MXPA00007318A - Container and inventory monitoring methods and systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Container and inventory monitoring methods and systems provide detailed logistical control of containers, shipping racks and resident and in-transit inventory. The methods and systems create and maintain accurate real-time records of the location, movement and load status of containers, racks and inventory within the facility boundaries and between facilities such as factories, assembly plants, warehouses, shipping yards and freight switching facilities. Detailed data on container switching, unloading and loading activity is recorded and archived. A virtual inventory accounting is provided by tracking from customer release orders to supplier shipments and rack returns.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR THE SUPERVISION OF CONTAINERS AND INVENTORIES Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to methods and logistic systems for tracking and controlling containers, shipping grids and inventories. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems that create and maintain an accurate record of the location and movement of containers, grids and inventories within and between the boundaries of an installation, such as factories, assembly plants, warehouses, yards. of boarding, and facilities of change of load.

Antecedents of the Invention. In the related application, a method and system for monitoring the location and state of loading of containers within the boundaries of a factory facility, or shipping, or storage facilities are described. The present invention eliminates the substantial cost of locating containers within the extensions of the reception yards of the shipping containers, so that the container can be easily taken to a designated spot for unloading. The present application focuses even more ely on the movement and state of loading of containers in transit and within yards and production facilities, such as automobile factories, and describes non-obvious improvements and additions to methods and systems for monitoring Containers, which produce even more accurate and detailed information regarding the location and condition of containers, shipping grids and inventories in transit. The improvements described reduce the waste and deficiency in the common shipment process from a supplier (such as a parts manufacturer), a carrier (such as a trucking or shipping or heavy cargo company), a warehouse, to a customer final which assembles parts to make a finished product. The tracking of containers in transit is well developed, including the use of satellites and other electronic technology to obtain real-time data with respect to transit locations. The accounting and inventory management are also well developed, and the contents of very large warehouses can be assured at a high level of detail at any point in the process. There are areas that lack total control over the states and accounting of the goods and transport that are needed to move the goods that are inside the yards, in which the containers are received inside a facility. Without the information with respect - to the location and state of loading of the containers within an installation, or without an accounting of the number of parts (especially small parts) within a facility, a manufacturer, supplier, or carrier has no way to calculate current real-time asset accounting.

For example, in a typical sale and merchandise shipping transaction, a carrier may know from a satellite tracking system, that a container has arrived at a factory, but does not know if the container is full, partially full, if it will be charged again, or the content of the new load, such as grids. The "active" of the carrier in the shipment transaction is a cargo knowledge which is presented to the factory upon completion of the delivery. But cargo awareness can not be paid until the delivery is complete. Therefore the carrier must have information regarding the state of loading of the container that is in the factory. An asset of a supplier is the account receivable for the goods delivered at the factory. The payment of the supplier's invoice can be conditioned not only to the delivery of the goods, but also to the real assembly of the goods in a finished product, known as "payment on production". Also can be considered as assets of the provider, any grid that must be returned to the supplier, so that a subsequent shipment of merchandise can be carried out. In some cases the supplier may in fact be the owner of the grids, and therefore, may be additionally interested in having these returned. If the supplier is not aware of an incorrect shipment in the return of their grids, until the carrier arrives at the supplier's facility, the supplier (and possibly the customer) incurs a loss. The client's assets are, of course, ordered products, such as parts. To reduce or eliminate the cost of the parts that remains before assembly, the customer does not want to receive the products before, but until the time they are needed to be assembled. To coordinate this, the client must have information regarding the transport of the goods to the factory, made by the carrier. Although the delivery of parts just in time is a good concept that can be applied to some manufacturing operations, it is not practical for everything that refers to production. Therefore, the customer inevitably ends up keeping some parts in the buildings of the facility and in effect is functioning as a warehouse. In order to minimize the cost of this maintenance or storage, the customer must know what goods have arrived and in which containers, and where the containers are located. Another critical area to which most logistics systems are not directed is the area of the grids that hold the products inside a container. In many aspects, these grids, their location, expected time of return, and condition, are as critical and valuable as the products they transport. Without grids, many products can not be transported. Therefore, there is a need to track the shipping grids, as closely as the shipment of the product, particularly in the return trips to suppliers.

The prior art has also contemplated the logistic handling of relatively small parts, such as fasteners or electronic components. Small parts are usually delivered in progressively smaller containers, from a pallet to a carton or box. Maintaining a number of small parts leads immediately to losses within an assembly facility. Therefore, it is necessary to track the delivery of small parts containers and monitor the inventory in transit, compared to the finished production.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides methods and systems for improved logistics controls of shipping container tracking, change monitoring and loading status, and total inventory accounting in real time. In accordance with a fundamental aspect of the present invention, a container monitoring system is provided for accumulating and storing information in shipping containers, including location and state of charge. The system includes a reception area, to receive the containers that have been supervised by the system, the reception area within a defined limit, within which, the container will be supervised by the system, an entry point for the container inside of the limit, in which, the containers are identified by existing identification codes, which are registered at the point of entry of the container, a change vehicle to move the containers to, and from a reception area already, and from an installation within the limit, in accordance with instructions received by the installation, and means to record information regarding the location and state of loading of the containers within the defined limit, including, information regarding the identification of the area of reception and identification of the parking boxes containers inside a reception area.

The present invention additionally provides computing means for the generation of reports upon arrival of the container to an installation, numbers of movement of a container through a vehicle of change within a reception area and locations and discharge activities of the containers in operation points inside a facility. The present invention also provides a system for monitoring and locating containers within a supervised network of shipping terminals and destination facilities of the container. The system makes it possible for a carrier to identify the terminal or facility within a network, in which a particular container is located, to know in which part, within a terminal or facility, a container is located and to know the status of the container. loading a container inside a terminal of the installation.

