KR101839256B1 - Mobile transactions with a kiosk management system - Google Patents
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Abstract
A method and system for performing a mobile transaction through a kiosk management system operating a plurality of kiosks for requested items is provided. The consumer may have a portable device configured to communicate with the kiosk management system such that the kiosk management system may provide the requested items to the selected kiosk from the plurality of kiosks. The portable device may activate the mobile application to display a list of available kiosks that provide the requested items to the consumer to select the kiosk for reserving the requested items. The consumer can then use the portable device to interact with the selected kiosk to retrieve the requested items reserved for the selected kiosk.
Description
Cross-references to related applications
The present application is related to U.S. Serial No. 14 / 038,706, Attorney Docket No. 90204-875078 (064200US), entitled " Kiosk Management System "filed on September 26, 2013, U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 038,714 (Attorney Docket No. 90204-878886 (065400US)) entitled " Mobile Transactions Using Kiosk Management System ", entitled "Inventory Distribution Method and System " filed on September 26, , U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 038,712, Attorney Docket No. 90204-878887 (065300US), entitled " Kiosk Network in Kiosk Management System "filed September 26, Claims priority from patent application No. 14 / 038,710 (Attorney Docket No. 90204-878888 (065200US)) and their benefits.
Because of the reach and scope of growing Internet and telecommunications networks, many retail transactions are being performed remotely, such as at a consumer's home, without the need for consumers to visit an offline retail store. Consumers can browse retail web sites, order items, pay for items electronically, and receive items shipped before their door. In addition, due to the increasing use of mobile devices, consumers often perform transactions on their mobile devices while away from their homes, and often do not deliver items to places that are not at their personal home address, e.g., Can be requested. While convenient to consumers, delivery to numerous individual customers at various addresses of numerous individual items can be exponentially more expensive for retailers and consumers alike.
Various embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram illustrating an exemplary dispensing system in which items electronically ordered by consumers from a network retailer are delivered to kiosks for retrieval by consumers.
Figure 2 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary kiosk management method implemented in the distribution system of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary kiosk management system of the distribution system of Figure 1;
4 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of FIG. 3 to determine initial items for pre-inventorying kiosks.
Figure 5 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of Figure 3 to manage inventory among kiosks.
Figure 6 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary kiosk of the dispensing system of Figure 1;
Figure 7 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process performed by the distribution agent of the distribution system shown in Figure 1 for delivering and maintaining kiosks.
Figure 8 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk of Figure 6 to process orders from a consumer for an item.
Figure 9 illustrates an exemplary external interface of a kiosk of the distribution system shown in Figure 1;
Figure 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of Figure 3 to designate a recipient to receive an item and to enable the recipient to retrieve the item from the kiosk.
Figure 11 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to present an item to a recipient.
Figure 12 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to retrieve items via a kiosk.
Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a recipient can initiate the retrieval of a gift at a kiosk.
14 illustrates a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of FIG. 3 to process requests for items that are excluded from pre-inventory items at kiosks.
Figure 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to retrieve items via a kiosk.
16 illustrates an exemplary mobile device from which a recipient can initiate the retrieval of a gift at a kiosk.
17 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer can select a kiosk to reserve an item.
18 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application that is provided on a mobile device that the consumer can choose to hold items in the kiosk for a predetermined amount of time without purchasing the item.
19 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer can select purchase options.
Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device by which a consumer may indicate that he or she is in a kiosk to retrieve items.
Figure 21 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer can navigate kiosks.
22 illustrates an exemplary user interface provided on a kiosk where the consumer can scan or enter code to initiate the retrieval of items from the kiosk.
23 illustrates an exemplary computing environment for implementing aspects of the invention in accordance with various embodiments.
In the following description, various embodiments will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. In addition, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the described embodiments.
An improved distribution system for providing items to consumers can use a network of kiosks to deliver items to consumers. The item may be dispatched by the operator of the dispensing system to a kiosk for the consumer to pick up. For example, a consumer can order a low price (or other eligible) item or a number of such items, and the items can be delivered by the operator of the distribution system to a kiosk for the consumer to pick up. Items that are regularly purchased by consumers can also be stored in kiosks and can be purchased on demand, depending on availability in the kiosk system. The network of kiosks may include any number of kiosks strategically positioned for easy and convenient access to, for example, consumers. In one embodiment, the plurality of kiosks includes between 1,000 and 500,000 kiosks. More specifically, a plurality of kiosks may include 20,000 kiosks. Kiosks can be placed in places where consumers are already frequent for other things, such as gas stations or grocery stores. Because shipping and shipping operations can be shared between the seller and the consumer, the shipping cost charged to the consumer for picking up at the designated kiosk can be significantly reduced (or free if the shipping cost is negligible to the seller). In one embodiment, the network of kiosks provides an infrastructure that can be adjusted at lower prices for millions of items. Transport of items to kiosks in the system may be incorporated into individual distribution agents working in specific areas to maintain and / or manage a subset of kiosks. The subset may include one or more kiosks.
In an exemplary embodiment, the consumer may use his or her mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) to see which items are available at nearby kiosks for convenient pickup or retrieval. The kiosk management system may specify pre-stock items, for example, kiosks for receiving items normally requested by consumers, best-selling items or trendy items. The pre-stock items may vary depending on different geographic locations. Thus, subsets of kiosks at different geographic locations may be stored with different amounts of pre-inventory items and / or different pre-inventory items. The inventory of pre-stock items and / or items in a subset of kiosks or kiosks may be an inventory of previous transactions with respect to demographic and purchase patterns of consumers at geographic locations of subsets of kiosks and / And can be customized based on other analysis data.
After selection of the particular item (s) for purchase during the calculation process, the consumer may select a designated kiosk for picking up the item (s). The designated kiosk can be in any place where the consumer is planning to go, such as a grocery store, a place on the way to the consumer's final destination, or another place convenient to the consumer. For example, a consumer may choose a kiosk at an airport to travel to and from on a business trip.
When a consumer requests items and selects a kiosk, the kiosk management system can communicate with a designated kiosk to organize delivery. In some cases, the requested item may be an item reserved for a subset of kiosks. The kiosk management system may communicate with a designated kiosk to reserve items for consumers so that booked items may not be retrieved or purchased by other consumers. In other cases, the requested item may not be included in pre-stock items that are typically preliminarily reserved. To reduce the shipping cost added to the consumer, the consumer can choose to pick up the requested item there after the designated kiosk has the requested item. The kiosk management system can organize the delivery of the requested item to a designated kiosk. In some embodiments, the delivery of items to the network of kiosks may involve dispensing agents to equip the kiosks with items.
When the requested item is shipped and / or reserved to the designated kiosk, the consumer can receive the notification from the kiosk management system that the requested item is available at the designated kiosk. Recalling the requested item may entail a consumer going to the designated kiosk to cause the requested item to be released from the kiosk so that the consumer can pick up the requested item and bring it home. To release the requested item, the consumer may be prompted by a kiosk designated to log in with his or her pre-registered account information associated with the kiosk management system. Kiosks contain various mechanical components for securing, locking and storing all items. Releasing the requested item may include dispensing the requested item to the consumer through, for example, a door or partition. In another example, each requested item may be stored and locked in a separate cell or module, thus releasing the requested item entails opening the respective cell or module to the consumer.
In another embodiment, when the consumer is notified that the requested item is available, the notification may also include the generated code. The notification may be sent over the Internet or any other telecommunication network in the form of an e-mail, an instant message, a text message, an SMS, a social network post, or any other suitable communication or message. The generated code can be generated by the kiosk management system and can be a variable length randomly generated alphanumeric code. The generated code may be unique to a transaction, a consumer, a kiosk, and / or an item. In other embodiments, the generated code may be associated with a kiosk, consumer, transaction, and / or item for identification purposes. To initiate the retrieval of the requested item from the designated kiosk, the consumer may be prompted to enter the generated code. The kiosk may then communicate with the kiosk management system to verify the generated code and to release the requested item when the code is verified. In other embodiments, the kiosk management system may simultaneously transmit the generated code in the consumer notification and in the designated kiosk. Thus, the designated kiosk can verify the locally generated code when the consumer enters the code to release the requested item (s). The payment process for authorizing the payment of a transaction may begin when the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item from the kiosk. Thus, consumers are not charged for items they have not collected.
Alternatively, the consumer can specify a second consumer, such as a friend or family member, to pick up the particular item (s), and / or the consumer can select the items as a gift for the recipient to pick up. In some embodiments, the consumer may specify a designated kiosk for the remittee. The recipient can receive an e-mail, text, or other message from the kiosk management system where the gift is waiting for them at the designated kiosk. The message may further include the generated code. For a recipient to initiate the retrieval of the requested item (s), the recipient may be prompted by a kiosk designated to log in with the generated code received by the recipient in the message. The designated kiosk can communicate with the kiosk management system to validate the generated code and, when verified, release the gift to the recipient. Alternatively, the kiosk may receive communications with the kiosk management system to reserve the requested item with the generated code. Thus, when the recipient logs in with the generated code, the kiosk can locally verify the generated code to release the requested item to the recipient.
