Handling household tasks

• US 7,844,507 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sud Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Laundry Locker, Inc. (Mulberrys LLC)
• Inventors: Levy, Arik Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US11/386,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

In an embodiment, articles are left in storage areas, such as lockers or other receptacles, which may be associated with a household services company. In an embodiment, after depositing the articles in the storage area the articles are associated with the user by the household services company based on a claim by a user of using the storage are and/or tags associated with the articles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving articles in a storage area associated with a laundry service, the storage area being associated with an identifier that was assigned to the storage area prior to a user visiting the storage area, the storage area having a purely mechanical lock and a purely mechanical key, the key mechanically locking and mechanically unlocking the lock;

allowing a user to take the key with the user, without being required to be at a location associated with the laundry service;

receiving a notification that the articles are associated with the storage area, the notification including the identifier associated with the storage area and an identifier associated with the user and the notification being generated by the user, the notification being received via the Internet at a computer system having a processor system with one or more processors;

associating, by the processor system of the computer system, the user with the articles based on

the identifier associated with the storage area, and

the identifier associated with the user;

providing, by the processor system, a pictorial representation of the article;

receiving, at the computer system, a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested;

providing, via the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages;

servicing the articles; and

returning the articles to the storage area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a set of a plurality of storage areas, a set of the plurality of locks, and a set of a plurality of keys, when one of the plurality of storage areas is not in use, a corresponding one of the plurality of keys is stored inside a corresponding one of the plurality of locks, which corresponds to the one of the plurality of storage areas that is not being used.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a user to hold onto the key until a batch of articles associated with the user is returned to the storage area associated with the key.

4. A method comprising:

receiving articles in a storage area associated with a laundry service, the storage area being associated with an identifier that was assigned to the storage area prior to a user visiting the storage area, the storage area having a mechanical lock and key, the key mechanically locking and mechanically unlocking the lock;

receiving a notification that the articles are associated with the storage area, the notification including the identifier associated with the storage area and an identifier associated with the user and the notification being generated by the user, the notification being received via the Internet at a computer system having a processor system with one or more processors;

associating, via the processor system of the computer system, the user with the articles based on

the identifier associated with the storage area, and

the identifier associated with the user;

providing, via the processor system, a pictorial representation of the article;

receiving a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested;

providing, via the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages;

storing the key in the lock, while the storage area is not in use by a customer, the lock being configured such that removing the key locks the lock and such that in order for the lock to be unlocked the key must be in the lock.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the storage area is a locker, the articles including at least clothing, and the method further comprises:

inventorying the clothing after receiving the notification, and

cleaning the clothing.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein

the storage area is a locker, the articles including at least clothing, and:

after receiving the articles removing the articles from the storage area, inventorying the clothing prior to receiving the notification.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising photographing at least one of the articles received.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

uploading a photograph resulting from the photographing to a webpage that is viewable by a user.

9. A method comprising:

receiving articles in a storage area associated with a laundry service;

allowing a user to take the key, the user being one from which the articles were received in the storage area; and

receiving a notification that the articles are associated with the storage area,

wherein the storage area is associated with a purely mechanical lock and a purely mechanical key;

associating, by a processor system of a computer system, a user with the articles after establishing an account for a user associated with the articles and receiving the notification;

providing, by the processor system, a pictorial representation of the article;

receiving, at the computer system, a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested;

cleaning the article;

providing, by the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages; and

returning the article to the storage area.

10. A method comprising:

receiving articles in a storage area associated with a laundry service;

receiving a notification that the articles are associated with the storage area;

providing, via a processor system of a computer system, a pictorial representation of the article, the processor system including one or more processors;

receiving, at the computer system, a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested, the portion of the pictorial indication the location being visible and not being obscured by the graphical indication;

cleaning the article;

providing, by the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages;

and

returning the article to the storage area.

11. The method of claim 10,

the pictorial representation not being a photograph of an article of a customer to which the pictorial representation was provided, but a representation of a type of article;

and

receiving a selection of the pictorial representation and an association of the pictorial representation with an article belonging to the customer, the article belonging to the customer being of the type represented by the pictorial representation.

12. The method of claim 10,

the providing of the pictorial representation including providing a plurality of pictorial representations, the plurality of pictorial representations not being photographs of articles of a customer to which the plurality of pictorial representations were provided, each of the plurality of representations being of a different type of article;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality the pictorial representations and an association of the one of the plurality of pictorial representations with an article belonging to the customer, the article belonging to the customer being of the type represented by the pictorial representation.

13. The method of claim 10, the special attention including at least special cleaning procedures.

14. A method comprising:

receiving articles in a storage area associated with a laundry service; and

receiving a notification that the articles are associated with the storage area;

wherein the storage area is a receptacle associated with a lock and a key;

maintaining a set of one or more keys, which when not in use are each stored inside a lock of a corresponding receptacle that is not being used;

removing the articles from the receptacle;

establishing an account for a user associated with the articles after receiving the notification;

providing, by a processor system of a computer system, a pictorial representation of the article;

receiving, at the computer system, a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested;

providing, by the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages;

receiving user service instructions after the articles have been removed from the receptacle;

allowing a user to hold on to the key until the articles associated with the user is returned to the receptacle associated with the key;

returning the articles to the receptacle from which the articles was picked up; and

sending a notification to the user that that the articles are ready to be picked up.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

