Energy-efficient delivery of shipments

Abstract

Method performed by a device or system, the method comprising: - Receiving and / or holding (101) historical delivery information, wherein the historical delivery information is associated with several deliveries of consignments carried out by one or more vehicles, wherein the historical delivery information represents, for each of the deliveries of consignments associated with the delivery information, at least details of a delivery route, an energy requirement and a vehicle configuration, and wherein, if it is a modular vehicle, the vehicle configuration represents and / or specifies one or more modules with which the vehicle was equipped when delivering consignments, - Receiving (102) consignment delivery information for several consignments to be delivered, wherein the consignment delivery information represents, at least for each of the consignments, a delivery position for the delivery of the respective consignment, - Determining (103) a delivery route for delivering the shipments and a vehicle configuration for a vehicle to deliver the shipments along the specified delivery route at least partially based on the shipment delivery information and the historical delivery information, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration includes determining the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the specified delivery route by a vehicle with the specified vehicle configuration, - Providing (104) delivery tax information to arrange for the shipments to be delivered along the specified delivery route by a vehicle with the specified vehicle configuration.

Description

Area

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to the energy-efficient delivery of shipments. background

[0002] Methods for route planning for shipment deliveries are known in the prior art. These route planning methods are based, for example, on a route planning algorithm such as an algorithm for solving the so-called traveling salesman problem. Certain predefined route criteria, such as an "energy-efficient" route, can be taken into account during route planning. However, the energy efficiency of a delivery route resulting from such route planning for an "energy-efficient" route is often unsatisfactory.

[0003] The "CARBON CALCULATOR" flyer from Deutsche Post AG presents an online tool for calculating greenhouse gas emissions generated during the transport of goods. To calculate the emissions, the locations of the sender and recipient are entered in a first step, and the type of transport for each leg is entered in a second step. Summary of some exemplary embodiments of the invention

[0004] The present invention therefore has the object, among others, of improving the route planning methods known in the prior art and of providing a method, a device, a system and a computer program that enable more energy-efficient delivery of shipments.

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention, a method performed by an apparatus or system is disclosed, the method comprising the following steps: - Obtaining and / or maintaining historical delivery information, wherein the historical delivery information is associated with multiple deliveries of shipments carried out by one or more vehicles, wherein the historical delivery information represents, for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information, at least details of a delivery route, an energy requirement, and a vehicle configuration, and wherein the vehicle configuration, if it is a modular vehicle, represents and / or specifies one or more modules with which the vehicle was equipped during the delivery of shipments, Obtaining shipment delivery information for multiple shipments to be delivered, wherein the shipment delivery information represents, at least for each of the shipments, details of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment, - Determining a delivery route for delivering the shipments and a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the determined delivery route based at least partially on the shipment delivery information and the historical delivery information, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises determining the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the determined delivery route by a vehicle with the determined vehicle configuration, - Providing delivery control information to cause shipments to be delivered along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration.

[0006] The device and / or the system correspond, for example, to the device and / or the system disclosed below.

[0007] According to a further exemplary aspect of the invention, a device or a system is further disclosed, wherein the device or the system comprises means configured to carry out the disclosed method or respective means for carrying out the steps of the disclosed method.

[0008] Different steps can be carried out at least partially by different means (e.g. components) and / or at least partially by the same means (e.g. components).

[0009] For example, the disclosed device is a device of a delivery service (e.g., a (e.g., central) device for at least partially controlling deliveries and / or delivery orders of the delivery service to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service) and / or the disclosed system is a system of a delivery service (e.g., a system for at least partially controlling deliveries and / or delivery orders of the delivery service to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service). A delivery service is, for example, a postal and / or parcel service.

[0010] The disclosed device is, for example, a server device (e.g., a (e.g., central) server device of a delivery service for at least partially controlling deliveries to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service and / or delivery orders of the delivery service). Alternatively, the disclosed device can also be part of a vehicle, for example, the disclosed device can be a control device and / or part of a control device of a vehicle (e.g., a vehicle of a delivery service).

[0011] The disclosed system comprises, for example, various devices, each of the devices comprising one or more of the means. The various devices can, for example, be various server devices of a server cloud (e.g., a (e.g., central) server cloud of a delivery service for at least partially controlling deliveries to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service and / or delivery orders of the delivery service). Alternatively, the system can also comprise only one device (e.g., the disclosed device).

[0012] The means of a device (e.g. the disclosed device) and / or a system (e.g. the disclosed system) can comprise hardware and / or software components. The means can, for example, comprise at least one memory with program instructions of a computer program (e.g. the computer program disclosed below) and at least one processor configured to execute program instructions from the at least one memory. Accordingly, according to the invention, a device is also to be understood as disclosed which comprises at least one processor and at least one memory with program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the program instructions are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause a device to execute and / or control a disclosed method.

[0013] For example, the disclosed device or system comprises communication means. These communication means are configured, for example, to communicate indirectly (e.g., via further communication means) and / or directly with a (e.g., remote) device and to send and / or receive information (e.g., the shipment delivery information and / or the delivery control information).

[0014] Alternatively or additionally, the means of the device or system may comprise one or more detection means. It is understood that the device or system may also comprise other means (e.g., components) not listed.

[0015] According to a further exemplary aspect of the invention, a computer program is further disclosed, wherein the computer program comprises program instructions configured to cause a device or system (e.g., the disclosed device or system) to execute the disclosed method when executed by at least one processor.

[0016] The disclosed computer program may, for example, be distributable over a network such as the Internet, a telephone or mobile network, and / or a local area network. The disclosed computer program may be at least partially software and / or firmware of a processor. It may equally be implemented at least partially as hardware. The disclosed computer program may, for example, be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, e.g., a tangible, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, optical, and / or other storage medium. The storage medium may, for example, be part of a processor, such as a (non-volatile or volatile) program memory and / or main memory of a processor, or a part thereof.

[0017] The disclosed method, the disclosed device, the disclosed system and the disclosed computer program are, for example, for the energy-efficient control of a delivery of shipments.

[0018] In the following, the properties of the disclosed method, the disclosed device, the disclosed system and the disclosed computer program are described - partly by way of example.

[0019] A shipment is, for example, a package, a general cargo, a parcel, and / or a letter. It is understood that a shipment may contain or be formed by a liquid, a gas, or a bulk material.

[0020] In the present case, delivery of a consignment should be understood as, for example, the transport of the consignment by a vehicle along a delivery route to a delivery position for the delivery of the consignment. Therefore, delivery of consignments (i.e., multiple consignments) should be understood as, for example, the transport of each of the consignments by a vehicle along a delivery route to a respective delivery position for the delivery of the respective consignment. Accordingly, a vehicle that carries out such a delivery of consignments moves along the delivery route. At the respective delivery position, the respective consignment is made available, for example, by the vehicle or a delivery person for collection and / or receipt by the recipient of the consignment (e.g., placed in a receiving compartment of a receiving device such as a letter and / or parcel box).

