RU97552U1 - REMOTE SALES SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

 1. A system for the remote sale of goods, comprising a store of goods, including means of delivery of goods, telecommunications means of communication and a central processing unit for storing and processing orders, a picking point, and at least one terminal for delivering goods, remote from the store, characterized in that the terminal contains at least one automatic camera-cell with a combination lock, configured to reprogram: remote, carried out by the central essornym device store telecommunication channels, or manually performed by an employee of delivery. ! 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the code lock is made with a mechanical code device. ! 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the combination lock is made in the form of an electronic combination lock with a locking mechanism associated with an identification information reader. ! 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is made in the form of a combination of camera cells with electronic combination locks controlled by a microprocessor device configured to read identification information and connected to the store’s central processing unit. ! 5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the terminal contains technical means of payment associated with the information loop with the central processor unit of the store and the microprocessor control device of the terminal. ! 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is located in an area close to the place of residence or work potential

Description

The technical field to which the utility model relates.

The utility model relates to devices used in the field of distance trading, including the delivery of goods to the consumer. State of the art

A known complex for the sale of goods by customer’s orders, containing at least one service module with an automated workplace of the operator accepting orders and technical means of paying for orders, and located at a distance from the service module, is a service module that includes an order picking terminal with automated warehouses goods. Orders are delivered from the terminal to the buyer through mobile delivery points made in the form of containers mounted on wheels or placed in the back of a motor vehicle (patent RU No. 30015, IPC: G06F 13/00, published on 06/10/2003).

There are well-known restaurants and cafes that accept orders by phone and carry out targeted delivery of ready meals or convenience foods.

The mentioned analogues relate to the traditional system for the remote sale of goods, which usually includes a store of goods with their delivery vehicles, posting information about their goods, for example, on the Internet, and telecommunications between the store and customers. The buyer, using communication tools such as telephone, computer, etc., remotely places an order. The store accepts the order, carries out its picking and subsequent delivery to the buyer at the specified address. Payment for the goods can be made at any stage of the transaction: previously, at the agreed time after placing the order, and also upon delivery to the courier.

The main disadvantage of the traditional system of remote selling of goods is the need to coordinate the actions of the delivery service and the buyer. The client to whom the goods should be delivered is required to be at home and wait for delivery. Most often, the waiting time is a whole day, or at least half of it, which is convenient only on a weekend. Shorter delivery times are possible only when ordering food at a nearby cafe. In other cases, the establishment of tight delivery times is almost impossible, due to poor road conditions, traffic jams and various emergency situations that arise on the long route of sequential delivery to addresses.

Another, no less important, drawback of the traditional system is the need for outsiders to enter the house, which is not always comfortable and may even be unsafe for the buyer, as well as for the courier delivering the goods.

The aforementioned drawbacks are eliminated in the system of remote selling of goods adopted as the closest analogue for the claimed solution (see patent for invention No. 2268635, IPC: G06Q 30/00, A47F 10/00, published on January 27, 2006). The said system comprises at least one store with means of delivery / return of goods and telecommunication means, a center for completing orders and a network of trading terminals remote from the store in which orders are issued.

The buyer, through telecommunication facilities, places an order. The accepted order is assigned an individual code, and it is transferred to the picking center. For processing, accounting and storage of orders, usually use an electronic processor device, such as a computer. The completed orders are delivered to the terminals selected by customers.

A trading terminal is a stationary structure with office premises, a warehouse area, including a loading area and means for storing and moving goods, with a customer service area and technical means of payment, such as cash registers, a bank settlement terminal, etc.

Unlike the traditional system of remote selling of goods, the delivery of the order and its receipt by the buyer are separated in time, due to the fact that the delivery is not home, but to the terminal that is most convenient for the buyer, from where the latter picks up the ordered goods at any time convenient for him. This eliminates the need to wait for the order and save time for the buyer, and rationally organize the work of the transport delivery service. However, such a solution allows us to solve the security problem outlined above.

The most significant drawback of this system is that the terminal, in fact, is a small retail outlet with goods in the form of already completed orders, on which the presence of qualified personnel is required at the terminal to receive goods and pay for goods, keep records of goods turnover and issue orders to customers , which leads to the need to create normal conditions for the work and life of the personnel at the terminal. As a result, the known system is notable for its complexity and high material costs for its creation and maintenance. Another disadvantage of the known system is the complexity of information exchange at all stages of the transaction, including when issuing goods.

Utility Model Disclosure

The objective of the claimed utility model is to simplify and reduce the cost of the system for the remote sale of goods by creating mobile and convenient self-service terminals.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the system of remote sales of goods containing a store of goods, including means of delivery of goods, telecommunications means of communication and a central processing unit designed to store and process orders from customers, a picking point and at least , one remote from the store terminal for the delivery of goods, according to the claimed utility model, the terminal contains at least one automatic camera-cell with a combination lock, made th with reprogrammable: manually performed by the delivery person, or a distance, implemented by the CPU store of telecommunication channels.

The term “store” includes technical means of a commercial enterprise, namely: a warehouse store itself with a stock of goods to be sold, vehicles for delivering goods, telephone, telegraph and computer (digital) communications, i.e. telecommunication facilities, etc.

In the claimed solution, as in the prototype, the delivery of goods and their receipt by the buyer are separated in time relative to each other, which eliminates the need to wait for an order, solves transport problems of delivery, etc.

Moreover, unlike the prototype, in the claimed solution, the terminal is, in fact, an automatic storage room with an access control system, from which the buyer picks up the goods at any time convenient for him.

Such a terminal is compact, which allows you to place it in a limited space, mobility of assembly, low cost and ease of manufacture. In addition, the terminal is a modular design, due to which it is possible to manufacture terminals of any shape, size and configuration.

The combination lock provides access to the contents of the cell only to authorized entities: delivery service employees and customers who know the unique access code. Lock execution with the possibility of reprogramming, i.e. replacing one access code with another, provides the possibility of sequential access to the same cell of different users (customers).

Combination locks are widely used to restrict access by unauthorized persons to the protected object. In the simplest case, a code lock can be made with a mechanical code device. A typical type-setting element of such a combination lock is similar to those used in old-style automatic lockers, and the operation of such a lock is based on a simple coincidence scheme.

Reprogramming the mechanical lock of the cell-chamber is carried out on site by the delivery employee by setting the switches located on the inside of the cell door to a specific position corresponding to the code combination. In the case of a mechanical combination lock, there is no remote communication between the lock and the central processing unit of the store. The unique code for accessing the cell, together with the cell number and terminal number, is communicated to the buyer by the store employees after the delivery of the goods and the payment of the goods by the buyer. The buyer opens the lock by dialing a unique code communicated to him from the outside of the cell door and picks up the goods.

The use of mechanical combination locks in the claimed solution is possible, however, the use of electronic combination locks is more preferable.

In the simplest case of execution, such a lock contains a locking mechanism and a keyboard that provides a set of a unique code. In this case, as in the case of a mechanical lock, there may be no remote communication between the store’s central processing unit and the terminal, and the lock can also be reprogrammed by the on-site delivery officer. This performance of the system is the simplest, but does not allow to achieve high efficiency.

More preferable and technically perfect is the use of an electronic combination lock, made with the possibility of remote control and reprogramming, carried out by the central processing unit (hereinafter - the CPU) of the store via telecommunication channels.

Such an electronic combination lock represents, in fact, an entire access control system, including an electromechanical locking mechanism of the cell door, associated with a microprocessor-based electronic control circuit equipped with means for recognizing a unique access code: a keyboard and / or contactless reader, and connected via telecommunication channels of communication with the CPU of the store.

The electronic control circuit may be individual for each locking mechanism, i.e. for each terminal cell.

However, in the case when the terminal is made in the form of a set of camera cells arranged in a block, it is advisable to perform a microprocessor control device in the form of a single control device for all cells associated with identification information recognition means and a CPU.

It is preferable to equip each terminal with technical means for making an order by cash or bank transfer, so that the buyer can pay for the order and pick it up in one place, which is convenient and saves the buyer’s time. Such funds include a cash register module, settlement terminal or ATM. Moreover, the latter should be associated with the central processing unit of the store and the microprocessor control device of the terminal.

Usually, in this case, all the mentioned devices: the control device, identification information recognition means and the settlement terminal, are assembled into one control module, which is executed in shape and size like a camera cell of the terminal intended for storing goods, and placed on a par with these cells .

After delivering the goods to the camera cell of the terminal, the store’s central processing unit remotely program the electronic circuit of the lock of this cell with a unique individual customer code.

To access the contents of the cell, the buyer dials a unique code using the keyboard or uses an electronic key or customer identification card on which this code is recorded, for example, in the form of a bar code or magnetic code. To identify a client, any known identification method can be used, for example, fingerprints and so on.

Personal identification data (code) comes from the reader to the electronic circuitry of the lock, where it is compared with the programmed data already stored in the memory. If the information coincides, the microprocessor device of the terminal sends a request to the central processor device through the communication channels to confirm payment and permission to open. After checking the information, the CPU gives an enable signal to open the door of the cell in which this customer’s order is placed.

The microprocessor control device can perform the payment verification function independently when making payments on the built-in payment terminal.

The terminal may further include means for indicating cell occupancy, configured to indicate the ownership of the order placed in a particular camera cell — to a specific customer, which allows the buyer to simplify the search for the desired cell.

If the system is intended, preferably, for the sale of food products, ready meals and convenience foods, then to ensure the safety of products, the cells are equipped with a system for maintaining a certain microclimate inside the cell: temperature, humidity, etc.

