Method of operation of an electronic device that provides information and an electronic device that supports it.

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, an electronic device provides route guidance information through a navigation service determined based on location information of a delivery person. A method for providing information by an electronic device is disclosed, including the steps of: acquiring location information of a delivery person who will pick up an order item from a store through a delivery intermediation service provided by the electronic device; determining, based on the location information, one navigation service for guiding the delivery person along a pickup route to the store from among a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediation service and a second external navigation service interoperable with the delivery intermediation service; and providing route guidance information including the pickup route through the determined navigation service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing information, and more particularly, to a method for providing route guidance information through a navigation service determined based on position information of a delivery person by an electronic device, and the electronic device thereof.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of electronic technology, electronic commerce has become established as a field of shopping. Customers can purchase goods online without directly going to a shopping mall or market, and the goods purchased online are delivered to the delivery destination requested by the customer.

[0003] In the case of electronic commerce, the provision of detailed and accurate information related to products greatly affects service satisfaction, so discussions are being held on various measures to provide more detailed and accurate information.

[0004] In this regard, prior documents such as the KR101756594B1 publication or the KR101500849B1 publication can be referred to.

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the method of the present invention, an electronic device can provide route guidance information through a navigation service determined based on position information of a delivery person.

[0006] In the present invention, the technical problems to be achieved are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and still other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Various embodiments can provide methods for operating electronic devices for providing information and electronic devices that support such operation.

[0008] A method for providing information by an electronic device according to various embodiments may include the steps of: acquiring location information of a delivery person who picks up ordered items from a store on a delivery intermediary service provided by the electronic device; determining, based on the location information, one navigation service from among a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service and a second external navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service, for guiding the delivery person on a pickup route to the store; and providing route guidance information including the pickup route through the determined navigation service.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the information provision method may further include the step of obtaining map information to be used for the first navigation service.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the map information may be open-source map information.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the map information may include road information, and the road information may include road group classification information that classifies the plurality of roads into groups based on information about a plurality of roads included in the map information and the importance of the plurality of roads.

[0012] In exemplary embodiments, the road group classification information may include information about a first road group of high importance, which includes expressways, and information about a second road group of low importance, which includes other roads excluding expressways.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the navigation service may be determined based on whether or not a road included in the first road group is located within a certain distance from the location information.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the step of determining one navigation service may include determining the first navigation service as the one navigation service if a road included in the first road group is located within a certain distance from the location information; and determining the second navigation service as the one navigation service if a road included in the first road group is not located within a certain distance from the location information.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, if the first navigation service is determined to be the one navigation service, the first navigation service may be managed such that roads included in the first road group are excluded from setting the starting road for the pickup route.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the information provision method may further include the steps of: identifying one or more roads that can be set as a starting road for the pickup route based on the location information; and setting a starting road for the pickup route based on the roads included in the second road group, excluding the roads included in the first road group from among the one or more roads.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the starting road for the pickup route may be determined based on traffic forecast information relating to roads included in the second road group.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the traffic forecast information may include information regarding the expected travel time when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the traffic forecast information may include information regarding expected travel speeds when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the traffic forecast information may include information regarding expected traffic congestion when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route.

[0021] In exemplary embodiments, the information provision method may further include the steps of: confirming first delivery cost information calculated based on the distance of the determined pickup route when the pickup route is determined by setting a specific road included in the second road group from among the one or more roads as the starting road for the pickup route; and providing the first delivery cost information.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the information provision method may further include the step of providing the store with map information including the delivery person's real-time location information and the first route guidance information when the first route guidance information is provided to the delivery person through the first navigation service.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, if there is another delivery person on the delivery intermediary service who picks up other ordered items to the store, and the other delivery person is provided with second route guidance information through the first navigation service, the map information further includes real-time location information of the other delivery person and the second route guidance information, and the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information may be displayed on the map information in different hues.

[0024] An electronic device for providing information according to various embodiments, comprising a processor; and one or more memories storing one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: obtain location information of a delivery person who picks up an order item for a store on a delivery mediation service provided by the electronic device; based on the location information, determine one navigation service for guiding the delivery person a pick-up route related to the store, from among a first navigation service included in the delivery mediation service and an external second navigation service interoperable with the delivery mediation service; and provide route guidance information including the pick-up route through the determined one navigation service.

