Invented by Asheesh Goja, United Parcel Service of America Inc
The United Parcel Service of America Inc invention works as follows
A first digital image of a parcel associated with a primary interaction point has been received.” The first digital image can be associated with the first parcel that is being transported from or to the first interaction point. A second digital image of a parcel associated with a minimum a second point of interaction is also received. The second digital image can be linked to the first parcel that is being transported from or to the second interaction point. The first parcel damage is generated automatically based, at least in part, on the analysis of the first digital image and at least the second image. Damage analysis may include determining if the first parcel has been damaged more or less than a threshold.
Background for Predictive parcel Damage Identification, Analysis, and Mitigation
Parcels (e.g., packages, containers, letters, items, pallets, etc.) Transported from a source to a final destination, parcels may encounter various intermediate locations and interactions (e.g. sorting facilities). The number of interactions and locations during the transport process increases the likelihood of damaging situations. Shipping and logistics providers may be liable for damages if a package is damaged in the course of transport. It may be difficult, however, to determine whether the parcel was damaged when it was picked-up or if it was damaged during the transport process. If a specific point of damage can be located, it is difficult to minimize such damaging conditions.
Existing technologies to identify and/or assess damaged parcels could include software applications passively configured to accept manual input from the user indicating that damage has occurred. These applications, therefore, only identify damage based upon user input. These applications, as well as other technologies (e.g. Internet of Things devices), have limitations because they do not provide automated detection of damage, diagnosis or classifying of damage, cost analysis of damage, machine-learning associated with damage, modification of conditions or devices, or other functionalities. As described herein, various embodiments of this disclosure improve existing technologies by eliminating some or all of these shortcomings.
Various embodiments” of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, computer-implemented methods, and systems. In certain embodiments, an apparatus is used to mitigate parcel damage in a parcel network. The parcel transit network can include an origin interface point, multiple parcel interface points (e.g. air gateways, consolidation hubs) and a destination interface point. The apparatus may include at least a processor and at a least one memory containing computer program code. According to certain embodiments, the at least memory and computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, in conjunction with the processor, to perform the operations listed below. The origin interaction point receives a first plurality digital images of parcels. The first plurality is associated with the parcel that is being transported via the plurality parcel interaction points from the origin interaction to the destination interaction. The second plurality is received by a first parcel interactivity point in the plurality. The first and second pluralities of parcel images can represent different fields of view for the parcel. The first parcel damage assessment is generated programmatically based on the first plurality and second plurality digital images of the parcel, as well as a machine-learning model.
In some embodiments, computer-implemented methods include the following operations. The first digital image of a parcel associated with a primary interaction point is then received. The first digital image can be associated with the first parcel that is being transported from or to the first interaction point. A second digital image of a parcel associated with a minimum a second point of interaction is also received. The second digital image can be linked to the first parcel that is being transported from or to the second interaction point. The first parcel damage is generated automatically based, at least in part, on the analysis of the first digital image and at least the second image. Damage analysis may include determining if the first parcel has been damaged more or less than a threshold.
In some embodiments the system comprises at least a first computing device with at least a processor and at a minimum readable computer storage medium containing program instructions. In certain embodiments, program instructions can be read or executed by the processor. This will cause the system perform the following functions. A first digital image of a parcel captured at one or more locations in a parcel transport network is received. The first digital image of the parcel includes a representation. The parcel transit network can correspond to multiple physical locations that the first parcel has traversed along one or several carrier routes. A likelihood of a first parcel being damaged is determined by analyzing at least the first digital image. A second computing device receives a signal based at least on the determination of the likelihood associated to the damage. This causes the computing device or condition to be altered.
The following description of the present disclosure will be made with reference to the drawings that accompany it, which show some but not all embodiments. The disclosure can be expressed in many forms, and is not limited to those described here. These embodiments are not provided to satisfy legal requirements, but rather so that the disclosure can be made. “Like numbers refer to similar elements throughout.
I. “I.
Embodiments” of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of ways, such as computer program products which are articles of manufacture. Computer program products may include non-transitory storage media storing executable instructions (also known as executable instruction, instructions for implementation, program code and/or other terms that are used interchangeably herein), programs, program modules and scripts. These non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediums include all computer-readable media including volatile and nonvolatile media.
In one embodiment, non-volatile storage media may include a floppy disc, flexible disk or hard disk; solid-state storage devices (SSS), such as a solid-state drive (SSD), a solid-state card (SSC), a solid-state module (SSM), enterprise flash drives, magnetic tapes, or other non-transitory magnetized mediums, and/or similar. Non-volatile computer readable storage media may include punch cards, paper tapes, optical mark sheets (or any physical medium with patterns or other optically identifiable indicia), digital versatile discs (DVD), Blue-ray discs (BD), and/or other non-transitory optic mediums. This non-volatile storage medium can also include read only memory (ROM), programmed read only memory (PROM), eraseable programmable memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Flash memory (e.g. Serial, NAND or NOR), Secure Digital (SD) cards, SmartMedia Cards, CompactFlash cards, Memory Sticks and/or other similar devices. Further, a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium may also include conductive-bridging random access memory (CBRAM), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM), non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM), resistive random-access memory (RRAM), Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon memory (SONOS), floating junction gate random access memory (FJG RAM), Millipede memory, racetrack memory, and/or the like.
