DETERMINING ESTIMATED PICK-UP/DELIVERY WINDOWS USING CLUSTERING

• US 20170262799A1
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2016
• 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: Shroff, Sumeet Pradeep, Azar, Issac, Piccione, Rosalie, Hojecki, Ed, Gerhard, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 11,004,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for determining delivery or pick-up windows. In one embodiment a method is provided comprising determining whether sufficient historical information/data to determine an estimated pick-up/delivery time is received for each weekday when deliveries are made and in response to determining that the sufficient historical information/data is available for a first weekday, determining an estimated pick-up/delivery time for the first serviceable point and for the first weekday based on the sufficient historical information/data for the first serviceable point and for the first weekday. Similarly, in response to determining that the sufficient historical information/data is not available for a second weekday, determining an estimated pick-up/delivery time for the first serviceable point and for the second weekday based on the first historical information/data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

identifying a cluster of serviceable points, the cluster (a) comprising a first serviceable point and a second serviceable point and (b) indicating that the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point are within one or more configurable thresholds of one another;

receiving first historical data for first serviceable point, the first historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the first serviceable point;

receiving second historical data for second serviceable point, the second historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the second serviceable point; and

determining an estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the first historical data and the second historical data.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configurable thresholds comprise a configurable distance threshold and a configurable travel time threshold.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising determining a confidence score for the estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point, the confidence score indicating the likelihood that the estimated delivery time is accurate.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 further comprising determining an estimated delivery window for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the estimated delivery time and the confidence score, wherein the length of the estimated delivery window is based on the confidence score.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein length of the estimated delivery window is inversely proportional to the confidence score.

6. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a computer memory apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus and storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

identifying a cluster of serviceable points, the cluster (a) comprising a first serviceable point and a second serviceable point and (b) indicating that the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point are within one or more configurable thresholds of one another;

receiving first historical data for first serviceable point, the first historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the first serviceable point;

receiving second historical data for second serviceable point, the second historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the second serviceable point; and

determining an estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the first historical data and the second historical data.

8. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining a confidence score for the estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point, the confidence score indicating the likelihood that the estimated delivery time is accurate.

7. The system of claim 8, wherein the configurable thresholds comprise a configurable distance threshold and a configurable travel time threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining an estimated delivery window for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the estimated delivery time and the confidence score, wherein the length of the estimated delivery window is based on the confidence score.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein length of the estimated delivery window is inversely proportional to the confidence score.

11. 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:

identifying a cluster of serviceable points, the cluster (a) comprising a first serviceable point and a second serviceable point and (b) indicating that the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point are within one or more configurable thresholds of one another;

receiving first historical data for first serviceable point, the first historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the first serviceable point;

receiving second historical data for second serviceable point, the second historical data comprising a plurality of dates and times of deliveries that occurred at the second serviceable point; and

determining an estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the first historical data and the second historical data.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the configurable thresholds comprise a configurable distance threshold and a configurable travel time threshold.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the code further comprise determining a confidence score for the estimated delivery time for the first serviceable point, the confidence score indicating the likelihood that the estimated delivery time is accurate.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the code further comprise determining an estimated delivery window for the first serviceable point based at least in part on the estimated delivery time and the confidence score, wherein the length of the estimated delivery window is based on the confidence score.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein length of the estimated delivery window is inversely proportional to the confidence score.