It is preferable to place the terminal in a zone of comfortable walking distance from the client, namely: in the zone as close as possible to the place of residence or work of potential buyers, with a location no more than 1000 m from the latter.

To determine such zones, a market analysis is preliminarily performed, the places where potential buyers are most often located are determined, usually the places of residence or work of potential buyers. These places include areas of mass development, residential neighborhoods, areas of concentration of office buildings, etc. Based on the market analysis, a terminal placement grid is formed.

The terminal can be located in an existing room, for example, the entrance of a residential building, the lobby of an office building, the lobby of an existing store, etc.

In another specific case of the system, the terminal can be made in the form of a separate structure with a roof for protection against rainfall.

It is advisable to additional terminal enclosure, which is performed, preferably in the form of a transparent enclosure with one input / output. Transparent enclosing structures allow visual monitoring, for example by guards or residents of neighboring houses, of what is happening inside, which eliminates cases of vandalism and damage to terminals.

Instead of a transparent fence, the terminal can be equipped with an external protective fence in the form of vandal-proof shutters that block access to the cells. At the same time, the doors are also equipped with a lock with code access to exclude cases of vandalism and damage to the terminals.

The point of picking orders can be located both on the territory of the store accepting the order, and is made in the form of a separate stationary structure located at a distance from the said store. In the latter case, the picking point must be equipped with at least one vehicle to ensure the delivery of goods to the terminal and from the terminal, and telecommunication means with the central processing unit of the store and terminal control devices.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The device and operation of the claimed system is illustrated by drawings, where:

figure 1 - shows a schematic illustration of the system as a whole,

figure 2 - shows a possible implementation of the terminal for the issuance of goods placed in an existing room;

figure 3 is a special case of the system when the picking point is made in the form of an independent unit serving several terminals;

figure 4 - shows an example of execution of the terminal for the issuance of goods in the form of a separate structure with protective wings.

Utility Model Implementation

The system for the remote sale of goods contains (see, Fig. 1) a store 1, including a warehouse 2 for goods, a picking point 3, telecommunication means 4, for example, a telephone, a fax machine, a computer with access to the global Internet, a central processing unit 5, and a service 6 delivery with at least one vehicle delivering orders to the terminal 7 for the delivery of goods remote from the store.

Each terminal 7 contains at least one automatic camera-cell 8 with a code lock 9, made with the possibility of reprogramming.

The terminals are placed in zones of comfortable walking distance from regular customers, i.e. in areas as close as possible to their place of residence or work. The most preferred installation of terminals in residential areas of mass development, in areas of concentration of office buildings, etc. The number of terminals located, for example, in one microdistrict is determined by demand.

Figure 2 shows a terminal installed inside an existing stationary structure, for example, in the lobby of an office building, the entrance of a multi-story residential building or on the free territory of a retail outlet located among an array of residential buildings, in the region of 300-500 m from the latter.

The terminal contains camera cells 8, equipped with electronic combination locks 9, and a control module 10, arranged in a single unit. The optimal number of cells for storing orders placed in one terminal is from 8 to 24, which will allow serving from about 100 to 300 potential buyers living nearby.

A special case of the execution of cell-cameras with mechanical combination locks and autonomous electronic combination locks was considered above in the section “disclosing a utility model”. In this example, consider a terminal equipped with an electronic access system associated with a central processing unit of a store.

The control module 10 includes a microprocessor control device connected via telecommunication channels to the central processor 5 of the store, a keyboard 11, a contactless reader with a card reader 12, an integrated payment terminal with a bill acceptor 13, and a display panel 14 to reflect visual information. Cell cameras 8 can be equipped with a system for maintaining the internal microclimate: temperature, humidity. The terminal is placed in a transparent enclosure 15 having an entrance door 16, which can be made with code access.

The system operates as follows.

The buyer, by telephone, in person or using computer communications, orders goods, choosing the most convenient or nearby terminal and the payment procedure for the order. All information regarding orders and customers is collected in the central processing unit 5 of the store, which processes and stores them; here, a unique identification code is assigned to the order. A unique code can be assigned to the buyer, if he is a regular customer. Processed orders are transferred to the picking point 3, where when interacting with the warehouse of goods 2 they are picking. The completed orders are delivered by the delivery service 6 to the terminals 7. At the same time, the most rational route and delivery time are selected.

Delivered goods are placed by the delivery employee in free cells 8 of the terminal. With a certain agreement, some cells can be assigned to regular customers, for example, for an agreed period.

To access cells 8 of terminal 7, the delivery service employee has a personal electronic key with an access code, or requests permission via telecommunication channels from the terminal.

Identification information about delivery employees is stored in the central processor unit 5 of the store and can be programmed directly in the microprocessor control device of the terminal.

