Crowdsourced delivery based on a set of requirements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11605044-B2
Application number	US-201715854651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to creating a crowdsourced delivery plan. In some embodiments, a system for creating a crowdsourced delivery plan for a package comprises a certification system configured to receive, from a retailer, an indication of items included in the package, determine, based on the indication of items included in the package, a set of requirements, and transmit, to a plurality of portable devices, information regarding the delivery, each of the plurality of portable devices configured to receive, from the certification system, the information regarding the delivery, transmit, to the certification system, an acceptance of the delivery, wherein only ones of the plurality of portable devices associated with delivery agents meeting the set of requirements is capable of acceptance of the delivery, receive, in response to the transmission of the acceptance, an authorization, and present, at a pickup point, the authorization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for creating a crowdsourced delivery plan for a package, the system comprising:
a database, wherein the database is configured to store requirements for deliveries;
a physical retrieval location at a retailer, the retailer controlling access to the package by delivery agents;
a certification system comprising of one or more processors, the certification system configured to:
receive, from the retailer electronically, an indication of items included in the package;
determine, based on the indication of items included in the package and access to the database, a set of requirements required of delivery agents by the retailer, wherein the set of requirements dictate certifications required of delivery agents to deliver the package, the set of requirements for delivery agents determined, at least in part, by including any requirements corresponding to each of the items in the package; and
transmit, via a communications network to a plurality of mobile devices electronically, information regarding the delivery, wherein the information regarding the delivery includes the physical retrieval location for the items included in the package;
each of the plurality of mobile devices configured to:
receive, via the communications network from the certification system electronically, the information regarding the delivery;
transmit, via the communications network to the certification system electronically, an acceptance of the delivery, wherein only ones of the plurality of mobile devices associated with delivery agents having the required certifications are capable of acceptance of the delivery by referencing a blockchain, wherein the required certifications and the acceptance of the delivery are maintained as data in one or more blocks of the blockchain, wherein each of the one or more blocks contains a cryptographic hash that includes a previous timestamp;
receive, via the communications network electronically in response to the transmission of the acceptance of the delivery, an authorization;
present, at the physical retrieval location, the authorization; and
transmit, via the communications network to the certification system, a current location, wherein the current location is a location of one of the plurality of mobile devices;
wherein the certification system is further configured to:
generate, automatically based on transmission of the acceptance of the delivery, the authorization;
transmit, via the communications network, the authorization to a mobile device corresponding to a delivery agent who will make the delivery;
receive the authorization at the retailer upon presentation of the authorization by the delivery agent who will make the delivery;
determine, based on a comparison of the physical retrieval location at the retailer with the current location of the mobile device of the delivery agent who will make the delivery upon presentation of the authorization, whether the current location is consistent with the physical retrieval location; and
in response to a determination that the current location is consistent with the physical retrieval location, allow the delivery agent who will make the delivery to physically retrieve the items included in the package; and
in response to a determination that the current location is not consistent with the physical retrieval location, prohibit physical retrieval of the items included in the package.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the certification system is further configured to:
determine, from a list of delivery agents based on the set of requirements, the delivery agents meeting the set of requirements, wherein the transmission of the information regarding the delivery is only to the ones of the plurality of mobile devices associated with the delivery agents meeting the set of requirements.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices is further configured to:
determine whether a delivery agent associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices meets the set of requirements; and
if the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices meets the set of requirements, present, via the one of the plurality of mobile devices, the information regarding the delivery; and
if the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices does not meet the set of requirements, not present the information regarding the delivery.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the delivery agent has one or more certifications, and wherein the set of requirements includes specific required certifications.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the certifications include one or more of age, ratings, ability to use one or more of the items, ability to install one or more of the items, criminal history, medical history, type of vehicle used for delivery, length of delivery experience, and education.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the authorization is based on a hash.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the authorization is a code.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices includes an application associated with the certification system.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retailer includes a customer of the retailer.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the certification system is further configured to:
receive, from a delivery agent associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices, a request to deliver the package; and
determine a location of the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein
if the location of the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices is confirmed, transmit, to the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices, a confirmation;
if the location of the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices is not confirmed, transmit, to the delivery agent associated with the one of the plurality of mobile devices, an instruction to refuse delivery.

11. A method, performed by one or more processors, for creating a crowdsourced delivery plan for a package, the method comprising:
storing, in a database, requirements for deliveries;
providing a physical retrieval location at a retailer, the retailer controlling access to the package by delivery agents;
receiving, at a certification system from the retailer electronically, an indication of items included in the package;
determining, based on the indication of items included in the package and access to the database, a set of requirements required of delivery agents by the retailer, wherein the set of requirements dictate certifications required of delivery agents to deliver the package, the set of requirements for delivery agents determined, at least in part, by including any requirements corresponding to each of the items in the package;
transmitting, via a communications network to a plurality of mobile devices electronically, information regarding the delivery, wherein the information regarding the delivery includes the physical retrieval location for the items included in the package;
receiving, via the communications network from the certification system electronically, the information regarding the delivery;
transmitting, via the communications network to the certification system electronically, an acceptance of the delivery, wherein only ones of the plurality of mobile devices associated with delivery agents having the required certifications are capable of acceptance of the delivery by referencing a blockchain, wherein the required certifications and the acceptance of the delivery are maintained as data in o

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Wilkinson Bruce W
• Mattingly Todd D
• O'Brien John J

Classifications

• G06Q10/40 Primary

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L9/3236

  using cryptographic hash functions · CPC title

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• H04L9/3297

  involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps · CPC title