The present invention also provides a virtual inventory tracking system, which generates real-time data with respect to product shipments within transit containers, in an installation, and within an installation. The present invention also provides a method and system for creating electronic and paper records of the return activity of the shipping grids, from the new loading of the grids inside a container, to the total return of the grids to a provider. And, the present invention also provides, a measured storage and delivery system, for the delivery and control of the inventory of small parts determined for production. These and other aspects of the present invention are described with particularized detail with reference to the accompanying figures, these figures being representative, of some of the various ways by which the principles and concepts of the present invention can be carried out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Figures accompanying the present invention: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the basic operating components of a modality of the container monitoring and control system (CMCS) of the present invention.; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware components of the Container Monitoring Control System (CMCS) of the present invention, including the related databases, the administration of information systems and the input devices and communication; Figure 3 is an example of a status report of the container generated by the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figure 5 is a flow chart of certain processing steps of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 6A through 6C are representative screen displays generated by a computer program, which performs certain functions of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 7A to 7D are examples of reports of on-screen displays and activity of the points of operation generated by a computer program, which carries out certain functions of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 8A through 8B are examples of on-screen display reports and summaries of container arrivals to a facility, generated by a computer program which performs certain functions of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 9A to 9B are examples of on-screen displays and summary reports of container change activity in a facility, generated by a computer program which performs certain functions of the monitoring and control system. a container of the present invention; Figures 10 A and 10B are examples of on-screen displays and exception reports of downloads in a container discharge activity in a facility, generated by a computer program which carries out certain functions of the supervision and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 1 1 A through 1 1 F are examples of screen displays and reports regarding the location of the container, identity, and state of charge within the parking spaces inside the reception yards of the container, generated by a computer program which carries out certain functions of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures from 12 A to 12 D are examples of on-screen displays and reports related to container locations in the terminal within a monitored network of facilities or terminals, generated by a computer program which carries out certain functions of the monitoring and control system of a container of the present invention; Figures 13A through 13D are flow charts of a virtual inventory tracking process of the present invention; Figures 14A through 14C are flow charts of a process for recording, verifying and producing electronic and paper records, for delivery of the return of the shipping grids according to the present invention, and Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the process and storage system and delivery of parts measured, according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 schematically illustrates an application of a basic aspect of the container and inventory monitoring system of the present invention, within the confines of a limit B of the installation. An installation F can be a factory, a sub-assembly warehouse plant, a load transfer station, a distribution center, or any other place where the containers are loaded and unloaded. The limit B of the installation is the area surrounding or associated with the installation F. As used in the present invention, the term "system" refers to the described equipment, hardware and software, used to carry out the described methods of monitoring the container and inventory, and the apparatus and equipment used to operate the system, including computer hardware and software, peripheral data entry devices, monitors, communication devices and transport vehicles, shipping containers and grids boarding In the basic system shown in Figure 1, the system accumulates, stores and disseminates information from containers C, with respect to the location of the containers relative to the B limit places of the installation within the limits of the installation, but outside the installation referred to as the reception areas or yards Y and operation points D, which are designated as doors or entrances to an installation F. The entrance and exit of limit B of the installation, is directed and controlled through a gate G. As further described in the present invention, the important data regarding the times of the containers and container loads used by the system, are collected at the entry points to a limit B of the installation, such as gate G. As further shown in Figure 1, each reception area Y is assigned to a unique designator such as Y1, Y2 etc. Each of the operation points are designated uniquely, such as D 1, D 2, etc. The equipment that moves the shipping containers, as well as each of the shipping containers, are also uniquely identified by a code or number. For example, in the transport industry, each of the vehicles of carriers or shipping companies that move containers are uniquely identified by, for example, an alpha "SCAT" code which may correspond to the name of the company. boarding Each of the containers is assigned an individual code (usually numeric) which is combined with the SCAT code to identify all transporter / container combinations. This combination of codes is used to track containers and to monitor carrier performance. The system easily adapts to other boarding modes such as, boarding / rail / intermodal truck containers, air cargo containers, tanks, transport of waste, or any other type of shipping container. With the coded identification of all carriers and containers, control over the boundaries of the facility, and with the means to record the status and location of the containers within the limits of an installation, the system has a basic work structure to collect The detailed data in the shipping process, which can be used by the installation, suppliers and carriers to optimize logistics. The system monitors and records all movements and locations of the container within the limits B of the installation. For example, when a container C is delivered by a support vehicle V to an installation through gate G, its date and time of arrival is loaded into the system and it is located within a reception area within an area or yard of reception Y, through a driving means S. The location of the container inside the yard Y is also registered, since it is the number of times that the container has been moved from its arrival to the limit B of the installation. These data are transferred or made available to a computer system of the installation, as will be described further below. The movement of a container within a boundary B or yard Y of the installation in the present invention is referred to as a "change". This is also generally referred to in the shipping industry as "concentration" or "lowering the load". Figure 2 illustrates in schematic form an integrated system in which the computer system of the container and inventory monitoring system is combined with a computer system of an installation F. A system of supervision and control of a container (system CMCS) 10, includes a central processing unit 1 1 for receiving and processing the data related to the container, a database of the monitoring system of the container 12, a database of the virtual inventory 13, one or more input terminals data of the container 14, which can be located, locally or remotely from the CMCS system 10, a monitor of the CMCS system 15, communication links 16 to the remote computing systems and / or data reception modules, such as EDI, fax, e-mail or Internet connections, data transmitters of the remote container 18 and one or more printers 20 to produce copies of reports of the data of the They are acquired and processed by means of the CMCS system 10. In a possible installation of the hardware of the system 10, one or more data entry terminals of the container 14 and the monitors 15, can be located in a gate or gates G for the entrance of the data acquired from the entry and exit of containers in the CMCS system 10. Many different types of data entry devices can be used together with the system, for the entry data of carriers and containers. A person who works as an operator located in gate G, can enter the data as the carrier / containers arrive. Other methods and input devices include portable radios operated by the drivers of the S-shift vehicles, to communicate the data to an operator; naming technology and RFI D readers, ultrasonic readers, optical scanners or data communication devices such as those manufactured by Texas Instruments and Teklogix, or bar code readers such as the PTC 921 and PTC 912ds. The S shift vehicles are preferably equipped with reception and deployment devices in remote terminals, which allow data entry, reception and real-time display of data with respect to the locations of the containers and the instructions for change or movement. The CMCS 10 system operates internally with other computer systems such as, for example, an information management system (M IS) from an installation to which the containers are delivered (in the present invention referred to as "1st Customer. M IS 30"or" M IS client "), and / or final client or intermediary (in the present invention referred to as the" 2nd M IS 60 Client "), and / or M IS of a container transport business ( referred to in the present invention as "MIS 40 carrier"). As used in the present invention, the term "customer" refers to a receiver of the goods of a supplier, as delivered by a carrier. The customer can be a warehouse, a freight transport agent, a sub-assembler, an assembler or final seller of the delivered goods. As further shown in Figure 2, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the CMCS system 10 is normally linked to a MIS 30 plant or customer, and to a carrier of the MIS 40 container for cross-data exchange of the container. and the inventory. Of course, connections could also be made to MISs and / or additional databases, to further expand the accessibility of the container data collected by the CMCS 10 system. Typically an MIS includes a data collection group computerized, analysis and reporting tools, which support the decision-making processes of the businesses, including a database accessible through a computer programmed with data analysis and reporting software to generate information reports. A typical sequence of container monitoring is now described with reference to the physical layout of Figure 1 and the monitoring hardware and software described above with reference to Figure 2. As a container C (pushed by a support vehicle V) arrives to gate G of installation F, the data identifying the carrier and the container that are in the vehicle (for example a SCAT code), are entered into the CMCS system together with a corresponding container number that appears on the outside of the container and with the arrival time. The arrival time of the registered container starts a retention timer to measure exactly the amount of total time that a container is retained in the premises of the destination installation, such as installation F. This information is important for both carriers and for the clients. The retention times of the container registered by the system, clearly identify the containers of the carriers that are detained for excessive amounts of time. For example, customers, the last recipients of the contents of the container, who must pay the carriers for the excessive retention time of the containers, can use information provided by the system to independently verify surplus charges of the carriers by the excessive detention. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transporter / container data combination for each incoming container has been transmitted between MIS 40, MIS 50, and MIS 30 client, in the form of a shipment advance notice ( ASN), before the arrival of the container, so that the carrier and the container are identified and enter the CMCS system upon arrival at the F installation, and with this information transmitted from the CMCS system to the MIS client and / or M IS carrier, the system carries out the function of communicating the confirmation that a particular container has actually arrived at a destination. Once such confirmation is provided, the system continues to monitor the container around and within the premises of facility F. Bill of lading information regarding each container can also be transmitted by the MIS carrier to the M IS client, so that the arrival information of the container (identifying only the carrier and container number), is sufficient to make it possible for the MIS client to identify specifically, for example, the parts that have reached the premises of the installation and that, therefore, they are available for assembly. Although this is not necessary for the container monitoring system to know the specific content of any particular container (since it is represented by a bill of lading), this information can be quickly entered into the CMCS system (either by the MIS carrier). , the M IS client, or through the entry terminal of the CMCS system 14) to make possible the confirmation of delivery of the specific contents of the containers. In other words, the contents data of any container can be stored and associated with the identifications of the transporter / container within the CMCS system, as an alternative or addition to the content of the customer data or MIS provider.

