Dynamic determination of item returns during transit
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically routing items being returned from customers to appropriate final return destinations while the items are in transit, the method comprising:
- for each of multiple customers of an online merchant,shipping an ordered item to the customer from an item distribution center of the merchant; and
providing information to the customer for use in returning the item, the information directing the item to be shipped to a third-party item shipping location; and
for each of one or more third-party item shipping locations,at the item shipping location, identifying one or more items that each have been received at the item shipping location from a customer who shipped the item as part of returning the item to the merchant;
at a first time after the identifying and without the identified items being removed from the item shipping location, and under control of one or more configured computing devices,automatically obtaining information about current values at the first time for conditions corresponding to multiple possible final return destinations for the identified items, each of one or more of the conditions being a changing condition such that the current value for the changing condition is distinct from other values for the changing condition at other times, and the current values for the conditions being unknown when the identified items were previously shipped to the item shipping location; and
for each of the identified items, automatically determining one of the multiple possible final return destinations for the identified item based at least in part on the obtained information about the current values for the conditions; and
sending each of the identified items from the item shipping location to the automatically determined final return destination for the item, so that determination of an appropriate final return destination for an item occurs dynamically while the item is being returned.
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Abstract
Techniques are described for automatically and dynamically determining how to handle items being returned from customers while the items are in transit. Various factors may be considered to determine appropriate item return handling, including by assessing current conditions at the time of the determination. In addition, the dynamic item return handling may include selecting one of various potential return destinations for each item being returned and one of various types of return routing for the return. In some situations, the item return handling is performed for an item being returned from a customer while the item is at an intermediate shipping location, such as a selected location to which the customer was directed to send the item. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically routing items being returned from customers to appropriate final return destinations while the items are in transit, the method comprising:
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for each of multiple customers of an online merchant, shipping an ordered item to the customer from an item distribution center of the merchant; and providing information to the customer for use in returning the item, the information directing the item to be shipped to a third-party item shipping location; and for each of one or more third-party item shipping locations, at the item shipping location, identifying one or more items that each have been received at the item shipping location from a customer who shipped the item as part of returning the item to the merchant; at a first time after the identifying and without the identified items being removed from the item shipping location, and under control of one or more configured computing devices, automatically obtaining information about current values at the first time for conditions corresponding to multiple possible final return destinations for the identified items, each of one or more of the conditions being a changing condition such that the current value for the changing condition is distinct from other values for the changing condition at other times, and the current values for the conditions being unknown when the identified items were previously shipped to the item shipping location; and for each of the identified items, automatically determining one of the multiple possible final return destinations for the identified item based at least in part on the obtained information about the current values for the conditions; and sending each of the identified items from the item shipping location to the automatically determined final return destination for the item, so that determination of an appropriate final return destination for an item occurs dynamically while the item is being returned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer-implemented method for dynamically determining a return destination for an item being returned while the item is in transit, the method comprising:
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providing information to direct an item being returned from a customer to a third-party intermediate facility from which items can be shipped; under control of one or more configured computing devices, and for a first time after the item being returned is received at the third-party intermediate facility, obtaining information about current values at the first time for conditions corresponding to multiple possible return destinations for the item, each of one or more of the conditions being a changing condition such that the current value for the changing condition is distinct from other values for the changing condition at other times; and automatically determining one of the multiple possible return destinations as being an appropriate return destination for the item based at least in part on the obtained information about the current values for the conditions; and without the item being removed from the third-party intermediate facility, initiating shipping of the item from the third-party intermediate facility to the automatically determined return destination. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A computer-readable medium whose contents include instructions that when executed configure a computing device to direct an item to be dynamically routed to a destination while the item is in transit, the directing of the item comprising:
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identifying an intermediate location of a package before the package has reached an unknown destination, the package containing one or more items that are in transit to the unknown destination; and at a first time at which the package is at the identified intermediate location, under control of the configured computing device, dynamically determining an appropriate destination for the items based on current values at the first time for conditions that correspond to multiple possible destinations for the item, the dynamic determining including obtaining information about the current values, each of one or more of the conditions being a changing condition such that the current value for the changing condition is distinct from other values for the changing condition at other times; causing information associated with the package to be modified so as to identify the dynamically determined destination as the destination for the package; and initiating dispatch of the package from the intermediate location to the dynamically determined destination. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A computing system configured to dynamically route an item being returned to a destination while the item is in transit, comprising:
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one or more processors; a first component that is configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, provide an indication to a customer of a destination indicator for a return of an item; a second component that is configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, automatically select one of multiple potential return destinations for the item based on current values at a time of the selecting for conditions that correspond to at least one of the multiple potential return destinations, the automatically selected return destination being distinct from an intermediate location of the item during transit from the customer to a destination, the automatic selecting of the one return destination including obtaining information about the current values, each of one or more of the conditions being a changing condition such that the current value for the changing condition is distinct from other values for the changing condition at other times; and a third component that is configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, and after the item is received at the intermediate location from the customer, facilitate shipping of the item from the intermediate location to the automatically selected return destination. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification