KR20160045870A - Mobile transactions with a kiosk management system - Google Patents

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

Mobile transaction using kiosk management system {MOBILE TRANSACTIONS WITH A KIOSK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM}

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 for 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 shipping costs are 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, a 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 reserved 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 recalled 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 gifts for the recipient to pick up. In some embodiments, the consumer may specify a designated kiosk for the remittee. The recipient can receive e-mail, text, or other messages from the kiosk management system where the gifts are waiting for them at the designated kiosk. The message may further include the generated code. For the recipient to initiate the retrieval of the requested item (s), the recipient may be prompted by the 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 exemplary distribution system 100 according to at least one embodiment in which items electronically ordered by consumers 112 from a retailer 116 are delivered to kiosks for being retrieved by consumers Fig. The distribution system 100 may include a kiosk management system 102 and an inventory management system that may be operated by retail entities that provide a plurality of items. In other embodiments, the retailer 116 or other vendor may be an individual entity from an entity that operates the kiosk management system 102. [ Retailer 116 may provide its own mobile application 114 for operating its own retail web site 106 and / or purchasing items. Retailer 116 may include a warehouse, fulfillment center or distribution center where items provided by retailer 116 via retail web site 106 and / or mobile application 114 are physically stored Can directly communicate with the inventory entity 104, as well.

The kiosk management system 102 may also include an inventory management system and may communicate with the inventory entity 104. The kiosk management system 102 may manage the delivery of items to the kiosks 110 associated with the retail website 106 and held by the inventory entity 104 of the distribution system 100. [ The kiosk management system 102 may be operably coupled to a network of kiosks 110, for example, disposed over strategically designated geographic locations, via a communications network. The network of kiosks 110 may be maintained and held by items by a plurality of distribution agents 108. The kiosk management system 102 may communicate with the kiosks 110 over a communications network to determine a current inventory of items at the kiosks 110. [ The kiosk management system 102 and / or the kiosks 110 may also communicate with the distribution agents 108 and inventory entities 104 to initiate consolidated delivery of items to specific distribution agents 108 . Distribution agents 108 may then deliver the items to individual kiosks 110 that are assigned to manage and maintain the distribution agents 108.

Distribution agents 108 may be assigned to a subset of kiosks 110 based on geographic locations and therefore inventory entity 104 may incorporate the transport of pre- have. Distribution agents 108 can then deliver various items to specific kiosks 110. The inventory and available items provided to each kiosk may not be the same between the kiosks. However, because the allocation of distribution agents 108 to kiosks 110 may be based on a geographic location, the delivery of items to the different kiosks 110 may be efficient and cost-effective for the kiosk management system 102. [ Can be high.

The distribution agent 108 may be an automated machine or robot operated by the kiosk management system 102, or an individual or authorized entity (e.g., merchant, business entity, etc.) authorized by the kiosk management system 102. Distribution agent 108 may be responsible for maintaining and delivering to one or more kiosks 110. The kiosk management system 102 may periodically, for example, direct delivery of consolidated deliveries of items from the inventory entity 104 to the distribution agent 108 daily. Upon receipt, the distribution agent 108 then proceeds to each kiosk 110 to which the distribution agent 108 is assigned and sends the items to the item store in the kiosk 110 (e.g., see article store 608 in FIG. 6) And dispatch items to the kiosk 110, including placing the items. When the item is delivered to the designated kiosk 110, the kiosk management system 102 sends a notification (e. G., Email, text message, etc.) to the consumer 112 to inform the consumer 112 that the requested item is ready to be picked up (112). In some embodiments, the consumer 112 is not charged for the requested item until the requested item is retrieved by the consumer 112 at the designated kiosk 110. When the consumer 112 is at the designated kiosk 110, he or she will send the kiosk 110 for pre-stock items that are available (i.e., not in stock and reserved for another consumer 112) You can browse and purchase additional pre-stock items along with the requested items. The payment process may be initiated to authorize the payment of the requested items and additional pre-stock items purchased at the transaction in the designated kiosk 110. The payment process may be initiated by the kiosk 110 designated for the kiosk management system 102, retailer 116, or other entity.

The kiosk 110 may update its inventory in real-time so that the kiosk management system 102 has the current state of each of the plurality of kiosks 110. [ By analyzing the data received from the kiosks 110, the kiosk management system 102 can determine the pre-inventory items to place on the kiosks and track the inventory rotations. The distribution agent 108 may remove unclaimed items from the kiosk 110 that were not picked up within a designated time frame. Removal of the non-commodity items may cause the kiosk management system 102 to place the items in the kiosk 110 as indicated by the kiosk management system 102. The kiosk management system 102 may also deposit money in consumer accounts for the removed items.

The distribution agents 108 may operate 365 days a year and may manage from one to one million or more kiosks 110, depending on the sizes and capacities of the kiosks. For example, in very small towns, only one kiosk 110 may be sufficient to service a small city, but millions of kiosks 110 may be required in larger cities.

Consumers 112 may be mobile applications 114 using retail web sites 106 using desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc. or other mobile devices capable of connecting to smartphones, tablets, e-book readers or the Internet, To browse through the items and request the items. Consumers 112 may access retail web site 106 via a communications network, such as the Internet. The communication network may be any wired network, a wireless network, or a combination thereof. The network may also be a personal area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a cable network, a satellite network, a cellular telephone network, or a combination thereof. For example, the communication network may be a network accessible by the public of interworking networks, which may be operated by various individual parties, such as the Internet. In some embodiments, the communication network may be a dedicated or semi-dedicated network, such as an enterprise or university intranet. A communication network may include one or more wireless networks, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, or some other type of wireless network. have. The protocols and components for communicating over any of the communication networks of the Internet or other above-mentioned types of communication networks are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art of computer communications and are therefore more detailed in the present application It does not need to be explained. The consumer computing device may be connected to any such communication network via a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi) or wired network connection. When the consumer 112 is using the mobile application 114 on the mobile device, the mobile device may be connected via a telecommunication network, or wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi) network provided by the service provider.

In some embodiments, the retailer 116 may include a kiosk management system 102. Consumer 112 may communicate directly with kiosk management system 102 when kiosk management system 102 is also a retailer that provides items. In such cases, the consumer 112 may pre-register the account information and payment information in the kiosk management system 102. The account information may include a username, a password, login information, a shipping address, a mobile device number, or other identification number (e.g., an IP address). The payment information includes a credit card identifier of the fund required to the issuer and consumer 112 to authorize the payment transaction so that the consumer 112 can pay for the requested items and to exchange and pay the funds, , A reward account identifier, a billing address, or any other suitable information.

The network of kiosks 110 may be strategically located at or near other businesses that the kiosk management system 102 may have a partnership with. Thus, when the consumer 112 goes to the kiosk 110 where it can be located at a gas station, when the consumer 112 retrieves the requested item from the kiosk, a promotion, such as a $ 0.03 discount per gallon during the consumer's visit, Can be provided. In another example, the kiosk may be located in a coffee shop, so that if the consumer 112 desires to receive a promotion for coffee or other items that he / she is selling at the coffee shop, and / May be encouraged to select the kiosk if he or she is planning to go to the coffee shop to pick up the coffee and pick up his or her requested item at the same visit.

The techniques described and proposed in this application include methods and systems for distributing items to multiple consumers using the network of kiosks 110 managed by the kiosk management system 102. [ FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary kiosk management method 200 implemented in the distribution system of FIG. Some or all of the processes depicted in FIG. 2 (or any other processes, or variations and / or combinations thereof described in this application) may be performed under the control of one or more computer systems comprised of executable instructions (E. G., Executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) that execute collectively on one or more processor devices, by hardware or a combination thereof. The code may be stored on a computer readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computer program containing a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processor devices. The computer readable storage medium may be non-transient.

