TWI891569B - Operating method for electronic apparatus for providing information on delivery demand adjustment and electronic apparatus supporting thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of providing information on a delivery demand adjustment in an electronic apparatus, the method including identifying a plurality of delivery orders acquired on a service related to the electronic apparatus, acquiring information on a latency in allocating a delivery agent for the plurality of delivery orders and information on a delivery completion time in which processing of each delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders is completed, determining whether a delivery demand is adjusted on the service based on the information on the latency and the information on the delivery completion time, and providing information on a delivery demand adjustment based on whether the delivery demand is adjusted.

Description

Method for operating an electronic device for providing information on delivery demand adjustment and electronic device supporting the method

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing information regarding a delivery demand adjustment, and more particularly, to a method and an electronic apparatus for providing information regarding a delivery demand adjustment when adjusting a delivery demand on a service.

With the development of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a popular shopping field. Customers can purchase items online without having to go to a store or market in person. Items purchased online are then delivered to the customer's requested destination.

In the context of e-commerce, providing detailed and accurate information about an item has a significant impact on customer satisfaction with a service. Therefore, various methods for providing customers with more detailed and accurate information are being discussed.

In this regard, relevant literature such as KR101756594B1, KR101500849B1 and the like may be incorporated by reference.

[Technical Goals]

According to a method of the present invention, when a delivery demand adjustment is performed on a service, information about the delivery demand adjustment can be provided.

The technical objectives to be achieved in this invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical objectives, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other technical objectives not mentioned herein from the following description. [Technical Solution]

Various example embodiments may provide a method of operating an electronic device for providing information and an electronic device for supporting the method.

According to various example embodiments, a method for providing information regarding a delivery demand adjustment in an electronic device is provided, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of delivery orders obtained on a service associated with the electronic device; obtaining information regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to the plurality of delivery orders and information regarding a delivery completion time for completing processing of each delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders; determining whether to adjust a delivery demand on the service based on the information regarding the delay and the information regarding the delivery completion time; and providing information regarding a delivery demand adjustment based on whether the delivery demand is adjusted.

The plurality of delivery orders may include a delivery order that is obtained within a predetermined area identified as deliverable via the service.

A first delay in assigning a delivery agent to a first delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders can be determined based on a time period from a time point when a delivery agent assignment request is obtained from a store corresponding to the first delivery order on the service to a time point when assignment of the delivery agent to the first delivery order is completed.

The first delivery completion time of completing a first delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders can be determined based on a time period from a time point when the first delivery order is obtained on the service to a time point when a delivery completion input submitted by a first delivery agent that processes the first delivery order is obtained.

Determining whether to adjust the delivery demand may include: verifying whether the delay is greater than or equal to a predetermined deadline; verifying whether a proportion of the delivery orders among the plurality of delivery orders that are delivered within a deadline delivery completion time is less than a predetermined threshold proportion; and when the delay is greater than or equal to the predetermined deadline and when the proportion is less than the predetermined threshold proportion, determining that the delivery demand needs to be adjusted.

When the plurality of delivery orders include a delivery order obtained in a predetermined area identified as deliverable through the service, the delivery demand adjustment may be performed for the predetermined area.

The distribution demand adjustment may be performed in stages based on the predetermined deadline time and the predetermined deadline ratio.

The method may further include setting a first delivery demand adjustment condition for the service when the delay is greater than or equal to a first threshold time and when the ratio is less than a first threshold ratio. The information about the delivery demand adjustment may be configured based on the first delivery demand adjustment condition.

The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may include information configured to provide a task and a reward to one or more delivery agents in an idle state on the service.

The method may further include identifying a number of the plurality of delivery orders and a number of delivery agents processing the plurality of delivery orders and determining the task and the reward based on the number of the plurality of delivery orders and the number of delivery agents processing the plurality of delivery orders.

The method may further include providing notification information including information about the task and the reward to the one or more delivery agents.

When the plurality of delivery orders include a delivery order obtained in a predetermined area identified as deliverable through the service, the one or more delivery agents may include a delivery agent having a delivery task execution history corresponding to the predetermined area.

The method may further include setting a second delivery demand adjustment condition for the service when the delay is greater than or equal to a second threshold time and when the ratio is less than a second threshold ratio. The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may be configured based on the second delivery demand adjustment condition. The second threshold time may be greater than the first threshold time. The second threshold ratio may be less than the first threshold ratio.

The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may include information configured to provide a notification about a delayed delivery to a user of the service, information configured to display information of stores in an order based on a short distance from the address information of the user of the service in response to a store search by the user of the service, information configured to display an estimated delivery time based on the delay correction, and information configured to remove an icon displayed on the service indicating the existence of an expedited delivery.

The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may include information configured to provide an estimated time required to assign a delivery agent for a delivery order to a store registered with the service and information configured to notify the store registered with the service to provide a user of the service with notification of a delay in assigning a delivery agent to process a delivery order.

The method may further include setting a third delivery demand adjustment condition for the service when the delay is greater than or equal to a third threshold time and when the ratio is less than a third threshold ratio. The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may be configured based on the third delivery demand adjustment condition. The third threshold time may be greater than the second threshold time. The third threshold ratio may be less than the second threshold ratio.

The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may include information configured to notify a user of the service of a delivery order processing status and a reason for a delayed delivery, information configured to provide the user of the service with a delivery order cancellation function when processing of a delivery order is not completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and information configured to provide the user of the service with a compensation coupon when processing of the delivery order is completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from an estimated delivery time initially notified to the user of the service.

