Package bidding delivery location determination

• US 10,552,785 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Eda, Sasikanth, Ghuge, Deepak R., Patil, Sandeep R., Sivakumar, Gandhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thein, Marissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kringen, Michelle T
• Application Number:
  US15/198,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method and system for determining implementing a bidding based product delivery determination process is provided. The method includes presenting a product for purchase via a bidding process. Packages including the product are pre-loaded on delivery vehicles for delivery within geographical zones including maximum travel distances. Monetary bids for the product are received from users with respect to the delivery vehicles and a user submitting a highest monetary bid is identified. In response, a first delivery vehicle is directed to a location of the user. A profit sharing process with respect to the users and an entity providing the product is enabled.

Claims

1. A bidding based product delivery determination method comprising:

presenting, by a computer processor of a special purpose computing device to a plurality of users, a product for purchase via a bidding process, wherein packages comprising said product are pre-loaded on a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivery, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles comprise remotely operated vehicles, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles are programmed to dynamically modify delivery addresses to deliver said product within associated geographical zones comprising associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said special purpose computing device comprises specialized electronic circuitry comprising a programmable logic array utilizing state information of specialized firmware program code configured to execute specialized software for personalizing said specialized electronic circuitry for performing said method;

presenting, by said computer processor to said plurality of users, a list describing each of said plurality of delivery vehicles with respect to each geographical zone of said associated geographical zones;

continuously receiving, by said computer processor from said plurality of users, monetary bids for said product with respect to said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein each monetary bid of said monetary bids is associated with a specified delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles such that each said specified delivery vehicle is programmed to travel within a specified geographical zone of said associated geographical zones with respect to an associated location of an associated user of said plurality of users;

identifying, by said computer processor after a specified time period has elapsed since initiating said receiving, a first user of said users submitting a first highest monetary bid of said monetary bids with respect to all other monetary bids of said monetary bids;

programming, by said processor, each said specified vehicle to travel a specified distance within said associated geographical zones;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said identifying and said programming, said first delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles to said first location of said first user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said first location for transporting a package of said packages to said first location, wherein said first location is located within a first geographical zone of said associated geographical zones; and

enabling, by said computer processor based on an amount of said monetary bids and said plurality of users with respect to a travel distance to associated locations, a profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product;

first identifying, by said computer processor, a second user of said plurality of users submitting a monetary bid that is greater than said first highest monetary bid;

determining, by said computer processor, that a first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user;

automatically re-routing, after said first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user, by said computer processor in response to said first identifying said second user, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said re-routing, said first delivery vehicle to said second location of said second user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said second location for transporting said package to said second location; and

revising, by said computer processor based on said monetary bid, said profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first location is located at a maximum travel distance of said associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises no monetary profits being shared with said first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance from a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing coupons to said first user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said coupons comprise discount merchandise coupons or coupons eligible for free merchandise.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance of a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein a second user of said plurality of users submitted a monetary bid comprising a specified percentage under said first highest monetary bid, wherein said second user is located a first specified travel distance from said warehouse, wherein said first specified travel distance is less than specified travel distance by a specified percentage, and wherein said method further comprises:

re-routing, by said computer processor, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing monetary funds to said first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles comprise pilotless aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the computing system, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement;

said presenting said product, said presenting said list, said continuously receiving, said identifying, said directing, and said enabling.

8. A special purpose computing device comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a bidding based product delivery determination method comprising:

presenting, by said computer processor to a plurality of users, a product for purchase via a bidding process, wherein packages comprising said product are pre-loaded on a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivery, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles comprise remotely operated vehicles, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles are programmed to dynamically modify delivery addresses to deliver said product within associated geographical zones comprising associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said special purpose computing device comprises specialized electronic circuitry comprising a programmable logic array utilizing state information of specialized firmware program code configured to execute specialized software for personalizing said specialized electronic circuitry for performing said method;

presenting, by said computer processor to said plurality of users, a list describing each of said plurality of delivery vehicles with respect to each geographical zone of said associated geographical zones;

continuously receiving, by said computer processor from said plurality of users, monetary bids for said product with respect to said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein each monetary bid of said monetary bids is associated with a specified delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles such that each said specified delivery vehicle is programmed to travel within a specified geographical zone of said associated geographical zones with respect to an associated location of an associated user of said plurality of users;

identifying, by said computer processor after a specified time period has elapsed since initiating said receiving, a first user of said users submitting a first highest monetary bid of said monetary bids with respect to all other monetary bids of said monetary bids;