[0021] A vehicle that carries out such a delivery of shipments is, for example, a suitably equipped autonomous and / or semi-autonomous land vehicle (e.g. a bicycle, a tricycle, a pedelec, a passenger car, a truck, a rail vehicle such as a locomotive, an unmanned land vehicle and / or a robot), a watercraft (e.g. a ship such as a cargo ship, a submarine and / or an unmanned watercraft) and / or an aircraft (e.g. an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone). An autonomous and / or semi-autonomous vehicle should be understood, for example, as a vehicle that is equipped to move autonomously and / or at least partially autonomously. A vehicle should be understood, for example, as moving at least partially autonomously if the vehicle moves independently (e.g.without the influence of a driver) moves (e.g. drives and / or flies and / or swims) and navigates along the specified route. An autonomously moving vehicle, for example, moves along the entire route independently (e.g. without the influence of a driver) and navigates along the entire route independently. An at least partially autonomously moving vehicle can move and / or navigate along the specified route independently of a user or other devices (e.g. one or more server devices), or an at least partially autonomously moving vehicle can move and / or navigate along the specified route at least partially dependent on a user or other devices, e.g. it can receive information (e.g. navigation information and / or control information for moving and / or navigating along the specified route) (e.g.by the user through appropriate user input or other devices). Such a semi-autonomous and / or autonomous vehicle is, for example, an unmanned vehicle.

[0022] A route such as a delivery route should be understood as a description of a route between several locations (e.g., delivery locations). The route usually does not correspond to the air line or line of sight between these positions, but rather runs, for example, along traffic routes such as land transport routes (e.g., roads, footpaths, railways), water transport routes (e.g., waterways such as navigable rivers and canals), and / or air transport routes (e.g., airways). A route can, for example, be represented by an ordered list of waypoint specifications, where each waypoint specification represents a position of a waypoint on a route at which, for example, the direction of the route changes.

[0023] The fact that the historical delivery information is associated with several deliveries of shipments carried out by one or more vehicles (i.e. deliveries carried out in the past) should be understood, for example, in such a way that the historical delivery information represents one or more pieces of information characteristic of the respective delivery of shipments for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information. Such an item of information characteristic of a delivery of shipments represents, for example, a parameter that can be recorded (e.g. recorded) and / or determined (e.g. determined) by the respective vehicle that carried out the respective delivery during the respective delivery, such as the energy requirement of the respective vehicle. An energy requirement should be understood, for example, as an absolute energy requirement (e.g.an energy requirement in kilowatt-hours), an absolute fuel requirement (e.g. a petrol or diesel requirement in liters), a standardized energy requirement (e.g. a power in kilowatts (i.e. an energy requirement per unit of time) or an energy requirement per unit of distance (e.g. kilometers) or per shipment) and / or a standardized fuel requirement (e.g. a petrol or diesel requirement in liters per unit of time (e.g. minutes or hours) or per unit of distance (e.g. kilometers) or per shipment) that was recorded and / or determined by the respective vehicle during the respective delivery. The historical delivery information can be used, for example, to train a knowledge-based and / or self-learning system, as disclosed below.

[0024] It is understood that the invention is not limited to the energy requirement of the respective vehicle as a parameter. Further examples of a parameter that can be detected (e.g., detected) and / or determined (e.g., determined) by the respective vehicle (which carried out the respective delivery) during the respective delivery are a vehicle speed on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route, a condition of the respective delivery route and / or a section of the respective delivery route, and / or a time course of the respective delivery.

[0025] In this context, information should also be understood as the disclosure of corresponding information in coded form (e.g. in the form of data and / or in the form of a signal).

[0026] For example, a statement should be understood as being represented by information if the information contains a representation of the statement.

[0027] In addition to information on energy requirements, the historical delivery information for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information represents at least information on a delivery route and a vehicle configuration. Accordingly, the historical delivery information for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information can represent, in addition to an energy requirement of the respective vehicle that carried out the respective delivery during the respective delivery that can be recorded (e.g., recorded) and / or determined (e.g., determined) by the respective vehicle that carried out the respective delivery, information on the delivery route along which the respective vehicle that carried out the delivery moved during the delivery and information on the vehicle configuration of the respective vehicle that carried out the respective delivery.

[0028] Information about a delivery route is understood to mean a representation of the delivery route (e.g., an ordered list of waypoint details). Information about a vehicle configuration represents, for example, one or more parameters characteristic of a vehicle, such as a vehicle type, a vehicle engine, vehicle tires, and / or a vehicle body. It is understood that the invention is not limited to these parameters characteristic of a vehicle. In the case of a modular vehicle, a vehicle configuration can, for example, represent and / or specify one or more modules with which the vehicle was and / or is to be equipped.

[0029] In this case, receiving information should be understood, for example, as meaning that this information (e.g., in the form of a signal) is received by means of communication and / or captured by means of capture. Information should be understood, for example, as being held ready when this information is stored in a memory (e.g., in the form of data) or a representation of this information is stored in a memory.

[0030] For example, historical delivery information associated with a delivery of shipments is received from the vehicle that performed the delivery (e.g., through communication means of the disclosed device and / or system) and subsequently stored (along with other historical delivery information) in a memory (e.g., a memory of the disclosed device and / or system).

[0031] The multiple shipments to be delivered, for which shipment delivery information is received, are to be delivered, for example, within a single delivery and / or by a vehicle (e.g., as part of a delivery order). The fact that the shipment delivery information represents, at least for each of the shipments, an indication of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment is to be understood, for example, in such a way that the shipment delivery positions contain a representation of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment. Examples of a representation of a position (e.g., a delivery position) are address, position, and / or coordinate information. An address specification is, for example, a representation of a postal address (e.g., a postal address of a recipient of a shipment).A coordinate specification is, for example, a representation of coordinates of a position such as a delivery position (e.g. coordinates of a position according to a satellite-based navigation system and / or a geographical coordinate system such as the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinate system based on the geodetic reference system WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984)).

[0032] The fact that the determination of the delivery route and / or the vehicle configuration is based at least partially on the shipment delivery information should be understood, for example, in such a way that the delivery route and the vehicle configuration are determined in such a way that the determined delivery route describes a path along which a vehicle with the determined vehicle configuration can move successively to the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. For example, the determined delivery route describes a path from a pick-up position, at which the shipments can be picked up by the vehicle, to the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. The determined vehicle configuration represents, for example, characteristic parameters (e.g.A vehicle type (e.g., a vehicle engine, vehicle tires, and / or a vehicle body) of a vehicle suitable for traveling along the specific delivery route is determined. For example, the delivery route is first determined, followed by a vehicle configuration suitable for the delivery route. The delivery route can be determined at least partially based on the shipment delivery information. The vehicle configuration is then determined, for example, at least partially based on the specific delivery route.

[0033] It is understood that there may be a plurality of possible delivery routes describing various possible paths along which a vehicle may sequentially move to the delivery locations represented by the shipment delivery information. Accordingly, determining the delivery route may include selecting the delivery route from the plurality of possible delivery routes.

[0034] Furthermore, the delivery route (e.g., the plurality of possible delivery routes) can be determined at least partially based on navigation map information. Navigation map information should be understood, for example, as navigation and / or map data that represent a map (e.g., a traffic route map such as a motorway map, a shipping route map, and / or an air route map) for determining a route (e.g., a delivery route). A map should be understood, for example, as a two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or multi-dimensional (e.g., with time as the fourth dimension) model of an area (e.g., a geographical area such as an area on and / or above the Earth's surface). A map can, for example, be a commercially available map or a map generated from sensor information from one or more autonomous and / or semi-autonomous vehicles.Depending on the level of abstraction, map data of such a map can contain geometric information (e.g. as a point cloud and / or octomap, see the article: Hornung, Armin, et al. “OctoMap: An efficient probabilistic 3D mapping framework based on octrees.” Autonomous Robots 34.3 (2013): 189-206), semantic information, symbolic information, environmental features, landmarks, user-entered texts, photos, change information over a certain period of time and many other additional information for the representation of the map.

[0035] Determining the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration can be done, for example, by simulating the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration. The simulation can be based at least partially on the historical delivery information. The expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration should be understood as the energy requirement expected for a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration when this vehicle moves along the delivery route to deliver the shipments.

