Route-Based Delivery Outpost Selection for In-Transit Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional on-demand services require users to separately request and wait for food delivery and transport services, limiting the selection of item providers based on fixed locations, and inefficiently utilizing delivery resources.
Innovation Solution
A server system that processes on-demand services by identifying overlapping travel routes with delivery outposts, selecting delivery outposts based on criteria, and managing delivery service providers to deliver items en route to a user's destination during a transport service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the user requests food delivery service with a fixed delivery location, then the food can be delivered to the user, but the user cannot use transport service simultaneously and has to wait for food delivery before using transport service
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery location is segmented into multiple delivery outposts along the user's travel route. Instead of delivering to a single fixed location, the system divides the delivery destination into multiple intermediate points (delivery outposts) that are distributed along the user's transport route, allowing the user to access items at different stops without waiting for complete delivery to a final destination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning delivery outposts along the user's transport route before the user even requests service. These outposts are established in advance at strategic locations along common transport routes, so when the user requests both transport and food delivery, the system can immediately identify suitable delivery points without delay.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system uses a fixed delivery location for food delivery service, then delivery can be completed, but only item providers within a fixed perimeter are presented to the user
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a two-dimensional fixed perimeter model to a three-dimensional route-based model. Instead of constraining item providers within a circular radius around a fixed delivery location, the system expands the search space to include all item providers along the user's transport route, effectively adding the route dimension to the provider selection criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery location model changes from static (fixed perimeter) to dynamic (route-based). The system dynamically determines the delivery perimeter based on the user's actual transport route, allowing the service area to adapt and expand as the user moves along their journey, thereby including more item providers in the selection range.
3Productivity
If the system establishes delivery outposts along predetermined travel routes, then delivery efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing delivery outposts along predetermined travel routes before actual service requests. These outposts are set up in advance at strategic locations along common transport corridors, so when service is requested, the system can immediately match users with nearby outposts without complex real-time calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The predetermined travel routes and delivery outposts serve as self-organizing infrastructure that automatically guides the matching process. The pre-established route network and outpost locations inherently provide the matching logic, reducing the need for complex real-time system computations and enabling more efficient service delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects concern a server configured to: receive, from a computing device associated with a user, a request for an item delivery service to be provided to the user en route to a destination during a use of a transport service, wherein the request for the item delivery service includes information about at least one selected item for the item delivery service; determine that a travel route of the user associated with the transport service overlaps with at least one of a plurality of predetermined travel routes where a plurality of delivery outposts are placed; identify a candidate set of the plurality of delivery outposts placed on the travel route of the user; and select a delivery outpost from the candidate set of the plurality of delivery outposts based on at least one criterion, for the user to pick up the selected item along the travel route of the user to the destination.