The amounts of boarding and accumulated charges associated with bills of lading can also be entered into the CMCS system. This data can be related to an independent accounts payable program (for example, permanent for an M IS client) whereby payments from a customer to a carrier can be authorized by the data from the CMCS system. Through this method, the payments made to the carriers can only be for the containers / goods that have actually been received or downloaded in the premises of the customer's installation. Similarly, carriers can use the entry confirmation data provided by the system to generate invoices to customers with the actual confirmation that a particular delivery has been made. As an alternative for the monitoring of the location and state of the specific contents of the containers (which is contemplated in the present invention), a method of the present invention is to monitor the state of charge of any given container, using designations such as "full" or "truck load", "partial load", or "empty". You can use the conventional load designation, such as marking in the CMCS system, all the containers that enter as "full" (without taking into account if a container is really full), and all the containers that come out as "empty", Based on the customer's instructions, who is responsible for unloading the container. "Partial loads" are also identified based on information from the client that a particular container, only partially discharged, will be removed from an operation point, and subsequently returned. Without the designation of such container as "partial load", the client would not have an efficient way to relocate the container when the rest of the parts were necessary, or to monitor if the container still has the parts in it and is not due allow to leave the premises of the installation until it is empty. All the data of the state of charge are entered into the CMCS system in the previously described ways to transmit via fax, email or through the Internet or from a worldwide network to the MIS client and the MIS carrier. In this way, the transporters are notified immediately when the containers are empty and available to pick them up. The system also monitors the cumulative load data for all containers entering and leaving any particular premise or facility. Tabulating the total number of loads in the container, the system maintains transit figures in the shipment volume within the premises of the installation. Subsequently, these data are compared with the known capacity values, to evaluate and / or diagnose the use of the installation. An example of application of this aspect of the present invention is an embankment installation in which the loads of the containers are monitored, to continuously calculate the remaining capacity of an embankment. Associated with the state of charge and with the content of the container, are the data referring to the grids that transport parts which are placed inside the containers. In some of the applications of the system, the supervision of the grids is ideal or even more important than the supervision of the containers, since certain parts can not be transported in containers without specially adapted grids. For example, parts such as automobile engines can not be shipped without the empty grilles being returned from a car assembly plant to an engine plant. Therefore, the containers that contain these grids, are identified especially in the CMCS system, so that the containers that are completely discharged, and the empty grids that are placed back in the container, are identified as, for example, "grids outside the limits". A container vehicle V or a change vehicle S, lowers the container C in a reception area Y, which is located outside or within the limits B of the installation. The location of the initial disassembly point is confirmed by a communication from a remote data receiver of the container 18, operated by the personnel located in the premises of the installation, or a maneuvering conductor, to immediately enter the CMCS system. This starts the pattern of constant and immediate update of the location and status of the container made by the CMCS system, for the MIS client, which makes it possible for the MIS client to locate the shipments without any search or delay. The client provides instructions regarding which containers are necessary and at what point of operation, for example, the instructions for the change process. The instructions for the change process can be generated by the M IS client and delivered to the operators of the S change vehicles, or transmitted to the CMCS system to communicate them to the S change vehicles through the remote data transmitters 18. The change instructions are carried out by the operators of the S change vehicles, which for example, in the case of a cargo truck operation, hook a container such as a trailer and move it from a reception area to a specific point of operation. In the present invention the terms "containers" and "trailer" are used as synonyms. The new location of the container is reported back to the CMCS system, in the form of a point of operation or gate number to update the data referring to the container in the CMCS system database. The amount of time the container remains at the point of operation is counted on a stop timer. Subsequently, instructions for changing the container received from the installation, for example, removing a container from an operation point and returning it to a yard, are similarly carried out and carried out by the S change vehicles and are reported for updating the CMCS system database. Of course, the data includes the location of the container. The state of charge of a container is also updated according to the information provided by the client. For example, a container that is partially unloaded and then instructed to be returned to a reception or detention area is entered into the system as a "partial load". In this way, when an instruction is rotated that the container is returned to continue with the discharge, said container is easily identified. In the case where a container is only exchanged between a yard and an operation point or multiple points several times before leaving the buildings of the facility, the system records each change operation. This information is useful for the customer to identify excessive change, which cates a deficiency in the production or distribution process. Because the system continually tracks the location and status of all containers that are on the premises of the facility during all the time, calculations can be performed to determine the capacity available for receiving additional containers. This includes calculations for one-time deliveries such as, fill. Once the container is completely empty and is returned to a yard, this is registered in the database of the CMCS system and is reported to the carrier as an empty container and ready to start from the premises of the installation. In order to communicate all the data acquired by the CMCS system, regarding the location and status of the container, including arrival and retention time and loading status, the system has the ability to generate reports of container activity in any desired format for the benefit of all customers and all carriers that deliver containers to customers . For example, as shown in Figure 3, the CMCS system can generate a "Hand Details" report 100, in any particular format, such as columns and rows, in which carriers and containers are listed with the state data that accompany them, such as date and time of arrival, location of the yard and state of the load. In column 1, the carrier identifications are listed, such as SCAT truck codes. Column 2 identifies each carrier by its full or abbreviated name. Column 3 lists the arrival date of each container and column 4 lists the arrival time. Column 5 lists the points at which a container is or was last downloaded. And column 6 lists the current location of each of the containers. Column 7 records the state of the container's cargo, which may include observations of empty grids, such as "off-limits grids." Column 8 lists the container number that corresponds to the carrier. Column 9 is provided to enter specific cargo data, such as identification and content quantities, and any other cargo data may be included, for example, a master packing list. The specific data of the load, are for the clients, who pay to the suppliers by means of a system of "payment-on-production", where the suppliers are paid only when assembling the parts of a finished product. By knowing that a certain shipment of parts has actually arrived at the plant, and that the container left the plant in an empty state, the system provides the customer with an independent verification for the authorization of payments to suppliers. The specific data of load, can include additionally data referring to the records that are in the containers. Since a grid load will have a freight bill that identifies the number and type of grids and the destination, all this information can be easily entered into the CMCS system, and can be established in column 9 of the report, to issue the return of the empty grids to the parts production facility. The report in Figure 3 is organized by the carrier during a period of calendar days. Other report formats that the system can generate can be according to certain patios or reception areas, delivery times, download points, download numbers, container numbers, carrier number or cargo status. For example, report 120 illustrated in Figure 4 is compiled as an "Empty Trailer Report" listing only trailer containers that are completely empty and ready to depart from the premises of the facility. This type of report is more valuable for carriers that want to recover as soon as possible, containers from the premises of the customer's installation. The report is also valuable for the client, to verify the loads with excessive retention by the carriers. In this format, the carrier and containers are identified in column 1, the point of discharge in column 2, the location of the yard in column 3, and the type of initial load in column 4. As described above , a column 5 of "packing list" is provided for the entry of specific data referring to the content of a container. The Figures in column 6 represent the amount of total time that a container has remained in the premises of the installation, from the time of arrival until the time in which the report is generated. And column 7 is provided as a signaling field for the time measurements in column 6, which indicate the "delay" of the containers for harvesting. Figure 5 schematically illustrates a processing flow for monitoring containers according to the present invention, and the steps should preferably be carried out through a suitably programmed computer, such as the CMCS system. The computer program generates on-screen displays for the presentation of a monitor connected to a system operator. Displays on the screen provide graphic formats or spreadsheets, to enter and verify container data, as well as control menus to access different types of information regarding containers in the system. The process begins at step 0, continuing with step 100, to determine the arrival of a container. Step 200 ensures that each container arrival is uniquely identified by the system. Figures 6A through 6C are representative of types of screen displays, which can be generated by the CMCS system's computer program to enter and display container information on a CMCS system monitor. For example, a screen display such as the one illustrated in Figure 6A, provides a format for creating a container identification header in step 300. The header is used as a data envelope through which, they are accessible, transferable and manipulable all the relevant data of an identified content. In step 400 an arrival record is created. Step 500 is provided to accommodate containers that will be immediately "concentrated" or moved to a yard or point of operation, for example based on information received from the MIS client, which identifies "fast" loads. Instead of in an immediate concentration, the arriving containers are concentrated in a yard in step 600, and the header record is updated in step 700 with the location of the yard, which may also include an under-designation of a concentration of parking inside a yard. Figure 6B is an on-screen display of an entry for the trailer concentration update. In step 1000, the loaded containers are accommodated at a reception point, based on the instructions received by the client, the registration of the header for the accommodated container located in the courtyard 1 100, such as by entering the identification of the container through the entry in the screen of Figure 6C, with the intermediate error correction steps 1200 and 1300, and a concentration or transfer of the container carried out and updated in a similar way in the system in steps 600 and 700. The departure of the containers from the premises of the installation is supervised in step 1400, which again requires the location of the corresponding header record in "step 1500, through the on-screen display of Figure 6C, with the correction of error for the data that do not coincide in the 1600 and 1700, the departure of the containers is entered and updated in the system in steps 1800 and 1900. Llev I carry out these steps together with the CMCS system programmed to follow and take the users through the sequence, and by controlling the entry points and premises in the plant, the system keeps accurate records of identification, location and status of loading all the containers that are in the premises of the installation and of the amount of time that the containers remain in the premises of the installation. The present invention further provides detailed information regarding the use of the point of operation and the availability of a particular facility. This information is very valuable for the administrators of the installation, to make possible the analysis of the use of the point of operation and to program the inputs of the loads, particularly "fast" charges or discharges, which go directly from the gate to a point of operation for a just-in-time delivery, or to coordinate the deliveries that arrive, within a programmed time window. The use of the operation point correlates directly with the production or storage activity within a facility, because each operation point is located closest to an assigned task within the installation. When a particular operation point is occupied by a container, it is important to know which is the next closest available front. As shown in Figure 7A, the system produces a Real-Time Operating Point Availability Report 701, which lists, in columns 702, numerically each operation point in an installation, followed by an identification code of the transporter and the container in columns 703. The report 701 is generated from the data received from the drivers or vehicles of change S, with respect to the containers lowered in a point of operation. Report 701 can be displayed inside a change vehicle on a radio frequency operated by portable devices or on the screen of a computer on board. As shown in Figures 7B and 7C, by registering each container lowered or moved to each point, the system can additionally generate several Point Management reports. Figure 7B is an Activity Report of the Transport Operation Point 710, which, for a given carrier, such as "LEHM" in field 71 1 on a given day, such as "04/12/97" in the field 712, shows the total number of containers sent to a point of operation in field 713, from which they come (for example, a yard, another point of operation, or direct arrival); the total amount of containers removed from or left at the operation points in field 714, the state of charge of the containers removed from the operation points in field 715. The state of charge may be partial, empty, empty grids, or another state such as "download". The total number of different types, changes or movements of the containers per day, are recorded in field 716. As shown in Figure 7C, the system additionally generates a report of activities of specific point of operation 720, for a point of operation in particular and a transporter e? particular. The specific operation point is identified in field 721. A "time at operation point" field 722 records the date and time of arrival of a container at the point of operation. A field of "exit time of the operation point" 723, records the date and time of departure of a container from the point of operation. A "hold time" field 724 records the total time in minutes that the container was at the point of operation. A field of "trailers" 725 records the identification number of the container, which in this example is a trailer. And a "carrier" field 726, identifies the carrier. Field 727 records the states of charge inside and outside the boundaries of the facility. Field 728 records the identity of the origin and destination courtyards. The activity report of the operation point can assist in the administration of the installation, through appropriate distributions of operational personnel for loading and unloading operations at the operation points. In Figure 7D is a "download" 730 report, which records all the trailers that were