ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRANSIENT WAREHOUSE

• US 20150269520A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, David Henry, Knapp, Brian Allen, Batye, Ricky Neal
• Application Number:
  US14/222,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269520A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

Techniques for managing different types of transportation vehicles are provided. In some embodiments, a transient warehouse can be established that allows a wide variety of transport vehicles to access items from a more convenient location than a brick-and-mortar location. The transient warehouse can be established in a parking lot or on the side of the road, so that other transport vehicles can access the transient warehouse quickly and deliver items to item requesters more efficiently from a centralized location. The transport vehicles can also pick up items from item providers to replenish items for the transient warehouse, the transient warehouse can access items from a brick-and-mortar location, and/or the transport vehicles can travel to multiple item requesters through optimized transport routes. The meeting location of the transient warehouse may also be optimized based on various constraints (e.g., time of day, seasonality concerns, etc.).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying, by a computer system, a first item exchange location distinct from a first base location corresponding to a first transport vehicle and distinct from a second base location corresponding to a second transport vehicle;

determining a first transport route for the first transport vehicle such that the first transport route at least begins at the first base location and includes the first item exchange location;

determining a second transport route for the second transport vehicle such that the second transport route at least begins at the second base location and includes the first item exchange location;

determining a transportation factor that affects an efficiency of delivery of a perishable item available from the first base location;

identifying, by the computer system, a second item exchange location among a plurality of item exchange locations that provides a delivery performance above a threshold based at least in part on the determined transportation factor, the delivery performance associated with the delivery of the perishable item; and

providing, by the computer system, instructions for transferring the perishable item from the first transport vehicle to the second transport vehicle at the second item exchange location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimization of the delivery of the perishable item is further based at least in part on an optimization criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the optimization criteria comprises at least one of a cost associated with the delivery of the perishable item, a schedule of a first driver operating the first transport vehicle, a schedule of a second driver operating the second transport vehicle, or a level of access to the second item exchange location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport route includes a pick-up of the perishable item from a supplier and the second transport route includes a delivery of the perishable item to a consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport vehicle is configured to provide the perishable item to the second transport vehicle without unpacking the perishable item from a tote including a plurality of other perishable items.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying, by a computer system, a first item exchange location for transferring an item from a first vehicle to a second vehicle;

determining a first transport route for the first vehicle that includes at least at a first base location and the first item exchange location;

determining a second transport route for the second vehicle that includes at least at a second base location and the first item exchange location;

identifying, by the computer system, a second item exchange location that provides a delivery performance above a threshold based at least in part on a transportation factor, the second item location for transferring the item from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, and the delivery performance associated with delivery of the item to a user; and

updating, by the computer system, the first transport route and the second transport route to include the second item exchange location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second item exchange location is selected from a plurality of item exchange locations that have been approved.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the item is perishable, and wherein at least one of the first item exchange location, the second item exchange location, the first vehicle, or the second vehicle include refrigerated storage to store the perishable item.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing instructions for the first vehicle to retrieve the item from a pick-up location before travelling to the second item exchange location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first vehicle is selected for use based at least in part on a first physical characteristic of the first vehicle being compatible with a second physical characteristic of the second vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the compatibility between the first physical characteristic of the first vehicle and the second physical characteristic of the second vehicle enables automatic transfer of the item from the first vehicle to the second vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatic transfer is capable without unpacking the item from a tote that contains the item and at least another item.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the transport comprises a cost associated with the delivery of the item, a schedule of a first driver operating the first vehicle, a schedule of a second driver operating the second vehicle, or a level of access to the second item exchange location.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first item exchange location or the second item exchange location is distinct from the first base location or the second base location.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to access the memory, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to collectively at least;

identify a plurality of potential item exchange locations with respective rankings, the plurality of potential item exchange locations including at least a first item exchange location and a second item exchange location for transferring an item between a first vehicle and a second vehicle;

identify, based at least in part on a delivery optimization factor, that a first respective ranking of the first item exchange location is higher than a second respective ranking of the second item exchange location;

update at least one respective transport route for at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle to include the first item exchange location in place of the second item exchange location based at least in part on the first respective ranking being higher than the second respective ranking;

providing instructions for transferring the item between the first vehicle and the second vehicle at the first item exchange location; and

providing instructions for the second vehicle to provide the item to a destination.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the delivery optimization factor comprises at least one of a cost associated with providing the item to the destination, a schedule of a first driver operating the first vehicle, a schedule of a second driver operating the second vehicle, or a level of access to the first item exchange location.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first vehicle is designated for exclusively delivering first items within a first geographic region and the second vehicle is designated for exclusively delivering second items within a second geographic region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of potential item exchange locations exist within a union of the first geographic region and the second geographic region.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media collectively storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, configure the one or more computer systems to collectively perform operations comprising:

identifying a first item exchange location of a plurality of potential item exchange locations, the first item exchange location designated for exchanging an item between a first vehicle and a second vehicle;

identifying a delivery location for the item;

providing first route instructions to the first vehicle for providing the item to the first item exchange location;

determining, based at least in part on an optimization factor, to update the designation for exchanging the item between the first vehicle and the second vehicle from the first item exchange location to a second item exchange location of the plurality of potential item exchange locations;

updating the first route instructions to the first vehicle for providing the item to the second item exchange location based at least in part on the updated designation; and

providing second route instructions to the second vehicle for retrieving the item from the first vehicle at the second item exchange location.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the optimization factor comprises at least one of a cost associated with providing the item to the delivery location, a schedule of a first driver operating the first vehicle, a schedule of a second driver operating the second vehicle, a current location of the first vehicle or the second vehicle, or a level of access to the second item exchange location.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the first vehicle or the second vehicle is equipped to store perishable items.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are selected from a plurality of vehicles of a common vehicle type.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the first vehicle is configured to provide the item to the second vehicle without unpacking the item from a tote based at least in part on the common vehicle type.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the common vehicle type enables automatic item transfer from the first vehicle to the second vehicle.