SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESERVING SPACE IN CARRIER VEHICLES TO PROVIDE ON DEMAND DELIVERY SERVICES

• US 20170083862A1
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: LOUBRIEL, PAUL
• Granted Patent: US 11,144,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers

Abstract

An unallocated item/product inventory is maintained in each of a plurality of delivery vehicles traversing service routes within a delivery service area. Upon receipt of an order for delivery of an item/product that may be selected from the item/product inventory maintained within a delivery vehicle and that is to be delivered to a destination location within the delivery service area, a delivery vehicle driver is instructed to deliver an item/product selected from the item/product inventory located on the delivery vehicle during the corresponding service route on the same day that the order was placed. A delivery label for the item/product is printed, and the delivery vehicle driver secures the printed delivery label to an item/product selected from the unallocated item/product inventory, and delivers the item/product to the destination location on the same day the order was placed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via one or more processors, a request for available space on a vehicle for delivery services, the request for available space comprising vendor data identifying (a) a geographic area and (b) a time period for which the available space is requested;

identifying a plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested;

responsive to identifying the plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested, requesting utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

receiving utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

responsive to receiving the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles, determining the available space within each of the plurality of vehicles during the time period for which the available space is requested; and

providing, via the one or more processors for display via an interface, at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising steps for:

receiving a request to reserve at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles; and

updating the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles to reflect the reserved portion of the available space.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the reserved portion of the available space in the at least one vehicle is used to store an item inventory to provide one or more delivery services of items in the item inventory, the method further comprising steps for:

receiving the physical item inventory to be stored in the at least one vehicle;

receiving order data for an item to be delivered according to at least one of the one or more delivery services, wherein the order data comprises delivery data indicating a destination location;

determining, based at least in part on the destination location, an appropriate vehicle to deliver the item from the at least one vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle is transporting at least a portion of the item inventory; and

transmitting instructions to the appropriate vehicle indicating that an item selected from the item inventory is to be delivered to the destination location according to the at least one of the one or more delivery services.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the order data is received from a vendor computing entity, and the order data is generated by the vendor computing entity in response to receipt of an order for the item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising steps for:

receiving delivery data indicating that the item has been delivered to the destination location;

updating inventory data for the vehicle indicative of the items remaining in the physical item inventory; and

transmitting at least a portion of one of the delivery data or inventory data to the vendor computing entity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the available space is an anticipated available space determined based at least in part on at least one of historical data, dynamic delivery data, or predicted delivery data.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicles are each scheduled to traverse service routes to deliver and/or pick-up items at one or more locations along the service routes.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vendor data additionally comprises item data for one or more items to be stored in the available space, wherein the item data identifies at least one of:

an item description, an item size, or an item weight; and

determining the available space comprises determining, based at least in part on the item data, whether the available space can store the one or more items therein.

9. A system for requesting to reserve available space in delivery vehicles, the system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas;

one or more computer processors configured to;

identify a plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested;

responsive to identifying the plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested, request utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

receive utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

responsive to receiving the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles, determine the available space within each of the plurality of vehicles during the time period for which the available space is requested; and

provide at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles via a graphical interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a request to reserve at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles; and

update the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles to reflect the reserved portion of the available space.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reserved portion of the available space in the at least one vehicle is used to store an item inventory to provide one or more delivery services of items in the item inventory, the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive the physical item inventory to be stored in the at least one vehicle;

receive order data for an item to be delivered according to at least one of the one or more delivery services, wherein the order data comprises delivery data indicating a destination location;

determine, based at least in part on the destination location, an appropriate vehicle to deliver the item from the at least one vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle is transporting at least a portion of the item inventory; and

transmit instructions to the appropriate vehicle indicating that an item selected from the item inventory is to be delivered to the destination location according to the at least one of the one or more delivery services.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the order data is received from a vendor computing entity, and the order data is generated by the vendor computing entity in response to receipt of an order for the item.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive delivery data indicating that the item has been delivered to the destination location;

update inventory data for the vehicle indicative of the items remaining in the physical item inventory; and

transmit at least a portion of one of the delivery data or inventory data to the vendor computing entity.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the available space is an anticipated available space determined based at least in part on at least one of historical data, dynamic delivery data, or predicted delivery data.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more vehicles are each scheduled to traverse service routes to deliver and/or pick-up items at one or more locations along the service routes.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the vendor data additionally comprises item data for one or more items to be stored in the available space, wherein the item data identifies at least one of:

an item description, an item size, or an item weight; and

determining the available space comprises determining, based at least in part on the item data, whether the available space can store the one or more items therein.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to identify a plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested;

an executable portion configured to, responsive to identifying the plurality of vehicles associated with the geographic area in which the space is requested, request utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

an executable portion configured to receive utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles;

an executable portion configured to, responsive to receiving the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles, determine the available space within each of the plurality of vehicles during the time period for which the available space is requested;

an executable portion configured to provide at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles via a graphical interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive a request to reserve at least a portion of the determined available space for at least one of the plurality of vehicles; and

an executable portion configured to update the utilization data for each of the plurality of vehicles to reflect the reserved portion of the available space.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the reserved portion of the available space in the at least one vehicle is used to store an item inventory to provide one or more delivery services of items in the item inventory, the computer program product further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive the item inventory to be stored in the at least one vehicle;

an executable portion configured to receive order data for an item to be delivered according to at least one of the one or more delivery services, wherein the order data comprises delivery data indicating a destination location;

an executable portion configured to determine, based at least in part on the destination location, an appropriate vehicle to deliver the item from the at least one vehicle, wherein the at least one vehicle is transporting at least a portion of the item inventory; and

an executable portion configured to transmit instructions to the appropriate vehicle indicating that an item selected from the item inventory is to be delivered to the destination location according to the at least one of the one or more delivery services.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the order data is received from a vendor computing entity, and the order data is generated by the vendor computing entity in response to receipt of an order for the item.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive delivery data indicating that the item has been delivered to the destination location;

an executable portion configured to update inventory data for the vehicle indicative of the items remaining in the physical item inventory; and

an executable portion configured to transmit at least a portion of at least one of the delivery data or the inventory data to the vendor computing entity.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the available space is an anticipated available space determined based at least in part on one of historical data, dynamic delivery data, or predicted delivery data.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more vehicles are each scheduled to traverse service routes to deliver and/or pick-up items at one or more locations along the service routes.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the vendor data additionally comprises item data for one or more items to be stored in the available space, wherein the item data identifies at least one of:

an item description, an item size, or an item weight; and

determining the available space comprises determining, based at least in part on the item data, whether the available space can store the one or more items therein.