Item pick-up system

• US 6,439,345 B1
• Filed: 05/22/1996
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sears Brands LLC (Sears Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sears Roebuck & Company (Sears Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fernandes, Anthony J., Wasson, Paul J., Lopuszynski, Frank J., Thacher, Philip L., LeRoy, Michael E., McGinnis, Terrance L., Recktenwald, Patricia A., Brabson, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/651,630
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 186/53, 186/55, 186/56, 186/52, 186/41, 186/39, 235/383, 340/825.35, 364/479.07, 395/226, 395/227, 194/205, 194/210, 194/217
• US Class Current: 186/55
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

An item processing kiosk is located in or near a pickup area and (i) displays selections allowing a customer to choose whether the customer is picking up or dropping off an item (ii) in response to the customer selecting one of the displayed selections, displays a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification, and (iii) in response to the customer entering the customer and item identification, electronically transmits a message to a remote stock room terminal. The message designates whether an it is to be picked up or dropped off. The message is arranged to cause the stock room terminal to identify the customer and the item. A stock room attendant picks up the item from, or delivers the item to, the customer, as appropriate.

Claims

1. An item pick up system comprising:

a communication channel;

first means connected to the communication channel for issuing a check identifying a person who is to receive an item and identifying the item to be picked up by the person;

second means connected to the communication channel and located remotely from the first means for identifying the person and item from the check and for transmitting a message identifying the person and the item; and

,

third means connected to the communication channel and located remotely from the first and second means for receiving the message from the second means and for providing an indication of the person and item in an item holding area.

2. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the first means includes means for notifying the third means if the item is to be picked up on a current day or a later day.

3. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the first means includes means for applying a code to the check.

4. The item pick up system of claim 3 wherein the second means includes means for reading the code on the check in order to identify (a) the person who is to receive the item and (b) the item to be picked up by the person.

5. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the second means includes means for responding to the person touching a display screen in order to identify (a) the person who is to receive the item and (b) the item to be picked up by the person.

6. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the second means includes means for responding to the person operating a keyboard in order to identify (a) the person who is to receive the item and (b) the item to be picked up by the person.

7. The item pick up system of claim 1 further comprising local displaying means for displaying an identification of the person and the position of the person in a queue, wherein the local displaying means is located in a position viewable by the person.

8. The item pick up system of claim 7 wherein the third means includes updating means for updating the local displaying means in order to update the position of the person in the queue.

9. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the third means includes remote displaying means for displaying the identification of the person and the item, wherein the remote displaying means is located so as to display the identification of the person and the item to an attendant in the item holding area.

10. The item pick up system of claim 9 further comprising local displaying means for displaying the identification of the person and the position of the person in a queue, and wherein the local displaying means is located in a position viewable by the person.

11. The item pick up system of claim 10 wherein the third means includes updating means for updating the local displaying means in order to update the position of the person in the queue.

12. The item pick up system of claim 9 wherein the remote displaying means comprises a portable display.

13. The item pick up system of claim 9 further comprising a paging system connected to the communication channel, wherein the paging system is arranged to receive the message, and wherein the paging system is arranged to transmit a notifying message to the third means.

14. The item pick up system of claim 13 wherein the third means comprises a portable display responsive to the notifying message for displaying the identification of the person and the item.

15. The item pick up system of claim 1 wherein the first means causes the item to be stored in a database so that the item is linked to the person, and wherein the second means retrieves the item from the database based upon the identification of the person and displays the item to the person.

16. An item pick up system comprising:

a point-of-sale terminal located remotely from a stock room and a pick up area, wherein the point-of-sale terminal is arranged to process a point of sale transaction during which an item is purchased by a customer;

a pick up terminal being located in the pick up area and outside the stock room, the pick up terminal being arranged to receive data directly from the customer, to identify the customer and the item from the data, and to transmit a message identifying the customer and the item; and

,

a stock room terminal coupled to the point-of-sale terminal and to the pick up terminal and being located in or near the stock room and outside the pick up area, the stock room terminal being arranged to notify, in response to the message, a stock room attendant in the stock room of the item and of the customer to be given the item.

17. The item pick up system of claim 16, wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes means for notifying the stock room terminal of the item to be picked up.

18. The item pick up system of claim 16 wherein the point-of-sale terminal is arranged to issue a check to the customer, wherein the point-of-sale terminal is arranged to code the check with an identification code unique to the customer, and wherein the pick up terminal includes means for reading the identification code on the check in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item which is to be picked up by the customer.

19. The item pick up system of claim 16 wherein the pick up terminal includes means for responding to the customer touching a display screen in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item which is to be picked up by the customer.

20. The item pick up system of claim 16 wherein the pick up terminal includes means for responding to the customer operating a keyboard in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item which is to be picked up by the customer.

21. The item pick up system of claim 16 further including local displaying means for displaying an identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue, wherein the local displaying means is located in a position viewable by the customer.

22. The item pick up system of claim 21 wherein the stock room terminal includes updating means for updating the local displaying means in order to update the position of the customer in the queue.

