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US 8,046,262 B1Granted
Coordinating the delivery of two or more packages shipped from different source locations
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsFelix Antony, Philipp K. Janert, Jonathan J. Shakes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A release schedule for an order having a single addressee address is described. The schedule specifies, for each of two or more shipments making up the order, each of the shipments having a different origin location, a release time at which the shipment is to be released from its origin location. The indicated release times are selected on the basis of typical carrier delivery durations from each of the origin locations to the addressee address, in order to cause all of the shipments of the order to be delivered to the addressee address at the same time. The release schedule may be used to schedule the release of the shipments of the order.
Claims35
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable contents for shipping items specified in a single customer order, the customer order further specifying a destination address, wherein when executed on a computer said contents cause the computer to perform:
- identifying a plurality of distribution centers that collectively have adequate inventory in the items specified in the order to satisfy the order;
- initiating packing, at each identified distribution center, a shipment containing a proper subset of the items of the order;
- selecting a carrier to deliver the packed shipments;
- accessing shipper performance information compiled by a party other than a selected carrier providing typical delivery durations for packages delivered by the selected carrier in each of a plurality of delivery scenarios, each delivery scenario specifying at least an origin location and a destination, the plurality of delivery scenarios for which typical delivery durations are provided including delivery scenarios all specifying the destination address specified for the order and each specifying an origin location corresponding to one of the identified distribution centers;
- using the accessed shipper performance information to select a release time for each of the packed shipments, such that the selected release times are expected to cause the selected carrier to deliver all of the packed shipments to the destination address at a common delivery time;
- and
- releasing each of the packed shipments to the selected carrier in accordance with the release time selected for the packed shipment.
4 more elements
A method in a computing system, the method comprising:
- performing, by one or more computers:
- scheduling release of a pair of packages comprising items of a common order, a first package of the pair to be released from a first origin location of a first distribution center, a second package of the pair to be released from a second origin location of a second distribution center that is distinct from the first distribution center, both packages of the pair to be shipped to a common destination distinct from both the first distribution center and the second distribution center, wherein said scheduling comprises:
- receiving information generated by a party other than a selected carrier, wherein the received information indicates delivery durations for packages previously delivered by the selected carrier in each of a plurality of delivery scenarios, wherein the received information corresponding to each delivery scenario specifies at least an origin location from which one or more packages were shipped and a destination to which the one or more packages were shipped, wherein the received information for a first delivery scenario specifies the first origin location and the common destination, wherein the received information for a second delivery scenario specifies the second origin location and the common destination;
- based on the received information for the first and second delivery scenarios, selecting a release time for release of the first package from the first origin location of the first distribution center and a release time for release of the second package from the second origin location of the second distribution center such that the selection of the release times is expected to cause the selected carrier to deliver both packages of the pair to the common destination at a common delivery time;
- and
- constructing a release schedule specifying the release time selected for the first package and the release time selected for the second package.
3 more elements
A computer-readable medium whose contents direct a computing system to;
- schedule release of a pair of packages comprising items of a common order, a first package of the pair to be released from a first origin location of a first distribution center, a second package of the pair to be released from a second origin location of a second distribution center that is distinct from the first distribution center, both packages of the pair to be shipped to a common destination distinct from both the first distribution center and the second distribution center, wherein to schedule the release of the pair of packages, the contents are configured to direct the computing system to:
- for each of one or more carriers:
- receiving information generated by a party other than that carrier, wherein the received information indicates delivery durations for packages delivered by the carrier in each of a plurality of delivery scenarios, wherein the information corresponding to each delivery scenario specifies at least an origin location from which one or more packages were shipped and a destination to which the one or more packages were shipped, wherein the received information for a first delivery scenario specifies the first origin location and the common destination, wherein the received information for a second delivery scenario specifies the second origin location and the common destination;
- based on the received information, selecting for the first package a carrier and a release time for release of the first package from the first origin location, wherein said selecting is additionally based upon a carrier and a release time from the second origin location selected for the second package, wherein said selecting is expected to cause both packages of the pair to be delivered to the common destination at a common delivery time;
- and
- constructing a release schedule specifying the release time selected for the first package.
3 more elements
One or more computer memories collectively storing:
- a carrier performance data structure for a selected carrier generated by a party other than the selected carrier, the data structure comprising a plurality of entries for packages comprising items of a common order, each entry comprising:
- information identifying an origin location;
- information identifying a destination location;
- and
- information indicating a delivery duration for one or more of said packages delivered by the selected carrier from the identified origin location to the identified destination, such that the contents of the data structure are configured to be utilized by a computer system to determine, for a plurality of shipments of said packages sharing a common destination and each having a different origin location at different distribution centers, a release time for each shipment that are collectively expected to cause all of the packages of the plurality to arrive at the common destination at the same time, wherein the common destination is distinct from each of said distribution centers.
2 more elements
One or more computer memories collectively storing a release schedule data structure for an order having a single addressee address, the data structure containing information specifying, for each of a plurality of shipments making up the order, each of the shipments having a different origin location at a different distribution center of a plurality of distribution centers, a release time at which the shipment is to be released from its origin location, the indicated release times being selected on the basis of carrier delivery durations from each of the origin locations to the addressee address to cause all of the shipments of the order to be delivered to the addressee address at the same time, such that the contents of the release schedule data structure are configured to be utilized by a computer system to schedule the release of the shipments of the order according to the selected release times.
A method, comprising:
- performing, by one or more computers:
- controlling transport of a plurality of packages all addressed to a distinguished destination, wherein said plurality of packages are packages of a common order, wherein said controlling comprises:
- for each given distribution center of a plurality of different distribution centers located in distinct locations:
- providing a subset of the plurality of packages each at an origin location of the package at the given distribution center;
- and
- initiating the transport of each package of the subset to arrive at a staging point for the distinguished destination at the same time, such that the plurality of packages are configured to be transported together from the staging point to the distinguished destination.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- performing, by one or more computers:
- controlling transport of a plurality of packages all addressed to a distinguished destination, wherein said plurality of packages are packages of a common order, wherein said controlling comprises:
- initiating, via multiple different distribution centers in distinct locations, the transport of different packages of the plurality of packages at multiple different release times according to a release schedule that is based on past delivery duration information for a plurality of carriers;
- receiving from said multiple different distribution centers all of the packages of the plurality of packages at a single staging point for the distinguished destination at the same time, packages of the plurality having been transported to the staging point by a plurality of carriers;
- and
- initiating the transport of the plurality of packages together from the staging point to the distinguished destination.
3 more elements
A method in a computing system, comprising:
- performing, by one or more computers:
- scheduling release of a pair of packages comprising items of a common order, a first package of the pair to be released from a first origin location of a first distribution center, a second package of the pair to be released from a second origin location of a second distribution center that is distinct from the first distribution center, both packages of the pair bound for a common destination, wherein said scheduling comprises:
- for each of a plurality of carriers, accessing information providing delivery durations for packages previously delivered by the carrier in each of a plurality of delivery scenarios, wherein the accessed information corresponding to each delivery scenario specifies at least an origin location from which one or more packages were shipped and a destination to which the one or more packages were shipped, wherein the received information for a first delivery scenario specifies the first origin location and the common destination, wherein the received information for a second delivery scenario specifies the second origin location and the common destination;
- based on the accessed information, selecting for the first package a carrier and a release time from the first original location and for the second package a carrier other than the carrier selected for the first package and a release time from the second origin location that are collectively expected to cause both packages of the pair to be delivered to the common destination at a common delivery time;
- and
- constructing a release schedule specifying the carrier and release time selected for the first package and the carrier and release time selected for the second package.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.