[0025] The various embodiments of the present disclosure described above are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and a plurality of embodiments reflecting the technical features of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be derived and understood by those having ordinary skill in the art based on the detailed description set forth below.

Effects of the Invention

[0026] The present invention presents a method in which an electronic device provides route guidance information through a navigation service determined based on location information of a delivery person, and has a technical effect in the aspect of saving delivery costs related to a pick-up route for delivery.

[0027] The effects obtainable from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and still other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1]This diagram illustrates an information provision system in which various embodiments of electronic devices for providing information can be realized. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configurations of server device 100 and user device 200 according to various embodiments. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates the operation methods of a server device 100 for providing information according to various embodiments. [Figure 4] This diagram shows flowcharts illustrating how server devices 100, according to various embodiments, acquire external map information. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates an example in which the server device 100 determines one of two navigation services, either its own or an external one, based on the delivery person's location information. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates an example in which the server device 100 determines one of two navigation services, either its own or an external one, based on the delivery person's location information. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates how server devices 100, according to various embodiments, determine pickup routes based on their own navigation services. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example comparing the pickup route guided when the server device 100 uses its own navigation service with the pickup route guided when the server device 100 uses an external navigation service. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The following embodiments combine components and features of various embodiments in a predetermined manner. Each component or feature may be considered optional unless otherwise explicitly mentioned. Each component or feature may be implemented in a form that is not combined with other components or features. Furthermore, some components and features may be combined to form various embodiments. The order of operations described in the various embodiments may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in other embodiments, or may be replaced by components or features corresponding to other embodiments.

[0030] In the descriptions of the drawings, procedures or steps that could obscure the essence of various embodiments were not described, nor were procedures or steps that could be understood by a person with ordinary skill in the relevant art.

[0031] Throughout the specification, when a part "comprising" or "including" a component, this means, unless otherwise stated, that it may further include other components rather than excluding them. Furthermore, terms such as "part," "unit," and "module" as used in the specification mean a unit that performs at least one function or operation, which may be embodied by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Also, "a" or "an," "one," "the," and similar related terms may be used to include both singular and plural meanings in the context of describing various embodiments (particularly in the context of the following claims), unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by the context.

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description disclosed below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to illustrate exemplary embodiments of various embodiments and not to show only one embodiment.

[0033] Furthermore, specific terms used in the various embodiments are provided to aid in understanding the various embodiments, and the use of such specific terms may be modified in other ways, as long as it does not deviate from the technical idea of ​​the various embodiments.

[0034] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an information provision system in which various embodiments of the operation methods of electronic devices for providing information can be realized.

[0035] Referring to Figure 1, the information provision system according to various embodiments can be embodied in various types of electronic devices. For example, the information provision system can be embodied in a server device 100 and a user device 200. In other words, the server device 100 and the user device 200 can perform operations according to the various embodiments of this disclosure based on the information provision system embodied in their respective devices. On the other hand, the information provision system according to various embodiments is not limited to those shown in Figure 1 and may be embodied in a wider variety of electronic devices and servers.

[0036] The server device 100, according to various embodiments, may be a device that communicates wirelessly and via wired connections with multiple user devices 200 and includes storage with a large storage capacity. For example, the server device 100 may be a cloud device that interacts with multiple user devices 200.

[0037] The user device 200, according to various embodiments, may be a device used by an individual user, such as a desktop PC, tablet PC, or mobile terminal. In addition, other electronic devices performing similar functions may be used as the user device 200.

[0038] Information provision systems according to various embodiments may include various modules for operation. Modules included in the information provision system may be computer code or one or more instructions that are implemented so that a physical device (e.g., server device 100 and user device 200) in which the information provision system is embodied (or contained in a physical device) can perform a specified operation. In other words, the physical device in which the information provision system is embodied stores multiple modules in memory in the form of computer code, and when multiple modules stored in memory are executed, the multiple modules can cause the physical device to perform a specified operation corresponding to the multiple modules.