In one embodiment, the kiosk management system 102 of FIG. 1 may allow the network of kiosks 110 at 200 to have pre-inventory items. The selection of the pre-stock items provided in the specific kiosks may be performed by the kiosk management system 102 based on the transaction history of the particular kiosks, or in other embodiments, the kiosk management system 102 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > retailer < / RTI > Thus, individual kiosks at different locations may have items, as well as quantities of other kiosks and other items.

At 202, the kiosk management system 102 may receive, directly or indirectly, a request from a consumer for one or more items. For example, a consumer may generate a request via a retail web site 106 or mobile application 114 operated by an external retailer 116. The external retailer may then provide a request to the kiosk management system 102. [ In some embodiments, the consumer may browse available pre-inventory items and request one or more items from pre-stock items in stock. The kiosk management system 102 can determine which kiosks 110 are pre-loaded with which items. Inventory items at the local kiosks 110 may be requested and / or provided by the consumers 112 through the use of the retail website 106 and / or the mobile application 114 operated by the retailer 116. [ Or can be reserved. Alternatively, the consumer 112 may go directly to the kiosk and browse available pre-stock items available for purchase, such as pre-inventory items that are not reserved for other consumers in the kiosk.

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 kiosk management system 102, a retail web site 106, or a mobile application 114 operated by an external retailer 116. Requested items that are not pre-reserved may be distributed to a designated kiosk selected by the consumer. Thus, the requested item may be included in the selection of pre-determined pre-inventory items. Alternatively, the consumer may request one or more items to be excluded from the inventory of items available in the kiosks.

In one embodiment, the kiosk management system 102 may use the location of the consumer at 204 to support the distribution of items to the consumer. The location of the consumer may be determined by the IP address of the consumer's computer or the GPS location from the consumer's mobile device. The location of the consumer can also be determined based on other account information, such as a work / office address. The consumer may also provide her current location or address upon request. In an alternative embodiment, the consumer may provide a designated location, such as a future destination, on which the requested item (s) she / she will travel to be picked up upon her arrival at the destination. For example, if a consumer knows she will be in New York for a business trip tomorrow, she can specify the requested item to pick up at kiosk 110 located in New York, which is convenient for her. In another example, a consumer can specify a location on the way to or from the workplace.

At 206, the kiosk management system 102 may determine a subset of kiosks 110 within a designated area near the location of the consumer. The kiosk management system 102 may then communicate with the subset of kiosks 110 to determine if at least one kiosk 110 within the designated area has the requested item (s) in stock. The designated area may be set by the consumer or may have a default value as determined by the kiosk management system 102. For example, the kiosk management system 102 may search for kiosks within five miles of the consumer's location, and if so, which of the kiosks within five miles of the consumer's location may request the item (s) As shown in FIG.

When it is determined that there is at least one kiosk 110 in the subset of kiosks having the requested item (s) and the kiosk management system 102 is within a predetermined proximity region of the location of the consumer, Similarly, via a retail website 106, for example, a list identifying such kiosks may be transmitted to provide to the consumer. The kiosk management system 102 may also be configured to provide kiosks outside the predetermined proximity area of the location to provide more of the kiosk selection options to be provided to the consumer, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 110 < / RTI >

The consumer can then select the kiosk 110 and make the selection available to the kiosk management system 102. [ Thus, at 210, the kiosk management system 102 may receive communications from a consumer having a selection for the kiosk 110 that the consumer may wish to initiate the retrieval of the requested items. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the kiosk management system 102 may communicate with a consumer via a retail web site 106 or a mobile application 114 operated by an external retailer 116. The kiosk management system 102 may receive communications with a selection for the kiosk 110 generated by the consumer and transmitted from the retail web site 106 or the mobile application 114. [

When the kiosk management system 102 receives the selection, the kiosk management system may communicate with the designated kiosk 110 having a reservation communication to reserve the requested item at 212. [ The designated kiosk 110 may reserve a requested item for a limited time, e.g., three days. When the requested item is reserved, it is reserved for the requesting consumer or the recipient designated by the requesting consumer such that no other consumer can receive the requested booking item. For example, other consumers browsing pre-stock items at local kiosks or other consumers at designated kiosks can not select items reserved for purchase. In one embodiment, the consumer may provide an estimated time when the requested item is to be picked up, and when the time has elapsed, the reservation for the requested item may be canceled or otherwise expired. In some embodiments, the payment process is initiated and billed to the consumer only when the requested item is successfully retrieved by the consumer. In one embodiment, the reserved communication from the kiosk management system 102 to the designated kiosk 110 may comprise code generated by the kiosk management system 102. [ The generated code may also be transmitted to the consumer in a notification message informing the consumer that the requested item is available at the kiosk 110 designated for retrieval, The notification may be sent over a communication network, such as those described above, in the form of an e-mail, an instant message, a text message, an SMS, or any other suitable communication or message.

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 kiosk 110, the consumer may be prompted to enter the generated code into the kiosk 110. The kiosk 110 then sends a message to the customer at 216 to validate the generated code and to release the requested item when the code is verified to initiate payment processing for the item using the consumer's account information and payment information And may communicate with the kiosk management system 102, as shown. In some embodiments, where the kiosk management system 102 sends communications with the generated code to a designated kiosk 110, the designated kiosk may be configured to allow the consumer to enter a code into the kiosk to release the requested item (s) The generated code can be verified locally.

At 216, the transaction is completed when the kiosk management system 102 uses the consumer's account information and payment information to process the payment and instruct the designated kiosk 110 to release the requested item. In one embodiment, the consumer registers his or her account information and payment information in the kiosk management system 102 in advance. In another embodiment, the consumer may register the account information and / or payment information in advance with the retail website or retailer; Thus, the kiosk management system can communicate with the retail website to initiate the payment. The account information may include a username, a password, login information, a shipping address, a mobile device number, or other identification number (e.g., an IP address). 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 by the publisher and the consumer to authorize the payment transaction so that the consumer can pay for the requested items, Address, or any other suitable information.

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 kiosk management system 102 in any order. The kiosk management system 102 may include a server computer 300 or a group of servers including processor devices configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media.

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 kiosk management server 300 may include a processor device 302 and memory 320. The processor device 302 may include a number of remote and / or local data stores, e.g., an account information data store 304, a transaction history data store 306, and / or a payment information data store 322 As shown in FIG. The account information data store 304 may store account information associated with a plurality of consumers. In some embodiments, the account information is pre-registered for each consumer. In other embodiments, the provisional account information may be created and temporarily stored for consumers creating a one time transaction as a "guest consumer ", as opposed to a" registered consumer. &Quot; Thus, the temporary account information can be unique to the transaction once. The account information may include a username, a password, login information, a shipping address, a mobile device number, or other identification number (e.g., an IP address). Additionally, the consumer's account information may include gender, age, annual income, annual average consumption, preference items, or other relevant demographic or analytical data.

The transaction history data store 306 may include, for example, items in trades, quantity of items, type of payment used for trades, place and date at which trades were performed. Information related to previously performed transactions, including kiosks used for transactions, and the like. For example, transaction history may indicate that on a rainy day in San Francisco, more umbrellas are requested from kiosks 110 in popular areas of San Francisco. The transaction history may also be correlated with a portion of the account information. For example, transaction history may indicate an increased number of earphones that are requested by 18-25 age group consumers and recovered from kiosks 100 located near colleges. The transaction history stored in the transaction history data store 306 may be for entailing different items, consumers, locations and kiosks 110 for a plurality of transactions.

