Apparatus for and method of creating delivery route maps

• US 5,197,009 A
• Filed: 06/12/1992
• Issued: 03/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MID America Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MID America Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Covington, Robert D., Hoffman, Donald J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/898,177
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

Apparatus for employing a computer program through a console having a touch screen operated CRT and related memory to produce a route map with customer address, delivery route instructions and directions on an area map which relates the location of the store from which a customer'"'"'s order is made up for delivery to that customer. The make up of the apparatus includes an audio system for voice input and output to the motherhood of the CPU, and a modem which allows the computer to communicate to the outside world for purposes of updating the software and map data from a remote data base source.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a store operator to be able to produce a route map printout for use by a delivery person hired by the store operator to make a delivery to a customer remote from the store but residing in the area serviced by the store, the delivery being in response to an order called in by said remote customer to the store offering delivery service to said customer residing at an address in the service area of said store, said apparatus comprising:

a) central processing unit means for electronically storing in a memory a store service area map which includes address locations of all potential customers residing within the service area related to said store;

b) a console having a cathod ray tube presenting a visible screen on which are presented divisions denoting numeric, alphabetic, street name address, and a division for street and numeric address display, and said console including touch screen means on said cathod ray tube visible screen in position readily operable by said store operator, in response to a remote customer calling in to request delivery service on an order, for selecting by touching said visible screen address information corresponding to a portion of the service area map which includes the address location of said given customer given to the store operator by the given customer calling in an order;

c) video graphic array means connected to said central processing unit and said cathod ray tube for energizing from said visible screen the street and number address operated by said store operator for depicting on the said selected portion of the said service area map the actual address marking and a complete delivery route to follow from said store to the said given customer'"'"'s address location; and

d) means for producing a printout of the said selected portion of the service area map and said marking thereon depicting the actual marking of the delivery route for visual guidance of the delivery person for making a delivery to said given remote customer'"'"'s address location, said printout of said selected portion of the service area map being made available to said delivery person for guidance to complete delivery to said remote customer.