[0036] By taking into account both the specific delivery route and the vehicle configuration, the expected energy requirement for delivering shipments can be calculated with a particularly good approximation of the actual energy requirement. By determining the expected energy requirement when determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration, the combination of the specific delivery route and the specific vehicle configuration can result in the most energy-efficient delivery possible. This represents a significant improvement over prior-art route planning methods, in which the vehicle configuration of the vehicle performing the delivery is not taken into account and is not specified for the delivery.

[0037] The provided delivery control information comprises, for example, a representation of the specific vehicle configuration and / or the specific delivery route in order to initiate the delivery of the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration. This can ensure that the delivery is actually carried out by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration and along this delivery route and thus as energy-efficiently as possible. For example, the delivery control information is provided by being made available for retrieval by a user (e.g., a dispatcher) and / or a remote device (e.g., a device for selecting and / or configuring vehicles) and / or a vehicle and / or by being sent to a user and / or a remote device and / or a vehicle.Furthermore, the delivery control information may be provided, for example, by outputting it to a user.

[0038] Arranging for the delivery of shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration includes, for example, selecting a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration or, if no vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration is available, (re)configuring a vehicle according to the specific vehicle configuration. The (re)configuration can, for example, be performed by exchanging modules if the vehicle is modular and the specific vehicle configuration represents and / or specifies one or more modules with which the vehicle is to be equipped.

[0039] Furthermore, initiating the delivery of the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration may include controlling the selected and / or (re-)configured vehicle in such a way that the vehicle is prompted to move along the specific delivery route to deliver the shipments. For this purpose, the specific delivery route may, for example, be programmed into a navigation unit of the vehicle.

[0040] Further advantages of the disclosed invention are described below with reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method, the disclosed device, the disclosed system and the disclosed computer program.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises the following steps: - Determining a possible delivery route (e.g. a first possible delivery route) for delivering the shipments (e.g. at least partly based on the shipment delivery information), - Determining a possible vehicle configuration (e.g., a first possible vehicle configuration) of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the possible delivery route (e.g., based at least in part on the possible delivery route and / or the historical delivery information), - Determining the expected energy demand for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration (e.g. based at least in part on the possible vehicle configuration, the possible delivery route and / or the historical delivery information).

[0042] The possible delivery route is determined, for example, at least partially based on the shipment delivery information in such a way that it describes a path along which a vehicle can move sequentially to the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. Furthermore, the determination of the possible delivery route can be based on navigation map information. The possible delivery route is determined, for example, according to specifications for determining the delivery route, such as a predefined route planning algorithm and / or one or more predefined route criteria, such as "shortest route," "fastest route," or "most energy-efficient route," and / or a predefined sequence of the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information.It is understood that, in some embodiments, determining the possible delivery route may be based, in addition to these specifications and / or the shipment delivery information, at least partially on other information, such as traffic information (e.g., information on traffic delays such as traffic jams and / or accidents and / or construction sites and / or closures). Such route planning algorithms are, for example, algorithms known in the prior art (e.g., heuristic algorithms) for solving the so-called traveling salesman problem.

[0043] Subsequently, for example, the possible vehicle configuration of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the possible delivery route (i.e., the previously determined possible delivery route) can be determined at least partially based on the delivery route. For example, the possible vehicle configuration is determined such that a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration is expected to move along the possible delivery route in an energy-efficient manner. The possible vehicle configuration is determined, for example, according to a predetermined vehicle configuration algorithm.

[0044] Such a vehicle configuration algorithm can, for example, be based on predetermined associations between various properties of possible delivery routes and various vehicle configurations that are known to be energy-efficient. In a simple example, the vehicle configuration can represent only one vehicle type. In this simple example, possible delivery routes with a length of less than 5 km can be, for example, an “unmanned and autonomous electrically powered land vehicle” (e.g., an autonomous robot), delivery routes with a length between 5 km and 10 km can be, for example, an “unmanned and autonomous aerial vehicle” (e.g., an aerial drone), and delivery routes with a length of more than 10 km can be, for example, an “autonomous or semi-autonomous land vehicle with an internal combustion engine” (e.g.,a passenger car or a lorry) if the use of such vehicle types for delivery routes of these lengths has proven to be particularly energy-efficient in the past.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, such a vehicle configuration algorithm can be based, for example, on a knowledge-based system (e.g., an expert system) and / or a self-learning system. Such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can, for example, be based at least partially on the historical delivery information. For example, such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can be trained based on the historical delivery information in such a way that it determines a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for a specific delivery route in such a way that a vehicle with this vehicle configuration is expected to move along this delivery route as energy-efficiently as possible and / or that the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along this delivery route by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration is as low as possible.It is understood that such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system does not necessarily determine the most energy-efficient vehicle configuration and / or the vehicle configuration with the lowest expected energy consumption (e.g. because the historical delivery information is limited and only allows for incomplete training).

[0046] Furthermore, such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can be trained based on the historical delivery information in such a way that, for a specific delivery route, it determines not only a vehicle configuration but also an expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along this delivery route by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration. It is understood that the actual energy requirement may deviate from this expected energy requirement (e.g., because the historical delivery information is limited and only allows for incomplete training). Through this training, the knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can be improved over a longer period of time (i.e., the forecast quality, for examplethe quality of the relationship represented by the system between one or more vehicle configurations and an expected energy consumption can be improved) and, for example, deviations of the expected energy demand from the actual energy demand can be reduced compared to a static system.

[0047] The training of a knowledge-based and / or self-learning system can, for example, be based on a machine learning algorithm. Machine learning can, for example, take the form of supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning, and / or reinforcement machine learning. Machine learning algorithms can be based at least partially on an artificial neural network, a support vector machine, cluster analysis, or a combination of several (e.g., all) of these techniques.

[0048] Alternatively or additionally, the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration can be determined, for example, by simulating and / or calculating the expected energy requirement. The simulation can, for example, be based on a mathematical and / or physical model of the vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration (e.g., a mathematical and / or physical model that depicts the relationship between the vehicle configuration and the expected energy requirement), which is used in the simulation to make a statement about the expected energy requirement. Additional information, such as weather information and / or traffic information, can be taken into account here. In this case, too, the actual energy requirement of this (e.g.,simulated and / or calculated) expected energy demand. Furthermore, determining the delivery route and vehicle configuration may, for example, include the following step: - Determining whether the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route (e.g. the first possible delivery route) by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration (e.g. the first possible vehicle configuration) satisfies a predetermined energy requirement condition, and wherein the possible delivery route is only determined (e.g. selected) as a delivery route for delivering the shipments and the possible vehicle configuration is only determined (e.g. selected) as a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the delivery route if it is determined that the predetermined energy requirement condition is satisfied.

[0049] An energy requirement condition can, for example, specify an energy requirement in the form of an energy requirement threshold value, which must not be exceeded by the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route (e.g., the first possible delivery route) by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration (e.g., the first possible vehicle configuration) of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along this possible delivery route in order to fulfill the energy requirement condition. An energy requirement, as disclosed above, is to be understood as, for example, an absolute energy requirement (e.g., an energy requirement in kilowatt hours), an absolute fuel requirement (e.g., a gasoline or diesel requirement in liters), a standardized energy requirement (e.g., a power in kilowatts (i.e., an energy requirement per unit of time) or an energy requirement per unit of distance (e.g.,kilometers) or per shipment) and / or a standardized fuel requirement (e.g. a gasoline or diesel requirement in liters per unit of time (e.g. minute or hour) or per unit of distance (e.g. kilometers) or per shipment) that was recorded and / or determined by the respective vehicle during the respective delivery.

[0050] This is advantageous, for example, to check whether the combination of the possible delivery route and the possible vehicle configuration leads to the most energy-efficient delivery of the shipments (i.e., a delivery of the shipments with an expected energy demand that meets the specified energy demand condition).

[0051] For example, determining the delivery route and vehicle configuration when it is determined that the specified energy demand condition is not met includes the following additional steps: - Determining at least one further possible delivery route (e.g. a second possible delivery route) for delivering the shipments, - Determining a further possible vehicle configuration (e.g. a second possible vehicle configuration) of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the further delivery route, - Determining the expected energy requirements for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration, - Determine whether the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration meets the specified energy requirement condition.

[0052] These additional steps related to the further possible delivery route and the further possible vehicle configurations can, for example, be performed in accordance with the steps disclosed above related to the possible delivery route and the possible vehicle configuration. Accordingly, the corresponding disclosures related to the possible delivery route and the possible vehicle configuration should also be understood as disclosures related to the further possible delivery route and the further possible vehicle configuration.

[0053] In other words, the additional steps related to the further possible delivery route and the further possible vehicle configurations can be understood as a repetition of the steps disclosed above related to the possible delivery route and the possible vehicle configuration. As a result of a first run through these steps, for example, a first possible delivery route and a first possible vehicle configuration are obtained, and as a result of a first repetition of these steps, for example, a second possible delivery route (e.g., a second delivery route different from the first) and a second possible vehicle configuration (e.g., a second vehicle configuration different from the first) are obtained.

[0054] However, measures can be taken to avoid that the same expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route is determined by a vehicle with the possible further vehicle configuration. For example, the further possible delivery route (e.g. the second possible delivery route) can be determined in such a way that it is different from the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g. the first possible delivery route and / or all previously determined possible delivery routes). For this purpose, the further possible delivery route can be determined according to at least partially different specifications than the determination of the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g.all previously determined possible delivery routes), for example according to another predefined route planning algorithm and / or one or more other predefined route criteria such as "shortest route" or "fastest route" or "most energy-efficient route" and / or another predefined sequence of the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. It is understood that it is sufficient to change one of the specifications for determining the further possible delivery route compared to determining the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g. all previously determined possible delivery routes). For example, the further possible delivery route can be determined according to the same predefined route planning algorithm as the determination of the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g.all previously determined possible delivery routes) and according to a different predetermined order such as determining the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g. all previously determined possible delivery routes).

[0055] Thereafter, for example, the further possible vehicle configuration of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the further possible delivery route can be determined at least partially based on the previously determined further possible delivery route.

[0056] If it is subsequently determined that the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the further possible delivery route by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration satisfies the specified energy requirement condition, the further possible delivery route and the further possible vehicle configuration can, for example, be determined (e.g., selected) as the delivery route and as the vehicle configuration. Otherwise, these steps are repeated, for example, with at least partially modified specifications for determining a further possible delivery route, until the specified energy requirement condition is met or a termination condition (e.g., a maximum number of repetitions) is reached. This results in a functionality similar to that of a genetic and / or evolutionary algorithm.

[0057] The possible delivery route (e.g., the first possible delivery route) and / or the further possible delivery route (e.g., the second possible delivery route) is determined, for example, by a route planning component of the disclosed device and / or system. A knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system for determining the possible vehicle configuration (e.g., the first vehicle configuration) and / or the further possible vehicle configuration (e.g., the second vehicle configuration) can be formed, for example, by a knowledge-based and / or self-learning vehicle configuration component of the disclosed device and / or system. This knowledge-based and / or self-learning vehicle configuration component can also be used to determine the expected energy requirement.Alternatively or additionally, the expected energy demand can also be simulated and / or calculated by a simulation and / or calculation component of the disclosed device and / or system. These components can be formed as (e.g., at least partially or completely different) hardware components (e.g., as server devices of the disclosed system) and / or software components (e.g., as computer programs executed on a processor of the disclosed device) and / or as a combination of (e.g., at least partially or completely different) hardware and software components of the disclosed device and / or system.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises the following steps: - Selecting the specific delivery route from a plurality of possible delivery routes for delivering the shipments and / or the specific vehicle configuration from a plurality of possible vehicle configurations for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the delivery route.

[0059] The plurality of possible delivery routes and the plurality of possible vehicle configurations can be determined according to the steps disclosed above for determining the possible delivery route and the possible vehicle configuration. Accordingly, the plurality of possible delivery routes can include at least a first possible delivery route and a second possible delivery route (e.g., a second delivery route different from the first), and the plurality of possible vehicle configurations can include at least a first possible vehicle configuration and a second possible vehicle configuration (e.g., a second vehicle configuration different from the first).

[0060] It can be provided that each of the possible delivery routes of the plurality of possible delivery routes is determined in such a way that it is different from the other possible delivery routes of the plurality of possible delivery routes. For this purpose, the determination of each of the possible delivery routes of the plurality of possible delivery routes can be carried out according to at least partially different specifications than the determination of the other possible delivery routes of the plurality of possible delivery routes, for example according to a different predetermined route planning algorithm and / or one or more other predetermined route criteria such as "shortest route" or "fastest route" or "most energy-efficient route" and / or a different predetermined order of the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. It can be sufficient if one of the specifications is different.For example, each of the possible delivery routes of the plurality of delivery routes may be determined according to the same predetermined route planning algorithm and according to a different predetermined order of the delivery positions.

[0061] Furthermore, for each of the possible delivery routes and / or each of the possible vehicle configurations, the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the respective possible delivery route by a vehicle with the respective possible vehicle configuration can be determined, wherein the delivery route of the possible delivery routes and / or the vehicle configuration of the possible vehicle configurations with the lowest expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments is selected.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the delivery route and the vehicle configuration are determined at least partially according to an evolutionary algorithm and / or a machine learning algorithm.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the historical delivery information for each of the shipment deliveries associated with the delivery information further represents at least one or more of the following information: - an indication of a vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route of the delivery of consignments associated with the respective delivery information, - an indication of the nature of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route of the delivery of consignments associated with the respective delivery information, and / or - an indication of the timing of the delivery of shipments associated with the respective delivery information.

[0064] An indication of a vehicle speed represents, for example, a vehicle speed of the vehicle on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route, as detected and / or determined by the vehicle. For example, an indication of a vehicle speed can represent an average vehicle speed of the vehicle on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route, as detected by the vehicle. Alternatively, an indication of a vehicle speed can represent a vehicle speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle at a specific position on the delivery route.

[0065] For example, an indication of a vehicle acceleration represents a vehicle acceleration (i.e., acceleration and / or deceleration) of the vehicle on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route, as detected and / or determined by the vehicle. For example, an indication of a vehicle acceleration may represent an average vehicle acceleration of the vehicle on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route, as detected by the vehicle. Alternatively, an indication of a vehicle acceleration may represent a vehicle acceleration of the vehicle detected by the vehicle at a specific position on the delivery route.

[0066] If the information on the vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration represents a detected vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration, it may further represent, for example, a detection time (e.g., at which the vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration was detected) and / or a detection position (e.g., at which the vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration was detected). If, on the other hand, the information on the vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration represents an average vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration, it may further represent, for example, a detection period (e.g., for which the average vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration was determined) and / or a detection section (e.g.,a section of the delivery route for which the average vehicle speed and / or average vehicle acceleration was determined). It is understood that the information on the vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration can represent a vector (e.g., a speed vector and / or an acceleration vector) and / or an amount (e.g., an amount of a speed and / or acceleration of the vehicle).

