System and method for remote acquisition and delivery of goods

• US 9,202,191 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumeron, LLC
• Original Assignee: Consumeron, LLC
• Inventors: Bowen, Mark Baron, Hays, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/568,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

A system and method for remote acquisition and delivery of goods includes a server in communication with customer computers, such as through a user interface via the internet. The server can store customer information including billing information, and may include a real-time video processor. A mobile delivery system in communication with the server includes an energy efficient vehicle, a real-time video device, a global positioning system, a communication device and a printer. In use, a customer communicates with a mobile delivery agent via the real-time video device and the communication device to remotely acquire a product. Once acquired, the delivery agent delivers the product to a designated delivery location. The real-time video device can be utilized during the entire transaction. The system preferably includes a processor for optimizing system efficiencies, including selecting a delivery agent based on the product, pick-up location and delivery site.

Claims

1. A system for remote acquisition and delivery of one or more goods based on an acquisition request from a customer through an interactive interface for processing the acquisition request comprising:

a customer computer having a user interface;

at least one server in communication with a wide area network;

a plurality of mobile delivery agent systems in communication with the at least one server, each of the plurality of delivery agent systems being configured for use with a respective purchasing and delivery agent for a shopping event and including;

a real-time video device configured to send one or more images in real-time to the customer from the respective agent, wherein the real-time video device is configured to enable the customer to be provided with progress information via real-time imaging of the one or more images from the respective agent through the customer computer during performance of the acquisition request, including viewing the one or more goods from a pick-up site for the one or more goods;

a communications device configured to establish direct communication between the customer and the respective agent to enable the customer to provide a communicated approval for the agent to immediately purchase the one or more goods viewed by the customer in connection with completing the acquisition request;

a global positioning system configured to provide location data to the at least one server; and

a selectable widget for a website configured to retrieve data submitted by at least one of the mobile delivery agent systems to the at least one server and generate a view of the one or more goods at the pick-up site associated with a third party vendor together with at least the data submitted to the at least one server by the mobile delivery agent system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of delivery agent systems further comprises a mobile printer for providing the customer a receipt for the acquisition request.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server includes a customer database for storing customer information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server includes a processor adapted to select one of the plurality of agents for the acquisition request based, at least in part, on current location information of each of the respective agents relative to the pick-up site at the time the acquisition request is entered.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile delivery agent systems further includes an energy efficient, hybrid or electric vehicle, wherein the real-time video device and the communications device are configured to be linked to the customer computer from within the energy efficient, hybrid or electric vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is adapted to receive the acquisition request from the customer over the wide area network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition request specifies a delivery site and the system is further configured with at least one server including a processor adapted to select one of the plurality of delivery agents for the acquisition request based, at least in part, on the location of each delivery agent relative to the delivery site and present the server selection to the customer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server includes a processor adapted to select one of the plurality of agents to complete the acquisition request based, at least in part, on location information of the respective agents relative to the shopping event at the time the acquisition request is entered and availability status of the respective agent.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system in communication with the at least one server, with the global positioning system providing location information to the customer on the respective agent.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer computer having the user interface is configured to display the respective agent'"'"'s location and real-time images.

11. A system for remote acquisition and delivery of one or more goods based on an acquisition request from a customer through an interactive interface for processing the acquisition request comprising:

a plurality of mobile delivery agent systems configured with at least a global positioning system providing location information to at least one server;

a selectable widget for a third party vendor website configured to retrieve data submitted by the plurality of mobile delivery agent systems to the at least one server and to generate a view of a pick-up site associated with the third party vendor together with at least the data submitted to the at least one server by the plurality of mobile delivery agent systems including current locations of the mobile delivery agent systems;

a display for displaying to the customer at least the generated view;

an input configured to receive the acquisition request and a selection made by the customer of one of the plurality of delivery agent systems representing delivery agents;

communication means for processing the acquisition request from the customer and establishing direct communication between the customer and the selected delivery agent during both the acquisition and delivery of the one or more goods to the customer; and

a real-time video means for sending at least one image to the customer through the communication means and transmitting real-time data to the display for the customer to view the one or more goods and the respective agent'"'"'s progress during performance of the acquisition request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the real-time video means displays the agent'"'"'s view of the one or more goods.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the display is configured to present the location of the agent during performance of the acquisition request, including viewing data from the agent at a shopping and pick-up site, data from a shopping event, and travel data from the agent during travel to a designated delivery site.

14. A system for remote acquisition and delivery of one or more goods based on an acquisition request from a customer through an interactive interface for processing the acquisition request comprising:

a customer computer having a user interface and configured to establish a local communication link between the customer and a mobile agent for purposes of the acquisition request;

a mobile agent system configured for use by the mobile agent for a shopping event established based on the acquisition request, said mobile agent system including;

means for sending one or more images in real-time to the customer from the mobile agent through the local communication link and providing the customer with progress information via real-time imaging of the one or more images from the mobile agent to the customer computer during performance of the acquisition request, including viewing the one or more goods from a pick-up site for the one or more goods during the shopping event;

communication means, establishing direct communication between the customer and the mobile agent, for communicating approval by the customer to the mobile agent in connection with completing the acquisition request;

a global positioning system configured to provide location data through the local communication link; and

a selectable widget for a vendor website configured to retrieve data submitted by at least one of the mobile delivery agent systems through the local communication link and generate a view of the one or more goods at the pick-up site associated with a third party vendor together with at least the data submitted through the local communication link by the mobile delivery agent system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer interface is configured to display the generated view including the respective delivery agent'"'"'s progress during performance of the acquisition request, including viewing data from the mobile agent at the pick-up site, data from the shopping event, and travel data from the mobile agent during travel to a designated delivery site.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the widget is further configured to establish the local communication link between the customer and the mobile agent for the acquisition request of the one or more goods.