The information regarding the delivery demand adjustment may include information configured to notify a store registered with the service to provide a user of the service with notification of a delay in assigning a delivery agent to a delivery order and information configured to notify the store registered with the service to preferentially assign a delivery agent to a delivery order having a relatively longer delay in assigning a delivery agent.

According to various example embodiments, an electronic device for providing information regarding a delivery demand adjustment is provided, the electronic device including a processor and one or more memories storing one or more instructions, wherein when executed, the one or more instructions control the processor to: identify a plurality of delivery orders obtained on a service associated with the electronic device; obtain information regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to the plurality of delivery orders and information regarding a delivery completion time for completing processing of each delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders; determine whether to adjust a delivery demand on the service based on the information regarding the delay and the information regarding the delivery completion time; and provide information regarding a delivery demand adjustment based on whether to adjust the delivery demand.

The above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various exemplary embodiments reflecting the technical features of the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be derived based on the detailed description below. [Effect]

The technical effect of the present invention is that it can enhance the convenience of distribution demand management by proposing a method for providing information about a distribution demand adjustment when adjusting a distribution demand on a service.

The effects to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other effects not mentioned herein from the following description.

The following exemplary embodiments are obtained by combining the components and features of various exemplary embodiments in a predetermined form. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, each component or feature can be considered optional. Each component or feature can be defined in a form that is not coupled to another component or feature. In addition, some components and features can be combined with each other to implement various exemplary embodiments. The order of operations described in various exemplary embodiments can be changed. Some components or features of any exemplary embodiment can be included in other exemplary embodiments, or can be replaced with corresponding components or features of other exemplary embodiments.

In the description of the drawings, processes or steps that would obscure the gist of various exemplary embodiments and the like are not described, and processes or steps that can be understood by a person skilled in the art are not described.

When a portion is referred to as "including or comprising" a component throughout the specification, this means that the portion may further include other components, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise specified. In addition, terms such as "part," "device," "module," and the like used herein may refer to a unit that performs at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. In addition, unless the content describing various exemplary embodiments (specifically, the content in the patent application) clearly indicates otherwise, the terms "a," "an," "the," and similar terms may be used to include both singular and plural forms.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to describe examples of various exemplary embodiments and is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, the terms used in the various exemplary embodiments are provided to facilitate overall understanding of the various exemplary embodiments, and the use of these specific terms may be changed to other terms without departing from the technical ideas of the various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information providing system for implementing an operating method of an electronic device for providing information according to various exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the information provision system according to various exemplary embodiments can be implemented using various types of electronic devices. For example, the information provision system can be implemented in a server device 100 and a manager device 200. In other words, each of the server device 100 and the manager device 200 can perform operations according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention based on an information provision system implemented in each device. However, the information provision system according to various exemplary embodiments is not limited to the information provision system shown in FIG. 1 , and can be implemented using various other types of electronic devices and servers.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the server device 100 may be a device that performs wired and wireless communications with a plurality of manager devices 200 and includes a large-capacity storage. For example, the server device 100 may be a cloud device that interlocks with a plurality of manager devices 200.

The manager device 200 according to various embodiments may be a device that can be used by a personal manager or user, such as a desktop personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a mobile terminal, or the like. In addition, other electronic devices that perform similar functions may be used as the manager device 200.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the information provision system may include various operation modules. A module included in the information provision system may be computer code or one or more instructions that, when implemented, cause a physical device (e.g., server device 100 and manager device 200) implementing the information provision system (or included in the physical device) to perform an operation assigned to it. In other words, in the physical device implementing the information provision system, multiple modules may be stored in a memory in the form of computer code. When executed by a computer, the multiple modules stored in the memory may be configured so that the physical device performs the assigned operations corresponding to the multiple modules.

FIG2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device and a manager device according to various example embodiments.

2 , the server device 100 and the manager device 200 may each include an input/output portion 210 , a communication portion 220 , a storage 230 , and a processor 240 .

The input/output portion 210 can be various interfaces, various connection ports, or the like for receiving user input or outputting information to the user. The input/output portion 210 can include an input module and an output module. The input module receives user input from a user. User input can take various forms, including key input, touch input, and voice input. Examples of input modules that receive user input may include a traditional keypad or keyboard, a mouse, and a touch sensor that senses a user's touch, a microphone that receives an audio signal, a camera that recognizes a gesture or the like through image recognition, a proximity sensor that includes at least one of an illumination sensor or an infrared sensor that senses the user's approach, a motion sensor that recognizes a user's movement through an accelerometer or a gyroscope sensor, and various input sections that sense or input various forms of user input. The input module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the above-listed devices. Here, the touch sensor can be implemented as a piezoelectric or capacitive touch sensor that senses a touch via a touch panel or a touch film attached to a display panel, an optical touch sensor that senses a touch by an optical method, or the like. In addition, the input module can be implemented in the form of an input interface (USB port, PS/2 port, or the like) connected to an external input device that receives user input, rather than a device that itself senses user input. In addition, the output module can output various pieces of information. The output module may include at least one of a display for outputting an image, a speaker for outputting a sound, a tactile device for generating a vibration, and various other forms of output parts. In addition, the output module can also be implemented in the form of an output interface of the port type connected to the aforementioned individual output parts.

As an example, an output module in the form of a display can display text, a static image, and a dynamic image. The display can include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display (FPD), a transparent display, a curved display, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display, a holographic display, a projector, and other types of devices capable of performing image output functions. Such a display can be in the form of a touch display integrated with the touch sensor of the input module.

Communication section 220 can communicate with another device. Thus, each of server device 100 and manager device 200 can transmit information to or receive information from another device via communication section 220. For example, server device 100 and manager device 200 can use communication section 220 to communicate with each other or with another device.

Here, communication (i.e., transmission and reception of data) can be performed in a wired or wireless manner. To this end, the communication portion may include a wired communication module connected to the Internet or the like via a local area network (LAN), a mobile communication module connected to a mobile communication network via a mobile communication base station to transmit and receive data, a near field communication module using a wireless local area network (WLAN) family communication solution such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) family communication solution such as Bluetooth or Zigbee, a satellite communication module using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as a global positioning system, or a combination thereof.

The memory 230 can store various pieces of information. The memory 230 can store data temporarily or semi-permanently. For example, an operating system (OS) used to drive the server device 100, data used to host a website, data related to a program or application used to generate Braille (e.g., a web application), or the like can be stored in the memory of the server device 100. Furthermore, the memory can store modules in the form of computer code, as described above.

Examples of the memory 230 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and the like. Such a memory may be provided in a built-in or removable manner.

The processor 240 controls the overall operation of the server device 100 and the manager device 200. To this end, the processor 240 can perform calculations and processing of various information and control the operation of the components of the server device 100. For example, the processor 240 can execute a program or application for providing information. The processor 240 can be implemented using a computer or a device similar thereto, depending on hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The processor 240 can be implemented in the form of an electronic circuit that processes electrical signals to perform control functions in hardware, and can be implemented in the form of a program that drives the hardware processor 240 in software. At the same time, it should be understood that the operations of the server device 100 and the manager device 200 are performed under the control of the processor 240, unless otherwise specifically stated in the following description. That is, when the module implemented in the above-mentioned information providing system is executed, it can be interpreted as the processor 240 controlling the server device 100 and the manager device 200 to perform the following operations.

In short, example embodiments can be implemented in various ways. For example, example embodiments can be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, a combination thereof, or the like.

In the case of a hardware implementation, a method according to various exemplary embodiments may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or the like.

When implemented using firmware or software, a method according to various exemplary embodiments may be implemented as a module, procedure, or function that performs the functions or operations described below. For example, the software code may be stored in a memory and driven by a processor. The memory may be internal or external to the processor and may transmit data to and receive data from the processor via various known devices.

Based on the above technical concepts, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below. The above content can be applied to various exemplary embodiments described below. For example, operations, functions, terms, or the like not defined in the various exemplary embodiments described below can be performed and described based on the above content.

In the following description, an example embodiment in which the server device 100 processes an information providing operation will be described. According to various example embodiments, the manager device 200 can receive information about a delivery demand adjustment from the server device 100.

FIG3 is a diagram illustrating an operating method of a server device 100 for providing information according to various exemplary embodiments.

3 , the server device 100 may provide information regarding a delivery demand adjustment. To this end, the server device 100 identifies a plurality of delivery orders obtained for a service in operation 301, obtains information regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to the plurality of delivery orders and information regarding a delivery completion time for completing processing of each of the plurality of delivery orders in operation 303, determines in operation 305 whether to adjust a delivery demand for the service based on the information regarding the delay and the information regarding the delivery completion time, and provides information regarding the delivery demand adjustment based on whether the delivery demand is adjusted in operation 307.

The service associated with the operation of the server device 100 providing information regarding delivery demand adjustment according to FIG. 3 may correspond to a service for mediating an item pickup order and a delivery order between various stores registered with the service and a plurality of users utilizing the service. Furthermore, an item for which a pickup order and a delivery order are processed may correspond to a food item. Food items may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms indicating food-related items, such as a dish, a recipe, or a meal. A store associated with the service associated with the server device 100 may correspond to a store that sells and delivers food items, and may be understood to have the same meaning as various other terms indicating a place where food items are sold, such as a store, a shop, and a restaurant.

Specifically, through the service provided by server device 100 for mediating item pickup orders and delivery orders, multiple users can enter an order request to order an item through a store in the corresponding service. The store can then recognize the order request entered through the corresponding service and prepare the ordered item accordingly. If a store supports both pickup orders and delivery orders, then for a pickup order in which a user selects to visit the store to retrieve or pick up an item, the store can enter item preparation completion information into the corresponding service when the ordered item is ready, and the user can then visit the store to pick up the item. Alternatively, for a delivery order in which a delivery agent selects to deliver an item to a user's address, the store can enter delivery request information into the corresponding service when the ordered item is ready. When the delivery request information is recognized, the delivery agent can visit the store, pick up the items, and deliver the items to the user's address information.

A delivery order requires a delivery agent to pick up an item from a store and deliver it directly to an address of the orderer. In the operation of a delivery order intermediary service for such items, delivery orders may not be evenly distributed throughout the day, and orders may increase rapidly during peak hours, holidays, or periods of inclement weather. In such situations, a delivery agent undersupply problem may exist, where the number of delivery agents is insufficient compared to the number of delivery orders to be processed. To address this imbalance between the supply of delivery agents and the delivery demand, the management service server device 100 can quickly adjust the supply of delivery agents as needed.

At the same time, a method for adjusting delivery demand and delivery agent supply based on an estimated delivery delay to a customer can be implemented independently for each of a plurality of geographic regions associated with the delivery service, i.e., each region included in a plurality of geographic regions independently managed by the delivery service. Furthermore, if an adjustment in demand and delivery agent supply in one region is expected to affect a neighboring region, a delivery demand and delivery agent supply in one region can be adjusted in response to the adjustment in delivery demand and delivery agent supply being applied to another region.

