GROUP DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20140279667A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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: Gillen, Bob
• Application Number:
  US14/215,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/339
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups

Abstract

Various embodiments of a system for creating delivery groups are disclosed. In various embodiments, the system is configured to collect purchase history data about users and determine if they have common characteristics. For example, the system may be configured to determine if two users live in the same neighborhood, have similar purchasing habits, etc. According to a particular embodiment, the system suggests to users with common characteristics to form delivery groups for package aggregation (e.g., to aggregate deliveries to a single location at the same time). The system may offer an incentive to the users to form the delivery group, such as a discount, incentive points, etc.

Claims

1. A computer system for forming delivery groups comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the computer system is configured for;

(A) collecting data associated with a plurality of entities, wherein the collected data comprises historical data associated with one or more purchases made by the plurality of entities;

(B) at least partially based on the collected data, suggesting, to at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities, forming a delivery group;

(C) receiving, from the at least one particular entity, a request to form the delivery group;

(D) at least partially in response to receiving the request, facilitating formation of the delivery group, wherein;

the delivery group comprises one or more members; and

the one or more members of the delivery group comprise at least one entity of the plurality of entities;

(E) enabling at least one delivery group member to designate a delivery location, wherein the delivery location comprises a location where all delivery group members can have parcels delivered; and

(F) facilitating delivery of a parcel to the designated delivery location.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the collected data comprises historical delivery data associated with at least one parcel delivered to a location associated with at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the system is further configured for, at least partially based on the historical data, identifying at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein:

(A) the at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities comprises a first particular entity and a second particular entity;

(B) identifying at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities at least partially based on the historical data comprises identifying the first particular entity and the second particular entity; and

(C) suggesting to at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities to form the delivery group comprises suggesting to the first particular entity and the second particular entity to form the delivery group.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the historical data associated with each of the first and second particular entities is data selected from the group consisting of:

(A) geographic information;

(B) purchase information; and

(C) social network information.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein:

(A) the historical data associated with each of the first and second particular entities comprises geographic information identifying a location where each of the respective entities has had a parcel delivered; and

(B) identifying the first particular entity and the second particular entity comprises determining, at least partially based on the geographic information, that the identified location where the first entity has had the first parcel delivered and the identified location where the second entity has had the second parcel delivered are geographically nearby.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the identified location where the first entity has had the first parcel delivered and the identified location where the second entity has had the second parcel delivered are located in a particular neighborhood.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the identified location where the first entity has had the first parcel delivered and the identified location where the second entity has had the second parcel delivered are located in a particular office building.

9. The computer system of claim 4, wherein:

(A) the historical data associated with the first and second particular entities comprises information associated with a particular item each of the first and second particular entities has purchased; and

(B) identifying the first particular entity and the second particular entity comprises determining, at least partially based on the information associated with the particular item, that the particular item the first entity purchased and the particular item the second entity purchased are substantially similar.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the particular item the first entity purchased and the particular item the second entity purchased are a particular item.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the particular item the second entity purchased is an accessory of the particular item the first entity purchased.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the collected data comprises data collected from one or more servers selected from the group consisting of:

(A) one or more logistics servers;

(B) one or more social network servers; and

(C) one or more retailer servers.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein suggesting, to at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities, forming the delivery group comprises providing an incentive to the at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities for forming the delivery group.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering the at least one particular entity a discount on shipping.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering the at least one particular entity incentive points.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering the at least one particular entity a discount on particular purchased items.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein suggesting, to at least one particular entity of the plurality of entities, forming the delivery group comprises transmitting a message to a client device associated with the at least one particular entity, wherein the message comprises the incentive.

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

(A) determining whether a logistics provider has received a first particular parcel associated with a first particular group member;

(B) at least partially in response to determining that the logistics provider has received the first particular parcel associated with the first particular group member, facilitating the logistics provider holding the first particular parcel until the system receives an indication that the logistics provider has received at least a second particular parcel associated with a second particular group member; and

(C) facilitating delivery of the first particular parcel and the second particular parcel to the designated delivery location.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein facilitating the logistics provider holding the first particular parcel until the system receives an indication that the logistics provider has received at least the second particular parcel comprises holding the first particular parcel for a predetermined time limit.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined time limit is two days.

21. A computer system for forming delivery groups comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the computer system is configured for;

(A) collecting first user historical data associated with a first user, wherein the first user historical data comprises information associated with one or more purchases made by the first user;

(B) collecting second user historical data associated with a second user, wherein the second user historical data comprises information associated with one or more purchases made by the second user;

(C) at least partially based on the collected first user historical data and the collected second user historical data, determining that the first user and the second user may form a delivery group;

(D) suggesting, to the first and second users, forming a delivery group;

(E) receiving a request, from the first and second users, to form the delivery group;

(F) facilitating formation of the delivery group, wherein;

the delivery group comprises one or more members; and

the one or more members of the delivery group comprise the first user and the second user;

(G) enabling at least one delivery group member to designate a delivery location, wherein the delivery location comprises a location where all delivery group members can have parcels delivered; and

(H) facilitating delivery of a parcel to the designated delivery location.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein:

(A) the first user historical data comprises a first location where the first user had at least one parcel delivered;

(B) the second user historical data comprises a second location where the second user had at least one parcel delivered; and

(C) determining that the first user and the second user may form the delivery group comprises determining that the first location and the second location are geographically nearby.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the first location and the second location are a particular location.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the first location and the second location are a particular location within a particular neighborhood.

25. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the first location and the second location are a within a particular office building.

26. The computer system of claim 22, wherein suggesting, to the first and second users, forming the delivery group comprises providing an incentive to the first and second users for forming the delivery group.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering a discount on shipping.

28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering incentive points.

29. The computer system of claim 26, wherein providing the incentive comprises offering a discount on particular purchased items.

30. A computer system for forming delivery groups comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the computer system is configured for;

(A) collecting first user historical data associated with a first user, wherein the first user historical data comprises a first location where one or more parcels associated with at least one purchase made by the first user have been delivered;

(B) collecting second user historical data associated with a second user, wherein the second user historical data comprises a second location where one or more parcels associated with at least one purchase made by the second user have been delivered;

(C) at least partially based on the collected first user historical data and the collected second user historical data, determining that the first location and the second location are geographically nearby;

(D) at least partially in response to determining that the first location and the second location are geographically nearby, suggesting, to the first and second users, forming a delivery group, wherein suggesting forming the delivery group comprises transmitting a message to the first and second users;

(E) facilitating formation of the delivery group, wherein the delivery group comprises the first and second users;

(F) enabling the first user to designate a delivery location, wherein the delivery location comprises a location where all delivery group members can have parcels delivered; and

(G) facilitating delivery of a parcel to the designated delivery location.

31. A method for forming a delivery group comprising:

(A) receiving, by at least one processor, an indication that at least one user of a plurality of users desires to form a group for the delivery of one or more items;

(B) at least partially in response to receiving the indication that the user of the plurality of users desires to form the group, determining, by at least one processor, a designated delivery/pickup location for the group, the designated delivery/pickup location is a default delivery and pickup location for the group;

(C) suggesting the designated delivery/pickup location to the at least one user; and

(D) facilitating, by at least one processor, the delivery of at least one parcel to the designated delivery/pickup location.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

(A) the method further comprises;

i) receiving a location for each of the plurality of users;

ii) receiving, by at least one processor, an indication of which of the plurality of users are members of the group;

(B) the members of the group comprise a first user and a second user; and

i) determining a half-way location about equidistant from the location of the first user and the location of the second user;

ii) receiving route information associated with the half-way location, the route information comprising one or more routes a logistics provider uses to deliver one or more parcels near the half-way location;

(C) determining the designated delivery/pickup location is based at least in part on;

i) the location of the first user;

ii) the location of the second user; and

iii) the route information associated with the half-way location.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the designated delivery/pickup location is a retailer:

(A) about equidistant from the location of the first user and the location of the second user; and

(B) along at least one route the logistics provider users to deliver one or more parcels.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein determining the designated delivery/pickup location comprises:

(A) receiving a location for each user of the plurality of users;

(B) receiving route information associated with each user of the plurality of users, the route information comprising one or more planned routes a logistics company uses to delivery one or more parcels to each user of the plurality of users; and

(C) determining the designated delivery/pickup location based at least in part on;

i) the received route information; and

ii) the received location for each user of the plurality of users.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the location for each user of the plurality of users comprises an address for each user of the plurality of users.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the location for each user of the plurality of users comprises a virtual address for each user of the plurality of users.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the designated delivery/pickup location is a location selected from the group consisting of:

(A) a virtual address for a particular user of the plurality of users;

(B) an address for a particular user of the plurality of users;

(C) an attended delivery/pickup location; and

(D) a retailer.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein:

(A) the method further comprises receiving, by at least one processor, an indication of which of the plurality of users are members of the group;

(B) the members of the group comprise a first user and a second user.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein determining the designated delivery/pickup location based at least in part on:

(A) the received route information associated with each of the first user and the second user; and

(B) the received location for each of the first user and the second user.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the designated delivery/pickup location comprises a location about half way between the received location of the first user and the received location of the second user.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the designated delivery/pickup location comprises a retailer.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the designated delivery/pickup location comprises a location:

(A) about half way between the received location of the first user and the received location of the second user; and

(B) associated with the received route information associated with each of the first user and the second user.

43. A method for forming a delivery group comprising:

(A) receiving, by at least one processor, delivery information associated with each of a plurality of users, the delivery information comprising geographic information associated with at least one delivery for each of the plurality of users;

(B) based at least in part on the delivery information associated with each of the plurality of users, suggesting, by at least one processor, forming a delivery group to a first user of the plurality of users and a second user of the plurality of users;

(C) suggesting to at least the first user, by at least one processor, a designated delivery/pickup location for the delivery group, the designated delivery/pickup location a default location for the delivery and pickup of one or more parcels associated with each of the first and second users; and

(D) facilitating, by at least one processor, a delivery of at least one parcel to the designated delivery/pickup location.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein suggesting forming the delivery group to the first user of the plurality of users and the second user of the plurality of users comprises making an introduction of the first user and the second user.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the introduction of the first user and second user is associated with a social network.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the social network is a selected from the group consisting of:

(A) a private social network;

(B) a public social network; and

(C) a business social network.