The combination lock 9 of cell 8 into which the order was delivered is programmed either on the spot by the delivery employee or remotely via telecommunication channels by the store’s central processing unit to the customer’s personal unique code (if it is a regular customer) or order code, for a one-time order.

Upon completion of delivery, the employees of the enterprise by means of telecommunications inform the client about the completed order, indicating the terminal number, cell number and access code for this cell.

The client at any time convenient for him, after making payment for the goods can pick up the order. Payment can be made at any stage of the transaction: immediately after placing the order, on an agreed date, or directly at the terminal.

Arriving for the goods, the buyer pays for the order through the settlement terminal 13, if payment has not been made earlier. After which he identifies himself by typing through the keyboard 11 a unique code transmitted to him, or uses his individual client card, placing it in a contactless reader 12.

If the read personal data coincides with the code for which the terminal's cell is programmed, the payment is checked for availability, after which permission to open the cell is issued. The mentioned actions are performed by the microprocessor control device of the terminal when interacting via telecommunication channels with the CPU 5 of the store.

Information that the order is withdrawn is sent to the CPU. The cell is ready for the next order. In the same cell, goods for different customers can be delivered sequentially.

In case of non-payment of the goods and the buyer refuses it, the goods are taken by the delivery service employees from the cell and returned to the store.

Information about the occupancy of cells on a permanent communication line is received by the CPU 5 and can be displayed on the scoreboard 14, while it is advisable to indicate in the information displayed on the scoreboard the belonging of each particular cell to a particular customer, order.

In contrast to the prototype, where information on orders is transmitted from stores' communication facilities to trading terminals electronically and then in paper form for keeping track of goods movements, the claimed system can be limited to a check (invoice) attached to the order, which the buyer takes with the goods from the cell and can use it in case of a claim to the received order.

Figure 3 shows a diagram of a distance selling system in which the picking point of orders is made in the form of an independent unit located at a distance from store 1 in a stationary building (structure).

In this case, information about orders is transmitted from CPU 5 of store 1 to communication facilities 17 of paragraph 3 of order picking, which has its own warehouse of goods 18, where goods are delivered by delivery service 6 of store 1, or possibly even from several such stores. The completed orders are transported to terminals 7 by transport of 19 points of order picking.

The expansion of the area covered by the system leads to an increase in the number of terminals located at a great distance from each other and the trading company. In this case, it becomes advisable to increase the number of items 3 picking orders. Each such picking point can be made with the possibility of servicing from several units to several tens of terminals.

Figure 4 shows the terminal issuing orders, intended for installation outdoors in the open air, for example, in the courtyard of a residential building. Mounted on a light foundation, terminal 7 contains several camera cells 8 for placing goods and a control module 10 arranged in order in a unit equipped with a roof 20 for protection against precipitation and protective external wings 21, vandal-proof execution, with a code lock 22, access code to which communicated to the buyer along with the terminal number and access code for the cell with the goods.

Fig. 4a shows a terminal 7 with open flaps 21, and in Fig. 4b a terminal with closed flaps 21.

As you can see the terminal of delivery of goods, according to the claimed utility model is compact, convenient, mobile and simplicity of design, which makes it attractive to use in various systems of distance trading.

Claims (14)

1. A system for the remote sale of goods, comprising a store of goods, including means of delivery of goods, telecommunications means of communication and a central processing unit for storing and processing orders, a picking point, and at least one terminal for delivering goods, remote from the store, characterized in that the terminal contains at least one automatic camera-cell with a combination lock, configured to reprogram: remote, carried out by the central essornym device store telecommunication channels, or manually performed by an employee of delivery. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the code lock is made with a mechanical code device. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the combination lock is made in the form of an electronic combination lock with a locking mechanism associated with an identification information reader. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is made in the form of a combination of camera cells with electronic combination locks controlled by a microprocessor device configured to read identification information and connected to the store’s central processing unit. 5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the terminal contains technical means of payment associated with the information loop with the central processor unit of the store and the microprocessor control device of the terminal. 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is located in an area close to the place of residence or work of potential buyers, and is located at a distance of no more than 1000 m from the latter. 7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera cells are equipped with a climate control system. 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is further equipped with means for indicating the occupancy of the cell cells, configured to indicate the ownership of the order placed in a specific cell cell to a specific customer. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is located in an existing room, for example, the entrance of a residential building, the lobby of an office building, etc. 10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal is made in the form of a separate structure. 11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the terminal is placed in a transparent enclosing structure made with one input / output. 12. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the terminal, at least its front part, is closed by vandal-proof security flaps equipped with a code access device. 13. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the picking point is part of the store and is located on its territory. 14. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the picking point is made in the form of a separate stationary structure located at a distance from the store, and is equipped with at least one means of delivery of goods and telecommunication means for communication with the central processing unit of the store.