Apparatus and method for determining expected travel time for processing a delivery transaction

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for obtaining information for processing delivery jobs in an electronic device is disclosed, the method including: obtaining history information of processing a plurality of delivery jobs with specific attributes; determining, based on the history information, a plurality of actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery jobs; and obtaining, based on the plurality of actual required times, a buffer value for updating an expected required time for processing the delivery jobs with the specific attributes.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for determining an expected time required to process a delivery job, and more particularly, to a method and an electronic device using the same, which acquires history information of processing a plurality of delivery jobs with specific attributes, and checks actual times required to process the plurality of delivery jobs based on the history information, thereby acquiring a buffer value for updating an expected time required to process the delivery jobs with specific attributes. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a branch of shopping, where customers can purchase items online without visiting a shopping mall or market, and the items purchased online are delivered to the address requested by the customer.

[0003] As internet use becomes more commonplace, the e-commerce market is expanding. Demand for non-face-to-face services has skyrocketed, especially due to the spread of infectious diseases. Delivery is often being made for items with short distribution or short expiration dates (such as food and drink).

[0004] Because fast and timely delivery is particularly important for such items as food and beverages, it is undesirable for the delivery person to arrive at the store too late compared to the time the item is prepared, and there is a need to inform customers as accurately as possible of the time required for delivery of the item.

[0005] However, since the time required for preparing the item, assigning a delivery person, and executing the delivery is variable, it is not easy to accurately inform the customer of the time required for delivery of the item. If the time required for delivery of the item cannot be predicted with 100% accuracy, it may be important to determine which factors to prioritize in predicting the time required for delivery of the item. This may include, for example, determining whether to prioritize ensuring that the actual arrival time of the item is not later than the predicted time, or whether to prioritize minimizing the difference between the actual arrival time of the item and the predicted time.

[0006] In this regard, reference may be made to prior art documents such as Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1870190 and Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0108168. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The problem to be solved by this embodiment is to provide an electronic device and method for solving the above-mentioned problems, which acquires history information on the processing of multiple delivery jobs with specific attributes, checks multiple actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the multiple delivery jobs based on the history information, and acquires a buffer value for updating the estimated required time for processing the delivery jobs with specific attributes based on the multiple actual required times.

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned technical problem, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one embodiment, a method for acquiring information for processing delivery jobs in an electronic device includes acquiring history information on processing a plurality of delivery jobs with specific attributes; checking, based on the history information, a plurality of actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery jobs; and acquiring, based on the plurality of actual required times, a buffer value for updating an expected required time for processing the delivery jobs with the specific attributes.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of obtaining the buffer value may include the steps of: identifying one or more candidate buffer values; and determining, from the one or more candidate buffer values, a candidate buffer value that satisfies a set condition.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the step of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set condition may include one or more of the following steps: obtaining a first value for each of the one or more candidate buffer values ​​based on whether the plurality of actual required times exceeds the predicted required times when each of the candidate buffer values ​​is applied; and obtaining a second value for each of the one or more candidate buffer values ​​based on a difference between the plurality of actual required times and the predicted required times when each of the candidate buffer values ​​is applied.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the step of acquiring the first value may include acquiring information on a proportion of the plurality of actual required times that does not exceed an expected required time when the first candidate buffer value is applied, for a first candidate buffer value included in the one or more candidate buffer values.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the step of obtaining the second value may include the steps of: confirming a difference between a first candidate buffer value included in the one or more candidate buffer values ​​and an expected required time when the first candidate buffer value is applied for each of the plurality of actual required times; and calculating an average of the confirmed differences.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the step of determining a candidate buffer value that satisfies the set condition may further include the steps of: checking a first critical condition corresponding to the first value; and determining a candidate buffer value that minimizes the second value while the first value satisfies the first critical condition.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the step of determining a candidate buffer value that satisfies the set condition may further include the steps of: checking a second critical condition corresponding to the second value; and determining a candidate buffer value that maximizes the first value while the second value satisfies the second critical condition.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the step of determining a candidate buffer value that satisfies the set condition may further include the steps of checking a first weighted value set for the first value and a second weighted value set for the second value; and determining an optimal candidate buffer value taking into account the first weighted value and the second weighted value.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may determine whether the delivery job has the particular attributes based on one or more of area information associated with the delivery job and time zone information associated with the delivery job.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the method of acquiring information for processing a delivery job may further include providing information including an updated estimated time required by applying the buffer value to one or more of a customer and a delivery person.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the method for acquiring information for processing the delivery job may further include the steps of: processing the delivery job based on the estimated required time updated by applying the buffer value; acquiring result information of processing the delivery job; and verifying the buffer value based on the result information.