Some retailers may provide items (e.g., goods and / or services) to consumers and provide shipping and delivery of items when ordered remotely by consumers through an electronic marketplace or network site. Should be recognized. Operators or owners of such electronic markets or sites may also provide distribution services (e.g., inventory management, packaging, transportation, etc.) to individual sellers who themselves do not wish to provide such distribution services. Without a distribution system, in some cases, low-priced items can be too expensive to be shipped directly to the consumer's home. An improved distribution system for providing items to consumers, as described in this application, can use a network of kiosks to lower distribution costs, including consumer, retailer and seller costs. In the present application, retailers and vendors may be referred to interchangeably.
1 illustrates an
The
The
The
The
In some embodiments, the retailer 116 may include a
The network of
The techniques described and proposed in this application include methods and systems for distributing items to multiple consumers using the network of
In one embodiment, the
At 202, the
In one embodiment, the consumer may request items not included in the pre-inventory items to be made available as pre-inventory items. The consumer may request this from a web site operated by the
In one embodiment, the
At 206, the
When it is determined that there is at least one
The consumer can then select the
When the
The generated code may be unique to a transaction, a consumer, a kiosk, and / or an item. In one embodiment, the generated code is a randomly generated variable length alphanumeric code. In other embodiments, the generated code is an optical code, such as a one-dimensional bar code, or a two-dimensional bar code, such as a quick response code (QR code). In other embodiments, the generated code may be associated with a kiosk, consumer, transaction, and / or item for identification purposes.
To initiate the retrieval of the requested item from the designated
At 216, the transaction is completed when the
Any and all operations and functions of the operations and functions described above in the exemplary method of FIG. 2 may be performed by the exemplary
Figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary kiosk management system of the distribution system of Figure 1; As illustrated in FIG. 3, an exemplary
The transaction
The payment history data store 322 may store payment information associated with a plurality of consumers. The payment information may include a credit card identifier, a bank account identifier, a reward account identifier, a billing identifier, and a credit card identifier of the fund required of the issuer and the consumer to authorize the payment transaction so that the consumer can pay for the requested items, Address, or any other suitable information. Additionally, the payment information of the consumer may include a gift certificate identifier, coupon code, or other information related to payment processing of the transaction.
The memory 320 may include several software modules of code executable by the
Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
As shown in FIG. 3 and as noted above, the
At 402, the
Also, since many consumers commute to San Francisco to work, it can be determined that the
At 406, the
Next, at 408, when the
Then, at 410, the
Individuals who serve as distribution agents can be reimbursed as a reward, for example, per hour, on a transportation basis, or as a percentage of transaction costs. Compensation for distribution agents may also include discounts on items that can be paid by the kiosks allocated for management by the distribution agent. The kiosks can be configured to provide funds, gift certificates, and deductions to the distribution agent as compensation.
At 412, the
The
Based on the transaction history of the items purchased by the plurality of consumers, a subset of the plurality of items may be selected at 502. For example, the subset of items may include best-selling items, top-rated items, and / or most frequently sold items. In some embodiments, the pre-inventory items may also include demographic information about the geographic location of the
At 504, if the items have been selected to pre-inventory, the
In order to determine the quantity of items to stock in a
Then, at 508, the
Next, at 512, the
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram illustrating an
The
The memory 614 may include several software modules of code executable by the
In some embodiments, the
The item
In the
In addition, additional benefits to the consumer may be provided by the
In one example, the
FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process performed by the
At 702, the
Then, at 704, the
At 708, the
Also, at 710, if there are items at the
As an example, the kiosk may be located in a bank and the bank may operate as a distribution agent for the kiosk management system. The kiosk management system can be shipped to the bank and paid to bankers to arrange a stock of pre-stock items in kiosks (Monday to Friday). In some embodiments, bankers or banks as a distribution agent may receive a portion of the benefits attributable to items sold in their corresponding kiosk (s). For example, the distribution agent may receive 1% of the benefits, such as $ 0.25 per $ 25 earned by the kiosks assigned to the distribution agent.
As such, a kiosk management system can provide benefits to distribution agents and consumers by providing convenience to the consumer as the amount of work and potential business volume increases in the kiosk management system. Businesses acting as distribution agents hosting kiosks can be encouraged to maintain kiosks appropriately for consumers coming to compensate and thus retrieve items by maintaining kiosks. Consumers may also be able to perform additional transactions in a business that acts as a distribution agent. The shipping orders and dispensing operations of the items may be distributed among a kiosk management system that orders integrated shipping of items to the dispensing agent, a dispensing agent that distributes the items to individual kiosks, and a consumer that retrieves items from the kiosks have. As a result, the shipping costs billed to the consumer can be close to negligible and the transportation costs to the kiosk management system can be reduced while also providing incentives to the distribution agents. Thus, in embodiments, benefits may be recognized by all parties involved (e.g., kiosk management system, distribution agents, and consumers).
FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the
The code generated from the
At 814, the
In an example, if a consumer orders more than one item for retrieval at the
The requested items may be reserved and stored in the
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary external interface of the
The
In another embodiment, the consumer may wish to designate a remitter to receive the requested item as a gift. Thus, FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the
At 1002, the
Next, based on the location received from either the consumer or the payee, the
At 1006, the
The gift is then booked at the
When the recipient is notified at 1010 that the requested item is available, the notification may also include the generated code. The generated code may be generated by the
To initiate the collection of gifts at the designated
Once the payment is initiated (or, in some embodiments, after the code has been verified), the
Figure 11 shows a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to present an item to a recipient. At 1100, a consumer may browse a retail website or mobile application on his or her mobile device. Pre-stock items that are pre-stocked in various kiosks, or items eligible for shipment to various kiosks, may be displayed on your postal code that already has an icon, a description that they are eligible, and / or a selected item with inventory You can have multiple kiosks.
At 1102, the consumer can select an item. In some embodiments, the consumer may be informed that the dollar amount of the selected item does not support shipping it to the consumer's home delivery address. The consumer may be offered to add more items to meet the minimum threshold for direct transportation to his or her home. Alternatively, the consumer may be informed that the kiosk management system can transfer the requested item to the designated kiosk for the consumer to pick up. The shipping cost proposed to the consumer for the kiosk pick-up can be substantially reduced (or substantially negligible to the kiosk management system) or significantly reduced compared to the case where the consumer has the item shipped directly to his or her home .
Once the consumer has determined the requested item and the shipping method for the purchase, the website or mobile application may provide a drop-down menu or list of all kiosks within a predetermined proximity of the location specified by the consumer. Then, at 1104, the consumer can be selected to have the requested item (s) picked up at the kiosk.
Then, at 1106, the consumer can be prompted if the requested item will pick up for himself or herself, or if it is a gift to pick up for the recipient. In some embodiments, the generated code is sent to the consumer and / or payee for use in verifying the transaction at the kiosk.
Figure 12 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to retrieve items via a kiosk. In another embodiment, where the requested item is a gift for the recipient, referring to FIG. 12, at 1200, the recipient may choose to display the preferred location for the recipient, or to select the recipient to select his or her preferred location . At 1202, the consumer or recipient can each receive a list of kiosks in stock of the requested items in a predetermined proximity area of the preferred location, designated by either the consumer or the recipient. The consumer or recipient can then select a different designated kiosk.
Then, at 1204, the recipient can receive a notification that the gift is available and reserved for the recipient at the designated kiosk. The notification may include code generated by the recipient to access the gift and receive it.
The consumer may then receive a notification or communication at 1206 that the recipient has initiated the retrieval of the gift via the verified code. The consumer may receive a confirmation of payment information at 1208 and then the requested item is released to the recipient at 1210 to complete the transaction.
Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a recipient can initiate the retrieval of a gift at a kiosk.
In another embodiment, the consumer may request an item that is excluded from the preliminary inventory items near the
At 1404, a list identifying a subset of
At 1410, the
At 1412, the
After generation of the code, the
At 1416, when the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item for the designated
Finally, at 1418, the transaction for the requested item is completed when the
In accordance with the embodiments described in this application, a recipient or other consumer may have various items that are reserved for picking up at the
Figure 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process by a consumer to retrieve items via a kiosk. In an embodiment in which a consumer has requested an item for himself or herself, with reference to Fig. 15, at 1500, the consumer may indicate a preferred pickup position. The pick-up position may be automatically detected to be the customer's billing or shipping postal code, or the GPS location of the consumer's mobile device may be detected. Alternatively, the consumer can manually specify a different location, such as a future location where the consumer will be located.
Next, at 1502, the consumer can receive a list of kiosks in stock of the requested items in a predetermined proximity area of the preferred location. The consumer can then select the designated kiosk at 1504.
Then, at 1506, the consumer can receive a notification that the requested item is available and reserved for the consumer in the designated kiosk. The notification may include code generated by the defender to access and receive the requested item.
The consumer can then visit the designated kiosk at 1508 and enter the code generated at 1510. When the entered code is validated at 1512, the consumer may receive another notification or communication that the entered code has been verified and that the retrieval of the requested item has begun. The consumer can receive a confirmation of payment information at 1514 and then the requested item is released at 1516 to complete the transaction.