taken directly to the download points, when arriving at a facility. The point of discharge is identified in field 731. The "Entry Point Time" is recorded in field 732, the "Point Exit Time" in field 733, the "Hold Time" in field 734, the "Trailer" identifier or container in the field 735, and the identification of the "transporter" in field 736. The report 730 helps the administrator of the installation, in the performance measurements of the carriers and logistics providers, since the "downloads" represent the more efficient delivery scenario in which the cargo arrives at a point or window at the moment in which it can be accepted directly within the installation. As of report 720, the carrier knows exactly when its containers reached an operating point and how long each container remains at a point of operation for unloading, and whether it was fully or partially discharged. This information is used to compile an invoice for the owner of the installation, due to an excessive retention of the containers, which exceeds an amount of time assigned and agreed for the download. The owner of the facility uses this report to confirm that the invoices for the excessive retention charges are accurate. The owner of this facility can use this report to identify deficiencies in unloading operations or inaccurate schedules of just-in-time manufacturing operations. For example, if a particular operation point or a group of operation points have more activity than others, or are occupied for longer times than others, it may indicate that more workers are needed at those operation points, to perform the discharge . The generation of daily reports 710 and 720, can be automatically faxed by the system, both to the transporters and to the administrator of the installation, so that the appropriate logistical adjustments can be made. Alternatively, both carriers and an installation can access reports from the CMCS system through an appropriate connection, including email or Internet, as described in Figure 2. For administrators of a facility where thousands of containers arrive and depart each month, it is convenient to have data 5 regarding trends in the arrival of containers. This information is used to identify the delivery windows, or to alter the delivery logistics. It is especially useful for scheduling just-in-time deliveries. Figures 8A and 8B as a whole, are an example of a Counting Report of AF 10 Arrival 801, which shows the arrivals of the container, per hour, for each day of the week. The days of the month are listed in column 802. The hours for each day are listed in columns 803, which is to the right of column 802. The total arrivals of the container is established on line 804, and the average number of container arrivals per hour on the line 805. In Figure 8B, field 806 sets the total numbers and average fc of container arrivals for each day of the week during a specific month. Field 807 establishes the total number of arrivals per hour, per day of each week during a specific month. And field 808 establishes in summary form the average number of arrivals per hour, per day of each week during a specific month. The system also records the total number of changes per hour, per day, as shown by the "Count Report. of Changes "901 found in Figure 9 A. Column 902 lists the days of a specific month, Columns 903 are for each hour of the day, with totals in the rightmost column 904. The system operator can Use this information to plan the number of personnel for change vehicle operators and for the billing details based on the operations by change or concentration In "The Change Count Summary Reports" of Figure 9B, the system, totalizes the number of changes per day of the week during a selected month in field 905, and the average number of changes per day of the week during a selected month in field 906. The total number of changes per hour, per day, of the week, is set in field 907, and the average number of changes per day, per hour of the week in field 908. The system also generates a "Download Exception" report 1001, as show in l a Figure 10 A. Because the system knows from an advanced shipping notice (ASN) that a particular cargo is intended to be "Unloaded", which means that the container will be delivered directly to an operation point without being changed or placed first in a yard or in a detention area, any contact with said container by the change-over vehicle S of the system, automatically registers the status of the container as a "Discharge Exception". The carrier is identified in field 1002. The container is identified in field 1003. The date and time of arrival are identified in field 1004. The date and time of the "First Movement", the time during which the vehicle of change S had contact with the container, whose start of registration is entered in the discharge exception report, is registered in field 1005. The number of movements are recorded in field 1006. This could be several movements before the container is emptied The date and time of departure is recorded in field 1007. And the state of charge is recorded in field 1008. As shown in Figure 10B, for any container that appears in the download exception report 1001, an detail report 1010. Field 101 1 includes the identifier of the carrier and container, the state of charge, the fact for which it was originally intended to be a charge but resulted in a discharge exception, and the location of the yard. Field 1012 records the date and time of each of the cases in relation to the exception container, including the date and time of arrival, the last movement, the immediate sending of the fax to notify the carrier owner of the opposite retained container in detention , unloading, loading or partial loading of the grids (loading start), the new finished load and the departure. Field 1013 provides a history of operation of the container activity, including a record of date, time, yard, point of operation, type (of load), arrival / departure (A / D). Just as the information regarding the availability of the operation point is valuable, so is the information regarding the use of several yards surrounding an installation. Up to this point, the system provides "Drawer Availability (parking)" reports, as shown in Figures 11A through 11F, which provide real-time information regarding the identification of the container within each drawer (parking lot) in each supervised yard. Figure 11A is a graphical form of a drawer availability report in yard 1101, where several courtyards are identified in the left side column 1102, and the court boxes are identified in top line 1103. This creates a matrix in which a location of the container can be identified graphically, by for example, an asterisk symbol. The detailed information corresponding to the selected container is shown below on line 1104, including the name of the yard, the designation of the row and drawer, the identification code of the carrier and the container, and the state of loading. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 11B, a "Patio Selection Screen" 1106, lists the yard identifiers in column 1107, and the names of the yards in column 1108. The selection of an identifier of patio from column 1107, takes the user to a "Screen Selection of Rows "1110 shown in Figure 11C the selection of a row from column 1111 on screen 1110 takes the user to the "Drawers Details Screen" 1112, shown in Figure 11D. Within a structure 1113, are the designators 1114 for each of the drawers (For example, from 1 to 20), within the selected row. After each of the drawer designators 1 1 14, there are the identifiers of the transporter / container for the containers present in said drawers. This procedure is most useful when you know the general location of a container. When the location of the container is not known, a search function is provided on each of screens 1 106, 1 1 10 and 1 1 12. For example, pressing F5, the user is taken to a screen "Finding the Trailer" For the Trailer Number "1 1 16 as shown in Figure 1 1 E. A trailer number is entered and the system changes to a" Trailer Quick Summary Screen "1 1 18, shown in Figure 1 1 F the field 1 120 of the screen 1 1 18, displays the loading status of the container, the location of the yard, the designation of the row inside the yard, the drawer number within the row, and an identifier (for example, KKS) of a driver of a change vehicle which placed the container in said location. The identification of the driver of the vehicle of change is particularly advantageous for the operators of the system, to have the ability to dispatch the correct driver to retrieve a container within a yard or assigned rows of the driver. The "Trailer Quick Summary Screen" 1 1 18 can also be accessed, by selecting a trailer / container identifier indicated in the "Drawers Details Screen" 1 1 12 of Figure 1 1 D. A user can move by the "Drawer Detail Screen" 1 1 12 by using the cursor keys or a PC mouse. Normally transit containers are tracked through satellites or other electronic tracking and signaling devices. Type tracking systems in transit, are macro in the sense that they know if a container is at point A or point B, or at a location between points A and B, but do not know the location or state of charge of the container within point A or point B. This information is critical for carriers to have the ability to schedule deliveries to coordinate with production, to know the immediate availability of containers, to know the contents of the return containers such as "Out-of-Limit Grids" and to have sufficient information to compile a real time / operation count of a shipping company, as will be described further below. The use of denominators and readers of radio frequency identification (RFID), such as those produced for example by SAM s? S, Inc., allow a quick acquisition and update of the location and condition of the container. The equipment normally includes a card or denomination in which the identification data of the carrier and the container are coded. The readers of cards or denominators are located in the limits of the installation such as the G gate, or in the yards or in the operation points to automatically identify the containers. This instantly enters the data from the location of the container in the CMCS 10 system (Figure 2). The automatic entry of container data can be carried out • Work in an alternative way by using cards and readers encoded in magnetic form, or by means of scannable barcode names. When the card or name readers of a group or of a network of facilities are linked electronically to the CMCS 10 system, a M IS 40 carrier which is linked to the $ 10 CMCS system can get a real-time location of each container that has been automatically read into the system. For example, a carrier or provider connects to the CMCS system through a private connection or other connection such as through the World Wide Web. The user enters an identification number to have access to the system. In one embodiment, the system generates a dashed screen 1200, shown in Figure 12A, which displays a geographical territory which comprises all or some of the carrier's terminals and the facilities in which the containers will be monitored. Field 1201 of screen 1200 is a container search entry to locate a container in any of the monitored sites. Once the container number is entered, the system continues to display the site in which the entered container is currently located, such as a screen 1205 shown in Figure 12B, and in field 1206 the name of the location of the site, date and time of arrival, and a request to view a file record, which can be displayed, such as, field 1013 of Figure 10B, is displayed. In other words, it provides a file history of the specific container in the specific site, for example, when it arrives, how many movements have been made, in how many and which operating points to state, and the state of charge between each movement of change and the current state of charge. The system uses a similar method to perform container audits of selected terminal sites or facilities. For example, as shown in Figure 12C, a display screen of site 1208, shows geographically each of the sites of the installation and / or terminal monitored by the system, and includes a search field of site or terminal 1209 When the name of the site is entered, the system continues to display screen 1210 shown in Figure 12D, which displays in field 1212 a list of all containers present in the selected site. A particular container can be selected from field 1212, to obtain in a form the detailed file data with respect to said container, for example, such as field 1013 of Figure 10B. An item of information that can be included in this field, for any particular container, is noted or commented on in the maintenance status of a container. Since the operators of the vehicle of change and the personnel of loading / unloading of the container have a great opportunity to inspect each container handled, they can enter any damage or maintenance requirement observed within a field of comments that is within the state of the container . This makes it possible to rotate the program maintenance, where a carrier can plan the delivery of a container to a maintenance facility based on knowledge of the need for repair. Of course, the container and site data can be displayed alternatively in different formats, which may not include a graphic representation. 10 With the real-time data described with respect to the location of the container and the state of charge acquired by the system, a user such as a carrier or supplier has sufficient information to derive a virtual inventory at each stage of a chain of supply. As described with Referring to Figures 13A-13D, the logistic tracking of the supply chain begins with a release of the customer or consignee from a product / part order in step 1301 of Figure 13A. The supplier does an internal review of the inventory in step 1302, and goes to production steps 1303 and 1304, if the production with the object of establishing an inventory for the supplier in step 1305. A "Supplier" as identified in the tables, can be either the original manufacturer of the goods specified in the release order in step 1301, or a distributor who physically receives the goods from a manufacturer, or who represents a manufacturer, such as a sales agent or who processes the orders for the manufacturer. The supplier extracts the product in step from the inventory 1306 and load it on a transport in step 1307.. ' With respect to the boarding grids, it is created at this point an important piece of inherent data. As is known in the industry, the term "grids" refers to any type of packaging or support apparatus, which holds one or multiple parts, to ensure shipping within a container. A grid can be something as simple as a cardboard, a box or a pallet, or a complex steel structure that supports a motor or other subassembly of a product. In most cases, the products can not be sent without a correspondingly specific grid. The type and number of parts loaded to be transported, will indicate the type and number of grids required that will be in the shipping container. Similarly, the number of parts ^ can be calculated from the size of the part, the size of the pallet, the size of box or carton, if the pallets, boxes, cartons are stackable, and the size of the container in which the parts will be transported. All this data can be in the database of the CMCS12 system (Figure 2). In step 1308 of Figure 13B, the provider generates an advanced shipment notice (ASN) to be transmitted to the customer. The ASN includes the part number, supplier code, order of release, purchase order number, embarked quantity, destination and estimated time of arrival (ETA), in the installation of the consignee or the customer. When the carrier departs from the supplier's facilities in step 1309, the shipment is noted as "in transit" in step 1310. The ASN is electronically transferred to the consignee / customer in step 131 1. The ASN is loaded into a virtual inventory database 13 in the CMCS system (Figure 2) in step 1312. Additional data in the virtual inventory database may include the location of the provider and the ETA calculated on the basis of the location, associated carriers and type or size of the containers and information of the grids. This data may be redundant, related or additional to the data provided by the ASN. The inventory is "virtual", in the sense that the CMCS system knows what is programmed to become inventory before its physical arrival, as a result of the receipt of the shipment advance notice (ASN). When the shipment physically arrives at the site in step 1314, the carrier identification and container identification record, as described above, creates a "virtual inventory" record in step 1315. This inventory is "virtual" in the sense in that although it is physically in a facility, for example in a container which is placed in a yard or on a pier near a construction which is the assembly or transfer site, it is an "almost" inventory, because it is not within the construction, or grouped together with other parts in a warehouse or assembly line concentration, however it is taken into account by the system. The physical arrival of a container in step 1314 is f entered into the CMCS system in step 1316 (Figure 13C).

