Scheduling delivery of products via the Internet

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for scheduling delivery of an order via a wide area network. A computer system associates a customer point value with each customer according to a customer point system. The customer point values is determined with reference to customer order data. The computer system then divides the customers into customer groups, each of which has a range of customer point values. The system determines an actual capacity allocation distribution among the customer groups based on the customer order data. The system adjusts the range of customer point values for customer groups to cause the actual capacity allocation distribution to converge to a target capacity allocation distribution.

1 . A computer-implemented method for scheduling delivery of products in a customer order, comprising: 
 receiving a piece of information regarding the customer;    displaying a plurality of delivery windows available to the customer to fulfill the order based on the piece of information;    receiving from the customer a selection of a delivery window from the plurality of delivery windows to fulfill the order; and    identifying a route from a plurality of routes to deliver the order,    wherein at least one of the delivery windows is available to one group of customers, but not to another group of customers, with customers being associated with their corresponding group based on information related to their previous orders,    wherein whether the at least one of the delivery windows is available to the customer depends on the group of customers that the customer is associated with,    wherein at least one product is held in inventory in anticipation of customer demand, and    wherein the method is implemented by one or more computing devices.    
   
   
       2 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , 
 wherein each delivery window is associated with a capacity, and    wherein the method further comprises keeping track of the duration of time to fill the capacity of at least two windows, and ranking the at least two delivery windows based on the tracked duration.    
   
   
       3 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises keeping track of at least one of the frequency of order and the dollar amount of each order of at least two customers, and ranking the at least two customers based on the tracked information.  
   
   
       4 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 3 , 
 wherein each delivery window is associated with a capacity,    wherein the method further comprises keeping track of the duration of time to fill the capacity of at least two windows, and ranking the at least two delivery windows based on the tracked duration, and    wherein whether a higher ranked delivery window is available to the at least two customers depends on the rank of each of the two customers.    
   
   
       5 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the another group of customers has used the method less than a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       6 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein information related to previous orders of a customer comprises information related to at least one of a customer order frequency and a dollar amount of a previous order.  
   
   
       7 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the identifying process favors a route that already has at least one previously scheduled stop to fulfill another customer order over another route that does not have any previously scheduled stop.  
   
   
       8 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising considering space on a transportation vehicle to deliver products in the order of the customer in view of at least one other order to be serviced by the transportation vehicle for the identified route.  
   
   
       9 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising determining if there is enough time to deliver the order without violating an existing promise to another customer.  
   
   
       10 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least one delivery window displayed to be available provides an incentive to the customer to select the window.  
   
   
       11 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a delivery window is made unavailable to the customer if a distance related to delivering product to the customer to fulfill the order is beyond a certain amount.  
   
   
       12 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a delivery window previously available to a first group of customers, but not available to a second group of customers, is made available to the second group of customers if insufficient orders from the first group of customers are placed using the window after a certain period of time.  
   
   
       13 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising indicating to the customer that the customer's status would be improved if the customer changes a feature related to the customer's order.  
   
   
       14 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of delivery windows displayed as available to the customer depend on the group of customers that the customer is associated with.  
   
   
       15 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , 
 wherein each customer group is associated with a plurality of delivery windows being available to fulfill orders from customers in the group, and    wherein at least one delivery window is available to fulfill orders from both customer groups.    
   
   
       16 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the piece of information regarding the customer includes an address for order delivery, and    wherein a delivery window is unavailable for the customer in view of the address and the time period specified by the delivery window.    
   
   
       17 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1  wherein though a delivery window is not available to the group of customers that the customer is associated with, the delivery window is changed to being available to the customer due to an attribute of the customer.  
   
   
       18 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the change is effective for a duration of time.  
   
   
       19 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the change is manually made and the identity of the person making the change is stored.  
   
   
       20 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 17  wherein though the delivery window should be changed to available in view of the attribute of the customer, the delivery window is not changed in view of resource availability.  
   
   
       21 . A computer-implemented method for scheduling delivery of products in a customer order, comprising: 
 receiving a piece of information regarding the customer;    displaying a plurality of delivery windows available to the customer to fulfill the order based on the piece of information;    receiving from the customer a selection of a delivery window from the plurality of delivery windows to fulfill the order; and    identifying a route from a plurality of routes to deliver the order,    wherein at least one delivery window displayed to be available provides an incentive to the customer to select the window,    wherein at least one product is held in inventory in anticipation of customer demand, and    wherein the method is implemented by one or more computing devices.    
   
   
       22 . A computer-implemented method for scheduling delivery of products in a customer order, comprising: 
 receiving a piece of information regarding the customer;    displaying a plurality of delivery windows available to the customer to fulfill the order based on the piece of information;    receiving from the customer a selection of a delivery window from the plurality of delivery windows to fulfill the order; and    identifying a route from a plurality of routes to deliver the order,    wherein a delivery window is made unavailable to the customer if a distance related to delivering product to the customer to fulfill the order is beyond a certain amount,    wherein at least one product is held in inventory in anticipation of customer demand, and    wherein the method is implemented by one or more computing devices.