Method and apparatus for providing delivery information regarding delivery services

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and device for providing information about multiple deliveries to a customer terminal when a delivery person is assigned to handle multiple delivery requests simultaneously. A method for providing delivery information in an electronic device for providing delivery services according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving a first delivery request from a first user; checking whether first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to set first conditions; and, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to the set first conditions, providing a page to the first user terminal displaying at least a portion of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for providing information about deliveries, and more particularly to a method and device for providing information about multiple deliveries to a customer terminal when a delivery person is assigned to handle multiple delivery requests simultaneously in a situation where there is a shortage of delivery people. [Background technology]

[0002] As internet use becomes more widespread, the e-commerce and food delivery service markets are expanding. In particular, with the spread of infectious diseases, the proportion of people visiting offline restaurants to eat has decreased, while the proportion of people ordering food through smartphone apps for food delivery services has rapidly increased.

[0003] As online ordering and delivery services for a variety of items, including food and drink, become commonplace, the speed and efficiency of fulfilling customer orders has become a major factor in determining the reputation of a service. In particular, in the case of food and drink ordering services, whether delivery is made quickly or not is a more important factor. Therefore, when a delivery person is assigned to handle other customers' orders in addition to his or her own order, the expected increase in delivery time tends to decrease customer satisfaction.

[0004] As a result, delivery service providers may try to increase customer satisfaction by informing customers that one delivery person is assigned to handle only one order at a time, in order to emphasize to customers that delivery is being provided more quickly.

[0005] However, even when the supply of delivery personnel is insufficient compared to delivery demand, such as during peak hours in the daytime or evening or on days with bad weather, if only one order is assigned to one delivery personnel at a time, the assignment delay time, which refers to the time from when a customer starts requesting a delivery personnel to assign an order to the delivery personnel to the customer's order to when the delivery personnel accepts the delivery of the customer's order, becomes long, which can actually lengthen the estimated delivery time.

[0006] Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of delivery operations, it is necessary to optimize the method of allocating delivery operations to delivery personnel.

[0007] In this regard, reference may be made to prior art documents such as KR10-2422151B1 and KR10-2456359B1. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and device for providing information about multiple deliveries to a customer terminal when a delivery person is assigned to handle multiple delivery requests at the same time, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009] More specifically, the present invention aims to determine whether there is a shortage of delivery personnel, and if there is a shortage of delivery personnel, determine whether there are other delivery requests that can be merged into one delivery request, and if there are other delivery requests that can be merged, assign multiple delivery requests to one delivery personnel at the same time, and provide delivery information regarding the multiple delivery requests to the customer terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a method for providing delivery information in an electronic device providing a delivery service according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving a first delivery request from a first user; checking whether first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to set first conditions; and, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to the set first conditions, providing a page to a first user terminal, on which at least a portion of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request are displayed.

[0011] In one embodiment, if the second delivery conditions according to the second delivery request correspond to the set second conditions, the first delivery according to the first delivery request and the second delivery according to the second delivery request are merged.

[0012] In one embodiment, the set first condition includes at least one of a condition regarding delivery supply and demand levels, a condition regarding expected delivery time, a condition regarding weather, a condition regarding allocation delay time, and a condition regarding order quantity.

[0013] In one embodiment, the set second condition includes at least one of a condition regarding the distance between the first delivery and the second delivery, a condition regarding the time between the first delivery and the second delivery, and a condition regarding an expected shortened delivery time.

[0014] In one embodiment, the set first condition is set based on at least one of a target area and a time interval corresponding to the first delivery request, and the set second condition is set based on at least one of the set second condition, the target area, and the time interval.

[0015] In one embodiment, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request do not correspond to the set first conditions, or if the second delivery conditions according to the second delivery request do not correspond to the set second conditions, only the first delivery information of the first delivery information and the second delivery information is displayed on the page.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method further includes transmitting a message to the first user terminal notifying that the first delivery may be merged with another delivery if the first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to the set first condition.

[0017] In one embodiment, the message includes information about an expected shortened delivery time if the first delivery is merged with the other delivery.

[0018] In one embodiment, the first delivery information includes a first icon corresponding to the location of a supplier of the first delivery and a second icon corresponding to the location of the first user, and the second delivery information includes a third icon corresponding to the location of a supplier of the second delivery and a fourth icon corresponding to the location of the second user.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first icon, the second icon, the third icon, and the fourth icon are displayed as circles centered at the corresponding positions, and the third icon and the fourth icon have a larger diameter than the first icon and the second icon.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first delivery information further includes at least a portion of the delivery person's expected route on the page, and at least a portion of the expected route includes a route between the time the delivery person is assigned the first delivery and the second delivery and the time the delivery person arrives at the first user's location.

[0021] In one embodiment, when the delivery person completes pickup at a location corresponding to the location of the supplier of the second delivery, or when the delivery person completes the second delivery at a location corresponding to the location of the second user of the second delivery, the third icon or the fourth icon is removed from the page, respectively.