As described in the present application, in some embodiments a mobile application provided on a mobile device may be used by a consumer to perform transactions on the requested item. For example, any of the steps described in Figures 11, 12, and 15 may be performed using a mobile application.
16 illustrates an exemplary mobile device from which a recipient can initiate the retrieval of a gift at a kiosk.
The
Figure 17 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer may select a kiosk to reserve an item according to at least an embodiment. For example, a consumer may view a network site operated by a kiosk management system that launches a mobile application on his or her mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet) or presents a
In one embodiment, the location of the consumer can be automatically detected. For example, on a mobile device, such as a mobile smartphone, a GPS can be used to determine the location of the consumer on the street. In another example, an IP address or other location identifying the information may be determined from the computer the consumer is using to access the network site. When the consumer's location is determined, a list of related items based on the search query at 1704 and a list of closest locations of kiosks at 1710 can be provided to the consumer. The list of related items may include item name and price, or any other relevant information. In some embodiments, a consumer may click on an item to obtain more item information, such as reviews and a detailed description. The list of
Each kiosk may have an option for a consumer to book an item to a designated kiosk, as shown at 1706. The consumer may use a link or button for the consumer to click using the mouse or select using his or her finger on the touch screen, or any other suitable < RTI ID = 0.0 > You can choose to reserve an item through a method. The
Figure 18 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application that is provided on a mobile device that, in accordance with at least an embodiment, may be selected by a consumer to not hold an item and to hold the item in the kiosk for a predetermined amount of time. After the consumer selects an item, such as a
When the consumer selects "log-in for reservation & purchase" 1802, then screen shot 1900 of FIG. 19 may be provided to the consumer. 19 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer can select purchase options. There may be a number of options for the consumer to purchase the requested item and initiate the payment. One option may be "log into an existing account" (1902). For example, as previously described, a consumer may be pre-registered with a kiosk management system and / or retailer that provides the requested item. The consumer may select 1902 and log in with his or her pre-registered account information, where the payment process is initiated with stored information associated with the consumer's registration, e.g., a stored credit card, billing address, etc. . The consumer can also choose to "create a new account" 1904 if the consumer is not pre-registered and does not have an existing account with the kiosk management system and / or the retailer. When "create a new account" 1904 is selected, the consumer may be urged to provide various account and payment information stored in the kiosk management system and / or the retailer. Other options may be purchase as a guest account and "buy without account" (1906). The consumer may be urged to provide payment information that is not stored for future transactions. Another option offered to the consumer may be "hold" (1908), where the consumer may be urged to provide payment information, but the item is reserved without processing the payment information until the withdrawal is initiated, The payment process is initiated when going to the kiosk to initiate the retrieval of the requested item.
Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device by which a consumer may indicate that he or she is in a kiosk to retrieve items. As shown in FIG. 11, after the purchase of the requested item is made or the item is held, the consumer can proceed to the designated kiosk. An
Figure 21 illustrates an exemplary user interface of a mobile application provided on a mobile device from which a consumer can navigate kiosks. In some cases, the consumer may not have a particular item or other search queries associated with the item. In one embodiment, the consumer can browse the kiosk based on location.
The screen shot 2104 may then be displayed when the consumer selects the resulting nearest kiosk (123 Main Street in this example). Screen shot 2104, in this example, can display the designated
Next, FIG. 22 shows an exemplary user interface provided on a kiosk where the consumer can scan or enter code to initiate the retrieval of items from the kiosk. After the consumer selects an item in the
Many advantages and benefits are realized by shipping to a kiosk for a consumer or payee to pick up the requested items, as described in this application in the present invention. For example, in an integrated transportation to a network of kiosks involving a network of dispensing agents, the kiosk management system and / or retailers may charge a lower shipping charge for the consumer. Thus, consumers can obtain a lower total actual selling price for an item because the retailer or kiosk management system no longer works or pays for individual shipment to the home. Accordingly, the kiosk management system described in this application provides for the distribution of various items to an efficient, cost-effective, convenient, and streamlined manner for a large number of consumers.
In current electronic transactions, many network retailers can offer free shipping if the consumer buys special items or if the total price of the purchase exceeds the minimum threshold. For example, a consumer may only be offered free shipping for promotional items (e.g., all shoes for a particular brand shipment for free), or the consumer may receive free shipping for all orders over $ 25 . However, in the present invention, the consumer may request a single item that does not exceed the minimum threshold for any free or automatic free shipping, but it may be a pick-up instead of a complete shipping to be shipped individually to the consumer's home To receive the lowered shipping cost by choosing to ship the requested item to the designated kiosk for.
In accordance with the embodiments described herein, the end consumer (e.g., consumer, recipient) may be able to have various items available for pick-up at the desired location customized for transportation cost reduced for the consumer. Reduced operations, inventory, and shipping costs for kiosk management systems and / or external retailers can also be significantly reduced. The kiosk management system and / or the external retailer may also provide a wide selection of items. For example, a consumer may not be limited to pre-inventory items that are determined for particular kiosks at specific locations based on transaction data analysis. The consumer can request any item that can be shipped to the designated kiosk selected by the consumer at a reduced shipping cost using the dispensing agents compared to when the consumer delivered the item directly requested to his or her home .
In addition, additional benefits to the consumer include leveraged partnerships between the kiosk management system and other entities where the kiosks can be located and maintained. Promotions, such as coupons and discounts, may be provided to businesses where kiosks are located to encourage consumers to select kiosks in businesses. Additionally, businesses are encouraged to host and maintain kiosks for the kiosk management system because it can increase consumer flow through businesses and potential transactions through the promotions it provides.
The kiosk management system provides a sustainable business model with consumer convenience and advantages to make transportation of multiple items more profitable for kiosk management systems and / or retailers while keeping transportation costs low for consumers. Thus, a wide variety of items can be delivered to any consumer within reasonable parameters through the use of the consumer, vendors / retailers, and kiosk management systems with distribution agents.
In a simplified example, a distribution agent can be assigned for 100 kiosks at a specified geographic location. The dispensing agent can be responsible for delivering pre-stock items, such as vitamin packets per day, to 100 kiosks. It is very costly to deliver hundreds of vitamin packets to a kiosk management system, or to multiple individual consumers who may or may not be within the same geographical area, with a vitamin provider providing 100 individual kiosks in a local area There are many. Thus, a kiosk management system or a vitamin provider can deliver an integrated transport of hundreds of vitamin packets to a dispensing agent. The distribution agent may distribute the transportation to the appropriate quantities for each of the 100 kiosks allocated to maintain the distribution agent. For example, kiosks located in sophisticated traffic situation areas may have more vital packets than kiosks in more distant areas (e. G., Suburban residential areas) (e. G. .
A kiosk management system or retailer (e.g., a vitamin provider) can never deliver profitably to all of the individual consumers' homes or to 100 individual kiosks with variable inventory, thus the entire transport is consolidated into the distribution agent. As such, the distribution agent delivers the requested item as "last mile ".
In some embodiments, when the requested item is included in pre-stock items typically available in some of the kiosks in the plurality of network kiosks, the kiosk management system provides the consumer with convenient, voluntary "on-the-spot" And can secure item pickups for millions of items at lower prices than customized locations that are convenient for consumers.
In an alternative embodiment, the external retailer or vendor may provide items to be distributed by the kiosk management system. Sellers and retailers can also provide a wide range of items, including many low-cost items that will be shipped to consumers through a wide range of stores, without increasing the cost of their shipping and transportation operations , The use of multiple network kiosks and distribution agents.
The kiosk management system cooperates with their sellers to provide multiple items, including low cost items that are too costly to transport directly to the consumer's home. The consumer can order a low price item or a number of eligible pre-inventory items and have it sent to the designated kiosk. The kiosk management system may include, for example, over an extended geographic location; It can manage multiple network kiosks, including 20,000 kiosks. Delivery of the requested items may be free to the consumer when the requested items are picked up at the consumer designated kiosk. The kiosk management system can coordinate this infrastructure and the integrated transportation of items is delivered to individual dispensing agents that work in specific areas and maintain / manage multiple kiosks managed by the kiosk management system, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI >
According to at least one embodiment, the benefits that are recognized and realized by the kiosk of the plurality of network kiosks to the consumer include at least a large number of items that are readily available and immediately available to the consumer. A kiosk can be configured to hold hundreds of items of a particular size and weight. In addition, the infrastructure of the network of distribution agents that provide daily deliveries with individual kiosks and receive deliveries in an integrated manner can reduce transportation costs to consumers by sharing transportation costs between consumers and kiosk management systems and / or retailers, Thereby generating lower prices for the requested items. The kiosks also provide "on-site" and custom high turnover items to the available free spots in the storage area of the kiosk.
In further embodiments, the kiosk may further provide suggestions and recommendations of these "on-the-ground" items for additional purchases while the consumer is at the kiosk from which the originally requested item is retrieved. The kiosk allows a consumer to gain access to the 24 hour requested items and access to other items pre-stocked with the kiosk. Convenience to the consumer is also realized by having the kiosks initiate a kiosk management system and direct payment processing in which pre-registered, existing consumer accounts can be used. Some embodiments may involve a mobile device that may utilize a mobile application that operates on the mobile device to perform transactions for the consumer to request items at the kiosk. In other embodiments, a request for the requested items may be made over the Internet on a laptop, desktop computer, or other device capable of connecting to the Internet. The existing account of the consumer can be accessed by a desktop or laptop computing device, or any suitable device.