[0020] According to one embodiment, an electronic device for acquiring information for processing delivery jobs includes a memory for storing instructions and a processor, the processor being connected to the memory to acquire history information on processing a plurality of delivery jobs with specific attributes, confirming a plurality of actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery jobs based on the history information, and acquiring a buffer value for updating an expected required time for processing the delivery jobs with the specific attributes based on the plurality of actual required times.

[0021] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present disclosure, an electronic device and method for processing delivery information can optimize the prediction of the time required to process delivery operations by taking into consideration customer satisfaction, service stability, and the like overall.

[0023] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for acquiring information for processing delivery operations according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an estimated required time before a buffer value is applied according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention for acquiring information for processing a delivery transaction. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a result of obtaining first and second values ​​for one or more candidate buffer values ​​according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen for a user to set a buffer value according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation for verifying a buffer value according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of an operation for verifying a buffer value according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device for acquiring information for processing a delivery job according to an embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may change depending on the intentions of engineers in the field, legal precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the relevant explanation section. Therefore, the terms used in the present disclosure must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure, rather than simply by the names of the terms.

[0026] Throughout the specification, when a part "comprises" a certain element, this does not mean that it excludes other elements, but that it may further include other elements, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "unit..." and "module..." used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be embodied in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0027] Throughout the specification, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" may encompass "a alone," "b alone," "c alone," "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," or "all of a, b, and c."

[0028] The "terminal" referred to below may be embodied as a computer or a portable terminal that can connect to a server or another terminal via a network. Here, the computer may be, for example, a notebook computer, desktop computer, or laptop computer equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal may be, for example, a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility, and may include communication-based terminals such as International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), and Long Term Evolution (LTE), as well as all kinds of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and that are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted in order to more clearly convey the gist of the present invention without obscuring it.

[0032] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated schematically, and the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals.

[0033] The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully teach the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference symbols refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0034] It will be understood that each block of the process flowchart diagrams and combinations of the flowchart diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded into a processor in a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that the instructions, executed by the processor in the computer or other programmable data processing device, create means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to implement the functions in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions may be embodied on a computer or other programmable data processing device such that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-implemented process, and the instructions may provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0035] Also, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing the specified logical function(s). Also, it should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown one after the other may actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in reverse order depending on the relevant function.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system for acquiring information for processing delivery operations according to one embodiment.

[0037] According to various embodiments, a system for processing delivery information includes an electronic device 110. In one embodiment, the system for processing delivery information may further include one or more of a customer device 120 and a delivery person device 130. In one embodiment, the system for processing delivery information may further include a network that facilitates transmission and reception of information between at least some of the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, the delivery person device 130, and an external device.

[0038] The electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person device 130 of the delivery information processing system may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. Each of the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person device 130 represents a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] Although the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person device 130 are generally referred to as separate devices and servers, they may be logically separated structures and may be implemented as separate functions from a single device or server. For example, the electronic device 110 may include the delivery person device 130 or may be integrated with the delivery person device 130. In such cases, data transmission and reception between the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person device 130 may be understood to correspond to the process of transmitting and receiving data between components within the devices (e.g., with the processor of the device).

[0040] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person's device 130 may include multiple computer systems or computer software implemented on a network server. For example, at least some of the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person's device 130 may represent computer systems and computer software that are connected to subordinate devices capable of communicating with other network servers via a computer network such as an intranet or the Internet, accept task execution requests, execute the corresponding tasks, and provide execution results. Alternatively, at least some of the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person's device 130 may be understood as a broader concept that includes a series of application programs that can run on a network server and various databases built therein. For example, at least some of the electronic device 110, the customer device 120, and the delivery person device 130 may be implemented using a network server program provided in a variety of ways depending on the operating system, such as DOS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, or MacOS.

[0041] The electronic device 110 is a device that acquires various information and provides it to other servers and devices, etc., and may include a computer device, a mobile communication terminal, a server, etc. For example, the electronic device 110 may acquire a buffer value for updating an expected time required for processing a delivery job and provide it to one or more of the customer device 120 and the delivery person device 130.