Collating the arrival data of the transport (identification of the carrier and the container) with the ASN data received from the carrier, the CMCS system performs a system-to-system audit verification in step 1317, and has the ability to notify the client / consignee of any discrepancy in step f 10 1318. A carrier may interrogate the virtual inventory of the CMCS 13 system in step 1319, entering the ASN data for a particular shipment. This requests the system to search the ASN files of the virtual inventory, to compare the product in step 1320 and to generate a transport report in step 1321, based on the exact collations of the inventory data ASN / virtual. Simultaneously, in step 1322, the multiple transport product checks f, are converted to total product so that the consignee can be alert of an over-stock and / or over-shipment of the product, and thereby reduce the order of additional purchase or release of a blank purchase order. When the transport or container is unloaded in step 1323 (Figure 13D), this becomes an inventory within "the installation" of the consignee / customer in step 1324. The download is noted by the exchange operations described above.

Subsequently, the system discharges the corresponding ASN once the container is recorded as unloaded (completely) or in a re-loading state in step 1325. With the shipment completed, the system has the capacity to produce a report of the cycle of transportation life in step 1326 and to record the report in a file in step 1327. The advantage of the virtual inventory system aspect described is that it provides real-time data with respect to the entire inventory regardless of its location, for example in transit, in a facility or within a facility. installation. This is the only way to keep an accurate count of the total real time value of the supplier's, carrier's, company's and customer's businesses. The virtual inventory aspect of the present invention, therefore, is a method to assist customer administration in inventory control. The customer can "see" all the inventory (already whether in physical inventory or not) minus the inventory scheduled for production or delivered as "real inventory". The savings for the client are realized from the reductions in inventory (for example, a reduction in transportation costs including interest, insurance and taxes), the possible elimination of the external storage facilities, or the need to rent or build an additional space, the potential reduction in the required storage space and the associated costs, and the cancellation of insurance expenses for the storage of excess inventory, including insurance, compensation for workers and related litigations.

