TRUCK INVENTORY LOCATOR

• US 20140236778A1
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Villardito, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/770,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Various embodiments for managing inventory are disclosed. Some embodiments include receiving a request for an item at a particular location, and coordinating a transfer of the requested item to the particular location in response to determining that a vehicle has the requested item and is within a vicinity of the particular location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for an item at a particular location; and

coordinating a transfer of the requested item to the particular location in response to determining that a vehicle has the requested item and is within a vicinity of the particular location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking locations for a plurality of vehicles; and

identifying vehicles in the vicinity of the particular location based on the tracked locations for the plurality of vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles to indicate whether the vehicle has the requested item; and

selecting the vehicle with which to coordinate the transfer based on indications received from the plurality of vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving inventory updates from a plurality of vehicles;

maintaining an inventory for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the received inventory updates; and

selecting the vehicle with which to coordinate the transfer based on inventory maintained for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said coordinating comprises requesting the vehicle to deliver the requested item to the particular location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said coordinating comprises:

requesting the vehicle to deliver the requested item to the another location within a second vicinity of the particular location; and

requesting a user at the particular location to pick-up the requested item from the vehicle at the another location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested item is a tool required a service to be performed at the particular location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested item is a part required for a service to be performed at the particular location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested item is a product to be delivered to the particular location.

10. A computing system for managing inventory, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices comprising a plurality of instructions, wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to process a request for an item at a service location, track inventory for each vehicle from a plurality of vehicles, select a vehicle from the plurality of vehicles based on inventory and location of the vehicle, and request a transfer of the item from the selected vehicle to the service location.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more storage devices define:

a tracking system configured to track a location for each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles;

a inventory system configured to track inventory for each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles; and

a management system configured to select the vehicle based on inventory information received from the inventory system and location information received from the tracking system.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further configure the computing system to request each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles to indicate whether the vehicle has the requested item, and select the vehicle with which to coordinate the transfer based on indications received from the plurality of vehicles.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further configure the computing system to process inventory updates received from the plurality of vehicles, update an inventory for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the received inventory updates, and select the vehicle with which to coordinate the transfer based on inventory for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further configure the computing system to send a request the vehicle for delivery of the requested item to the particular location.

15. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions further configure the computing system to send a request to the vehicle for delivery of the requested item to the another location within a second vicinity of the service location, and send a notification the service location that indicates availability of the requested item at the another location.

16. A system for managing inventory, comprising:

a plurality of vehicles comprising an inventory of on-board items;

a tracking system configured to track a location for each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles;

a inventory system configured to track on-board inventory for each vehicle from the plurality of vehicles; and

a management system configured to process a request for an item at a customer'"'"'s location, select a vehicle from the plurality of vehicles based on inventory and location of the vehicle received from the location system and inventory system, and request a transfer of the item from the selected vehicle to a customer'"'"'s location.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each vehicle comprises:

a global position system receiver configured to track a location of the vehicle based on signals received from global positioning satellites; and

a transmitter configured to provide the location of the vehicle to the tracking system.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a computing device associated with each vehicle, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the request for the item to the management system.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a computing device on-board each vehicle, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the request for the item to the management system.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a mobile computing device to be carried by a person associated with each vehicle, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the request for the item to the management system.