Systems and methods for synchronized delivery

• US 10,163,119 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bolton, Chris, Brill, Steven D., Collins, Matthew, Creasy, Anthony, Dotterweich, Andrew, Guerrisi, Joseph, Kettleson, Daniel, Mulholland, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba K
• Application Number:
  US13/828,652
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705337, 705338, 705 1, 705 60, 705 261, 705 6, 705 11, 705 711, 705330, 705331, 705332, 709228, 709229, 379230, 37922108, 379 8818
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates

Abstract

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for encouraging online merchants to tender shipments according to specified criteria such that its delivery can be synchronized with anticipated and/or forecasted deliveries to the same or nearby addresses. In this way, a more efficient delivery of the shipment may be achieved. The encouragement or incentive may be in the form of a decrease in shipping cost for the particular shipment, a general shipping discount for selecting a threshold number of incentivized shipments, or some other incentive schedule. In some embodiments, the incentives may not be financially based and instead may be reductions in emissions, fuel consumption, improved customer experience (e.g., multiple deliveries at the same time versus separate deliveries) and the like. Of course, any combination of incentives may be provided both financial and otherwise.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing delivery of a prospective shipment initiated during a transaction with a merchant via computer-generated rules, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing synchronization eligibility rules by;

establishing, in an address database, a plurality of address profiles corresponding to a plurality of addresses, wherein each of the plurality of address profiles comprises one or more profile characteristics applicable to the address profile, wherein the one or more profile characteristics comprise at least one of;

(a) a frequency of stops associated with the address corresponding to the address profile, (b) costs associated with making a stop associated with the address corresponding to the address profile, or (c) a reputation associated with the address corresponding to the address profile;

dynamically generating inter-profile data links within the address database between at least one address profile associated with a specific address and nearby address profiles corresponding to nearby addresses determined to satisfy criteria selected from;

(1) being within a distance threshold of the specific address, and (2) being located along a dispatched route shared with the specific address, wherein the inter-profile data links are generated based at least in part on historical data indicative of shipments delivered to each of the plurality of addresses, wherein the historical data comprises data indicative of a historical delivery frequency to each of the plurality of addresses and costs associated with making a stop associated with each of the plurality of addresses; and

establishing the synchronization eligibility criteria for shipments destined to respective addresses linked via one or more inter-profile data links;

applying the synchronization eligibility rules for a prospective shipment via a shipment database, wherein applying the synchronization eligibility rules comprises;

receiving shipping information from a merchant computing system during the transaction in real time, via a computer system, for the prospective shipment, wherein the shipping information includes a destination address specified during the transaction with the merchant;

querying the address database to retrieve a certain address profile associated with the destination address and one or more synchronization eligibility rules, wherein the synchronization eligibility rules comprise at least one profile characteristic stored in address profiles corresponding to each of the linked nearby addresses;

automatically generating a query for the shipment database based at least in part on the synchronization eligibility rules to retrieve shipping data indicative of stop creator shipments forecasted for delivery to at least one of the linked nearby addresses;

determining, based at least in part on the at least one profile characteristic of the certain address profile and the one or more nearby address profiles corresponding to nearby addresses for which delivery of a stop creator shipment is forecasted, whether the prospective shipment satisfies one or more criteria; and

sending an indicator message to the merchant indicating one or more tender dates in which the prospective shipment satisfies the one or more criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization eligibility rules comprise a threshold frequency of stops.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization eligibility rules relate to the reputation associated with an address or nearby addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency of stops includes pickups and deliveries associated with an address or nearby addresses.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

comparing the destination address to dynamic delivery data relating to the destination address or the nearby addresses;

identifying dates in which one or more of the stop creator shipments are forecasted for delivery to the destination address or the nearby addresses; and

determining, based at least in part on the one or more stop creator shipments if the prospective shipment satisfies a criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicator message comprises delivery criteria for qualifying for an incentive.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more delivery dates related to the one or more stop creator shipments.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more tender dates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the nearby addresses share at least one similarity with the address selected from the group consisting of:

the same street, the same neighborhood, or the same building.

10. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing delivery of a prospective shipment initiated during a transaction with a merchant, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving shipping information from the merchant during the transaction, via a computer system, for a prospective shipment, wherein the shipping information includes a destination address specified during the transaction with the merchant;

establishing synchronization eligibility rules for identifying shipments eligible for synchronized delivery by;

querying an address database comprising a plurality of address profiles, based on the information identifying the destination address to identify one or more nearby addresses, wherein the one or more nearby addresses are identified based at least in part on dynamically-generated inter-profile data links between address profiles identified as meeting criteria selected from;

(1) being within a distance threshold of the destination address, and (2) being located along a dispatched route shared with the destination address; and

establishing the synchronization eligibility criteria for shipments destined to respective addresses linked via one or more inter-profile data links;

querying a dynamic shipment database comprising dynamic data corresponding to one or more forecasted shipments to identify dynamic data corresponding to one or more stop creator shipments identified based at least in part on the synchronization eligibility criteria and that are forecasted for delivery to at least one of the destination address or nearby addresses, wherein the dynamic data for each of the one or more stop creator shipments identifies a date on which each of the one or more of the stop creator shipments are forecasted for delivery to the destination address or the nearby addresses;

determining, based at least in part on the identified dynamic data corresponding to the one or more stop creator shipments if the prospective shipment satisfies the synchronization eligibility criteria;

determining, based at least in part on the identified dynamic data and the destination address for the prospective shipment, one or more tender dates and corresponding shipping criteria for the prospective shipment to be delivered concurrently with one or more of the stop creator shipments; and

sending an indicator message to the merchant indicating the one or more tender dates and corresponding shipping criteria in which the prospective shipment satisfies the one or more criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicator message comprises delivery criteria for qualifying for an incentive.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more delivery dates related to the one or more stop creator shipments.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more tender dates.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the stop creator shipments comprise pickups and deliveries to the associated address.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the nearby addresses share at least one similarity with the destination address selected from the group consisting of:

the same street, the same neighborhood, or the same building.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more synchronization eligibility rules comprise a threshold frequency of stops to qualify for an incentive.

16. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

establish synchronization eligibility rules by;

establishing, in an address database, a plurality of address profiles corresponding to a plurality of addresses, wherein each of the plurality of address profiles comprises one or more profile characteristics applicable to the address profile, wherein the one or more profile characteristics comprise at least one of;

(a) a frequency of stops associated with the address corresponding to the address profile, (b) costs associated with making a stop associated with the address corresponding to the address profile, or (c) a reputation associated with the address corresponding to the address profile;

dynamically generating inter-profile data links within the address database between at least one address profile associated with a specific address and nearby address profiles corresponding to nearby addresses determined to satisfy criteria selected from;

(1) being within a distance threshold of the specific address, and (2) being located along a dispatched route shared with the specific address, wherein the inter-profile data links are generated based at least in part on historical data indicative of shipments delivered to each of the plurality of addresses, wherein the historical data comprises data indicative of a historical delivery frequency to each of the plurality of addresses and costs associated with making a stop associated with each of the plurality of addresses; and

establishing the synchronization eligibility criteria for shipments destined to respective addresses linked via one or more inter-profile data links;

apply the synchronization eligibility rules for a prospective shipment via a shipment database, wherein applying the synchronization eligibility rules comprises;

receiving shipping information from a merchant computing system during a transaction for initiating a prospective shipment, via a computer system, for the prospective shipment, wherein the shipping information includes a destination address specified during the transaction with the merchant;

querying the address database to retrieve a certain address profile associated with the destination address and one or more synchronization eligibility rules, wherein the synchronization eligibility rules comprise at least one profile characteristic stored in address profiles corresponding to each of the linked nearby addresses;

automatically generating a query for the shipment database based at least in part on the synchronization eligibility rules to retrieve shipping data indicative of stop creator shipments forecasted for delivery to at least one of the linked nearby addresses;

determine, based at least in part on the at least one profile characteristic of the certain address profile and the one or more nearby address profiles corresponding to nearby addresses for which delivery of a stop creator shipment is forecasted, whether the prospective shipment satisfies one or more criteria; and

send an indicator message to the merchant indicating one or more tender dates in which the prospective shipment satisfies the one or more criteria.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more synchronization eligibility rules relate to the reputation associated with an address or nearby addresses.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the frequency of stops includes pickups and deliveries associated with an address or nearby addresses.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the shipping information includes a requested delivery date range and wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor:

compare the destination address to dynamic data relating to deliveries forecasted for delivery to the destination address or nearby address;

identify dates in which one or more stop creator shipments are forecasted for delivery to the destination address or the nearby addresses on or before the requested delivery date range;

and

determine, based at least in part on the one or more stop creator shipments if the prospective shipment satisfies one or more criteria.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the indicator message comprises delivery criteria for qualifying for an incentive.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more delivery dates related to the one or more stop creator shipments.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more tender dates.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the nearby addresses share at least one similarity with the address selected from the group consisting of:

the same street, the same neighborhood, or the same building.

25. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive shipping information from a merchant during a transaction initiating a prospective shipment, via a computer system, for the prospective shipment, wherein the shipping information includes a destination address;

establish synchronization eligibility rules for identifying shipments eligible for synchronized delivery by;

querying an address database comprising a plurality of address profiles, based on the information identifying the destination address to identify one or more nearby addresses, wherein the one or more nearby addresses are identified based at least in part on dynamically-generated inter-profile data links between address profiles identified as meeting criteria selected from;

(1) being within a distance threshold of the destination address, and (2) being located along a dispatched route shared with the destination address; and

establishing the synchronization eligibility criteria for shipments destined to respective addresses linked via one or more inter-profile data links;

query a dynamic shipment database comprising dynamic data corresponding to one or more forecasted shipments to identify dynamic data corresponding to one or more stop creator shipments identified based at least in part on the synchronization eligibility criteria and that are forecasted for delivery to at least one of the destination address or nearby addresses, wherein the dynamic data for each of the one or more stop creator shipments identifies a date on which each of the one or more of the stop creator shipments are forecasted for delivery to the destination address or the nearby addresses on or before the requested delivery date range;

determine, based at least in part on the identified dynamic data corresponding to the one or more stop creator shipments if the prospective shipment satisfies the synchronization eligibility criteria;

determine, based at least in part on the identified dynamic data and the destination address for the prospective shipment, one or more tender dates and corresponding shipping criteria for the prospective shipment to be delivered concurrently with one or more of the stop creator shipments; and

send an indicator message to the merchant indicating the one or more tender dates and corresponding shipping criteria in which the prospective shipment satisfies the one or more criteria.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the indicator message comprises delivery criteria for qualifying for an incentive.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more delivery dates related to the one or more stop creator shipments.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the delivery criteria comprises one or more tender dates.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the stop creator shipments comprise pickups and deliveries to the destination address or the nearby addresses.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the nearby addresses share at least one similarity with the destination address selected from the group consisting of:

the same street, the same neighborhood, or the same building.