Systems and methods of inventory management utilizing unattended facilities

• US 20040084526A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Joyce, Robert F., Fratt, Douglas David, Bong, Juwono W., Knowles, Clyde W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,866,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

An inventory management system utilizes unattended facilities remote from a central warehouse for service parts logistics. Items are placed in inventory in secure enclosures at the unattended facilities by the inventory management service. The unattended facilities may be located near one or more customers to reduce a service technician'"'"'s travel time and customers'"'"' inventory costs. A service technician utilizes a passcode to retrieve needed items. The service technician may order items that are not kept in the inventory of the unattended facility in which case the items may be delivered to the unattended facility and the service technician may receive a notification related to all the items that comprise an order that the order is ready for pick up at an unattended facility. Unused, used or damaged parts may be returned by a technician to a remote secure enclosure where such returned parts may be retrieved and disposed of, repaired or placed back into inventory if not damaged or after repair, and the processing of such returned parts begins by information entered into a data entry device at the remote secure enclosure location. Return items that are not damaged may be included in the inventory of an unattended facility.

Claims

1. A system for the unattended distribution of items or retrieval of returned items, comprising:

an unattended facility located remote from a central warehouse and capable of containing a plurality of items;

a network;

a central server connected to the unattended facility via the network; and

an interface connecting an inventory management service to the central server through the network, said interface configured to enable an exchange of information between the inventory management service and the unattended facility, whereby the inventory management service is facilitated in keeping an inventory of the items in the unattended facility or retrieving returned items from said unattended facility.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the unattended facility further comprises:

a secure enclosure including a door with a lock;

a data entry device; and

a processor programmed to lock or unlock the lock on the door when a passcode is entered into the data entry device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is capable of being programmed with one or more passcodes by information entered into the data entry device and by information entered by the inventory management service.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to respond to the entry of a passcode and unlock the secure enclosure when a customer enters the passcode into the data entry device of the unattended facility to enable the customer, upon gaining access to the secure enclosure, to retrieve items from the unattended facility from the inventory of items maintained in the unattended facility by the inventory management service.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the central server is configured to transmit a notification to the customer upon the customer requesting items from the inventory management service that said items are in the unattended facility.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the notification further comprises the passcode.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising a communications device associated with the network wherein the communications device is used by a customer to place an order for the items with the inventory management service and the items are then delivered to the unattended facility by the inventory management service.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the items that comprise the order are placed in more than one secure enclosure of the unattended facility and the central server transmits a single notification to the customer that the order had been placed in the unattended facility.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to monitor a quantity of items placed in or removed from the inventory of items in the unattended facility and to send said quantity to the central server via the network, and said quantity is maintained on the central server and is accessible at the interface.

10. A control system for an unattended facility comprising:

a software application configured to monitor the placement of the items that comprise the order in more than one secure enclosure of the unattended facility and associate said items as comprising one order; and

a transmission device capable of transmitting a notification to the customer relating to all the items that comprise the order in response to a signal from the software application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification includes a passcode and said passcode is used by the customer to gain access to the secure enclosures of the unattended facility to retrieve the items that comprise the order.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the notification is an electronic page to a wireless electronic paging device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the notification is an electronic mail message sent to the customer.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the notification is a telephonic transmission sent to the customer.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the notification is a single notification.

16. A system for the unattended return of a return item, comprising:

an unattended facility located remote from a central warehouse, said unattended facility comprising;

one or more secure enclosures with each secure enclosure having a door with a lock;

a data entry device; and

a processor wherein the processor is configured to lock or unlock the lock on the door when a passcode is entered into the data entry device;

a network;

a central server connected to the unattended facility via the network; and

an interface connecting an inventory management service to the central server, and wherein the processor is configured to monitor receipt of information about the returned item that has been entered into the data entry device by a customer and to send the information to the inventory management service.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein upon the customer transporting the return item to the unattended facility and entering the return information into the data entry device, the processor is configured to associate the return item with a return identifier and unlock a secure enclosure of the unattended facility for placement of the return item in the secure enclosure.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the unattended facility further comprises a device for creating the return identifier.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the unattended facility further comprises a device for encoding the return identifier.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the return information is transmitted to the central server via the network and is available at the interface, said return information being available to be the inventory management service to process the return item in advance of its retrieval by the inventory management service and transportation to the central warehouse.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the unattended facility further comprises a receipt and a device for creating a receipt for the return item placed in the secure enclosure of the unattended facility.

22. A system for inventory management utilizing unattended facilities comprising:

a plurality of unattended facilities located remote from a central warehouse, each unattended facility including at least one secure enclosure with each secure enclosure having a door and a lock on the door, a processor, and a data entry device;

a central server wherein each unattended facility is connected to the central server through a network; and

an interface with an inventory management service with said interface connected to the central server through the network, wherein a customer is provided access to the secure enclosures to retrieve an inventory item or place a return item, and information about each said access at said plurality of unattended facilities is transmitted to the central server and is available at the interface.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the customer enters a passcode in the data entry device to gain access to the secure enclosures.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the customer receives a notification prior to retrieving an inventory item from one of the unattended facilities.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the notification includes the passcode.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the customer enters return information into the data entry device when placing a return item in the secure enclosure.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the return information is transmitted to the central server and is made available to the interface.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the customer associates the return item with a return identifier and said return item is placed in the secure enclosure of one of the unattended facilities.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a device at the unattended facility, wherein the return identifier is created by the device.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising a receipt device at the unattended facility, wherein the receipt device creates a receipt for the return item.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein based upon the return information entered by the customer a return item is assigned a status and responsive to said status being a predetermined status, the return item is designated as an inventory item in one of the unattended facilities.

