ETA-based item pick-up and fulfillment alternatives

• US 10,769,712 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Alexander, Hapgood, Ryan David, Kolathur, Satheesh Narayanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US16/036,586
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A customer may place an order for items to be picked up at a merchant location. Upon receiving an indication that the customer is initiating travel to the merchant location to pick up the items, multiple ETA data points for the customer may be determined while the customer is in transit to the merchant location. Based on the ETA data, it may be determined that the customer is likely to arrive after the merchant location closes, which may prevent the customer from being able to pick up the items from the merchant location. Alternative fulfillment options may be presented to the customer to enable the customer to obtain the items. The alternative fulfillment options may include picking up the items at an alternative merchant location, scheduling a delivery of the items, picking up the items from the merchant location at a subsequent time, or facilitating a cancelation of the order.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more computer-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a mobile application that resides on a device of a customer and that is associated with a service provider, an order for one or more food items, the order identifying a physical store location at which the customer is to pick up the one or more food items;

receiving, via the mobile application, a selection of a selectable element that indicates that the customer is initiating travel to the physical store location to pick up the one or more food items;

receiving, from the device and while the customer is in transit to the physical store location, multiple estimated time of arrival (ETA) data points, each of the multiple ETA data points indicating an estimated time that customer is predicted to arrive at the physical store location, and each of the multiple ETA data points corresponding to a current location of the device at a different time;

maintaining data indicating hours of pick-up of the physical store location, the hours of pick-up indicating times in which the physical store location is open for customers to pick up food items;

determining, based on the multiple ETA data points and the hours of operation, that an ETA of the customer is after the hours of pick-up of the physical store location;

sending, to the mobile application, a notification indicating that the ETA is after the hours of pick-up and alternative fulfillment options with respect to the order, the alternative fulfillment options including a first option to pick up the one or more food items at an alternative physical store location, a second option to schedule a delivery of the one or more food items to a delivery location associated with the customer, a third option for the customer to pick up the one or more food items from the physical store location at a subsequent time, and a fourth option to cancel the order; and

receiving, from the mobile application, a second selection of one of the alternative fulfillment options.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an additional amount of time after the hour of pick-up; and

determining, based on the ETA, that the customer is likely to arrive at the physical store location after the hour of pick-up plus the additional amount of time.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining customer data associated with the customer, the customer data indicating previous instances in which the customer traveled to pick up food items from one or more physical store locations and one or more routes taken by the customer when traveling to the one or more physical store locations; and

calculating a customer-based ETA with respect to an arrival of the customer at the physical store location based on the ETA and the customer data.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining store data associated with the physical store location, the store data indicating routes taken by customers from different locations to a geographic location of the physical store location; and

calculating a store-based ETA with respect to an arrival of the customer at the physical store location based on the ETA and the store data.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the multiple ETA data points include a first ETA data point based on a first location of the customer at a first time, a second ETA data point based on a second location of the customer at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, and a third ETA data point based on a third location of the customer at a third time that is subsequent to the second time;

determining that a difference in time between the second ETA data point and at least one of the first ETA data point or the third ETA data point is equal to or greater than a threshold amount of time; and

disregarding the second ETA data point when determining the ETA.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, from a device, an indication that a customer is initiating travel to a physical location to pick up one or more items;

determining, once the indication has been received, at least one estimated time of arrival (ETA) data point, the at least one ETA data point indicating a time in which the customer is predicted to arrive at the physical location;

determining that the time is subsequent to a predetermined time after which pick-up of items is not allowed at the physical location; and

sending, to the device and based at least in part on the time being subsequent to the predetermined time, a notification identifying one or more alternative fulfillment options with respect to the one or more items, the one or more alternative fulfillment options including at least one of a first option to pick up the one or more items at an alternative physical location, a second option to schedule a delivery of the one or more items, a third option for the customer to pick up the one or more items from the physical location at a subsequent time, or a fourth option to cancel an order for the one or more items.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the at least one ETA data point includes a first ETA data point based at least in part on a first location of the customer at a first time, a second ETA data point based at least in part on a second location of the customer at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, and a third ETA data point based at least in part on a third location of the customer at a third time that is subsequent to the second time;

determining that a difference in time between the second ETA data point and at least one of the first ETA data point or the third ETA data point is equal to or greater than a threshold amount of time; and

