STORE ITEM DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20170286893A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, Jimmie R., Payne, Michael Lawerance, Charles, Kevin Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,489,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output

Abstract

A system for delivering store items to a selected destination comprises a store computer that receives selected store item data including a delivery request; a delivery request database that stores the delivery request; and a delivery request application processor that provides a rule that includes criteria for selecting at least one delivery driver and generates a result that identifies a delivery driver of the at least one delivery driver satisfying the criteria of the generated rule.

Claims

1. A system for delivering store items to a selected destination, comprising:

a store computer that receives selected store item data including a delivery request;

a delivery request database that stores the delivery request; and

a delivery request application processor that provides a rule that includes criteria for selecting at least one delivery driver and generates a result that identifies a delivery driver of the at least one delivery driver satisfying the criteria of the generated rule.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery driver portal that includes a display for displaying a list of outstanding deliveries and for submitting an acceptance to the delivery request.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein available delivery drivers of the at least one delivery driver satisfying the criteria may submit bids from the delivery driver portal to perform a requested delivery.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a customer portal that includes information on a delivery driver of the at least one delivery driver satisfying the criteria, and providing to a display a list of qualified delivery drivers for consideration to deliver the store item according to the delivery request.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery driver database that stores a list of available delivery drivers for performing the requested delivery.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the delivery request application processor vets the list of available delivery drivers according to the rule criteria and generates a list of qualified available delivery drivers.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a bid processor, wherein the qualified available delivery drivers submits from a computer a bid to perform the requested delivery.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein additional information about the qualified available delivery drivers is presented to the customer for selecting a driver from the qualified available delivery drivers.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the bid processor exchanges data with the rules engine, establishing that a driver submitting a lowest bid is to be awarded the job of performing a delivery in accordance with a delivery request.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the delivery request application processor automatically generates a selected delivery driver of the list of qualified available delivery drivers.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising at least one sensor that determines at least one of a measurement of a vehicle to be used by the at least one delivery driver or a measurement of a store item, and generates a result processed by the delivery request application processor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery request application processor performs a match between a customer purchases requiring delivery with a delivery driver to identify one or more delivery drivers that satisfy the criteria.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the criteria includes a bid delta.

14. A method for delivering store items, comprising:

storing selected store item data in a data repository, the selected store item data including a delivery request;

generating a rule that includes criteria for selecting at least one delivery driver; and

generating a result that identifies a delivery driver of the at least one delivery driver that satisfies the criteria of the generated rule.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a customer portal that includes information on the delivery driver submitting the accepted delivery request and receives the accepted delivery request from the delivery driver portal and for accepting the delivery driver submitting the accepted delivery request.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing a list of available delivery drivers for performing the requested delivery, and determining the list of available delivery drivers according to the rule criteria and generates a list of qualified available delivery drivers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting the qualified available delivery drivers to a bid to identify available drivers to perform the requested delivery.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein additional information about the qualified available delivery drivers is presented to the customer for selecting a driver from the qualified available delivery drivers.

19. A delivery request application device, comprising:

a rules engine that stores a set of criteria, which establishes conditions for selecting at least one delivery driver;

a delivery request processor that processes a delivery request made by a purchaser of a store item;

a delivery factor calculator that establishes a delivery cost of the item; and

driver qualification processor that generates a result that identifies a delivery driver of the at least one delivery driver satisfying the criteria of the generated rule.

20. The delivery request application device of claim 19 further comprising a bid processor that processes bids to deliver the store item under the conditions by delivery drivers of the at least one delivery driver.