Contact center delivery in-building homing service

• US 10,210,472 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Matula, Valentine C., Skiba, David, Erhart, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/233,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20160350702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23, 705 261, 705330, 705 1423, 705 16, 455 412, 4554563, 709203, 709205, 709219, 709229, 707636, 707634
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/70 for use inside enclosed spaces, e.g. in buildings or in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/53 Arrangements specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for traffic information or for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

The delivery of goods to a customer comprises a substantial portion of human activity. To correct address errors and/or to more precisely locate delivery locations, systems are provided to assist human, human operated vehicle, or autonomous vehicles to locate a delivery point. Often the location of a delivery point is inaccurate or imprecise. GPS and other coordinate systems often fail or are imprecise without an unobstructed view of the sky. Even with coordinates available, the delivery point may be different from the coordinates or, more commonly, coordinates that are different from some standard point within a postal address associated with the coordinates. Providing a delivery system that utilizes a broadcasted identifier, such as an identifier associated with the order of the item, the delivery of the item may be made proximate to the source of the broadcasted identifier or further refined using the broadcasted identifier as a reference.

Claims

1. A customer communication device, comprising:

a network interface that facilitates a communication between the customer communication device and a contact center over a network;

a transmitter that broadcasts a network identifier associated with the communication between the customer communication device and the contact center;

a user interface, that places an order for an item for delivery from the customer communication device of a user and cause the network interface to broadcast the order to the contact center, wherein the order comprises a first delivery location and the network identifier; and

wherein the transmitter further broadcasts the network identifier for reception by a delivery vehicle operable to deliver the item to the first delivery location and in accord with the location of the transmitter.

2. The customer communication device of claim 1, wherein the network interface further broadcasts the network identifier to the delivery vehicle upon the delivery vehicle approaching the first delivery location.

3. The customer communication device of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises an interface to receive a selection from the user of the network identifier from one of an identifier of the network interface, an identifier associated with at a portion of the network substantially co-located with the customer communication device, and an identifier associated with at least a portion of a previous network utilized by the customer communication device.

4. The customer communication device of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises a wireless network interface.

5. A contact center, comprising:

a network interface that facilitates electronic communication between the contact center and a customer communication device utilized for placing an order on behalf of a customer for an item for delivery;

an order processing component that receives the order from the customer communication device comprising an item for delivery, a first delivery location, and a broadcasted identifier associated with the customer communication device; and

a delivery device dispatch module that provides a delivery device with the first location and the broadcast identifier and wherein the delivery device is operable to approach the first delivery location and refine the first delivery location to be a second delivery location in accord with the delivery device determining the source of the broadcasted identifier.

6. The contact center of claim 5, wherein the first delivery location comprises a postal address.

7. The contact center of claim 5, wherein:

the order further comprises a preferred delivery location, associated with the first location, and an offset defining the preferred delivery location relative to the source of the broadcasted identifier; and

wherein the delivery device is further operable to further refine the first delivery location in accord with the offset.

8. The contact center of claim 5, wherein upon receiving a signal from the delivery device indicating the delivery device is at least proximate to the first location, wherein the delivery vehicle expects to detect the broadcast identifier, and wherein the delivery device has not detected the broadcast identifier, the network interface further sends a request to the customer communication device, via the network interface, to cause the customer communication device to broadcast the broadcast identifier.

9. The contact center of claim 5, wherein the network interface further receives at least one image captured by delivery device of the delivery of the item.

10. The contact center of claim 9, further comprising an order confirmation system accessible by the customer communication device and comprising the at least one image.

11. A customer communication device, comprising:

a network interface that facilitates a communication between the customer communication device and a contact center over a network wherein the communication is associated with a work item comprising dispatching a vehicle;

a transmitter for transmitting at least a portion of the communication; and

wherein the transmitter broadcasts a network identifier for reception by a vehicle operable to access a location associated with the transmitter.

12. The customer communication device of claim 11, wherein the network interface further broadcasts the network identifier to the vehicle upon the vehicle approaching the location.

13. The customer communication device of claim 11, wherein the user interface further comprises an interface to receive a selection from the user of the network identifier from one of an identifier of the network interface or an identifier associated with at least a portion of a previous network utilized by the customer communication device.

14. The customer communication device of claim 11, wherein the network interface provides the communication to the network via wirelessly providing the communication to a wireless network interface and wherein the wireless network interface is in communication with the network.

15. The customer communication device of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication interface comprises the transmitter.

16. A contact center, comprising:

a network interface that facilitates an electronic communication between the contact center and a customer communication device

receiving, via the network interface, the communication comprising a broadcasted identifier associated with the customer communication device and a first location and wherein the communication is further associated with a work item, the work item comprising a vehicle portion wherein the vehicle accesses the first delivery location; and

a device dispatch module that provides the vehicle with the first location and the broadcast identifier and wherein the vehicle is operable to approach the first location and refine the first delivery location to be a second location in accord with the vehicle determining the source of the broadcasted identifier.

17. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the first location comprises a postal address.

18. The contact center of claim 16, wherein:

the order further comprises a preferred location, associated with the first location, and an offset defining the preferred location relative to the source of the broadcasted identifier; and

wherein the vehicle is further operable to further refine the first location in accord with the offset.

19. The contact center of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a signal from the vehicle indicating the vehicle is at least proximate to the first location and wherein the vehicle has not detected the broadcast identifier; and

in response to receiving the signal, the network interface sends a request to the customer communication device, via the network interface, to cause the customer communication device to broadcast the broadcast identifier.

20. The contact center of claim 19, further comprising an order confirmation system accessible by the customer communication device and comprising the at least one image.

21. The contact center of claim 16, wherein:

the work item comprises an item for delivery; and

the network interface further receives at least one image from the vehicle showing the delivery of the item.