Methods and apparatus for providing recommendations and reminders to tote delivery customers

• US 8,266,017 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dearlove, Janice Vivienne, Vuillemot, Ward W., Wilke, Jeffrey A., Herrington, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US12/825,254
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing recommendations and reminders to customers of a network site that provides a tote delivery service. The tote delivery service directs delivery of tote orders to delivery addresses in reusable totes on assigned tote delivery days. Information including tote delivery data may be analyzed to determine, for example, items to be recommended for purchase by customers, items that customers may want to have scheduled for regular delivery via the tote delivery service, and so on. Based on the analysis, recommendations may be sent to particular customers via one or more communications channels, for example via email or by displaying the recommendation on a web page of the network site. In addition, reminders may be provided to customers of upcoming tote delivery days. The reminders may, for example, indicate what items are scheduled for tote delivery on a given delivery day.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a network site of an enterprise, implemented on one or more computer devices, providing a tote delivery user interface to a tote delivery service to customers of the network site and assigning recurring tote delivery days to the customers, wherein the tote delivery service directs delivery of items offered by the enterprise and ordered via the network site to the customers in totes on assigned tote delivery days;

the network site receiving input, via the tote delivery user interface, selecting particular tote delivery dates for items from among multiple future ones of the recurring tote delivery days assigned to the customers, generating orders for the items, and directing delivery of the items according to the tote delivery service on the respective tote delivery dates;

storing tote delivery data indicating items in tote orders previously delivered to customers on past tote delivery dates via the tote delivery service and items in tote orders to be delivered to customers on future tote delivery dates selected from among the multiple future ones of the recurring tote delivery days assigned to the customers via the tote delivery service;

enterprise logic, implemented on one or more computer devices, analyzing product information that describes the items offered by the enterprise and tote delivery data respective to a particular customer to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service; and

the enterprise logic sending, by at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating the item that is related to the one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes one or more of order information for other types of orders than tote orders, inventory information that indicates quantities and locations of inventory, or customer account information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes tote delivery data respective to at least one other customer.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

the enterprise logic analyzing consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources; and

based on said analysis of the consumer purchasing information, the enterprise logic sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating another item offered by the enterprise that the particular customer may want to order via the tote delivery service.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said analyzing determines that the item has been ordered periodically by the particular customer, and wherein said recommendation further indicates to the particular customer that the item can be scheduled for automatic periodic delivery to the particular customer'"'"'s address via the tote delivery service.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the enterprise logic sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a reminder indicating an upcoming tote delivery day and content of a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the reminder further recommends a particular item offered by the enterprise that the customer may want to add to a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes order data indicating one or more items that the customer has ordered from the enterprise to be delivered according to one or more other delivery methods offered by the enterprise.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a message indicating that the customer can consolidate at least one of the one or more items that the customer has ordered to be delivered according to the one or more other delivery methods into an upcoming tote order to be delivered via the tote delivery service.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the totes are reusable containers configured to be delivered to the customers on tote delivery days, and wherein at least some previously delivered totes are picked up from the customers on subsequent tote delivery days.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more communications channels include one or more of the interface to the tote delivery service, email, or text messaging.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more data storage devices that store data for an enterprise; and

one or more servers that implement enterprise logic executable on the one or more servers to;

store tote delivery data to the one or more data storage devices, wherein said tote delivery data indicates items in tote orders previously delivered to customers of the enterprise on past tote delivery dates via a tote delivery service and items in tote orders to be delivered to customers of the enterprise on future tote delivery dates selected from among multiple future recurring tote delivery days assigned to the customers via the tote delivery service, wherein the tote delivery service delivers tote orders to the customers on assigned tote delivery days, wherein each tote delivery includes one or more totes that include a tote order of one or more items, and wherein each tote order corresponds to a tote delivery to a particular delivery address on a selected tote delivery date;

analyze product information that describes the items offered by the enterprise and tote delivery data respective to a particular customer to determine one or more items offered by the enterprise that are related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service; and