32. A method for notifying a customer of delivery of an order to an unattended facility comprising:

receiving the order from the customer, said order comprised of more than one item;

delivering the order to the unattended facility;

placing the items that comprise the order in more than one secure enclosures of the unattended facility; and

transmitting a notification relating to all the items of the order to the customer that the order is available for retrieval.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the notification includes a passcode and said passcode is used by the customer to gain access to the secure enclosures of the unattended facility to retrieve the items that comprise the order.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the notification is an electronic page to a wireless electronic paging device.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the notification is an electronic mail message sent to the customer.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the notification is a telephonic transmission sent to the customer.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein the enclosure is selected from the group consisting of lockers, rooms, bins and secure areas.

38. The method of claim 32 further comprising indicating to the customer in which secure enclosures the items that comprise the order have been placed.

39. A method for the unattended distribution and retrieval of returned items by an inventory management service, comprising:

providing an unattended facility comprised of at least one secure enclosure at a location that is remote from a central warehouse and that is geographically close to a plurality of customers of the inventory management service;

maintaining an inventory of items within the secure enclosure of the unattended facility; and

allowing any one of the plurality of customers to access the items, as needed.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving from one or more customers a request for delivery of an order comprising of one or more of the items;

responding to a customer requesting delivery of the order by transporting the requested order from the central warehouse to the unattended facility and placing the items that comprise the order in one or more of the secure enclosures of the unattended facility;

securely maintaining the order within the unattended facility until the order is retrieved up by the customer; and

allowing the customer to access the order within the unattended facility.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising providing a single notification to the customer that the items comprising the customer'"'"'s order have been placed in one or more secure enclosures of the unattended facility.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the single notification includes a passcode and said passcode is used by the customer to gain access to the secure enclosures of the unattended facility so that the customer may retrieve the items comprising the order.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the single notification is an electronic page to a wireless electronic paging device.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the single notification is an electronic mail message sent to the customer.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the single notification is a telephonic transmission sent to the customer.

46. A method for the return of a return item to an unattended facility, comprising:

providing an unattended facility located remote from a central warehouse, the unattended facility comprised of one or more secure enclosures with each secure enclosure having a door with a lock;

a data entry device; and

a processor wherein the processor is configured to lock or unlock the lock on the door when a passcode is entered into the data entry device;

returning a return item to the unattended facility and entering return information about the return item into the data entry device;

associating the return item with a return identifier, wherein the return identifier contains information about the return item;

placing the return item in one or more secure enclosures of the unattended facility and closing and locking the door of the secure enclosures;

transmitting the return information from the unattended facility to a central server via a network; and

utilizing the return information to process the return item prior to the return item'"'"'s arrival at the central warehouse.

47. The method of claim 46, further including the steps of:

securely maintaining the return items in the secure enclosures of the unattended facility until they are retrieved;

accessing the secure enclosures of the unattended facility that contain the return items by entering the passcode into the data entry device; and

retrieving the return item from the unattended facility and transporting the return item to a central warehouse.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising creating said return identifier at the unattended facility.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the return identifier indicates a status of the return items and the status may be selectively chosen.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising creating a receipt for the return item placed in the unattended facility.

51. A method of inventory management utilizing an unattended facility comprising:

providing an unattended facility located remote from a central warehouse, the unattended facility comprised of one or more secure enclosures with each secure enclosure having a door with a lock;

a data entry device; and

a processor wherein the processor configured to lock or unlock the lock on the door when a passcode is entered into the data entry device;

maintaining an inventory of items in the secure enclosures of the unattended facility;

receiving a return item associated with a return identifier at the unattended facility and receiving return information about the return item into the data entry device wherein the return information includes a status for the return item and wherein said return identifier contains information about the return item including a status for the returned item;

receiving the return item in one or more secure enclosures of the unattended facility and having the door of the secure enclosures closed and locked;

transmitting the return information from the unattended facility to a central server via a network;

determining whether the return item is acceptable for placement into the inventory of items of the unattended facility from the status of the return item;

responsive to being acceptable, placing the return item into the inventory of items of the unattended facility; and

responsive to not being acceptable, returning the return item to the central warehouse and utilizing the return information to process the return item prior to the return item'"'"'s arrival at the central warehouse.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising creating a receipt at the unattended facility for the return item.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising associating a return identifier with the return item.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising creating a return identifier at the unattended facility.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the return identifier indicates the status of the return item and the status may be selectively chosen.

56. A method of inventory management of unattended facilities comprising:

providing one or more unattended facilities located remote from a central warehouse, each unattended facility comprised of one or more secure enclosures with each secure enclosure having a door with a lock;

a data entry device; and

a processor wherein the processor configured to lock or unlock the lock on the door when a passcode is entered into the data entry device;

receiving a return item at the unattended facility and receiving return information about the return item into the data entry device;

determining a status of the return item from the return information;

comparing the status to a predetermined status and responsive to said status being a predetermined status, designating the return item as an inventory item in one of the unattended facilities.