[0067] Such information on vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration can, for example, be used to draw conclusions about the traffic volume and / or possible delays on the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route.

[0068] An indication of the condition of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route should be understood to mean, for example, parameters recorded by the vehicle and / or certain parameters characteristic of the condition of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route, such as a gradient (e.g. a maximum and / or minimum and / or average gradient) and / or a road surface (e.g. asphalt and / or gravel and / or earth) and / or the presence of obstacles (e.g. one or more steps, a fence, etc.) on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route. Furthermore, an indication of the condition of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route can represent, for example, a recording time and / or a recording period and / or a recording position and / or a recording section.

[0069] Such information on the nature of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route can, for example, be used to establish a connection between this nature and the vehicle behaviour (e.g. a recorded and / or determined vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration).

[0070] For example, information about the time course of the delivery of shipments associated with the respective delivery information can represent the time course of the delivery of shipments associated with the respective delivery information. For example, information about the time course of the delivery of shipments associated with the respective delivery information can represent the time recorded and / or determined by the vehicle at which the vehicle reached a shipment delivery position. This allows, for example, conclusions to be drawn about the time required by the vehicle to move from one shipment delivery position to the next shipment delivery position along the delivery route.

[0071] This information can be advantageously taken into account, for example, in the context of training a knowledge-based and / or self-learning system disclosed above for determining the vehicle configuration.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the shipment delivery information for each of the shipments further represents at least one or more of the following information: - an indication of the external dimensions of the respective shipment, - an indication of the weight of the respective shipment, - an indication of a delivery time and / or a delivery period for the delivery of the respective shipment, - an indication of the nature of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment, and / or - an indication of the recipient's name and / or address of the respective shipment.

[0073] For example, an indication of external dimensions of the respective shipment represents the external dimensions of the respective shipment; and an indication of the weight of the respective shipment represents, for example, the weight of the respective shipment.

[0074] For example, a delivery time for the delivery of a particular shipment represents a time at which the particular shipment is to be delivered to the particular shipment delivery location. Accordingly, a delivery period for the delivery of a particular shipment represents a period in which the particular shipment is to be delivered to the particular shipment delivery location.

[0075] An indication of the condition of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment should be understood as, for example, a parameter characteristic of the expected condition of the delivery route at the delivery position, such as a gradient (e.g. a maximum and / or minimum and / or average gradient) and / or a road surface (e.g. asphalt and / or gravel and / or earth) and / or the presence of obstacles (e.g. one or more steps, a fence, etc.).

[0076] For example, an indication of a recipient name and / or a recipient address represents the recipient name and / or the recipient address.

[0077] This information allows, for example, efficient determination of the vehicle configuration. For example, a shipment with larger external dimensions or a higher weight may require a different vehicle configuration to ensure the most energy-efficient delivery possible than a shipment with smaller external dimensions or a lower weight. If information about the nature of the delivery location indicates that there are obstacles such as steps or a fence at the delivery location, a vehicle configuration is determined for a vehicle that can overcome these obstacles (e.g., in the case of steps or a fence, an aircraft such as a drone).

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the following steps: - Obtaining and / or maintaining environmental information associated with the delivery of the shipments, wherein determining the delivery route and / or the vehicle configuration and / or the expected energy demand is further based at least in part on the environmental information.

[0079] Environmental information represents, for example, detectable and / or determinable (e.g., predictable) environmental parameters that can influence the expected energy demand.

[0080] The environmental information may, for example, include at least one indication of the expected weather and / or the expected position of the sun (e.g., weather information representing the expected weather and / or the expected position of the sun at at least one delivery location of the delivery locations and / or on the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route). The weather information is provided, for example, by a weather service and / or at least partially based on environmental parameters detected by sensors.

[0081] Alternatively or additionally, the environmental information may include at least an indication of expected traffic delays (e.g., expected traffic delays on the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route), such as traffic jams and / or accidents and / or construction sites and / or road closures. The traffic information is provided, for example, by a traffic service and / or at least partially based on traffic parameters detected by sensors.

[0082] In particular, determining the expected energy demand and / or vehicle configuration may be based at least partially on the environmental information. For example, the expected energy demand for vehicles with an electric drive and photovoltaic modules may change depending on the expected weather and / or position of the sun. If sunny weather is expected on the delivery route, for example, a vehicle configuration representing a vehicle with an electric drive and photovoltaic modules is determined, whereas if cloudy weather is expected on the delivery route, for example, a vehicle configuration representing a vehicle with an internal combustion engine is determined.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the following step: - Obtaining historical delivery information associated with the delivery of the shipment if the vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration has delivered the shipments along the specific delivery route, wherein the delivery information represents at least information on the specific delivery route, the energy demand and the specific vehicle configuration.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the following steps: - Obtaining and / or maintaining navigation map information to determine a delivery route for delivering the shipments.

[0085] Further advantageous exemplary embodiments of the invention can be found in the following detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, particularly in conjunction with the figures. However, the figures appended to the application are intended only for the purpose of illustration and not to define the scope of the invention. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and are intended merely to reflect the general concept of the present invention by way of example. In particular, features contained in the figures should in no way be considered a necessary part of the present invention.

[0086] They show: Fig. 1a is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to an exemplary aspect of the invention; Fig. 1b optional steps of an embodiment of a method according to an exemplary aspect of the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a device according to an exemplary aspect of the invention; Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a system according to an exemplary aspect of the invention; and Fig. 4 exemplary embodiments of storage media.

[0087] Fig. 1a shows a flowchart with steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method according to an exemplary aspect of the invention. Steps 101 to 104 of the flowchart 100 can be executed, for example, by a device such as the device 200 disclosed below. Fig. 2 or from a system such as the system 300 disclosed below Fig. 3 are executed.

[0088] In the following, it is assumed, by way of example, that the method is carried out by a device and / or a system of a delivery service (e.g., a postal and / or parcel service). Several different vehicles of the delivery service are configured, for example, such that, after they have carried out a delivery of shipments (i.e., several shipments) as part of a delivery order, they communicate historical delivery information associated with the delivery to the device and / or the system that executes steps 101 to 104 of flowchart 100. A vehicle of the delivery service that carries out such a delivery of shipments is, for example, a suitably configured autonomous and / or semi-autonomous land vehicle, watercraft, and / or an aircraft.

[0089] In this context, the delivery of consignments (i.e., multiple consignments) is understood to mean, for example, the transport of each of the consignments by the vehicle carrying out the delivery along a delivery route to a respective delivery location for the delivery of the respective consignment. At the respective delivery location, the respective consignment is made available, for example, by the vehicle or a delivery person for collection and / or receipt by the recipient of the consignment (e.g., placed in a receiving compartment of a receiving device such as a mailbox and / or parcel box).

[0090] In step 101, the historical delivery information is obtained and / or kept ready. The historical delivery information is associated with multiple deliveries of shipments carried out by one or more vehicles of the delivery service, wherein the historical delivery information represents at least details of a delivery route, an energy requirement, and a vehicle configuration for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the historical delivery information.

[0091] For example, the historical delivery information represents one or more pieces of information characteristic of the respective delivery for each of the shipment deliveries associated with the delivery information. As disclosed above, such a piece of information characteristic of a shipment delivery should represent, for example, at least one parameter recorded and / or determined by the vehicle that performed the delivery during the respective delivery, such as the vehicle's energy consumption.

[0092] In the following, it is assumed, by way of example, that the historical delivery information for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the historical delivery information represents the delivery route along which the respective vehicle (i.e., the vehicle that performed the respective delivery), the energy requirements of the respective vehicle, and the vehicle configuration of the respective vehicle.