To adjust delivery requirements, a method can be used to flexibly set a delivery fee for each delivery area. Alternatively, a method can be used to reduce a store's delivery range or cancel a promotion for a service user. Referring to FIG4 , an example of adjusting the delivery requirements of a service user, a store, and a delivery agent is described.

FIG4 is a diagram illustrating an example of various methods performed by the server device 100 for delivery demand adjustment.

A dashed box 401 illustrates a method for adjusting a delivery request based on a user of a service. The server device 100 may execute a method such as setting a sufficient estimated delivery arrival time (e.g., estimated time of arrival (ETA)), re-ranking stores viewed by the user in order of proximity to a store (e.g., re-ranking), increasing a delivery fee for processing each delivery order (e.g., delivery fee), canceling a promotion for the user (e.g., stopping the promotion), or the like.

The ETA can be set adaptively based on delivery requirements. Based on an ETA value set by server device 100, the set ETA value can be displayed on a store detail page searched or viewed by a customer. If the ETA is determined to be longer than a customer's requested time, the customer may not place the order. This allows for adjustments to delivery requirements.

Re-ranking can be performed by adjusting the ranking of stores displayed in a widget or search within the service. For example, when a customer performs a search, a store displayed can be a store available for delivery based on the customer's reference location. A store available for delivery can be a store located within a predetermined distance from the customer's reference location. The reference distance value can be reduced to adjust delivery requirements. For example, delivery requirements can be adjusted by disabling delivery to a store that is relatively far away or by giving it a lower search ranking.

When it is determined that a delivery demand adjustment is required, at least one of the above methods may be executed, and the service may be operated in a manner such that the application of at least one of the methods executed when the demand for delivery demand adjustment decreases during the operation of the service is sequentially released.

A dashed box 403 illustrates a method for adjusting delivery requirements based on a store registered with the service. The server device 100 may execute a method for reducing a store's delivery area (e.g., delivery range) or the like. When the method for reducing the delivery range is applied, the corresponding store may not be listed on a search page or widget to prevent it from being viewed by a user outside the store's delivery range.

A dashed box 405 illustrates a method for adjusting delivery demand and a supply of delivery agents based on a delivery agent. The server device 100 may execute a method such as setting a sufficient estimated delivery arrival time (e.g., ETA), increasing a delivery fee (e.g., delivery fee) for processing each delivery order, or adjusting a pickup distance (e.g., pickup distance) for a delivery agent to arrive at a store and pick up items from a delivery order. Increasing the delivery fee may increase a delivery agent's incentive to participate in a delivery, and the increase in delivery fee may be achieved by at least one of increasing a base delivery fee and adding an additional delivery fee based on a distance. Furthermore, by adjusting a pickup distance for a delivery agent, a delivery request may be sent to delivery agents located within a larger area relative to a store, which may increase the supply of delivery agents.

The above-described method can directly impact delivery demand. Server device 100 can implement an operating method to proactively identify and predict an imbalance between delivery demand and delivery agent supply, taking into account various parameters that influence delivery demand or delivery agent supply. The operating method of server device 100 shown in FIG3 can be one such method implemented in this regard. Through the operation shown in FIG3 , server device 100 can maximize the number of orders that can be processed while maintaining delivery efficiency, or maximize delivery efficiency while maintaining the number of orders that can be processed, thereby balancing delivery demand and delivery agent supply.

FIG5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a parameter managed based on a distribution demand adjustment.

If a condition of a delivery demand adjustment is met and the delivery demand adjustment is triggered, various methods (e.g., "Andon") for the delivery demand adjustment may be executed. Since each method may affect the use of a service, the server device 100 may manage a parameter of each method (e.g., "Andon management"), as indicated by element symbol 501. In the example of Figure 5, 1) if a store's delivery range is adjusted, a store's ranking in a search result for a service may change (e.g., "Search Ranking"), as indicated by component symbol 503, 2) if a delivery fee is adjusted, an amount of an item order may change (e.g., "Price"), as indicated by component symbol 505, 3) if an estimated delivery arrival time changes, an item delivery time may change (e.g., "ETA"), as indicated by component symbol 507, or 4) if a pickup distance of a delivery agent changes, an order allocation of the delivery agent may change (e.g., "Order Allocation (OA)"), as indicated by component symbol 509.

An operation of the server device 100 according to FIG. 3 may be performed as described below.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 301, the server device 100 may identify a plurality of delivery orders obtained on a service.

For example, the plurality of delivery orders identified by the server device 100 according to operation 301 may be a delivery order issued by a user of the service for a desired item at a desired store, including address information for delivering the item to the user.

For example, the plurality of delivery orders identified by the server device 100 according to operation 301 may correspond to a plurality of delivery orders obtained for different delivery areas on the service. That is, the plurality of delivery orders may include a delivery order obtained in a predetermined area identified as being deliverable through the service.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 303, the server device 100 may obtain information about a delay in assigning a delivery agent to a plurality of delivery orders and information about a delivery completion time for completing processing of each delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders.

For example, when an item corresponding to a delivery order is prepared by a store, the store may transmit a delivery agent assignment request to a service. The delivery agent may then select the store corresponding to the delivery agent assignment request and process a delivery order corresponding to the identified store. Specifically, the delivery agent may visit the store, pick up the item corresponding to the delivery order, and deliver the item to the orderer's address information. Alternatively, when a store transmits a delivery agent assignment request, server device 100 may assign a delivery agent to process the store's delivery order.

