Web Delivery Date Estimation via Preliminary Data Fetching

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Determining accurate and timely estimated delivery dates for online shopping is complex, requiring data from multiple sources and needing to be calculated quickly to incentivize sales, while also ensuring seamless integration with webpages to avoid customer dissatisfaction and network congestion.

Innovation Solution

A computerized system that receives product information requests, generates delivery date estimates by gathering data from fulfillment centers, shipping agents, and customer accounts, and dynamically updates webpages with compressed scripts to minimize bandwidth usage and render delivery date information without causing delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If complex delivery date calculations are performed using multi-sourced data, then delivery date accuracy is improved, but calculation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery date accuracyVSAvoidcalculation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching delivery date estimates from fulfillment centers before customers complete their purchases. This allows the delivery information to be ready and displayed quickly when customers view product pages, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations at the moment of purchase decision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The calculation process is segmented into separate operations: (1) fetching delivery estimates from fulfillment centers in advance, (2) storing them temporarily, and (3) displaying them on webpages. This segmentation allows each operation to be optimized independently and avoids blocking the customer experience with complex real-time calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If delivery date calculations are performed quickly, then customer decision-making is improved, but calculation accuracy may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalculation speedVSAvoiddelivery date accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

By performing delivery date calculations in advance and storing the results, the system achieves both speed and accuracy. The calculations are performed when there is no time pressure, ensuring accuracy, while the stored results enable instant retrieval and display, achieving speed when customers need the information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If delivery estimate information is displayed on webpages, then customer experience is improved, but webpage rendering delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer experienceVSAvoidwebpage rendering time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-fetches and stores delivery date estimates before customers arrive at product pages. When customers view products, the delivery information is already available and can be displayed immediately without causing webpage rendering delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary component (delivery date estimation system) that acts as a buffer between the fulfillment centers and the customer-facing webpages. This intermediary pre-processes and caches delivery information, shielding the webpages from the complexity and time requirements of real-time calculations while still providing accurate delivery estimates to customers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Measurement precision

If multiple data sources are queried for delivery information, then delivery estimate accuracy is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery estimate accuracyVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system queries fulfillment centers in advance and stores the delivery date estimates locally. This preliminary action reduces the need for repeated real-time queries to multiple fulfillment centers, thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining accurate delivery information for display on customer webpages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11216771B2Systems and methods for modifying webpages with delivery date estimation

Publication Date: 2022.01.04 COUPANG CORP

AI summary

A computerized system for displaying delivery date estimation in a webpage. The system may include a processor and a nontransitory storage medium comprising instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions may include steps of receiving, from a remote device, a first request for product information, the first request including remote device information and product identification. The steps may also include providing (to a second system) a second request for a delivery date estimate, the second request comprising the remote device information and product identification, receiving (from the second system) the delivery date estimate. The steps may also include generating an electronic message comprising the product information and the delivery date estimate and forwarding (to the remote system) the electronic message.