Systems and methods for ranking potential attended delivery/pickup locations
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorChristopher Schenken
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer system for ranking potential attended delivery/pickup locations is disclosed. In various embodiments, a user or computer system identifies an area in which to establish at least one attended delivery/pickup location. In a particular embodiment, the system receives data associated with potential attended delivery/pickup locations (e.g., attended delivery/pickup location candidates), including the specific characteristics of those candidates. The system then, based at least in part on the characteristics of each of the attended delivery/pickup location candidates, ranks the attended delivery/pickup location candidates and displays the rankings to a user for use in selecting the most suitable candidate for the area.
Claims21
A computer-implemented method for establishing new attended delivery/pickup locations in a logistics network, the method comprising:
- receiving data comprising one or more characteristics of a plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates;
- ranking each of the plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates based on a comparison of the one or more characteristics;
- selecting a new attended delivery/pickup location to establish in the logistics network based at least in part on the ranking;
- determining a capacity of the new attended delivery/pickup location to store one or more parcels;
- determining that the capacity is adequate at the new attended delivery/pickup location to store the one or more parcels;
- reserving space at the new attended delivery/pickup location to store the one or more parcels;
- generating a shipping label for the one or more parcels;
- and
- directing delivery of the one or more parcels to the new attended delivery/pickup location using the shipping label.
A computer-implemented method for managing capacity in a logistics network, the method comprising:
- ranking a plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates based on a comparison of one or more characteristics associated with the plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates;
- selecting a new attended delivery/pickup location to add to the logistics network from the plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates based at least in part on the ranking;
- automatically determining a capacity of the new attended delivery/pickup location to store one or more parcels, wherein the capacity is determined based at least on dimensions of the one or more parcels and available space at the new attended delivery/pickup location;
- determining that the capacity is adequate to store the one or more parcels at the new attended delivery/pickup location;
- automatically reserving space to store the one or more parcels at the new attended delivery/pickup location;
- generating a shipping label for the one or more parcels;
- and
- facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels to the new attended delivery/pickup location using the shipping label.
A computer system, comprising:
- a logistics server, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least one computer-storage media storing computer-useable instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
- ranking each of a plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates based on a comparison of one or more characteristics of the plurality of attended delivery/pickup location candidates;
- selecting a new attended delivery/pickup location based at least in part on the ranking;
- determining a capacity of the new attended delivery/pickup location to store one or more parcels;
- determining that the capacity is adequate to store the one or more parcels;
- reserving space to store the one or more parcels at the new attended delivery/pickup location;
- generating a shipping label for the one or more parcels for directing delivery of the one or more parcels to the new attended/delivery pickup location using a common carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.