Method and apparatus for efficient order placement and fulfillment in a retail establishment
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for processing customer orders comprising:
- a. an electronic database in which information unique to each of a plurality of customers is stored, said information including customer identification information for each of said plurality of customers, customer preference information for each of said customers, and information related to a customer'"'"'s credit account for each of said customers;
b. a unique machine readable customer identification card assigned to each of said customers, said customer identification cards each containing at least some of the customer identification information stored in said database related to the customer to whom said identification card is assigned;
c. an order kiosk having a customer identification card reader, a display and an input device; and
d. an order processing display, wherein when the card reader of said kiosk reads a customer identification card, the kiosk identifies the customer, retrieves and displays at least some of said preference information for the customer from the database, inquiries via said display whether the customer wants to place an order based upon the displayed preference information and, if the customer responds in the affirmative, causes said customer order to be displayed on the order processing display and debits the customer'"'"'s credit account for the cost of the customer'"'"'s order.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Order placement and fulfillment are provided by assigning customers identification cards and allowing the customers to predefine preferences and pre-establish credit. Said preferences and credit are accessible by a kiosk that reads the identification card. Orders are placed at the kiosk based upon the predefined preferences and the cost of items ordered is automatically charged against the pre-established credit. Order information is delivered to a display such that store personnel can efficiently fill the order.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for processing customer orders comprising:
-
a. an electronic database in which information unique to each of a plurality of customers is stored, said information including customer identification information for each of said plurality of customers, customer preference information for each of said customers, and information related to a customer'"'"'s credit account for each of said customers;
b. a unique machine readable customer identification card assigned to each of said customers, said customer identification cards each containing at least some of the customer identification information stored in said database related to the customer to whom said identification card is assigned;
c. an order kiosk having a customer identification card reader, a display and an input device; and
d. an order processing display, wherein when the card reader of said kiosk reads a customer identification card, the kiosk identifies the customer, retrieves and displays at least some of said preference information for the customer from the database, inquiries via said display whether the customer wants to place an order based upon the displayed preference information and, if the customer responds in the affirmative, causes said customer order to be displayed on the order processing display and debits the customer'"'"'s credit account for the cost of the customer'"'"'s order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for processing orders comprising:
-
a. creating a customer database in which, for each of a plurality of customers, identification, preference and credit account information is stored;
b. creating and assigning to at least some of said customers unique customer identification cards;
c. providing an order entry kiosk and an order processing display, said kiosk capable of (i) reading said customer identification cards;
(ii) upon reading of one of said customer identification cards retrieving from said database at least some of the preference information related to the customer to whom said read identification card has been assigned;
(iii) querying the customer regarding whether the customer wishes to place an order based upon said preference information;
(iv) processing responses received from the customer;
(v) sending information related to orders placed by customers to said order processing display; and
(vi) updating the credit account information stored in said database based upon the price of orders placed by the customers; and
d. using said order entry kiosk and said order processing display to place and fill orders for products. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification