KIOSK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20150088731A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ackerman, Neil Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,600,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A kiosk management system may identify items with which to pre-stock a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks. The identified items may be delivered from a distribution center to one or more distribution agents, who then deliver the identified items to individual kiosks. When the kiosk management system receives a request for an item from a consumer who has been browsing items in, e.g., an electronic marketplace, the kiosk management system can determine whether the requested item is available at any kiosks in proximity of the consumer and provide a list of such kiosks to the consumer for selection. Following selection of a kiosk by the consumer, the kiosk management system can send the consumer a notification identifying the designated kiosk and including a generated code for use by the consumer in retrieving of the requested item from the designated kiosk.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for conducting a transaction for an item, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer systems configured with specific computer executable instructions, a request from a consumer to conduct a transaction for an item stored among kiosks pre-stocked with a plurality of items available for purchase;

identifying a subset of the kiosks that are within a predetermined proximity of a location of the consumer;

transmitting a query, to each kiosk in the subset of the kiosks, requesting a storage status of the item for each kiosk in the subset;

receiving a query response, from each kiosk in the subset of the kiosks, with the storage status of the item for each kiosk in the subset;

identifying a plurality of kiosks in the subset of the kiosks that are pre-stocked with the item based at least in part on the storage status of each kiosk;

transmitting to the consumer a list of the identified plurality of kiosks, the list including a corresponding location for each of the identified plurality of kiosks;

receiving a selection from the consumer of a designated kiosk from the list;

indicating to the consumer that the item has been reserved at the designated kiosk;

subsequent to the consumer initiating retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk, receiving a communication from the designated kiosk to verify an identity of the consumer based at least in part on the request;

obtaining, from the designated kiosk, pre-registered payment information associated with the consumer; and

using the payment information to initiate a payment process for the item to complete the transaction.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the item is excluded from items with which the kiosks are pre-stocked,

transmitting to the consumer a list of the subset of the kiosks that are within the predetermined proximity of the location of the consumer;

receiving a selection from the consumer of a designated kiosk from the list;

instructing delivery to a distribution agent of a consolidated shipment of items including the item for which the consumer requested that a transaction be conducted; and

following delivery by the distribution agent of the item to the designated kiosk, instructing the designated kiosk to reserve the item for retrieval by the consumer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to the consumer initiating retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk,

obtaining pre-registered payment information associated with the consumer; and

using the payment information to initiate payment for the item.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request to conduct a transaction for the item is received from a mobile device utilized by the consumer and further comprising receiving the location of the consumer from the mobile device utilized by the consumer, wherein the location of the consumer is automatically determined by the mobile device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving account information associated with a plurality of consumers;

receiving transaction history information associated with one or more transactions conducted for one or more consumers in the plurality of consumers;

analyzing the transaction history information and account information to identify one or more items with which to pre-stock at least one kiosk.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a code to be used for retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk; and

transmitting the code to the consumer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a code from the designated kiosk that has been entered at the designated kiosk in order to initiate retrieval from the designated kiosk;

verifying the received code with the generated code;

initiating the payment process to complete the transaction; and

instructing the designated kiosk to release the item to the consumer.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the request for the item is received via a communications network from at least one of a device utilized by the user or a retail network site utilized by the user.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting a query, to each kiosk in a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks, requesting a storage status of individual items in the plurality of items in each kiosk;

receiving a query response, from each kiosk, with the storage status of the individual items in the plurality of items in each kiosk;

receiving a request from for an item in the plurality of items;

identifying a subset of kiosks from the plurality of geographically distributed kiosks based at least in part on the request and the query response;

transmitting a response to a user including the identified subset of kiosks a corresponding location for each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;

receiving a selection from the user of a designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks;

transmitting a reservation request to the designated kiosk to reserve the requested item in the designated kiosk; and

notifying the user that the requested item is reserved at the designated kiosk.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a location designated by the user, wherein identifying the subset of kiosks comprises identifying which kiosks from the plurality of geographically distributed kiosks are within a predetermined proximity of the location designated by the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the user is a first user and the request for the item is received from a second user, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

initiating a payment process for the item using account information for the second user when the first user initiates retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the reservation request identifies a predetermined amount of time for retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk.

13. A system comprising:

a data store configured to store transaction history information for one or more items; and

a computing device comprising a processor device and a memory, the computing device in communication with the data store and configured to at least;

select, based at least in part on the transaction history information, one or more items to be pre-stored in each kiosk of a plurality of kiosks;

instruct delivery of the one or more items by a distribution agent to each kiosk of a plurality of kiosks;

transmit a query, to each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks, requesting a storage status of individual items in each kiosk;

receive a query response, from each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks, with the storage status of the individual items in each kiosk;

receive a request from a consumer for an item, the requested item excluded from the one or more items for which delivery was instructed;

identify a subset of kiosks from the plurality of kiosks based at least in part on the request from the consumer and the query response;

transmit a response to the consumer with information identifying the subset of kiosks and a corresponding location for each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;

receive a selection from the consumer of a designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks;

instruct delivery of the requested item, along with other items selected to be stored in the designated kiosk, by the distribution agent to the designated kiosk;

instruct the designated kiosk to reserve the requested item for the consumer; and

notify the consumer that the requested item is stored at the designated kiosk.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the designated kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the consumer is provided a discount on an item offered by the item provider in exchange for selecting the designated kiosk associated with the item provider.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least:

receive a current inventory record for the designated kiosk from the distribution agent, wherein the current inventory record includes transaction information associated items stored in the designated kiosk.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least instruct the distribution agent to deliver the requested item to the consumer.

18. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least receive a repair notification for the designated kiosk from the distribution agent.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, configure the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving at least one of transaction history information or inventory information for a plurality of items;

selecting, from the plurality of items, one or more items to be delivered from an inventory entity to each kiosk of a plurality of kiosks, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on the at least one of transaction history information or inventory information;

generating instructions for a distribution agent to receive the selected one or more items from the inventory entity and deliver the selected one or more items to each kiosk of the plurality of kiosks; and

provide to the plurality of kiosks information associated with the instructions generated for the distribution agent, wherein each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks is placed in a geographical location to autonomously distribute the selected one or more items to a plurality of consumers, causing each kiosk to be pre-stocked with the one or more selected items.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the transaction history information includes information associated with at least the plurality of items and the plurality of kiosks.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a quantity for each of the selected one or more items to be delivered to each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks based at least in part on at least one of the transaction history information or the geographical location of each kiosk in the plurality of kiosks.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request from a consumer to conduct a transaction for an item;

identifying one or more kiosks in the plurality of kiosks that has been delivered the requested item;

generating a list for the consumer of the identified one or more kiosks, the list including a corresponding location for each of the identified one or more of kiosks;

receiving a selection of a designated kiosk from the list;

transmitting a reservation request to the designated kiosk to reserve the requested items at the designated kiosk;

generating a message for the consumer indicating that the requested item is reserved for the consumer at the designated kiosk; and

initiating a payment process to complete the transaction when the consumer initiates retrieval of the requested item from the designated kiosk.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the transaction history based at least in part on the completed transaction; and

determining an updated quantity of the requested item to be delivered to the designated kiosk.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a code from the consumer in order to initiate retrieval of the requested item from the designated kiosk;

verifying the received code; and

instructing the designated kiosk to release the requested item to the consumer.