CONTACT CENTER DELIVERY IN-BUILDING HOMING SERVICE

• US 20160104098A1
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Matula, Valentine C., Skiba, David, Erhart, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/53 Arrangements specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for traffic information or for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

The delivery of goods to a customer comprises a substantial portion of human activity. To correct address errors and/or to more precisely locate delivery locations, systems are provided to assist human, human operated vehicle, or autonomous vehicles to locate a delivery point. Often the location of a delivery point is inaccurate or imprecise. GPS and other coordinate systems often fail or are imprecise without an unobstructed view of the sky. Even with coordinates available, the delivery point may be different from the coordinates or, more commonly, coordinates that are different from some standard point within a postal address associated with the coordinates. Providing a delivery system that utilizes a broadcasted identifier, such as an identifier associated with the order of the item, the delivery of the item may be made proximate to the source of the broadcasted identifier or further refined using the broadcasted identifier as a reference.

Claims

1. A delivery device, comprising:

a first communication interface operable to receive at least a first location for an item for delivery and a broadcast identifier associated with a customer communication device placing the order;

a navigation component operable to direct the delivery device, with the item for delivery, to the first location and deliver the item therein;

a broadcasted identifier detection module operable to receive a broadcasted signal and determine if the broadcast signal comprises the broadcasted identifier and a source of the broadcast identifier; and

upon determining the broadcasted identifier has been received, the navigation component is further operable to refine the first delivery location to be a second delivery location in accord with the source of the broadcasted identifier.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein:

the first communication interface is further operable to receive at least a location of the item for delivery; and

the navigation component is further operable to cause the delivery vehicle to proceed to the location of the item for delivery for loading thereof prior to directing the delivery vehicle to the first location.

3. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the first delivery location comprises a postal address for a property comprising the first delivery location.

4. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein:

the first communication interface is further operable to receive a preferred delivery location indicating an offset from the source of the broadcasted identifier; and

the navigation component is further operable to modify the first delivery location to be the second delivery location in accord with the offset.

5. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor operable to receive an indicator of a preferred delivery location; and

upon the sensor receiving the preferred delivery location, causing the navigation component to further modify the second delivery location to a third delivery location, wherein the third delivery location is selected in accord with the preferred delivery location.

6. The delivery device of claim 5, wherein the preferred delivery location further comprises at least one location to avoid and wherein the navigation component causes the delivery device to avoid the at least one location to avoid.

7. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication device, wherein the second communication device is operable to broadcast a signal to solicit the transmission of the broadcasted identifier.

8. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication device, wherein the second communication device is operable to broadcast a signal to solicit the transmission of a response signal from the customer communication device and wherein the response signal is different from the broadcasted identifier.

9. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the navigation component, upon reaching the first location and failing to receive the broadcasted identifier, is further operable to move in predetermined pattern within an area associated with the first location to attempt to receive the broadcast identifier.

10. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a camera operable to capture at least one image of the delivery of the item for viewing of the at least one image by the customer communication device.

11. A customer communication device, comprising:

a network interface operable to facilitate a communication between the customer communication device and a contact center over a network;

a transmitter operable to broadcast a network identifier associated with the communication between the customer communication device and the contact center;

a user interface, operable to place an order for an item for delivery from a user and cause the network interface to broadcast the order to the contact center, wherein the order comprises a first delivery location and the network identifier; and

wherein the transmitter is further operable to broadcast the network identifier for reception by a delivery vehicle operable to deliver the item to the first delivery location and in accord with the location of the transmitter.

12. The customer communication device of claim 12, wherein the network interface is further operable to broadcast the network identifier to the delivery vehicle upon the delivery vehicle approaching the first delivery location.

13. The customer communication device of claim 12, wherein the user interface further comprises an interface to receive a selection from the user of the network identifier from one of an identifier of the network interface, an identifier associated with at a portion of the network substantially co-located with the customer communication device, and an identifier associated with at least a portion of a previous network utilized by the customer communication device.

14. The customer communication device of claim 12, wherein the network interface comprises a wireless network interface.

15. A contact center, comprising:

a network interface operable to facilitate electronic communication between the contact center and a customer communication device utilized for placing an order on behalf of a customer for an item for delivery;

an order processing component operable to receives the order from the customer communication device comprising an item for delivery, a first delivery location, and a broadcasted identifier associated with the customer communication device; and

a delivery device dispatch module operable to provide a delivery device with the first location and the broadcast identifier and wherein the delivery device is operable to approach the first delivery location and refine the first delivery location to be a second delivery location in accord with the delivery device determining the source of the broadcasted identifier.

16. The contact center of claim 15, wherein the first delivery location comprises a postal address.

17. The contact center of claim 15, wherein:

the order further comprises a preferred delivery location, associated with the first location, and an offset defining the preferred delivery location relative to the source of the broadcasted identifier; and

wherein the delivery device is further operable to further refine the first delivery location in accord with the offset.

18. The contact center of claim 15, wherein upon receiving a signal from the delivery device indicating the delivery device is at least proximate to the first location, wherein the delivery vehicle expects to detect the broadcast identifier, and the delivery device has not detected the broadcast identifier, the network interface is further operable to send a request to the customer communication device, via the network interface, to cause the customer communication device to broadcast the broadcast identifier.

19. The contact center of claim 15, wherein the network interface is further operable to receive at least one image captured by delivery device of the delivery of the item.

20. The contact center of claim 19, further comprising an order confirmation system accessible by the customer communication device and comprising the at least one image.