Patent ID: 8604943

Claim:
A computer implemented method for indicating location of freight carried by a vehicle, the method comprising: correlating the freight to a communications device; receiving a first signal including data representing a request for information regarding the location of the freight; transmitting to the communications device a second signal including data that prompts an automated message to be communicated to a user of the communications device, the automated message representing a notice communicating to the user of the communications device that the location information of the communication device will be obtained; receiving from the communications device a third signal including data indicative of consent from the user to the obtaining of the location information of the communications device; transmitting a fourth signal to a location information provider, the fourth signal including data representing a request for location information of the communications device, wherein the location information provider corresponds to a party or device other than the communications device and the location information provider corresponds to at least one of: a wireless service provider providing wireless service to the communications device, a third party that obtains the location information of the communications device from the wireless service provider providing wireless service to the communications device, and a party that has access to the location information of the communications device but is other than the wireless service provider or the third party that obtains the location information of the communications device from the wireless service provider; receiving a fifth signal from the location information provider, the fifth signal including data representing the location information of the communications device; correlating the location information of the communications device to the location of the freight based at least in part on the correlation between the freight and the communications device; and transmitting a sixth electronic signal including data representing the location of the freight.