Shipping Label Production System Using URI Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing shipping labels are error-prone, limited in network communication capabilities, and suffer from poor integration with client-side systems, leading to reduced functionality and quality in label output.
Innovation Solution
A Shipping Label Production System (SLPS) that utilizes shipping uniform resource identifiers (URIs) to automate the production of shipping labels by integrating with client applications, address management engines, and shipment information data engines, enabling efficient communication and interoperation between disparate systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a stand-alone application is used to prepare and print shipping labels, then the application can execute locally on the shipper's computing system, but the process becomes error-prone due to manual entry requirements and limited network communication capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a uniform resource identifier (URI) as an intermediary that bridges the stand-alone application and remote computing systems. The URI encapsulates shipping information and serves as a standardized communication medium, allowing the local application to exchange data with remote systems without direct complex integration, thereby reducing errors while maintaining local execution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal shipping URI format that can be used across different carrier services and computing systems. This universal format allows a single stand-alone application to communicate with multiple remote systems without requiring separate integration mechanisms for each carrier, reducing errors through standardized data exchange
2Loss of information
If a special-purpose shipping label application is used, then network communication capabilities are enhanced, but the application becomes limited by the need to implement multiple diverse mechanisms for communicating with different remote computing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a universal URI-based communication mechanism that enables a single shipping label application to interact with multiple different carrier services and remote computing systems. Instead of implementing separate communication protocols for each carrier, the application uses the standardized URI format to exchange shipping information universally, significantly reducing the complexity of network communication mechanisms
3Ease of manufacture
If a Web-based server-side shipping label application is used, then special software installation is eliminated, but the application loses the ability to access information stored on the client machine and interact with client-side hardware and software
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the shipping URI as an intermediary that allows the server-side Web application to access client-side information without requiring direct client-server integration. The URI encapsulates shipping data that can be generated by client-side applications (such as from address books or order systems) and transmitted to the server, enabling the Web application to function with full access to necessary information while maintaining its server-side architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the shipping label production process into distinct components: client-side information gathering (using URIs to capture shipping data), server-side label generation (processing URIs and creating labels), and result delivery (returning labels to clients). This segmentation allows the Web application to remain server-side while effectively integrating with various client systems through the URI interface
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for producing shipping labels are provided. Example embodiments provide a Shipping Label Production System (“SLPS”), which produces shipping labels based on a shipping uniform resource identifier (“URI”) that identifies a shipping protocol and includes shipment information and post-back information. The SLPS may be configured to produce, in accordance with the shipping protocol, a shipping label by outputting a shipping label based on the shipment information, and automatically posting information about the producing of the shipping label to a code module identified by the post-back information. In some embodiments, the actions of the SLPS may be initiated by a Web browser in response to a user selection of a shipping URI. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.