[0093] The historical delivery information may be used, for example, to train a knowledge-based and / or self-learning system, as disclosed below.

[0094] In a step 102, shipment delivery information is obtained for a plurality of shipments to be delivered, wherein the shipment delivery information represents, at least for each of the shipments, an indication of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment. The multiple shipments to be delivered, for which shipment delivery information is received, are to be delivered, for example, within a single delivery and / or by a delivery service vehicle as part of a delivery order. The fact that the shipment delivery information represents, at least for each of the shipments, an indication of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment should be understood, for example, to mean that the shipment delivery positions contain a representation of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment.

[0095] Subsequently, in a step 103, a delivery route for delivering the shipments and a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the determined delivery route are determined based at least in part on the shipment delivery information and the historical delivery information.

[0096] An exemplary embodiment of the determination according to step 103 is described below with reference to steps 1031 to 1035 of Fig. 1b. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0097] In a step 1031, a possible delivery route for delivering the shipments is determined. The possible delivery route is determined, for example, at least partially based on the shipment delivery information in such a way that it describes a path along which a vehicle can move successively to the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. Furthermore, the determination of the possible delivery route can be carried out on navigation map information. The possible delivery route is determined, for example, according to a predetermined route planning algorithm and / or one or more predetermined route criteria such as "shortest route" or "fastest route" or "most energy-efficient route" and / or a predetermined sequence of the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. Such route planning algorithms are, for example, algorithms (e.g.heuristic algorithms) to solve the so-called traveling salesman problem.

[0098] Subsequently, in a step 1032, a possible vehicle configuration of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the possible delivery route determined in step 1031 may be determined at least partially based on the possible delivery route determined in step 1031.

[0099] The possible vehicle configuration is determined, for example, according to a predefined vehicle configuration algorithm. Such a vehicle configuration algorithm can be based, for example, on a knowledge-based system (e.g., an expert system) and / or a self-learning system. Such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can, for example, be based at least partially on historical delivery information.For example, such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can be trained based on the historical delivery information in such a way that it determines a possible vehicle configuration for a vehicle for a possible delivery route determined in step 1031 in such a way that it is expected that a vehicle with this possible vehicle configuration will move along this possible delivery route in the most energy-efficient way possible and / or that the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along this possible delivery route by a vehicle with this possible vehicle configuration will be as low as possible. It is understood that such a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system does not necessarily determine the most energy-efficient possible vehicle configuration and / or the possible vehicle configuration with the lowest expected energy requirement (e.g.because historical delivery information is limited and only allows incomplete training).

[0100] The basis for training a knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can, for example, be a machine learning algorithm. Machine learning can, for example, take the form of supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning, and / or reinforcement machine learning. Machine learning algorithms can be based at least partially on an artificial neural network, a support vector machine, cluster analysis, or a combination of several (e.g., all) of these techniques. Through this training, the knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system can be improved over a longer period of time (i.e., the forecast quality, for example,the quality of the relationship represented by the system between one or more vehicle configurations and an expected energy consumption) and, for example, deviations of the expected energy demand from the actual energy demand can be reduced compared to a static system.

[0101] In a step 1033, an expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route determined in step 1031 by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration determined in step 1032 is determined.

[0102] Determining the expected energy demand in step 1033 can also be performed, for example, by the knowledge-based system and / or self-learning system. For example, it can be trained based on the historical delivery information such that, for a possible delivery route determined in step 1031, it determines not only a possible vehicle configuration but also an expected energy demand for the delivery of the shipments along this delivery route by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration. In this case, steps 1032 and 1033 can also be combined into a single step.

[0103] Alternatively or additionally, the determination of the expected energy demand in step 1033 may be performed, for example, by simulating and / or calculating the expected energy demand based at least in part on the possible delivery route determined in step 1031 and the possible vehicle configuration determined in step 1032.

[0104] In a step 1034, it is determined whether the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration satisfies a predetermined energy requirement condition.

[0105] An energy requirement condition can, for example, specify an energy requirement in the form of an energy requirement threshold value, which must not be exceeded by the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route (e.g. the first possible delivery route) by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration (e.g. the first possible vehicle configuration) of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along this possible delivery route in order to fulfill the energy requirement condition.

[0106] If the determination in step 1034 shows that the energy requirement condition is met, the possible delivery route determined in step 1031 can be determined as the delivery route for delivering the shipments and the possible vehicle configuration determined in step 1032 can be determined as the vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments, and the flowchart 100 can continue with step 104.

[0107] Otherwise, steps 1031 to 1034 are repeated, for example, and another possible delivery route and another possible vehicle configuration are determined.

[0108] However, measures can be taken to prevent the same expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route from being determined by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration. For example, the further possible delivery route can be determined during such a repetition in such a way that it differs from all previously determined possible delivery routes (e.g., during the first run and / or one or more previous repetitions of steps 1031 to 1034).For this purpose, the further possible delivery route can be determined according to at least partially different specifications than the determination of the previously determined possible delivery routes, for example according to a different predetermined route planning algorithm and / or one or more other predetermined route criteria such as "shortest route" or "fastest route" or "most energy-efficient route" and / or a different predetermined sequence of the delivery positions represented by the shipment delivery information. It is understood that it is sufficient to change one of the specifications for determining the further possible delivery route compared to determining the previously determined possible delivery route (e.g., all previously determined possible delivery routes). For example, only the predetermined sequence of the shipment delivery positions can be changed with each repetition.

[0109] For example, steps 1031 to 1034 are repeated until the specified energy requirement condition is met or a termination condition (e.g., a maximum number of repetitions) is reached (see step 1035). This results in a functionality similar to that of a genetic and / or evolutionary algorithm.

[0110] In step 104, delivery control information is provided to cause the shipments to be delivered along the particular delivery route by a vehicle having the particular vehicle configuration.

[0111] The provided delivery control information includes, for example, a representation of the specific vehicle configuration and / or the specific delivery route to initiate the delivery of the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration. For example, the delivery control information is provided for retrieval by a user (e.g., a dispatcher) and / or a remote device (e.g., a device for selecting and / or configuring vehicles) and / or a vehicle and / or is sent to a user and / or a remote device and / or a vehicle. Furthermore, the delivery control information can be provided, for example, by outputting it to a user.

[0112] Arranging for the delivery of shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration includes, for example, selecting a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration or, if no vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration is available, (re)configuring a vehicle according to the specific vehicle configuration. The (re)configuration can, for example, be performed by exchanging modules if the vehicle is modular and the specific vehicle configuration represents and / or specifies one or more modules with which the vehicle is to be equipped.

[0113] Furthermore, initiating the delivery of the shipments along the specific delivery route by a vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration may include controlling the selected and / or (re-)configured vehicle in such a way that the vehicle is prompted to move along the specific delivery route to deliver the shipments. For this purpose, the specific delivery route may, for example, be programmed into a navigation unit of the vehicle.

[0114] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a device 200 according to an exemplary aspect of the invention. In the following, it is assumed, by way of example, that the device 200 is a (e.g., central) server device of a delivery service for at least partially controlling deliveries and / or delivery orders of the delivery service to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service.

[0115] The device 200 comprises, for example, a processor 201 and, connected to the processor 201, a first memory as program and data memory 202, a second memory as main memory 203, an optional communication interface 204 and an optional user interface 205.

[0116] A processor is understood to mean, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). It is understood that the device 200 may also comprise multiple processors 201.