[0042] More specifically, in relation to obtaining the buffer value, the electronic device 110 obtains history information on the processing of multiple delivery jobs with specific attributes, identifies multiple actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the multiple delivery jobs based on the obtained history information, and obtains a buffer value for updating the expected required time for processing the delivery jobs with specific attributes based on the identified multiple actual required times. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 110 may obtain the buffer value by checking one or more candidate buffer values ​​and determining which of the candidate buffer values ​​satisfies a set condition. As a more specific example, the electronic device 110 may determine the value that satisfies the set condition based on one or more of the results of determining whether the multiple actual required times exceed the expected required time when each candidate buffer value is applied, and the difference between the multiple actual required times and the expected required time when each candidate buffer value is applied.

[0043] Further details regarding the operation of electronic device 110 are described below, such as with reference to FIGS.

[0044] The customer device 120 is a device used by a customer to purchase items via an e-commerce website and may include a computer device, a mobile communication terminal, a server, etc. The customer device 120 is a terminal operated and managed by the customer and may transmit and receive various information to and from other devices, such as the electronic device 110 and the delivery person's device 130, via a network. For example, the customer device 120 may receive an order input for a customer item and transmit the customer's order information to the electronic device 110. The item is not necessarily limited to an item that is subject to delivery and may include items that do not require delivery, such as a mobile gift certificate or a game item. However, for convenience of explanation, the following describes an embodiment in which a customer orders a first item that requires delivery.

[0045] In addition, the customer device 120 may perform various functions to allow the customer to view information related to the item order, such as receiving and providing to the customer one or more of real-time delivery progress information and information on the estimated time required to process the delivery from the electronic device 110 or the delivery person's device 130.

[0046] The delivery person's device 130 is a device used by the delivery person to perform delivery-related tasks, and may include a computer device, a mobile communication terminal, a server, etc. The delivery person's device 130 may transmit and receive various information to and from other devices, such as the electronic device 110 and the customer's device 120, via a network. The delivery person's device 130 may receive delivery task requests (including suggestions and instructions, etc.) from the electronic device 110 and transmit them to the delivery person. In addition, the delivery person's device 130 may perform various functions related to the delivery person's delivery task, such as receiving information on the expected time required to complete the delivery task and providing it to the delivery person, and generating delivery status information and providing it to the electronic device 110.

[0047] Operations related to the information processing methods according to various embodiments may be implemented by a single physical device or by an organic combination of multiple physical devices. For example, some of the components included in the delivery information processing system may be implemented by one physical device, and the remaining components may be implemented by another physical device. For example, one physical device may be implemented as part of the electronic device 110, and the other physical devices may be implemented as part of the customer device 120, the delivery person device 130, or other external devices. In some cases, the components included in the delivery information processing system may be distributed among different physical devices, and the distributed components may be organically combined to perform the functions and operations of the delivery information processing system. For example, the electronic device 110 in this specification may include at least one sub-device, and some operations described as being performed by the electronic device 110 may be performed by a first sub-device, and other operations may be performed by a second sub-device.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an expected required time before applying a buffer value according to an embodiment.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 2, an example of a process from order generation to delivery completion according to one embodiment is illustrated at 200. More specifically, according to one example, after an order is generated, if the supplier accepts, a delivery person is assigned. The assigned delivery person accepts the delivery, arrives at the store to receive the items, and delivers the received items to the customer, thereby completing the delivery. Of course, this is merely an example, and various embodiments are possible, such as not granting the supplier or delivery person the authority to decide whether to perform the delivery, thereby unilaterally assigning the delivery to the supplier, or having the assigned delivery person immediately perform the delivery, or not separately considering the preparation time for the item if the item is a common product.

[0050] In the example of Figure 2, various types of expected required times are illustrated. Specifically, ETA0 (210) corresponds to the expected time required from order placement to delivery completion, ETA1 (220) corresponds to the expected time required from supplier acceptance to delivery completion, ETA2 (230) corresponds to the expected time required from delivery personnel acceptance to delivery completion, and ETA3 (240) corresponds to the expected time required from delivery personnel acceptance of the item to delivery completion. Thus, depending on the embodiment, there may be various ways to confirm the expected required time, and this may also be the case for actual required times.

[0051] 2 may be understood as the time before the buffer value acquired by the electronic device 110 in the present disclosure is applied. For example, according to one example, ETA0 (210) may be expressed as Equation 1 below, and ETA1 (220) may be expressed as Equation 2 below.

