PRODUCT DELIVERY CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160371628A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,860,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus are provided in controlling product deliveries to customers. Some embodiments provide a system, comprising: a delivery control system comprising: a delivery control circuit; and a memory coupled to the delivery control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the delivery control circuit cause the delivery control circuit to: identify that a first customer has traveled beyond a first geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; trigger, in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the first geo-location boundary, a change in monitoring activity of movements of the first customer; identify that the first customer has traveled beyond a second geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; and automatically suspend the scheduled delivery of the one or more products to the delivery site in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary.

Claims

1. A system providing control over product deliveries to customers of a shopping facility, comprising:

a delivery control system comprising;

a delivery control circuit; and

a memory coupled to the delivery control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the delivery control circuit cause the delivery control circuit to;

identify that a first customer has traveled beyond a first geo-location boundary associated with the first customer;

trigger, in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the first geo-location boundary, a change in monitoring activity of movements of the first customer;

identify that the first customer has traveled beyond a second geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; and

automatically suspend the scheduled delivery of the one or more products to the delivery site in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit is further configured trigger, in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the first geo-location boundary, a confirmation query requesting the first customer confirm that a scheduled delivery of one or more products to a delivery site is to be suspended.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the delivery control circuit in triggering the confirmation query is further configured to predict that it is safe for the first customer to receive the confirmation query and causes a communication of the confirmation query in response to predicting that it is safe for the first customer to receive the confirmation query.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit in triggering the change in monitoring activity is further configured to determine whether a detected movement pattern of the first customer is similar to a previous movement pattern of the first customer detected in the past.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a geo-location boundary defining system comprising;

a boundary control circuit; and

a first memory coupled to the boundary control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the boundary control circuit cause the boundary control circuit to;

receive multiple location information notifications over one or more periods of time from a mobile first customer interface unit associated with the first customer; and

determine, with respect to the first customer interface unit, the first geo-location boundary corresponding to a geographic area defined in accordance with statistical distances from the delivery site that the first customer interface unit travels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the boundary control circuit is further configured to determine the second geo-location boundary corresponding to distances that are within a travel time threshold from the delivery site.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit is further configured to:

identify that the first customer has crossed a third geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; and

automatically re-schedule the suspended delivery of the one or more products to the delivery site in response to identifying that the first customer has crossed the third geo-location boundary.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit is further configured to automatically adjust the second geo-location boundary as a function of at least a first product of the one or more products of the scheduled delivery.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit is further configured to:

identify that a second customer has traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary associated with the first customer, wherein the second customer is associated with the first customer; and

implement the automatic suspension of the scheduled delivery of the one or more products in response to identifying that both the first customer and the second customer have traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery control circuit in causing the suspension of the scheduled delivery is further configured to wirelessly communicate to a remote central delivery distribution system a request that the scheduled delivery be suspended.

11. A method of providing control over product deliveries to customers of a shopping facility, comprising:

by a control circuit of a product delivery control system;

identifying that a first customer has traveled beyond a first geo-location boundary associated with the first customer;

triggering, in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the first geo-location boundary, a change in monitoring activity of movements of the first customer;

identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond a second geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; and

automatically suspending the scheduled delivery of the one or more products to the delivery site in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

triggering, in response to identifying that the first customer has traveled beyond the first geo-location boundary, a confirmation query requesting the first customer confirm that a scheduled delivery of one or more products to a delivery site is to be suspended.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering the confirmation query further comprises:

predicting that it is safe for the first customer to receive the confirmation query; and

causing a communication of the confirmation query in response to predicting that it is safe for the first customer to receive the confirmation query.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering the change in monitoring activity further comprises determining whether a detected movement pattern of the first customer is similar to a previous movement pattern of the first customer detected in the past.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving multiple location information notifications over one or more periods of time from a mobile first customer interface unit associated with the first customer; and

determining, with respect to the first customer interface unit, the first geo-location boundary corresponding to a geographic area defined in accordance with statistical distances from the delivery site that the first customer interface unit travels.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the second geo-location boundary corresponding to distances that are within a travel time threshold from the delivery site.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying that the first customer has crossed a third geo-location boundary associated with the first customer; and

automatically re-scheduling the suspended delivery of the one or more products to the delivery site in response to identifying that the first customer has crossed the third geo-location boundary.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically adjusting the second geo-location boundary as a function of at least a first product of the one or more products of the scheduled delivery.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying that a second customer has traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary associated with the first customer, wherein the second customer is associated with the first customer; and

implementing the automatic suspension of the scheduled delivery of the one or more products in response to identifying that both the first customer and the second customer have traveled beyond the second geo-location boundary.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the suspending the scheduled delivery further comprises wirelessly communicating, from a customer interface unit associated with the first customer, to a remote central delivery distribution system a request that the scheduled delivery be suspended.