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 by the publisher 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 processor device 302 to perform the functions of the kiosk management server 300. [ In an example, memory 320 may include an item engine 308 selected to determine an initial subset of items for pre-inventorying one or more kiosks 110. An initial subset of items for pre-inventorying one or more kiosks 110 may be determined from a plurality of total items provided by retail web site 106 and / or kiosk management system 102. In some embodiments, the pre-inventory items may be determined by the transaction analysis engine 316, which analyzes the data stored in the transaction history data store 306 and / or the account information data store 304. There may also be a kiosk positioner engine 310 that can determine and locate a subset of kiosks within a predetermined proximity region of the location of the consumer or a location specified by the consumer. In addition, the kiosk inventory engine 312 may monitor and report an inventory of items provided to the kiosks 110 that are located in various locations. The memory 320 may further include a distribution agent management module 314 to manage a plurality of distribution agents and each distribution agent is responsible for monitoring, maintaining, and delivering items for which kiosks. In addition, the code generation engine 318 may generate code that is provided to the consumer and / or the designated kiosk 110 for retrieval of the requested item.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the kiosk management system 102 can be any computing system configured to communicate over a communication network. For example, the kiosk management system 102 may include any number of kiosk management servers 300, and / or other server computing devices, desktop computing devices, mainframe computers, and the like. In some embodiments, the kiosk management system 102 may include several devices that are physically or locally grouped together. The kiosk management system 102 may include various modules and components that are combined on a single device, a single module, or multiple instances of a component, In some embodiments, the features and services provided by the kiosk management system 102 may be implemented as consumable web services over a communications network. In further embodiments, the kiosk management system 102 is provided by one or more virtual machines implemented in a host computing environment. The host computing environment may include one or more rapidly provisioned and released computing resources, which may include computing, networking and / or storage devices. The host computing environment may also be referred to as a cloud computing environment.

As shown in FIG. 3 and as noted above, the kiosk management server 300 may store in the memory 302 which kiosks are pre-stocked, their kiosks are pre-stocked initial items, And an optional item engine 318 for determining the quantity. Figure 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of Figure 1 to determine initial items for pre-inventorying a kiosk. As illustrated, the selection item engine 318 may collect transaction history for a plurality of items at 400. Transaction history may include, for example, items in trades, quantity of items, type of payment used for trades, place and date at which trades were performed. Information associated with previously performed transactions, including kiosks 110 associated with transactions, and the like. For example, the selection item engine 318 may first collect transaction history data and, on a particular day, may determine that more umbrellas have been requested and sold in the kiosks 110 in a particular geographic area.

At 402, the selection item engine 318 may analyze the transaction history and correlate the transaction history with specific kiosks 110. Thus, the selection item engine 318 can determine which kiosks 110 were providing umbrellas and which kiosks 110 located in San Francisco were particularly preferred in the consumer's request for umbrellas have.

Also, since many consumers commute to San Francisco to work, it can be determined that the kiosks 110 in San Francisco have been favored by consumers to pick up the requested umbrella. Thus, when the consumer forgets to bring his or her umbrella, or when it begins to rain when he or she is going to work, the consumer has to pick up an umbrella from the kiosk located at the public transportation station in San Francisco He or she can use his or her mobile device to make a reservation to do so. Thus, at 404, the selection item engine 318 may select kiosks 110 to provide items, quantities of items, and items based on transaction history and data analysis. Based on the further analysis, for example, the item selection engine 318 may select scarves and gloves to provide at the San Francisco kiosks 110 for consumer commuters who have found themselves not ready for the day's weather . The selection item engine 318 can also be used to determine and learn which kiosk locations are preferred by consumers and most frequently traveled, for example, kiosks located in public transportation stations, coffee shops, or general lunch locations have.

At 406, the kiosk management system 102 determines whether the current requested item is currently being offered, for example, if the kiosk 110 is currently undergoing an item request, And communicate with the plurality of kiosks 110 to determine if they have been sold for some time. In another embodiment, the kiosk management system may remotely monitor the inventory of kiosks 110 and their items without communicating with them. Different kiosks at different locations may provide different selection items in different quantities. For example, kiosks located at airports may have a wider range of electronic accessories or travel sized sanitary items, such as laptops and phone chargers, which may be items that are usually forgotten by them when they travel. You can provide a choice. By contrast, kiosks located by universities can provide office supplies or college related items, such as pens and notebooks, in addition to laptop and phone chargers.

Next, at 408, when the selection item engine 318 determines which kiosks are to be equipped with pre-inventory items and whether pre-stock items specific to particular kiosks are missing or out of stock, the kiosk management system 102 May communicate with a plurality of distribution agents 108. In some embodiments, the dispensing agents may be individuals, automation robots, or businesses authorized by the kiosk management system 102 to which the kiosk management system 102 may initiate an integrated retransmission of item shipments Instructions. For example, the kiosk management system 102 instructs the shipping agent to deliver 100 earphones to the coffee shop where the kiosk 100, which sells many earphones, is located. The kiosk management system 102 also notifies the inventory entity, such as a warehouse, to include 100 earphones for the next shipment to the shipping agent. In yet other embodiments, the distribution agents 108 may be automation machines or robots capable of delivering items to the kiosks 110.

Then, at 410, the distribution agents 108 can deliver items that were received by the individual kiosks 110 that they were assigned by the kiosk management system 102. [ For example, in a remote small city, the distribution agent 108 may be an authorized individual responsible for maintaining five kiosks 110 in a remote small town. Thus, instead of the kiosk management system 110 directing the direct delivery of specific items to each of the five individual kiosks 110, the items allocated for the five kiosks 110 in the small city are integrated and authorized individuals , Distribution agent 108). The distribution agent 108 then individually delivers the specific items to each of the five kiosks 110. Distribution agents can additionally deliver items between kiosks due to inventory reasons. For example, if one kiosk sells all of the pre-stock items normally requested by consumers, Inventory item from another kiosk having a higher inventory of the pre-inventory items.

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 kiosk management system 102 may receive reports from kiosks 110 and / or distribution agents 108 regarding kiosk inventory, transactions, or status. For example, the distribution agent may notify functional failures at one of the kiosks 110, or notify that a particular kiosk may be difficult to discover. This information may be reported back to the kiosk management system 102 for evaluation and processing. Other reported information may include multiple notifications and / or other appropriate feedback that may be sent by the kiosk 110, or by the distribution agent 108 automatically and / or directly to the kiosk management system 102 . The distribution agent may, when functioning, generate a report through use of the management interface of the kiosk, or through the use of other network-connected devices, such as an application on a smart phone.

The kiosk management system 102 may implement an exemplary method of inventory management as illustrated in FIG. 5, to determine an initial selection and quantity of items to pre-inventory in a portion of the kiosks 110. Figure 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method implemented by the kiosk management system of Figure 1 to manage inventory among kiosks. In an exemplary method, at 500, the kiosk management system 102 may first collect and analyze stored transaction history information associated with a plurality of items or a plurality of consumers.

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 particular kiosks 110, the location of the particular kiosks or their location, or other environmental information about the location of the particular kiosks or their location Can be correlated. For example, it may be observed by the kiosk management system 102 that the number of umbrellas requested during rainy days is significantly greater than the dry days, or that the sunscreen is requested in greater quantities in Florida, Florida as compared to Washington, Seattle It can be reported as history. The kiosk management system can also use data from a vendor, such as geographic sales data, in determining pre-inventory items.

At 504, if the items have been selected to pre-inventory, the kiosk management system 102 may determine the initial quantities of pre-inventory items to stock in a portion of the kiosks 110. Different kiosks may provide different items in different quantities. For example, all kiosks 110 in Los Angeles may be pre-stocked with sunscreen; The kiosks 110 located in Long Beach and other beach areas may have a greater inventory of sunscreen agents than the kiosks 110 in downtown Los Angeles.

In order to determine the quantity of items to stock in a subset 110 of kiosks, the kiosk management system 102 determines the current inventory of items already stored in the subset 110 of kiosks, as shown at 506 . Thus, if some kiosks have a certain number of items that exceed a certain threshold, the kiosk management system 102 may not be organized to have more of the specific items shipped to those kiosks. However, if it is determined that some of the kiosks are all sold or are below a certain threshold of a particular item, the kiosk management system 102 may initiate the delivery of an additional quantity of a particular item to the distribution agent to place inventory in their kiosks.

Then, at 508, the kiosk management system 102 determines what the pre-inventory items are based on at least transaction history and other data from the individual kiosks, such as the current inventory of pre-inventory items, and the quantity of pre- Lt; / RTI > The selection of preliminary-inventory items may be updated or the quantity of preliminary-inventory items may be changed based on the sales volume and delivery of preliminary inventory items between kiosks. In some cases it may be determined that the quantity of certain items in certain kiosks has not been sold as fast as anticipated and thus the inventory of any of these items in certain kiosks is higher than anticipated. Thus, at 510, the kiosk management system 102 may forward certain items from these particular kiosks to the management system 102 or to the inventory entity 104, or from these particular kiosks to other kiosks The distribution kiosks 108 may communicate with these particular kiosks and / or distribution agents 108 assigned to these particular kiosks to organize additional delivery of certain items to these particular kiosks.

Next, at 512, the kiosk management system 102 provides a list of items that consumers may request from the retailer 116 or the kiosk 110, e.g., the retail website 106, Transactions can be performed. For example, a consumer may request an item pre-provisioned in at least one of the kiosks 110, or the consumer may request items that the kiosks 110 have excluded from pre-populated items. In the latter case, the item may have to be delivered to at least one of the kiosks by the distribution agent 110. After the transaction is completed, the transaction history is updated at 514 and an iterative feedback loop is generated again at step 508 to update the selection and quantity of the pre-stock items provided at the particular kiosks.

FIG. 6 shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary kiosk 600 of the dispensing system of FIG. Exemplary kiosk 600 may include a processor device 602 and memory 614. The processor device 602 is communicatively coupled to and accessible from at least one data store, e.g., item inventory information data store 604, that stores data. Item inventory information data store 604 may store item data associated with a plurality of items stored in kiosk 600, e.g., items, a quantity of items, and identifiers for associated replacement items.

The processor device 602 may communicate with mechanical components, such as vending components 606, to hold, retrieve, and release items stored in the item storage area 608 of the kiosk 600 Possibly combined. The kiosk 600 may also include a display or other external input / output device, such as a touch screen or LCD display, with a keyboard to enter and / or view prompts, such as a generated code, login information, and / Output interface 612. < RTI ID = 0.0 > The security components of the kiosk 600 may also be used to protect items stored in the item store 608, such as alarms and / or locks to prevent tampering with the kiosk 600 and / Gt; 610 < / RTI > The security component 610 may also include a security camera and may provide live streaming images or video to the kiosk management system 102 to secure the items stored in the kiosk 600. The processor device 602 may be further communicatively coupled to the communication interface 622 for communicating with the kiosk management system 101 and other kiosks 110 over a communication network, as described above.

The memory 614 may include several software modules of code executable by the processor device 602 to perform the functions of the kiosk management system 102. [ In an example, the memory 614 may include a code validation module 616. The code verification module 616 may be configured to determine whether the code generated from the kiosk management system 102 prior to retrieving and releasing the item verifies the received code entered by the consumer via the interface 612. [ The code verification module 616 may compare the code generated from the kiosk management system 102 with the code entered from the consumer for verification. The memory 614 may also be configured to initiate payment processing of the transaction with the kiosk management system 102 or the retailer 116 when the code entered by the consumer is verified and the retrieval of the requested item at the kiosk 600 is initiated Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 618 < / RTI > The item management module 620 may be configured to communicate with the inventory data store 604 to monitor and report the status of the various items stored in the kiosk 600 and their current quantities. The item management module 620 may generate alerts and deliver alerts to the kiosk management system 102 when the quantity of a particular item is below a predetermined threshold. The communication module 624 may also be present in the memory 614 of the kiosk 600 to receive and transmit communications with the kiosk management system 102 over the communication network.

In some embodiments, the kiosk 600 may store up to 1,000 items of variable size, weight, and variable prices in the item storage area 608 of the kiosk. The kiosk 600 may communicate with the kiosk management system 102 and / or consumers through a communication network using the communication network interface 622. [ In some embodiments, the kiosk 600 may establish a wireless connection, for example via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, for the mobile device used by the consumer.

The item inventory management module 620 can deliver real-time data on the status and item inventory of the kiosk 600 to the kiosk management system 102. In other embodiments, the consumer may interact with the consumer interface 612 to enter the generated code, enter login information, and / or initiate payment processing. The consumer interface 612 can also provide ordering and account access. In addition, in some embodiments, the consumer interface 612 may include a payment interface (not shown) configured to accept cash and credit cards. The cash and credit card information received by the payment interface may be processed by the payment processing module 626 stored in the memory 614. [ In the cash payment transactions, the payment processing module 616 can determine the change that can be re-paid to the consumer via the payment interface. In a credit card or alternative electronic payments, the payment processing module 626, in conjunction with the communication network interface 622, communicates with other entities for processing payments, such as a kiosk management system, a retailer, or other entity .

In the item storage area 608 of the kiosk 600, a portion of the item repository may include pre-inventory items that are determined by the kiosk management system as items of high rotation items. Another portion of the item store 608 may be kept empty for requested items that the kiosk 600 is excluded from pre-stocked items, so that a portion of the item store 608 may be moved to a designated kiosk And remains available for deliveries of the requested items. The ratio of the area for pre-stock items and the area for additional items can be adjusted based on the activity and transaction history of the kiosk 600.

In addition, additional benefits to the consumer may be provided by the kiosk management system 102 and partnerships with other highly preferred item providers (e. G., Businesses, warehouses, gas stations, etc.) where kiosks may be located and maintained . Promotions, such as, for example, coupons and discounts, may be provided to preferred item providers located in the kiosks to encourage consumers to select kiosks in the preferred item providers. In addition, preferred item providers are encouraged to host and maintain kiosks for the kiosk management system 110 because it can increase consumer flow with preferred item providers and potential transactions through the provided promotions.

