FR2636456A1 - METHOD FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING SELECTED DIVERSE PRODUCTS OR ARTICLES LISTED ON A CATALOG AND PROVIDING PRODUCTS OR ARTICLES IN A SALES AREA AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH A METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for the remote ordering of merchandise and for making them available at a specified vending place. The method is characterised in that it consists in particular in carrying out the ordering of merchandise by server (13) or telephone (14) by previously transmitting to the computer device (1) at least the client's number and the time at which the merchandise is made available, and in calling at the vending place comprising a certain number of adjacent cabinets (11), that one of which containing the ordered merchandise is locked, access to the place being prevented by a door, the unlocking of which is controlled via an assembly (2). The invention finds application in the remote vending of products or articles, in particular foodstuffs.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for the remote control of

  products or selected miscellaneous items, which are listed in a catalog, and the provision of products or articles in a specific sales room; as well as the system for setting

of this process.

  Up to now, we have known different techniques for the sale of products, articles or other goods, which can be broadly classified into three types: - the on-site sale of the supermarket type which, for the buyer, is a chore because that he has to go to several different stalls to pick up the items he needs to waste time and time limits; - the mail-order sale of non-food products accompanied by constraints of delivery times and charges inherent to this service; - the sale by catalog of various products with order taking by a server, such as a minitel or telephone and home delivery, but this service forces the customer A Stre present at his home at the time of delivery of the goods and the costs of

  deliveries are often very difficult to manage.

  The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages of the various known sales techniques by proposing a method and system allowing a quick availability of products or

items ordered.

  For this, the method according to the invention is characterized in that it consists in initially storing in a computer device data relating to the identification of a customer, such as his credit or debit card number, and at a desired time range by the customer of delivery of the products or articles, and to assign him a customer number; to carry out the order by server or telephone by transmitting in advance to the computer device at least the number of the customer and the time of availability of the products or articles; To go to the sales room with a number of adjacent lockers, one of which contains the products or items ordered is locked, access to the premises being pocketed by a locked door; introducing the customer's payment card into a card reader device outside the room connected to the computer device which identifies the customer from his initially stored card number and verifies the existence of an order placed to be recovered within the time slot authorized delivery of the customer; to issue to the customer, once these conditions have been fulfilled, a ticket including in particular the amount of the order and the identification data of the box containing the products or items ordered and to unlock the access door to the room; introducing the payment card into another card reader located in the room and connected to the computer device; dialing on a keypad keyboard identification data that is transmitted to the computer device which, after validating these data, triggers the opening of the locker door and validates the payment of the products or items ordered. According to one characteristic of the invention, the bins are distributed over a number of aisles of the sales room and the identification data of the aforementioned locker include the number of the aisle where it is located.

and the bin number.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the computer device chooses a locker where the products or articles ordered are allocated according to the volume of these products or articles and the desired delivery time range of the customer and then stores in coded form the number locker chosen as well

  than the driveway number where it is.

  According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the validation of the identification data of the locker by the computer device is carried out by controlling by it whether to these data corresponds an order placed by the customer in the time slot of

  delivery of products or items attributed to the customer.

  In addition, the computer device also checks from the stored card number the existence of an order placed to recover in the delivery time range of products or items assigned to the customer when the latter has introduced his card in the reader device located in the local and

  before he composes the bin's identity data.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, before identifying the customer who has inserted his card into the external reader device, the computer device verifies the validity of the card and checks the secret code of the card composed by the customer. Advantageously, the desired time range of delivery of the products or articles to the customer is chosen & will by the latter during the ordering phase of the

these products or articles.

  The invention also relates to the system for -

  the implementation of the method defined above.

  This system includes a computer device, an assembly located outside the sales room comprising a card reader device, a keypad with code composition keys; a display screen guiding the client and a ticket printing device connected to the computer device; and, located in the room, several terminals each associated with a plurality of bins, each terminal comprising a card reader device, a keypad with composition keys of the identification data of the box containing the products or items ordered and a screen of visualization guiding the client connected to the computer device. - The system of the invention further comprises a device for unlocking the lock of the access door to the sales room, controlled by the computer device. The invention will be better understood and other purposes, features, details and advantages thereof

  will appear more clearly in the description

  explanatory diagram which will follow made with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which: - Figure 1 shows the entrance to the sales room where there are means allowing access to the premises; - Figure 2 shows an enlarged front view of a means of access to the room; - Figure 3 shows part of the interior of the room; - Figure 4 shows a front view of the means for unlocking a locker containing the products or items ordered by a customer;

  FIG. 5 represents in the form of a diagram

  blocks the system of the invention; and

  FIGS. 6 to 8 show organizations

  operating grams of the computer device manager

the system of the invention.