[0022] In one embodiment, if the first user's location is ahead of the second user's location on the delivery person's predicted route, the display of the fourth icon is omitted on the page.

[0023] In one embodiment, if the second delivery is canceled, the second delivery information is deleted from the page.

[0024] In one embodiment, when the first user and the second user are the same, the second condition is set differently compared to when the first user and the second user are different.

[0025] In one embodiment, after the assignment of delivery personnel to the first delivery and the second delivery, the page includes a message informing the user that the first delivery and the second delivery have been merged.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device for providing a delivery service includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information to and from other devices; and a processor for controlling the transceiver to receive a first delivery request from a first user, checking whether first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to set first conditions, and, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to the set first conditions, providing a page to a first user terminal displaying at least a portion of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request.

[0027] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing delivery information in an electronic device that provides a delivery service, including: receiving a first delivery request from a first user; checking whether first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to set first conditions; and, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to the set first conditions, providing a page to a first user terminal that displays at least a portion of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when there is a shortage of delivery personnel compared to delivery demand, delivery efficiency can be improved by assigning multiple delivery requests to one delivery personnel at the same time. Also, customer satisfaction can be improved by notifying customers that the expected delivery time is shorter when multiple delivery requests are made compared to when a single delivery request is made.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when multiple deliveries are made at the same time, in addition to delivery information regarding the delivery of the customer, delivery information regarding deliveries of other customers that have been merged with the delivery of the customer is also provided to the customer terminal, allowing the customer to confirm that their delivery request is being made appropriately, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when multiple deliveries are made at the same time, the information of other customers provided to the customer terminal is limited to displaying only the general locations, thereby minimizing the exposure of customer information while providing more accurate delivery information to the customer.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a merged order of another customer is canceled or completed, delivery information regarding the other customer's order is not displayed, allowing the customer to check the exact progress of their own delivery request, thereby improving customer satisfaction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a delivery information providing system including an electronic device that provides a delivery service according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating information exchanges and corresponding operations of each node in an information providing method for providing delivery service according to an embodiment. [Figure 3a] 10 illustrates a page containing a message regarding merge delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 3b] 10 illustrates a page containing a message regarding merge delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 4a] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 4b] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5a] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5b] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5c] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5d] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5e] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 5f] 1 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page including information about delivery according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates some components of an information provision system according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and 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.

[0035] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or shown schematically, and the size of each component does not completely reflect the actual size. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0036] 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 describe the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is defined solely by the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0037] It should be understood that each block of the process flowchart diagram and combinations of the flowchart diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded into a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of 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 the 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). 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 generate a computer-implemented process, the instructions causing the computer or other programmable data processing device to provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0038] 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). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in reverse order depending on the relevant functionality.

[0039] In this embodiment, the term "module" refers to a software or hardware component such as an FPGA or ASIC, and the "module" performs a specific function. However, the term "module" is not limited to software or hardware. The "module" may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, the term "module" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The components and functions provided within the "modules" may be combined into fewer components and "modules" or further separated into additional components and "modules." Furthermore, the components and "modules" may be embodied to execute one or more CPUs within a device or a security multimedia card.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a delivery information providing system including an electronic device for providing a delivery service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] 1, an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a user terminal 110 and an electronic device 120. In an embodiment, the electronic device 120 may process information related to service operation and provide the information to a user.

[0042] Using the user terminal 110, a user of an e-commerce or food delivery service can connect to the electronic device 120. The user terminal 110 can have an e-commerce or food delivery application installed, connect to the electronic device 120 using the application, and use the e-commerce or food delivery service based on information exchange with the electronic device 120. Depending on the user using the e-commerce or food delivery application, the application may include an orderer application, a seller application, a delivery person application, etc. The user terminal 110 may be a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet PC, or a static device such as a desktop PC. Any device on which an e-commerce or food delivery application can be installed and executed may be used as the user terminal 110 without limitation.

[0043] The electronic device 120 communicates with the user terminal 110 and provides the user terminal 110 with information related to e-commerce or food delivery services. As a result of a database search, a list of items / restaurants may be provided, or detailed information about each item stored in the database or a restaurant menu may be provided. For items delivered directly by an e-commerce business, the entity related to the service operated by the electronic device 120 may purchase the product and manage the delivery. For items delivered by another delivery company, the electronic device 120 may transmit purchase information and delivery address information about the item purchased by the user to the electronic device 120 of the other delivery company. The electronic device 120 may receive a delivery request for an item from an orderer, and in response, request an item supplier (e.g., a restaurant) to prepare the item and assign the delivery request to a delivery person who will deliver the item, thereby providing a delivery service that delivers the item to the customer.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing information exchanges and corresponding operations of each node in an information providing method for providing a delivery service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 2, a method for exchanging information between a user terminal and an electronic device and an operation method at each node according to an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

[0046] In step S205, the electronic device 220 may receive a delivery request including delivery information from the user terminal 210. The delivery information may be information about an order entered by an orderer (e.g., a customer ordering food or drink) via an application, and may include information about at least one of the following: information about the restaurant where the food or drink was ordered, the location of the orderer (e.g., a delivery address), and the type of food or drink ordered. Furthermore, based on the delivery request including the delivery information, the electronic device 220 may check, from a database, information about at least one of the type of restaurant, the location of the restaurant, the order date and time, and the payment amount related to the delivery request.