[0052] [Formula 1]

number

[0053] In one embodiment, assign buffer is a buffer time to compensate for time not covered by the formula, such as the time from order placement to acceptance by the supplier and the waiting time before the delivery person arrives at the store and receives the item, and may be different from the buffer value acquired by the electronic device 110 in the present disclosure, which may also be the case in Equation 2.

[0054] [Formula 2]

number

[0055] In one embodiment, func(x) is

number

[0056] 3 to 7, the following describes how a buffer value to be applied to the estimated required time is acquired and the estimated required time is updated by applying the acquired buffer value.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for an electronic device to acquire information for processing a delivery transaction according to an embodiment.

[0058] 3 , the electronic device 110 according to one embodiment acquires history information of processing multiple delivery jobs with specific attributes 301. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 110 may acquire the history information from another device, more specifically, from a delivery person's device 130 or a management device at a fulfillment center. However, this is merely an example, and the method of acquiring the history information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 110 may determine whether a delivery job has a particular attribute based on one or more of region information associated with the delivery job and time period information associated with the delivery job. For example, the electronic device 110 may determine that a delivery job performed during a lunch peak in the Gangnam-gu area is a delivery job with a particular attribute.

[0060] There may be various examples for setting specific criteria for defining attributes of a delivery job, and more detailed examples of this will be described below in FIG.

[0061] Based on the history information, the electronic device 110 identifies a plurality of actual durations corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery jobs 302. The actual durations may be included in the history information or may be information that the electronic device 110 additionally acquires based on the history information (e.g., after determining the identification information of a plurality of delivery jobs with a particular attribute based on the history information, the electronic device 110 may further identify the actual durations corresponding to the determined identification information).

[0062] Based on the plurality of actual required times, the electronic device 110 may acquire a buffer value for updating the expected required time for processing a delivery job of a particular attribute 303. In this regard, the electronic device 110 may identify one or more candidate buffer values, determine a candidate buffer value among the one or more candidate buffer values ​​that satisfies a set condition, and acquire a buffer value for updating the expected required time. The one or more candidate buffer values ​​may be identified according to a predetermined rule. For example, the candidate buffer values ​​may be identified according to a time interval and a time interval defined according to the rule. As a more specific example, if the time interval defined according to the rule is from -300 seconds to +300 seconds and the time interval is 60 seconds, the electronic device 110 may identify -300 seconds, -240 seconds, -180 seconds, -120 seconds, -60 seconds, 0 second, 60 seconds, 120 seconds, 180 seconds, 240 seconds, and 300 seconds as one or more candidate buffer values.

[0063] On the other hand, with regard to the interpretation of the buffer value, if the buffer value is a negative number, applying the buffer value can shorten the expected travel time, and if the buffer value is a positive number, applying the buffer value can lengthen the expected travel time. For example, if the arrival time reflecting the expected travel time is scheduled at 4:00 PM, a buffer value of -60 seconds can shorten the expected travel time by one minute, and the reflected arrival time can be earlier to 15:59:00, while a buffer value of +60 seconds can increase the expected travel time by one minute, and the reflected arrival time can be later to 16:01:00.

[0064] In relation to the operation of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set conditions, more specifically, the electronic device 110 according to an embodiment may acquire a first value for each of one or more candidate buffer values ​​based on whether a plurality of actual required times exceeds a predicted required time when each of the candidate buffer values ​​is applied, and may acquire a second value for each of one or more candidate buffer values ​​based on a difference between a plurality of actual required times and a predicted required time when each of the candidate buffer values ​​is applied.

[0065] In this regard, it is not necessary to perform both the operation of obtaining the first value and the operation of obtaining the second value, and depending on the embodiment, one of them may be obtained and a candidate buffer value that satisfies the set condition may be determined based on the result. Also, depending on the embodiment, even when determining whether a plurality of actual required times exceed the expected required times when each candidate buffer value is applied, and the differences between the plurality of actual required times and the expected required times when each candidate buffer value is applied, an integrated value that comprehensively reflects the results of the determinations may be obtained instead of independently obtaining the first value and the second value.

[0066] In addition, in some embodiments, the electronic device 110 may determine whether a plurality of actual required times exceeds the expected required time when each candidate buffer value is applied, without explicitly acquiring the first value, and may determine the difference between a plurality of actual required times and the expected required time when each candidate buffer value is applied, without explicitly acquiring the second value. However, for example, the electronic device 110 may immediately determine a candidate buffer value that satisfies a set condition based on the result of determining whether a plurality of actual required times exceeds the expected required time when each candidate buffer value is applied.