  Referring to Figure 5, the system for remote control of products or miscellaneous items selected from a catalog and the provision of these products or items to a specific sales room includes a computer device i bidirectionally connected d on the one hand, by an interface circuit 11, to a set 2 of recognition of a customer and access to the local sales including a reader device 3 payment cards or credit, a display screen 4 guiding the client, a device for printing and issuing a ticket and a keypad 6 allowing the customer to dial codes and secondly by an interface circuit I2, to a set 7 comprising another card reader device 8, a display device 9 guiding the customer and a keypad to dial a code identifying a locker containing the goods ordered by the customer. The assembly 2 is located outside the room in the vicinity of an entry door thereof while the assembly 7 is inside.

  of the room Near lockers 11.

  The computer device 1 is also bidirectionally connected via an interface circuit I3 to the bins 11 of the sales room. This

  computer device is additionally unidirectional.

  connected via an interface circuit I4 to a device 12 for unlocking a lock, for example electromechanical, a door access to the local of

sale.

  References 13 and 14 designate

  respectively a server device, such as a minitel, -

  and a telephone handset that could enter

  communication with the computer device 1.

  Finally, the computer device 1 is also capable of communicating with another computer device informing it in particular about the

  validity of the credit card used by the customer.

  The method of the invention for remotely controlling the chosen merchandise and placing it at the disposal of the customer in a predetermined locker 11 of the sales room, with payment of the corresponding price of the merchandise, can be broken down into

  four phases detailed below.

  The first phase relates to the constitution of a client file. For this, the person, future customer, makes a commitment to the agency responsible for managing orders and sales of goods in accordance with the rules of marketing the chosen merchandise. Thus, it is allocated to the person a customer number in exchange for his bank references, such as for example the number of his credit card or private card he wants to use and a catalog listing available items and a double of its contract governing the extent of the time range desired by the customer to access the items ordered, this time slot being defined from a time of delivery or delivery of the desired goods. This time slot can be for example variable from two hours to six hours with corresponding rental cost variable depending on the type of range chosen by the customer. Thus, if the desired delivery time is 18 hours and the chosen time slot is 2 hours, the goods are available in a locker of the sales room from 17 hours to 19 hours. The number of the customer's credit card, possibly with his name, is stored in the

computer device 1.

  The second phase allows the customer to place an order for products or selected items on the catalog either by telephone or by a server device such as Minitel, the latter technique is currently quite widespread for the catalog mail order described previously. To make this order, the customer identifies with the computer device 1 by its customer number, possibly by name, and specifies the time of availability of products or items ordered. The computer device 1 searches among the available lockers 11 of the sales room which will contain the products or items ordered and this according to the volume of these products or articles and the desired time range of the customer during which the selected locker is available. This search is performed from an allocation table stored in the computer device 1 by which it will be able to choose the appropriate locker given the orders already

  past and free lockers. The identification data

  cation of the selected bin are stored in the

  computer device 1 In predetermined code form.

  Thus, by transmitting to the computer device 1 the card number of the customer, the latter is able to determine if the customer has placed an order to be delivered at a specified delivery time within a fixed time and issue the number of the customer. o are the products or items ordered from the

  which will be described later.

  FIG. 6 represents a flowchart according to which the computer device 1 must operate for the control phase. This flowchart is understood by itself and does not need to be explained in detail except that it also allows the computer device 1 to determine whether or not the person placing the order is a customer. If not, the computer device 1 will invite the person to inquire about the proposed service and, if the latter wishes, to send him appropriate documentation accompanied by the contract explained in the first phase of the method of the invention. Of course, once the order has been registered, the computer device 1 will signal it to a person present at the sales room who will carry the ordered goods in the locker indicated by the

computer device.

  The third phase of the method of the invention consists in recognizing the customer and allowing him to

to access the sales room.

  For this, as shown in Figure 1, the customer is in front of the entrance of the room to have access. This entry comprises for example two access doors 15 normally locked for example by an electromechanical lock and whose unlocking is performed by the computer device

1 as follows.