[0047] In step S210, the electronic device 220 may check whether the delivery conditions according to the delivery request received in step S205 correspond to the set conditions. In one embodiment, the set conditions may include at least one of a condition regarding delivery supply and demand levels, a condition regarding expected required time, a condition regarding weather, a condition regarding allocation delay time, and a condition regarding order quantity.

[0048] For example, the electronic device 220 may check the estimated time required to complete delivery to the orderer based on the delivery information and determine whether the estimated time has reached a set standard. If the electronic device 220 determines that the estimated time has reached the set standard, i.e., if the estimated delivery time exceeds the set standard, it may determine that there is a shortage of delivery personnel compared to the delivery demand. Accordingly, a merged delivery, in which multiple delivery requests are simultaneously assigned to a single delivery personnel, may be considered. The estimated time may be set based on past delivery time information and taking into account a target area or time period. The target area may be determined based on at least one of the location of the orderer or the location of the supplier (e.g., a restaurant). The target area may be a division of the entire area where delivery services are provided by administrative district, or may be a division created by the electronic device based on delivery characteristics such as supplier distribution, delivery demand, and delivery distance information. The target area may also be a division based on whether statistical characteristics related to deliveries within the target area are similar.

[0049] For example, the electronic device 220 may check a target area based on the location of the orderer or the location of the restaurant according to the delivery information, and may check whether the delivery supply and demand level corresponding to the current time in the target area has reached a set standard. If the electronic device 220 determines that the delivery supply and demand level has reached the set standard, it may consider merged delivery, which simultaneously assigns multiple delivery requests to one delivery person. In this case, the standard for the delivery supply and demand level may be set taking into account the target area or time period based on past delivery supply and demand level information.

[0050] For example, the electronic device 220 may check the target area based on the location of the orderer or the location of the restaurant according to the delivery information, and may check the current weather in the target area. If the electronic device 220 determines that the current weather in the target area meets a set criterion (e.g., rain or snow, or the temperature is extremely cold or hot beyond a certain range), the electronic device 220 may consider merge delivery.

[0051] For example, the electronic device 220 may check an allocation delay time, which refers to the time from when an allocation request is made to a delivery person in response to a delivery request to when the delivery person completes the allocation. If the delivery person is not assigned within a set reference time after making an allocation request to the delivery person, the electronic device 220 may consider merged delivery. In this case, the reference time for the allocation delay time may be set based on past allocation delay time information and taking into account a target area or time period.

[0052] For example, the electronic device 220 may check a target area based on the location of an orderer or a restaurant according to delivery information, and may check the order volume per certain time period for the target area. If the electronic device 220 determines that the current order volume for the target area has reached a set standard, the electronic device 220 may consider merged delivery. In this case, the standard for order volume may be set based on past order volume information and taking into account the target area or time period.

[0053] In one embodiment, if it is determined that the delivery conditions according to the delivery request correspond to the set conditions, the electronic device 220 may transmit a message to the user terminal 210 notifying that a merged delivery may be performed for the current target area and time period. The message may include a phrase to the effect that a merged delivery may be performed for delivery optimization and delivery personnel safety, and may also include an expected reduction in the estimated delivery time if a merged delivery is performed.

[0054] Regarding the criteria for determining whether or not to consider merged delivery, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and any criteria that a service provider determines as to whether merged delivery should be considered can be applied, and it is also possible to set criteria by combining several criteria.

[0055] If it is determined in step S210 that the delivery conditions according to the delivery request correspond to the set conditions, the electronic device 220 may determine whether to perform a merge delivery by checking whether other delivery requests to be merged with the delivery request correspond to the merge conditions in step S215. In one embodiment, the merge conditions for merging two delivery requests may include at least one of a distance condition between the two delivery requests, a time condition, and an expected delivery shortening time condition.

[0056] For example, the electronic device 220 may consider at least one of the location of the restaurant and the location of the orderer for the delivery request and at least one of the location of the supplier and the location of the orderer for the other delivery request, and may determine whether to merge the delivery request and the other delivery request by considering whether they satisfy a certain distance condition. The electronic device 220 may also consider the order time for the delivery request and the order time for the other delivery request, and may determine whether to merge the delivery request and the other delivery request by considering whether they satisfy a certain time condition.