programming, by said processor, each said specified vehicle to travel a specified distance within said associated geographical zones;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said identifying and said programming, said first delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles to said first location of said first user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said first location for transporting a package of said packages to said first location, wherein said first location is located within a first geographical zone of said associated geographical zones; and

enabling, by said computer processor based on an amount of said monetary bids and said plurality of users with respect to a travel distance to associated locations, a profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product;

first identifying, by said computer processor, a second user of said plurality of users submitting a monetary bid that is greater than said first highest monetary bid;

determining, by said computer processor, that a first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user;

automatically re-routing, after said first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user, by said computer processor in response to said first identifying said second user, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said re-routing, said first delivery vehicle to said second location of said second user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said second location for transporting said package to said second location; and

revising, by said computer processor based on said monetary bid, said profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product.

9. The control computing device of claim 8, wherein said first location is located at a maximum travel distance of said associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises no monetary profits being shared with said first user.

10. The control computing device of claim 8, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance from a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing coupons to said first user.

11. The control computing device of claim 10, wherein said coupons comprise discount merchandise coupons or coupons eligible for free merchandise.

12. The control computing device of claim 8, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance of a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein a second user of said plurality of users submitted a monetary bid comprising a specified percentage under said first highest monetary bid, wherein said second user is located a first specified travel distance from said warehouse, wherein said first specified travel distance is less than specified travel distance by a specified percentage, and wherein said method further comprises:

re-routing, by said computer processor, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing monetary funds to said first user.

13. The control computing device of claim 8, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles comprise unmanned pilotless aircraft.

14. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a specialized hardware device implements a bidding based product delivery determination method, said method comprising:

presenting, by said computer processor to a plurality of users, a product for purchase via a bidding process, wherein packages comprising said product are pre-loaded on a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivery, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles comprise remotely operated vehicles, wherein said plurality of delivery vehicles are programmed to dynamically modify delivery addresses to deliver said product within associated geographical zones comprising associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said special purpose computing device comprises specialized electronic circuitry comprising a programmable logic array utilizing state information of specialized firmware program code configured to execute specialized software for personalizing said specialized electronic circuitry for performing said method;

presenting, by said computer processor to said plurality of users, a list describing each of said plurality of delivery vehicles with respect to each geographical zone of said associated geographical zones;

continuously receiving, by said computer processor from said plurality of users, monetary bids for said product with respect to said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein each monetary bid of said monetary bids is associated with a specified delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles such that each said specified delivery vehicle is programmed to travel within a specified geographical zone of said associated geographical zones with respect to an associated location of an associated user of said plurality of users;

identifying, by said computer processor after a specified time period has elapsed since initiating said receiving, a first user of said users submitting a first highest monetary bid of said monetary bids with respect to all other monetary bids of said monetary bids;

programming, by said processor, each said specified vehicle to travel a specified distance within said associated geographical zones;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said identifying and said programming, said first delivery vehicle of said plurality of delivery vehicles to said first location of said first user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said first location for transporting a package of said packages to said first location, wherein said first location is located within a first geographical zone of said associated geographical zones; and

enabling, by said computer processor based on an amount of said monetary bids and said plurality of users with respect to a travel distance to associated locations, a profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product;

first identifying, by said computer processor, a second user of said plurality of users submitting a monetary bid that is greater than said first highest monetary bid;

determining, by said computer processor, that a first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user;

automatically re-routing, after said first specified time period has elapsed since said first identifying said second user, by said computer processor in response to said first identifying said second user, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone;

directing, by said computer processor in response to said re-routing, said first delivery vehicle to said second location of said second user such that said first delivery vehicle initiates motion and proceeds to said second location for transporting said package to said second location; and

revising, by said computer processor based on said monetary bid, said profit sharing process with respect to said plurality of users and an entity providing said product.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said first location is located at a maximum travel distance of said associated specified maximum travel distances, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises no monetary profits being shared with said first user.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance from a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing coupons to said first user.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said coupons comprise discount merchandise coupons or coupons eligible for free merchandise.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said first location is located at a specified travel distance of a warehouse comprising said packages and said plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein a second user of said plurality of users submitted a monetary bid comprising a specified percentage under said first highest monetary bid, wherein said second user is located a first specified travel distance from said warehouse, wherein said first specified travel distance is less than specified travel distance by a specified percentage, and wherein said method further comprises:

re-routing, by said computer processor, said first delivery vehicle to a second location of said second user, wherein said second location is located within said first geographical zone, and wherein said profit sharing process comprises directing monetary funds to said first user.