  Each access door 15 is associated with a set 2 located near the door and whose front panel is shown in FIG. 2. The customer inserts his credit card in the slot 3a of the reader device 3 and the computer device 1, in connection with another computer device, for example from the customer's bank, controls the validity of the card according to a usual process which does not have to be detailed because it does not form part of the invention and, if the card is valid, invites the client, through the display device 4, to dial the secret code of the customer's credit card. In case of accuracy of the secret code, the computer device i identifies the customer's card number and checks whether it is part of the client file previously constituted. If so, the computer device 1 checks whether the customer, within the delivery time slot allocated to him, has merchandise to recover in a particular locker. If so, the computer device 1 causes the printing and dispensing device 5 to deliver to the customer a ticket T on which are printed the data relating to the identification of the assigned rack such as for example the aisle o is located the box and its number, the amount of the available goods and, possibly, the date and time of delivery of the ticket. Simultaneously, the computer device 1 controls the unlocking of the lock of the access door to the room. The client then accesses the interior of the room, the door closing behind him for example mechanically although the computer device 1 can also be adapted to automatically lock the lock of the access door after a certain period of time. predetermined. Possibly, a surveillance camera can be put into service as soon as the customer

enter the sales room.

  FIG. 7 represents the operating flow chart of the computer device 1 so that the third phase of the method of the invention is correctly carried out. This flow chart also highlights two other operating possibilities of the computer device 1. The first concerns the case where the person who has introduced his validated card and whose secret code has been recognized valid is not a client stuck in the computer device 1. The latter then sends an information message, for example to the display device 4 indicating for example that it can inquire at a specific location to have access to the proposed sales service. The second possibility is where the customer has not placed an order. The computer device 1 then sends a message to it, for example on the display device 4, informing it of

this situation.

  The fourth and last phase of the method of the invention relates to the withdrawal of the goods from the rack identified on the ticket and to the authentication of the

  payment of the amount of the goods.

  Figure 3 shows an aisle of the sales room having on each side adjacent storage bins 11, whose doors, in the closed position, are juxtaposed extending substantially in the same front plane. Each door may include an automatic return device thereof in the folded closed position. Such return devices are already known per se and may for example be constituted by a return spring disposed coaxially with the hinge of

  the door and acting between the door and its sleeping frame.

  Each door also includes a lock attached to the inside of the door and at least the unlocking is controlled by the computer device 1. Of course, the sales room includes several aisles

  identical to that shown in FIG.

  Each set of lockers located on the same side of an aisle is associated with a terminal 16 provided with the assembly 7. The customer identifies the aisle and the locker that have been allocated by the computer device on the ticket T. According to the coordinates of the assigned bin, the customer goes to the corresponding terminal 16 and introduces his credit card in the slot 8a of the card reader device 8 forming part of the set 7 shown in FIG. 4. From the card number of the client, the computer device 1 verifies whether the latter has merchandise to recover, in the assigned time slot, to a specific locker. If so, the client dials using the keyboard 10 the number of the locker entered on the ticket that has been given to him. The computer device 1 checks whether at this bin number the customer has merchandise to recover within the assigned time slot. If so, the computer device 1 sends the device 12 an unlock command of the

  lock of the locker door containing the goods.

  A sensor, for example of the opto-electronic type, can be associated with the lock of the locker door that has received the unlocking command to signal the computer device 1 whether the door has been correctly unlocked or not. If the door is correctly unlocked, the computer device 1 issues an order for debiting the customer's account of an amount corresponding to the price of the removed merchandise. In the case of a problem of unlocking the door lock, the computer device i can be adapted to trigger an intercom device allowing the customer to dialogue with the service personnel and call him

  to possibly repair the incident.

  The flowchart of FIG. 8 allowing the computer device 1 to operate in accordance with the fourth phase of the method of the invention is

  itself and does not have to be described in detail.

  The method and system of the invention thus allow anyone with access to the proposed sales service to quickly buy the packaged or pre-packaged goods, food or not, at the point of sale. The latter can be chosen by the person during the control phase among others by its geographical location close to the home or workplace of the person. In addition, the hourly period of delivery of goods, instead of being permanently attributed

  when placing an order with the person -

  client can be chosen at will by the latter during the ordering phase. Finally, it is understood that the computer device 1 can be either a single device responsible for all the operations described here, or

  considered to have multiple units-to micropro-

  interconnected to ensure respectively the -

  four phases of the process of the invention.

