Automated Delivery Address Selection for Multi-Recipient Orders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Web merchants often limit users to a single delivery address and delivery method, making it difficult to send items to multiple locations or in different manners, and lack advanced tools for managing multiple delivery options.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that automatically determines appropriate delivery information for items based on item types, user behavior, and other factors, allowing multiple delivery addresses and methods to be associated with a user, and providing mechanisms for easy management of these options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a Web merchant allows only a single delivery address and delivery method to be associated with each user, then the system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the adaptability and versatility of delivery options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments delivery options into multiple distinct delivery addresses and delivery manners that can be associated with a user. Instead of a single unified delivery configuration, the system divides delivery into separate selectable options (e.g., home address, work address, different shipping methods), allowing users to choose appropriate combinations for different items in their order.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic delivery option selection where the system automatically determines and adjusts delivery addresses and delivery manners based on item characteristics, user preferences, and order context. The delivery configuration is not static but dynamically adapted to match the specific requirements of different items and ordering scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a Web merchant provides multiple delivery addresses and delivery manners associated with a user, then the adaptability and versatility of delivery options are improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of managing delivery options increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically determines appropriate delivery addresses and delivery manners without requiring manual user configuration for each order. The system autonomously selects from the user's associated delivery options based on item types, user preferences, and order context, eliminating the need for users to manually manage complex delivery configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration by pre-associating multiple delivery addresses and delivery manners with the user account before ordering. The system prepares and stores these delivery options in advance, so when an order is placed, the appropriate options are automatically selected and applied without requiring real-time user input or complex on-the-spot decisions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a Web merchant provides multiple delivery addresses and delivery manners with advanced management tools, then the adaptability is improved and user convenience is enhanced, but the device complexity and loss of time for configuration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines and configures delivery options without requiring user intervention, eliminating the time users would spend manually selecting and managing delivery addresses and methods. The automated determination process instantly selects appropriate delivery configurations based on pre-associated options and item characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-associating delivery addresses and manners with user accounts and pre-configuring preference rules, the system prepares all necessary delivery information in advance. This preliminary setup enables instant automatic selection during ordering, eliminating the time required for users to configure delivery options at the moment of purchase.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for automatically determining appropriate delivery information for one or more items of an order or potential order is described. A variety of types of information can be considered when determining what delivery information is appropriate for one or more items, such as a type of the items, the particular items, relationships of the items to other items, information about the purchaser, and/or information about the recipient. In addition, the automatic determination of an appropriate address for an item being ordered or potentially ordered by a user can be made in a variety of ways, such as based on inferences from past behavior when ordering items, on inferences from information about the item and from available delivery information for the user, and/or on previous explicit indications from the user.