Residential delivery system and method

• US 7,587,345 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C2Morrow IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: SimonDelivers.com, Inc. (Coborn's Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mann, Justin, Servais, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zare; Scott A
• Application Number:
  US10/378,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,381 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system for delivery establishes a delivery subsector for a distribution facility, adjusts at delivery area within the delivery subsector, plans a flexible delivery route in the delivery area, and completes deliveries. Deliveries having delivery locations closest to the distribution facility are not assigned to the flexible delivery route such that additional delivery resources are required only in areas in close proximity with the distribution facility.

Claims

1. A method of delivery comprising:

(a) establishing at least one delivery subsector adjacent to a distribution facility;

(b) using a computing system having data processing logic and computer readable storage media with one or more computer programs stored thereon for planning two or more flexible delivery route areas in the at least one delivery subsector, each of the flexible delivery route areas defining a geographic area to which a delivery route is limited, wherein a geometric center of one of the flexible delivery route areas is furthest from the distribution facility and the geometric center of each successive flexible delivery route area is located closer to the distribution facility, and wherein one of the flexible delivery route areas is adjacent to the distribution facility, and wherein the planning of the two or more flexible delivery route areas comprises assigning delivery locations to delivery vehicles, wherein one or more delivery locations remain initially unassigned to a particular delivery vehicle, and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are in the flexible delivery route area adjacent to the distribution facility and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are closer to the distribution center than any initially assigned delivery locations; and

(c) completing deliveries in the two or more flexible delivery route areas, wherein completing deliveries comprises delivering to at least some of the initially assigned delivery locations prior to delivering to the initially unassigned locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein planning the two or more flexible delivery route areas further comprises adjusting the two or more flexible delivery route areas based on a number of deliveries and an allotted time period.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the allotted time period is four hours.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more flexible delivery route areas comprise three flexible delivery route areas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one delivery subsector comprises at least two delivery subsectors, wherein the method further comprises completing all deliveries in one of the at least two delivery subsectors before making deliveries in any other of the at least two delivery subsectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery subsector comprises at least two delivery subsectors, each of the at least two delivery subsectors being adjacent to another of the at least two delivery subsectors, and wherein each of the two or more flexible delivery route areas in each of the at least two delivery subsectors is adjacent to one of the two or more flexible delivery route areas in one of the adjacent delivery subsectors.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the deliveries in one of the two or more flexible delivery route areas and the deliveries in the adjacent one of the two or more flexible delivery route areas in the adjacent delivery subsector are made by one delivery vehicle.

8. A method of delivery comprising:

(a) establishing at least two delivery sectors adjacent to a distribution facility, each delivery sector having at least two delivery subsectors, each of the at least two delivery subsectors having at least two flexible delivery route areas, each flexible delivery route area defining a geographic area to which a delivery route is limited;

(b) using a computing system having data processing logic and computer readable storage media with one or more computer programs stored thereon for planning a first route for one of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector and then successively planning each additional route of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector wherein each additional route is planned based on each previously planned route, wherein a geometric center of one of the flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector is located furthest from the distribution facility and the geometric center of each successive flexible delivery route area in each delivery subsector is located closer to the distribution facility, and wherein one of the flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector is adjacent to the distribution facility, and wherein the planning of the routes comprises assigning delivery locations to delivery vehicles, wherein one or more delivery locations remain initially unassigned to a particular delivery vehicle, and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are in each of the flexible delivery route areas adjacent to the distribution facility and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are closer to the distribution facility than any initially assigned delivery locations; and

(c) completing deliveries in each of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in one of the at least two delivery subsectors concurrently, wherein completing deliveries comprises delivering to at least some of the initially assigned delivery locations in each of the at least two flexible delivery route areas prior to delivering to the initially unassigned locations.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein planning the first route and the additional routes is based in part on number of deliveries and allotted time period.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising completing deliveries at each additional subsector of the at least two delivery subsectors, wherein delivery is completed in each subsector prior to beginning delivery in another subsector.

11. A method of delivery comprising:

(a) distributing products from a distribution hub to a plurality of distribution facilities;

(b) establishing at least two delivery sectors adjacent to each of the plurality of distribution facilities, wherein each delivery sector has at least two delivery subsectors, wherein each of the at least two delivery subsectors has at least two flexible delivery route areas, wherein each flexible delivery route area defines a geographic area to which a delivery route is limited;

(c) using a computing system having data processing logic and computer readable storage media with one or more computer programs stored thereon for planning a first route of one of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector and then successively planning each additional route of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector, wherein each additional route in each delivery subsector is planned based on each previously planned route in each respective delivery subsector, wherein a geometric center of one of the flexible delivery route areas in each subsector is located furthest from the distribution facility and geometric centers of each successive flexible delivery route area in each respective delivery subsectors is located closer to the distribution facility, wherein one of the flexible delivery route areas in each delivery subsector is adjacent to the distribution center, and wherein planning the routes comprises assigning delivery locations to delivery vehicles, wherein one or more delivery locations remain initially unassigned to a particular delivery vehicle, wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are in each of the flexible delivery route areas adjacent to the distribution facility and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are closer to the distribution facility than any initially assigned delivery locations; and

(d) in each of the at least two delivery sectors, completing deliveries in each of the at least two flexible delivery route areas in one of the at least two delivery subsectors concurrently, wherein completing deliveries comprises delivering to at least some of the initially assigned delivery locations in each of the at least two flexible delivery route areas prior to delivering to the initially unassigned locations.

12. A method of ordering and delivering items comprising:

(a) allowing customers to choose a recurring delivery slot from a selection of recurring delivery slots;

(b) allowing the customers to order at least one desired item;

(c) using a computing system having data processing logic and computer readable storage media with one or more computer programs stored thereon for planning two or more flexible delivery route areas in at least one delivery subsector, each of the flexible delivery route areas defining a geographic area to which a delivery route is limited, wherein a geometric center of one of the flexible delivery route areas in the at least one subsector is furthest from the distribution facility and geometric centers of each successive flexible delivery route area in the at least one delivery subsector are located closer to the distribution facility, wherein one of the flexible delivery route areas in the at least one delivery subsector is adjacent to the distribution facility, wherein the planning of the two or more flexible delivery route areas comprises assigning customer locations to delivery vehicles, wherein one or more of the customer locations remain initially unassigned to a particular delivery vehicle, and wherein the customer locations initially unassigned are in the flexible delivery route area adjacent to the distribution facility and wherein the customer locations initially unassigned are closer to the distribution center than any initially assigned customer locations; and

(d) delivering from a distribution facility the at least one desired item to customer locations during the respective chosen recurring delivery slots of the customer, wherein delivering from the distribution facility comprises delivering to at least some of the initially assigned customer locations prior to delivering to the initially unassigned customer locations.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein allowing the customers to order at least one desired item further comprises allowing the customers to repeatedly order at least one desired item.