Same Day Delivery Scheduling Using Graph Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current package delivery systems face challenges in efficiently scheduling same day or next day deliveries due to the complexity of coordinating delivery provider locations, traffic, weather, and package volume, leading to inefficiencies and potential delays.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that utilizes a database graph search algorithm to analyze provider, customer, and historical route data, along with real-time weather and traffic data, to determine optimal receipt and delivery locations and times for packages, dynamically adjusting schedules as needed to ensure timely delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional delivery scheduling methods are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but delivery efficiency and reliability deteriorate due to inability to coordinate multiple factors in real-time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual delivery scheduling with an automated computer-implemented system that uses algorithms to process provider data, customer data, historical route data, weather data, and traffic data. This substitution of mechanical/manual scheduling with automated computational systems resolves the contradiction by enabling real-time coordination of multiple delivery factors without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service scheduling where the computer automatically determines optimal delivery times and routes by processing multiple data sources and making scheduling decisions without human intervention. This self-service capability improves delivery efficiency while keeping the system manageable through automated decision-making algorithms.
2Reliability
If real-time data processing and dynamic scheduling are implemented, then delivery reliability is improved, but computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of provider data, customer data, and historical route data to pre-establish baseline scheduling parameters. By preparing data and algorithms in advance, the system can quickly make reliable scheduling decisions in real-time without excessive computational complexity during actual delivery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback loops where weather data and traffic data continuously update delivery schedules in real-time. This feedback mechanism improves delivery reliability by adapting to changing conditions while managing computational complexity through iterative adjustments rather than complete recalculation.
3Loss of time
If comprehensive data analysis including weather and traffic data is performed, then route optimization is improved, but data processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and processes only the most critical data elements from provider data, customer data, historical route data, weather data, and traffic data that directly impact delivery timing. By selectively extracting relevant information rather than processing all available data, the system optimizes routes effectively while controlling data processing complexity and time requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for same day shipment of a package is disclosed. The computer-implemented method includes obtaining provider data, customer data, and historical data from a plurality of data sources; obtaining current location data and current time data associated with one or more delivery providers and one or more buses; analyzing the current location data and the current time data that are obtained with respect to the provider data, the customer data, and the historical route data; determining a schedule, a first receipt location and a first receipt time for the first package; determining a first delivery provider and/or bus for the first package based on the schedule; and providing instructions to the bus and/or a first delivery provider computer device associated with the first delivery provider of the one or more delivery providers to receive, handoff, and/or deliver the first package based on the schedule.