Determining routing points and delivery points

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743239-B1
Application number	US-201514871080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Preferred points or regions in space for performing a task at a location, e.g., the delivery of an item to the location, may be defined based on sensed positions obtained during the prior performance of tasks at the location. The sensed positions may be identified using a GPS sensor or like system. Vectors including coordinates of the sensed position, and uncertainties of such coordinates, may be clustered into groups at the location. Subsequently identified vectors including coordinates and uncertainties may further refine a cluster, or be used to generate a new cluster. A preferred point or region in space may be identified based on such location hypotheses and utilized in the performance of tasks. Some preferred points or regions may be used for routing vehicles to the location, while others may correspond to delivery points for items at the location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying a first sensed position associated with a first delivery of a first item to a location using at least one computer processor;
determining a first level of uncertainty associated with the first sensed position;
defining a first vector based at least in part on the first sensed position and the first level of uncertainty using the at least one computer processor;
determining a first geolocation associated with the location;
establishing a first preferred area for the location based at least in part on the first vector and the first geolocation using the at least one computer processor;
storing information regarding the first preferred area in association with the location in at least one data store, wherein the information regarding the first preferred area comprises a first probability distribution function for the first preferred area;
receiving a request for a second delivery of a second item to the location;
determining information regarding at least one of the second delivery, the second item or the location;
identifying the first preferred area based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one of the second delivery, the second item or the location using the at least one computer processor; and
transmitting information comprising a first instruction to proceed to the first preferred area to a computer device over a network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the computer device over the network, a second sensed position associated with the request for the second delivery of the second item to the location;
determining a second level of uncertainty associated with the second sensed position;
defining a second vector based at least in part on the second sensed position and the second level of uncertainty using the at least one computer processor;
determining whether the second vector corresponds to the first preferred area for the location using the at least one computer processor;
upon determining that the second vector corresponds to the first preferred area,
modifying the first probability distribution function of the first preferred area based at least in part on the second vector; and
updating the information regarding the first preferred area in association with the location in the at least one data store,
wherein the updated information regarding the first preferred area comprises the modified first probability distribution function.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first probability distribution function for the first preferred area comprises a mean location for the first preferred area, at least one measure of uncertainty of the mean location, and an angle of orientation of the first preferred area, and
wherein modifying the first probability distribution function of the first preferred area based at least in part on the second vector further comprises:
generating a covariance matrix for the second vector using the at least one computer processor;
generating a covariance matrix for the first probability distribution function for the first preferred area using the at least one computer processor;
determining a first product of the covariance matrix for the second vector and the covariance matrix for the first probability distribution function;
modifying at least one of the mean location for the first preferred area, the at least one measure of uncertainty or the angle of orientation based at least in part on the first product.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first preferred area is one of a plurality of preferred areas for the location,
wherein generating a covariance matrix for the first probability distribution function for the first preferred area further comprises:
generating a plurality of covariance matrices, wherein each of the plurality of covariance matrices is generated for a respective one of a plurality of probability distribution functions for one of the plurality of preferred areas, and wherein the first probability distribution function is one of the plurality of probability distribution functions,

wherein determining the first product of the covariance matrix for the second vector and the covariance matrix for the first probability distribution function further comprises:
determining products of the covariance matrix for the second vector and each of the plurality of covariance matrices, wherein the first product is one of the products, and

wherein the method further comprises:
identifying one of the products of the covariance matrix corresponding to a reduction in a measure of uncertainty of a mean location of one of the plurality of preferred areas,
wherein the first preferred area is the one of the plurality of preferred areas.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
upon determining that the second vector does not correspond to the first preferred area,
establishing a second preferred area for the location based at least in part on the second vector and the first geolocation using the at least one computer processor; and
storing information regarding the second preferred area in association with the location in at least one data store,
wherein the information regarding the second preferred area comprises a second probability distribution function for the second preferred area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the at least one of the second delivery, the second item or the location comprises at least one of:
an attribute of a person, a vehicle or a machine associated with the second delivery;
a size of the second item;
a shape of the second item;
a mass of the second item;
a volume of the second item;
a date or a time of the second delivery;
an actual or predicted weather condition at the location at the date or the time of the second delivery;
an actual or predicted traffic condition at the location at the date or the time of the second delivery; or
a legal constraint in effect at the location at the date or the time of the second delivery.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying at least one surface feature associated with the first preferred area; and
determining that the first preferred area comprises a delivery point for the second delivery based at least in part on the at least one surface feature; and
wherein the information comprising the first instruction further comprises a second instruction to deposit the second item at the delivery point, and
wherein the at least one surface feature comprises at least one of a portion of a structure; a stair; a ramp; a curb; a hill; a road; a driveway; a walkway; a sloped surface; or a substantially flat surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying at least one surface feature associated with the first preferred area; and
determining that the first preferred area comprises a routing point for the second delivery based at least in part on the at least one surface feature; and
wherein the information comprising the first instruction further comprises a second instruction to proceed to the routing point in a vehicle with the second item, and
wherein the at least one surface feature comprises at least one of a portion of a structure; a stair; a ramp; a curb; a hill; a road; a driveway; a walkway; a sloped surface; or a substantially flat surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an origin of the second item using the at least one computer processor; and
determining an optimal path from the origin to the first preferred area using the at least one computer processor,
wherein the first instruction to proceed to the first preferred area identifies at least a portion of

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mishra Pragyana K

Classifications

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• G06Q10/0841

  Compliance with shipping requirements · CPC title