The ordinary payment procedure of customers, such as car manufacturers, is to pay for the parts delivered only when checking their receipt. The proof of receipt is normally a bill of lading, which accompanies the shipment. A bill of lading is a receipt which a carrier provides to a supplier / shipper for the goods delivered to that carrier for delivery. The bill of lading shows the contract between the shipper / supplier and the carrier, and can also serve as a title document by creating in the person who owns the invoice, the ownership of the transported goods. The bill of lading is normally presented by the carrier to the customer at the time of delivery of the shipment. This procedure is complicated by the following circumstances: a) the container is left in the customer's yard for a period of time before being unloaded, b) when the customer and the supplier agree that the payment for the goods will be made until the goods are unloaded (completely) within the customer's facility, or c) when the carrier must return the container with the grids belonging to the customer or supplier. The information regarding the "off-limits" (RO) grids of an installation is of particular importance, as this directly impacts the future parts flow for installation. The complex systems based on documents, have been sighted to confirm the receipt and unloading of goods and to reload the grids (correct in number and type) in the return containers. However, any loss or neglect of any of the documents required for the registration of each of the necessary actions that must be taken with any given container, corrupts the system and finely results in, a) a loss in inventory for the customer, or b) a substantial extra expense for the supplier, to correct errors in the returns of the grids. A supplier is only interested in receiving -the return in type and number of grids, in the same way that a customer receives the correct type and number of parts.