For example, when a store transmits a delivery agent assignment request and a delivery agent is not immediately assigned to handle the store's delivery order, server device 100 may set a delay as the time period from when the delivery agent assignment request is recognized until the delivery agent is assigned in response to the delivery agent assignment request. Specifically, a first delay for assigning a delivery agent to a first delivery order included in a plurality of delivery orders may be determined based on the time period from when a store corresponding to the first delivery order receives a delivery agent assignment request through a service associated with server device 100 to when the delivery agent assignment for the first delivery order is completed.

For example, the information about the delay in assigning delivery agents to the plurality of delivery orders obtained by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 303 may include an average delay occurring when assigning delivery agents to the plurality of delivery orders. That is, the server device 100 may obtain information about an average value of a time period used to assign delivery agents to the plurality of delivery orders.

For example, the information regarding the delivery completion time for completing the processing of each delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders obtained by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 303 may include a time period from the time a respective delivery order is obtained from the service until a delivery of each order is identified as completed (i.e., the time a delivery agent submits a delivery completion input for the delivery order). As an example, a first delivery completion time for completing a first delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders may be determined based on a time period from the time the first delivery order is obtained from the service to the time a delivery completion input is submitted by a first delivery agent processing the first delivery order.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 305, the server device 100 may determine whether to adjust a delivery request in terms of service based on the information about the delay and the information about the delivery completion time.

For example, when the plurality of delivery orders identified by server device 100 in operation 301 correspond to a plurality of delivery orders received for different delivery areas within the service, that is, when the plurality of delivery orders include a delivery order received within a predetermined area identified as deliverable through the service, server device 100 determines in operation 305 whether delivery demand adjustment can be performed for the predetermined area within which the plurality of delivery orders were received. In other words, delivery demand adjustment by server device 100 can be performed based on the areas designated within the service.

For example, operation 305 performed by the server device 100 to determine whether to adjust the delivery demand may include the following operations: verifying whether the delay identified for a plurality of delivery orders is greater than or equal to a predetermined critical time; verifying whether a proportion of the delivery orders in the plurality of delivery orders that complete a delivery within a critical delivery completion time is less than a predetermined critical proportion; and when the delay is greater than or equal to the predetermined critical time and when the proportion is less than the predetermined critical proportion, determining that the delivery demand needs to be adjusted.

Here, the predetermined threshold used as a reference for comparing the delay associated with delivery demand adjustment may be a threshold set for server device 100 to determine whether the time required to assign a delivery agent meets a threshold condition for adjusting delivery demand. As an example, if server device 100 sets the predetermined threshold to 10 minutes and the delay identified for multiple delivery orders exceeds 10 minutes, server device 100 may determine that the delay in assigning a delivery agent meets the threshold condition for adjusting delivery demand.

Furthermore, regarding delivery demand adjustment, server device 100 may set a delivery completion deadline for determining whether a delivery has been processed in a timely manner. When the delivery completion deadline is set, server device 100 may identify the proportion of delivery orders from a plurality of delivery orders that were delivered within the set delivery completion deadline and compare this proportion with a predetermined threshold ratio. For delivery demand adjustment, the predetermined threshold ratio, which serves as a comparison reference for the proportion of delivery orders that were delivered within the delivery completion deadline, may be a threshold ratio set for server device 100 to determine whether the proportion of delivery orders that met the delivery completion deadline has reached a threshold condition for adjusting delivery demand. For example, server device 100 may set the delivery completion deadline to 45 minutes and the predetermined threshold ratio to 95%. In this example, when the ratio of delivery orders completed within 45 minutes among a plurality of delivery orders falls below 95%, server device 100 may determine that the ratio of delivery orders meeting the delivery completion deadline meets the threshold condition for adjusting delivery demand.

For example, server device 100 may set predetermined deadlines and predetermined deadline ratios in stages and apply delivery demand adjustments in stages. Specifically, an operation by server device 100 to adjust delivery demand may be performed in stages based on the predetermined deadlines and predetermined deadline ratios. For example, server device 100 may classify delays in assigning delivery agents into predetermined stages, such as when the delay exceeds 10 minutes, exceeds 20 minutes, exceeds 30 minutes, or the like. Similarly, server device 100 may classify the percentage of delivery orders that meet delivery completion deadlines into predetermined stages, such as when the percentage drops below 95%, drops below 85%, drops below 75%, or the like. In addition, the server device 100 can also independently perform distribution demand adjustments for each stage.

For example, the server device 100 may execute the delivery demand adjustment operation of phases 1 to 3 in a step-by-step manner. The delivery demand adjustment conditions corresponding to the delivery demand adjustment operation of phases 1 to 3 set by the server device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

FIG6 is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a distribution demand adjustment in stages.

In the example of FIG6 , the delivery demand adjustment conditions set by the server device 100 for the delivery demand adjustment operations in stages 1 to 3 may each include an additional delivery fee based on distance (e.g., "mileage fee"), a pickup distance (e.g., "pickup distance"), a delivery range for a store (e.g., "delivery range"), and an estimated delivery time of arrival (e.g., "ETA"). However, the delivery demand adjustment conditions are not limited to the example of FIG6 , and the various delivery demand adjustment methods described with reference to FIG4 may be included in the delivery demand adjustment conditions set by the server device 100.

As indicated by element symbol 601, when a first delivery demand adjustment condition corresponding to the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 1 is set, compared with a default state, the additional delivery fee based on distance (e.g., "mileage fee") may be increased, the pickup distance for the delivery agent to arrive at the store and pick up the items (e.g., "pickup distance") may be increased, and the estimated delivery arrival time (e.g., "ETA") may be increased.

