US 12,135,219 B2
Methods and systems for item delivery along delivery routes
Alison Frankowski Turner, Arlington, VA (US); Marc D. McCrery, Arlington, VA (US); and James J. Boldt, Leesburg, VA (US)
Assigned to United States Postal Service, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by United States Postal Service, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Jan. 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/149,146.
Application 18/149,146 is a continuation of application No. 16/818,982, filed on Mar. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,543,254.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/819,075, filed on Mar. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0143826 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. G01C 21/34 (2006.01); B60W 50/04 (2006.01); G06Q 10/047 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0835 (2023.01)
CPC G01C 21/3492 (2013.01) [B60W 50/045 (2013.01); G06Q 10/047 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08355 (2013.01); B60W 2050/046 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for delivering items, the method comprising:
receiving a first plurality of readings from at least a first global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile computing device, wherein each of the first plurality of readings comprises a time and a position;
storing the first plurality of readings in a memory structure;
storing a stored route comprising a plurality of stored stops, the stored stops having a stored location and a stored time associated therewith;
determining whether the first GPS enabled mobile computing device was stationary at the time of each of the first plurality of readings;
grouping each reading of the first plurality of readings where the first GPS enabled mobile computing device was stationary;
identifying a first stop based on the grouping of the first plurality of readings;
determining from the grouping of the first plurality of readings, a time of arrival for the first stop;
determining from the grouping of the first plurality of readings, a time of departure for the first stop;
identifying a planned stop when the time of arrival for the first stop and the time of departure for the first stop is associated with a scheduled time of one of the plurality of stored stops;
identifying an unplanned stop when the time of arrival for the first stop and the time of departure for the first stop is not associated with the scheduled time of one of the plurality of stored stops; and
updating the stored route with the unplanned stop, wherein the stored location of the unplanned stop is an average position of the grouping of the first plurality of readings, and wherein the stored time of the unplanned stop comprises the time of arrival for the first stop and the time of departure of the first stop.