In a consumer's mobile device, the consumer can browse and browse items in a mobile application running on the mobile device and search for all kiosks to find the requested item. For example, a consumer can ask for prescription medication at 2 am, where all pharmacies are closed, a shaver at 9 pm when a consumer arrives in a new city for a business meeting, or a personal tablet model, a Christmas morning essential item . Convenient locations of kiosks may be in retail shopping centers, bank parking lots, and gas stations - places that are already frequently visited by consumers. Additionally, delivery to and pickup from the kiosk may be such that the consumer is essentially neglected by the kiosk management system and / or the retailer / seller to receive free shipping of the requested item (s).
Additional features provided by the kiosk management system include options for a consumer to request an item for a recipient as a gift for delivery to another kiosk at another location in real time. The recipient or consumer may be able to immediately order and pick up the requested item from the designated kiosk.
Additionally, consumers who are not registered with the kiosk management system or the providing retailer can conduct the transaction. Thus, the consumer may not need to be pre-registered. Thus, a consumer who does not have a pre-registered account, a consumer who has visited in another country, or a consumer who does not currently access his or her credit card requests items from a kiosk designated via the Internet or mobile application, The user can pay the requested item in cash. The kiosks may be configured to accept cash payments for the requested items and e-mail the receipt to the consumer. In the example, the kiosk may be located in the same location as the bank, and the ATM machine may be located near the kiosk for cash payment for the requested items convenient to the consumer.
In another embodiment, the kiosk may co-promote with other businesses at its location. For example, if a consumer chooses a kiosk outside a coffee shop, the kiosk management system may determine that the kiosk will receive the requested beverage from the coffee shop when the consumer picks up his or her requested item between 2 pm and 6 pm You can co-promote with a coffee shop to offer promotions at the kiosk so that you can issue e-mails for $ 2.00 discounts or preview coupons.
Additionally, in other embodiments, and shown in FIG. 9, the kiosks may provide digital advertisements (e. G., Light advertisements 902) that can be remotely promoted and customized by the kiosk management system. The ads may be customized based on the location of the designated kiosk, the current inventory of items in the kiosk, and / or the history and analysis of the top-selling items. For example, if a particular item, such as an umbrella, has all fallen, the kiosk can manipulate its ads for a secondary, alternate item, such as ponchos. In another example, a kiosk located in a sports arena may display more advertisements related to sporting goods, bars / restaurants of the area, and the like. In other embodiments, advertisements can be customized remotely and immediately based on environmental factors, such as geographic area, weather and time. For example, advertisements for newly published books may be presented during a holiday giving a popular gift, such as Christmas.
In another embodiment, a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi) service may be provided at the kiosk so that the consumer can pay a fee to access the Wi-Fi hotspot at the kiosk. Free or reduced price Wi-Fi services can be provided to consumers purchasing via kiosks. The consumer can pay for the Wi-Fi service from the kiosk (monthly fee or once) and access the Internet, for example, near his or her car in the parking lot at the location of the kiosk.
The benefits of kiosks in a kiosk management system according to at least one embodiment include the ability to distribute and provide various items at low cost and with additional accepted cash payments. The low shipping cost can then be realized by a kiosk management system that provides efficient integrated shipping to the dispensing agent, which can then deliver individual items to a plurality of individual kiosks
If the sales volume is transported individually to the consumer's homes, it can be increased especially for low-cost items that may not be profitably sold due to high shipping and operating costs associated with individual shipping of low priced items. Thus, through kiosks, low cost items can be distributed and sold to consumers in a secure manner. Much more shipping cost savings are realized for expensive items. Accordingly, the advantages realized by the embodiments and embodiments can be extended and recognized by the distribution of both low-cost items and high-cost items.
In addition, individual kiosks can be quickly deployed and removed. Kiosks can be placed in more distant geographic areas because they can operate on their own without supervision of certain people, unlike offline shop locations where they require vast areas for human intervention / operation and construction. Alternatively, kiosks may be placed in locations that provide convenient access to consumers for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, while shop locations (e.g., off-line retail locations) are limited by operating hours. . The kiosk infrastructure can therefore be updated and modified quickly and inexpensively to distribute a plurality of items to consumers themselves. Kiosks can conveniently be deployed with a variety of businesses that create partnerships with gas stations, coffee shops, convenience stores, and banks to provide additional services, discounts and convenience to consumers, for example. Kiosk management systems can partner with large gas companies to provide a cents-per-gallon discount when consumers use kiosks. Businesses that host kiosks can also benefit from increased performance and visits from consumers who collect items from kiosks. In some embodiments, the merchants (e.g., businesses) and the kiosk management system may be configured such that the kiosk management system provides the merchant with increased traffic volume and performance while distributing to the kiosk management system You can have a symbiotic relationship to act as an agent.
Other applications of the kiosk management system may be extended and adapted to any suitable item, such as prescription drugs and health / beauty products. Independent pharmacy operators can operate as dispensing agents and / or host kiosks that use kiosks as a 24-hour pickup is deployed to allow a consumer to access a set of products such as Tylenol, hair gel, brush, and the like. Instant access and pickup to kiosks can be faster than local and mail orders for the consumer's area. In one embodiment, the consumer may provide his or her prescription to the kiosk management system and / or the pharmacy provider, thereby suggesting consumer prescriptions.
Figure 23 illustrates aspects of an exemplary environment for implementing axes according to various embodiments. As will be appreciated, a network-based environment is used for illustrative purposes, but different environments may be used, when appropriate, to implement various embodiments. The environment may include an
The exemplary environment includes at least one
Each server will typically include an operating system that provides executable program instructions for general management and operation of the server, and when executed by the processor device of the server, may cause the server to perform the functions of its intended purpose (E. G., Hard disk, random access memory, read only memory, etc.) for storing data. Appropriate implementations of the general functionality of the operating system and servers are known or feasible and are readily implemented by one of ordinary skill in the art, particularly in view of the description in this application.
An environment in one embodiment is a distributed computing environment that utilizes several computer systems and components interconnected via communication links, using one or more computer networks or direct connections. It will be appreciated, however, by one of ordinary skill in the art that such a system may operate equally well in a system having fewer or greater numbers of elements than those illustrated in FIG. Thus, the illustration of
Various embodiments may also be implemented in a wide variety of operating environments, which may include, in some cases, one or more user computers, computing devices, or processing devices that may be used to operate any of a number of applications. The user or client devices may be a number of general purpose personal computers, such as desktop or laptop computers running standard operating systems, as well as cellular, wireless and handheld devices capable of running mobile software and supporting multiple networking and messaging protocols And may include any. Such a system may also include multiple workstations running any of a variety of commercially available operating systems and other known applications for purposes such as development and data storage management. These devices may also include other electronic devices, such as dummy terminals, thin-clients, gaming systems and other devices capable of communicating over the network.
Most embodiments are based on transmission control protocol / Internet protocol ("TCP / IP"), open system interconnect ("OSI "), file transfer protocol (" FTP "), universal plug and play To support communications using any of a variety of commercially available protocols, such as system ("NFS"), Common Internet File System ("CIFS") and AppleTalk, At least one network that can be familiar is used. The network may be, for example, a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a public switched telephone network, an infrared network, a wireless network and any combination thereof.
In embodiments that utilize a network server, the network server may include one or more servers, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") servers, FTP servers, Common Gateway Interface Or any of a variety of server or mid-stage applications, including, Server (s) is also such as Java ®, in any programming language, such as C, C #, or C ++, or Perl (Perl), Python (Python) or such as TCL, any scripting language, and combinations thereof, as well as By executing one or more network applications that may be implemented as one or more recorded scripts or programs, one may execute programs or scripts in response to requests from user devices. Server (s) may also include Oracle ®, Microsoft ®, Sybase ® and commercially available and include those, the data storage server in the IBM ® without limitation.
The environment may include various data storage and other memory and storage media as discussed above. They may be in various locations, such as on a storage medium that is remote from any or all of the computers that are local (and / or existing) or networked to one or more computers. In a particular set of embodiments, the information may be in a storage-area network ("SAN") familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. Similarly, any required files for performing functions attributable to computers, servers or other network devices may be stored appropriately, locally and / or remotely. When the system includes computerized devices, each such device may include hardware elements that can be electrically coupled through a bus and the elements may include, for example, at least one central processing unit ("CPU"), Includes at least one input device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, controller, touch screen or keypad) and at least one device (e.g., a display device, printer or speaker). Such systems also include disk drives, optical storage devices and solid-state storage devices such as random access memory ("RAM") or read-only memory , Flash cards, and the like.
Such devices may also include a computer readable storage medium reader, a communication device (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, etc.) and an operating memory as described above. Computer readable storage medium readers are computer readable storage medium readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the steps of: (a) providing a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, And may be configured to be coupled to or receive a computer readable storage medium. The system and various devices will also typically include a number of software applications, modules, services, or other elements located within the at least one working memory device, including operating systems and application programs, such as client applications or network browsers . It is to be understood that alternative embodiments may have numerous variations from those described above. For example, customized hardware may also be used and / or certain elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including mobile software, such as applets), or both. Also, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed.
ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EEPROM"), flash memory or other memory technology, such as, but not limited to, , A compact disk read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), a digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage device, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, Any method for storing and / or transmitting information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data, including any other medium that can be used for and accessed by a system device Or non-volatile, removable and non-removable media embodied in hardware, Field may include the media communication medium, used in the art or known in any suitable medium comprising. Based on the teachings and teachings provided in this application, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other ways and / or methods for implementing various embodiments. Aspects of the computer-implemented method described in this application may be implemented by a computer program product, including instructions for performing the method, when executed by one or more processors. The computer program product may include a non-type storage medium that executes instructions.
The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor device, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) Programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in this application. The general purpose processor device may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor device may be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations thereof, and the like. The processor device may comprise an electrical circuit configured to process computer-executable instructions. In another embodiment, the processor device includes an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. The processor device may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although primarily described with respect to digital technology in the present application, a processor device may also include key analog components. For example, some or all of the signal processing algorithms described in this application may be implemented in analog circuitry or mixed analog and digital circuitry. A computing environment may include, but is not limited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a mobile computing device, a device device, Type.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims and sections.
Other variations are within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the described techniques are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the invention to the particular forms or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. And equivalents of the present invention.
The use of the singular expressions and similar expressions under the context of the presently disclosed embodiments (especially in the context of the following claims) is intended to encompass both singular and plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Should be considered. The terms "comprising," " including, "" including, " and" containing ", are to be construed as open-ended terms (i. E. The term "connected" should be construed, in part or entirely, to be included in, attached to, or connected to, even though there is intervening therebetween. Unless otherwise indicated, it is intended to serve as a shorthand method of individually indicating each individual value falling within a range, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification even if it is individually listed in the present application. May be embodied in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as ", etc.) provided in the present application is merely exemplary of embodiments of the present invention, And is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. No language in this specification is to be considered as representative of any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, including the best modes known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Modifications of the preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect that skilled artisans will employ such variations as appropriate and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than specifically described in the present application. Accordingly, the invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as well as the appended claims, as permitted by applicable law. In addition, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present invention, unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited in this application, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference, ≪ / RTI >
In a consumer's portable device, generating a request to perform a transaction on a requested item;
Sending a request from the portable device to the kiosk management system, the request including the requested item;
In a portable device, identifying a subset of kiosks in a plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area of a location, the method comprising: determining whether a requested item is included in a plurality of items previously provided by a subset of kiosks, ;
In a portable device, obtaining a selection from a consumer for a designated kiosk from a subset of kiosks;
Sending a selection to a kiosk designated from the portable device to the kiosk management system to reserve the requested item in the designated kiosk;
Receiving, at the portable device, a code unique to the transaction for the requested item, the code indicating that the requested item is reserved for the designated kiosk;
Using the portable device, providing a code to a designated kiosk to initiate retrieval of the requested item; And
Receiving, at the portable device, an acknowledgment indicating that the code has been verified, the payment process for the transaction has been completed, and that the transaction has been completed after the requested item has been retrieved at the designated kiosk.
2. The computer-implemented method of
3. The computer-implemented method of
4. The computer-implemented method of
5. In the computer-implemented method of
In a portable device of a first consumer, generating a request to identify a requested item and a second consumer to retrieve the requested item; And
The method further comprising: receiving, at the portable device of the first consumer, confirmation that the requested item has been delivered to the second consumer.
6. In the computer-implemented method of clause 5,
Further comprising receiving, at the first consumer's portable device, confirmation that the requested item has been recovered from the kiosk designated by the second consumer.
7. A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving, from a kiosk management system, a code unique to an order by an item by a consumer, the code indicating that the item is reserved by a consumer from a plurality of kiosks selected from the kiosks; Receiving the code, which is reserved from a plurality of items that have been selected to be stored in the kiosk, the plurality of items being distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the designated kiosk;
Providing a code to a designated kiosk via wireless communication to initiate the retrieval of items at a designated kiosk; And
When the provided code is verified and the item is retrieved from the designated kiosk,
Receiving from at least one kiosk management system or designated kiosk an acknowledgment that an order for the item has been completed.
8. The computer-implemented method of clause 7, wherein at least:
Transmitting at least one of account information or payment information to at least one of a kiosk management system or a designated kiosk; And
Further comprising receiving from the kiosk management system or at least one of the designated kiosks a confirmation that payment information has been verified using at least one of account information or payment information.
9. The computer-implemented method of clause 7,
When one or more requested items are included from a plurality of items currently provided by a plurality of kiosks,
Receiving information about a subset of kiosks in a plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area of a location, wherein the subset of kiosks includes a subset of kiosks that are currently providing at least one of the one or more requested items Comprising: receiving information about a user;
Selecting a designated kiosk from the subset; And
Further comprising transmitting a selection of the kiosk designated to the kiosk management system to reserve at least one of the one or more requested items to the designated kiosk.
10. The computer-implemented method of clause 7, wherein when one or more requested items are excluded from a plurality of items provided by a plurality of kiosks,
Receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity region of the location;
Sending a selection of a kiosk designated from the subset to the kiosk management system to reserve at least one of the one or more requested items to the designated kiosk; And
Further comprising receiving a notification when one or more requested items are available and reserved for a designated kiosk for retrieval.
11. The computer-implemented method of clause 10, further comprising: delivering, upon receipt of a notification when one or more requested items are available, indicating that one or more of the requested items will be delivered to the designated kiosk, including an estimated delivery time, ≪ / RTI > further comprising receiving a message.
12. The computer-implemented method of clause 7, wherein the item is ordered at a retail network site.
Section 13. A portable device used by a consumer,
A processor device;
display;
An interface configured to at least communicate with a consumer;
A communication unit configured to at least communicate with a kiosk management system operating a plurality of kiosks via a communication network; And
Transient computer readable medium comprising code executable by a processor, the processor device communicating with a display, a communication unit, and an interface to implement a method, the method comprising:
Generating a request to perform a transaction for a transaction;
Sending a request containing the requested item to the kiosk management system; And
When a requested item is excluded from a plurality of items currently being played by a plurality of kiosks, at least:
Receiving information about a subset of kiosks at a plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area of a location from the kiosk management system;
Sending a selection of a kiosk designated from the subset to the kiosk management system to schedule delivery of at least one of the one or more requested items to the designated kiosk; And
Receiving a delivery message from the kiosk management system indicating that one or more requested items will be delivered to the designated kiosk, including an estimated delivery time.
14. The portable device of clause 13, wherein the method comprises:
Receiving a notification from the kiosk management system when one or more requested items are currently available and reserved for a designated kiosk for retrieval;
Receiving, from the kiosk management system, a code unique to the transaction, the code indicating that at least one of the one or more requested items is reserved for the designated kiosk; And
Further comprising: receiving a transaction confirmation indicating that the transaction is completed after the code is verified and one or more requested items are retrieved from the designated kiosk.
15. The portable device of clause 13, wherein the method further comprises: when at least one requested item is excluded from a plurality of items currently provided by a plurality of kiosks,
Receiving a subset of kiosks at a plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area of a location from a kiosk management system, wherein the subset of kiosks is currently providing at least one of the one or more requested items, ; And
Further comprising transmitting a selection of the kiosk designated from the subset to the kiosk management system to reserve at least one of the one or more requested items in the designated kiosk.
16. The portable device of clause 13, wherein the method comprises at least:
Further comprising interacting with a designated kiosk to provide code, wherein the interaction is wireless interaction.
17. The portable device of clause 13, wherein the method comprises at least:
And displaying the code on the display.
18. The portable device of clause 13, wherein the method comprises at least:
Providing at least account information or payment information to at least one of a kiosk management system or a designated kiosk; And
And receiving payment confirmation when account information or payment information is verified.
19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media on a consumer's portable device having collectively computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor device of the portable device,
To generate a request to perform a transaction on a transaction;
Send a request from the portable device to the kiosk management system that includes the requested item; And
A portable device that receives, from a kiosk management system, transaction-specific code and information about a designated kiosk at a plurality of kiosks, wherein the designated kiosk has available requested items.
20. The one or more computer-readable media of clause 19, wherein the computer-readable media comprise:
Before receiving the code:
Transmitting at least one of account information or payment information to at least one of a kiosk management system or a designated kiosk; And
At least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk is configured to receive confirmation that payment information has been verified using at least one of account information or payment information.
21. The one or more computer-readable media of clause 19, wherein the computer-readable media are further configured to at least display code.
22. The one or more computer-readable media of clause 21. 21, wherein the code is one or more computer-readable media, such as a fast response (QR), one- or two-dimensional bar code, or any code that can be read by a scanner .
23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the code is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters or symbols.
24. A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving a command for delivering a plurality of selected items to a distribution agent to pre-stock a kiosk in a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks, wherein the distribution agent is configured to assign the kiosk to pre- ;
Directing delivery of a plurality of items to a dispensing agent to pre-stock the kiosk;
Receiving information that the kiosk has been requested by the dispensing agent that an item is excluded from a plurality of selected items pre-stocked;
Identifying a source for the excluded requested item;
Directing delivery of the requested item from the source to the dispensing agent such that the dispensing agent can stock the requested item in the kiosk; And
And updating the inventory information for the kiosk.