In one example, the distribution agent 108 may be assigned to 100 kiosks 110 within a specified geographical area. The distribution agent 108 may be responsible for delivering items, such as vitamin packets of the day, to 100 kiosks 110. The operator of the kiosk management system 102, or the vitamin provider, may provide individual vitamin packets to the 100 kiosks 110 in the local area, or to a plurality of individual consumers that may or may not be within the same geographical area, Delivering a packet can be very costly. Accordingly, the kiosk management system 108 or the vitamin provider can direct delivery of the integrated transport of hundreds of vitamin packets to the distribution agent 108. [ The distribution agent 108 may distribute the transportation to the appropriate quantities for each of the 100 kiosks 110 to which the distribution agent 108 is assigned. For example, kiosks 110 located in sophisticated traffic situation areas may contain more vitamin packets than kiosks 110 in more distant areas (e. G., Suburban residential areas) (e. In many areas) can be stocked.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process performed by the distribution agent 108 of the distribution system shown in FIG. 1 to deliver and maintain kiosks. At 700, the distribution agent 108 may accept an allocation from the kiosk management system 102, including a subset of the kiosks 110 to monitor, manage, maintain, and ship. The subset of kiosks 110 may be within a radius of a predetermined location suitable for the distribution agent 108. For example, the distribution agent 108 may accept an allocation of 100 kiosks 110 within 10 miles of his or her home.

At 702, the kiosk management system 102 may cause the inventory entity 104 to transmit an integrated transport of items to the distribution agent 108. Distribution agent 108 may accept delivery of pre-inventory items and / or requested items from kiosk management system 102. [ Delivery of pre-stock items and / or requested items may also include a manifest identifying kiosks 110 for delivering items and the quantity of each item.

Then, at 704, the distribution agent 108 can deliver specific items and quantities to each of his or her assigned kiosks 110. During the visit of the dispensing agent to each kiosk 110, the dispensing agent 108 may observe and record the status of the kiosk 110, as shown at 706. For example, the distribution agent 108 can check whether the kiosk 110 is ready to run and record the current inventory of items for verification at the kiosk management system 102. [

At 708, the distribution agent 108 may report the operation and / or status of the kiosk 110 to the communicating kiosk management system 102, for example, if restorations or maintenance (e.g., cleaning) . For example, the distribution agent 108 may report to the kiosk management system 102 whether there is a graffiti on the kiosks that need to be cleaned. The report may be sent to the kiosk management system 102 over a communications network in the form of an e-mail, an instant message, a text message, an SMS, or any other suitable communication or message.

Also, at 710, if there are items at the kiosks 110 that are not selling well, and / or if the requested items are not retrieved by the consumer 112 within the time limit, - Remove these items to provide space for inventory items or requested items. In addition, the distribution agent 108 may deliver items from one kiosk to another kiosk according to the storage requirements indicated by the inventory and kiosk management system 102. [ The distribution agent 108 may receive commands from the kiosk management system 102 over a communications network in the form of electronic mail, instant messages, text messages, SMS, or any other suitable communications or messages.

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, kiosk management systems can provide benefits to distribution agents and consumers by providing convenience to consumers with increased amounts of kiosks and potential business to kiosk management systems. 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 kiosk 600 of FIG. 6 to process an order from a consumer for an item. In some embodiments, after the kiosk management system 102 receives a request for an item from a consumer, the kiosk 600 may receive a query from the kiosk management system 102 at 800. The query may include a request for current inventory information associated with the requested item stored in kiosk 600. In response, at 802, the kiosk 600 may send current inventory information for the requested item to the kiosk management system 102. Alternatively, the kiosk 600 may transmit current inventory information for a plurality of items stored in the kiosk 600 to the kiosk management system 102. [

The code generated from the kiosk management system 102 may then be received by the kiosk 600, as shown at 804. The generated code may be generated by the kiosk management system 102 as described above. When the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item at 806, the kiosk 600 may prompt the consumer to enter the generated code via the consumer interface 612. The kiosk 600 may then receive the entered code at 808. At 810, the kiosk 600 can verify the locally generated code and the entered code. When the entered code is verified, the kiosk 600 may be authorized to release the requested item to the consumer, for example, via bending components 606. [ Then, at 812, the kiosk 600 may send a communication to the kiosk management system 102 with an indication that the entered code and the entered code are verified, and thus the kiosk management system 102 may determine that the number of items requested And receives an indication that it is initiated via the verified code. Accordingly, the kiosk management system 102 may initiate payment processing of the transaction.

At 814, the kiosk 600 may receive an indication from the kiosk management system 102 that the code is verified and that the payment processing for the requested item has been initiated to complete the transaction. Confirmation from the kiosk management system 102 may also include an authorization from the kiosk management system to release the requested item to the consumer via, for example, bending components 606. [ When the payment processing is complete, finally, at 816, the kiosk 600 may release the requested item to the consumer.

In an example, if a consumer orders more than one item for retrieval at the kiosk 600, the kiosk 600 may determine the associated order number through the code entered from the consumer, May be programmed to release items for that order number via elements 606. [ For example, the kiosk 600 can be used to release groups of three items, and then to prevent them from being stuck or stuck in the bending components 606 of the kiosk 600, ≪ / RTI > to be removed. If a consumer needs help with items that are stuck in the kiosk 600 or other functional problems that the kiosk 600 has, the consumer may access the kiosk 600 through the consumer interface 612 of the kiosk 600 described above, 114 to communicate with the kiosk management system 102. Alternatively, the kiosk 600 and / or the kiosk management system 102 may communicate with the assigned distribution agent 108, via an electronic message, to instruct the distribution agent to perform the consumer at the kiosk 600, can do.

The requested items may be reserved and stored in the kiosk 600 for a limited time, e. G., For business days up to 15 days and 6 days a week. The time period designated for remediation may be determined by the consumer requesting the items or may be the default time length specified by the kiosk management system 102 or the kiosk 600. [ The kiosk management system 102 or the kiosk 600 may send reminder notifications to the consumer or payee to retrieve the items from the designated kiosk. If the items are not picked up within the specified time period, the booked items may be made available for other consumers to request and purchase. In some embodiments, when one or more of the requested order items, some of which are excluded from pre-inventory items, are pre-stocked, the requested order items may be stored in the kiosk management system 102, the inventory entity 104 ), An external retailer 116, or a reseller, so that a portion of the storage area 608 of the kiosk 600 may be made available to items.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary external interface of the kiosk 900 found in the distribution system shown in FIG. The kiosk 900 may have a screen interface 912 to display messages to the consumer. Screen interface 912 may also be a touch screen capable of receiving input from a consumer. In another embodiment, the screen interface 912 may only provide output to the consumer, and a separate keypad (not shown) may be provided to the consumer to provide input to the kiosk 900. The kiosk 900 may further include an item storage unit 904 for storing a plurality of items. The item storage unit 904 is used to store the thefts of the small electronic devices, for example, because they may not be shown, as opposed to, for example, a visible glass display, to provide security, It may be opaque to prevent or prevent vitamins from being visible, in order not to be affected by sunlight. The item storage unit 904 may be connected to the providing mechanism 908 by a release mechanism 906. For example, the release mechanism 906 may be a mechanical arm, a hook configured to release a particular item from the storage unit 904 and transport it to the payment mechanism 908, or any other suitable device. The payment mechanism is then configured to provide the item requested to the consumer for retrieval.

The kiosk 900 may further include a payment interface for accepting cash or credit cards 910. [ Alternatively, the consumer may log in with pre-registered account information or provide payment information via the screen interface 912 to perform the payment. Additionally, digital advertisements may be displayed at 902. Digital advertisements can be remotely and immediately manipulated and customized based on various factors, such as transaction factors, including environmental factors, and / or transaction history, item inventory, etc., including geographic location, weather and time have.

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 kiosk management system 102 to designate a recipient to receive an item as a gift and to enable the recipient to retrieve the item from the kiosk 110. At 1000, the consumer may ask to purchase an item (e.g., a gift) for the recipient. This request from the consumer may be received by the kiosk management system 102 and may indicate that the requested item is to be retrieved from the kiosk 110 by the recipient. Alternatively, the request may be sent by the consumer via the mobile application 114 where the retail website 106 or the retailer 116 is operating. The request may be sent over the communication network in the form of an e-mail, an instant message, a text message, an SMS, or any other suitable communication or message.

At 1002, the kiosk management system 102 may request a desired pickup position. The requested pickup position may be a desired geographic area. The desired pick-up position may be specified by the consumer from the generated request, or the kiosk management system 102 may send a request for a payee for the desired pick-up location. Thus, the consumer can, for example, specify the desired location for the recipient in the kiosk 110 by the recipient's office. In other embodiments, the recipient may receive communications from the kiosk management system 102 that a gift has been purchased for him or her, and that he or she can set the desired location for the gift to be picked up. The communication may be sent over a communications network, such as via a retail web site 106, a link, or a mobile application, in the form of electronic mail, instant messages, text messages, SMS, or any other suitable communications or messages.

Next, based on the location received from either the consumer or the payee, the kiosk management system 102 may determine a subset of the kiosks 110 within the predetermined proximity area for the location, as shown at 1004 have. The kiosk management system may identify the kiosks in the geographic area with the item and then request the requester (consumer or recipient) to select one of the identified kiosks within the geographic area. The kiosk management system 102 may also determine whether the gifts are in stock in a subset of the kiosks 110 in a predetermined proximity region of location.

At 1006, the kiosk management system 102 may communicate to the consumer or recipient a list of subsets of kiosks 110 that have a gift within a predetermined proximity region of location. The communication may be transmitted via a communication network, e. G. Via a retail website, a link, or a mobile application, in the form of electronic mail, instant messages, text messages, SMS, or any other suitable communication or message. In an embodiment where a consumer issuing a request for a gift specifies a predetermined location, a list of the subset of kiosks is provided to the consumer for selection of the designated kiosk 110. In an embodiment where the recipient specifies a preferred location, a list of sub-sets of kiosks is provided to the consumer for selection of the designated kiosk 110. [

The gift is then booked at the kiosk 110 designated by the kiosk management system at 1008 so that it may not be retrieved from the kiosk by another consumer. Then, at 1010, the kiosk management system 102 generates a message that the gift is reserved and is available to the designated kiosk 110 for retrieval by the recipient and sends it to the recipient. The message may be sent via a communication network, such as via a retail website, a link, or a mobile application, in the form of an e-mail, instant message, text message, SMS, or any other suitable communication or message.

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 kiosk management system 102 and / or the retailer 116. The generated code may be an alphanumeric code or a bar code as described above. 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. In other embodiments, the kiosk management system 102 includes code generated at 1008 for communication to the kiosk to reserve the requested items to the kiosk. The notification may be sent over the communication network in the form of an electronic mail, an instant message, a text message, an SMS, or any other suitable communication or message made available in the mobile application 114.

To initiate the collection of gifts at the designated kiosk 110, the recipient may be prompted to enter the generated code when the recipient arrives at the designated kiosk. In an embodiment, the gift may be reserved for a limited time such that the recipient is requested to retrieve the gift within a predetermined period of time. The time period may be a default time period as determined by the kiosk management system 102 or the retailer 116. Alternatively, the time period may be determined by the consumer generating the request. The recipient can receive the request via the external interface of the designated kiosk when the interface is in the proximity of a designated kiosk detected by Bluetooth, local area communication (NFC), wireless-frequency integrated device (RFID), wireless network, Or through a user interface provided on the recipient's mobile device via a mobile application. To enter the generated code, the recipient can use the external interface of the kiosk, such as a keyboard or touch screen for manually entering code. In another embodiment, the mobile application operating on the recipient's mobile device can deliver the code to the kiosk, for example, via a Bluetooth connection or other wireless communication. Once entered, the designated kiosk 110 may communicate with the kiosk management system 102, as shown at 1012, to verify the generated code. Once the code is blacked out, the kiosk management system 102 may initiate payment processing of the generated consumer's account information and payment information.

Once the payment is initiated (or, in some embodiments, after the code has been verified), the kiosk management system 102 may release the gift for collection by the recipient. In embodiments where the kiosk management system 102 sends communications with the generated code to a designated kiosk, the designated kiosk may locally verify the code generated when the recipient enters the code to release the gift. The transaction is completed when the kiosk management system 102 processes the payment using the generated account information and payment information of the consumer and instructs the recipient to release the gift at the kiosk 110 designated. Recalling a gift may entail a recipient to a designated kiosk to retrieve a gift released from the kiosk so that the recipient can take the gift at home. Retrieving a gift may include providing a gift to the recipient, or opening a separate room or module to secure the gift for the recipient.

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 may 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. Screen 1304 may display a consumer, item, and location, as shown at 1302, and may include a message for the recipient. The message may further comprise a QR code 1304, or any other suitable code that the recipient may use to retrieve the gift from the kiosk. The QR code or other code may be scannable by the kiosk via any suitable scanning interface, such as an optical device. In another embodiment, the recipient may receive the mobile application via the external interface of the designated kiosk when the interface is in the proximity of a designated kiosk detected by Bluetooth, local area communication (NFC), wireless network, or other suitable contactless communication, Through the user interface provided on the recipient ' s mobile device.

In another embodiment, the consumer may request an item that is excluded from the preliminary inventory items near the kiosks 110, or may request an item that is currently out of stock near the kiosks 110. 14 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method implemented by a kiosk management system to process requests for items that are excluded from pre-inventory items in kiosks. At 1400, the kiosk management system 102 may receive a request for an item from a consumer. The subset of kiosks 110 may then be determined 1402 based on the preferred location designated by the consumer. For example, the subset of kiosks 110 may be within a predetermined proximity of the preferred location. The predetermined proximity may be determined by the consumer or may be a default value as determined by the kiosk management system 102.

At 1404, a list identifying a subset of kiosks 110 may be provided to the consumer for selection of the designated kiosk. The list may be displayed to a consumer via a web page or mobile application operated by a kiosk management system or by a retailer. Alternatively, the list may be provided in communication via a communication network, in the form of e-mail, instant messages, text messages, SMS, social networking posts, or any other suitable communication or message. When the designated kiosk 110 is selected from the list by the consumer, the selection may be sent to the kiosk management system 102, as shown at 1406. [ After the kiosk management system 102 receives the selection of the designated kiosk 110, the kiosk management system 102 at 1408 monitors and maintains the designated kiosk 110 and sends the kiosk management system 102 May identify the corresponding distribution agent 108 of the designated kiosk assigned by the user.

At 1410, the kiosk management system 102 then determines whether the requested item in the integrated transport with other items to be dispatched by the corresponding distribution agent to the individual kiosk in the subset of kiosks 110 to which the distribution agent 108 is assigned To the corresponding distribution agent 108 to deliver. The instructions may be provided to the distribution agent 108 via electronic transmissions conveyed over any suitable communication network, such as e-mail, text, or SMS, transmitted over the telecommunications network. Alternatively, the assignments and commands for the individual kiosks allocated by the distribution agent 108 may be communicated to the distribution agent 108 via a mail service or any suitable service. The kiosk management system 102 may also invoke the distribution agent 108 to provide commands verbally through a representative of the kiosk management system 102 or over a telephone using an auto attendant message. The kiosk management system 102 may then direct the distribution agent 108 to the integrated shipping of the items, including the requested items. In some embodiments, delivery to the distribution agent 108 may involve a kiosk management system 102 that directs the inventory entity 104 to transport items.

