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Transportation management processes and systems

Transportation management processes and systems description/claims

The present invention relates to transportation management processes and systems, including computing system and methods for determining one or more routes for transporting items.

Shipping companies are faced with moving multiple packages between multiple locations. Accordingly, it is important that the shipping companies strive to schedule the movement of packages in an effective and efficient manner. For example, a shipping company may have packages at 11 different locations for delivery to 20 different destinations. Additionally, the packages can have varying delivery schedules and the shipping company can have a defined number of vehicles. Accordingly, the shipping company must determine which packages can be transported on which vehicle and determine the sequence of stops that each vehicle must make in order to deliver the packages to their corresponding destination on time.

The task of determining which packages to transport on which vehicle and determining the sequence of stops that each vehicle must make can be complicated, difficult, and time consuming, especially when there is a large number of packages and vehicles. One method that shipping companies use to perform this task is to select a “seed” package that is being shipped from one location to another based on some criteria (e.g., the heaviest package at a location) and to schedule the package for delivery on a first vehicle. Additional packages are then scheduled on the first vehicle for delivery at the same or a different location. The shipping company then selects another “seed” package and schedules it for delivery on a second vehicle. Additional packages are then scheduled on the second vehicle for delivery at the same or a different location, and so on, until all of the packages are scheduled for delivery. A drawback of this process is that once a seed package is selected and scheduled on a vehicle, future seed package and vehicle selections are limited to the remaining packages and vehicles. Accordingly, this process does not necessarily converge toward a low cost solution because early selections are blind to the consequences associated with subsequent selections and therefore, may eliminate lower cost solutions.

Even if a large number of combinations are tried (e.g., using a set of linear equations to predict the expense associated with each combination), the process is blind to the consequences associated with subsequent selections and there is no guarantee that the process will converge toward lower cost solutions. Furthermore, these processes generally do not account for real-world constraints and variables. For example, in many cases combinations are generated and tried, even though they are unrealistic or impractical. For instance, in many cases, these equations fail to take into account shipping restrictions (e.g., packages that must be placed in a refrigerated truck), mutually exclusive combinations, non-linear rate breaks for a large number of packages being shipped to a selected destination, etc.

Certain aspects of the invention are directed generally toward transportation management processes and systems. For example, certain aspects of the present invention are directed toward a method in a computer system for determining one or more routes for transporting items, including receiving multiple orders to transport items from an origination stop to a destination stop. Each order can have an associated time attribute and an associated physical attribute. The method further includes generating one or more consolidations. Each consolidation can include an origination stop, a destination stop, a time attribute, a physical attribute, and a vehicle attribute. Each consolidation can be associated with two or more orders having common origination stops, common destination stops, and compatible time attributes. The origination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common origination stops of the two or more associated orders. The destination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common destination stops of the two or more associated orders. The physical attribute of each consolidation can correspond to the physical attributes of the two or more associated orders. The time attribute of each consolidation can be compatible with the time attributes of the two or more associated orders. The method can still further include generating one or more shipments wherein each shipment includes a selected consolidation that meets at least one shipment parameter or includes a single order, generating one or more routes with an ordered sequence of stops wherein each route is associated with one or more shipments, and selecting one or more routes based on one or more route parameters.

Other aspects of the present invention are directed toward a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computing environment to perform a method that includes receiving multiple orders to transport items from an origination stop to a destination stop. Each order can have an associated time attribute and an associated physical attribute. The method further includes generating one or more consolidations. Each consolidation can include an origination stop, a destination stop, a time attribute, a physical attribute, and a vehicle attribute. Each consolidation can be associated with two or more orders having common origination stops, common destination stops, and compatible time attributes. The origination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common origination stops of the two or more associated orders. The destination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common destination stops of the two or more associated orders. The physical attribute of each consolidation can correspond to the physical attributes of the two or more associated orders. The time attribute of each consolidation can be compatible with the time attributes of the two or more associated orders. The method can still further include generating one or more shipments wherein each shipment includes a selected consolidation that meets at least one shipment parameter or includes a single order, generating one or more routes with an ordered sequence of stops wherein each route is associated with one or more shipments, and selecting one or more routes based on one or more route parameters.

Still other aspects of the invention are directed toward a computing system for determining one or more routes for transporting items that includes an order receiving subsystem for receiving multiple orders to transport items from an origination stop to a destination stop. Each order can have an associated time attribute and an associated physical attribute. The system can further include a consolidation generating subsystem for generating one or more consolidations. Each consolidation can include an origination stop, a destination stop, a time attribute, a physical attribute, and a vehicle attribute. Each consolidation can be associated with two or more orders having common origination stops, common destination stops, and compatible time attributes. The origination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common origination stops of the two or more associated orders. The destination stop of each consolidation can correspond to the common destination stops of the two or more associated orders. The physical attribute of each consolidation can correspond to the physical attributes of the two or more associated orders. The time attribute of each consolidation can be compatible with the time attributes of the two or more associated orders. The system can still further include a shipment generating subsystem for generating one or more shipments wherein each shipment includes a selected consolidation that meets at least one shipment parameter or includes a single order, a route generating subsystem for generating one or more routes with an ordered sequence of stops wherein each route is associated with one or more shipments, and a route selection subsystem for selecting one or more routes based on one or more route parameters.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

FIG. 1 is partially schematic illustration of a computing environment suitable for implementing various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates a process for selecting one or more routes for transporting items in accordance with the selected embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic illustration of multiple orders in accordance with selected embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially schematic illustration of a consolidation in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic illustration of another consolidation in accordance with selected embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially schematic illustration of costs associated with selected consolidations in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a partially schematic illustration of cost associated with selected orders in accordance with selected embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a partially schematic illustration of selected shipments in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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