[0057] In this case, the certain distance condition and the certain time condition may be set based on the conditions considered in step S210. In one embodiment, when determining whether to consider merged delivery based on the delivery supply and demand level in step S210, if the confirmed delivery supply and demand level indicates that the supply of delivery personnel is relatively smooth, the certain distance condition and the certain time condition may be set low, thereby considering whether to consider merged delivery only for delivery requests occurring within a narrow distance range and a short time range. If the confirmed delivery supply and demand level indicates that the supply of delivery personnel is extremely short, the certain distance condition and the certain time condition may be set high, thereby considering whether to consider merged delivery even for delivery requests occurring within a relatively wide distance range and a long time range. In this way, the certain distance condition and the certain time condition can be variably set according to the current situation, thereby more efficiently dealing with situations where delivery personnel are in short supply, thereby improving customer satisfaction. Although the delivery supply and demand level has been described as an example, it should be understood that the certain distance condition and the certain time condition can be variably set based on various conditions that can determine the degree of shortage of delivery personnel, including the expected delivery time or the allocation delay time. In addition, it should be understood that the variably set certain distance condition and certain time condition can be variably set in consideration of whether merging and delivering multiple delivery requests within the range is expected to improve the safety of delivery personnel or shorten delivery time compared to delivering each delivery request separately.

[0058] The certain distance condition may also vary depending on the delivery method used by the delivery person. For example, if the delivery person delivers by car or motorcycle, the distance condition may be set to a relatively wide range of distances, whereas if the delivery person delivers by bicycle or on foot, the distance condition may be set to a relatively narrow range of distances. The certain time condition may also be set based on the expected time for delivery preparation for multiple delivery requests. The expected time for delivery preparation may be determined by the supplier checking the delivery information according to the user's delivery request and directly inputting the expected time for product preparation, or may be set arbitrarily by the electronic device 220 based on the delivery history.

[0059] For example, the electronic device 220 may determine whether to merge the two delivery requests taking into account the expected shortened delivery time. The electronic device 220 may compare the expected delivery times when the delivery request and the other delivery requests are assigned to different delivery personnel and are carried out, with the expected delivery times when the delivery request and the other delivery requests are merged and assigned to a single delivery personnel, and may decide to merge the two delivery requests only if the expected delivery time when the delivery request and the other delivery requests are merged is shorter.

[0060] In one embodiment, when other delivery requests being considered for merging with a delivery request are delivery requests from the same user, the merging conditions may be set differently compared to when other delivery requests being considered for merging with a delivery request are delivery requests from different users. For example, when a delivery request and another delivery request are delivery requests from the same user, merging the two delivery requests may be efficient from both the perspective of the delivery person and the user even if the difference in order time between the delivery request and the other delivery request is relatively long or the distance between the locations of the suppliers corresponding to the two delivery requests is relatively far. Therefore, in this case, efficient delivery can be achieved by setting the fixed distance condition and the fixed time condition differently.

[0061] In step S220, the electronic device 220 can assign the delivery request and other delivery requests to delivery personnel based on whether they correspond to the conditions in steps S210 and S215. For example, if it is confirmed in step S210 that the delivery conditions according to the delivery request do not correspond to the set conditions, it is determined that the situation does not require consideration of merged delivery, and the delivery request and other delivery requests can be assigned to different delivery personnel. For example, if it is confirmed in step S210 that the delivery conditions according to the delivery request correspond to the set conditions, merged delivery is considered, but if it is confirmed in step S215 that the other delivery requests do not correspond to the merged conditions, it is determined that the situation is more efficient without merged delivery, and the delivery request and other delivery requests can be assigned to different delivery personnel. For example, if it is confirmed in step S215 that the other delivery requests correspond to the merged conditions, it is determined that the situation is more efficient without merged delivery, and the delivery request and other delivery requests can be assigned to one delivery personnel at the same time.

[0062] In step S225, the electronic device 220 may generate a page to be provided to the user terminal 210 based on the result of the delivery person assignment in step S220. If the delivery request and the other delivery requests are assigned to different delivery persons in step S220, the page to be provided to the user terminal 210 may include delivery information for the delivery request and may omit delivery information for the other delivery requests. The delivery information for the delivery request may include at least the location of the restaurant and the location of the orderer. In addition, the delivery information for the delivery request may further include at least one of the real-time location and estimated delivery time information of the delivery person assigned to the delivery request.

[0063] In step S220, if the delivery request and other delivery requests are simultaneously assigned to a single delivery person and a merged delivery is performed, the page provided to the user terminal 210 may include at least some of the delivery information for the delivery request and the other delivery requests merged with the delivery request. The delivery information for the delivery request may include at least the restaurant's location and the orderer's location. The delivery information for the delivery request may further include at least one of the real-time location and estimated delivery time information for the delivery person assigned to the delivery request. The delivery information for the other delivery requests merged with the delivery request may include at least one of the restaurant's location and the orderer's location for the other delivery requests. However, if the other delivery requests merged with the delivery request are delivery requests made by other orderers, there is a risk of personal information of the other orderers being exposed. Therefore, the location of the other orderers may be displayed only in a general manner on the page transmitted to the user terminal 210 to minimize exposure of personal information of the other orderers. In addition, when a delivery request from another orderer is canceled, when pickup from a restaurant is completed in accordance with a delivery request from another orderer, or when delivery to an orderer in accordance with a delivery request from another orderer is completed, the display of delivery information regarding the other shipping requests can be omitted, thereby minimizing the exposure of personal information of the other orderers.