[0067] For the sake of convenience, the following describes an embodiment for obtaining a first value and a second value, but it should be understood that the following description may be applied mutatis mutandis to various embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] The electronic device 110, according to an embodiment, may acquire a first value by acquiring information on the percentage of multiple actual required times that do not exceed the expected required time when applying the first candidate buffer value to a first candidate buffer value included in one or more candidate buffer values. In this case, the first value, according to an example, may include, but is not limited to, an on-time rate (OTR). In this regard, although the term "percentage that does not exceed the expected required time" is used, in some embodiments, a time that exceeds the expected required time but is within an acceptable range may also be considered to not exceed the expected required time when determining the percentage. For example, if the expected required time when applying the first candidate buffer value is two hours, an actual required time of 2 hours and 1 minute may be considered to have exceeded the expected required time. However, if an additional allowance of 0.1 minute and 30 seconds is added when acquiring the percentage information, a time that exceeds 0.1 minute may be considered to have not exceeded the expected required time when determining the percentage.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 110 may obtain the second value by checking the difference between a first candidate buffer value included in one or more candidate buffer values ​​and the predicted required time when the first candidate buffer value is applied to each of a plurality of actual required times. In this regard, according to an example, the electronic device 110 may obtain the second value by calculating the average of the checked differences. In such a case, according to an example, the second value may include, but is not limited to, a mean absolute error (MAE).

[0070] After obtaining the first and second values, the electronic device 110 may determine a candidate buffer value that satisfies a set condition. For example, the electronic device 110 may check a first critical condition corresponding to the first value and determine a candidate buffer value that minimizes the second value while ensuring that the first value satisfies the first critical condition. As a specific example, the electronic device 110 may determine a candidate buffer value that minimizes the MAE while ensuring that the OTR does not fall below 0.7, and determine the candidate buffer value as a buffer value that satisfies the set condition. While the case where the second value is "minimized" has been described, this is merely an example, and various embodiments for determining a candidate buffer value that has an optimal second value while ensuring that the first value satisfies the first critical condition are within the scope of the present disclosure. (For reference, when the second value corresponds to the MAE, the lower the MAE, the more favorably the expected time is predicted. Therefore, the electronic device 110 may determine a candidate buffer value that minimizes the second value.)

[0071] According to another example, the electronic device 110 may check a second critical condition corresponding to the second value and determine a candidate buffer value that maximizes the first value while the second value satisfies the second critical condition. As a specific example, the electronic device 110 may determine a candidate buffer value that maximizes the OTR without increasing the MAE by more than 180 seconds, and determine the candidate buffer value as a buffer value that satisfies the set condition. While the case where the first value is "maximized" has been described, this is merely an example, and various embodiments for determining a candidate buffer value that maximizes the second value while satisfying the second critical condition and having an optimal first value are within the scope of the present disclosure. (For reference, when the first value corresponds to the OTR, the higher the value, the more favorably the predicted required time can be considered. Therefore, the electronic device 110 should be able to determine a candidate buffer value that maximizes the first value.)

[0072] Meanwhile, the first and second critical conditions may include various embodiments related to their settings, such as threshold value information for comparing the first and second values, or threshold information related to the degree to which the first or second value is changed by applying a buffer value. For example, the first critical condition may include a condition such as "the first value must be 0.7 or greater," or a condition such as "the change in the first value due to application of the buffer value must not be less than -0.1."

[0073] More specifically, an example of checking a second critical condition corresponding to a second value and determining a candidate buffer value that maximizes the first value while the second value satisfies the second critical condition can be expressed as in Equation 3 below.

[0074] [Formula 3]

number

[0075] where r corresponds to the index variable for spatial dimension in the spatial-temporal unit, and h corresponds to the index variable for temporal dimension in the spatial-temporal unit, and the i-th candidate buffer value is used for unit (r, h) if and only if

number

[0076]

number

number

number

number

[0077] Meanwhile, for convenience of explanation, an example has been described in which a candidate buffer value is determined such that the first value is maximized while the second value satisfies the second critical condition, but this can be widely applied to other embodiments (e.g., an example in which a candidate buffer value is determined such that the second value is minimized while the first value satisfies the first critical condition), and this can be more generalized and expressed as the following Equation 4.

