MULTI-SYSTEM DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING OF DELIVERY SERVICES

• US 20110251915A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Various systems and methods that may relate to referral and/or delivery services are described. Some embodiments may include communication using a payment processing device. Various other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device from a remote device of a user, an indication of an order for a plurality of food items from a restaurant;

in response to receiving the indication of the order, determining, by the computing device, that an auction process should be used to determine a delivery service provider from a plurality of delivery service providers to provide a delivery service for the order;

in response to determining that the auction process should be used, providing information about the order to the plurality of delivery service providers;

receiving the information about the order by a first delivery service provider of the plurality of delivery service providers;

in response to receiving the information by the first delivery service provider, determining, by the first delivery service provider, a first bid for providing the delivery service for the order by the first delivery service provider based on a cost to the first delivery service provider to provide the delivery service;

in response to determining the first bid, transmitting the first bid from the first delivery service provider to the computing device;

receiving the information about the order by a second delivery service provider of the plurality of delivery service providers;

in response to receiving the information by the second delivery service provider, determining, by the second delivery service provider, a second bid for providing the delivery service for the order by the second delivery service provider;

in response to determining the second bid, transmitting the second bid from the second delivery service provider to the computing device;

determining, by the computing device, based on the first bid and second bid, that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service for the order, and

in response to determining that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service, facilitating, by the computing device, delivery of the order to the user by the first delivery service provider.

2. An apparatus comprising:

a tangible machine readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, from a remote device of a user, an indication of an order for a plurality of food items from a restaurant;

in response to receiving the indication of the order, determining that an auction process should be used to determine a delivery service provider from a plurality of delivery service providers to provide a delivery service for the order;

in response to determining that the auction process should be used, providing information about the order to the plurality of delivery service providers;

receiving a respective bid to provide the delivery service from each of the plurality of delivery service providers;

determining, based on each of the respective bids, that a first delivery service provider of the plurality of delivery service providers should provide the delivery service for the order, and

in response to determining that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service, facilitating delivery of the order to the user by the first delivery service provider.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which determining that the auction process should be used includes determining that the restaurant does not have a proprietary delivery service.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the auction process includes receiving the bid and determining that the first delivery service provider of the plurality of delivery service providers should provide the delivery service.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the information is provided through at least one of an email, a website, and an electronic message.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, in which facilitating delivery includes transmitting a request to perform the delivery.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, in which facilitating delivery includes transmitting order details.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, in which each bid identifies a price for delivery.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, in which each bid identifies at least one of a time and a time frame for delivery.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the provided information includes a location of the restaurant and a location of the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the indication of the order includes an indication of at least one of a time and a time frame for delivery.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, in which determining that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service includes determining that a price associated with the first delivery service provider is lower than other bids.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, in which determining that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service includes determining that a bid associated with the first delivery service provider includes at least one of a time and a time frame that matches the order.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, in which each bid includes a respective price and a respective at least one of a time and a time frame, and in which determining that the first delivery service provider should provide the delivery service includes determining based on an algorithm with inputs that include at least one of a time and a time frame associated with the order, the respective price and the respective at least one of the time and the time frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the method further comprises:

providing information about each bid to the plurality of delivery service providers; and

receiving more than one bid from at least one of the plurality of delivery service providers.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a tangible machine readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a processor of a delivery service provider cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, from a remote device, information about an order to deliver a plurality of food items from a restaurant to a user;

in response to receiving the information, determining a first bid for providing a delivery service for the order based on a cost to the delivery service provider to provide the delivery service;

in response to determining the first bid, transmitting the first bid to the remote device;

receiving an indication from the remote device that the delivery service provider has been selected to deliver the plurality of food items from the restaurant to the user; and

in response to receiving the indication that the delivery service provider has been selected, facilitating the delivery of the plurality of food items from the restaurant to the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the information about the order includes at least one of a time and a time frame for delivery of the order.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the information includes a location of the user and a location of the restaurant.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the first bid includes a price for the delivery.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the price is based on a location of an employee of the delivery service provider, the location of the restaurant, and the location of the user.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the price is based on a cost of the food items.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the price is based on a risk of providing the delivery.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the first bid includes at least one of a time and a time frame for the delivery.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, in which the at least one of the time and the time frame is based on a location of a employee of the delivery service provider, the location of the restaurant, and the location of the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, in which facilitating the delivery includes notifying an employee of the delivery service provider.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the method further comprises:

receiving an indication of a second bid made by another delivery service provider;

in response to receiving the indication of the second bid, determining a third bid for providing a delivery service for the order; and

in response to determining the third bid, transmitting the third bid to the remote device.