[0039] Figure 2 shows the configurations of a server device 100 and a user device 200 according to various embodiments.

[0040] Referring to Figure 2, the server device 100 and the user device 200 may include an input / output unit 210, a communication unit 220, storage 230, and a processor 240.

[0041] The input / output unit 210 may be various interfaces or connection ports that receive user input or output information to the user. The input / output unit 210 may include an input module and an output module, but the input module receives user input from the user. User input can consist of various forms, including key input, touch input, and voice input. Examples of input modules that can receive such user input include traditional keypads, keyboards, and mice, as well as touch sensors that sense user touch, microphones that receive voice signals, cameras that recognize gestures through image recognition, proximity sensors including at least one of an illuminance sensor or an infrared sensor that senses the approach of a user, motion sensors that recognize user movements through an accelerometer or gyroscope, and various other forms of input means that sense or receive user input. An input module according to the embodiment of this disclosure may include at least one of the devices listed above. Here, the touch sensor may be embodied in piezoelectric or electrostatic touch sensors that sense touch through a touch panel or touch film attached to a display panel, or optical touch sensors that sense touch by an optical method. In addition, the input module may be implemented in the form of an input interface (such as a USB port or PS / 2 port) that connects to an external input device to which user input is received, instead of a device that independently senses user input. Furthermore, the output module can output various types of information. The output module may include at least one of the following: a display that outputs video, a speaker that outputs sound, a haptic device that generates vibrations, and other diverse forms of output means. In addition, the output module may be implemented in the form of a port-type output interface to which the aforementioned individual output means are connected.

[0042] As an example, a display-type output module can display text, still images, and videos. The display may include at least one of a variety of devices capable of video output, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, flat panel display (FPD), transparent display, curved display, flexible display, 3D display, holographic display, projector, and other video output devices. Such a display may also be in the form of a touch display, integrated with the touch sensor of the input module.

[0043] The communication unit 220 can communicate with other devices. Therefore, the server device 100 and the user device 200 can send and receive information with other devices through the communication unit. For example, the server device 100 and the user device 200 can communicate with each other or with other devices using the communication unit.

[0044] Here, communication, i.e., the transmission and reception of data, can be carried out via wired or wireless means. For this purpose, the communication unit may include a wired communication module that connects to the internet via a LAN (Local Area Network), a mobile communication module that connects to a mobile communication network via a mobile communication base station to transmit and receive data, a short-range communication module that uses a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) series communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) series communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Zigbee (registered trademark), a satellite communication module that uses a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS (Global Positioning System), or a combination thereof.

[0045] The storage 230 can store various types of information. The storage 230 can store data temporarily or semi-permanently. For example, the storage 230 of the server device 100 may store the operating system (OS) for running the server device 100, data for hosting a website, and data related to programs or applications for generating Braille (e.g., web applications). Furthermore, as mentioned above, the storage 230 can store modules in the form of computer code.

[0046] Examples of storage 230 include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), flash memory, read-only memory (ROMs), and random access memory (RAMs). Such storage 230 can be provided as internal or removable devices.

[0047] The processor 240 controls the overall operation of the server device 100 and the user device 200. To this end, the processor 240 performs calculations and processing of various information and can control the operation of the components of the server device 100. For example, the processor 240 can execute a program or application for providing information. The processor 240 can be embodied in a computer or similar device through hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Hardware-wise, the processor 240 can be embodied in the form of an electronic circuit that processes electrical signals to perform control functions, and software-wise, it can be embodied in the form of a program that drives the hardware-like processor 240. On the other hand, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the operation of the server device 100 and the user device 200 can be interpreted as being controlled by the processor 240. That is, when a module embodied in the aforementioned information provision system is executed, the module can be interpreted as the processor 240 controlling the server device 100 and the user device 200 to perform the following operations.

[0048] In summary, diverse embodiments can be realized through diverse means. For example, diverse embodiments can be realized through hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0049] In the case of hardware implementation, the various embodiments of the method can be implemented by one or more ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and the like.

