Systems and methods of inventory management utilizing unattended facilities

• US 20040084527A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• 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 6,845,909 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: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

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 or are delivered directly to the unattended facility. 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 one or more items, comprising;

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;

a network;

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

an electronic database residing on the central server containing inventory information about the items contained within the unattended facility, wherein said database is maintained by entering inventory information into the data entry device and transmitting it over the network to the central server; 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 delivered to the unattended facility or retrieving returned items from said unattended facility.

2. The system of claim 1 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 into the interface by the inventory management service.

3. The system of claim 1 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 one or more items from the unattended facility.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the central server is configured to transmit a notification to the customer if the items requested by the customer are in or have been delivered to the unattended facility.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the notification further comprises the passcode.

6. The system of claim 3 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.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the items are delivered to the unattended facility by a shipping service.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the items as delivered to the unattended facility in a consolidated shipping container.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the consolidated shipping container includes a return shipping label to be used for the return of items.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the items are delivered to the unattended facility by the inventory management service.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the items as delivered to the unattended facility in a consolidated shipping container.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the consolidated shipping container includes a return shipping label to be used for the return of items.

13. The system of claim 6 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.

14. The system of claim 1, 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.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface connecting a customer to the central server through the network, said interface configured to enable an exchange of customer information between the customer and the unattended facility, whereby the customer is facilitated in tracking the customer'"'"'s items that are delivered to the unattended facility or are returned to said unattended facility by the customer.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the information, the inventory information and the customer information is exchanged as encrypted information.

17. 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 one or more items, comprising;

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;

a network;

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

a separate data entry device connected to the central server via the network;

an electronic database residing on the central server containing inventory information about the items contained within the unattended facility, wherein said database is maintained by entering inventory information into the separate data entry device and transmitting it over the network to the central server; 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 delivered to the unattended facility or retrieved returned items from said unattended facility.

18. The system of claim 17 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 into the interface by the inventory management service.

19. The system of claim 18 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 one or more items from the unattended facility.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the central server is configured to transmit a notification to the customer when the items requested by the customer are in or have been delivered to the unattended facility.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the notification further comprises the passcode.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the items are delivered to the unattended facility and the return items are retrieved by a shipping service.

23. The system of claim 22 where the items are delivered in consolidated shipping containers and the return items are retrieved in consolidated return shipping containers.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the consolidated shipping container includes a return shipping label that is affixed to the consolidated return shipping container for shipping returned items.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the items are delivered to the unattended facility and the return items are retrieved by the inventory management service.

26. The system of claim 25 where the items are delivered in consolidated shipping containers and the return items are retrieved in consolidated return shipping containers.

27. The system of claim 17 further comprising an interface connecting a customer to the central server through the network, said interface configured to enable an exchange of customer information between the customer and the unattended facility, whereby the customer is facilitated in tracking the customer'"'"'s items that are delivered to the unattended facility or are returned to said unattended facility by the customer.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the information, the inventory information and the customer information is exchanged as encrypted information.

29. 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;

an interface with an inventory management service with said interface connected to the central server through the network; and

a customer interface with one or more customers with said customer 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 with the inventory management service and customer information about that customer'"'"'s access at said plurality of unattended facilities is made available to the customer at the customer'"'"'s interface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein a delivery service is provided access to the secure enclosures to place an item that is not in inventory and said delivery service enters inventory information about the item into the data entry device and said inventory information is transmitted to the central server via the network and is made available at the interface with the inventory management service.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the information, the customer information and the inventory information are exchanged as encrypted information.

32. A method for the unattended distribution of items and retrieval of returned items, 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 an inventory management service;

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

responding to a customer requesting delivery of the order by shipping the items that comprise the order from one or more third-party vendors 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.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein when responding to a customer requesting delivery of the order, the items that comprise the order are shipped from one or more third-party vendors to the unattended facility via one or more commercial shipping services.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein when more than one order is destined for the unattended facility, the orders are shipped in a consolidated shipping container.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein more than one consolidated shipping containers are shipped and delivered simultaneously to the unattended facility.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the consolidated shipping container includes a return shipping label for the shipment of returned items.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein more than one order is shipped simultaneously to the unattended facility by a single delivery service.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing access to one or more customers to place a return item in the unattended facility and simultaneously retrieving more than one return item from the return facility by a single retrieval service.

39. The method of claim 32, 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.

40. The method of claim 39, 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.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of requiring the customer to provide a return item within a predetermined time period after the customer retrieves the order.

42. 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;

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;

retrieving the return item from the unattended facility, consolidating the return item with one or more other return items into a consolidated return shipping container and transporting the return item to a central warehouse; and

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

43. The method of claim 42, further including the step of affixing a return shipping label to the consolidated return shipping container, wherein the consolidated return shipping container is transported to the central warehouse by a commercial shipping service.

44. A method of retrieving ordered items that have been delivered to an unattended facility, comprising:

providing a customer access to the unattended facility by receiving a passcode that has been entered into a data entry device associated with the unattended facility by the customer and determining whether the passcode is an authorized passcode;

if the passcode is not an authorized passcode then not allowing the customer access to the unattended facility, else if the passcode is an authorized passcode then allowing the customer access to the unattended facility, and;

displaying order numbers of ordered items that are associated with the customer'"'"'s passcode and that are available for retrieval at the unattended facility on a display associated with the unattended facility;

determining whether the passcode is associated with one or more groups of passcodes and displaying order numbers associated with a selectively chosen group of passcodes on a display associated with the unattended facility if the passcode is associated with the selectively chosen group of passcodes wherein each group of passcodes is a subset of all authorized passcodes; and

allowing the customer to selectively choose one or more order numbers from the displayed order numbers and providing the customer with access to the ordered items associated with the selectively chosen order number.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein a first group of passcodes is comprised of one or more passcodes with at least one order number assigned to each passcode in that group and the customer is able to selectively choose one or more order numbers assigned to a passcode other than the customer'"'"'s passcode.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein a second group of passcodes is comprised of one or more passcodes that have authorization to view and selectively choose one or more order numbers that have not been assigned to any certain passcode.