Mobile transactions with a kiosk management system

• US 9,972,046 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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): Zukanovich, Brandy A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Brittney N
• Application Number:
  US14/038,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2662, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method and system of conducting a mobile transaction with a kiosk management system operating a plurality of kiosks for requested items is provided. A consumer may possess a portable device configured to communicate with the kiosk management system such that the kiosk management system may provide requested items to a selected kiosk from the plurality of kiosks. The portable device may operate a mobile application to display a list of available kiosks providing the requested items for the consumer to select a kiosk to reserve the requested items at. The consumer may then use the portable device to interact with the selected kiosk to retrieve the requested items reserved at the selected kiosk.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for conducting a transaction, with a portable device, for an item stored among a plurality of kiosks pre-stocked with a plurality of items available for purchase, comprising:

obtaining, at a portable device of a consumer, pre-registered account information, the pre-registered account information including at least payment information and an identification number of the portable device;

storing, by a kiosk management system, an association between the pre-registered account information and the portable device based on the identification number of the portable device;

generating a request, at the portable device of a consumer, to conduct a transaction for a requested item;

transmitting the request including the requested item from the portable device to the kiosk management system;

receiving, at the portable device, information identifying a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location of the portable device, the requested item included in the plurality of items with which the subset of kiosks is pre-stocked;

obtaining, at the portable device, a selection from the consumer of a designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks;

transmitting the selection of the designated kiosk from the portable device to the kiosk management system to reserve the requested item at the designated kiosk;

receiving, at the portable device from the kiosk management system, a code unique to the transaction for the requested item, the code indicating that the requested item is reserved at the designated kiosk;

upon determining that the portable device is within proximity of the designated kiosk, providing a prompt to the consumer to initiate retrieval of the requested item, the prompt being provided to the consumer via the portable device;

upon receiving a response to the provided prompt at the portable device, transmitting the code to the designated kiosk from the portable device without further interaction from the consumer, to initiate retrieval of the requested item, such that upon verification of the code, and without further interaction from the consumer, the kiosk is caused to;

identify the requested item based upon the code;

determine an item storage location associated with the requested item;

identify a releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location;

instruct the releasing mechanism to release the requested item from the item storage location; and

initiate payment for the requested item using payment information associated with the pre-registered account information stored by the kiosk management system; and

receiving, at the portable device, a confirmation indicating that the transaction is complete after the code is verified, a payment process for the transaction is completed, and the requested item is retrieved from the designated kiosk.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requested item is reserved at the designated kiosk for a predetermined amount of time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the location or the predetermined proximity is determined by the consumer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location is automatically determined by the portable device of the consumer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the consumer is a first consumer and the computer-implemented method further comprising:

generating, at the portable device of the first consumer, a request identifying the requested item and a second consumer to retrieve the requested item; and

receiving, at the portable device of the first consumer, a confirmation that the requested item has been communicated to the second consumer.

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

receiving, at the portable device of the first consumer, a confirmation that the requested item has been retrieved from the designated kiosk by the second consumer.

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

receiving, at the portable device, a promotional offer which incentivizes selection of the designated kiosk, such that the selection of the designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks is made by the consumer subsequent to displaying the promotional offer on the portable device.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting, at a kiosk management system for storage at a kiosk of a plurality of kiosks managed by the kiosk management system, a plurality of items;

causing the plurality of items to be distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent assigned to the kiosk;

obtaining, at the kiosk management system, pre-registered account information that includes at least payment information;

storing, by the kiosk management system, the pre-registered account information in association with a consumer;

receiving, from the kiosk management system, a code unique to an order for an item placed by the consumer associated with the pre-registered account information, wherein the code indicates that the item is reserved at the kiosk selected from the plurality kiosks by the consumer, wherein the item is reserved from the plurality of items;

upon determining that the one or more computer systems is within proximity of the designated kiosk, providing a prompt to the consumer to initiate retrieval of the item;

upon receiving a response to the provided prompt from the consumer, providing the code to the designated kiosk via wireless communication to initiate retrieval of the item from the designated kiosk without further interaction from the consumer; and

when the provided code is verified and the item is retrieved from the designated kiosk, receiving, from at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk, a confirmation that the order for the item is complete, wherein the designated kiosk is caused without further interaction from the consumer, to;

identify the item based upon the code;

determine an item storage location associated with the item;

identify a releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location;

instruct the releasing mechanism to release the item to a distribution unit from the item storage location; and

initiate payment for the item using the pre-registered account information stored by the kiosk management system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising at least:

transmitting the pre-registered account information to at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk; and

receiving a confirmation from at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk that payment for the item has been completed using payment information associated with the pre-registered account information.