[0117] Processor 201 executes program instructions stored in program memory 202 and stores, for example, intermediate results or the like in main memory 203. The program memory 202 contains, for example, program instructions of a computer program (e.g., a computer program disclosed according to an exemplary aspect of the invention) that cause the processor 201 to execute a method disclosed according to an exemplary aspect of the invention (e.g., the method according to the Fig. 1) when the processor 201 executes these program instructions stored in program memory 202. Furthermore, historical delivery information, for example, in the form of data (e.g., data from a database), may be stored in program memory 202.

[0118] Program memory 202 further contains, for example, the operating system of device 200, which is at least partially loaded into main memory 203 upon startup of device 200 and executed by processor 201. In particular, at least a portion of the core of the operating system is loaded into main memory 203 and executed by processor 201 upon startup of device 200.

[0119] An example of an operating system is a Windows, UNIX, Linux, Android, Apple iOS, and / or MAC OS operating system. The operating system enables, in particular, the use of the device for information and / or data processing. For example, it manages resources such as main memory and program memory, provides basic functions to other computer programs through programming interfaces, among other things, and controls the execution of computer programs.

[0120] A program memory is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic memory, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and / or optical memory. A main memory is, for example, a volatile or non-volatile memory, in particular a random access memory (RAM) such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), and / or magnetic random access memory (MRAM).

[0121] Main memory 203 and program memory 202 can also be configured as a single memory. Alternatively, main memory 203 and / or program memory 202 can each be formed by multiple memories. Furthermore, main memory 203 and / or program memory 202 can also be part of processor 201.

[0122] Processor 201 controls the optional communication interface 204, which is embodied, for example, as a wireless and / or wired communication interface. A wireless and / or wired communication interface can, for example, receive information (via a wireless and / or wired communication path) and forward it to the processor 201 and / or receive information from the processor 201 and send it (via a wireless and / or wired communication path).

[0123] An example of a wireless communication interface is a wireless network adapter. For example, a wireless communication interface includes an antenna and at least one transmitter circuit and one receiver circuit or a transceiver circuit. Examples of a wireless communication interface are a GSM, UMTS, and / or LTE interface and / or a WLAN and / or Bluetooth interface. The GSM, UMTS, and LTE specifications are maintained and developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and are currently available online at www.3gpp.com, among other places. WLAN, for example, is specified in the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The Bluetooth specifications are currently available online at www.bluetooth.org.

[0124] An example of a wired communication interface is a wired network adapter. For example, a wired communication interface includes at least one transmitter circuit and one receiver circuit or one transceiver circuit. An example of a wired communication interface is an Ethernet interface. Ethernet is specified, among other things, in the IEEE 802.3 family of standards.

[0125] The communication interface 204 is configured, for example, to receive information (e.g., the historical delivery information and / or the shipment delivery information) and / or to send information (e.g., the delivery control information).

[0126] Furthermore, processor 201 controls the optional user interface 205, which is configured to output information (e.g., delivery control information) to a user and / or to capture information entered by a user (e.g., shipment delivery information). A user interface may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a touchscreen, a speaker, and / or a microphone.

[0127] The components 201 to 205 of the device 200 are communicatively and / or operatively connected to one another, for example, via one or more bus systems (e.g., one or more serial and / or parallel bus connections).

[0128] It is understood that the device 200 may comprise further components in addition to the components 201 to 205.

[0129] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a system 300 according to an exemplary aspect of the invention. In the following, it is assumed, by way of example, that system 300 is a (e.g., central) system of a delivery service for at least partially controlling deliveries and / or delivery orders of the delivery service to be carried out by vehicles of the delivery service.

[0130] System 300 comprises a route planning component 301, a knowledge-based and self-learning vehicle configuration component 302 and an optional simulation component 303. These components can be implemented as (e.g. at least partially or completely different) hardware components (e.g. as server devices of a server cloud) and / or software components (e.g. as on a processor of the type described above in connection with Fig. 2 disclosed device 200) and / or as a combination of (e.g. at least partially or completely different) hardware and software components.

[0131] The route planning component 301 is configured, for example, to determine a possible delivery route. For example, the route planning component 301 is configured to Fig. 1b to perform step 1031.

[0132] The route planning component 301 is based, for example, on a (e.g., modified) algorithm (e.g., a heuristic algorithm) for solving the so-called traveling salesman problem in order to determine the "best" possible delivery route for delivering shipments. The "best" possible delivery route is, for example, the "most energy-efficient route" (e.g., the delivery route with the lowest possible energy requirement per shipment), whereby the route planning component 301 determines the energy requirement per shipment, for example, only based on the length of the possible delivery route, the expected duration of delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route, and the weight of the shipments, so that it does not actually have to be the "most energy-efficient route." Furthermore, the route planning component 301 can provide specifications for determining the delivery route (e.g.,A predetermined sequence of delivery positions for the shipments on the delivery route and / or shipment delivery information for the shipments to be delivered (e.g., information on the external dimensions and / or weight, and / or information on the delivery times and / or delivery periods) and / or traffic information (e.g., information on traffic delays such as traffic jams and / or accidents and / or construction sites and / or closures) are taken into account when determining the possible delivery route. The delivery route (e.g., the plurality of possible delivery routes) can be determined at least partially based on navigation map information provided by the route planning component.

[0133] The knowledge-based and self-learning vehicle configuration component 302 is configured, for example, to determine a possible vehicle configuration. For example, the knowledge-based and self-learning vehicle configuration component 302 is configured to determine the vehicle configuration described above in connection with Fig. 1b. The knowledge-based and self-learning vehicle configuration component 302 may also be used to determine the expected energy demand. For example, it may be configured to perform the step 1032 disclosed above in connection with Fig. 1b to perform step 1033.

[0134] The knowledge-based and self-learning vehicle configuration component 302 comprises an input and / or output module 3021, a query module 3022, a knowledge database 3023, a training module 3024, and a data collection module 3025. The knowledge database 3023 stores, for example, historical delivery information that was recorded and / or determined from the vehicles of the vehicle module and obtained by the data collection module 3025. The training module 3024 serves, for example, to train the knowledge database 3025 by filtering the historical delivery information obtained by the data collection module 3025 such that only relevant historical delivery information is stored in the knowledge database 3023. If historical delivery information is continuously received at the data collection module 3025, the knowledge database 3023 can be continuously trained by the training module 3024.For example, training can be carried out in such a way that, based on the knowledge database 3023, a vehicle configuration for a specific delivery route can be determined such that a vehicle with this vehicle configuration is expected to move along this delivery route as energy-efficiently as possible and / or that the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along this delivery route by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration is as low as possible. The training module 3024 can, for example, be based on a machine learning algorithm. The machine learning can, for example, take the form of supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning, and / or reinforcement machine learning.Machine learning is preferably carried out through a combination of several of these techniques.

[0135] In addition to the historical delivery information, other information such as environmental information (e.g. weather information and / or traffic information) can also be stored in the knowledge database.

[0136] The vehicle configuration component 302 can receive and / or send information via the input and / or output module 3021. For example, the input and / or output module 3021 serves to exchange information with the route planning component 301 and / or the route planning component 303. For example, information can be exchanged that represents a possible delivery route determined by the route planning component 301 and / or a possible vehicle configuration determined by the vehicle configuration component 302 and / or an expected energy requirement determined by the simulation component 303.

[0137] A possible vehicle configuration can be determined, for example, by a corresponding query of the knowledge database 3023. The query module 3022 is used, for example, to query the knowledge database 3023. The query of the knowledge database 3023 is based, for example, at least partially on information received from the route planning component 301, which represents a possible delivery route determined by the route planning component 301, so that as a result of the query, a possible vehicle configuration for a vehicle is obtained for which it is expected that a vehicle with this vehicle configuration moves along this delivery route as energy-efficiently as possible and / or that the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along this delivery route by a vehicle with this vehicle configuration is as low as possible.

