RETAIL LOCATION ROBOTIC WALL SYSTEM AND MOBILE RETAIL SALES VEHICLE

• US 20120298688A1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Stiernagle, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/0257 the object being a vending stall, restaurant or food kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens

Abstract

A robotic retail wall is presented allowing for the dispensing of merchandise within a retail location. The robotic wall includes commodity products and robotics that pick and deliver products to consumers in response to input at a kiosk. The robotics and products are separated from a retail space by a transparent barrier, allowing consumers in the retail space to view the actions of the robotics in retrieving a product. Behind the robotic wall is a product stocking area, where commodity products can be added to the robotic wall with assistance from the robotics.

Claims

1. A mobile retail sales system comprising:

a) a wheeled mobile vehicle having a semi-trailer;

b) an inventory of products for sale within an interior of the semi-trailer;

c) a first kiosk located adjacent to a second kiosk along a side of the semi-trailer, each kiosk having a user interface allowing a selection of one of the products in the inventory;

d) robotics within the interior of the semi-trailer, the robotics being configured to

i) locate the selected product,

ii) retrieve the selected product, and

iii) deliver the selected product to a product delivery area situated in the semi-trailer; and

e) a transparent barrier along the side of the semi-trailer, the transparent barrier positioned to expose the inventory of products for viewing from an exterior of the mobile vehicle;

wherein the product delivery area provides an opening through which the selected product may be passed from the interior of the semi-trailer to the exterior of the mobile vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein all products in the inventory of products may be selected at both the first kiosk and the second kiosk.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

f) additional kiosks along the side of the semi-trailer, at least one of the additional kiosks being adjacent to one of the first and second kiosks;

wherein all products in the inventory of products may be selected at any of the kiosks.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the semi-trailer includes only one product delivery area for delivery of products selected from both the first and second kiosks.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

f) an inventory replenishment area located within the semi-trailer, the inventory replenishment area providing a single point of entry for additional products to be added to the inventory stored in the semi-trailer.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

f) a product information database accessible by the first and second kiosks and containing product information for products in the inventory of products.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the product information database is accessible to the kiosks via a remote network connection.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the product information database is accessible to the kiosks only via a physical, tangible memory in a local computer server within the mobile vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

f) a product rack within the semi-trailer, the product rack having rails suspending products for retrieval by the robotics; and

g) a product rack cover moveable between a restraint position in which the cover prevents products from being removed from the product rack and an open position in which the cover does not prevent products from being removed from the product rack.

10. A system for transporting and selling products, the system comprising:

a) a wheeled mobile retail sales vehicle having a semi-trailer, the semi-trailer containing

i) a product rack having a first horizontal rail and a second horizontal rail parallel to the first rail,

ii) a first product suspended by a first pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails,

iii) a second product suspended by a second pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails, and

iv) robotics operable to retrieve the first and second products from the product rack and deliver the first and second products to a product delivery area within the mobile vehicle; and

b) a product rack cover, the cover movable between a restraint position in which the cover is engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips, and an open position in which the cover is not engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips;

wherein the robotics are able to retrieve the first and second products when the cover is in the open position, and the robotics are unable to retrieve the first and second products when the cover is in the restraint position.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

d) a plurality of additional product racks aligned in vertical columns and horizontal rows; and

e) a plurality of additional product rack covers positioned to cover the horizontal rows, each product rack cover having a restraint position and an open position.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the product rack cover comprises a solid lid.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the product rack cover comprises a wire mesh.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the product rack cover comprises a pair of parallel horizontal arms spaced apart substantially the same distance as the first and second rails, wherein the horizontal arms are moveable in concert to engage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the restraint position and disengage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the open position.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of additional product racks aligned in a horizontal row, wherein the product rack cover further comprises a plurality of additional pairs of parallel horizontal arms aligned in a horizontal plane, each pair of horizontal arms being spaced apart substantially the same distance as rails of the additional product racks.

16. A method for replenishing an inventory of saleable products in a mobile retail sales vehicle, the method comprising:

a) collecting first sold product data for products sold by the mobile retail vehicle at a first location;

b) collecting second sold product data for products sold by the mobile retail vehicle at a second location;

c) while the mobile vehicle is at the second location, determining that the mobile vehicle will be at the first location on a first future date;

d) while the mobile vehicle is at the second location, selecting a first set of products to replenish the inventory of saleable products, the selection based at least in part on the first sold product data; and

e) delivering the selected first set of products to the first location to arrive at the first future date.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting in step d) is further based in part on demographic data for a consumer population at the first location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

f) selecting a second set of products to replenish a second inventory of saleable products for a second mobile retail sales vehicle, the selection based at least in part on the second sold product data and demographic data for a second consumer population at the second location;

g) determining that the second vehicle will be at the second location on a second future date; and

h) delivering the second set of products to the second location on the second future date.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein step a) further comprises collecting ordered product data for products ordered through the kiosks, the ordered products being not in the inventory of saleable products, and wherein step d) further comprises selecting the first set of products based in part on the ordered product data.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first set of products is selected in part based on the second sold product data.