Vehicle routing and scheduling systems

• US 10,453,004 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• 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: Davidson, Mark J., Olsen, III, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Brian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US12/554,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,700 Days
• Field of Search: 705330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

A routing and scheduling computer system that is adapted to define a plurality of geofenced areas and to monitor vehicle activity within each of those areas (e.g., via telematics sensors mounted on vehicles traveling within the areas). The system may be adapted to use information regarding the monitored vehicle activity to estimate: (1) a first amount of time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations within a first one of the geofenced areas; and (2) a second amount of time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations within a second one of the geofenced areas. The system may then route a particular vehicle to make one or more pickups or deliveries within the first or second geographic areas based at least in part on the first and second estimates of time.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising at least one processor and memory, the computer system configured for:

at a central server, defining a first geofence comprising a first set of geocoordinates surrounding a first geographic area;

at the central server, receiving a first set of information from a telematics device of a delivery vehicle, the first set of information including time-stamped vehicle sensor data and vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle automatically collected in real time while at least one of the delivery vehicle or a driver of the delivery vehicle is operating on an initial visit within the first geofence;

determining, based on the first set of information, a first time estimate, wherein the first time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within the first geofence corresponding to the first geographic area and the first time estimate is determined after the initial visit within the first geofence surrounding the first geographic area;

at the central server, defining a second geofence comprising a second set of geocoordinates surrounding a second geographic area;

at the central server, receiving a second set of information from the telematics device of the delivery vehicle, the second set of information including additional time-stamped vehicle sensor data and additional vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle automatically collected in real time while at least one of the delivery vehicle or the driver of the delivery vehicle is operating on an initial visit within the second geofence;

determining, based on the second set of information, a second time estimate, wherein the second time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within the second geofence and the second time estimate is determined after the initial visit within the second geofence;

subsequent to the initial visits within the first and second geofences, routing the delivery vehicle to make at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery according to a plan time schedule on a new visit within at least one of the first geofence or the second geofence, wherein the plan time schedule indicates to the driver of the delivery vehicle a number of items that should have been picked up or delivered by a specified time during a delivery cycle based on at least one of the first time estimate or the second time estimate;

via the telematics device of the delivery vehicle, detecting one or more geolocations of the delivery vehicle and obtaining new vehicle sensor data and new vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle as the delivery vehicle travels within the first geofence or within the second geofence during the new visit; and

determining one or more characteristics relating to equipment of the delivery vehicle itself based on the one or more geolocations of the delivery vehicle, the new vehicle sensor data, and the new vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle associated with the new visit.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

determining, based the first set of information, a third time estimate, wherein the third time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within a third geographic area and the third time estimate is determined after the initial visit within a third geofence surrounding the third geographic area;

determining, based on the second set of information, a fourth time estimate, wherein the fourth time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within a fourth geographic area and the fourth time estimate is determined after the initial visit within a fourth geofence surrounding the fourth geographic area; and

wherein routing the delivery vehicle make at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery according to a plan time schedule is further based at least in part on the determined third and fourth time estimates.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the first and second sets of information comprise time data, geographic position data associated with the delivery vehicle, and at least one of geographic position data associated with the driver of the delivery vehicle, speed data, mileage data, or ignition data.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

calculating, based on the first and second sets of information, an average number of miles traversed within each of the first and second geofences,

wherein determining the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates is further based on the calculated average number of miles traversed.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

calculating, based on the first and second sets of information, an average time spent within each of the first and second geofences,

wherein determining the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates is further on the calculated average time spent.

6. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first and second sets of information, an average speed conducted within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average speed conducted.

7. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first and second sets of information an average number of stops made within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average number of stops made.

8. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first and second sets of information, an average distance walked at each of the one or more respective locations within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences in association with a shipment of a package to or from the one or more respective locations, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average distance walked.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plan time schedule further indicates to the driver of the delivery vehicle a time per package for the delivery cycle based on at least one of the first time estimate or the second time estimate.

10. A package delivery system comprising:

a fleet of delivery vehicles, each delivery vehicle having a telematics device; and

a routing and scheduling computer system at a central server that comprises at least one computer processor and memory, the routing and scheduling computer system being configured to perform, for each delivery vehicle in the fleet of delivery vehicles;

defining a first geofence comprising a first set of geocoordinates surrounding a first geographic area;

receiving a first set of information associated with the first geographic area from the telematics device of the delivery vehicle, the first set of information including time-stamped vehicle sensor data and vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle automatically collected in real time while at least one of the delivery vehicle or a driver of the delivery vehicle is operating on an initial visit within the first geofence surrounding the first geographic area;

determining, based on the first set of information, a first time estimate, wherein the first time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within said the first geofence corresponding to the first geographic area, and wherein the first time estimate is determined after the initial visit within the first geofence surrounding the first geographic area;

defining a second geofence comprising a second set of geocoordinates surrounding a second geographic area;

receiving a second set of information associated with said the second geographic area from the telematics device of the delivery vehicle, the second set of information including additional time-stamped vehicle sensor data and additional vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle automatically collected in real time while at least one of the delivery vehicle or the driver of the delivery vehicle is operating on an initial visit within the second geofence surrounding the second geographic area;

determining, based on the second set of information, a second time estimate, wherein the second time estimate comprises at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within said the second geographic area, and wherein an estimated amount of time associated with the second time estimate is determined after the initial visit within the second geofence surrounding the second geographic area;

subsequent to the initial visits within the first and second geofences, routing the delivery vehicle to make one or more item pickups or item deliveries according to a plan time schedule on a new visit within at least one of first geofence or the second geofence, wherein the plan time schedule indicates to the driver of the delivery vehicle a number of items that should have been picked up or delivered by a specified time during a delivery cycle based on at least one of the first time estimate or the second time estimate;

detecting, via the telematics device of the delivery vehicle, one or more geolocations of the delivery vehicle as the delivery vehicle travels within the first geofence corresponding to the first geographic area or the second geofence corresponding to the second geographic area during the new visit;

obtaining new vehicle sensor data and new vehicle diagnostic data of the delivery vehicle as the delivery vehicle travels within the first geofence or the second geofence during the new visit; and

determining one or more characteristics relating to equipment of the delivery vehicle itself based on the one or more geolocations, the new vehicle sensor data, and the new vehicle diagnostic data.

11. The package delivery system of claim 10, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for:

determining, based on said the first set of information, a third time estimate, wherein the third time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within a third geographic area and the third time estimate is determined after the initial visit within a third geofence surrounding the third geographic area; and

determining, based on the second set of information, a fourth time estimate, wherein the fourth time estimate comprises an estimated amount of time associated with at least one of an item pickup or an item delivery to one or more respective locations within a fourth geographic area and the fourth time estimate is determined after the initial visit within a fourth geofence surrounding the fourth geographic area; and

routing is further based on the determined third and fourth time estimates.

12. The package delivery system of claim 11, wherein the first set of information and the second set of information comprise at least one of time data, geographic position data associated with the delivery vehicle, geographic position data associated with the delivery vehicle driver, speed data, mileage data, or ignition data.

13. The package delivery system of claim 12, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information an average number of miles traversed within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average number of miles traversed.

14. The package delivery system of claim 12, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information, an average time spent within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average time spent.

15. The package delivery system of claim 12, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information, an average speed conducted within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average speed conducted.

16. The package delivery system of claim 12, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for:

calculating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information, an average number of stops made within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average number of stops made.

17. The package delivery system of claim 12, wherein the routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for calculating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information an average distance walked at each location within each of the first, second, third, and fourth geofences in association with a shipment of a package to or from the one or more respective locations, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth time estimates are determined based on the calculated average distance walked.