Brochure Inventory and Distribution Tracking System

• US 20070293971A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impact Marketing, LLC
• Original Assignee: Impact Marketing, LLC
• Inventors: Ogle, Robert E., Williams, Stephen T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A brochure inventory and tracking system provides a method and apparatus for distributing and tracking brochures. A brochure inventory route is assigned to a driver of a vehicle. The brochure inventory route includes at least one brochure distribution point having at least one brochure rack having at least one brochure bin. A handheld device runs remote inventory software and is carried by the driver. A server runs central inventory software and communicates wirelessly with the handheld device. An estimated brochure level for each brochure bin and the number and identity of brochure necessary to refill each brochure bin are determined and the brochure bins are refilled. Information regarding the estimated brochure level for each brochure bin is uploaded to the server for analysis. Customer inventory software allows a customer to access substantially real time data regarding brochure distribution.

Claims

1. A method for managing information regarding distribution of brochures along a distribution route that includes a brochure distribution center and at least one brochure bin having a capacity, the brochure bin being at a brochure distribution point, the method comprising:

(a) storing information indicative of the capacity of the brochure bin,

(b) storing information indicative of an identity of brochure associated with the brochure bin,

(c) entering into a mobile device a value indicating an estimated brochure level for the brochure bin,

(d) determining a number of brochures necessary to fill the brochure bin up to the capacity, the determining based at least in part on the value entered in step (c) and the information stored in step (a),

(e) displaying on the mobile device the number of brochures necessary to fill the brochure bin up to the capacity,

(f) based at least in part on the information stored in step (b), determining the identity of a brochure associated with the brochure bin, and

(g) displaying on the mobile device the identity of brochure associated with the brochure bin.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) filling the brochure bin with the number of brochures necessary to fill the brochure bin,

(i) storing in the mobile device the number and identity of brochure filled into the brochure bin, and

(j) determining a supply of brochures to be provided at the distribution center for distribution along the route, where the supply is determined based at least in part on the number of brochures previously filled into the brochure bin along the route.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining route directions indicating a location of the at least one brochure bin on the route and displaying the route directions on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) communicating to the mobile device information regarding the distribution route, and

(i) storing the information regarding the distribution route in the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

step (a) further comprises storing at a central server information indicative of the capacity of the brochure bin, and

step (b) further comprises storing at the central server information indicative of the identity of brochure associated with the brochure bin.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

step (a) further comprises storing in the mobile device information indicative of the capacity of the brochure bin, and

step (b) further comprises storing in the mobile device information indicative of the identity of brochure associated with the brochure bin.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) communicating at least one account management option to a customer associated with the brochure bin.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) displaying information corresponding to a trip to a second brochure bin at a second brochure distribution point along the distribution route.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) communicating to a customer associated with the brochure bin the number of brochures necessary to fill the brochure bin up to the capacity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) recording a position of the mobile device using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the recording of step (h) further comprises recording times and associated positions of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the recording of step (h) is performed substantially concurrently as at least step (c).

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the recording of step (h) is performed periodically at a predetermined interval.

14. A system for managing information regarding distribution of brochures along a distribution route that includes a brochure distribution center and at least one rack of brochure bins at a brochure distribution point, where each brochure bin has a capacity for storing brochures, the system comprising:

(a) a mobile device,

(b) means for storing information indicative of the capacity of the brochure bins,

(c) means for storing information indicative of the identities of brochures associated with the brochure bins,

(d) means for entering into the mobile device a value indicating an estimated brochure level for each brochure bin,

(e) means for determining a number of brochures necessary to fill each brochure bin up to the capacity, the determining based at least in part on the value entered in step (c) and the information stored in step (a),

(f) means for displaying on the mobile device the number of brochures necessary to fill each brochure bin up to the capacity,

(g) means for determining the identity of brochures associated with the brochure bins, the determining based at least in part on the information stored in step (b), and

(h) means for displaying on the mobile device the identities of brochures associated with the brochure bins.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a central server and means for communicating route information corresponding to the route from the central server to the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising means for determining a number of brochures previously distributed to the brochure bins, and means for determining a supply of brochures to be provided at the distribution center for distribution to the brochure bins, wherein the supply is determined based at least in part on the number of brochures previously distributed to the brochure bins.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising means for determining route directions indicating a location of the at least one rack of brochure bins on the route and displaying the route directions on the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

(i) means for communicating to the mobile device information regarding the distribution route, and

(j) means for storing the information regarding the distribution route in the mobile device.

19. A system for managing information regarding distribution of brochures along a distribution route that includes a brochure distribution center and at least one rack of brochure bins at a brochure distribution point, where each brochure bin has a capacity for storing brochures, the system comprising:

(a) a central server and

(b) a mobile device for communicating with the central server, the mobile device having a processor, an interface connected to the processor, a memory connected to the processor, the memory of the mobile device for at least storing information indicative of the capacity of each of the brochure bins and for storing information indicative of the identity of brochures associated with each of the brochure bins, and a display connected to the processor.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

(a) the interface of the mobile device is for at least entering into the mobile device a value indicating an estimated brochure level for each of the brochure bins,

(b) the processor of the mobile device is for at least determining a number of brochures necessary to fill each brochure bin up to capacity, the determining based at least in part on the value indicating an estimated brochure level for each brochure bin and the information indicative of the capacity of each brochure bin and for determining the identity of brochure associated with each brochure bin based at least in part on the information indicative of the identity of brochure associated with each brochure bin, and

(c) the display of the mobile device is for at least displaying the number of brochures necessary to fill each brochure bin up to capacity and for displaying the identity of brochure associated with each brochure bin.