System and method for order fulfillment

• US 10,147,068 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Speedgrocer LP
• Original Assignee: Speedgrocer LP
• Inventors: Waller, Matthew S., Fitts, John Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/746,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A system and method for order fulfillment includes receiving an order for a plurality of items, initiating collection of the plurality of items for the order, detecting presence of a user at a selected one of a plurality of delivery locations when the plurality of items are ready for delivery, and initiating delivery of the items to the user at the selected delivery location.

Claims

1. A method for fulfilling an order, comprising:

receiving an order from a user, by a fulfillment center, for a plurality of items, as a user'"'"'s order;

associating the user'"'"'s order with a mobile device, which mobile device is associated with a vehicle;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a first reader device, the presence of an identifier associated with the mobile device within a defined distance to an entrance to the fulfillment center;

initiating, by a processor, collection of at least a first portion of the plurality of items for the user'"'"'s order in response to detection of the identifier within the defined distance to the entrance to the fulfillment center by the first reader device;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a second reader device, the presence of the identifier proximate a first delivery location of a plurality of locations situated along a drive through lane at the fulfillment center;

retrieving, by the processor, past transaction history at the fulfillment center relating to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device, wherein the past transaction history is retrieved after detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location at the fulfillment center;

in response to detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location and prior to fulfilling the order for the plurality of items, presenting advertisements to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device at the first delivery location of the plurality of locations along the drive through lane at the fulfillment center based on the retrieved past transaction history of the user at the fulfillment center, wherein the plurality of items are ready for delivery to the user while the user is at the first delivery location; and

initiating delivery of the plurality of items to the vehicle at one of the plurality of locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after detecting the presence of the identifier at the entrance to the fulfillment center, detecting the presence of the identifier at a delivery queuing location situated along the drive through lane at a point distinct from the first delivery location; and

presenting advertisements to the user with a display device at the delivery queuing location along the drive through lane based on the retrieved past transaction history of the user at the fulfillment center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying the user with a scheduled pick-up date and time for the user to be at the fulfillment center.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, before detecting the presence of the identifier at the entrance to the fulfillment center, collection of at least a second portion of the plurality of the items of the order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least a second portion the plurality of items collected before detecting the presence of the identifier at the entrance to the fulfillment center comprises of items that are neither refrigerated nor frozen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the identifier at the entrance to the fulfillment center comprises reading a radio frequency tag associated with a vehicle associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reader devices comprises of a radio frequency identification reader.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reader devices comprises of a Bluetooth compatible reader.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reader devices comprises of an optical identification reader.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reader devices comprises of a camera.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reader device reads a license plate of a vehicle associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an order for a plurality of items comprises receiving a scheduled order from the user before the user arrives at a fulfillment center.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an order for a plurality of items comprises retrieving a recurring order associated with the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user moves through the fulfillment center in a vehicle and is not required to leave the vehicle before departing the fulfillment center.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the collected at least a first portion of the plurality of items in a queuing station to await delivery to the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery locations are parallel to the drive through lane.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery locations are perpendicular to the drive through lane.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device associated with the user is a vehicle.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reader device and the second reader device are separate devices.

19. A method for fulfilling an order, comprising:

detecting, at a fulfillment center with a first reader device, the presence of an identifier associated with a mobile device within a defined distance to an entrance to the fulfillment center, wherein the identifier is associated with a user;

receiving, by the fulfillment center, an order from a user for a plurality of items, as a user'"'"'s order;

associating the user'"'"'s order with the mobile device, which mobile device is associated with a vehicle;

initiating, by a processor, collection of at least a first portion of the plurality of items for the user'"'"'s order in response to receiving the order from the user;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a second reader device, the presence of the identifier proximate a first delivery location of a plurality of locations situated along a drive through lane at the fulfillment center;

retrieving, by the processor, past transaction history at the fulfillment center relating to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device, wherein the past transaction history is retrieved after detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location at the fulfillment center;

in response to detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location and prior to fulfilling the order for the plurality of items, presenting advertisements to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device at the first delivery location of the plurality of locations along the drive through lane at the fulfillment center based on the retrieved past transaction history of the user at the fulfillment center, wherein the plurality of items are ready for delivery to the vehicle while the vehicle is at the first delivery location; and

initiating delivery of the plurality of items to the vehicle at one of the plurality of locations.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first reader device and the second reader device are separate devices.

20. A method for fulfilling an order, comprising:

detecting, at a fulfillment center with a first reader device, the presence of an identifier associated with a mobile device within a defined distance to an entrance to the fulfillment center, wherein the identifier is associated with a user;

determining, by the fulfillment center, that no account is associated with a user;

creating a new account associated with the user;

receiving, by the fulfillment center, an order from the user for a plurality of items, as a user'"'"'s order, after creation of the account for the user;

associating the user'"'"'s order with the mobile device, which the mobile device is associated with a vehicle;

initiating, by a processor, collection of at least a first portion of the plurality of items for the user'"'"'s order in response to receiving the order from the user;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a second reader device, the presence of the identifier proximate a first delivery location of a plurality of locations situated along a drive through lane at the fulfillment center;

in response to detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location and prior to fulfilling the order for the plurality of items, presenting advertisements to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device at the first delivery location of the plurality of locations along the drive through lane at the fulfillment center, wherein the plurality of items are ready for delivery to the vehicle while the vehicle is at the first delivery location; and

initiating delivery of the plurality of items to the vehicle at one of the plurality of locations.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first reader device and the second reader device are separate devices.

21. A method for fulfilling an order, comprising:

receiving an order from a user, by a fulfillment center, for a plurality of items, as a user'"'"'s order;

associating the user'"'"'s order with a mobile device, which mobile device is associated with a vehicle;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a first reader device, the presence of an identifier associated with the user within a defined distance to an entrance to the fulfillment center;

initiating, by a processor, collection of at least a first portion of the plurality of items for the user'"'"'s order in response to detection of the identifier within the defined distance to the entrance to the fulfillment center by the first reader device;

detecting, at the fulfillment center with a second reader device, the presence of the identifier proximate a first delivery location of a plurality of locations situated along a drive through lane at the fulfillment center;

retrieving, by the processor, past transaction history at the fulfillment center relating to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device, wherein the past transaction history is retrieved after detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location at the fulfillment center;

in response to detecting the presence of the identifier at the first delivery location and prior to fulfilling the order for the plurality of items, presenting advertisements to the user associated with the identifier detected by the second reader device at the first delivery location of the plurality of locations along the drive through lane at the fulfillment center based on the retrieved past transaction history of the user at the fulfillment center, wherein the plurality of items are ready for delivery to the user while the user is at the first delivery location; and

initiating delivery of the plurality of items to the vehicle at one of the plurality of locations.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first reader device and the second reader device are separate devices.