Patent ID: 11868934
Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a first device, a return of an item from a purchaser of the item to a fulfillment center location;
generating, by the first device, a first inventory for the item at a first time prior to the return, the first inventory comprising items that have not been previously purchased, items at a fulfillment center, and items in moving vehicles, the item absent from the first inventory at the first time;
receiving, at the first device, based on the return, a dynamic location of a moving vehicle in which the item is located while in transportation from the purchaser to the fulfillment center location, wherein the fulfillment center location is located in a first geographic zone;
generating, by the first device, based on the return, a virtual fulfillment center representing the moving vehicle and using the dynamic location during the transportation;
adding, by the first device, based on the return and the generation of the virtual fulfillment center, the item and an indication of the virtual fulfillment center to the first inventory at a second time;
determining, by the first device, based on the first inventory at the second time, a second geographic zone including the dynamic location, wherein the second geographic zone is different than the first geographic zone;
receiving, by the first device from a second device, a request for the item;
determining, by the first device, based on the first geographic zone and the request, prior to a confirmation that the item has been selected from among other items for addition to a shopping cart, a first delivery time associated with delivering the item from the fulfillment center location to a delivery location;
determining, by the first device, based on the second geographic zone and the request, prior to the confirmation that the item has been selected from among other items for addition to the shopping cart, a second delivery time associated with delivering the item from the virtual fulfillment center to the delivery location;
determining, by the first device, based on the first delivery time and the second delivery time, that the second delivery time is a shortest delivery time for the item from among the first inventory;
selecting, by the first device, the item from the virtual fulfillment center;
selecting the second delivery time as an estimated delivery date, instead of other delivery times for the item from among the first inventory, to the delivery location based on the second delivery time being the shortest delivery time;
sending, to the second device, an indication of the estimated delivery date; and
receiving, at the first device, the confirmation that the item has been selected for addition to the shopping cart based on the estimated delivery date.