Methods for facilitating a retail environment

• US 20020165790A1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axxon Robotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Axxon Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Bancroft, Allen, Ward, Charles W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

The methods of the invention provide a variety of processes that may be performed by a mobile retail system or a mobile robot system. In accordance with one process, the invention provides a method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion. The method further includes traveling from at least a first location to a second location by the mobile system; monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system; and accepting input from a customer in the retail environment by the mobile system. Various other operations may be performed by the mobile system in accordance with the system and method of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion;

traveling from at least a first location to a second location by the mobile system;

monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system;

accepting input from a customer by the mobile system;

outputting information to the customer by the mobile system based on the input from the customer and the retail data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from a customer is a request for a specified item, the method further including the step of:

retrieving an item location for the specified item from the memory portion; and

the outputting information to the customer including outputting the item location to the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the outputting information to the customer including outputting the item location to the customer further includes the step of traveling from the first location to the second location, the first location being where the input from the customer was received and the second location being the item location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from a customer is an e-mail containing a shopping list, the method further including the steps of:

storing the shopping list in the memory portion;

identifying a requesting customer as the owner of the shopping list; and

retrieving the shopping list from the memory portion; and

the outputting information to the customer including outputting the shopping list to the requesting customer.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the step of providing a plurality of the mobile systems, and wherein the step of storing the shopping list in the memory portion includes storing the shopping list in the memory portion of each of the plurality of mobile systems.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting information to the customer further includes outputting product information related to items on the shopping list.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input from the customer is a shopping list, the mobile system retrieving at least one of price information and product information relating to an item on the shopping list and communicating such information to the customer.

32. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of storing personal dated information of the customer in the memory portion;

and

outputting the personal dated information to the customer on the date of the personal dated information.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the personal dated information is the birthday of the customer.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the outputting the personal dated information to the customer is performed utilizing e-mail.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the outputting the personal dated information to the customer is performed utilizing the interaction portion, the interaction portion being physically disposed on the mobile system.

36. The method of claim 1, further including providing a plurality of the mobile systems for operation in the retail environment, the plurality of mobile systems communicating with each other.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein each of the plurality of mobile systems communicates with a central controller.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the communication between two of the plurality of mobile systems includes communication relating to respective tasks of each of the two mobile systems.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the retail environment includes transmitting observed visual information to a purchasing company, the purchasing company purchasing a portion of time of the mobile system.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the purchasing company uses the visual information to determine the placing of products in the retail environment.

7. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile retail system for mobile operation in the retail environment, the system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion that effects transport of the mobile retail system;

monitoring the retail environment by the retail system, the monitoring including visually observing activity in the retail environment;

accepting input from a customer in the retail environment by the retail system;

outputting information to the customer by the retail system based on the input from the customer and the retail data.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including the steps of

providing a holding container attached to the retail system, the holding container holding items, the accepting input from a customer in the retail environment by the retail system step including accepting a request from the customer for at least one of the items in the holding container;

and

presenting the at least one item to the customer by the retail system.

9. The method according to claim 7, further including the step of

detecting a least one of audio and visual information in the retail environment;

and

inputting any detected audio or visual information to the processor portion for processing.

10. The method according to claim 7, further including the step of displaying at least one of sales information or product information based on observed activity in the retail environment, the at least one of sales information or product information changing based on changing observed activity.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the changing observed activity includes observing a child and then an adult, the changing observed activity being based on height.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the retail system is in the form of a persona, the persona selected from the group consisting of an English robot, an old west robot, and a clown robot.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the retail service is an automated teller machine (ATM) service.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the input accepted from the customer in the retail environment includes a customer identification device providing customer identification data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the customer identification device is an ATM card.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of providing retail service to the customer by the mobile system based on the input from the customer further includes:

analyzing the customer identification device;

verifying customer identification data on customer identification device;

receiving transaction input from the customer;

outputting currency to the customer based on transaction input from customer;

creating record of transaction input and outputting currency to customer;

reporting record of transaction input and outputting currency to customer; and

traveling to a currency replenishment station upon determining that the level of currency available for outputting to customers is diminished to a predetermined amount.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of reporting record of transaction input and outputting currency to customer includes sending record of transaction with customer to a banking system via a communication interface, the communication interface being a wireless communication from the mobile system to a communication network linked to the banking system.

13. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a retail system for operation in the retail environment, the retail system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion and a transport portion that effects transport of the mobile retail system from a first location to a second location;

monitoring the retail environment by the retail system, the monitoring including visually observing activity in the retail environment;

accepting input from a customer in the retail environment by the retail system;

outputting information to the customer by the retail system based on the input from the customer and the retail data; and

displaying at least one of sales information or product information based on observed activity in the retail environment, the at least one of sales information or product information changing based on changing observed activity, the changing observed activity includes observing a child and then an adult, the changing observed activity being based on height.

14. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion;

monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system;

accepting input from a customer in the retail environment by the mobile system;

providing a retail service to the customer by the mobile system based on the input from the customer.

20. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion;

monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system; and

advertising retail information and data by the mobile system to a customer in the retail environment based on the monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of advertising retail information and data by the mobile system to a customer in the retail environment based on the monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system occurs after the mobile system accepts an input from the customer, and the mobile system outputs information to the customer based on the input from the customer.

22. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion;

monitoring the retail environment by the mobile system; and

acquiring marketing input by the mobile system from a customer in the retail environment; and

outputting the marketing input by the mobile system.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of acquiring retail information and data by the mobile system from a customer in the retail environment further includes:

offering the opportunity to provide marketing input by the mobile system to a customer in the retail environment;

accepting marketing input by the mobile system from the customer; and

compiling the marketing input accepted from the customer by the mobile system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is to maintain the inventory of the retail environment.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is monitoring the retail environment for emergency situations.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is advertising and promoting retail products in the retail environment.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is distributing samples of retail products to customers in the retail environment.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is playing games with customers in the retail environment.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the retail function is greeting customers at an entrance of the retail environment.

24. A method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile system for operation in the retail environment, the mobile system including a processor portion, a memory portion storing retail data relating to retail activity, the processor portion storing data in the memory portion and retrieving data from the memory portion, an interaction portion, and a transport portion;

commanding the mobile system to perform a retail function in the retail environment; and

performing the retail function in the retail environment by the mobile system.