Systems and methods for facilitating delivery of products ordered over the internet to customers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11100462-B2
Application number	US-202016990361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided for facilitating delivery of products purchased over the internet by the customers to the customers from a selected product stocking facility of the retailer. The products can be delivered to the customer from the selected product stocking facility of the retailer via a worker of the product stocking facility or an unmanned delivery vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating delivery to customers of products purchased by the customers of a retailer via internet-based orders, the system comprising:
an order processing server configured to process an internet-based order for at least one product placed by a customer of the retailer, the order processing server being configured to permit a customer computing device to access the order processing server via a graphical interface generated on the customer computing device in response to a signal sent to the customer computing device by the order processing server, the graphical interface generated on the customer computing device including at least one input field configured to permit the customer to place the order for the at least one product and to elect to have the at least one product ordered by the customer be delivered to the customer, and select a specific retail store from which the at least one product ordered by the customer is to be delivered to the customer, wherein, when the customer selects within the graphical interface the specific retail store from which the at least one product ordered by the customer is to be delivered to the customer, the graphical interface is configured to generate a graphical element indicating a delivery surcharge payable by the customer to the retailer for being permitted to select the specific retail store from which the at least one product ordered by the customer is to be delivered to the customer;
an electronic database storing inventory management data including:
data indicating geographic locations of a plurality of retail stores where the at least one product is stocked;
data indicating on-hand inventory at the retail stores where the at least one product is stocked;
data indicating a time frame within which the at least one product is to be delivered to the customer;
data indicating geographic locations of delivery vehicles, direction of travel of the delivery vehicles, speed of travel of the delivery vehicles, objects around the delivery vehicles, and pending tasks of the delivery vehicles, the delivery vehicles being available to deliver the at least one product to the customer from the retail stores where the at least one product is stocked,
wherein the delivery vehicles each include at least one sensor configured to:
indicate a geographic location of the delivery vehicles, indicate a direction of travel of the delivery vehicles, indicate a speed of travel of the delivery vehicles, and detect at least one object around the delivery vehicles; and
transmit electronic data indicating the geographic location of the delivery vehicles, the direction of travel of the delivery vehicles, the speed of travel of the delivery vehicles, and the at least one object detected around the delivery vehicles to the electronic database for storage; and

a computing device in communication with the order processing server and the electronic database, the computing device including a processor-based control circuit, wherein, in response to receipt of a signal from the order processing server indicating that the customer placed an order for the at least one product and elected to have the at least one product ordered by the customer be delivered to the customer, the computing device is configured to:
obtain the inventory management data from the electronic database; and
based on the obtained inventory management data to:
generate a list of the delivery vehicles that are capable of delivering the at least one product to the customer;
determine a delivery risk associated with delivering the at least one product to the customer via each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list;
determine a cost of delivering the at least one product to the customer via each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list;
based on the determined delivery risk associated with delivering the at least one product to the customer via each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list and based on the determined cost of delivering the at least one product to the customer via each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list:
generate a combined cost-of-delivery and delivery-risk factor score for each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list; and
generate a ranking of the combined cost-of-delivery and delivery-risk factor score for each of the delivery vehicles on the generated list;
select, from the ranking of the combined cost-of-delivery and delivery-risk factor score for each of the delivery vehicles, a delivery vehicle associated with a ranking corresponding to the lowest combined cost-of-delivery and delivery-risk factor score as the delivery vehicle to deliver the at least one product to the customer; and
generate by the computing device and transmit from the computing device an electronic notification including:
 an instruction to use the selected delivery vehicle to deliver the at least one product to the customer; and
 an indication of a delivery address of the customer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured to analyze at least one of the following additional factors based on the obtained inventory management data in order to select the delivery vehicle to deliver the at least one product:
pending internet-based product orders being processed by the retailer; and
delivery restrictions associated with the customer who purchased the at least one product from the retailer via the internet-based order.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic notification further indicates a time frame within which the at least one product is to be delivered to the customer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic database further includes:
data indicating geographic locations of a plurality of product stocking facilities where the at least one product is stocked; and
data indicating on-hand inventory at the product stocking facilities where the at least one product is stocked.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the product stocking facilities include at least one of: a distribution center of the retailer, a fulfillment center of the retailer, and a mobile storage station of the retailer.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the electronic database further comprises customer demand forecast data associated with products stocked at the product stocking facilities.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic database further comprises customer demand forecast data associated with products stocked at the retail stores.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computing device is configured to:
obtain the customer demand forecast data from the electronic database; and
allocate the products between the retail stores based on the customer demand forecast data obtained from the electronic database.

9. A method for facilitating delivery to customers of products purchased by the customers of a retailer via internet-based orders, the method comprising:
providing an order processing server configured to process an internet-based order for at least one product placed by a customer of the retailer;
permitting a customer computing device to access the order processing server by sending a signal from the order processing server to the customer computing device, the signal configured to generate a graphical interface on the customer computing device, the graphical interface generated on the customer computing device including at least one input field configured to permit the customer to place the order for the at least one product, elect to have the at least one product ordered by the customer be delivered to the customer, and select a specific retail store from which the at least one product ordered by the customer

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Cantrell Robert L
• Atchley Michael D
• Mattingly Todd D

Classifications

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0202

  Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/0832

  Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods · CPC title