Delivery operations information system and methods of use

• US 8,260,647 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Scott, Gale R., Fisher, Charles V.
• Primary Examiner(s): FLEISCHER, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/208,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.13, 705/7.16
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• 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 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for managing information related to a delivery service provider and systems of using such a system. The system and systems provided herein allow a delivery service provider to coordinate with efficiency the volume of mail or packages to be delivered with the carrier resources available to deliver them. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the delivery operation information system tracks quantities of articles, schedules their distribution, and schedules and tracks the work force that distributes the articles.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing delivery routes comprising:

identifying, by a delivery system computer in conjunction with a first database of the delivery system computer, a plurality of routes for delivering articles within a delivery unit, each route comprising segments having delivery points;

identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a second database of the delivery system computer, a quantity of articles to be delivered along each route;

identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a third database of the delivery system computer, estimated times for completing the segments of the identified routes, wherein the estimated times for completing the segments of the identified routes are determined based on the quantity of articles to be delivered at the delivery points of the segments;

identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a fourth database of the delivery system computer, carriers assigned and assignable to at least a portion of said plurality of identified routes, the availability of said carriers, and a workload capacity for each carrier, the workload capacity including a total number of available work hours for that carrier;

generating, by the delivery system computer, selective data from said first, second, third, and fourth databases for display in a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to receive an assignment to a particular route for at least one carrier;

determining, by the delivery system computer, that the at least one carrier does not have a full days work for a particular day; and

assigning, by the delivery system computer, the at least one carrier to a segment of another route of said plurality of identified routes, wherein the another route differs from the particular route, it is determined that a carrier assigned to the another route for the particular day is unavailable to complete the segment of the another route, and the at least one carrier is assigned a delivery schedule for the segment of the another route reflecting a delivery schedule associated with the segment of the another route.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to identify that the particular route is in proximity to the segment of the another route.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including identifying one or more carriers of the plurality of carriers that has requested to work overtime.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the delivery system computer is configured to adjust a route assignment for the at least one carrier based on the received route assignment, wherein at least one carrier is assigned to work for about eight hours.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the delivery system computer is configured to adjust a route assignment for the at least one carrier based on the received route assignment, wherein the at least one carrier has requested to work overtime and is assigned to work for more than eight hours.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the estimated times for completing one or more of the identified routes includes an amount of office time allocated for a respective route.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the estimated times for completing one or more of the identified routes includes an amount of route time allocated for a respective route.

8. A system for managing delivery routes, the system comprising a processor, a memory, and a display unit, the system further comprising:

a first database that identifies a plurality of routes for delivering articles within a delivery unit, each route comprising segments having delivery points;

a second database that identifies a quantity of articles to be delivered along each route;

a third database that identifies estimated times for completing one or more of the identified routes, wherein the estimated times for completing the routes are determined based on the quantity of articles to be delivered along the route;

a fourth database that identifies carriers assigned and assignable to at least a segment of said plurality of identified routes, the availability of said carriers, and a workload capacity for each carrier, the workload capacity including a total number of available work hours for that carrier; and

a graphical user interface configured to selectively display, on the display unit, identified data from said first, second, third, and fourth databases, identify at least one carrier assigned to a particular route who does not have a full days work for a particular day, identify a carrier assigned to another route for the particular day who is unavailable to complete a segment of the another route, and receive an assignment of the at least one carrier to the segment of the another route from said plurality of routes, wherein the another route differs from the particular route, and the at least one carrier is assigned a delivery schedule for the segment of the another route reflecting a delivery schedule associated with the segment of the another route.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to identify that the particular route is in proximity to the segment of the another route.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to identify one or more of the plurality of carriers that has requested to work overtime.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a route adjustment apparatus configured to adjust route assignments for the at least one carrier based on the received route assignment, wherein at least one carrier is assigned to work about eight hours.

12. The system of claim 10, further configured to adjust route assignments for the at least one carrier based on the received route assignment, wherein the at least one carrier has requested to work overtime and is assigned to work for more than eight hours.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the estimated times for completing one or more of the identified routes includes an amount of office time allocated for a respective route.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the estimated times for completing one or more of the identified routes includes an amount of route time allocated for a respective route.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of graphical user interfaces.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display the plurality of graphical user interfaces at one time.