# US 2019/0318308 A1 · Method and apparatus to improve computer and database systems for location, operation, call, update, and supply

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- Number: US 2019/0318308 A1
- Document ID: US20190318308A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/464,965
- Filed: 2017-11-29
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-29
- Assignees: Gulf Oil Marine Limited
- Applicants: Gulf Oil Marine Limited
- Inventors: Kwan Yin Philip CHAN; Cheuk Fai SZETO; Safiul Karim GAZI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190318308A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
- G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202)
- G06Q 10/0872: {using inventory planning}
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0206: {Price or cost determination based on market factors}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method of improving computer and database systems for location, operation, call, update, and supply of product, in particular industrial lubricant products, to vessels at ports located across the world, comprising: first generating, by a processor, a first ranking of a plurality of ports based on locational data of the vessel and net delivery costs of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports; then generating, by the processor, a second ranking of the plurality of ports based on lubricant-supplying facilities present at the plurality of ports and market clearing prices of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports; then selecting one of the plurality of the ports based on the first ranking and the second ranking; also, supplying the lubricant product to the vessel at the selected port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of optimizing a supply of a lubricant product to a vessel, comprising:
generating, by a processor, a first ranking of a plurality of ports based on locational data of the vessel and net delivery costs of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports;
generating, by the processor, a second ranking of the plurality of ports based on lubricant-supplying facilities present at the plurality of ports and market clearing prices of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports; and
selecting one of the plurality of the ports based on the first ranking and the second ranking; and
supplying the lubricant product to the vessel at the selected port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, the plurality of ports from the locational data of the vessel over a predetermined period of time, wherein the plurality of ports are ports visited by the vessel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, a list of products used by the vessel from a product database over a predetermined period of time;
calculating, by the processor, a product ratio based on the list of products; and
selecting, by the processor, from the list of products, a product corresponding to the highest ratio in the product ratio as the lubricant product.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, the locational data of the vessel from an Automatic Identification System database and the net delivery costs from a cost database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the plurality of ports:
accumulating, by the processor, from the locational data over a predetermined period of time, a number of hours spent by the vessel at the corresponding port; and
counting, by the processor, from the locational data over the predetermined period of time, a number of calls made by the vessel at the corresponding port.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the generating the first ranking comprises, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a first normalized score based on the number of calls;
computing, by the processor, a second normalized score based on the number of hours;
computing, by the processor, a third normalized score based on the net delivery cost of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
generating, by the processor, a supply score by weighing the first normalized score by a first factor, the second normalized score by a second factor, and the third normalized score by a third factor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second, and third factors are 30%, 10%, and 60%, respectively.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving, for each of the plurality of ports, a list of lubricant-supplying facilities from a facility database.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the generating the second ranking comprises, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a fourth normalized score based on the list of lubricant-supplying facilities;
computing, by the processor, a fifth normalized score based on the market clearing price of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
generating, by the processor, a customer score by weighing the fourth normalized score by a fourth factor, and the fifth normalized score by a fifth factor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fourth factor is 40% and the fifth factor is 60%.

### Claim 11

An electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
generating a first ranking of a plurality of ports based on locational data of the vessel and net delivery costs of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports;
generating a second ranking of the plurality of ports based on lubricant-supplying facilities present at the plurality of ports and market clearing prices of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports; and
selecting one of the plurality of the ports based on the first ranking and the second ranking; and
presenting the selected port as the port where the lubricant product is to be supplied to the vessel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electronic device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:
retrieving the plurality of ports from the locational data of the vessel over a predetermined period of time, wherein the plurality of ports are ports visited by the vessel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The electronic device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:
retrieving a list of products used by the vessel from a product database over a predetermined period of time;
calculating a product ratio based on the list of products; and
selecting from the list of products, a product corresponding to the highest ratio in the product ratio as the lubricant product.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The electronic device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, the locational data of the vessel from an Automatic Identification System database and the net delivery costs from a cost database.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The electronic device of claim 11, the operations further comprising, for each of the plurality of ports:
accumulating from the locational data over a predetermined period of time, a number of hours spent by the vessel at the corresponding port; and
counting from the locational data over the predetermined period of time, a number of calls made by the vessel at the corresponding port.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the operation of generating the first ranking comprise, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing a first normalized score based on the number of calls;
computing a second normalized score based on the number of hours;
computing a third normalized score based on the net delivery cost of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
generating a supply score by weighing the first normalized score by a first factor, the second normalized score by a second factor, and the third normalized score by a third factor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first, second, and third factors are 30%, 10%, and 60%, respectively.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The electronic device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:
retrieving, for each of the plurality of ports, a list of lubricant-supplying facilities from a facility database.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the operation of generating the second ranking comprise, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a fourth normalized score based on the list of lubricant-supplying facilities;
computing, by the processor, a fifth normalized score based on the market clearing price of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
generating, by the processor, a customer score by weighing the fourth normalized score by a fourth factor, and the fifth normalized score by a fifth factor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the fourth factor is 40% and the fifth factor is 60%.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The electronic device of claim 19, wherein allocation of inventory among a set number of ranked port locations is based on a price delta of a cost per liter of lubricant among the set number of ranked port locations.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the set number is four and if the price delta is greater than 10 cents per liter, inventor is allocated 50%, 30%, 10%, and 10% to the four ranked port locations based on the rankings.

### Claim 23

A method of optimizing a supply of a lubricant product to a vessel, comprising:
generating, by a processor, a first ranking of a plurality of ports based on locational data of the vessel;
generating, by the processor, a second ranking of the plurality of ports based on the locational data of the vessel and net delivery costs of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports;
generating, by the processor, a third ranking of the plurality of ports based on the locational data of the vessel and prices of the lubricant product at the plurality of ports; and
selecting one of the plurality of the ports based on the first, second, and third rankings; and
supplying the lubricant product to the vessel at the selected port.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, the plurality of ports from the locational data of the vessel over a predetermined period of time, wherein the plurality of ports are ports visited by the vessel.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, a list of products used by the vessel from a product database over a predetermined period of time;
calculating, by the processor, a product ratio based on the list of products; and
selecting, by the processor, from the list of products, a product corresponding to the highest ratio in the product ratio as the lubricant product.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
retrieving, by the processor, the locational data of the vessel from an Automatic Identification System database and the net delivery costs from a cost database.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising, for each of the plurality of ports:
accumulating, by the processor, from the locational data over a predetermined period of time, a number of hours spent by the vessel at the corresponding port; and
counting, by the processor, from the locational data over the predetermined period of time, a number of calls made by the vessel at the corresponding port.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the generating the first ranking comprises, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a first normalized score based on the number of calls; and
computing, by the processor, a second normalized score based on the number of hours; and
weighing, by the processor, the first normalized score by a first factor and the second normalized score by a second.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the generating the second ranking comprises, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a third normalized score based on the net delivery cost of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
weighing, by the processor, the first normalized score by a third factor, the second normalized score by a fourth factor, and the third normalized score by a fifth factor.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the generating the third ranking comprises, for each of the plurality of ports:
computing, by the processor, a fourth normalized score based on the price of the lubricant product at the corresponding port; and
weighing, by the processor, the first normalized score by a sixth factor, the second normalized score by a seventh factor, and the fourth normalized score by an eighth factor.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
generating, by the processor, a fourth ranking of the plurality of ports based on lubricant-supplying facilities present at the plurality of ports; and
informing the selecting one of the plurality of the ports with the fourth ranking.