[0050] In the case of implementation by firmware or software, the methods according to various embodiments may be implemented in the form of modules, procedures, or functions that perform the functions or operations described below. For example, software code may be stored in memory and driven by a processor. The memory may be located inside or outside the processor and can exchange data with the processor by various already known means.

[0051] The following sections will provide a more detailed explanation of various embodiments based on the technical concepts described above. The aforementioned concepts may apply to the various embodiments described below. For example, any undefined operations, functions, terms, etc., in the various embodiments described below may be explained based on the aforementioned concepts.

[0052] The following description will explain various embodiments based on the premise that the server device 100 performs an information provision operation. According to these various embodiments, the user device 200 that receives information from the server device 100 can output the information.

[0053] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation method of the server device 100 for providing information according to various embodiments.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the server device 100 provides route guidance information that includes pickup routes for stores. In order to perform the operation of providing route guidance information, it acquires location information of a delivery person who picks up ordered items from a store on the delivery intermediary service 301, and based on the location information, it determines one navigation service from among the first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service and an external second navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service to guide the delivery person on a pickup route for stores 303, and can provide route guidance information that includes pickup routes through the determined navigation service 305.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the server device 100 may perform the action of providing route guidance information including pickup routes for a service provided by the server device 100 or a service related to the server device 100. Hereinafter, the service related to the server device 100 may refer to a delivery intermediary service for mediating pickup and delivery orders of items between various stores and multiple users who utilize the service. Furthermore, the items subject to pickup and delivery orders may refer to food items, and the term "food items" may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms that refer to food-related items such as dishes, menus, or meals. Stores linked to the service related to the server device 100 may refer to stores that sell and deliver food items, and may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms that refer to places where food items can be sold, such as stores, shops, and restaurants.

[0056] Through a service provided by server device 100 for mediating pickup and delivery orders, multiple users can enter order requests to order items through stores within the service. Stores can then confirm the order requests entered through the service and prepare the ordered items accordingly. When a store supports both pickup and delivery orders, for pickup orders where the user chooses to visit the store directly to pick up the items or to pick them up, the store enters information that the items are ready into the service once the items are ready. The user can then visit the store to pick up the items. Alternatively, for delivery orders where a delivery person delivers the items to the user's address, the store enters delivery request information into the service once the items are ready. Once the delivery request information is confirmed, the delivery person can visit the store to pick up the items and then deliver them to the user's address.

[0057] A user can select their desired pickup or delivery order by having separate tabs for pickup and delivery orders on the store's store details page. When a pickup order is placed, the user's address information and real-time location information are provided to and managed by the server device 100. When a delivery order is placed, the real-time location information of the delivery person may be provided to and managed by the server device 100.

[0058] According to various embodiments, in operation 301, the server device 100 can obtain location information of a delivery person who picks up ordered items from a store on the delivery intermediary service.

[0059] For example, when a user of a delivery intermediary service places an order for an item they want from a store, the store prepares the ordered item, and once the item is ready, it can request the delivery intermediary service to assign a delivery person to pick up the item. For the store that confirms the delivery person assignment request, the server device 100 assigns a delivery person to pick up the item prepared at the store, and in the process, it can check the location information of the delivery person.

[0060] For example, the assignment of delivery personnel to pick up items prepared in the store may be done by the server device 100 directly assigning a delivery person that has been confirmed to be located near the store, or by the delivery person requesting the server device 100 to deliver the items prepared in the store, the server device 100 confirming this and assigning a delivery person that the server device 100 has confirmed.

[0061] According to various embodiments, in operation 303, the server device 100 can determine, based on location information, one navigation service from among a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service and an external second navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service, in order to guide the delivery person to a pickup route related to the store.

[0062] For example, a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service may be a navigation service that is directly controllable by the server device 100 and operated independently to guide delivery personnel along a route, while an external second navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service may not be directly controllable by the server device 100 but can be a navigation service that can guide delivery personnel along a route in conjunction with the delivery intermediary service.

[0063] For example, the server device 100 can be configured to acquire external map information for a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service. That is, the server device 100 can be configured to acquire open-source map information from an external source and use it for the first navigation service, which is necessary in the process of managing the delivery intermediary service.