Without the correct grids, the supplier can not deliver more parts.

The present invention provides an improved method and system for verifying and documenting the accurate return of grids, without totally relying on a chain of multiple copies of documents. As described with reference to Figures 14A through 14C, in step 1401, an installation worker such as a forklift driver again loads a drained container, such as a trailer, with the grids that are going away. to return. In step 1402, a grid return load sheet (RRRS) is filled. The grille return loading sheet is based on MMDT and a grids identification matrix acquired in step 1403, and an operation point number, SCAC code trailer number, grid identifier and quantity acquired in step 1404. The grid re-loading sheet is faxed to the gate G of the installation (Figure 2) in step 1405, to enter it in the database of the CMCS system in step 1406 and is verified in the step 1407. The data of the return sheet of the grids, are also transmitted to the client MIS 12 in step 1408, and "registered" for payment in step 1409. The data of the sheet of the return load of the grids are loaded in the CMCS system in step 1410. Subsequently, the CMCS system collates the data with the data of the MMDT grid identification matrix, resident in the database in step 141 1. If this information matches, then the system produces an electronic invoice (download) in step 1412, to check it with the corresponding container when it leaves the limits of the installation through the gate. This electronic bill of lading is also transferred to the MIS 30 or 60 client at step 1413, to provide the system with the most current grid return data. Instead of relying on information from the carrier's bill of lading and return information, the system generated an invoice based on the information received by the person who loaded the container again with the empty grids, and checked this information with the data of identification of grids and with the MMDT.

With reference to Figure 14B, as a container carrying racks arrives at the gate of the installation, the container number is entered into the system (manually or automatically) in step 1414. The system notifies the operator in step 1415, that the container has "out-of-limit grids" and asks if an out-of-limit billing memorandum will be printed (for example, a bill of lading). If the billing memorandum is requested in step 1416, the system f, knowing the return destination of the grids, calculates automatically at step 1417 an estimated arrival time (ETA) based on mileage data, average speed, operating point regulations, provider's office hours, plus an "X" time regulation time. All this information is calculated from the resident data in the f 10 database of the CMCS system. The requisition of a billing memorandum out of bounds in step 1415, updates the container to the "start" state in step 1418, and the billing memorandum data is automatically faxed to the carrier in step 1419, and provider in step 1420, with the ETA calculated. A true copy of the billing memorandum is printed on the gate at step 1421 and delivered to the transport driver f at step 1422. The container departs at step 1423, and the return record of the customer's grids is updated. - with the actual time and date of departure in step 1424. 20 As shown in Figure 14C, the detailed tracking of the return grids continues throughout the journey back to the supplier. If the transportation driver complies with the ETA calculated in step 1425, the provider notifies the CMCS system electronically or by telephone of the "arrival" of the container in step 1428. If the container does not arrive with the supplier within the ETA, the transport driver notifies the supplier of the delay in step 1426, and the provider makes the adjustments in the container ETA in the CMCS system in the step 1427. If the container arrives on time (step 1428), the CMCS system is notified in step 1429 and the record is filed. The return record of the grids to the customer is updated by the CMCS system in step 1430. The registration in step 1429 is the termination of a delivery transaction from the provider's perspective, since the timely return of the grids it is an absolute prerequisite for future shipments. To confirm that the correct type and number of grids have been returned in the container that arrived, the content of the container is physically checked against the billing memo record (generated in step 1421 in Figure 14B) in step 1431. If there is a discrepancy, the supplier enters the discrepancy to the CMCS system in step 1432, the CMCS system database is updated in step 1433, and the grid return records to the customer in step 1434. If the content of the container coincides with the billing memorandum, the grid return transaction is both completed and verified, and at that point the total record can be downloaded from the CMCS system in step 1435. In a further aspect of the present invention, described with Referring to Figure 15, a method and system for the delivery of parts programmed sequentially to a factory installation is provided. In the assembly of complex products such as automobiles, thousands of parts are needed at certain times and • locations within the facility. The quantity and programming of if the requirements of the parties, is established by the manufacturer, by example through a weekly schedule. The scheduled delivery of the relatively large parts, such as motors or panels, directly from the supplier to the factory installation, is carried out through the described use of the ASNs and the supervision of the container within the receiving courtyards. 10 installation. However, for small parts such as fasteners (also referred to generically as "standard parts"), this method is not practical. Therefore small parts are usually shipped in bulk quantities, which exceeds the present production requirements and therefore simply keep inside the manufacturing facility. Normally, this results in substantial losses of excessively small parts waiting to be assembled. In a particular industry, it is estimated that this "maintenance" of parts and the resulting losses add 15% to the total cost of the parties. The present invention eliminates the asynnous delivery of small parts to a manufacturing facility, relative to normal production by providing measured storage from which small parts are distributed to the manufacturing facility at quantities corresponding to normal production (daily and weekly). As shown in Figure 15, a measuring warehouse 1500 receives the parts from the manufacturers of standard parts 1502, delivered by the carriers 1504. The carriers 1504 used by the system are preferably closely affiliated with the manufacturers of the parts. the standard parts, establishing "more efficient routes" from the manufacturers 1502 to the warehouse 1500. The warehouse 1500 is preferably in a relatively close proximity to a manufacturing facility 1506, where the standard parts will be assembled into a finished product or component. Warehouse 1500 may have on hand a minimum amount of standard parts to manufacture a certain product, based on current trends in steps and manufacturing capacity. Many warehouses are operated under inventory management programs which adjust the inventory, based on the projected requirements. Although such systems reduce the over-existence of parts, they do not address the problem of the manufacturer that arises from the delivery of a minimum quantity, such as a cardboard, to a facility where only a box of cardboard parts will be used in the production of a day or a week. The losses for the manufacturer occur with the parts that remain in the cardboard, waiting to be assembled. In the present invention, when the warehouse 1500 receives a construction order from a manufacturing facility, the exact number of parts required for a production run is specified. A "measured" load 1508 is assembled in the warehouse and delivered to installation 1506 by transporting measured portions 1510. The measured load may include an exact number of parts required for the production of a single shift or multiple shifts, of a day , several days, a week or several weeks, or even more. The records of the measured load are collated with the construction orders. Within the manufacture of assemblies, there are assembly areas, for example, Zone A, Zone B, Zone C, etc. the measured load 1508 is loaded in the transport of the parts 1510, according to a sequence in which they will reach the zones within the installation. This aspect of the system is critical in relation to a manufacturing facility, which may have several acres of extension, with substantial distances between the points of discharge (points of operation) for the different zones. The load 1508 is lowered in sequence in the designated areas. The scheduling of the delivery of the measured load can be compared with a production program to carry out the delivery just in time. Deliveries are communicated to the manufacturing facility, for example, through the CMCS system, so that the installation has a running record of parts at hand. Each of the zones is subsequently audited periodically to verify that the inventory of the parts of the current zone corresponds to the production runs completed. The present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred and alternative embodiments, which are representative only of some of the various forms in which the basic concepts of the present invention can be implemented. Certain modifications or variations in the implementation of the concepts of the present invention, which may arise to those skilled in the art, are within the scope of the present invention and are equivalent, as defined by the accompanying Claims. .