Claims (5)

  1. A method for the remote control of selected products or miscellaneous items, listed in a catalog, and the provision of products or articles in a specific sales room, characterized in that it consists in initially memorizing in a computer device (1) data relating to the identification of a customer, such as his credit or debit card number, and to a time slot desired by the customer for delivery of products or articles, and to him assign a customer number; performing the command by a server device (13) by telephone (14) by transmitting in advance to the computer device (1) at least the customer number and the time of availability of the products or articles; to go to the local sales comprising a number of lockers adJacents (11), one of which containing the products or items ordered is locked, access to the premises being prevented by a locked door (15); introducing the customer's payment card into an external card reader device (3) connected to the computer device (1) which identifies the customer from his initially stored card number and verifies the existence of an order placed to recover within the customer's authorized delivery range; to issue to the customer, once these conditions are met, a ticket including in particular the amount of the order and the identification data of the locker containing the products or items ordered and to unlock the access door to the room; introducing the payment card into another card reader (8) located in the room and connected to the computer device (1); to compose   on a keypad (10) the identification data   of the bin that are transmitted to the device * (1T) UTUeO np UOT UOTJT; uePTp a9uuop Se salt esodwoo T1T, nb ueAe to theTolT and suep rt%; s (8) aneoelT jTDTSOdsTP el suep eoJeo es U TnpoXuT e JeTUJop o0 enbsiJol 4uaTTlD not egnqT4 UOsTeJATT p eaTiujoq aBetd Ut SubP agssud epuemwuoo AUNP eouaSsTxett ae9sTJOUgm.zwoa Sp oamunu np ITEd B 4uamISlte9 ST'JjgA (T) JneflSUTPJO 0o ao anb jT4TsodsTp el ua gsTiagoumJeo 'sazuep9ogJd suoToeoçpueAea sap Aun, I uoles P9oojad 9 ÀUeTIO not egnqTa %% w uosTuaUTBI ap aiT-Joq eItld and stup UeTlO ael Jed agessd opueemwoo aun puodsJoJoo SogUUOp soo Ts To-Tnleo Iud tueig.ouoo us an.% ojjas (1) JanaeuTpzo Sa ZTTsodsTp ael ed (IT) aoTseo np uoTUoTzjTugpT, p soguuoP sap uoT pITeA "T anonb ao US gSTZJ9ovieo 'sTeepgogad suoT4eoTPUSea sap aun, I uolaS 9P9ooJd' S * sgTTU, p oJignu uos anEb TsuTe TsToqo eaTso np oJgwnu ael agpoo eWioJ oZ snos aTnsua as; Tomum Za% ueaTu np a9% Tsqnos uousTwaAI SpAteioq aZuTd ul op a saeToTje no sToPoid Sao ap SunIoA np UOTOUoj ue sepuemuao z sDaIoje no sr4fnpoid sal g9oqaajj; uos 930 (TIT) jeaTso a%; sToqo (T1) JnoSuTpJo jTTsodsTp oo anb ao ua 9sTJe9% oeao 'sTep9ogid ST sUOTseTPUaaaJ sap sun, UOlaSs 9PpDooJd * agssd apuemmoo el ap% uuuom al 9, TogId eaxoT4 al anris jmTadmuT% uaeameIv azsTsuoo TlT, nb ao uS sT9 z no T UOT4uOTpuAsaJ VI uoOs gpgooJd * 's ssp 0oo o0t salToZe no sTnpo.d sael ueue4uoo JeTsvo np oigmnu aT; a oanoaz as IT xo egll, I op oJagmnu Sl% uauuazdwoo 9Z; TDgd (TT) jaTseo np uoTleoToTjup T, p saguuop Se @, ee: uUA op IeDol np sogllv, p giqwou uTwoe0 a year ss; TjwdaJ% uos (TT) SiaTueo salt enb so us 9sgTigoseao I UOTO4TpUAa.J WI uolas gPooJd 'Z * spusrmmoo saoToT; ###, ##################################################   7. Method according to one of the claims   preceding, characterized in that, before identifying the customer having introduced his card into the external device (3), the computer device (1) checks the validity of the card and checks the secret code of the   card composed by the customer on a keypad (6).   8. Method according to one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the desired time range of delivery of products or articles is chosen at will by the customer during the phase of   order of these products or articles.   9. System for implementing the method   as defined in claims 1 to 8, characterized in   it comprises a computer device (1), an assembly (2) located outside the sales room and comprising a card reader device (3), a digital keypad (6) for code composition, a display screen (4) guiding the customer and a ticket printing and issuing device (5) connected to the computer device (1); and, located in the local, several terminals each associated with a plurality of bins (11), each terminal (16) comprising a card reader device (8), a keypad with keys (10) composition of the identification data of the rack (11) containing the products or articles ordered and a display screen (9) guiding the   client connected to the computer device (1) .-   10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a device (12) for unlocking the lock of the access door (15) to the sales room, controlled by the computer device (1).