[0064] In one embodiment, if it is determined in step S210 that the delivery conditions according to the delivery request correspond to the set conditions, merged delivery should be considered, and the user should be notified of the possibility of merged delivery. Therefore, the page provided to the user terminal 210 may include a message informing the user that the delivery request may be merged with other delivery requests. In this case, if merged delivery is performed, the user may generally expect their delivery order to be delayed, which may reduce customer satisfaction. Therefore, the page provided to the user terminal 210 may include a message informing the user that merged delivery will be performed only if the expected delivery time is reduced, thereby preventing a decrease in customer satisfaction. Furthermore, in step S220, when multiple delivery requests are actually assigned to one delivery person at the same time, the amount of reduction in the expected delivery time may be calculated compared to when each delivery request is assigned to a different delivery person. The calculated estimated delivery time reduction information may be included in the page provided to the user terminal 210, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

[0065] In step S230, the page generated in step S225 may be provided to the user terminal 210.

[0066] The pages provided to the user terminal 210 are described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0067] FIG. 3 illustrates a page containing a message regarding merge delivery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] 3A shows a first example of a page including a message regarding merged delivery according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3A, an exemplary page 300 is shown that displays a message regarding merged delivery when a user's delivery request meets set conditions and it is determined that merged delivery should be considered. Page 300 may include an area 310 and an area 320.

[0069] Area 310 may include information related to e-commerce or food delivery services provided to the user terminal 210 from the electronic device 220. The user may provide user input in area 310 based on the information provided from the electronic device 220, and the order may proceed to the next step according to the user input, thereby changing the information displayed in area 310. In addition, when payment is completed according to the user input, a delivery request is generated. For example, pages displayed in area 310 corresponding to the order steps proceeded according to the user input may include at least one of a main screen, a store information screen including menu information, a menu information screen including menu options, a cart screen including selected menu information, a payment screen including delivery information and payment information, and a delivery guide screen including real-time delivery information.

[0070] Area 320 may contain information that the service provider wishes to inform the user during the ordering process. For example, if it is determined that merged delivery is necessary according to the present invention, area 320 may contain a message 321 informing the user terminal 210 that the user's delivery request may be merged with other delivery requests. For example, message 321 may contain a phrase informing the user that merged delivery may be implemented for the sake of delivery efficiency and the safety of delivery personnel, thereby preventing a decrease in customer satisfaction due to the implementation of merged delivery.

[0071] Although an embodiment in which area 320 is located at the bottom of page 300 has been described, the location of area 320 is not limited thereto and may be located at any location where a message is expected to be conveyed to the user effectively, and may be displayed in the form of a pop-up message. Also, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which message 321 notifying that an order may be merged with another delivery request is displayed on the payment screen among the order stages proceeding according to the user's input, but the stage at which message 321 is provided is not limited thereto and may be displayed at any stage at which the service provider intends to provide the message to the user.

[0072] FIG. 3b shows a second example of a page containing a message regarding merge delivery according to the present invention.

[0073] 3b, similar to FIG. 3a, page 300 provided on user terminal 210 includes area 310 for a user to provide user input for ordering and area 320 including message 321 regarding merged delivery. Message 321 regarding merged delivery in FIG. 3b may include information regarding the expected reduction in estimated delivery time when merged delivery is performed. The reduction in estimated delivery time may be calculated based on the target area and past delivery history corresponding to the time period, taking into account the location of the orderer according to the delivery request, the location of the restaurant, and the date and time of the order.

[0074] FIG. 4 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page containing information about delivery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] 4a shows a first example of a real-time delivery information guide page including information related to delivery according to the present invention, which shows page 400 including information related to delivery provided to user terminal 210 when it is determined that merged delivery is not necessary and only one delivery request is assigned to one delivery person. Referring to FIG. 4a, page 400 may include at least a portion of area 410, area 420, and area 430.

[0076] Area 410 may contain information about whether or not a merged delivery is required. In the first example shown in Fig. 4a, it is determined that a merged delivery is not required, and only one delivery request is being made, so area 410 may contain a message such as "One delivery in progress."

[0077] Area 420 may include a map containing delivery information related to the delivery request. In one embodiment, the delivery information displayed in area 420 may include at least a portion of an icon 421 corresponding to the orderer's location, an icon 422 corresponding to the supplier's location, an icon 423 corresponding to the delivery person's current location, and an expected route 424 for the delivery person, and the delivery information may be displayed at that location on the map in area 420. In this case, icons 421, 422, and 423 may be displayed in different forms for visual readability of the information.

