PRE-ORDER DELIVERY OF ITEMS TO A PICKUP LOCATION

• US 20130262336A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wan, Lin, Lakshman, Girish, Ferguson, Eric T., Bhaskaran, Michael Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,235,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/339
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A pickup location that includes a control station and one or more storage compartment modules provides the ability for items to be ordered and delivered for pickup by a user without having to pack those items in a shipping package prior to shipping from a materials handling facility. Delivering items for pickup by a user without having to package the items prior to shipping, may provide a better experience for the customer, reduce waste in packaging material and a lower cost of delivering the ordered items to the customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with executable instructions,

identifying a high-volume item, wherein the high-volume item is an item that is frequently ordered by customers;

causing the high-volume item to be stored in a pickup location prior to an order by a customer for the item;

receiving an order from a customer for the high-volume item; and

messaging to the customer that the item is available for pickup at the pickup location.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving an order, determining that the customer is near the pickup location; and

wherein messaging to the customer includes, offering the customer immediate pickup of the high-volume item at the pickup location.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining that the customer is near the pickup location includes determining a location of the customer;

and

wherein determining the location of the customer includes at least one of;

receiving positioning information from a mobile device of the customer;

receiving from the customer an identification of the location;

determine the location based on a delivery destination of prior orders placed by the customer;

or identifying an IP address of a computing device through which the customer is placing the order and selecting the location based at least on part on the IP address.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

associating the customer'"'"'s order for the high-volume item with a storage compartment at the pickup location containing the high-volume item.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of high-volume items are stored at the pickup location.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of high-volume items are stored at a plurality of pickup locations.

7. One or more computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

causing an item to be stored in a storage compartment of a pickup location prior to the item being associated with an order;

receiving an order for the item;

determining that the item is to be retrieved from the pickup location; and

associating the item with the order.

8. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the item is a high-volume item.

9. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the item is a release day item.

10. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein causing the item to be stored, includes causing a plurality of the items to be stored at the pickup location prior to the items being associated with orders.

11. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of the items are stored in a different storage compartment of the pickup location.

12. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein associating the item with the order includes making the item no longer available for a second order.

13. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, the acts further comprising:

messaging a customer that the item is available for pickup at the pickup location.

14. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the message is at least one of:

an email message;

a telephone call;

or a text message.

15. The one or more computer readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the message includes at least one of:

a unique identifier;

a location or address of the pickup location;

directions to the pickup location;

or a summary of items available for pickup at the pickup location.

16. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

cause a release day item to be stored in a storage compartment of a pickup location prior to a release day for the item, wherein the release day is a date when the release day item is available to customers;

receive, prior to the release day, an order for the release day item;

associate the order with the storage compartment; and

make the item available for pickup from the storage compartment on the release day.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processor cause the one or more processors to receive, prior to the release day, an order for the release day item and associate the order with the storage compartment are executed by the one or more processors prior to executing the program instructions that cause the one or processors to cause the release day item to be stored in the storage compartment.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the release day item is a high-volume item.

19. The system of claim 16, the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

message a customer that the release day item will be available for pickup from the storage compartment of the pickup location on the release day.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processor cause the one or more processors to cause the release day item to be stored, further include program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

cause a plurality of release day items to be stored at a plurality of pickup locations prior to the release day.