to Figures 1-3 .

Any suitable computing device may be used to implement the computing devices 12, 22 and methods/functions described herein. An illustrative example of such a computing device 600 is depicted in FIG6. The computing device 600 is merely an illustrative example of a suitable computing environment and does not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. The "computing device" represented in FIG6 may include a "workstation," "server," "laptop," "desktop," "handheld device," "mobile device," "tablet computer," or other computing devices, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. While the computing device 600 is depicted for illustrative purposes, embodiments of the present invention may utilize any number of computing devices 600 in any number of different ways to implement a single embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a single computing device 600, nor are they limited to a single type of implementation or configuration of the example computing device 600.

The computing device 600 may include a bus 610 that may be coupled directly or indirectly to one or more of the following exemplary components: a memory 612, one or more processors 614, one or more presentation components 616, an input/output port 618, an input/output component 620, and a power supply 624. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the bus 610 may include one or more buses, such as an address bus, a data bus, or any combination thereof. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, depending on the intended application and use of a particular embodiment, multiple of these components may be implemented by a single device. Similarly, in some cases, a single component may be implemented by multiple devices. Thus, FIG. 6 is merely illustrative of an example computing device that may be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any way.

The computing device 600 may include or interact with various computer-readable media. For example, the computer-readable media may include random access memory (RAM); read-only memory (ROM); electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM); flash memory or other memory technologies; CDROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical or holographic media; magnetic cassettes, tapes, disk storage devices, or other magnetic storage devices that can be used to encode and access information by the computing device 600.

Memory 612 may include computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. Memory 612 may be removable, non-removable, or any combination thereof. Example hardware devices may include devices such as hard drives, solid-state memory, optical drives, and the like. Computing device 600 may include one or more processors that read data from components such as memory 612, various I/O components 616, and the like. Presentation components 616 present data indications to a user or other device. Example presentation components include a display device, a speaker, a printing component, a vibrating component, and the like.

I/O ports 618 may enable computing device 600 to be logically coupled to other devices, such as I/O components 620. Some of I/O components 620 may be built into computing device 600. Examples of such I/O components 620 include a microphone, a joystick, a recording device, a game pad, a satellite dish, a scanner, a printer, a wireless device, a network device, and the like.

As used herein, the terms "including" and "comprising..." are intended to be interpreted as inclusive rather than exclusive. As used herein, the terms "exemplary," "example," and "illustrative" are intended to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and should not be interpreted as indicating or not indicating a preferred or superior configuration relative to other configurations. As used herein, the terms "approximately," "roughly," are intended to encompass variations that occur in the upper and lower limits of an object or target value range, such as variations in properties, parameters, size, and dimensions. In a non-limiting example, the terms "approximately," "roughly," mean at or above 10 percentage points or within, or below 10 percentage points or within. In a non-limiting example, the terms "approximately," "roughly," and "approximately" mean sufficiently close to what is considered by a technician in the relevant field in which one is located. As used herein, the term "substantially" refers to the complete or nearly complete scope or degree of an action, feature, property, state, structure, project, or result, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, a "substantially" round object may indicate that the object is completely round to mathematically determinable limits, or is nearly round, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The exact degree of permissible deviation from absolute perfection may, in some cases, depend on the specific context. Generally speaking, however, the degree of approximation to perfection is intended to result in the same overall result as if absolute and total perfection were achieved or obtained. The use of "substantially" when used in a negative connotation may also be used to refer to the complete or nearly complete absence of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

After browsing the above description, many modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this description should be interpreted as merely illustrative, and the purpose is to teach those skilled in the art the best way to perform the present invention. The details of the structure can be fully changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims is retained. In this specification, the embodiments have been described in a manner that enables a clear and concise description to be written, but it is intended and will be understood that the embodiments can be variously combined or split without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the applicable provisions of the law.

It is also to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features of the invention described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention which by language express these are to be considered to fall within the scope thereof.

Claims (20)

1. A method for establishing a package screening and approval system, the method comprising: Receive inventory SKU data associated with one or more items in a parcel to be shipped; Receive a Uniform Resource Locator URL for a webpage in which one or more items associated with the SKU data are advertised or promoted; Using a processor, the SKU data is automatically associated with the URL in a database stored in the storage medium; The web pages in which one or more items associated with the SKU data are advertised or promoted are indexed to obtain additional information related to the one or more items, and the indexed web pages are stored in the database; Inspect the received SKU data and the associated URL, including any additional information; Once the SKU data, URL, and additional information are stored in the database and examined, the SKU data associated with the one or more items is converted into a pre-approved SKU item, an invalid SKU item, or an SKU item pending investigation. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SKU data is provided by the manufacturer or distributor of the one or more items. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the URL is provided by the manufacturer or distributor of the one or more items. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the URL for the webpage is performed by a processor, and is based on automatically searching the SKU data, identifying webpages in which the one or more items are advertised or promoted, and recording the URL of the webpage. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein when a package containing the one or more items is marked as a pre-approved SKU item, the one or more items are accepted for shipment. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein when a package containing the one or more items is marked as an invalid SKU item, the one or more items are refused for shipment. 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Convert the associated SKU data and URL data into a displayable format and arrange the associated SKU data and URL data; Receive validity values for one or more items based on URL and additional information checks; Based on the validity value, the pre-approved item, invalid item, or item under investigation is sent to one or more package screening and approval departments. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the package screening and approval system receives the SKU data from a scanning device configured to read SKU data. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon receiving the SKU data, the package screening and approval system automatically initiates a step of searching the database for SKU data for the one or more items. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: When SKU data for one or more items is located in the database, the package screening and approval system provides the SKU data and the URL of the webpage in which the one or more items are advertised or promoted for display; and When the SKU data for one or more items is not in the database, or when the one or more items are classified as invalid or pending investigation in the database, the package screening and approval system rejects the one or more products for shipment. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The webpage associated with the URL displays at least one image of the one or more items; and The additional information includes information related to the SKU of one or more items and includes one or more items, prices, and descriptions. 12. A method for screening product packages using a package screening and approval system, comprising: The package screening and approval system receives SKU data on the inventory of product packages that are being shipped. The package screening and approval system searches the database for SKU data for the product packages; When the SKU data for the product package is located in the database, the package screening and approval system provides data to identify the SKU data and data to identify the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the webpage in which the product package is advertised or promoted for display purposes; and Specifically, if the SKU data for the product package is not in the database, is classified as invalid, or is pending investigation in the database, the package screening and approval system rejects the product package. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the webpage displays at least one image of the product package being shipped. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of providing data identifying the SKU data and data identifying the URL of a webpage in which the product package is advertised or promoted for display includes: causing the name and image of the product package to be displayed. 15. A package screening and approval system, comprising: A database coupled to a storage device storing one or more stock quantity unit (SKU) data, the stock quantity unit (SKU) data representing the SKU of the product package for association with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for advertising or promoting a webpage in which the product is packaged; The storage of the SKU data associated with the one or more product image data is an indication that the product package has been pre-approved by the package screening and approval system. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the webpage displays at least one image of a product package being shipped. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system provides the display device with data identifying the SKU data and data identifying the URL of a webpage in which the product is advertised or promoted for display purposes. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the display device includes a moving device. 19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a mobile device configured for combined scanning and display in communication with the database. 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the storage device is located within a cloud computing infrastructure.