Method of direct-to-consumer reverse logistics

• US 7,917,405 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Eilertsen, Eric, Jones, Titus Arthur, Wellikoff, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Amee A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUKANOVICH, BRANDY A
• Application Number:
  US12/732,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 370/406
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

A method of reverse logistics using an auction to sell products directly to consumers from a store instead of using a third party reclamation company. One or more methods of auctioning one or more typically unsalable items directly to purchasers from a retail store including the steps of providing a communications multi-network having at least one logic engine, at least one star communication network through which non-location data is transferred to said logic engine, and at least one mesh communication network through which location data is transferred to said logic engine. The method further includes the steps of locating products for purchase that are eligible to be auctioned, the scanning of product codes of each auctionable product, tracking the scanning device in the store, transmitting auctionable product data through the star communication network, sorting auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale, producing a unique identifier for each bundled lot, initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each bundled lot, and auctioning each bundled lot to a best bidder in the auction.

Claims

1. A method of auctioning one or more items directly to purchasers from a retail store, comprising:

a. Providing store shelves in said retail store and products for purchase on said store shelves;

b. Providing a communications multi-network in said retail store, having

i. At least one logic engine;

ii. At least one star communication network through which non-location data is transferred to said logic engine; and

iii. At least one mesh communication network through which location data is transferred to said logic engine;

c. Locating said products for purchase on said store shelves of said retail store eligible to be auctioned, said products for purchase eligible to be auctioned being auctionable products;

d. Scanning a product code of each said auctionable product with a scanning device, said scanning producing auctionable product data;

e. Tracking said scanning device in said retail store, said scanning device producing location data at each said scan of said product code of each said auctionable product and transmitting said location data through said mesh communication network to said logic engine;

f. Transmitting said auctionable product data through said star communication network;

g. Sorting said auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale in said retail store;

h. Producing a unique identifier for each said bundled lot, said unique identifier having machine readable indicium;

i. Initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each said bundled lot directly to said one or more purchasers; and

j. Auctioning each said bundled lot in said auction to said one or more purchasers whereby each said one or more purchasers is selected from the group consisting of a highest bidder in said auction from said retail store and a best bidder in said auction from said retail store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each said purchaser of each said bundled lot is the highest bidder in said auction from said retail store.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each said purchaser of each said bundled lot is the best bidder in said auction from said retail store.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of

a. Calculating a total weight of each said bundled lot;

and

b. Associating said total weight with the unique identifier of each said bundled lot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said bundled lot comprises a box, the method further including:

a. Calculating a total box weight for said box;

b. Calculating a shipping cost based on said total box weight; and

c. Communicating said shipping cost to said purchaser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said direct-to-consumer auction occurs over the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a. Photographing each said auctionable product to produce a resultant photograph; and

b. Providing said one or more purchasers with the resultant photograph of each said auctionable product in said direct-to-consumer auction.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Delivering each said bundled lot to the winner of the direct-to-consumer auction.

9. The method of claim 1, said logic engine comprising an information database, the method further comprising the steps of:

a. Receiving the auctionable product data of each said auctionable product at said logic engine; and

b. Associating said auctionable product data of each said auctionable product with one or more pieces of information regarding said auctionable product in said information database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more pieces of information regarding each said one or more auctionable products is a description of each said one or more auctionable products.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more pieces of information regarding each said one or more auctionable products is the weight of each said one or more auctionable products.