Systems and methods for dynamically updating a dispatch plan

• US 7,624,024 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• 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: Hu, Ping, Nuggehalli, Ranganath S., Levis, Jack, Mohr, Douglas K., D'Antona, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov; Igor N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Erb; Nathan
• Application Number:
  US11/108,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for receiving inputs at a portable computer used by personal typically operating a delivery vehicle providing delivery services, where the inputs potentially impact completion of a pre-established dispatch plan according to certain delivery criteria. The inputs include modifications to the manifest, updates regarding weather or traffic conditions, or other factors impacting the remaining deliveries. The inputs are examined to determine if modification of the original dispatch plan are warranted, and if so, a signal is generated triggering the processing of the original dispatch plan to produce an updated dispatch plan meeting the certain delivery criteria. The certain delivery criteria may involve commitments for completing deliveries by certain time frames.

Claims

1. A method for servicing a sequence of service stops using a service vehicle, the sequence of the service stops indicated by a logical sequence of records in a dispatch plan stored in a memory of a portable computing device, the method comprising executing a microprocessor located in the portable computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving update data wirelessly transmitted to the portable computing device, the update data comprising a first record associated with a service;

identifying address data in the first record and providing an indication that the address data is to be added to the dispatch plan;

retrieving at least a second record of the dispatch plan from the memory, wherein the second record comprises an address field associated with one of the sequence of the service stops;

comparing the address data in the first record with the address field associated with the second record;

determining a relative order of the first record with respect to the second record;

adding the first record to the dispatch plan based on the relative order;

identifying a subset of the records in the dispatch plan, wherein each record in the subset comprises a service completion flag indicating a respective service stop has not been performed;

identifying a service commitment in a record in the subset of records that is expected not to be performed by a required time based on a current time and at least a ratio of completed service stops relative to a total number of service stops;

reordering a logical sequence of the subset of the records, wherein the logical sequence of the subset of the records represents an order for performing the service stops of the subset of the records;

storing the logical sequence of the subset of the records in the memory to produce an updated dispatch plan;

notifying a driver of the service vehicle via the portable computing device of the production of the updated dispatch plan; and

initiating viewing by the driver on a display controlled by the portable computing device of at least a portion of the updated dispatch plan, the portion of the updated dispatch plan including at least one address associated with one of the sequence of the service stops that has not yet been serviced.

2. A method for processing service-related update data directed to a dispatch plan in a portable computing device, the method comprising executing a microprocessor located in the portable computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving the service-related update data at the portable computing device, the service-related update data wirelessly transmitted to the portable computing device;

determining whether the service-related update data modifies a service commitment associated with a record of the dispatch plan;

determining whether the service commitment is likely to be met based on a comparison of a current value with an expected value, wherein the expected value is determined at least by calculating a ratio of completed service stops relative to a total number of service stops;

identifying address data within the service-related update data, wherein the address data is also contained in the dispatch plan;

identifying a first record in the dispatch plan from a memory in the portable computing device, the dispatch plan comprising a file of a sequence of records, wherein each record includes an address portion;

comparing the address data with the address portion associated with the first record in the dispatch plan;

determining that the address data matches the address portion of the first record;

modifying contents of the first record in the dispatch plan using the service-related update data;

storing the modified dispatch plan in the memory; and

notifying a user of a modification of the dispatch plan;

wherein the current value comprises a current time and the expected value comprises an expected time, or the current value comprises a current location and the expected value comprises an expected location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the current value comprises a current time and the expected value comprises an expected time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the expected time is further determined by identifying both a first number of records in the dispatch plan having a completion flag set with a first value and a second number of records in the dispatch plan having the completion flag set with a second value.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a current value comprises a current location and the expected value comprises an expected location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the expected location is further determined by using historical data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an order of the records in the dispatch plan is logically re-sequenced based on the service commitment.

8. A method of triggering a process of updating a dispatch plan, the method comprising executing a microprocessor located in a portable computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving wirelessly transmitted dispatch update data at the portable computing device, the dispatch update data comprising service-related data and a first address location;

identifying a first record in the dispatch plan from a memory in the portable computing device, wherein the dispatch plan comprises an ordered sequence of records and wherein each record in the ordered sequence of records comprises an address portion;

determining the address portion of the first record matches the first address location;

updating the first record using the service-related data;

identifying a first set of records in the dispatch plan wherein each record in the first set of records comprises a service completion flag indicating a service stop has not yet been completed;

examining the first set of records to determine whether completion of a service commitment associated with one of the records is impacted based on at least a ratio of completed service stops relative to a total number of service stops;

triggering the process of updating the dispatch plan resulting in reordering the records in the first set of records to produce an updated dispatch plan;

storing the updated dispatch plan in the memory in the portable computing device; and

notifying a user of the portable computing device of the production of the updated dispatch plan.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

displaying the updated dispatch plan to the user using a text-based presentation of at least a portion of the records in the updated dispatch plan, the portion of the records in the updated dispatch plan including text associated with the service-related data.

10. A system for processing dispatch plan data conveyed in a service delivery vehicle comprising:

a memory storing a dispatch plan comprising a logical sequence of records, each record comprising an address portion, a service completion flag, and package identification data;

a wireless interface capable of receiving a dispatch plan update message and storing the dispatch plan update message in the memory, the dispatch plan update message modifying a first record in the dispatch plan, the dispatch plan update message indicating either a first address or a first package identification data;

a processor configured to;

identify the first record in the dispatch plan;

use the dispatch plan update message to produce a modified first record;

store the modified first record in the dispatch plan;

generate a first set of display signals based on the modified first record;

periodically obtain a current time data and determine a current dispatch plan schedule status based on the current time data and an expected time, wherein the expected time is determined at least by calculating a ratio of completed service stops relative to a total number of service stops; and

provide a second set of display signals indicating the current dispatch plan schedule status to a display; and

the display capable of receiving the first set of display signals and the second set of display signals, and presenting, to a driver of the service delivery vehicle, the dispatch plan update message, including one of the first address or the first package identification data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to periodically obtain location data from a GPS module and to process the location data to determine the current dispatch plan schedule status using in part historical location data associated with the records in the dispatch plan.