US 11,232,394 B1Granted

Just-in-time package routing and delivery

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsPhilip Pinette, Brandon C. Adams, Daniel R. Dole, Kathleen Ann Mitchell Gavenman, Alexis N. Miller, Wesley Scott Lauka, Kristin L. Turner, Joseph D. Wolff

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for controlling delivery of an item. An electronic order specifying the item is received. An item profile for the first item is retrieved. A first instance of positional data for the user and a pattern of delivery preferences of the user are determined. Embodiments determine a first location for delivering the package to the user, based on the item profile, the first instance of positional data for the user and the pattern of delivery preferences of the first user. Shipment of the first item towards the first location is initiated, and based on subsequent network communications with an electronic device associated with the user, a second instance of positional data is determined. Delivery of the first item is facilitated to one of the first location corresponding to the first instance of positional data and a second location corresponding to the instance of positional data.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving a first electronic order specifying at least a first item to be delivered to a first user;
retrieving a first item profile for the first item, the first item profile specifying at least one or more physical attributes of the first item and one or more metadata tags describing common uses of the first item;
determining, based on a first plurality of previous electronic orders, a pattern of delivery preferences of the first user;
determining a first location for delivering the first item to the first user, based on the first item profile and the pattern of delivery preferences of the first user;
automatically initiating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a shipment of the first item towards the first location;
determining, based on network communications with one or more electronic devices associated with the first user, an instance of positional data for the first user;
and
after initiating the shipment of the first item towards the first location, facilitating delivery of the first item to a second location corresponding to the instance of positional data, based at least in part on:
evaluating the pattern of delivery preferences, the one or more physical attributes of the first item, the common uses of the first item, and metadata describing the first and second locations with a machine learning model to determine a likelihood that the second location satisfies a condition for delivery of the first item;
and
determining that the likelihood exceeds a threshold level of likelihood.

8 more elements

A system, comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a memory containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of the one or more processors, performs an operation comprising:
receiving an electronic order specifying at least a first item to be delivered;
initiating delivery of the first item towards a first determined location, based at least in part on one or more delivery preferences specified in a user profile;
and
prior to the delivery of the first item, rerouting delivery of the first item to a second determined location, based at least in part on:
evaluating (i) positional data corresponding to one or more electronic devices, (ii) metadata describing the second determined location, (iii) metadata describing physical attributes of the first item, and (iv) metadata describing common uses of the first item with a machine learning model to determine a likelihood that the second determined location satisfies a first predetermined condition for delivery of the first item;
and
determining that the likelihood satisfies a second predetermined condition.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising:

receiving an electronic order specifying at least a first item to be delivered using a dynamic item delivery mechanism;
determining a first location corresponding to one or more electronic devices;
initiating delivery of the first item to the first location, based in part on evaluating (i) metadata describing the first location and (ii) metadata describing physical attributes of the first item, in view of one or more predefined control rules for the dynamic item delivery mechanism;
and
after initiating the delivery of the first item to the first location and prior to the delivery of the first item:
determining a second location corresponding to the one or more electronic devices;
and
rerouting the delivery of the first item to the second location based in part on:
evaluating (i) metadata describing the second location, (ii) the metadata describing physical attributes of the first item, and (iii) metadata describing common uses of the first item, in view of the one or more predefined control rules for the dynamic item delivery mechanism;
and
determining that the metadata describing the second location, the metadata describing common uses of the first item, and the metadata describing the physical attributes of the first item satisfy at least a first predefined control rule of the one or more predefined control rules.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.