tagging each article of a set of one or more articles selected from the articles received;

associating a different identifier with each article tagged;

photographing articles that were tagged;

uploading a photograph resulting from the photographing to one or more web pages, therein forming an uploaded photograph that is viewable by the user;

receiving a graphical indication on the pictorial representation of a location of a feature, for which special attention is desired, in association with the uploaded photograph;

the feature being visible and not being obscured by the graphical indication;

locating and treating the feature based on the graphical indication; and

at least partially automatically servicing the articles according to at least part of the user service instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the user placing the articles in the receptacle therein causing a laundry service to perform the receiving of the articles in the receptacle;

the user retaining the key until the articles are returned to the receptacle;

the user accessing one or more web pages associated with the laundry service;

the user identifying the one or more images of articles associated with the articles;

the user graphically identifying the feature on the article;

the user providing the user service instructions via the one or more web pages;

as a result of the sending, the user receiving an automated message associated with the laundry service indicating that the articles are ready for pick up;

the user retrieving the articles from the receptacle after receiving the message; and

the user returning the key to the receptacle for storage.

17. A method comprising:

placing articles in a storage area having a lock and a purely mechanical key, the storage area being stationary and associated with a laundry service; and

the user retaining the key until the articles are serviced and returned to the storage area, without being required to be at the laundry service;

receiving, at a computer system, a pictorial representation of the article, via a network;

adding by a processor system of the computer system, a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested and the processor system including one or more processors;

receiving, at the computer system, by the processor system, a status of the article, via the one or more web pages;

retrieving the articles by at least

placing the key in the lock;

unlocking the lock with the key, the lock can be in the unlocked state only while the key is in the lock;

removing the articles from the storage area; and

storing the key in the lock for the next user.

18. A method comprising:

placing articles in a storage area having a lock and a key; and

retaining the key until the articles are serviced and returned to the storage area, wherein the storage area is a receptacle that is associated with a laundry service that is expected to service the articles, and;

accessing, by a processor system of a client'"'"'s computer system having one or more processors, one or more web pages associated with the laundry service;

identifying, by the processor system, one or more images of articles associated with the articles;

graphically identifying a feature, by the processor system, for which special attention is requested, on the one or more images of the articles;

receiving at the user'"'"'s computer system, user service instructions via the one or more web pages;

accessing, by the processor system, via the one or more web pages, status information about of the article;

receiving, by a processor system of a computer system of the laundry service, an automated message associated with the laundry service indicating that the articles are ready for pick up;

returning the key to the receptacle; and

retrieving the articles from the receptacle after receiving the message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the articles are clothing, the service includes cleaning, and the receptacles are lockers.

20. The method of claim 18, the status being a status of the article within a cleaning process.

21. A system comprising:

a storage area for receiving articles, the storage area being associated with a laundry service, the storage area having a purely mechanical lock and a purely mechanical key for locking the storage area, the storage area being stationary;

the lock being configured such that removing the key locks the lock and such that in order for the lock to be in an unlocked state the key must be in the lock, therein encouraging a user to leave the key the in the lock when finished using the storage area; and

one or more computer readable media storing thereon at least a method including at least

providing, by a processor system of a computer system, a pictorial representation of the article, the processor system including one or more processors;

receiving, at the computer system, a request to service articles from the customer, the request including at least

an identification of a location associated with a laundry service where the articles were placed by the user in the storage area,

a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested, and

information identifying the user; and

providing, by the processor system, a status of the article via one or more web pages.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing an account for the user based on the request.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a set of one or more receptacles, which include the storage area, each receptacle having a lock and being associated with a key for locking the lock.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user service instructions from the user.

25. A system comprising:

one or more computer readable media storing thereon at least a method including at least

receiving, at a computer system, a request to service articles, the request including at least

an identification of a location associated with a laundry service where the articles were placed by a user, and

information identifying the user;

providing, by a processor system of the computer system, a pictorial representation of the article, the processor system including one or more processors;

receiving, at the computer, user service instructions from the user;

the instructions including a graphical indication on the pictorial representation, the graphical indication being of a portion of the pictorial representation at which special attention is requested;

providing, by the processor, a status of the article via the one or more web pages;

and

service equipment configured for automatically servicing the articles according to the user service instructions after the articles are placed into the service equipment.

26. A system comprising:

one or more computer readable media storing thereon at least a method including at least at a computer system, receiving a request to service articles, the request including at least

an identification of a location associated with a laundry service where the articles were placed by a user, and

information identifying the user

the one or more computer readable media storing thereon

instructions for generating, by a processor system of the computer system, a webpage, the webpage including a pictorial representation of the articles, processor system including one or more processors;

instructions, by the processor system, for providing a status of the article via one or more web pages;

and

tools, generated by the processor system, that are available to a user for graphically identifying locations of features on the pictorial representation of the articles, for which special attention is requested, on the articles, wherein the tools are associated with the web page.

27. The system of claim 26, the tools including a tool for drawing an arrow pointing to the location where special attention is requested.

28. The system of claim 26, the tools including a tool for drawing a closed shape surrounding the location where special attention is requested.

29. The system claim 28, the location within the closed shape being visible to the user.

30. The system of claim 26, the feature that needs special attention being visible on the image.

31. The system of claim 26, the portion of the pictorial representation having the feature that needs special attention being visible on the image.