send, by at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating the one or more items that are related to the one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine one or more items offered by the enterprise that are related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes one or more of order information for other types of orders than tote orders, inventory information that indicates quantities and locations of inventory, or customer account information.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine one or more items offered by the enterprise that are related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes tote delivery data respective to at least one other customer.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine one or more items offered by the enterprise that are related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the enterprise logic is executable on the one or more servers to:

analyze consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources; and

based on said analysis of the consumer purchasing information, send, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating another item offered by the enterprise that the particular customer may want to order via the tote delivery service.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein, in said analyzing, the enterprise logic is executable on the one or more servers to determine that the item has been ordered periodically by the particular customer, and wherein said recommendation further indicates to the particular customer that the item can be scheduled for automatic periodic delivery to the particular customer'"'"'s address via the tote delivery service.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the enterprise logic is executable on the one or more servers to send, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a reminder indicating an upcoming tote delivery day.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the reminder further indicates content of a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the reminder further recommends a particular item offered by the enterprise that the customer may want to add to a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein information analyzed by the enterprise logic to determine one or more items offered by the enterprise that are related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes order data indicating one or more items that the customer has ordered from the enterprise to be delivered according to one or more other delivery methods offered by the enterprise.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the enterprise logic is executable on the one or more servers to send, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a message indicating that the customer can consolidate at least one of the one or more items that the customer has ordered to be delivered according to the one or more other delivery methods into an upcoming tote order to be delivered via the tote delivery service.

24. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the totes are reusable containers, and wherein the enterprise logic is executable on the one or more servers to direct the delivery of the totes to the customers on tote delivery days and the retrieval of at least some previously delivered totes from the customers on tote delivery days.

25. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more communications channels include an interface to the enterprise logic, wherein the recommendation is displayed on a page provided by the interface.

26. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more communications channels include one or more of email or text messaging.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

obtaining tote delivery data, wherein said tote delivery data indicates items in tote orders previously delivered to customers of an enterprise via a tote delivery service on past tote delivery dates and items in tote orders to be delivered to customers of the enterprise on future tote delivery dates selected from among multiple future recurring tote delivery days assigned to the customers via the tote delivery service, wherein the tote delivery service delivers tote orders to the customers on assigned tote delivery days, wherein each tote delivery includes one or more totes that include a tote order of one or more items, and wherein each tote order corresponds to a tote delivery to a particular delivery address on a selected tote delivery date;

analyzing product information that describes the items offered by the enterprise and tote delivery data respective to a particular customer to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service; and

sending, by at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating the item that is related to the one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein information analyzed to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes one or more of order information for other types of orders than tote orders, inventory information that indicates quantities and locations of inventory, or customer account information.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein information analyzed to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes tote delivery data respective to at least one other customer.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein information analyzed to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

analyzing consumer purchasing information obtained from one or more external sources; and

based on said analysis of the consumer purchasing information, sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a recommendation indicating another item offered by the enterprise that the particular customer may want to order via the tote delivery service.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein, in said analyzing, the program instructions are computer-executable to implement determining that the item has been ordered periodically by the particular customer, and wherein said recommendation further indicates to the particular customer that the item can be scheduled for automatic periodic delivery to the particular customer'"'"'s address via the tote delivery service.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a reminder indicating an upcoming tote delivery day.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the reminder further indicates content of a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the reminder further recommends a particular item offered by the enterprise that the customer may want to add to a tote to be delivered on the upcoming tote delivery day.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein information analyzed to determine an item offered by the enterprise that is related to one or more other items that the particular customer has ordered via the tote delivery service further includes order data indicating one or more items that the customer has ordered from the enterprise to be delivered according to one or more other delivery methods offered by the enterprise.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement sending, by the at least one communications channel to the particular customer, a message indicating that the customer can consolidate at least one of the one or more items that the customer has ordered to be delivered according to the one or more other delivery methods into an upcoming tote order to be delivered via the tote delivery service.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more communications channels include two or more of a network site of the enterprise, email, or text messaging.