[0138] In addition to the vehicle configuration, the knowledge database query can also result in other information relevant, for example, for simulating the delivery of shipments along the specific possible delivery route by a vehicle with the specific possible vehicle configuration, such as environmental information (e.g. weather information and / or environmental information).

[0139] The simulation component 303 is configured, for example, to determine an expected energy demand. For example, the simulation component 303 is configured to determine the energy demand described above in connection with Fig. 1b. For example, the simulation component can perform a virtual simulation of the delivery of the shipments along the determined possible delivery route by a vehicle with the determined possible vehicle configuration in order to determine the energy requirement expected for the delivery. For this purpose, the simulation component receives, for example, information representing the possible delivery route determined by the route planning component 301 and / or the possible vehicle configuration determined by the vehicle configuration component 302. It is understood that further information, such as traffic information and / or environmental information, can be taken into account in the simulation. The result of the simulation, for example, is the expected energy requirement. It is understood that this expected energy requirement may differ from the actual energy requirement.Nevertheless, the simulation based on the delivery route and vehicle configuration achieves a particularly good approximation of the expected energy demand to the actual energy demand. This accuracy can be further improved by incorporating additional information.

[0140] Subsequently, the simulation component 302 can, for example, determine whether a predetermined energy requirement condition is met (see step 1034) and decide whether the determined possible delivery route and the determined vehicle configuration should be determined as the delivery route and as the vehicle configuration for the delivery of the shipments (see step 1035).

[0141] Fig. Finally, Figure 4 shows exemplary embodiments of storage media on which an embodiment of a disclosed computer program can be stored. The storage medium can be, for example, a magnetic, electrical, optical and / or other type of storage medium. The storage medium can, for example, be part of a processor (e.g., the processor 201 of the device 200 of Fig. 2), for example, a (non-volatile or volatile) program memory of the processor or a portion thereof (e.g., program memory 202). Embodiments of a storage medium are a flash memory 400, an SSD hard drive 401, a magnetic hard drive 402, a memory card 403, a memory stick 404 (e.g., a USB stick), a CD-ROM or DVD 405, or a floppy disk 406.

[0142] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention described in this specification should also be understood as disclosed in all combinations with one another. In particular, the description of a feature encompassed by an embodiment should not be understood in this case - unless explicitly stated otherwise - in such a way that the feature is indispensable or essential for the function of the exemplary embodiment. The sequence of the method steps described in this specification in the individual flowcharts is not mandatory; alternative sequences of the method steps are conceivable - unless stated otherwise. The method steps can be implemented in various ways; for example, an implementation in software (by program instructions), hardware or a combination of both is conceivable for implementing the method steps.

[0143] Terms used in the claims such as "comprise," "have," "include," "contain," and the like do not exclude further elements or steps. The phrase "at least partially" encompasses both "partially" and "completely." The phrase "and / or" is intended to indicate that both the alternative and the combination are disclosed; thus, "A and / or B" means "(A) or (B) or (A and B)." A plurality of units, persons, or the like, in the context of this specification, means several units, persons, or the like. The use of the indefinite article does not exclude a plurality. A single device may perform the functions of several units or devices recited in the claims. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be construed as limitations on the means and steps employed.

Claims

[1] A method performed by an apparatus or system, the method comprising: - Obtaining and / or keeping (101) historical delivery information, wherein the historical delivery information is associated with multiple deliveries of shipments carried out by one or more vehicles, wherein the historical delivery information represents, for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information, at least details of a delivery route, an energy requirement, and a vehicle configuration, and wherein the vehicle configuration, if it is a modular vehicle, represents and / or specifies one or more modules with which the vehicle was equipped during the delivery of shipments, - Obtaining (102) shipment delivery information for multiple shipments to be delivered, wherein the shipment delivery information represents, at least for each of the shipments, details of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment, - determining (103) a delivery route for delivering the shipments and a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the determined delivery route based at least partially on the shipment delivery information and the historical delivery information, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises determining the expected energy requirement for delivering the shipments along the determined delivery route by a vehicle with the determined vehicle configuration, - Providing (104) delivery control information to cause the shipments to be delivered along the specific delivery route by a vehicle having the specific vehicle configuration. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises: - Determining (1031) a possible delivery route for delivering the shipments, - determining (1032) a possible vehicle configuration of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the possible delivery route, - Determining (1033) the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration. [3] The method of claim 2, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises: - Determining (1034) whether the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the possible delivery route by a vehicle with the possible vehicle configuration satisfies a predetermined energy requirement condition, and wherein the possible delivery route is only determined as a delivery route for delivering the shipments and the possible vehicle configuration is only determined as a vehicle configuration for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the delivery route if it is determined that the predetermined energy requirement condition is satisfied. [4] The method of claim 3, wherein, if it is determined that the predetermined energy demand condition is not met, determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises: - determining (1031) at least one further possible delivery route for delivering the shipments, - determining (1032) a further possible vehicle configuration of a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the further delivery route, - determining (1033) the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration, - Determining (1034) whether the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the further possible delivery route by a vehicle with the further possible vehicle configuration meets the specified energy requirement condition. [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein determining the delivery route and the vehicle configuration comprises: - Selecting the specific delivery route from a plurality of possible delivery routes for delivering the shipments and / or the specific vehicle configuration from a plurality of possible vehicle configurations for a vehicle for delivering the shipments along the delivery route. [6] Method according to claim 5, wherein for each of the possible delivery routes and / or each of the possible vehicle configurations, the expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments along the respective possible delivery route by a vehicle with the respective possible vehicle configuration is determined, and wherein the delivery route of the possible delivery routes and / or the vehicle configuration of the possible vehicle configurations with the lowest expected energy requirement for the delivery of the shipments is selected. [7] Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determination of the delivery route and the vehicle configuration is carried out at least partially according to an evolutionary algorithm and / or a machine learning algorithm. [8] The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the historical delivery information for each of the deliveries of shipments associated with the delivery information further represents at least one or more of the following information: - an indication of a vehicle speed and / or vehicle acceleration on the delivery route and / or on a section of the delivery route of the delivery of consignments associated with the respective delivery information, - an indication of the nature of the delivery route and / or a section of the delivery route of the delivery of consignments associated with the respective delivery information, and / or - an indication of the timing of the delivery of shipments associated with the respective delivery information. [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the shipment delivery information for each of the shipments further represents at least one or more of the following information: - an indication of the external dimensions of the respective shipment, - an indication of the weight of the respective shipment, - an indication of a delivery time and / or a delivery period for the delivery of the respective shipment, - an indication of the nature of the delivery position for the delivery of the respective shipment, and / or - an indication of the recipient's name and / or address of the respective shipment. [10] A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the method further comprises: - Obtaining and / or maintaining environmental information associated with the delivery of the shipments, wherein determining the delivery route and / or the vehicle configuration and / or the expected energy demand is further based at least in part on the environmental information. [11] Method according to claim 10, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one indication of the expected weather and / or the expected position of the sun at at least one delivery position of the delivery positions. [12] A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the method further comprising: - Obtaining historical delivery information associated with the delivery of the shipment if the vehicle with the specific vehicle configuration has delivered the shipments along the specific delivery route, wherein the delivery information represents at least information on the specific delivery route, the energy demand and the specific vehicle configuration. [13] A computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, are designed to cause a device or a system to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12. [14] Device (200) or system (300) comprising: - Means (201-205; 301-303) arranged to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 12 or comprising respective means (201-205; 301-303) for carrying out the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 12.

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