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

when the item is included in a plurality of items currently provided by the plurality of kiosks,

receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location, the subset of kiosks currently providing;

selecting the designated kiosk from the subset; and

transmitting the selection of the designated kiosk to the kiosk management system to reserve the item at the designated kiosk.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising, when the item is excluded from a plurality of items provided by the plurality of kiosks, at least:

receiving information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location;

transmitting a selection of the designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks to the kiosk management system to reserve the item at the designated kiosk; and

receiving a notification when the item is available and reserved at the designated kiosk for retrieval.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to receiving the notification when the item is available, receiving a delivery message indicating that the item will be delivered to the designated kiosk, including an estimated delivery time.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the order for the item is placed at a retail network site.

14. A portable device utilized by a consumer, the portable device comprising:

a processor device;

a display;

an interface configured to at least communicate with a consumer;

a communications unit configured to at least communicate with a kiosk management system operating a plurality of kiosks via a communications network; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable code executable by the processor device in communication with the display, the communications unit, and the interface, the computer-executable code, upon execution by the processor device, causing the processor device to implement a method comprising at least;

providing, to the kiosk management system, pre-registered account information that includes at least payment information association with the consumer;

generating a request to conduct a transaction for one or more requested items;

transmitting the request to the kiosk management system including the one or more requested items; and

when the one or more requested items is excluded from a plurality of items currently provided by the plurality of kiosks, at least;

receiving from the kiosk management system information about a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location;

transmitting a selection of a designated kiosk from the subset of kiosks to the kiosk management system to request delivery of the one or more requested items at the designated kiosk;

receiving a delivery message from the kiosk management system indicating that the one or more requested items will be delivered to the designated kiosk, including an estimated delivery time, the delivery message including a generated code unique to the transaction;

receiving location information associated with the portable device;

upon determining, based on the received location information, that the portable device is within a proximity of the designated kiosk, generating a prompt on the display to initiate retrieval of the one or more requested items at the designated kiosk;

upon receiving a response to the prompt, providing the generated code and instructions to the designated kiosk to activate a mechanical release mechanism and distribute the one or more requested items upon confirmation of the code, the generated code and instructions being provided without further interaction with the consumer subsequent to receiving the response, wherein the code is used by the designated kiosk to identify the one or more requested items; and

providing instructions to the kiosk management system to initiate payment for the one or more requested items using the pre-registered account information stored by the kiosk management system with respect to the consumer.

15. The portable device of claim 14, wherein the method implemented by the processor device further comprises:

receiving a notification from the kiosk management system when the one or more requested items are currently available and reserved at the designated kiosk for retrieval;

receiving, from the kiosk management system, a code unique to the transaction, the code indicating that at least one of the one or more requested items is reserved at a designated kiosk; and

receiving a confirmation of the transaction indicating that the transaction is complete after the code is verified and the one or more requested items are retrieved from the designated kiosk.

16. The portable device of claim 14, wherein the method implemented by the processor device further comprises, when the one or more requested items are included from the plurality of items currently provided by the plurality of kiosks, at least:

receiving from the kiosk management system a subset of kiosks in the plurality of kiosks within a predetermined proximity of a location, the subset of kiosks currently providing at least one of the one or more requested items; and

transmitting the selection of the designated kiosk from the subset to the kiosk management system to reserve the at least one of the one or more requested items at the designated kiosk.

17. The portable device of claim 14, the method implemented by the processor device further comprising at least:

interacting with the designated kiosk to provide the code, wherein the interaction is a wireless interaction.

18. The portable device of claim 14, the method implemented by the processor device further comprising at least:

displaying the code on the display.

19. The portable device of claim 14, the method implemented by the processor device further comprising at least:

receiving a payment confirmation when the payment for the one or more requested items has been completed.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media of a portable device of a consumer having collectively thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor device of the portable device, cause the portable device to, at least:

generate a request to conduct a transaction for a requested item;

transmit the request including the requested item from the portable device to a kiosk management system;

receive, from the kiosk management system, a code generated with respect to the transaction and information about a designated kiosk in a plurality of kiosks, the designated kiosk having available the requested item;

upon determining that the portable device is within a proximity of the designated kiosk, request permission to initiate retrieval of the requested item; and

upon receiving permission to initiate retrieval of the requested item, provide the code to the designated kiosk via wireless transmission and without further interaction by the consumer cause the designated kiosk, without interaction by the consumer, to;

identify the requested item based upon the code;

determine an item storage location associated with the requested item;

identify a releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location;

instruct the releasing mechanism to release the requested item to a distribution unit from the item storage location; and

instruct the kiosk management system to initiate payment for the requested item using pre-registered account information stored at the kiosk management system in association with the portable device.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 20, the computer-readable media further configured to:

prior to receiving the code;

transmit at least a portion of the pre-registered account information to at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk; and

receive a confirmation from at least one of the kiosk management system or the designated kiosk that the payment information has been verified using the pre-registered account information.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 20, the computer-readable media further configured to at least display the code.

23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the code is a quick response (QR), one dimensional or two dimensional bar code, or any code capable of being read by a scanner.

24. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the code is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters or symbols.