As indicated by element symbol 603, when the second delivery demand adjustment condition corresponding to the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 2 is set, the additional delivery fee based on distance (e.g., "mileage fee") can be further increased and the delivery range of the store (e.g., "delivery range") can be reduced compared to a state in which the first delivery demand adjustment condition is set.

As indicated by element symbol 605, when the third delivery demand adjustment condition corresponding to the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 3 is set, the additional delivery fee based on distance (e.g., "mileage fee") may be further increased and the estimated delivery arrival time (e.g., "ETA") may be further increased compared to a state in which the second delivery demand adjustment condition is set.

For example, when a delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than or equal to a first threshold time and when a proportion of delivery orders that meet a delivery completion deadline is less than a first threshold ratio, server device 100 may execute the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 1. Specifically, in this case, server device 100 may set a first delivery demand adjustment condition for the service, so that the delivery demand adjustment operation is executed based on the first delivery demand adjustment condition. Therefore, the delivery demand adjustment information provided by server device 100 in operation 307 (described below) may also be set based on the first delivery demand adjustment condition. As an example, when the delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than or equal to 10 minutes and when the proportion of delivery orders that meet the delivery completion deadline is less than 95%, the server device 100 may set a first delivery demand adjustment condition for the service.

For example, when setting the first delivery demand adjustment condition, i.e., when executing the delivery demand adjustment operation of Phase 1, the server device 100 may be configured to identify one or more delivery agents that are idle in the service and provide a task and a reward to the one or more delivery agents. To this end, the delivery demand adjustment information provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 (as described below) may include information configured to provide tasks and rewards to one or more delivery agents that are idle in the service.

For example, the tasks and rewards for one or more delivery agents currently idle on the service can be determined based on the degree to which the number of delivery agents processing received delivery orders is insufficient relative to the number of delivery orders. Specifically, server device 100 can identify the number of delivery orders and the number of delivery agents processing them, and determine tasks and rewards based on these numbers. As the number of delivery agents processing delivery orders becomes increasingly insufficient relative to the number of delivery orders, server device 100 can set tasks to be simpler and rewards to be higher. Conversely, as the number of delivery agents processing multiple delivery orders increases relative to the number of delivery orders, the server device 100 may set the task to be complex and the reward to be low.

For example, when the server device 100 is configured to identify one or more delivery agents that are idle on the service and provide tasks and rewards to the one or more delivery agents, the server device 100 may provide notification information including information about the tasks and rewards to the one or more delivery agents.

For example, when the plurality of delivery orders identified by the server device 100 in operation 301 correspond to a plurality of delivery orders obtained in different delivery areas within the service, that is, when the plurality of delivery orders include a delivery order obtained in a predetermined area identified as available for delivery through the service, the one or more delivery agents identified by the server device 100 as being idle within the service may correspond to the delivery agents identified as corresponding to the predetermined area. As an example, when the plurality of delivery orders include a delivery order obtained in a predetermined area identified as available for delivery through the service, the one or more delivery agents identified by the server device 100 as being idle within the service may include a delivery agent identified as having a delivery task execution history corresponding to the predetermined area.

For example, when the delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than or equal to a second threshold time and when the proportion of delivery orders that meet the delivery completion deadline is less than a second threshold ratio, server device 100 may execute the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 2. Specifically, in this case, server device 100 may set a second delivery demand adjustment condition for the service, so that the delivery demand adjustment operation is executed based on the second delivery demand adjustment condition. Therefore, the delivery demand adjustment information provided by server device 100 in operation 307 (described later) may also be configured based on the second delivery demand adjustment condition. As an example, when the delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than 20 minutes and when the proportion of delivery orders that meet the delivery completion deadline is less than 85%, the server device 100 may set a second delivery demand adjustment condition for the service.

In this example, as in the above example, the second threshold time for setting the second delivery demand adjustment condition may be set to be greater than the first threshold time for setting the first delivery demand adjustment condition, and the second threshold ratio for setting the second delivery demand adjustment condition may be set to be less than the first threshold ratio for setting the first delivery demand adjustment condition.

For example, when the second delivery demand adjustment condition is set, that is, when executing the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 2, the server device 100 may be configured to: (1) provide a notification about a delayed delivery to a user of the service; (2) display stores that are relatively close to the address information of the user of the service in response to a store search by the user of the service; (3) display an estimated delivery time that has been corrected to reflect the delay in assigning a delivery agent; and (4) remove an icon displayed on the service indicating that a fast delivery exists. Through these operations (1) to (4), the server device 100 can facilitate an effect of reducing a delivery demand obtained from users of the service while minimizing the inconvenience to users of the service that may be caused by the delivery demand adjustment.

To this end, the information regarding delivery demand adjustment provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 (as will be described later) may include (1) information configured to provide a notification regarding a delayed delivery to a user of the service, (2) information configured to display information of stores in an order based on a short distance from the address information of the user of the service in response to a store search by the user of the service, (3) information configured to display an estimated delivery time corrected based on a delay in assigning a delivery agent, and (4) information configured to remove an icon displayed on the service indicating the presence of a fast delivery service. In this example, the information (1) to (4) may be managed as information configured for the user of the service.

For example, when the second delivery demand adjustment condition is set, that is, when executing the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 2, the server device 100 may be configured to: (5) provide an estimated time required to assign a delivery agent for a delivery order to a store registered with the service; and (6) notify the store registered with the service to provide a user of the service with a notification of a delay in assigning a delivery agent to process a delivery order. Through these operations (5) and (6), the server device 100 can minimize the inconvenience to the store that may be caused by the delivery demand adjustment.

