DISPENSER AND ASSOCIATED TRACKING APPLICATION

• US 20150142621A1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohl's, Inc. (Kohl's Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kohl's Department Stores Incorporated (Kohl's Corporation)
• Inventors: Gray, Beau, Sansoucie, Stephanie
• Granted Patent: US 10,579,958 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/36 in which the magazines are of helical or spiral form
• 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

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for storing, dispensing, and facilitating replenishment of a dispenser. The dispenser may store and dispense one or more types of consumable items. Additionally, the dispenser may include one or more sensors for sensing a storage status of the dispenser (e.g., the quantity consumable items remaining in the dispenser). Further still, the dispenser may communicate storage status updates to a remote device on which a related application can be executed, for updating a current storage status, and presenting a notification to a user of the remote device, suggesting the purchase of additional consumable items to replenish the dispenser. The related application may further present the user with other types of purchasing-related information, such as cross merchandise opportunities, a retailer located nearest to the user/mobile device where the additional consumable items can be purchased from, as well as other shopping-related features and/or functionalities.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a dispenser for storing and dispensing items;

at least one sensor for detecting a storage status associated with the storing and the dispensing of the items; and

a communications device for transmitting storage status updates regarding the detected storage status to a remote device adapted to, based on the storage status updates, display a notification suggesting replenishment of the apparatus with additional items, and indicating a retailer located proximate to the remote device where the additional items are in stock and purchasable to replenish the dispenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device displays, instead of the notification indicating the retailer located proximate to the communications device, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional items via the communications device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device displays as an additional purchasing option to the retailer located proximate to the communications device, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional items via the communications device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the application comprises a plurality of user interfaces associated with at least one of purchasing cross merchandise items, managing a user account, managing the storing of the items in the dispenser, in-aisle subscription and fulfillment, and presenting user-targeted information based on at least one of the items, the additional items, the cross merchandise items, purchase history associated with the user account, and additional information obtained from at least one social media outlet.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receive a storage status update from a dispenser adapted to store and dispense consumable items;

determine, based on the received storage status update, whether a current storage status associated with the dispenser falls below a replenishment threshold; and

upon determining that the current storage status falls below the replenishment threshold, present a notification indicating a suggestion to replenish the dispenser and a retailer located proximate to the apparatus at which additional consumable items are purchasable to replenish the dispenser.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to, instead of presenting the notification indicating the retailer located proximate to the apparatus, present a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional consumable items.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to present as an additional purchasing option to the retailer located proximate to the apparatus, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional consumable items.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the storage status update and the current storage status include information regarding at least one type of the consumable items and at least one quantity of the consumable items.

9. A system comprising:

a communications network over which a storage status update is transmitted;

a dispenser for storing and dispensing a plurality of consumable items; and

a remote device adapted to execute an application, the application adapted to;

receive the storage status update from the dispenser; and

present a notification indicating a suggestion to replenish the dispenser based on the storage status update and a retailer located proximate to the remote device at which additional consumable items are purchasable to replenish the dispenser.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the application is adapted to present a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional consumable items via the remote device instead of presenting the notification indicating the retailer located proximate to the remote device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the application is adapted to present, as an additional purchasing option to the retailer located proximate to the remote device, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing of the additional items via the remote device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the application is further adapted to present user-targeted information based on at least one of the additional consumable items suggested to replenish the dispenser, a previous purchasing history, and a social media outlet to which the application has access.

13. A computer-readable memory including computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a storage status update indicating a remaining quantity of a type of single serve coffee packs stored in a dispenser;

updating a current storage status associated with the type of single serve coffee packs based on the received storage status update;

determining whether the updated current storage status meets a predetermined threshold associated with the type of single serve coffee packs; and

upon a determination that the updated current storage status of the dispenser meets the predetermined threshold associated with the type of single serve coffee packs, presenting a notification on the mobile device suggesting ordering an additional quantity of the type of single serve coffee packs and a proximately located retailer at which the additional quantity of the type of single serve coffee packs are purchasable.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the apparatus to present a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing, via the mobile device, of the type of the single serve coffee packs suggested instead of presenting the notification with the suggestion of the proximately located retailer.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the apparatus to present, as an additional purchasing option to the proximately located retailer, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing via the mobile device of the type of the single serve coffee packs suggested.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, further cause the apparatus to present a plurality of additional user interfaces associated with at least one of purchasing cross merchandise items, managing a user account, managing the storing of the items in the apparatus, in-aisle subscription and fulfillment, and presenting user-targeted information based on at least one of the items, the additional items, the cross merchandise items, purchase history associated with the user account, and additional information obtained from at least one social media outlet.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a storage status update indicating a remaining quantity of a type of single serve coffee packs stored in a dispenser;

updating a current storage status associated with the type of single serve coffee packs based on the received storage status update;

determining whether the updated current storage status meets a predetermined threshold associated with the type of single serve coffee packs; and

upon a determination that the updated current storage status of the dispenser meets the predetermined threshold associated with the type of single serve coffee packs, presenting a notification on the mobile device suggesting ordering an additional quantity of the type of single serve coffee packs and a proximately located retailer at which the additional quantity of the type of single serve coffee packs are purchasable.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, presenting directions to the proximately located retailer on the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising, presenting a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing, via the mobile device, of the type of the single serve coffee packs suggested instead of presenting the notification with the suggestion of the proximately located retailer.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising, presenting as an additional purchasing option to the proximately located retailer, a user interface adapted to allow online purchasing, via the mobile device, of the type of the single serve coffee packs suggested.