Section 25. In the computer-implemented method of clause 24,
Receiving a notification from the kiosk of a plurality of selected items pre-stocked that the item has been retrieved by the consumer at the kiosk; And
Updating the inventory information for the kiosk.
26. The computer-implemented method of clause 24, wherein identifying a source for an excluded requested item comprises:
Determining if the requested item is available at an internal source;
Identifying an external source for the requested item;
Sending a request for the requested item to an external source; And
And directing the requested item to be sent to the distribution agent.
27. The computer-implemented method of clause 24, wherein the step of transmitting the inventory information to the kiosk management system.
28. The computer-implemented method of clause 24, wherein a plurality of selected items are delivered to the distribution agent by a plurality of deliveries, each of the plurality of deliveries being performed at a predetermined time.
29. The computer-implemented method of clause 28,
When the requested item is excluded from a plurality of selected items pre-stocked by the dispensing agent in the kiosk,
Further comprising instructing the requested item to be included in subsequent deliveries of the plurality of deliveries.
Section 30. A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Creating a command for delivering a plurality of selected items to a distribution agent at a plurality of distribution agents, the distribution agent being assigned to distribute a plurality of selected items to the plurality of kiosks;
Receiving information that an item that is excluded from a plurality of selected items dispensed by the dispensing agent to a plurality of kiosks is requested;
Identifying a source for a requested item that is excluded from a plurality of selected items;
Generating an instruction to deliver the requested item to the distribution agent for further distribution of the requested item to the selected kiosk; And
Updating the inventory information for the selected kiosk.
31. The computer-implemented method of clause 30,
When an item contained in a plurality of selected items distributed by a distribution agent to a plurality of kiosks is requested and recovered from a plurality of kiosks:
Further comprising updating the inventory information for the kiosk to indicate that the requested item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.
32. The computer-implemented method of clause 30,
When an item contained in a plurality of selected items distributed by a distribution agent to a plurality of kiosks is requested but not recovered from a kiosk among a plurality of kiosks within a predetermined time for recovery,
Further comprising updating the inventory information for the kiosk to indicate that the requested item remains in the inventory at the kiosk.
33. The computer-implemented method of clause 30,
When an item that is excluded from a plurality of selected items delivered to a plurality of kiosks by a distribution agent is not retrieved from a selected kiosk within a predetermined time for retrieval,
Receiving a notification that the item has been removed from the kiosk selected by the dispensing agent; And
Updating the inventory information for the kiosk to indicate that the item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.
34. The computer-implemented method of clause 30, wherein the distribution agent includes a selected kiosk and a selected kiosk based, at least in part, on a predetermined proximity region for the plurality of kiosks, How to be assigned to deliver.
35. The computer-implemented method of clause 30, wherein the distribution agent is assigned to distribute selected items to a plurality of kiosks periodically.
Section 36. As a system,
A data store configured to store inventory information for a plurality of items; And
A computing device including a processor device and a memory, the computing device communicating with a data store and comprising at least:
Receiving selection items to be stored in a plurality of kiosks, wherein the items are selected to be kept in kiosks based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information,
Selecting a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks to store the items;
Identify a distribution agent assigned to a subset of kiosks;
Wherein the delivery message identifies a selection of items and a subset of kiosks and identifies a quantity for each item to be distributed to each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;
Direct delivery of a quantity for each item to a dispensing agent;
Receive a message from the distribution agent confirming distribution of selection items to the kiosk of the subset of kiosks;
A system configured to update inventory information for a kiosk.
37. The system of clause 36, wherein the kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider.
38. The system of clause 36, wherein the computing device is at least:
Wherein the inventory information is further configured to receive inventory information for a kiosk from a distribution agent, wherein the inventory information includes transaction information associated with items stored in the kiosk.
39. The system of clause 36, wherein the computing device is further configured to transmit inventory information to the kiosk management system.
40. Non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, constitute a computer system for executing operations, the operations comprising:
For each of the plurality of kiosks located in the geographical area,
The method comprising: maintaining inventory information for a plurality of items stored in a kiosk, wherein the plurality of items are selected to be kept in a kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information, Maintaining the inventory information distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographical area;
Updating the inventory information for the kiosk to reflect that the item is no longer archived in the kiosk when the item is purchased from the plurality of items stored in the kiosk and retrieved by the consumer in the kiosk; And
Computer-readable media including an operation of sending updated inventory information to a kiosk management system.
41. The computer-readable medium of 40, wherein the operations further include directing creation of a shipment of an alternate item to the kiosk after the item is no longer present in the kiosk. .
42. The computer-readable medium of 40, wherein the operations further include instructing the kiosk to re-stock the replacement item in the kiosk after the item is no longer present in the kiosk. .
43. The computer-readable medium of 40, wherein the operations are:
Determining an inventory state of a subset of items provided by the kiosk;
Updating a subset of inventory records for a subset of items provided by the kiosk; And
And sending an updated subset of inventory records for a subset of the items provided by the kiosk to the kiosk management system.
44. The computer-readable medium of 40, wherein the operations are:
Assigning a distribution agent to the kiosk; And
Further comprising instructing the creation of a shipment of a plurality of items for delivery to a dispensing agent.
45. The computer-readable medium of 40, wherein the operations are:
When a predetermined time has elapsed for the item to be retrieved from the kiosk,
Receiving a notification that an item has been removed from the kiosk selected by the dispensing agent; And
Further comprising updating the inventory information for the kiosk to indicate that the item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.
46. A computer-implemented method for performing transactions on an item held in a pre-stocked kiosk with items available for purchase through a consumer using the portable device,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a query from the kiosk management system for an item requested to be purchased by the consumer at the time of the transaction;
Transmitting an inventory status for the requested item from the kiosk to the kiosk management system over the network;
If the item for which the inventory status is requested indicates that the kiosk is included in the pre-stocked items,
Receiving, at a kiosk, a message from a kiosk management system, the message comprising instructions for booking an item in a kiosk and including code generated for the transaction;
In a kiosk, a kiosk reserves the requested item in items that are pre-stocked;
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from a portable device when the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item in the kiosk;
Verifying that the code received from the portable device corresponds to the generated code;
Initiating a payment process for the requested item; And
Indicating the release of the requested item from the kiosk to the consumer when the payment process is completed.
47. The computer-implemented method of clause 46,
If the inventory state indicates that the requested item is excluded from the items that the kiosk is pre-stocked with,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a delivery message from the kiosk management system, the delivery message including delivery information for the requested item excluded and including code generated during the transaction;
Receiving, at the kiosk, the excluded requested item;
Sending, from the kiosk after receipt of the excluded requested item, a shipping confirmation for items excluded from the kiosk management system;
In a kiosk, a kiosk reserves the requested item in items that are pre-stocked;
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from the portable device when the consumer initiates the withdrawal of the requested item that is excluded from the kiosk;
Verifying that the code received from the portable device corresponds to the generated code;
Initiating a payment process for the excluded requested item; And
Further comprising indicating the release of the requested item that was excluded from the kiosk as a consumer when the payment process is completed.
48. The computer-implemented method of clause 46, wherein the code is received from the portable device via the wireless communication connection to the kiosk.
49. The computer-implemented method of clause 46,
Receiving account information for a consumer from a portable device;
Generating transaction history information on a transaction; And
Transferring transaction history information and account information to the kiosk management system.
50. The computer-implemented method of clause 46,
Detecting a malfunction in the kiosk; And
Sending a recovery request to a kiosk management system, wherein the recovery request further comprises transmitting the recovery request, including information associated with the malfunction.
Section 51. A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Wherein items from the query are included in a plurality of items stored in the kiosk, wherein the plurality of items are selected to be kept in a kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information, Area of the kiosk is distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part,
In a kiosk, reserving items in a plurality of items stored in a kiosk;
In a kiosk, initiating a payment process for an item when the consumer initiates retrieval of the item from the kiosk; And
And instructing the consumer to release the item to the kiosk when the payment process is completed.
52. The computer-implemented method of clause 51, wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Receiving at least one of account information or payment information associated with a consumer;
Transmitting at least one of account information or payment information to the kiosk management system; And
Further comprising receiving a payment confirmation from the kiosk management system, wherein the payment confirmation indicates that the payment process can be completed.
53. The computer-implemented method of clause 51,
Receiving a reservation request from a kiosk management system, wherein the reservation request instructs the kiosk to reserve an item at a plurality of items stored in the kiosk.
54. The computer-implemented method of clause 51, wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Generating a code for a computing device of the consumer;
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from a consumer's computing device to initiate retrieval of the item;
Transmitting a code to the kiosk management system for verification;
Receiving from the kiosk management system a confirmation that the received code has been verified in the kiosk; And
Further comprising the step of authorizing a release of the item to the consumer for the kiosk.
55. The computer-implemented method of clause 51,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from a consumer's computing device to initiate retrieval of the item;
Verifying the code in the kiosk;
Sending a confirmation to the kiosk that the received code has been verified to the kiosk management system; And
Further comprising the step of authorizing a release of the item to the consumer for the kiosk.