[0064] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing how server devices 100, according to various embodiments, acquire external map information.

[0065] In Figure 4, when the server device 100 attempts to acquire external map information, it sets the delivery person's location information as an input value 401, and through this, it can acquire road information from the open-source platform OpenStreetMap (OSM) based on the delivery person's location information 403. At this time, information regarding route setting strategies, graphs, features, etc., used to guide the delivery person along a pickup route can be set through the acquired road information 405. Subsequently, depending on whether or not there is a highway near the delivery person's location, a first navigation service using external map information can be utilized 407.

[0066] For example, the map information acquired for the first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service provided by the server device 100 may include a variety of information used to represent the map, such as building information, road information, and topographic information. In this case, the road information included in the map information may include not only information about multiple roads included in the map information, but also road group classification information that classifies the multiple roads into multiple groups based on their importance, thereby allowing each road to be managed according to its importance included in the map information.

[0067] For example, the road group classification information included in the road information may be configured to classify expressways as having high importance, and general roads other than expressways, slow roads, and / or pedestrian-friendly roads as having low importance, and to include information on a first road group of high importance that includes expressways, and information on a second road group of low importance that includes other roads excluding expressways. Through such road group classification information, the server device 100 using the map information can utilize each road for the first navigation service based on the importance of each road.

[0068] For example, operation 303 may determine, based on the delivery person's location information, whether a high-speed road included in the first road group of high-priority roads is located within a certain distance from the delivery person's location. This determination by the server device 100 may be based on whether the current location of the delivery person who must visit the store to pick up items is near a high-speed road. In other words, the navigation service for guiding the pickup route may be determined differently depending on whether the delivery person's current location is near a high-speed road.

[0069] Generally, if a highway is near the delivery person, the navigation service may guide them to a pickup route that starts on the highway. However, this can lead to problems such as the delivery person having to travel a somewhat long distance to reach the entry point to the highway, or using other general roads instead of highways, resulting in a longer pickup route than the one originally set. Furthermore, problems can arise where delivery people falsify their location information, such as GPS (Global Positioning System), to cause the pickup route to be set to be extremely long, or to be guided to a longer pickup route than the one that should have been guided via the highway, thereby increasing delivery fees.

[0070] Therefore, the server device 100 can operate its own first navigation service, which is included in the delivery intermediary service and directly controllable, to manage the delivery person to use the first navigation service to guide them to a pickup route that starts on a general road other than a highway when they are near a highway. Through this, the aforementioned problems that may occur when an external second navigation service is used when the delivery person is near a highway can be prevented.

[0071] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an example in which the server device 100 determines one of its own navigation services or an external navigation service based on the delivery person's location information.

[0072] As shown in Figure 5, the server device 100 checks the delivery person's location information 501, determines whether the delivery person is located near a highway 503, controls the delivery person to use its own navigation service if they are near a highway 505, and conversely controls the delivery person to use an external navigation service if they are not near a highway 507.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, if the delivery person's location is A, it is confirmed that a highway exists within a predetermined distance of 50m from location A, so the server device 100 will be controlled to use its own navigation service. Conversely, if the delivery person's location is B, it is confirmed that there is no highway within a predetermined distance of 50m from location B, so the server device 100 will be controlled to use an external navigation service.

[0074] The specific operation of the server device 100 related to Figures 5 and 6 can be carried out by the following embodiments.

[0075] The server device 100 can determine a first navigation service to guide the delivery person to a pickup route to the store if it confirms the delivery person's location and finds that a road belonging to a first road group of high importance is located within a certain distance from that location. Conversely, if the server device 100 confirms the delivery person's location and finds that a road belonging to a first road group of high importance is not located within a certain distance from that location, it can determine an external second navigation service to guide the delivery person to a pickup route to the store.

[0076] Because a road belonging to a first road group with high importance is located near the delivery person, if the server device 100 uses its own first navigation service, which it can directly control, for pickup route guidance, the server device 100 can manage the setting of the starting road for the pickup route so that roads belonging to the first road group with high importance are excluded when determining the pickup route between stores using the delivery person's location information in the first navigation service. That is, when the server device 100 controls the first navigation service to identify one or more roads that can be set as the starting road for determining the pickup route to the store based on the delivery person's location information, it can exclude roads belonging to the first road group with high importance from among the one or more roads thus identified, and set the starting road for the pickup route based on the remaining roads belonging to the second road group with lower importance.

