Inventory distribution method and system

• US 9,141,931 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US14/038,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An inventory distribution system and method of providing a plurality of items to a plurality of kiosks is provided. The inventory distribution system may maintain and update a plurality of inventory records associated with the plurality of items provided by the plurality of kiosks, which can be used to determine and update quantities of the plurality of items at specific kiosks. To provide the plurality of items to the plurality of kiosks, the inventory distribution system can provide deliveries to a plurality of distribution agents, where the distribution agents are assigned to a subset of kiosks to maintain and distribute one or more select items to the subset of kiosks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer systems, an instruction to deliver a plurality of selected items to a distribution agent for pre-stocking a kiosk in a plurality of geographically distributed kiosks, wherein the distribution agent is assigned to pre-stock the kiosk;

instructing delivery of the plurality of items to the distribution agent for pre stocking the kiosk;

receiving information that an item has been requested that is excluded from the plurality of selected items with which the kiosk was pre-stocked by the distribution agent;

identifying a source for the requested item that is excluded;

instructing delivery of the requested item from the source to the distribution agent so that the distribution agent can stock the requested item in the kiosk, wherein the plurality of selected items are delivered to the distribution agent in plurality of deliveries, and wherein each of the plurality of deliveries are made a predetermined time apart; and

updating inventory information for the kiosk.

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

receiving a notification that an item, of the plurality of selected items with which the kiosk is pre-stocked, has been retrieved by a consumer from the kiosk; and

updating inventory information for the kiosk.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the source for the requested items that is excluded comprises:

determining that the requested item is unavailable from an internal source;

identifying an external source for the requested item;

transmitting a request to the external source for the requested item; and

instructing that the requested item be delivered to the distribution agent.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, transmitting the inventory information to a kiosk management system.

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

when the requested item is excluded from the plurality of selected items with which the kiosk was pre-stocked by the distribution agent,

instructing that the requested item be included with a subsequent delivery of the plurality deliveries.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

generating an instruction to deliver a plurality of selected items to a distribution agent in a plurality of distribution agents, wherein the distribution agent is assigned to distribute the plurality of selected items to a plurality of kiosks on a periodic basis;

receiving information that an item has been requested that is excluded from the plurality of selected items distributed to the plurality of kiosks by the distribution agent;

identifying a source for the requested item excluded from the plurality of selected items;

generating an instruction to deliver the requested item to the distribution agent for further distribution of the requested item to a selected kiosk; and

updating inventory information for the selected kiosk.

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

when an item included in the plurality of selected items distributed to the plurality of kiosks by the distribution agent is requested and retrieved from a kiosk of the plurality of kiosks;

updating the inventory information for the kiosk to show that the requested item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.

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

when an item included in the plurality of selected items distributed to the plurality of kiosks by the distribution agent is requested, but not retrieved from a kiosk of the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined window of time for retrieval,

updating the inventory information for the kiosk to show that requested item remains in inventory at the kiosk.

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

when the item excluded from the plurality of selected items distributed to the plurality of kiosks by the distribution agent is not retrieved from the selected kiosk within a predetermined window of time for retrieval,

receiving a notification that the item has been removed from the selected kiosk by the distribution agent; and

updating the inventory information for the kiosk to show that the item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the distribution agent is assigned to distribute the plurality of selected items to the plurality of kiosks, including the selected kiosk, based at least in part on a predetermined proximity to the plurality of kiosks and the selected kiosk.

11. A system comprising:

a data store configured to store inventory information for a plurality of 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;

receive a selection of items to be stored in a plurality of kiosks, wherein the items were selected for storage in the kiosks based at least in part on at least one of the inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information;

select a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks in which to store the items;

identify a distribution agent assigned to the subset of kiosks;

transmit a delivery message to the distribution agent, the delivery message identifying the subset of kiosks, and identifying the selection of items and a quantity for each of the items to be distributed to each kiosk in the subset of kiosks;

instruct delivery of the quantity for each of the items to the distribution agent;

receive a message from the distribution agent confirming distribution of the selection of items to a kiosk of the subset of kiosks; and

update the inventory information for the kiosk.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the kiosk is associated with a preferred item provider.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein computing device is further configured to at least:

receive inventory information for the kiosk from the distribution agent, wherein the inventory information includes transaction information associated with an item stored in the kiosk.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further configured to transmit inventory information to a kiosk management system.

15. 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:

for each of a plurality kiosks located in a geographic area,

maintaining inventory information for a plurality of items stored in the kiosk, wherein the plurality of items were selected for storage in the kiosk based at least in part on at least one of the inventory information, transaction history information, and kiosk information; and

wherein the plurality of items were distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographic area;

when an item of the plurality of items stored in the kiosk is purchased, and retrieved by a consumer from the kiosk, updating the inventory information for the kiosk to reflect that the item is no longer stored in the kiosk; and

transmitting the updated inventory information to a kiosk management system;

when a predetermined period of time for retrieval of an item from the kiosk has elapsed,

receiving a notification that the item has been removed from the selected kiosk by the distribution agent; and

updating the inventory information for the kiosk to show that the item is no longer in inventory at the kiosk.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, after the item is no longer in the kiosk, instructing creation of a shipment of a replacement item for the kiosk.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the operations further comprise, after the item is no longer in the kiosk, instructing re-stocking of a replacement item into the kiosk.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an inventory status of a subset of items provided by the kiosk;

updating a subset of inventory records for the subset of items provided by the kiosk; and

transmitting the updated subset of inventory records for the subset of items provided by kiosk to the kiosk management system.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning the distribution agent to the kiosk; and

instructing creation of a shipment of the plurality of items for delivery to the distribution agent.