Claims (20)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property:

1 .- A system to monitor and record the location and loading status of shipping containers, relative to an installation with an associated yard defined by a limit within which, the containers will be supervised by the system, and a controlled entry point for limits, where the system comprises: means to register container identification codes, which enter the limits, means to communicate and record information regarding movements, location and loading status of containers within the limits , in response to the movement and changes of location and state of loading of the containers, made in accordance with the instructions received by the installation, means to generate reports of the registered information regarding the locations and state of loading of the containers within of the limits, and means to generate reports regarding the locations and state of charge of the fork, relative to the designated operating points associated with an installation.

2. - The system as described in Claim 1, further characterized in that the reports regarding the locations and state of charge of the container relative to the designated operation points associated with an installation, are presented as reports of availability of operating points. which list a plurality of designations of the operation point and an identification code of a container associated with a designated operation point.

3. - The system as described in Claim 1, further characterized in that the movements of the containers within the limits are recorded in the form of an activity report of the operator's point of operation, which shows a number of containers located at a point of operation of a facility, during a designated day, a starting point of a container before reaching an operation point, a state of loading of the container as it was removed from an operation point, and a number of changes of the container during the designated day.

4. - The system as described in claim 1, further characterized by the movements of the containers within the limits, are recorded in the form of an activity report of the point of operation, which for a designated point on a designated day , records an identity of a container carried to the point of operation, a state of loading of the container within the limits and a state of loading of the container outside the limits, a time at the point of operation and a time of departure from the point of operation and a time of permanence in the point of operation.

5. - The system as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the movements of the containers within the limits are recorded in the form of a current discharge report, which records the date, time, time of residence and identification of the containers, which move from a point of entry of the limits to a point of operation.

6. - The system as described in claim 1, further characterized by the movements of the containers within a limit, are recorded in the form of an arrival count report which records a total number of containers arriving at a facility in a specific period of time.

7. - The system as described in claim 6, further characterized in that the arrival count report records a total number of containers arriving at one installation per day.

8. - The system as described in Claim 6, further characterized in that the arrival count report records an average number of containers arriving at one installation per day.

9. - The system as described in claim 6, further characterized in that the arrival count report records a total number of containers arriving at an installation per hour.

10. - The system as described in Claim 6, further characterized in that the arrival count report records an average number of containers arriving at an installation per hour.

The system as described in claim 6, further characterized in that the arrival count report records an average number of containers arriving at a facility per hour, during a twenty-four hour period.

12. - The system as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the arrival count report records a total number of containers arriving at an installation per hour, per day.

13. - The system as described in Claim 1, further characterized in that the arrival count report records an average number of containers arriving at an installation per hour, per day.

14. - The system as described in Claim 1, further characterized by the movements of the containers within a limit, are recorded in the form of a change count report, which records a total number of changes of the container, during a specific period of time.

15. - The system as described in Claim 14, further characterized in that the change count report includes a total number of changes per day.

16. - The system as described in Claim 14, further characterized in that the change count report includes an average number of changes per day.

17. - The system as described in Claim 14, further characterized in that the change count report includes a total number of changes per hour, per day.

18. - The system as described in claim 14, further characterized in that the change count report includes an average number of changes per hour, per day.

19. - The system as described in Reinvindication 1, further characterized by the movements of the container within a limit, are recorded in the form of a current discharge exception report, which records an identification, date and time of arrival, date and time of the first movement, number of movements, date and time of departure and state of loading of the container.

20. - The system as described in claim 19, further characterized in that the current load section report additionally comprises a report of detailed pages including a file history of the changes and loading status of a designated container. R E S U M E N The methods and systems for the supervision of containers and inventories (10), provide a detailed Iogistic control of containers, shipping grids and resident and in-transit inventories. The methods and systems (12) create and maintain accurate real-time records of the location (D1, D2), movement and load states of the factory, assembly plants, warehouses, shipping areas and freight exchange facilities. The detailed information of the change of containers, loading and unloading activities (1306, 1307) is registered and filed, it is registered and filed. A virtual inventory is provided in accordance with the tracking from the release of customer orders to the supplier's shipments and the returns of the grids.