[0078] Area 430 may include information regarding the delivery request, including the order in which the delivery will proceed. In one embodiment, area 430 may include at least a portion of area 431, which indicates the order of stops the delivery person will make as the delivery proceeds, according to the delivery person's expected route, and area 432, which displays the delivery person's estimated time of arrival at each stop.

[0079] 4b is a second example of a real-time delivery information guide page including information related to delivery according to the present invention, showing a page 400 including information related to delivery provided to the user terminal 210 when it is determined that merged delivery is necessary and multiple delivery requests are assigned to one delivery person. Similar to FIG. 4a, page 400 of FIG. 4b may also include at least a portion of area 410, area 420, and area 430.

[0080] Field 410 may include information regarding whether or not a merged delivery is being performed. In the second example shown in Figure 4b, it is determined that a merged delivery is necessary, and multiple delivery requests are being made, so field 410 may include a message such as "Merge delivery in progress." As described above with respect to Figure 3b, the information included in field 410 may further include information regarding the expected reduction in estimated delivery time if a merged delivery is being performed.

[0081] In addition to the delivery information described above with reference to FIG. 4a, area 420 may display icons 425 corresponding to the locations of the orderers of the other merged delivery requests and icons 426 corresponding to the locations of the suppliers of the other merged delivery requests at the corresponding locations on the map within area 420. Area 430 may also include area 431 displaying the order of stopovers the delivery person will pass through according to the delivery person's expected route while the delivery according to the merged delivery requests is progressing, and area 432 displaying the estimated time of arrival of the delivery person at each stopover. In this way, when delivery information related to the user's own delivery request as well as delivery information related to other delivery requests merged with the user's own delivery request is displayed, the user can confirm the route and estimated time of the user's delivery, and based on this, more accurately determine whether the user's delivery is proceeding smoothly, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

[0082] FIG. 5 illustrates a real-time delivery information guide page containing information about delivery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] 5a illustrates an embodiment in which delivery information for a delivery request and delivery information for other delivery requests merged with the delivery request are displayed differently on page 500. For example, icons 521 and 522 representing delivery information for a delivery request may be displayed as small circular icons centered on the location to more accurately display the location, while icons 525 and 526 representing delivery information for other merged delivery requests may be displayed as larger circular icons compared to icons 521 and 522. This allows users to more easily compare information about their own delivery request with information about other users' delivery requests while minimizing exposure of other users' locations and protecting customer information. To improve user visual readability, icons 525 and 526 may be displayed in different shapes or colors, as well as different sizes, compared to icons 521 and 522.

[0084] 5b shows an embodiment in which, when the location of the orderer of a delivery request is located ahead of the location of the orderer of another merged delivery request on the delivery person's predicted delivery route, icon 525 corresponding to the location of the orderer of the other delivery request is not displayed on the map in area 520, and in the case of predicted route 524, the route after completion of delivery of the delivery request is not displayed, and the display of such information is also not displayed in waypoint information 531 in area 530. When delivery of a user's delivery request is completed first, the user's convenience is enhanced by providing only the information actually required for their own delivery request, and location information of the other merged delivery requests is not displayed, thereby minimizing the exposure of personal information of other customers.

[0085] FIG. 5c shows an embodiment in which the two merged delivery requests are from the same orderer. That is, this means that the corresponding positions of icon 521 and icon 525 are the same, and in this case, one of icon 521 and icon 525 may be omitted. However, in this case, icon 522 and icon 525 may be displayed in different forms to distinguish them, or may be displayed in the same form. Furthermore, the route point information 531 in area 530 may also be displayed in a way that prevents the same orderer from being displayed more than once.

[0086] 5d shows an embodiment in which the two merged delivery requests are delivery requests from the same supplier. That is, this means that the positions corresponding to icon 522 and icon 526 are the same, and in this case, the display of one of icon 522 and icon 526 may be omitted. Also, in route point information 531 in area 530, it is possible to prevent the same supplier from being displayed twice.

[0087] FIG. 5e shows an embodiment in which, when a delivery person completes pickup of a delivery item from a supplier related to another merged delivery request or completes delivery of a delivery item to an orderer related to another merged delivery request, the display of delivery information related to the other merged delivery request is deleted on page 500. Whether pickup or delivery of a delivery item is complete can be confirmed by the delivery person entering information indicating completion of the process via the delivery person terminal, and receiving the information via electronic device 220. When pickup of a delivery item from a supplier related to another delivery request is completed, icon 526 displayed on the map in area 520 of page 500 may be deleted. When delivery of a delivery item to an orderer related to another delivery request is completed, icon 525 displayed on the map in area 520 of page 500 may be deleted. Similarly, when pickup and delivery related to another delivery request are completed, related information may also be deleted from route information 531 in area 530 of page 500.

