Bulk terminal automation system

Abstract

A bulk terminal automation system for automating and coordinating delivery operations of bulk shipping terminals. Data entry relating to customer transport requests, and driver and vehicle access data are entered at the central office, and then transmitted from the central office, through a global computer network, and to a local database located in a bulk shipping terminal, which is located remotely form the central office. Local data is collected at the bulk shipping terminal through a local network. The local data includes information relating to driver access inputs, loads collected, bills of lading, storage levels and metered units of bulk materials which are dispensed. The locally collected data is periodically transmitted to the central office and stored in a central office database which is configured in a relational database arrangement. Inventory and load shipment reconciliation reports are complied at the central office, rather than requiring redundant processing capability at separate bulk shipping terminals. The data stored in the relational database is accessed through various service modules which process the data to provide specialized reports according to various customer data requests. Customers may request standardized reports, or specialized data reports may be selectively customized by the customer. The reports generated from the central database are transmitted from the central office to the customer through the global computer network. The data reports may combine data from several terminals to provide regional data relating to consumer use and customer load shipment distribution.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for automating and coordinating delivery operations of a bulk shipping terminal, comprising: 
 a local computer network disposed at the bulk shipping terminal, said local computer network including a local CPU and a local database, data collection units and a subscriber input device;    a local data transfer connection between said local CPU at the bulk shipping terminal and a global computer network;    a central office having a central database configured in a relational database format, wherein data from said local database is received and stored in the central database via the global computer network;    a remote data transfer connection between said central office and the global computer network; and    various service modules provided for accessing the data stored in said central database and processing said accessed data to provide specialized reports in which said accessed data from said central database is provided to the customers according to various presentations corresponding to respective ones of said service modules.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein customer requests for data are made and said specialized reports are delivered via the global computer network.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said specialized reports are spontaneously customized in response to customer requests made via the global computer network.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a second local computer network disposed at a second, remote shipping terminal, which is remotely disposed from the bulk shipping terminal set forth above, said second local computer network including a second local CPU and a second local database, second data collection units and a second subscriber input device;    a second local data transfer connection between said second local CPU at the second bulk shipping terminal and a global computer network; and    wherein said various service modules compile data from said central database, which corresponds to data transmitted from said local bulk shipping terminal and said second remote shipping terminal, into respective, single ones of specialized reports as requested by the customers.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein one of said various service modules comprises a listing of all loads picked up and delivered, and associated times of when the loads were picked up and delivered, sorted according to respective ones of various drivers for a selective time period.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said listing of all loads picked up and delivered which are sorted according to respective ones of the various drivers complies data from both the local and the second remote shipping terminals.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein both customers requests for reports are made and said specialized reports are delivered via the global computer network.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said specialized reports are spontaneously customized in response to said customer requests made via the global computer network.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said central database comprises a listing of transport delivery requests and driver access data for downloading to said local database.  
     
     
         10 . A method for automating and coordinating delivery operations of a bulk shipping terminal, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a local computer network disposed at the bulk shipping terminal, the local computer network including a local CPU and a local database, a data collection network which includes data collection units and a subscriber input device, and the local computer network further including a local data transfer connection between said local CPU at the bulk shipping terminal and a global computer network;    providing a central office having a central database configured in a relational database format, wherein data from the local database is received via the global computer network and later selectively retrieved from the central database, and further providing a remote data transfer connection between the central office and the global computer network;    collecting data from the data collecting units via the data collection network, and then storing the collected data locally in the local database;    entering subscriber input data to request driver access to bulk goods stored in the bulk shipping terminal, and storing the subscriber inputs in the local database;    comparing the input data to stored transport request data to determine whether to allow the driver access to the bulk goods;    store loading data and inventory data in the local database;    transmitting the loading and inventory data from the local database, through the global computer network, and to the central office;    storing the transmitted loading and inventory data in the central database; and    providing selected data compilations to various customers in response to corresponding customer requests and according to respective customer selected data formats.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 entering the transport request data relating to driver access, customer shipments, and customer delivery requirements at the central office for storage in the central database;    downloading the transport request data relating to driver access, customer shipments, and customer delivery requirements through the global computer network to the local CPU in the bulk shipping terminal; and    storing the downloaded transport request data in the local database.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of providing selected data compilations further comprises the acts of relating the transmitted loading and inventory data the transport request data initially stored in the central database;  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of the customers making the customer requests for selected data compilations via the global computer network.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the selected data compilations are spontaneously customized in response to the customer requests made via the global computer network.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the selected data compilations are delivered via the global computer network.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 providing a second local computer network disposed at a second, remote shipping terminal, which is remotely disposed from the bulk shipping terminal set forth above, the second local computer network including a second local CPU and a second local database, second data collection units and a second subscriber input device, and a second local data transfer connection between said second local CPU at the second bulk shipping terminal and a global computer network; and    transferring transport request data and the loading and inventory data between the second remote shipping terminal and the central office via the global computer network; and    wherein the step of providing selected data compilations included compiling data from both the local shipping terminal and the second remote shipping terminal.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of the customers making the customer requests for selected data compilations via the global computer network.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the selected data compilations are spontaneously customized in response to the customer requests made via the global computer network.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the selected data compilations are delivered via the global computer network.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 providing a second local computer network disposed at a second, remote shipping terminal, which is remotely disposed from the bulk shipping terminal set forth above, the second local computer network including a second local CPU and a second local database, second data collection units and a second subscriber input device, and a second local data transfer connection between said second local CPU at the second bulk shipping terminal and a global computer network;    transferring transport request data and the loading and inventory data between the second remote shipping terminal and the central office via the global computer network; and    wherein the step of providing selected data compilations included compiling data from both the local shipping terminal and the second remote shipping terminal.    
     
     
         21 . A data collection system, comprising: 
 a plurality of remote terminals, each for collecting and storing local data and each having: 
 a storage medium for storing a local database in a first format,  
 a local processor for collecting the local data and creating a local database, and  
 a communication interface for allowing transfer of the local data from the associated remote terminal to a communication link;  
   a central office, having: 
 a storage medium for storing a central office database,  
 a communication interface for receiving local data from the remote terminals over said communication link,  
 a central office processor for organizing the received local data from the remote terminals into a predetermined database structure having a second format, and  
 a subscriber interface for allowing a subscriber access to select portions of the central office database structure.  
   
     
     
         22 . The data collection system of  claim 21 , wherein a local processor at each of the remote terminals is provided access to the local database to perform a plurality of limited operations thereon to generate a first set of limited reports.  
     
     
         23 . The data collection system of  claim 22 , wherein said central office processor at said central office is operable to be provided access to all of said central database and its associated content, and allowed to generate higher level reports than each of said local processors at each of the remote terminals and in response to a subscriber accessing said central database.  
     
     
         24 . The data collection system of  claim 21 , wherein said central office database is organized in a relational database structure.