In one embodiment, volatile computer-readable media may include random-access memory RAM, dynamic random-access memory DRAM, static random-access memory SRAM, fast-page mode dynamic random-access memory FPM DRAM, extended data-out dynamic-access memory EDO DRAM, synchronous random-access memory SDRAM, double-information/data-rate synchronous random-access memory DDR SDRAM, double-information/data-rate type two synchronous random-access memory DDR2 SDRAM, double-information/data-rate type three-rate synchronous synchronous Other types of computer-readable media can be used instead or in addition to those described above.
As should be understood, different embodiments of the disclosure can also be implemented in the form of methods, apparatuses, systems, computing device/entities, computer entities and/or similar. As such, embodiments may be implemented as an apparatus, system or computing device. Although embodiments of the disclosure can also be implemented in a hardware embodiment, certain operations or steps may still be performed.
Embodiments” of the present disclosure will be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams. It should be understood, therefore, that each block in the flowcharts and block diagrams may be implemented as a computer software product, a hardware embodiment, or a combination thereof, and/or apparatuses, systems, computing devices/entities and computing entities and/or similar carrying out instructions, operation, steps and other words interchangeably used (e.g. the executable instructions), on a computer readable storage medium. For example, the retrieval, loading and execution of code can be performed sequentially, so that only one instruction at a given time is retrieved. In some embodiments, retrieval and/or loading and/or execution can be performed simultaneously so that multiple instructions may be retrieved, loaded and/or executed at the same time. Thus, such embodiments can produce specifically-configured machines performing the steps or operations specified in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations. The block diagrams, flowcharts, and other illustrations are used to support different combinations of embodiments that perform the instructions, steps, or operations specified.
II. “II.
The terms “data” and “content” are used in this document. ?content,? ?digital content,? ?digital content object,? ?information,? ?information,? and other terms similar to these may be interchangeable to refer to data that can be transmitted, received and/or saved in accordance to embodiments of this disclosure. The use of such terms does not limit the scope and spirit of embodiments in the present disclosure. It will also be understood that where a computing system is described to receive data directly from another device, the data can be received either directly or indirectly via one of more intermediary computing systems/entities such as one or several servers, relays routers network access points base stations hosts and/or other entities, which are sometimes referred herein as “networks”. When a computing system is described to transmit data to another device, the data can be sent directly or indirectly via intermediary computing devices/entities such as one or several servers, relays routers network access points base stations hosts and/or other entities.
The term “parcel damage mitigation” refers to measures that entities traversing and/or overseeing a parcel transit network may employ to mitigate damages caused by parcels in transit while traversing the parcel transit network. Refers to the measures that entities traversing or overseeing a parcel transport network can employ to minimize damage to parcels while transiting through the parcel transit system. Parcel damage mitigation can include adjusting temperature or other environmental parameters at a particular location in the parcel network. It may also involve decommissioning a vehicle or conveyor belt temporarily or permanently.
The terms “parcel transit network” “The terms “parcel transit network” or “carrier’s logistics network” Or ‘transport and logistics network’? Refers to a set of physical locations that a parcel, carrier and/or carrier apparatus traverses (e.g. vehicle, drone). Between an origin location, such as a drop-off point for a package, and a final destination, such as an intermediate sorting facility or a destination address. A parcel transit network could be, or include all or some of the aspects of the parcel route 700 in FIG. 7 .
The term “origin interaction points” refers to a physical location within a parcel transit network or carrier’s logistic network where a particular parcel is first encountered. Refers to the physical location in a parcel network or carrier’s logistics network where an individual parcel is encountered for the first time. Origin interaction points can include a home, a transit drop-off box or a business.
The term “parcel interaction point” refers to a physical location within a parcel transit network or carrier’s logistic network where any interaction with a particular parcel may occur. Refers to the physical location in a parcel network or carrier’s logistics network where interaction with a specific parcel can occur. Any physical contact, such as the picking up of parcels (e.g.), can be considered an interaction. This includes transfers from one vehicle or location to another. The following examples of vehicles and physical locations within the parcel transport network will be obvious to those with skill in the art. According to the present invention, digital image capture mechanisms/devices may be placed at parcel interaction point and/or between parcel interaction point within the parcel transit system.
The term “destination interaction point” refers to a physical location within a parcel transit network where a particular parcel is intended to be delivered. Refers to the physical location in a parcel network where an intended parcel delivery is to take place. In some embodiments the destination interaction points is the last intended parcel interaction along the transit of the parcel network for that particular parcel. In some embodiments the destination interaction is a point intermediate along the traversal of a parcel transit network (e.g. an air gateway or consolidated hub).
The term “parcel digital images” is used to describe a digitally captured image (e.g., a digital photo) and/or set of images (e.g., a video sequence) that represents one or more aspects of s parcel within t he parcel transit network. Refers to an image captured digitally (e.g. a digital photo), and/or a set of images (e.g. a video series) that represents one or more aspects of the parcel in a parcel transport network. In some embodiments a parcel digital photo of a specific parcel is captured with a digital camera. In some embodiments, the parcel digital image of a specific parcel is captured by a digital camera.
The terms “parcel”, “item” and/or “shipment” are used. and/or ?shipment? “Any tangible or physical object such as a package (or container), a load (or crate), items banded, an envelope, cases, vehicle parts, pallets and drums, vehicles and the like, sent via a delivery service between a first geographic location and one or more other geographic locations.