[0078] [Formula 4]

number

[0079]

number

number

[0080] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the electronic device 110 may determine an optimal candidate buffer value by checking a first weighted value set for a first value and a second weighted value set for a second value and taking the first weighted value and the second weighted value into consideration. Various examples of determining a buffer value using a first value and a second value are possible. For example, in the above example, if the first weighted value is 0.3 and the second weighted value is 0.7, the electronic device 110 may determine a candidate buffer value that maximizes 0.3*OTR-0.7*MAE (because a smaller MAE is more preferable). In this regard, various specific calculation methods may be determined. For example, according to an embodiment, the OTR and MAE values ​​for each candidate buffer value may be normalized and the optimal candidate buffer value may be determined by reflecting each weighted value based on the normalized value.

[0081] In one embodiment, the electronic device 110 may provide 304 information including the updated estimated travel time to one or more of the customer device 120 and the delivery person device 130. Of course, in some embodiments, the updated travel time may be used solely for logistics purposes, such as for providing the service, without the customer or delivery person being notified separately (i.e., the customer or delivery person may be informed of the estimated travel time before the buffer was applied and updated).

[0082] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 110 may process a delivery job based on the updated estimated time required by applying the buffer value, and then obtain result information of the delivery job, and verify the buffer value based on the obtained result information. More detailed descriptions and examples related to this will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0083] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a result of obtaining first and second values ​​for one or more candidate buffer values ​​according to an embodiment.

[0084] 4 illustrates the results of obtaining first and second values ​​for one or more candidate buffer values ​​according to an embodiment, more specifically, a graph with multiple candidate buffer values ​​on the x-axis and a first value (OTR) and a second value (MAE) on the y-axis. Diagrams 401 through 404 may be understood as graphs illustrating first and second values ​​for candidate buffer values ​​for delivery tasks with specific attributes. That is, graph 401 is a graph illustrating first and second values ​​for candidate buffer values ​​for a delivery task with the same attribute (specifically, a delivery task corresponding to ops_regionid=2), and the attribute may be understood to be different from graph 402 (graph 402 is a graph illustrating a delivery task corresponding to ops_regionid=4).

[0085] In relation to the graphs of drawing numbers 401 to 404, a case is illustrated in which the first value corresponds to the OTR and the second value corresponds to the MAE, but as already mentioned above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0086] From the graph, it can be seen that as the buffer value increases, both the MAE and the OTR tend to increase. In other words, as the buffer value increases, the OTR increases, making it possible to obtain a more suitable first value, but the MAE also increases, making it more difficult to obtain a suitable second value (because a larger OTR is better and a smaller MAE is better). In light of this, it can be seen that the relationship between the first value and the second value in searching for an optimal buffer value is almost reciprocal. Therefore, if it is difficult or impossible to simultaneously optimize the first value and the second value, it may be important to consider how to consider the first value and the second value to determine a candidate buffer value that meets the set conditions.

[0087] The specific method for taking the first value and the second value into consideration has been described above with reference to FIG.

[0088] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for a user to set a buffer value according to an embodiment.

[0089] 5, a screen for setting a buffer value may be provided to a user according to an embodiment. Depending on the embodiment, the screen for setting a buffer value may be provided to a user via an output device of the electronic device 110, the screen for setting a buffer value may be provided to a user via a separate user device, or the screen for setting a buffer value may be provided to a user via another device (e.g., a delivery person's device 130), etc.

[0090] As an example of a screen provided to the user for setting a buffer value, a setting page 501 before setting a buffer value may be provided to the user, and the user may set buffer values ​​for various attributes of delivery jobs through the setting page 501. In the illustrated example, the user may set one of the buffer values ​​from -300 seconds, -240 seconds, -180 seconds, -120 seconds, -60 seconds, 0 seconds, 60 seconds, 120 seconds, 180 seconds, 240 seconds, and 300 seconds for each attribute of each delivery job.

[0091] Alternatively, the user may instruct the electronic device 110 to obtain a buffer value. In the illustrated example, the user may provide an input corresponding to the "Automatic" button, causing the electronic device 110 to obtain a buffer value. Specific operations of the electronic device 110 obtaining a buffer value have been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, etc., and the result of obtaining a buffer value according to the operations of various embodiments is the same as that shown in FIG. 502 (where the value "1" indicates a buffer value determined to be the optimal value among one or more candidate buffer values), and the result of displaying this on a new setting page may be the same as that shown in FIG. 503.

[0092] In some embodiments, the buffer value may be applied and the estimated duration updated only with user confirmation input. In the illustrated example, the user may provide confirmation input corresponding to a "Confirm" button.

[0093] On the other hand, it is not necessary to provide the user with a screen for setting the buffer value. In some embodiments, the electronic device 110 may immediately obtain and apply the buffer value according to the method described above in FIGS. 1 and 3, etc., without providing the user with separate authority for setting the buffer value. Various embodiments related to the present disclosure may exist.

[0094] Meanwhile, as described above, the electronic device 110 may determine whether a delivery job has a specific attribute based on one or more of area information related to the delivery job and time period information related to the delivery job, and a specific example thereof may be seen in Figure 5. According to the example of Figure 5, "Gangnam area, lunch peak time (Gangnam, Lunch Peak)," "Gangnam area, dinner peak time (Gangnam, Dinner Peak)," "Gangnam area, not peak time (Gangnam, Off-Peak)," "Seocho area, lunch peak time (Seocho, Lunch Peak)," "Seocho area, dinner peak time (Seocho, Dinner Peak)," and "Seocho area, not peak time (Seocho, Off-Peak)" may correspond to attributes of the delivery job, respectively.

[0095] However, the geographical scope related to the attributes of delivery work is not limited to wards, and the time scope is not limited to whether it is during peak hours or not. For example, in a specific area with a particularly high population density, the attributes can be set differently on a district-by-district basis, and in an area with a low population density, the attributes can be set differently on a city-by-city basis. Off-peak can also be subdivided into post-lunch, post-dinner, early morning, etc., and different attributes can be set for each. Various standards for setting the attributes of delivery work can exist to provide effective services.

[0096] In addition, depending on the embodiment, it may be possible to determine the attributes of a delivery job based on other types of information instead of one or more of the area information related to the delivery job and the time period information related to the delivery job (or in addition to the area information related to the delivery job and the time period information related to the delivery job).For example, various embodiments may be possible, such as considering whether the delivery is an emergency delivery, whether the item being delivered is a perishable food item, or whether the delivery is for a high-value item.

[0097] 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation for verifying a buffer value according to an embodiment.

[0098] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the electronic device 110 according to an embodiment may process a delivery job based on the updated estimated time by applying a buffer value, and then verify the buffer value based on the processing result information.

[0099] Drawing numbers 601 and 701 may correspond to information on the result of processing a delivery job based on the updated required time. More specifically, the information of drawing numbers 601 and 701 may include the results of calculating a first value (e.g., OTR) and a second value (e.g., MAE) based on the estimated required time before the update for the information on the result of processing a delivery job, as well as the results of calculating the first value and the second value based on the updated required time by applying a buffer value. The values ​​calculated based on the estimated required time before the update may correspond to OTR_old and MAE_old, and the values ​​calculated based on the updated required time may correspond to OTR_new and MAE_new. Meanwhile, order_wgt may correspond to the result of calculating the percentage of jobs processed on each date based on the total number of jobs considered in the information of drawing numbers 601 and 701, and dt may correspond to the date on which each job was processed.

[0100] The results of deriving the average value for each metric by multiplying by the percentage for each date and adding them up are shown in figures 602 and 702. In the case of figure 602, the increase in OTR_new compared to OTR_old is over 1%, while the increase in MAE_new compared to MAE_old is less than 0.1%, which is very small, so it can be determined that the applied buffer value was appropriate. In the case of figure 702, the decrease in OTR_new compared to OTR_old is less than 0.1%, which is very small, while the decrease in MAE_new compared to MAE_old is over 1%, so it can be determined that the applied buffer value was appropriate.

[0101] In this regard, the case of drawing number 601 corresponds to a verification result for a case in which the buffer value is determined by giving more importance to the first value (e.g., a case in which a candidate buffer value is determined such that the first value is maximized while the second value satisfies the second critical condition), and the case of drawing number 701 corresponds to a verification result for a case in which the buffer value is determined by giving more importance to the second value (e.g., a case in which a candidate buffer value is determined such that the second value is minimized while the first value satisfies the first critical condition), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0102] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device for processing delivery information according to an embodiment.

[0103] 8, electronic device 110 includes a processor 820 and memory 830, and in some embodiments may further include a transceiver 810. Electronic device 110 may be connected to and exchange data with a customer device 120, a delivery person's device 130, and other external devices via transceiver 810.