At 1412, the kiosk management system 102 may generate a code for association with a transaction for the requested item. As described above, the code may be, for example, randomly generated code, a bar code, or the like. In some embodiments, the code may be generated using a unique identifier for the transaction, the requested item, the consumer, and / or the designated kiosk.

After generation of the code, the kiosk management system 102 may transmit the communication at 1414 to the consumer and / or the designated kiosk 110. The communication to the designated kiosk 110 may include the generated code. Communication to the consumer may include not only the generated code, but also a notification to the consumer that the requested item has been shipped and that the consumer has been prepared / reserved to pick up at the designated kiosk. Communication may be provided by communicating over a communication network in the form of e-mail, instant messages, text messages, SMS, social networking posts, or any other suitable communication or message.

At 1416, when the consumer initiates the retrieval of the requested item for the designated kiosk 110, the designated kiosk may prompt the consumer through the external interface (as described below) to enter the generated code. In one embodiment, the kiosk transmits the generated code to the kiosk management system 102 for verification. In other embodiments, the designated kiosk 110 verifies the locally generated code at the designated kiosk. When the generated code is verified, the kiosk management system 102 may authorize the designated kiosk 110 to release the requested item to the consumer. In yet other embodiments, when the generated code is verified (either by the kiosk management system 102 or the designated kiosk 110), the designated kiosk 100 sends an additional command or authorization from the kiosk management system It is automatically authorized to release the requested item to the consumer without the need.

Finally, at 1418, the transaction for the requested item is completed when the kiosk management system 102 initiates payment processing for the transaction using the consumer's account information and payment information. In some embodiments, the designated kiosk then releases the requested item to the consumer.

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 kiosk 110 at a reduced shipping cost for the consumer. Reduced operations, inventory, and shipping costs for kiosk management system 102 and / or retailer 116 can also be significantly reduced. The kiosk management system 102 and / or the retailer 116 may also provide a wide selection of items. For example, a consumer may not be pre-stocked with certain kiosks at particular locations, or limited to items pre-selected for them. The consumer may choose to have the consumer's choice of the item in the kiosk management system 102 and / or in the retailer 116 with the shipping cost reduced compared to the shipping cost that allows the consumer to ship the item directly to his or her home With kiosks, you can request to be delivered using distribution agents.

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. Mobile device 1600 may include a processor device 1612 and a non-transitory computer readable medium 1624. The processor device 1612 may be operatively coupled to several hardware components. For example, processor device 1612 may be coupled to input / output device 1604 (e.g., a keyboard) and display 1606 (e.g., an LCD screen) to provide an interface to a consumer. To communicate with the network and to transmit and receive data, the processor device 1612 may be further coupled to an antenna 1602 or a radio-frequency integrated device 1608 (RFID). Mobile device 1600 may be configured to connect to the Internet, Wi-Fi, or other telecommunications network (s). The mobile device can be further configured to connect via Bluetooth. In order to determine the location of the mobile device, there may be a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 1610.

The processor device 1612 may further be coupled to a data store 1610 that stores information about the mobile device and / or the consumer. For example, a mobile device identification number (e.g., IMEI), or a mobile device identifier (e.g., a phone number). In addition, the computer-readable media 1624 can include several software modules including executable code by a processor device to perform one or any of the functions described above. For example, computer readable media 1624 may include an operating system module 1616, a locator engine 1618, a mobile application engine 1620, and a communications engine 1622. The location engine 1618 may communicate with the GPS module 1610 to determine and transmit the location of the mobile device. The mobile application engine 1620 can operate a mobile application on an operating system maintained by an operating system module 1616 to perform at least the functions described in Figures 11, 12, and 15. The mobile device 1600 may be configured to transmit and receive messages, communications, and data using the communications engine 1622.

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 screenshot 1700 . A consumer may view websites on a laptop computer, mobile device, or any other computing device that can connect to the Internet via a wired or wireless connection. As shown in FIG. 17, the consumer may be referred to as a search box 1702. The consumer may enter keywords, specific item, category, type, price, identification number, etc. in search box 1702. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, in the search box 1702, the consumer can search for "a tablet less than $ 100 ". Other examples of search queries include, but are not limited to, "organic dog food ", which has any number of limitations or limitations based on consumer preferences, including price, category, product information, identifiers, "Gifts Under $ 25", "ISBN 123456789", "Brand XYZ Apparel in San Francisco", or any other suitable search query.

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 nearest kiosks 1710 for the location of consumers may include distance 1708 from the consumer, and the list may be sorted by distance. For example, as shown in the list 1710 sorted by distance 1708, the nearest kiosk may be 0.5 miles away and may be listed first, and the kiosk farther away 5 miles away may be listed last do.

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 reservation option 1706 may provide the consumer with further details, such as, for example, which related items are available at the kiosk and the associated reservation fee. For example, a consumer may want to go to a nearest kiosk, kiosk A, about half a mile from the consumer's location. The consumer may select kiosk A and see if the tablet versions shown in the resulting item list 1704 are available in kiosk A. Consumers can have an option to book a $ 75.99 tablet model 200 to kiosk A with a $ 5 reservation fee. If a consumer desires a lower reservation fee, the consumer can choose another kiosk, such as kiosk B one mile away, to see if the tablet model 200 is available and pay a booking fee of only $ 3. Alternatively, consumers can also choose other related items, such as $ 99.99 tablet deluxe, and pay a $ 2 reservation fee to Kiosk C, 5 miles away. Thus, flexibility is given to the consumer in selecting the related items for purchase, the place to buy and pick them up, and the total price (including the reservation fee). In other embodiments, there may be no reservation fee. The reservation fee may be determined based on location, transaction information (e.g., the price of the item), convenience to the consumer, location, and / or any other variables. In another embodiment, the same item may have variable prices at different kiosks and locations.

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 tablet model 200 of $ 75.99 in kiosk B one mile away, the consumer may be presented with a screenshot (1800) on the mobile application or a similar web page on the network site. The consumer can be presented with options for "log in for reservation and purchase" 1802, or an option for simply holding the item for a pre-determined time, e.g., "Hold for 4 hours" have. When the consumer selects "hold for four hours" (1804), the item is displayed for that consumer for a pre-determined time such that the item is no longer reserved and can be purchased or reserved by another person, Can be held. For example, a tablet model 200 of $ 75.99 may be booked without processing any payment information or initiating any payment processing until the consumer has gone within four hours to initiate the withdrawal of the tablet model 200. However, if the consumer fails to start retrieving the tablet model 200 within four hours, another consumer can reserve and purchase it.

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 the defenders 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 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 exemplary screenshot 2000 may be provided to the consumer on his or her mobile device when initiating the retrieval of the requested item in the kiosk. Screenshot 2000 may indicate order information 2002, location 2004, and order status 2006, including the requested item and associated item information 2008. When the consumer is at the kiosk, the consumer can select "From Kiosk" 2010, and the code can be displayed on the mobile application on the mobile device (not shown). The code may be a quick response (QR) code, or any other matrix or two-dimensional bar code, a one-dimensional bar code, an alphanumeric code, or any other suitable code. The code can be scanned by the kiosk, or manually entered by the consumer on a screen interface or keypad on the kiosk. The order status 2006 may then be changed from "in progress" to "ready for pickup" or "picked up at 7:30 pm on July 8, 2013". The state of the order 2006 can be updated in real time. For example, if the requested item needs to be delivered to a designated kiosk, the status may indicate "during transport" before it is changed to "ready for pickup ".