23. The item pick up system of claim 16 further including remote displaying means for displaying the identification of the customer and the item, wherein the remote displaying means is located so as to display the identification of the customer and the item to a stock room attendant.

24. The item pick up system of claim 23 further comprising local displaying means for displaying the identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue, wherein the local displaying means of the pick up terminal is located in a position viewable by the customer.

25. The item pick up system of claim 24 wherein the stock room terminal includes updating means for updating the local displaying means in order to update the position of the customer in the queue.

26. The item pick up system of claim 23 wherein the remote displaying means comprises a portable display.

27. The item pick up system of claim 23 further comprising a paging system coupled to the pick up terminal and to the stock room terminal, wherein the paging system is arranged to receive the message from the pick up terminal, and wherein the paging system is arranged to transmit a notifying message to the stock room terminal.

28. The item pick up system of claim 27 wherein the stock room terminal comprises a portable display device responsive to the notifying message for displaying the identification of the person and the item.

29. The item pick up system of claim 16 wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes means for causing the item to be stored in a database so that the item is linked to the person, and wherein the pick up terminal retrieves the item from the database based upon the identification of the person and displays the item to the person.

30. An item processing kiosk comprising:

customer identifying means for identifying a customer in response to data supplied directly by the customer;

item identifying means for identifying an item from a database based upon the identification of the customer by customer identifying means, wherein the item is to be picked up by the customer;

displaying means for displaying the identified item to the customer; and

,

message transmitting means for electronically transmitting a message in response to the customer identifying means and in response to the item identifying means, wherein the message provides a notification of the customer and the item.

31. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the database contains identifications of customers relating to open transactions.

32. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the customer identifying means includes means for reading a code in order to identify the customer who is to receive the item.

33. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the customer identifying means includes means for responding to the customer touching a display screen in order to identify the customer who is to receive the item.

34. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the customer identifying means includes means for responding to the customer operating a keyboard in order to identify the customer who is to receive the item.

35. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 further comprising displaying means responsive to the item processing kiosk for displaying an identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue.

36. The item processing kiosk of claim 35 wherein the displaying means includes means for changing a position of the customer in the queue.

37. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the message transmitting means transmits the message to a remote printer which prints the identification of the customer and the item.

38. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the message transmitting means transmits the message to a portable display device which displays the identification of the customer and the item.

39. The item processing kiosk of claim 30 wherein the item identifying means retrieves the item from the database based upon the identification of the customer.

40. An item processing method performed by a kiosk comprising the following steps:

displaying selections allowing a customer to choose whether the customer is picking up an item, returning an item for exchange or refund, or dropping off an item for servicing;

in response to the customer selecting one of the displayed selections, displaying a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification; and

,

in response to the customer entering the customer and item identification, electronically transmitting a message, the message being arranged to provide a notification of the customer and the item, wherein the message designates whether an item is to be picked up, or returned, or dropped off.

41. The item processing method of claim 40 comprising the further step of storing identifications of customers relating to open transactions.

42. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of displaying a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification comprises the step of displaying a request for the customer to scan a code in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item, which is to be picked up by the customer.

43. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of displaying a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification comprises the step of displaying a request for the customer to touch a display screen in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item which is to be picked up by the customer.

44. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of displaying a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification comprises the step of displaying a request for the customer to manipulate a keyboard in order to identify (a) the customer who is to receive the item and (b) the item which is to be picked up by the customer.

45. The item processing method of claim 40 further comprising the step of displaying an identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue.

46. The item processing method of claim 45 wherein the step of displaying an identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue comprises the step of changing the position of the customer in the queue in response to an update message from a remote terminal.

47. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of transmitting a message comprises the step of transmitting the message to a portable display device which displays the identification of the customer and the item.

48. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of transmitting a message comprises the step of transmitting the message to a printer which prints the identification of the customer and the item.

49. The item processing method of claim 40 wherein the step of displaying a request for the customer to enter a customer and item identification comprises the step of retrieving the item from a database based upon the identification of the customer.

50. An item processing kiosk comprising:

identifying means for identifying, in response to data supplied directly by a customer, the customer and an item to be dropped off by the customer;

message transmitting means responsive to the identifying means for electronically transmitting a message to an item holding area in order to notify a holding area attendant of the identified item, wherein the message provides a notification to the holding area attendant of the customer and the item;

the identifying means comprising customer identifying means for identifying, in response to data supplied directly by the customer, the customer, and item identifying means for identifying the item from a database based upon the identification of the customer by the customer identifying means;

the database containing identifications of items linked to customers with respect to past transactions, and wherein the item identified by the item identifying means is from the database.

51. An item processing kiosk comprising:

identifying means for identifying, in response to data supplied directly by a customer, the customer and an item to be dropped off by the customer;

message transmitting means, responsive to the identifying means, for electronically transmitting a message to an item holding area in order to notify a holding area attendant of the identified item, wherein the message provides a notification to the holding area attendant of the customer and the item;

displaying means responsive to the item processing kiosk for displaying an identification of the customer and the position of the customer in a queue.

52. The item processing kiosk of claim 51 wherein the displaying means includes means for changing a position of the customer in the queue.