56. The computer-implemented method of clause 51,
When an item from a query is excluded from a plurality of items stored in a kiosk,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a delivery message from a kiosk management system, the delivery message including delivery information regarding the excluded item; receiving the delivery message;
Receiving, at the kiosk, the excluded item from the dispensing agent assigned to the kiosk; And
And sending the delivery confirmation to the kiosk management system when the excluded item is received at the kiosk.
Section 57. As a kiosk,
A storage unit configured to store a plurality of selected items, wherein the plurality of selected items are selected to be kept in a kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information, Said storage unit being delivered to a kiosk;
A payment unit configured to release an item requested to the consumer from the storage unit;
A communication interface configured to communicate with the management system and with other computing devices;
A memory configured to store inventory information for a plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit; And
A processor device in communication with a storage unit, a payment unit, a communication interface, and a memory, comprising: at least:
The consumer receiving a request to perform a transaction on the requested item;
If the requested item is among a plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk,
Receiving codes for transactions from individual computing devices via a communications interface, the codes being unique to the transaction and to the consumer;
Initiating verification of the code;
Releases the requested item to the payout unit for retrieval when the code is verified; And
The kiosk configured to send updated inventory information to a kiosk to a management system via a communications interface.
In section 58, section 57, the kiosk,
If the requested item is among a plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk,
Receiving a reservation request from a management system via a communication interface to reserve a requested item in a storage unit of the kiosk; And
And reserving the requested item to a storage unit of the kiosk for a predetermined time.
59. The kiosk of clause 57, wherein the processor device comprises at least:
If the requested item is excluded from a plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk,
Receiving a delivery message from the management system via the communication interface, the delivery message including information about delivery of the requested item to the kiosk and code for the transaction;
Receiving the requested item;
Send a delivery confirmation to the management system via the communication interface when the requested item is received; And
A kiosk further configured to reserve requested items in a storage unit of the kiosk.
60. The kiosk of clause 57, wherein the kiosk is located in the proximity area to the preferred item provider, and the consumer is eligible for the promotion provided by the item provider.
61. The kiosk of clause 57, wherein the kiosk is one of a plurality of kiosks located in a geographical area, the distribution agent is one of a plurality of distribution agents, and the distribution agent comprises a plurality A kiosk assigned from a distribution agent.
62. The kiosk of clause 61, wherein the kiosk is maintained by a dispensing agent assigned from a plurality of dispensing agents.
63. The kiosk of clause 57, wherein the consumer is a first consumer, the request identifies a second consumer specified by the first consumer, the distinct computing device on which the code is received is associated with a second consumer, The item is released to the payment unit for collection by the second consumer when the payment process is completed.
64. Non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer system, constitute a computer system for executing operations, the operations comprising:
The method comprising: maintaining inventory information for a plurality of items stored in a kiosk, wherein the plurality of items are selected to be kept in a kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information, Maintaining the inventory information, which is distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographic area in which the kiosk is located;
Processing an order from a consumer for an item stored in the kiosk among a plurality of items dispensed by the dispensing agent to the kiosk;
Paying an item from the kiosk to the consumer when the consumer presents a verifiable code associated with the order for the kiosk;
Updating the inventory information for the kiosk to reflect that the item is no longer archived in the kiosk after paying the item as inventory information from the kiosk; And
And non-transitory computer-readable media comprising an act of transmitting updated inventory information to the management system.
Section 65. For non-transitory computer-readable media of clause 64, the transaction history includes transaction information associated with one or more items paid from the kiosk, and the operations further include transmitting transaction history to the management system Non-transitory computer-readable media.
66. For non-transitory computer-readable media of clauses 64, operations include:
Collecting account information; And
Further comprising transmitting a plurality of transaction history information and account information to the kiosk management system.
Section 67. A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction on an item held in a pre-stocked kiosk with items available for purchase,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with particular computer executable instructions,
Receiving a request from a consumer to perform a transaction on an item;
Identifying a subset of kiosks within a predetermined proximity region of the location of the consumer;
Identifying a plurality of kiosks in a subset of kiosks with pre-inventory as an item;
The method comprising: transmitting a list of a plurality of kiosks identified to a consumer, wherein the consumer includes a corresponding location for an identified angle of a plurality of identified kiosks;
Receiving from the consumer a selection of a designated kiosk from the list, the consumer receiving a selection of the designated kiosk indicating that the item is reserved for the designated kiosk; And
And initiating a payment process for completing the transaction when the consumer initiates the withdrawal of the item from the designated kiosk.
68. The computer-implemented method of clause 67,
When the item is removed from the items that the kiosks are pre-stocked with,
Transmitting to the consumer a list of subsets of kiosks within a predetermined proximity region of the consumer's location;
Receiving from the consumer a selection of a designated kiosk from the list;
Directing the dispensing agent to deliver the integrated shipping of the items including the item requested by the consumer so that the transaction is performed; And
Further comprising instructing the designated kiosk to reserve an item for retrieval by the consumer after delivery of the item by the dispensing agent to the designated kiosk.
69. The computer-implemented method of clause 67,
When a consumer initiates a collection of items at a designated kiosk,
Communicating with a designated kiosk to verify the identity of the consumer;
Obtaining pre-registered payment information associated with the consumer; And
Using the payment information to initiate payment for the item.
70. The computer-implemented method of clause 67, wherein the request to perform a transaction on an item is received from a mobile device used by the consumer and receiving a location of the consumer from the mobile device used by the consumer And wherein the location of the consumer is determined automatically by the mobile device.
71. The computer-implemented method of clause 67,
Receiving account information associated with a plurality of consumers;
Receiving transaction history information associated with one or more transactions performed on one or more consumers at a plurality of consumers;
Further comprising analyzing transaction history information and account information for identifying one or more items for pre-inventorying at least one kiosk.
72. The computer-implemented method of clause 67,
Generating a code to be used for retrieving the item from the designated kiosk; And
And transmitting the code to the consumer.
73. The computer-implemented method of clause 72,
Receiving from the designated kiosk a code that has been entered in the designated kiosk to initiate the retrieval from the designated kiosk;
Verifying the received code with the generated code;
Initiating a payment process for completing a transaction; And
And instructing the designated kiosk to release the item to the consumer.
74. A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving a request for an item;
Identifying a subset of kiosks from a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks containing requested items;
Sending a response to the user including a subset of identified kiosks and a corresponding location for each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;
Receiving a selection of a designated kiosk from a subset of kiosks from the user;
Sending a reservation request to a designated kiosk to reserve a requested item in a designated kiosk; And
And notifying the user that the requested item is reserved for the designated kiosk.
75. The computer-implemented method of clause 74,
The method of
76. The computer-implemented method of clause 74, wherein the user is a first user and a request for an item is received from a second user, the computer-implemented method comprising:
Further comprising initiating a payment process for the item using account information for the second user when the first user initiates the retrieval of the item at the designated kiosk.
77. The computer-implemented method of clause 74, wherein the request for an item is received over a communications network from at least one of a device used by a user or a retail network site used by a user.
78. The computer-implemented method of clause 74, wherein the reservation request identifies a predetermined time for the retrieval of an item at a designated kiosk.
Section 79. As a system,
A data store configured to store transaction history information for one or more items; And
A computing device including a processor device and a memory, the computing device communicating with a data store and comprising at least:
Select one or more items to be stored in each kiosk at a plurality of kiosks, based at least in part on transaction history information;
Directing delivery of one or more items by a dispensing agent to each kiosk of the plurality of kiosks;
Receiving a request for an item from a consumer, wherein the requested item is excluded from one or more items for which delivery is indicated;
Sending a response to the consumer identifying a subset of kiosks from the plurality of kiosks and a corresponding location for each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;
Receive a selection of a designated kiosk from a subset of kiosks from the consumer;
Direct the delivery of the requested item by the dispensing agent to the designated kiosk, along with other items selected to be stored in the designated kiosk;
Directs the designated kiosk to reserve the requested item for the consumer; And
And notify the consumer that the requested item is stored in the designated kiosk.
80. The system of clause 79, wherein the designated kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider.
81. The system of clause 80, wherein the consumer is provided with a discount for the item provided by the item provider instead of selecting the designated kiosk associated with the item provider.
82. The system of clause 79, wherein the computing device comprises at least:
The system further configured to receive a current inventory record for a designated kiosk from a distribution agent, wherein the current inventory record includes transaction information associated with items stored in the designated kiosk.
83. The system of clause 82, wherein the computing device is further configured to instruct the distribution agent to at least direct delivery of the requested item to the consumer.
84. The system of clause 82, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive at least a recovery notification for a designated kiosk from a distribution agent.
Section 85. Non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer system, constitute a computer system for executing operations, the operations comprising:
Receiving at least one of transaction history information or inventory information for a plurality of items;
Selecting, from a plurality of items, one or more items to be delivered from an inventory entity to each kiosk of a plurality of kiosks, the selection being based at least in part on at least one of transaction history information or inventory information, ; And
The method comprising: receiving commands from a plurality of kiosks to select one or more items from an inventory entity and delivering one or more selected items to each kiosk of the plurality of kiosks, wherein each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks includes a selected one Wherein the computer program is located in a geographical location that will self-distribute the pre-inventory items.