To this end, the information regarding delivery demand adjustment provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 (as will be described later) may include (5) information configured to provide an estimated time required to assign a delivery agent for a delivery order to a store registered with the service and (6) information configured to notify a store registered with the service of a delay in assigning a delivery agent to process a delivery order to a user of the service. In this example, the information in (5) and (6) may be managed as information configured for a store registered with the service.

For example, when the delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than or equal to a third threshold time and when the proportion of delivery orders that meet the delivery completion deadline is less than a third threshold ratio, server device 100 may execute the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 3. Specifically, in this case, server device 100 may set a third delivery demand adjustment condition for the service, so that the delivery demand adjustment operation is executed based on the third delivery demand adjustment condition. Therefore, the delivery demand adjustment information provided by server device 100 in operation 307 (described later) may also be configured based on the third delivery demand adjustment condition. As an example, when the delay in assigning a delivery agent is greater than or equal to 30 minutes and when the proportion of delivery orders that meet the delivery completion deadline is less than 75%, the server device 100 may set a third delivery demand adjustment condition for the service.

In this example, as in the above example, the third threshold time used to set the third delivery demand adjustment condition can be set to be greater than the second threshold time used to set the second delivery demand adjustment condition, and the third threshold ratio used to set the third delivery demand adjustment condition can be set to be less than the second threshold ratio used to set the second delivery demand adjustment condition.

For example, when the third delivery demand adjustment condition is set, that is, when the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 3 is executed, the server device 100 can be configured to: (1) notify the user of the service of a delivery order processing status and a reason for delayed delivery; (2) provide the user of the service with a delivery order cancellation function when the processing of a delivery order is not completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed; and (3) provide the user of the service with a compensation coupon when the processing of the delivery order is completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from an estimated delivery time initially notified to the user of the service. Through such operations (1) to (3), the server device 100 can achieve an effect of reducing the delivery demand received from the user of the service while minimizing the inconvenience to the user of the service that may be caused by the delivery demand adjustment.

To this end, the information regarding delivery demand adjustment provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 (as will be described later) may include (1) information configured to notify a user of the service of a delivery order processing status and a reason for delayed delivery, (2) information configured to provide the user of the service with a delivery order cancellation function when a delivery order processing is not completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and (3) information configured to provide the user of the service with a compensation coupon when a delivery order processing is completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from an estimated delivery time initially notified to the user of the service. In this example, the information (1) to (3) may be managed as information configured for the user of the service.

For example, when the third delivery demand adjustment condition is set, that is, when executing the delivery demand adjustment operation of stage 3, the server device 100 can be configured to: (4) notify the store registered with the service to provide a notification to the user of the service regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to a delivery order; and (5) notify the store registered with the service to preferentially assign a delivery agent to a delivery order with a relatively long delay in assigning a delivery agent. Through these operations (4) and (5), the server device 100 can minimize the inconvenience to the store that may be caused by the delivery demand adjustment.

To this end, the information regarding delivery demand adjustment provided by the server device 100 in accordance with operation 307 (described later) may include (4) information configured to notify a store registered with the service of providing a user of the service with a notification regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to a delivery order, and (5) information configured to notify a store registered with the service of preferentially assigning a delivery agent to a delivery order having a relatively long delay in assigning a delivery agent. In this example, the information of (4) and (5) may be managed as information configured for the store registered with the service.

According to various exemplary embodiments, in operation 307, the server device 100 may provide information regarding delivery demand adjustment based on whether the delivery demand is adjusted.

For example, the various example embodiments described with reference to operations 301 to 305 may be applied to operation 307 in which the server device 100 provides information regarding delivery demand adjustment.

It should be understood that the multiple pieces of information provided by the server device 100 when executing the operating method according to Figures 3 to 6 can be provided in various forms through combinations thereof.

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and the accompanying drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate explanation of the technical content of the present invention and to further enhance overall understanding of the present invention. They are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variations can be made based on the technical principles of the present invention. Furthermore, the various exemplary embodiments described above can be combined with one another as needed. For example, all exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a system combined in part.

In addition, the method executed by the system according to the present invention or the like can be implemented in the form of program instructions, which can be executed by various computer devices and recorded on a computer-readable medium.

As described above, from one particular perspective, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented using computer-readable code in a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, a floppy disk, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves (e.g., for data transmission over the Internet). Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed across computer systems connected by a network. Therefore, the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, the functional programs, codes and code segments for implementing the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be easily interpreted by those skilled in the art in the field of application of the present invention.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the apparatus and methods according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The software may be stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage device, such as a storage device (e.g., a ROM) or a memory (e.g., a RAM, a memory chip, a device, or an integrated circuit); or an optical or magnetic recordable storage medium or a machine (e.g., a computer) readable storage medium, such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magnetic disk, or a magnetic tape, regardless of removable or rewritable functionality. It should be understood that the methods according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by a computer comprising a controller and a memory, a vehicle comprising such a memory or computer, or the like. A memory is an example of a storage medium readable by a machine and suitable for storing one or more programs or stored programs containing instructions for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Therefore, the present invention covers a program including code for implementing an apparatus or method defined in the scope of the patent application of this specification and a machine (a computer or the like) readable storage medium storing such a program. In addition, such a program can be transmitted electronically through any medium, such as a communication signal transmitted in a wired or wireless connection, and the present invention can appropriately cover its equivalents.

While various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and the accompanying drawings are merely specific examples disclosed to facilitate explanation of the technical content of the present invention and further promote a comprehensive understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the aforementioned exemplary embodiments of the present invention are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that other equivalent variations and exemplary embodiments may be realized. Therefore, the true technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the following patent application.