[0077] Figure 7 illustrates how server devices 100, according to various embodiments, determine pickup routes based on their own navigation services.

[0078] In Figure 7, the server device 100 checks a first road group that includes highways and a second road group that includes roads that do not include highways 701, and if there is a highway included in the first road group near the delivery person based on the delivery person's location information, it can be configured to guide the delivery person to the store via its own navigation service 703.

[0079] When the server device 100 guides the delivery person to the store via its own navigation service, the server device 100 will identify one or more roads that can be set as the starting road for the pickup route based on the delivery person's location information 705, and will be able to set the starting road for the pickup route based on the roads included in the second road group, excluding the highway roads included in the first road group 707. Subsequently, the server device 100 can determine the pickup route for the delivery person as the pickup route for which the starting road has been set on the roads included in the second road group 709.

[0080] Of the roads near the delivery person's location, the starting road for the pickup route on the remaining roads in the second road group, excluding those included in the first road group, may be determined based on traffic forecast information for each road included in the second road group.

[0081] For example, when determining a pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route, the traffic forecast information may include information on the expected travel time, and the priority of each road included in the second road group may be determined to be higher in order of the shortest expected travel time.

[0082] As another example, when determining a pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route, the traffic forecast information may include information on expected travel speeds, and the priority of each road included in the second road group may be determined based on the expected travel speed, with the fastest expected travel speeds.

[0083] Alternatively, as another example, if the traffic forecast information determines the pickup route by setting the roads included in the second road group as the starting roads for the pickup route, the traffic forecast information may include information on expected traffic congestion, and the priority of each road included in the second road group may be determined to be higher in order of the lowest expected level of traffic congestion or traffic load.

[0084] Alternatively, as another example, the various pieces of information included in the traffic forecast information may be comprehensively considered to determine the starting road for the pickup route from among the roads included in the second road group. For example, when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route, the expected (1) travel time, (2) travel speed, and (3) traffic congestion conditions may be applied in that order to determine the priority of each road included in the second road group, or they may be applied in any other order to determine the priority of each road included in the second road group.

[0085] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of comparing the pickup route guided when the server device 100 uses its own navigation service with the pickup route guided when the server device 100 uses an external navigation service.

[0086] In Figure 8, the current location of the delivery person can be understood to correspond to location A in Figure 6, and therefore, a highway exists within a predetermined distance of 50m from the delivery person's location information.

[0087] If the server device 100 guides the delivery person along a pickup route through its own navigation service using the operation method proposed in the present invention, it will guide the delivery person along a pickup route using a road other than a highway as the starting road. As a result, a solid line pickup route with a road other than a highway as the starting road may be shown to the delivery person, as in 803.

[0088] Conversely, if a highway exists near the delivery person's location, but the delivery person does not follow the operating method proposed in this invention and instead uses an external navigation service to guide them on a pickup route, the external navigation service does not impose any particular restrictions on highways. Therefore, as in 805, the delivery person may be guided on a diagonal pickup route that starts from the highway closest to their location.

[0089] The diagonal pickup route 805, which starts on a highway, is longer in distance than the solid pickup route 803, which starts on a road other than a highway. Therefore, the time required for the delivery person to visit the store and the delivery costs incurred by the store visit may be greater.

[0090] For example, if a pickup route is determined by setting a road included in a second road group with low importance as the starting road for determining the pickup route to the store based on the delivery person's location information, then first delivery fee information to be paid to the delivery person can be calculated based on the distance of the pickup route thus determined, and the server device 100 can provide the calculated first delivery fee information to the delivery person.

[0091] According to various embodiments, in operation 305, the server device 100 can provide route guidance information, including a pickup route, through a determined navigation service.

[0092] For example, the routing information provided by the server device 100 through operation 305 may be information determined based on the various embodiments described above.