86. The non-transitory computer readable medium of clause 85, wherein transaction history information includes information associated with at least a plurality of items and a plurality of kiosks.
87. In non-transitory computer readable media of clause 86, the operations are:
Further comprising determining an amount for each of the selected one or more items delivered to each kiosk at a plurality of kiosks based at least in part on at least one of the transaction history information or the geographic location of each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks, - Temporary computer readable media.
88. In non-transitory computer-readable media of clause 87, operations are:
Receiving a request from a consumer to perform a transaction on an item;
Identifying one or more kiosks in the plurality of kiosks that delivered the requested item;
Generating a list of consumers for one or more identified kiosks, wherein the list includes corresponding locations for each of the identified one or more kiosks;
Receiving a selection of a designated kiosk from the list;
Sending a reservation request to a designated kiosk to reserve the requested item;
Generating a message for a consumer indicating that the requested item is reserved for the consumer in the designated kiosk; And
And initiating a payment process to complete the transaction when the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item at the designated kiosk.
89. For non-transitory computer-readable media of clause 88, operations include:
Updating the transaction history based at least in part on the completed transaction; And
Further comprising determining an updated quantity of the requested item to be delivered to the designated kiosk.
90. For non-transitory computer-readable media of clause 88, operations are:
Receiving code from a consumer to initiate retrieval of a requested item at a designated kiosk;
Verifying the received code; And
Further comprising instructing the designated kiosk to release the requested item to the consumer.
Claims (15)
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving an order for an item from a consumer, the item being excluded from a plurality of items that have been selected to be stored in a designated kiosk prior to ordering the item, the designated kiosk being stored by the consumer from a plurality of kiosks Selected;
Causing an order for the item to be distributed to the designated kiosk;
Detecting that the item has been distributed to the designated kiosk;
Receiving, from a kiosk management system, a code unique to the order for the item by the consumer, the code indicating that the item is to be reserved to the designated kiosk, The code being distributed to the kiosk by an assigned distribution agent;
Detecting that the one or more computer systems are within a predetermined distance of the designated kiosk and providing a prompt to the consumer to initiate retrieval of the distributed item;
Receiving a response to the provided prompt to provide the code to the designated kiosk over a wireless transmission to initiate the retrieval of the item at the designated kiosk, Provided to the kiosk; And
When the provided code is verified and the item is retrieved from the designated kiosk,
Receiving from the at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk an acknowledgment that the order for the item has been completed.
At least:
Transmitting at least one of account information or payment information to at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk; And
Further comprising receiving from at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk an acknowledgment that the payment information has been verified using the at least one of account information or payment information.
The method comprising: receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location, wherein the subset of kiosks is currently providing at least one of the one or more requested items; Receiving information about a subset of kiosks;
Selecting the designated kiosk from the subset; And
Further comprising transmitting the selection of the designated kiosk to the kiosk management system to reserve the at least one of the one or more requested items to the designated kiosk.
When the one or more requested items are excluded from the plurality of items provided by the plurality of kiosks,
Receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area of the location;
Sending a selection of the designated kiosk from the subset to the kiosk management system to reserve the at least one of the one or more requested items to the designated kiosk; And
Further comprising receiving a notification when the one or more requested items are available and reserved for the designated kiosk for retrieval.
Further comprising receiving a delivery message indicating that the one or more requested items will be delivered to the designated kiosk, including an estimated delivery time, before receiving the notification when the one or more requested items are available .
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Wherein the item from the query is included in a plurality of items stored in the kiosk, the type and quantity of the plurality of items stored in the kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information So that the item to be kept for each kiosk is different from the amount of each item to be kept, and the plurality of items are transferred to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographical area When distributed,
Generating a reservation for the item from the plurality of items stored in the kiosk;
Generating a code unique to the generated reservation;
Providing the code and the retrieval instruction to a computing device associated with the query, wherein the retrieval instruction causes the computing device to begin retrieving the item when it is detected that the computing device is within a predetermined distance of a designated kiosk Wherein the collection instruction is further configured to receive the response to the provided prompt when the code is transferred from the computing device to the kiosk without further interaction by the user;
Initiating, at the kiosk, a payment process for the item when the consumer initiates the collection of the item at the kiosk; And
And instructing the consumer to release the item for the kiosk when the payment process is completed.
Wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Receiving at least one of account information or payment information associated with a consumer;
Sending the at least one of the account information or the payment information to a kiosk management system; And
Further comprising receiving a payment confirmation from the kiosk management system, wherein the payment confirmation indicates that the payment process can be completed.
Further comprising receiving a reservation request from a kiosk management system, wherein the reservation request directs the kiosk to reserve the item in the plurality of items stored in the kiosk.
Wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Transmitting the code to a kiosk management system for verification;
Receiving from the kiosk management system confirmation that the code received at the kiosk has been verified; And
And authorizing the consumer to release the item to the kiosk.
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from the consumer's computing device to initiate the retrieval of the item;
Verifying the code at the kiosk;
Transmitting to the kiosk management system a confirmation that the code received at the kiosk has been verified; And
And authorizing the consumer to release the item to the kiosk.
When the item from the query is excluded from the plurality of items stored in the kiosk,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a delivery message from a kiosk management system, the delivery message including delivery information regarding the excluded item; receiving the delivery message;
Receiving, at the kiosk, the excluded item from the distribution agent assigned to the kiosk; And
And sending a delivery confirmation to the kiosk management system when the excluded item is received at the kiosk.
A data store configured to store transaction history information for one or more items; And
A computing device including a processor device and a memory, the computing device communicating with the data store and comprising at least:
Select the type and amount of one or more items to be stored in each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks, based at least in part on the transaction history information;
Directing delivery of the one or more items by a dispensing agent to each kiosk of the plurality of kiosks;
Receiving a request for an item from a consumer, wherein the requested item is excluded from the one or more items for which delivery is indicated;
Sending a response to the consumer identifying a subset of kiosks from the plurality of kiosks and a corresponding location for each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;
Receive a selection of a designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks from the consumer;
Directing delivery of the requested item by the dispensing agent to the designated kiosk, along with other items selected to be stored in the designated kiosk;
Direct the designated kiosk to reserve the requested item for the consumer;
Providing a code and a collection instruction to notify the consumer that the requested item is stored in the designated kiosk and to retrieve the item to a computing device associated with the consumer, And wherein the computer is configured to prompt the computing device to initiate the retrieval of the item when it is detected that it is within a determined distance, the retrieval instruction, upon receiving a response to the provided prompt, The code being further configured to be transmitted over the wireless transmission from the computing device to the designated kiosk; And
And upon receiving the code via the wireless transmission, instruct the designated kiosk to release the requested item.
Wherein the designated kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider and the consumer is offered a discount for an item provided by the item provider instead of selecting the designated kiosk associated with the item provider.
The computing device comprises at least:
And to receive a current inventory record for the designated kiosk from the distribution agent, wherein the current inventory record includes transaction information associated with items stored in the designated kiosk.
The computing device comprising:
Directing the distribution agent to deliver the requested item to the consumer, or
And receiving at least one recovery notification for the designated kiosk from the distribution agent.
Applications Claiming Priority (9)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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CN107122970B (en) * | 2017-04-27 | 2021-01-01 | 深圳怡化电脑股份有限公司 | Security authentication method, device, system, equipment, ATM and storage medium |
KR101760318B1 (en) * | 2017-06-05 | 2017-07-31 | 주식회사 달콤 | Apparatus for enabling coffee manufacturer machine to provide ordered coffee to user and operating method thereof |
US11328801B1 (en) * | 2017-06-16 | 2022-05-10 | Walgreen Co. | Technology for managing priorities for on-site prescription pickup |
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US11031113B1 (en) * | 2017-06-16 | 2021-06-08 | Walgreen Co. | Technology for processing prescription medications for pickup by individuals |
CN108806115A (en) * | 2018-08-21 | 2018-11-13 | 北京极智嘉科技有限公司 | Nobody self-service operating system, method and operation door |
WO2020099689A1 (en) * | 2018-11-16 | 2020-05-22 | Gerogiev Aleksandrov Rosen | System for supplying coffee |
WO2021019277A1 (en) * | 2019-07-27 | 2021-02-04 | Parham Mohammad Ibrahim | Suburban smart kiosk with information, advertisement and relief system |
CN113298628B (en) * | 2021-07-27 | 2021-11-30 | 北京每日优鲜电子商务有限公司 | Intelligent container placement method and device, electronic equipment and computer readable medium |
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- 2014-09-26 KR KR1020167007590A patent/KR101839256B1/en active IP Right Grant
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EP3050009A1 (en) | 2016-08-03 |
JP6293908B2 (en) | 2018-03-14 |
KR20160045870A (en) | 2016-04-27 |
CN105580034A (en) | 2016-05-11 |
EP3050009A4 (en) | 2017-03-29 |
WO2015048496A1 (en) | 2015-04-02 |
JP2016535376A (en) | 2016-11-10 |
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