[0088] FIG. 5F shows an embodiment in which, if a merged delivery request is canceled while another delivery request is being processed, delivery information related to that other delivery request is deleted. Whether or not the other delivery request has been canceled can be confirmed by receiving the information via electronic device 220 when the orderer of the other delivery request enters information to cancel the delivery request via the orderer terminal. When the other delivery request is canceled, the message displayed in area 510 of page 500 indicating whether or not the merged delivery is being processed may be changed to a message indicating that the merged delivery has not been processed. Additionally, icons 525 and 526 displayed on the map in area 520 of page 500 may be deleted. Similarly, when the other delivery request is canceled, related information may also be deleted from route information 531 in area 530 of page 500.

[0089] The various embodiments described in Figures 5a to 5f are embodiments that, when multiple delivery requests are assigned to one delivery person and a merged delivery is performed, allow the orderer to check information about the merged delivery and accurately check the orderer's real-time delivery information, while also allowing the orderer to easily distinguish information about their own delivery request from information about other users' delivery requests and delete unnecessary information, thereby allowing the orderer to simply and clearly understand delivery information. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that information can be provided in various ways to allow the user to simply and clearly understand delivery information about the merged delivery.

[0090] FIG. 6 illustrates some components of an information provision system according to one embodiment.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 6, an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, and the system includes a user terminal 610 and an electronic device 620 that can communicate with each other.

[0092] The user terminal 610 may run an e-commerce client program or a food delivery client program and may include a transceiver 612, a processor 614, an input unit 616, and a display unit 618.

[0093] The transceiver 612 may transmit and receive information to and from other nodes, including the electronic device 620. The transceiver 612 may communicate with various types of external devices according to various communication methods. The transceiver 612 may include at least one of a WiFi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a wireless communication chip, and an NFC chip. The WiFi chip and the Bluetooth chip may communicate according to the WiFi method and the Bluetooth method, respectively. When using a WiFi chip or a Bluetooth chip, various connection information such as an SSID and a session key may be transmitted and received first, and then various information may be transmitted and received after establishing a communication connection using the transmitted information. The wireless communication chip refers to a chip that communicates according to various communication standards, such as IEEE, ZigBee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)®, and LTE (Long Term Evolution). An NFC chip is a chip that operates in the Near Field Communication (NFC) method using the 13.56 MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 860-960 MHz, and 2.45 GHz.

[0094] The input unit 616 may receive user input and may include a touch screen, a microphone, and buttons. The input unit 616 may receive various command inputs from the user. The input unit 616 may be implemented in various ways, such as keys or a touch panel. The keys may include various types of keys, such as mechanical buttons or wheels, formed on various areas of the front, side, or rear of the user terminal 610. The touch panel may detect a user's touch input and output a touch event value corresponding to the detected touch signal. When the touch panel is combined with a display panel to form a touch screen, the touch screen may be implemented with various types of touch sensors, such as an electrostatic type, a pressure-sensitive type, or a piezoelectric type. The electrostatic type uses a dielectric coated on the surface of the touch screen to detect minute electricity generated by the user's body when part of the user's body touches the surface of the touch screen and calculates touch coordinates. The pressure-reducing type has two electrode plates built into the touchscreen, and when a user touches the screen, the plates above and below the touched point come into contact and detect the current flow, thereby calculating the touch coordinates. Touch events that occur on a touchscreen are mainly generated by a human finger, but can also be generated by conductive objects that can cause a change in capacitance.

[0095] The display unit 618 may display information related to the operation of the user terminal 610 and may display a page including information described in the embodiments. In one embodiment, the display unit 618 may include various types of components such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), etc. In one embodiment, the display unit 618 may be configured to be connected to the internal components of the user terminal 610 via a wire, or may be configured to be connected wirelessly via a transceiver 612 included in the user terminal 610.

[0096] The processor 614 may perform control to perform the operations of the user terminal 610 described in the embodiments. The processor 614 may also include at least one processor configured to perform the operations of the user terminal 610.

[0097] The processor may include at least one of RAM, ROM, a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a bus. The RAM, ROM, CPU, and GPU may be connected to each other via a bus. The CPU accesses the memory and boots using the OS stored in the memory. It then performs various operations using various programs, content, data, and the like stored in the memory. The ROM stores an instruction set for system boot. For example, when the user terminal 610 receives a turn-on command and is powered on, the CPU copies the OS stored in the memory to RAM and executes the OS according to the instructions stored in the ROM, thereby booting the system. Once booting is complete, the CPU copies various programs stored in the memory to RAM and executes the programs copied to RAM to perform various operations. Once booting of the user terminal 610 is complete, the GPU displays a UI screen on the display 618. Specifically, the GPU may generate a screen displaying an electronic document including various objects such as content, icons, and menus. The GPU calculates attribute values, such as coordinates, shape, size, color, etc., for each object to be displayed according to the screen layout. The GPU can then generate screens with various layouts including the objects based on the calculated attribute values. The screens generated by the GPU can be provided to the display unit 618 and displayed in each area of ​​the display unit 618.