[0093] On the other hand, when route guidance information is provided to a delivery person through a first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service using the method proposed in the present invention, the route guidance information set in the first navigation service is information generated on the delivery intermediary service, so the server device 100 can also utilize such route guidance information for the convenience of the store.

[0094] Specifically, the server device 100 can provide the store with map information linked to the first navigation service. Here, the map information provided to the store displays the travel route set by the first navigation service for delivery personnel visiting the store to pick up items, with the store set as the center of the map, thereby displaying the movement status of the delivery personnel. In other words, the store can be provided with map information showing the route guidance provided by the first navigation service and the real-time movement status of the delivery personnel moving according to that route guidance information in order for delivery personnel to pick up items.

[0095] In particular, stores frequently need to prepare multiple orders simultaneously, and since each order is paid for by a different customer, the items corresponding to each order are picked up by different delivery drivers. In such cases, if the time it takes for items to be prepared for multiple orders is similar, multiple delivery drivers may visit the store at similar times to pick up multiple items for multiple orders. Therefore, the store needs to be able to identify multiple delivery drivers, and for this purpose, the aforementioned real-time map information can be utilized.

[0096] For example, in a store where two items corresponding to two orders must be picked up, and there are a first delivery person and a second delivery person who have been guided on the pickup route through a first navigation service, (1) the identification information of the first delivery person, the route guidance information guided to the first delivery person through the first navigation service, real-time location information showing the real-time location of the first delivery person, and the identification information of the first order for which the first delivery person will pick up the items may be provided on the map information, and (2) the identification information of the second delivery person, the route guidance information guided to the second delivery person through the first navigation service, real-time location information showing the real-time location of the second delivery person, and the identification information of the second order for which the second delivery person will pick up the items may also be provided on the map information.

[0097] In this case, the server device 100 can display information related to each delivery person on the map using different hues, making it convenient for stores that receive map information to visually and smoothly grasp the movement status of each delivery person. Specifically, in the above case, the server device 100 can display all information related to the first delivery person primarily in red, indicating that the first delivery person displayed in red is moving along a pickup route displayed in red, and all information related to the second delivery person can display all information primarily in blue, indicating that the second delivery person displayed in blue is moving along a pickup route displayed in blue.

[0098] As shown in Figure 3, it is obvious that the information provided by the server device 100 in the process of performing its operation for providing route guidance information can be provided in various combinations of forms.

[0099] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein and in the drawings are merely examples to facilitate the technical description of the invention and to aid in its understanding, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. That is, it is obvious to a person ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains that other modifications based on the technical idea of ​​the invention are possible. Furthermore, each of the embodiments can be used in combination with one another as needed. For example, all embodiments of the present invention can be partially combined and embodied in a system.

[0100] Furthermore, the methods using the system according to the present invention can be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be performed through various computer means and can be recorded on a computer-readable medium.

[0101] Thus, various embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in a particular view as computer-readable code in a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data readable by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disk-read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves (such as data transmission over the Internet). Computer-readable code can also be stored and executed in a distributed manner by being distributed through a networked computer system. Furthermore, functional programs, code, and code segments for achieving various embodiments of the present invention can be readily interpreted by a skilled programmer in the field to which the present invention is applied.

[0102] Furthermore, it will be found that the apparatus and methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention can be realized in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Such software can be stored, for example, in volatile or non-volatile storage devices such as ROM, whether or not it is deleteable or re-recordable, or in memory such as RAM, memory chips, devices, or integrated circuits, or in optically or magnetically recordable and machine-readable storage media such as compact disks (CDs), DVDs, magnetic disks, or magnetic tapes. The methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention can be embodied by a computer including a control unit and memory, or in a vehicle including such memory or computer, and such memory is an example of a machine-readable storage medium suitable for storing a program containing instructions that embody embodiments of the present invention or a program that includes such instructions.

[0103] Accordingly, the present invention includes programs comprising code for embodying the apparatus or method described in the claims herein, and storage media readable by a machine (such as a computer) that stores such programs. Furthermore, such programs may be electronically transported through any medium, such as communication signals transmitted via wired or wireless connections, and the present invention appropriately includes equivalents thereof.