[0104] The processor 820 may include at least one device described above in Figures 1 through 7 or may perform at least one method described above in Figures 1 through 7. The memory 830 may store information for performing at least one method described above in Figures 1 through 7. The memory 830 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

[0105] The processor 820 may execute programs and control the electronic device 110 to provide information. The code of the programs executed by the processor 820 may be stored in the memory 830.

[0106] Additionally, in one embodiment, the electronic device 110 may further include an interface that may provide information to an administrator or the like.

[0107] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, they are used in a general sense merely to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that other modifications based on the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0108] The device or terminal according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with external devices, and user interface devices such as a touch panel, keys, buttons, etc. Methods embodied as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable code or program instructions executable on the processor. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage media (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disks, hard disks, etc.) and optically readable media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed across computer systems connected to a network, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium is computer-readable and may be stored in memory and executed by a processor.

[0109] The present embodiments may be illustrated with functional block structures and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be embodied in various hardware and / or software components that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiments may employ integrated circuit structures such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., that can perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Just as components may be implemented in software programming or software elements, the present embodiments may be embodied in programming or scripting languages ​​such as C, C++, Java, assembler, Python, etc., including various algorithms embodied in combinations of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming components. Functional aspects may be embodied in algorithms executed by one or more processors. The present embodiments may also employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism," "element," "means," and "component" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical components. These terms may include the meaning of a series of software routines in conjunction with a processor or the like.

[0110] The above-described embodiments are by way of example only, and other embodiments may be embodied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for obtaining information for processing a delivery transaction in an electronic device, comprising: acquiring history information of processing a plurality of delivery jobs having a specific attribute; determining a plurality of actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery transactions based on the history information; and acquiring a buffer value for updating an expected time required to process the delivery job of the particular attribute based on the plurality of actual time required.

2. The step of obtaining the buffer value comprises: identifying one or more candidate buffer values; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a candidate buffer value that satisfies a set condition from among the one or more candidate buffer values.

3. The step of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set conditions includes: obtaining a first value based on whether the plurality of actual required times exceed the predicted required times for each of the one or more candidate buffer values; and acquiring a second value based on a difference between the plurality of actual required times and a predicted required time applying each candidate buffer value for each of the one or more candidate buffer values.

4. The step of obtaining the first value comprises:

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: acquiring information on a proportion of the plurality of actual required times that does not exceed an expected required time when the first candidate buffer value is applied to the first candidate buffer value included in the one or more candidate buffer values.

5. The step of obtaining the second value comprises: determining a difference between a first candidate buffer value included in the one or more candidate buffer values ​​and an expected required time when the first candidate buffer value is applied to each of the plurality of actual required times; 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: calculating an average of the identified differences.

6. The step of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set conditions includes: identifying a first critical condition corresponding to the first value; 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: determining a candidate buffer value that minimizes the second value while the first value satisfies the first critical condition.

7. The step of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set conditions includes: identifying a second critical condition corresponding to the second value; 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: determining a candidate buffer value that maximizes the first value while the second value satisfies the second critical condition.

8. The step of determining candidate buffer values ​​that satisfy the set conditions includes: confirming a first weight assigned to the first value and a second weight assigned to the second value; 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining an optimal candidate buffer value by taking into consideration the first weighted value and the second weighted value.

9. The method for acquiring information for processing delivery jobs as described in claim 1, wherein the electronic device determines whether the delivery job has the specific attributes based on one or more of area information related to the delivery job and time zone information related to the delivery job.

10. 2. The method for acquiring information for processing delivery operations according to claim 1, further comprising providing information including the estimated required time updated by applying the buffer value to one or more of the customer and the delivery person.

11. Processing a delivery job based on the estimated required time updated by applying the buffer value; acquiring information on the result of processing the delivery business; The method for obtaining information for processing a delivery transaction according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of: verifying the buffer value based on the result information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 1.

13. An electronic device for acquiring information for processing a delivery transaction, It includes a memory for storing instructions and a processor, The processor is coupled to the memory and Acquire history information on the processing of multiple delivery operations with specific attributes, determining a plurality of actual required times corresponding to the times required to process the plurality of delivery transactions based on the history information; and an electronic device that obtains a buffer value for updating a predicted time required to process the delivery job of the particular attribute based on the plurality of actual time required.

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