disregarding the second ETA data point when determining the ETA.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining customer data associated with the customer, the customer data indicating previous instances in which the customer traveled to pick up items from one or more physical locations and one or more routes taken by the customer when traveling to the one or more physical locations; and

calculating a customer-based ETA with respect to an arrival of the customer at the physical location based at least in part on the customer data and an ETA generated from the at least one ETA data point.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining store data associated with the physical location, the store data indicating routes taken by customers from different locations to the physical location; and

calculating a store-based ETA with respect to an arrival of the customer at the physical location based at least in part on the store data and an ETA generated from the at least one ETA data point.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the customer via the device, a selection of one of the one or more alternative fulfillment options; and

sending, based at least in part on the selection and to a device associated with the physical location, an instruction to package the one or more items for delivery or to restage the one or more items at the physical location.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein determining the at least one ETA data point comprises:

receiving, from the device, location data that indicates a current location of the device at different times; and

calculating the at least one ETA data point based at least in part on the location data, the physical location, and a route taken by the customer to the physical location.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising determining the first option by:

identifying one or more alternative physical locations that offer item pick-up services for customers and that are within a threshold distance from the physical location or a location associated with the customer;

determining that a second ETA associated with the customer is prior to a second predetermined time after which pick-up of items is not allowed at the alternative physical location;

determining, based at least in part on an inventory of items at the alternative physical location, that at least one item of the one or more items is currently available for pick-up at the alternative physical location;

receiving, from the device, a selection to pick up the at least one item from the alternative physical location; and

sending, to a device associated with the alternative physical location, an instruction to assemble the at least one item for pick-up by the customer.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising determining the second option by:

determining that the one or more items are eligible for delivery to the customer;

receiving, from the device, a selection to cause the one or more items to be delivered to a delivery location associated with the customer; and

sending, to a device associated with the physical location, an instruction to package the one or more items for delivery.

14. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising determining the third option by:

determining a subsequent availability of the physical location with respect to pick-up of the one or more items;

receiving, from the device, a selection to pick up the one or more items at the physical location at a subsequent time or during a subsequent time period; and

sending, to a device associated with the physical location, an instruction relating to the pick-up of the one or more items at the subsequent time or during the subsequent time period.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more computer-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, based at least in part on an indication that a customer is initiating travel to a physical location to pick up one or more items, at least one estimated time of arrival (ETA) data point, the at least one ETA data point indicating a time in which the customer is predicted to arrive at the physical location;

determining, based at least in part on data indicating an hours of pick-up of the physical location, a predetermined time after which pick-up of items is not allowed at the physical location;

determining that the time is after the predetermined time; and

sending, to the a device associated with the customer and based at least in part on the time being after the predetermined time, a notification identifying one or more alternative fulfillment options with respect to the one or more items, the one or more alternative fulfillment options including at least one of a first option to pick up the one or more items at an alternative physical location, a second option to schedule a delivery of the one or more items, a third option for the customer to pick up the one or more items from the physical location at a subsequent time, or a fourth option to cancel an order for the one or more items.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one ETA data point includes a first ETA data point based at least in part on a first location of the customer at a first time, a second ETA data point based at least in part on a second location of the customer at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, and a third ETA data point based at least in part on a third location of the customer at a third time that is subsequent to the second time.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, prior to the customer placing an order for the one or more items, a selection of a second physical location to pick up the one or more items;

determining an ETA of the customer with respect to the second physical location;

determining, second data indicating a second hours of pick-up of the second physical location, that the ETA is prior to a second predetermined time after which pick-up of items is not allowed at the second physical location; and

sending, to the device, a second notification indicating that the ETA is prior to the second predetermined time.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the device, an indication that the customer is initiating travel to the physical location to pick up the one or more items; and

receiving, in response to the indication, the at least one ETA data point.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a number of the at least one ETA data point meets or exceeds a threshold number; and

determining, based at least in part on the at least one ETA data point meeting or exceeding the threshold number, that the time is after the predetermined time.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the at least one ETA data point corresponds to an arrival time at which the customer is estimated to arrive at the physical location;

determining that the arrival time meets or exceeds a threshold amount of time after the closing time; and

determining, based at least in part on the arrival time meeting or exceeding the threshold amount of time after the closing time, that the time is after the predetermined time.