SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING UTILIZATION OF INVENTORY SPACE FOR DISPENSABLE ARTICLES

• US 20130238115A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Martinka, William, Polubinski, Jim Jr., Smith, Thomas Franklin
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing the utilization of inventory space for articles dispensable from an article dispensing machine is provided. A subset of articles in the article dispensing machine may be targeted for removal for various purposes. Based on a list of the subset of articles, the article dispensing machine may move the subset of articles from a storage unit to a predetermined area, such as a merchandising zone of the storage unit or a separate article removal bin. The subset of articles may be removed from the predetermined area, followed by loading of new articles to the predetermined area.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of receiving slots, the method comprising:

receiving a list identifying a subset of the plurality of articles, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine;

moving the subset of the plurality of articles from the storage unit to a predetermined area of the article dispensing machine;

receiving a command through the user interface for initiating inventory management of the article dispensing machine;

receiving a removal confirmation through the user interface indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the predetermined area;

receiving a load confirmation through the user interface indicating that a new article has been loaded into the predetermined area; and

moving the new article from the predetermined area to the storage unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined area comprises a merchandising zone of the storage unit and an article removal bin.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

moving the thinned article to the merchandising zone; and

moving one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the merchandising zone.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, to the user interface, an indication of one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to receiving the command.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing, using a picker device, one or more of the subset of the plurality of articles from the merchandising zone at one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to receiving the command.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, to the user interface, an indication of one or more of a load starting location and a load ending location of the new article in the merchandising zone, in response to receiving the removal confirmation.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of articles comprises a plurality of media articles, the plurality of media articles comprising at least one of a digital video disc, a Blu-Ray disc, or a video game.

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20. A computer readable medium for optimizing utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of receiving slots, the computer readable medium comprising:

a first code segment for receiving a list identifying a subset of the plurality of articles, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine;

a second code segment for moving the subset of the plurality of articles from the storage unit to a predetermined area of the article dispensing machine;

a third code segment for receiving a command through the user interface for initiating inventory management of the article dispensing machine;

a fourth code segment for receiving a removal confirmation through the user interface indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the predetermined area;

a fifth code segment for receiving a load confirmation through the user interface indicating that a new article has been loaded into the predetermined area; and

a sixth code segment for moving the new article from the predetermined area to the storage unit.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the predetermined area comprises a merchandising zone of the storage unit and an article removal bin.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the second code segment for moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

a seventh code segment for moving the thinned article to the merchandising zone; and

an eighth code segment for moving one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the second code segment for moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises an eleventh code segment for moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the merchandising zone.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the second code segment for moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises a thirteenth code segment for moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising a fourteenth code segment for transmitting, to the user interface, an indication of one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to the third code segment for receiving the command.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising a fifteenth code segment for removing, using a picker device, one or more of the subset of the plurality of articles from the merchandising zone at one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to the third code segment for receiving the command.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising an eighteenth code segment for transmitting, to the user interface, an indication of one or more of a load starting location or a load ending location of the new article in the merchandising zone, in response to the fourth code segment for receiving the removal confirmation.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of articles comprises a plurality of media articles, the plurality of media articles comprising at least one of a digital video disc, a Blu-Ray disc, or a video game.

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