[0098] The user terminal 610 may further include a speaker for event output, and may further include a memory (not shown) for storing at least a portion of the information transmitted and received via the transceiver 612 and information for the operation of the user terminal 610.

[0099] The electronic device 620 is a device on which an e-commerce electronic device program or a food delivery service program is executed, and may include a transceiver 622 , a processor 624 and a memory 626 .

[0100] The transceiver 622 may transmit and receive information to and from other nodes, including the user terminal 610 .

[0101] The processor 624 may perform control to perform the operations of the electronic device 620 described in the embodiments, and may include at least one processor.

[0102] The electronic device 620 may also include a memory 626 that stores at least a portion of the information transmitted and received via the transceiver 622 and information for the operation of the electronic device 620 .

[0103] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, these terms are used in a general sense merely to clearly 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 will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, other modifications based on the technical concept of the present invention can be implemented.

Claims

1. A method for providing delivery information in an electronic device that provides a delivery service, comprising: receiving a first delivery request from a first user; confirming whether a first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to a set first condition; If the first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to the set first condition, providing a page to the first user terminal, on which at least a part of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request are displayed; How to provide shipping information, including:

2. 2. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 1, wherein if the second delivery conditions according to the second delivery request correspond to the set second conditions, the first delivery according to the first delivery request and the second delivery according to the second delivery request are merged.

3. 2. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 1, wherein the set first condition includes at least one of a condition regarding delivery supply and demand levels, a condition regarding expected required time, a condition regarding weather, a condition regarding allocation delay time, and a condition regarding order quantity.

4. 3. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 2, wherein the set second condition includes at least one of a condition regarding the distance between the first delivery and the second delivery, a condition regarding the time between the first delivery and the second delivery, and a condition regarding an expected shortened delivery time.

5. The set first condition is set based on at least one of a target area and a time period corresponding to the first delivery request, The method for providing delivery information according to claim 2 , wherein the set second condition is set based on at least one of the set first condition, the target area, and the time interval.

6. 3. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 2, wherein, when the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request do not correspond to the set first conditions or the second delivery conditions according to the second delivery request do not correspond to the set second conditions, only the first delivery information of the first delivery information and the second delivery information is provided to the first user terminal.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message to the first user terminal notifying that the first delivery may be merged with another delivery if the first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to the set first condition.

8. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 7 , wherein the message includes information about an expected shortened delivery time when the first delivery is merged with the other delivery.

9. the first delivery information includes a first icon corresponding to a location of a supplier of the first delivery and a second icon corresponding to a location of the first user; The method for providing delivery information according to claim 1, wherein the second delivery information includes a third icon corresponding to the location of the supplier of the second delivery and a fourth icon corresponding to the location of the second user according to the second delivery request.

10. the first icon, the second icon, the third icon, and the fourth icon are displayed as circles each having a center at a corresponding position; The method for providing delivery information according to claim 9 , wherein the third icon and the fourth icon have a diameter larger than that of the first icon and the second icon.

11. The first delivery information further includes at least a portion of a predicted route of the delivery person on the page; The method for providing delivery information according to claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the predicted route includes a route between the time the delivery person is assigned to the first delivery and the time the delivery person reaches the location of the first user.

12. The method of providing delivery information described in claim 11, wherein when the delivery person completes pickup at a location corresponding to the location of the supplier of the second delivery or when the delivery person completes the second delivery at a location corresponding to the location of the second user of the second delivery, the third icon or the fourth icon is removed from the page, respectively.

13. The method for providing delivery information described in claim 11, characterized in that if the first user's location is located further ahead than the second user's location on the delivery person's predicted route, the fourth icon is not displayed on the page.

14. The method for providing delivery information according to claim 2 , wherein, if the second delivery is canceled, the second delivery information is deleted from the page.

15. A method for providing delivery information as described in claim 2, wherein when the first user and the second user who complies with the second delivery request are the same, the second condition is set differently compared to when the first user and the second user are different.

16. 3. The method of providing delivery information of claim 2, wherein after the delivery personnel are assigned to the first delivery and the second delivery, the page includes a message notifying the user that the first delivery and the second delivery have been merged.

17. An electronic device for providing a delivery service, comprising: a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information to and from other devices; a processor that controls the transceiver to receive a first delivery request from a first user, checks whether first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to set first conditions, and, if the first delivery conditions according to the first delivery request correspond to the set first conditions, provides a page to the first user terminal that displays at least a part of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request; 2. An electronic device comprising:

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions; The computer readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receiving a first delivery request from a first user; confirming whether a first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to a set first condition; If the first delivery condition according to the first delivery request corresponds to the set first condition, providing a page to the first user terminal, on which at least a part of first delivery information corresponding to the first delivery request and second delivery information corresponding to a second delivery request different from the first delivery request are displayed; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for performing a method for providing delivery information in an electronic device that provides a delivery service, the method including:

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