EXAMPLES OF DELIVERY AND/OR REFERRAL SERVICES

• US 20190318442A1
• Filed: 06/27/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Kleckner, Jed, Sims, Colin, White, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 11,023,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Various systems and methods that may relate to referral and/or delivery services are described. Some embodiments may include billing merchants for delivery services in a consolidated fashion, some embodiments may include interactions with point of sale systems.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An apparatus comprising:

a computing device configured to control;

opening a first account for a first merchant with a delivery/referral service;

opening a second account for a second merchant with the delivery/referral service

receiving, over a communication network, from the first merchant an indication of a first plurality of orders for which respective first customers have requested delivery;

in response to receiving a first order of the first plurality of orders,

determining an unavailability result, by determining whether at least one first item of the first order is unavailable for delivery based on a condition on delivery of the at least one first item using location information received in substantially real time, via the communication network, from substantially real time tracking of location of a mobile device of at least one mobile delivery agent, and

communicating, via the communication network, to populate a graphical user interface of a point of sale system of the first merchant with an indication whether the at least one first item is determined to be unavailable for delivery based on the unavailability result;

facilitating respective delivery of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers;

receiving, over the communication network, from the second merchant an indication of a second plurality of orders for which respective second customers have requested delivery;

in response to receiving a second order of the second plurality of orders, communicating, over the communication network, to a point of sale system of the second merchant that at least one second item is unavailable based on the second order;

facilitating respective delivery of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers;

paying respective delivery agents for performing the respective first and second deliveries of the first and second plurality of orders to the respective first and second customers;

recording a respective delivery cost for each of the plurality of orders;

determining a first consolidated bill for the first merchant for the respective deliveries of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers based on the recorded costs; and

determining a second consolidated bill for the second merchant for the respective deliveries of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers based on the recorded costs.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which each respective delivery cost is determined based on an auction process among a respective set of delivery agents.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the computing device is configured to control receiving, over the communication network, information regarding inventories of the first merchant from the point of sale system of the first merchant.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the computing device is configured to control populating an ordering interface on the graphical user interface based on the inventories of the first merchant.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the computing device is configured to control:

receiving, over the communication network, information regarding inventories of a plurality of merchants from a plurality of point of sale systems, in which the plurality of merchants includes the first merchant and the second merchant.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the computing device is configured to control:

in response to receiving a third order of the first plurality of orders, determining a plurality of sources of items for a high speed delivery of the third order to a respective first customer based on the inventories of the plurality of merchants;

determining one or more delivery agents for making the high speed delivery from the plurality of sources to the respective first customer;

determining a cost for the high speed delivery of the third order; and

in response to determining the plurality sources and the cost for the high speed delivery of the third order, transmitting information identifying the cost for the high speed delivery of the third order.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the computing device is configured to control:

receiving, over the communication network, an indication that the respective first customer desires the high speed delivery of the third order;

in response to receiving the indication that the respective first customer desires the high speed delivery, communicating, over the communication network, to a point of sale system of at least one of the plurality sources that at least one third item is unavailable; and

in response to receiving the indication that the first customer desires the high speed delivery, facilitating the high speed delivery of the items from the plurality sources using the one or more delivery agents.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the computing device is configured to control:

paying the one or more delivery agents for performing the high speed delivery; and

providing a consolidated bill to each of the plurality sources for the high speed delivery and other high speed deliveries.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, in which high speed delivery includes same day delivery.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, in which determining the cost includes initiating an auction process among a set of delivery agents.

12. A method comprising:

controlling, by at least one processor;

opening a first account for a first merchant with a delivery/referral service;

opening a second account for a second merchant with the delivery/referral service receiving, over a communication network, from the first merchant an indication of a first plurality of orders for which respective first customers have requested delivery;

in response to receiving a first order of the first plurality of orders,

determining an unavailability result, by determining whether at least one first item of the first order is unavailable for delivery based on a condition on delivery of the at least one first item using location information received in substantially real time, via the communication network, from substantially real time tracking of location of a mobile device of at least one mobile delivery agent, and

communicating, via the communication network, to populate a graphical user interface of a point of sale system of the first merchant with an indication whether the at least one first item is determined to be unavailable for delivery based on the unavailability result;

facilitating respective delivery of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers;

receiving from the second merchant an indication of a second plurality of orders for which respective second customers have requested delivery;

in response to receiving a second order of the second plurality of orders, communicating to a point of sale system of the second merchant that at least one second item is unavailable based on the second order;

facilitating respective delivery of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers;

paying respective delivery agents for performing the respective first and second deliveries of the first and second plurality of orders to the respective first and second customers;

recording a respective delivery cost for each of the plurality of orders;

determining a first consolidated bill for the first merchant for the respective deliveries of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers based on the recorded costs; and

determining a second consolidated bill for the second merchant for the respective deliveries of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers based on the recorded costs.

13. The method of claim 12, in which each respective delivery cost is determined based on an auction process among a respective set of delivery agents.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor, receiving, over the communication network, information regarding inventories of the first merchant from the point of sale system of the first merchant.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor, populating an ordering interface on the graphical user interface based on the inventories of the first merchant.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor, receiving, over the communication network, information regarding inventories of a plurality of merchants from a plurality of point of sale systems, in which the plurality of merchants includes the first merchant and the second merchant.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor;

in response to receiving a third order of the first plurality of orders, determining a plurality of sources of items for a high speed delivery of the third order to a respective first customer based on the inventories of the plurality of merchants;

determining one or more delivery agents for making the high speed delivery from the plurality of sources to the respective first customer;

determining a cost for the high speed delivery of the third order; and

in response to determining the plurality sources and the cost for the high speed delivery of the third order, transmitting information identifying the cost for the high speed delivery of the third order.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor;

receiving, over the communication network, an indication that the respective first customer desires the high speed delivery of the third order;

in response to receiving the indication that the respective first customer desires the high speed delivery, communicating, over the communication network, to a point of sale system of at least one of the plurality sources that at least one third item is unavailable; and

in response to receiving the indication that the first customer desires the high speed delivery, facilitating the high speed delivery of the items from the plurality sources using the one or more delivery agents.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor;

paying the one or more delivery agents for performing the high speed delivery; and

providing a consolidated bill to each of the plurality sources for the high speed delivery and other high speed deliveries.

20. The method of claim 17, in which high speed delivery includes same day delivery.

21. The method of claim 17, in which determining the cost includes initiating an auction process among a set of delivery agents.