Enhanced location information for points of interest

• US 8,725,407 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• 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: Hurley, Shawn Patrick, Snyder, Stephen Myron, Trevillian, Robert Edward IV, Fry, Terry Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US12/878,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 701/204
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for identifying a serviceable address that is associated with a street network connection point and a parcel drop-off point. For example, in one embodiment, the serviceable address may be associated with a street network connection point that is part of a digital map. The serviceable address may also be associated with a parcel drop-off point that includes parcel drop-off point information, such as a parcel drop-off point geo coordinate associated with the parcel drop-off point and street network connection point geo coordinate associated with the street network connection point.

Claims

1. A system comprising one or more memory storage areas and one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to:

identify a serviceable address associated with a street network connection point and a parcel drop-off point;

identify street network connection point information for the street network connection point, wherein the street network connection point information is part of a digital map; and

identify parcel drop-off point information for the parcel drop-off point corresponding to a location in which to deliver one or more parcels based in part on traveling from a street of a street network, represented within the digital map, to the parcel drop-off point, wherein (a) the parcel drop-off point information comprises a parcel drop-off point geo coordinate associated with the parcel drop-off point and (b) the street network connection point information comprises a street network connection point geo coordinate associated with the street network connection point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a first distance from an origin point to the street network connection point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate;

determine a second distance from the street network connection point to the parcel drop-off point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate and the parcel drop-off point geo coordinate; and

determine a total distance from the origin point to the parcel drop-off point, wherein the total distance is based at least in part on the first distance and second distance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the parcel drop-off point information further comprises (a) a travel time between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point or (b) a travel speed between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine an estimated delivery time based at least in part on the total distance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the parcel drop-off point information is collected while at least one of (a) a delivery vehicle or (b) a delivery vehicle driver is operating proximate the parcel drop-off point.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein (a) the street network connection point is represented within a street network of the digital map and (b) the parcel drop-off point is represented outside the street network of the digital map.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein both the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point are represented within a street network of the digital map.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the (a) parcel drop-off point geo coordinate comprises a parcel drop-off point geocode and (b) street network connection point geo coordinate comprises a street network connection point geocode.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the location of the parcel drop-off point is not located within the street network, which comprises indications of one or more streets, of the digital map.

9. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to identify a serviceable address associated with both a street network connection point and a parcel drop-off point;

an executable portion configured to identify street network connection point information for the street network connection point, wherein the street network connection point information is part of a digital map; and

an executable portion configured to identify parcel drop-off point information for the parcel drop-off point corresponding to a location in which to deliver one or more parcels based in part on traveling from a street of a street network, represented within the digital map, to the parcel drop-off point, wherein (a) the parcel drop-off point information comprises a parcel drop-off point geo coordinate associated with the parcel drop-off point and (b) the street network connection point information comprises a street network connection point geo coordinate associated with the street network connection point.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to determine a first distance from an origin point to the street network connection point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate;

an executable portion configured to determine a second distance from the street network connection point to the parcel drop-off point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate and the parcel drop-off point geo coordinate; and

an executable portion configured to determine a total distance from the origin point to the parcel drop-off point, wherein the total distance is based at least in part on the first distance and second distance.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the parcel drop-off point information further comprises (a) a travel time between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point or (b) a travel speed between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising an executable portion configured to determine an estimated delivery time based at least in part on the total distance.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the parcel drop-off point information is collected while at least one of (a) a delivery vehicle or (b) a delivery vehicle driver is operating proximate the parcel drop-off point.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein (a) the street network connection point is represented within a street network of the digital map and (b) the parcel drop-off point is represented outside the street network of the digital map.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein both the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point are represented within a street network of the digital map.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the (a) parcel drop-off point geo coordinate comprises a parcel drop-off point geocode and (b) street network connection point geo coordinate comprises a street network connection point geocode.

26. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the location of the parcel drop-off point is not located within the street network, which comprises indications of one or more streets, of the digital map.

17. A method comprising:

identifying, via one or more processors, a serviceable address associated with a street network connection point and a parcel drop-off point;

identifying, via the one or more processors, street network connection point information for the street network connection point, wherein the street network connection point information is part of a digital map; and

identifying, via the one or more processors, parcel drop-off point information for the parcel drop-off point corresponding to a location in which to deliver one or more parcels based in part on traveling from a street of a street network, represented within the digital map, to the parcel drop-off point, wherein (a) the parcel drop-off point information comprises a parcel drop-off point geo coordinate associated with the parcel drop-off point and (b) the street network connection point information comprises a street network connection point geo coordinate associated with the street network connection point.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining, via the one or more processors, a first distance from an origin point to the street network connection point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate;

determining, via the one or more processors, a second distance from the street network connection point to the parcel drop-off point based at least in part on the street network connection point geo coordinate and the parcel drop-off point geo coordinate; and

determining, via the one or more processors, a total distance from the origin point to the parcel drop-off point, wherein the total distance is based at least in part on the first distance and second distance.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the parcel drop-off point information further comprises (a) a travel time between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point or (b) a travel speed between the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine an estimated delivery time based at least in part on the total distance.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the parcel drop-off point information is collected while at least one of (a) a delivery vehicle or (b) a delivery vehicle driver is operating proximate the parcel drop-off point.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein (a) the street network connection point is represented within a street network of the digital map and (b) the parcel drop-off point is represented outside the street network of the digital map.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein both the street network connection point and the parcel drop-off point are represented within a street network of the digital map.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the (a) parcel drop-off point geo coordinate comprises a parcel drop-off point geocode and (b) street network connection point geo coordinate comprises a street network connection point geocode.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the location of the parcel drop-off point is not located within the street network, which comprises indications of one or more streets, of the digital map.