Semi-automated canister distribution system and method

• US 10,078,933 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anytime Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: Anytime Propane, LLC
• Inventors: Clark, James P., Zhidov, Ivan, Gearhart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US15/630,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20170372555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0609 by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed including a semi-automated propane canister distribution system for distributing and exchanging propane canisters, comprising a system controller; one or more cabinet system having a cabinet controller and a cabinet with a first compartment separated from a second compartment, the first compartment having a first door and the second compartment having a second door, the first door and the second door having an open position and a closed position with a locked state and an unlocked state; a detection device; a remote display; and a remote controller device in communication with the system controller and/or the cabinet controller.

Claims

1. A method for semi-automated distribution of one or more canister, comprising:

receiving, by a remote controller device located in a store, information indicative of a purchase transaction from a purchaser for a return of a first canister and pickup of a second canister, the second canister stored in a second compartment of a cabinet system located outside of the store, the second compartment separated from a first compartment of the cabinet system, the first compartment having a first door and the second compartment having a second door, the first and second door having an open position and a closed position with a locked state and an unlocked state;

receiving, by the remote controller device, a signal indicative of the purchaser being physically located in proximity to the cabinet system;

transmitting a signal, with the remote controller device, to the cabinet system to change the first door from the locked state to the unlocked state; and

transmitting, from the cabinet system, a real-time visual feed from at least one unit detection device of the cabinet system to a remote display located in the store, the unit detection device positioned to have a field of view encompassing at least a portion of an interior of the cabinet system when the first door or the second door is in the open position;

monitoring, by an operator of the remote display, the purchaser returning the first canister to the first compartment;

transmitting a second signal, with the remote controller device, to the cabinet system to change the second door from the locked state to the unlocked state; and

monitoring, using the remote display, the purchaser retrieving the second canister from the second compartment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unit detection device is a first camera and a second camera, wherein the first camera is positioned relative to the cabinet system such that the first camera has a field of view encompassing at least a portion of an interior of the first compartment of the cabinet system when the first door is in the open position and the second camera is positioned relative to the cabinet system such that the second camera has a field of view encompassing at least a portion of an interior of the second compartment of the cabinet system when the second door is in the open position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cabinet system is sized to accommodate at least two propane canisters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unit detection device is a first camera and at least one user verification camera positioned outside of and relative to the cabinet system such that the field of view of the user verification camera encompasses an area in proximity to the cabinet system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor positioned to determine when the first door and the second door are in the closed position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unit detection device is a least one camera having a field of view comprising an area in proximity to the cabinet system.

7. A method for semi-automated distribution of one or more canister, comprising:

receiving, with one or more of a remote controller device, a Point-of-Sale device, and a remote management entity, information indicative of details of a purchase transaction for the purchase of one or more substantially full propane canisters by a purchaser and of a return of one or more substantially empty propane canister;

transmitting, with the one or more of the remote controller device, the Point-of-Sale device, and the remote management entity, signals indicative of the details of the purchase transaction to a system controller, the details comprising a number of substantially full canisters to be removed and a number of substantially empty canisters to be returned;

determining, with the system controller, location of inventory of propane canisters within one or more cabinet system to fulfill the purchase transaction, each cabinet system comprising;

a cabinet controller in communication with the system controller;

a cabinet having a first compartment separated from a second compartment, the first compartment having a first door and the second compartment having a second door, the first door and the second door having an open position and a closed position with a locked state and an unlocked state;

a human-machine interface in communication with one or more of the system controller and the cabinet controller;

one or more unit detection device in communication with the cabinet controller for monitoring removal of substantially full propane canisters from the cabinet and placement of substantially empty propane canisters in the cabinet;

determining, with the cabinet controller, a presence of the purchaser proximate to the one or more cabinet systems;

transmitting, from the system controller through the cabinet controller to the human-machine interface of the one or more cabinet systems, instructions for the purchaser as to the location of propane canisters to fulfill the purchase transaction based at least in part on the determined location of inventory of propane canisters;

detecting, with the unit detection device, a presence of a substantially empty propane canister;

transmitting, from the unit detection device through the cabinet controller to the system controller, signals indicative of the return of the substantially empty propane canister in the first compartment of one of the cabinets;

transmitting, from the system controller to the cabinet controller, a signal indicative of instructions to change one or the first door and the second door from the locked state to the unlocked state;

detecting, with the unit detection device, a removal of a substantially full propane canister from the cabinet of the cabinet system; and

updating, with the system controller, the location of inventory of propane canisters, based on the detection of the return of the substantially empty propane canister and the removal of the substantially full propane canister.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more cabinet systems is two or more cabinet systems.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting, with the unit detection device, the presence of a substantially empty propane canister further comprises detection of a placement of the substantially empty propane canister in the first compartment of the cabinet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting is based at least in part on weight of the canister.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, with the unit detection device, an amount of weight removed from the cabinet; and

calculating, with cabinet controller, a number of canisters removed based on the determined amount of weight removed and on a predetermined weight range of substantially full canisters.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting, with the unit detection device, the presence of a substantially empty propane canister further comprises detection of the substantially empty propane canister proximate to the cabinet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detection is based at least in part on use of one or more of a camera and a LiDAR device.

14. A system for semi-automated distribution of one or more canister, comprising:

a remote controller device;

a remote display in communication with the remote controller device;

one or more cabinet systems, each cabinet system comprising;

a cabinet controller in communication with the remote controller device;

a cabinet having a first compartment separated from a second compartment, the first compartment having a first door and the second compartment having a second door, the first door and the second door having an open position and a closed position with a locked state and an unlocked state;

a human-machine interface in communication with the cabinet controller;

a unit detection device monitoring removal of substantially full propane canisters from the cabinet and placement of substantially empty propane canisters in the cabinet, and transmitting signals to the cabinet controller indicative of the removal and the placement; and

a system controller in communication with the cabinet systems, the remote controller device, and the remote display, the system controller having one or more non-transitory computer processor executing instructions that cause the processor to perform the following steps;

receive a data element indicative of details of a purchase transaction from the remote controller device;

receive signals from the human-machine interface indicative of entry of the data element indicative of details of the purchase transaction from a purchaser;

transmit signals to the cabinet systems indicative of instructions to change the first and second doors between the locked state and the unlocked state; and

receive signals from the cabinet systems indicative of a number of substantially full propane canisters removed from the cabinets of the cabinet systems and a number of empty propane canisters placed in the cabinets of the cabinet systems.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote controller device comprises a remote Point-of-Sale device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote controller device comprises a remote management entity.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the unit detection device comprises one or more weight sensor.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the unit detection device comprises one or more camera.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the unit detection device comprises one or more LiDAR device.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a remote management entity in communication with the one or more cabinet systems, the remote controller device, and the system controller.