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. Screenshots 2100 illustrate an exemplary method of a consumer requesting items based on location first. As shown in FIG. 21, at screen shot 2102, a consumer may wish to find a nearest kiosk. For example, a consumer may want to visit a relative in another small city who is not familiar with the consumer, but wants to purchase a gift to take to his or her relative. The consumer may enter an address, zip code, or city, e.g., the address or city of his / her relative. Alternatively, on his or her mobile device, the consumer may select "user's current location" 2106 to obtain his or her GPS automatically detected. The nearest kiosk can then be displayed at 2110.

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 kiosk 2112 by displaying the address. In another embodiment, an identifier for a kiosk, or a location (e.g., a Far Eastern Street BART station kiosk) may be displayed. A list of the most sold or requested items in the kiosk may be listed at 2116. In the list 2116, the consumer may further provide search queries to the search box 2114. [ Item list 2116 may include the top 50 or 100 items that are rated by popularity, and may include the quantity of each item with inventory displayed at 2112. Other information, such as price, can be displayed. The consumer can also select items to view additional details, such as reviews, images, and / or item descriptions.

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 list 2116, the consumer can receive the QR code or generated code and access the kiosk displayed at 2112. The kiosk may display "Scan QR Code" 2210 on the screen interface. In another embodiment, the consumer may be prompted for "enter code" 2212 by the kiosk, for example, if the generated code is a series of alphanumeric characters. The kiosk can be configured to scan other one-dimensional bar codes and two-dimensional bar codes, or other suitable bar codes or images. The kiosk can then provide the consumer with options for "select and buy now" 2214, and then release and dispense the requested item (s) to the consumer. Alternatively, the consumer may be provided with a "search box" 2218 to select the search again 2216 and provide search queries for items in the designated kiosk for which the consumer intends to interact with other kiosks . Alternatively, the consumer may be routed to screen shot 2104 of FIG. 21, but may be displayed on the kiosk screen interface.

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 may be responsible for delivering pre-stock items, such as vitamin packets of the 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 electronic client device 2302, which may include any suitable device operable to transmit and receive requests, messages or information via an appropriate network 2304 and to convey the information back to the user of the device . Examples of such client devices include personal computers, cell phones, handheld messaging devices, laptop computers, set-top boxes, personal data assistants, e-book readers, and the like. The network may include any suitable network, including an intranet, the Internet, a cellular network, a local area network or any other such network or a combination thereof. The components used for such a system may be based at least in part on the type of network and / or environment selected. The protocols and components for communicating over such a network are well known and will not be discussed in detail in this application. Communication over the network may be enabled by wired or wireless connections and combinations thereof. In this example, the network includes the Internet, including the network server 2306 for receiving the requests and providing the content in response thereto, but may also include other devices, such as the Internet, as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art Alternative devices that provide similar goals for networks may be used.

The exemplary environment includes at least one application server 2308 and a data store 2310. [ It should be appreciated that there may be several application servers, layers, or other elements that may be connected or otherwise configured to interact to perform tasks such as obtaining data from an appropriate data store. The term "data store" when used in this application refers to any device or combination of devices capable of storing, retrieving and retrieving data, in any standard, distributed or clustered environment, , A data repository, a data storage device, and a data storage medium. The application server handles a number of data access and business logic for the application, including any suitable hardware and software for integrating with the data store as needed to execute aspects of one or more applications to the client device. The application server provides the access control services in cooperation with the data store and is used by the network server in this example in the form of a hypertext markup language ("HTML"), an extended markup language Graphics, audio, and / or video to be delivered to the user, which may be provided to the user. All requests and responses, as well as handling of delivery of content between the client device 2302 and the application server 2308, can be handled by the network server. It should be understood that network and application servers are not required and are merely exemplary components, as the structure code discussed in this application may be executed on any suitable device or host machine as discussed elsewhere herein .

Data store 2310 may include several individual data tables, data stores, or other data storage mechanisms and media for storing data relating to a particular aspect. For example, the illustrated data store includes generation data 2312 and mechanisms for storing user information 2316, which can be used to provide content for the generating side. The data store is also suggested to include a mechanism for establishing log data 2314, which may be used for reporting, branching or other such purposes. Which may be stored in any mechanism of the mechanisms listed above, or in additional mechanisms in the data store 2310, as appropriate, and may be stored in a data store, such as page image information, It should be understood that there may be sides. The data store 2310 is operable through its associated logic to receive commands from the application server 2308 and to acquire, update, or otherwise process the data in response thereto. In one example, a user may submit a search request for an item of a certain type. In this case, the data store may access catalog information to access user information and obtain information about items of that type to verify the user's identity. The information may then be returned to the user with the results listed on a network page, such as may be viewed via a browser on the user device 2302. [ Information about a particular item of interest can be displayed in a dedicated page or window of the browser.

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 system 2300 in FIG. 23 should be taken to be illustrative in nature, without limiting the scope of the present invention.

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 >

Clause 1. A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction on an item stored in a plurality of kiosks with a portable device, wherein a plurality of items available for purchase are pre-

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 clause 1, wherein the requested item is booked in a designated kiosk for a predetermined time.

3. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein at least one location or predetermined proximity area is determined by the consumer.

4. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein the location is determined automatically by the consumer's portable device.

5. In the computer-implemented method of clause 1, the consumer is a first consumer and the computer-implemented method is:

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 claim 1, further comprising receiving a location designated by a user, wherein identifying a subset of kiosks includes determining whether any kiosks from a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks are within a predetermined proximity region of a location specified by the user Wherein the step of identifying comprises:

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)

A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
Receiving, from a kiosk management system, an order-specific code for an item by a consumer, the code indicating that the item is reserved by the consumer to a kiosk selected from a plurality of kiosks, Wherein the item is booked from a plurality of items selected to be kept in the kiosk designated before the ordering and the plurality of items are distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk ;
Providing the code to the designated kiosk via wireless communication to initiate retrieval of the item at the designated 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. The method according to claim 1,
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 according to claim 1,
When one or more requested items are included in a plurality of items currently provided by the plurality of kiosks,
The method comprising: receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity area 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. The method according to claim 1,
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. The method of claim 4,
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 . A computer-implemented method,
Under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
An item from a query is included in a plurality of items stored in a kiosk, wherein the plurality of items are selected to be kept in the kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information, Wherein the plurality of items are distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographical area,
At the kiosk, reserving the item from the plurality of items stored in the kiosk;
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. The method of claim 6,
Wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Receiving at least one of account information or payment information associated with the consumer;
Sending the at least one of the account information or the 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. The method of claim 6,
Further comprising receiving a reservation request from the kiosk management system, wherein the reservation request directs the kiosk to reserve the item at the plurality of items stored in the kiosk. The method of claim 6,
Wherein initiating the payment process comprises:
Generating a code for the consumer's computing device;
Receiving, at the kiosk, the code from the computing device of the consumer to initiate the retrieval of the item;
Transmitting the code to the 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. The method of claim 6,
Receiving, at the kiosk, a code from the computing device of the consumer to initiate the retrieval of the item;
Verifying the code at the kiosk;
Sending a confirmation to the kiosk that the code received is verified to the kiosk management system; And
And authorizing the consumer to release the item to the kiosk. The method of claim 6,
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 the 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. 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 the data store and comprising at least:
Select 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; And
And notify the consumer that the requested item is stored in the designated kiosk. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the designated kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider and the consumer is offered a discount for an item offered by the item provider instead of selecting the designated kiosk associated with the item provider. The method of claim 12,
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 method of claim 12,
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.

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