[0104] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference, the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings are merely examples to facilitate the explanation of the technical content of the present invention and to aid in its understanding, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention described above are merely illustrative, and a person with ordinary skill in the art will understand that a wider variety of modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the true scope of technical protection of the present invention must be defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method by which an electronic device provides information, The electronic device acquires location information of a delivery person who picks up ordered items from a store on the delivery intermediary service provided by the aforementioned electronic device. A step of determining, based on the location information and the importance of roads located within a certain distance from the location information, one navigation service from among the first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service and an external second navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service, for guiding the delivery person to the pickup route for the store. The step of providing route guidance information including the pickup route through the aforementioned determined navigation service, Information provision method.

2. The aforementioned method of providing information is: The step further includes obtaining map information to be used for the first navigation service, The method for providing information according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned map information is open-source map information. The information provision method described in claim 2.

4. The aforementioned map information includes road information, The road information includes road group classification information that classifies the multiple roads into groups based on information about multiple roads included in the map information and the importance of the multiple roads, The information provision method described in claim 2.

5. The aforementioned road group classification information includes information on a first road group of high importance, which includes expressways, and information on a second road group of low importance, which includes other roads excluding expressways. The information provision method according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned navigation service is determined based on whether or not a road included in the first road group is located within a certain distance from the location information. The information provision method described in claim 5.

7. The step of determining the aforementioned navigation service is: If a road included in the first road group is located within a certain distance from the location information, the first navigation service is determined to be the single navigation service. The step of determining the second navigation service as the single navigation service if no road included in the first road group is located within a certain distance from the location information, is included. The information provision method described in claim 6.

8. When the first navigation service is determined to be the one navigation service, the first navigation service manages the roads included in the first road group to be excluded from the setting of the starting road for the pickup route. The information provision method described in claim 5.

9. The aforementioned method of providing information is: A step of identifying one or more roads that can be set as the starting road for the pickup route based on the aforementioned location information, The step of setting a starting road for the pickup route based on the roads included in the second road group, excluding the roads included in the first road group, from among the one or more roads, further includes: The method for providing information according to claim 8.

10. The starting road for the pickup route is determined based on traffic forecast information relating to the roads included in the second road group. The method of providing information according to claim 9.

11. The traffic forecast information includes, when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route, information regarding the expected travel time. The information provision method according to claim 10.

12. The traffic forecast information includes, when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route, information regarding the expected travel speed. The information provision method according to claim 10.

13. The traffic forecast information includes information regarding expected traffic congestion when determining the pickup route by setting a road included in the second road group as the starting road for the pickup route. The information provision method according to claim 10.

14. The aforementioned method of providing information is: When a specific road included in the second road group from among the one or more roads is set as the starting road for the pickup route and the pickup route is determined, the steps include confirming the first delivery cost information calculated based on the distance of the determined pickup route, The step of providing the aforementioned first delivery cost information, further includes, The method of providing information according to claim 9.

15. The aforementioned method of providing information is: If the delivery person is provided with first route guidance information through the first navigation service, the process further includes providing the store with map information containing the delivery person's real-time location information and the first route guidance information. The method for providing information according to claim 1.

16. If there are other delivery personnel picking up other ordered items for the store on the delivery intermediary service, and these other delivery personnel are provided with second route guidance information through the first navigation service, the map information further includes real-time location information of the other delivery personnel and the second route guidance information. On the aforementioned map information, the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information are displayed in different hues. The information provision method according to claim 15.

17. An electronic device that provides information, Processor, It includes one or more memory locations that store one or more instructions, The one or more instructions mentioned above are, at runtime, handled by the processor, The electronic device acquires location information of a delivery person who picks up ordered items from a store on the delivery intermediary service provided by the aforementioned electronic device. A step of determining, based on the location information and the importance of roads located within a certain distance from the location information, one navigation service from among the first navigation service included in the delivery intermediary service and an external second navigation service that can be linked with the delivery intermediary service, for guiding the delivery person to the pickup route for the store. The processor is controlled to perform the steps of: providing route guidance information including the pickup route through the determined navigation service; electronic equipment.

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