100: Server device 200: Manager device 210: Input/output unit 220: Communication unit 230: Storage 240: Processor 301: Operation 303: Operation 305: Operation 307: Operation 401: Method for adjusting delivery requirements based on a user of a service 403: Method for adjusting delivery requirements based on a store registered with the service 405: Method for adjusting delivery requirements and a supply of delivery agents based on a delivery agent 501: Parameters for managing each method 503: Search ranking 505: Pricing 507: Estimated arrival time 509: Order allocation 601: Phase 1 602: Phase 2 603: Phase 3

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information providing system for implementing an operating method of an electronic device for providing information according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server device and a manager device according to various example embodiments.

FIG3 is a diagram illustrating an operating method of a server device 100 for providing information according to various example embodiments.

FIG4 is a diagram illustrating an example of various methods performed by the server device 100 for delivery demand adjustment.

FIG5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a parameter managed based on a distribution demand adjustment.

FIG6 is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a distribution demand adjustment in stages.

301: Operation

303: Operation

305: Operation

307: Operation

Claims (11)

A method for providing delivery management information in an electronic device, the method comprising: Identifying, on a service associated with the electronic device, a plurality of delivery areas, the delivery areas being divided to manage delivery demand and delivery agent supply on a regional basis; Identifying a plurality of delivery orders received in a first delivery area included in the plurality of delivery areas; Obtaining information regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to the plurality of delivery orders and information regarding a proportion of the plurality of delivery orders whose deliveries were completed within a deadline for delivery completion; Determining, based on the information regarding the delay and the information regarding the proportion, whether to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area on the service; and Based on whether to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area, delivery management information for the first delivery area is provided; wherein the delivery management information includes information on a specific delivery management method, determined from among a plurality of delivery management methods to be applied in stages based on the delay and the ratio; wherein, when a second delivery area adjacent to the first delivery area is identified such that it is estimated that delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the second delivery area will be affected by the specific delivery management method for the first delivery area, the delivery management method for the second delivery area is configured to correspond to the specific delivery management method and is determined. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first delay for assigning a delivery agent to a first delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders is determined based on a time period from a time point when a store corresponding to the first delivery order on the service obtains a delivery agent assignment request to a time point when an assignment of the delivery agent for the first delivery order is completed. The method of claim 1, wherein a first delivery completion time of a first delivery order included in the plurality of delivery orders is determined based on a time period from a time point when the first delivery order is obtained on the service to a time point when a delivery completion input is submitted by a first delivery agent that processes the first delivery order. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area comprises: verifying whether the delay is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold time; verifying whether the ratio is less than a predetermined threshold ratio; and when the delay is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold time and the ratio is less than the predetermined threshold ratio, determining to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area. The method of claim 4 further comprises: When the delay is greater than or equal to a first threshold time and when the ratio is less than a first threshold ratio, setting a first delivery management method included in the plurality of delivery management methods as the specific delivery management method. The method of claim 5, wherein the first delivery management method includes a method for providing a task and a reward to one or more delivery agents who are idle on the service. The method of claim 5 further comprises: When the delay is greater than or equal to a second threshold time and the ratio is less than a second threshold ratio, setting a second delivery management method included in the plurality of delivery management methods as the specific delivery management method; wherein, the second threshold time is greater than the first threshold time, and the second threshold ratio is less than the first threshold ratio. The method of claim 7, wherein the second delivery management method includes a method for: Configuring to provide a notification to a user of the service regarding a delayed delivery; Configuring to display stores in an order based on a short distance from address information associated with the user of the service in response to a store search by the user of the service; Configuring to display an estimated delivery time based on the delay correction; and Configuring to remove an icon displayed on the service indicating the existence of an express delivery. The method of claim 7 further comprises: When the delay is greater than or equal to a third threshold time and when the ratio is less than a third threshold ratio, setting a third delivery management method included in the plurality of delivery management methods as the specific delivery management method; wherein, the third threshold time is greater than the second threshold time, and the third threshold ratio is less than the second threshold ratio. The method of claim 9, wherein the third delivery management method includes a method for: Configuring to notify a user of the service of a delivery order processing status and a reason for a delayed delivery; Configuring to provide the user of the service with a delivery order cancellation function when processing of a delivery order is not completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed; and Configuring to provide the user of the service with a compensation coupon when processing of the delivery order is completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from an estimated delivery time initially notified to the user of the service. An electronic device for providing delivery management information, the electronic device comprising: a processor; and one or more memories storing one or more instructions, wherein, when executed, the one or more instructions control the processor to: identify, in a service associated with the electronic device, a plurality of delivery areas, the delivery areas being divided to manage delivery demand and delivery agent supply on a regional basis; identify a plurality of delivery orders received in a first delivery area included in the plurality of delivery areas; obtain information regarding a delay in assigning a delivery agent to the plurality of delivery orders and information regarding a proportion of the plurality of delivery orders whose deliveries were completed within a deadline for delivery completion; Based on the information regarding the delay and the information regarding the ratio, determining whether to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area for the service; and Based on whether to adjust delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the first delivery area, providing delivery management information for the first delivery area; Wherein, the delivery management information includes information regarding a specific delivery management method determined from a plurality of delivery management methods applied in stages based on the delay and the ratio; Wherein, when a second delivery area adjacent to the first delivery area is identified such that delivery demand and delivery agent supply in the second delivery area are estimated to be affected by the specific delivery management method for the first delivery area, the delivery management method for the second delivery area is configured to correspond to the specific delivery management method and determined.