Kiosk network in a kiosk management system

• US 9,984,352 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• 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:
  US14/038,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2662, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A kiosk apparatus, method and system of providing and distributing a plurality of items to one or more consumers is provided. Each kiosk in a plurality of kiosks may be configured to communicate with a kiosk management system to provide inventory data, which is provided to consumers such that one or more requested items may be reserved in a transaction. The kiosk may be further configured to interact with the consumer to retrieve the reserved items, where the consumer may use a portable device to interact with the kiosk, or the consumer may be prompted by the kiosk to enter account information and/or a generated code associated with the transaction provided by the kiosk management system. Then, a payment process is initiated with the kiosk management system or other entity, and when the payment process is verified, release the requested items to the consumer.

Claims

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

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

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

receiving, at a kiosk, a query from the kiosk management system for a requested item requested for purchase by the consumer in a transaction;

transmitting, from the kiosk, an inventory status for the requested item to the kiosk management system via a network; and

upon determining the inventory status indicates that the requested item is included in a plurality of items with which the kiosk is pre-stocked;

receiving, at the kiosk, a message from the kiosk management system, the message instructing the kiosk to reserve the requested item and including a generated code for the transaction, the code being unique to the transaction;

reserving, at the kiosk, the requested item from the plurality of items with which the kiosk is pre-stocked;

providing, to the portable device, the code and instructions to cause the portable device to prompt the consumer to initiate retrieval of the requested item upon determining the portable device is in proximity of the kiosk, wherein the instructions further cause the portable device to transmit the code to the kiosk via wireless transmission upon receiving a response to the prompt without further interaction by the consumer;

upon receiving, at the kiosk, the code from the portable device, and without further interaction from the consumer, performing the following steps;

identifying the requested item based on the code;

verifying that the code received from the portable device corresponds to the generated code;

initiating a payment process for the requested item using the pre-registered account information associated with the portable device; and

instructing release of the requested item from the kiosk to the consumer when the payment process is complete by;

determining an item storage location associated with the requested item;

identifying a mechanical releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location; and

instructing the mechanical releasing mechanism to release the requested item from the item storage location.

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

if the inventory status indicates that the requested item is excluded from the plurality of items which the kiosk is pre-stocked,

receiving, at the kiosk, a delivery message from the kiosk management system, the delivery message including delivery information for the requested item that was excluded and including a generated code for the transaction;

receiving, at the kiosk, the requested item that was excluded;

following receipt of the requested item that was excluded, transmitting, from the kiosk, a delivery confirmation for the requested item that was excluded to the kiosk management system;

reserving, at the kiosk, the requested item that was excluded from the plurality of items with which the kiosk is pre-stocked;

receiving, at the kiosk, a code from the portable device when the consumer initiates retrieval of the requested item that was excluded from the kiosk;

verifying that the code received from the portable device corresponds to the generated code;

initiating a payment process for the requested item that was excluded; and

instructing release of requested item that was excluded, from the kiosk to the consumer when the payment process is complete.

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

generating transaction history information related to the transaction; and

transmitting the transaction history information and the pre-registered account information to the kiosk management system.

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

detecting a malfunction at the kiosk; and

transmitting a repair request to the kiosk management system, the repair request including information associated with the malfunction.

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

determining, by the kiosk, that the requested item is associated with at least one promotional offer; and

transmitting, to the kiosk management system, an indication of the at least one promotional offer to be provided to the portable device.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining, at one or more computer systems, pre-registered account information that includes at least payment information for a consumer;

assigning a distribution agent to a kiosk based at least in part on a geographic area associated with the kiosk;

causing the distribution agent to distribute a plurality of items to the kiosk based at least in part on at least one of inventory information, transaction history information, or kiosk information;

when an item from a query is included in the plurality of items stored at the kiosk,

reserving, at the kiosk, the item from the plurality of items stored at the kiosk upon receiving a request for the item from a portable device, the portable device associated with the pre-registered account information;

providing, to the portable device, a code unique to the transaction and instructions to cause the portable device associated with the consumer to prompt the consumer to initiate retrieval of the item upon determining the portable device is in proximity of the kiosk, wherein the instructions further cause the portable device to provide the code to the kiosk without further consumer interaction upon receiving a response to the prompt;

initiating, at the kiosk upon identifying the transaction based on receiving the code from the portable device, a payment process for the item using the pre-registered account information when the consumer initiates retrieval of the item at the kiosk, retrieval of the item at the kiosk being initiated upon receiving the code from the portable device associated with the consumer via a wireless communication; and

instructing release of the item from the kiosk to the consumer when the payment process is completed by, without further interaction from the consumer;

determining an item storage location associated with the item based upon the code;

identifying a releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location; and

instructing the releasing mechanism to release the item from the item storage location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein initiating the payment process further comprises:

identifying payment information associated with the consumer within the pre-registered account information;

initiating an authorization process using the payment information; and

receiving a payment confirmation from the kiosk management system, the payment confirmation indicating that the payment process can be completed.

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

receiving a reservation request from the kiosk management system, the reservation request instructing the kiosk to reserve the item from the plurality of items stored at the kiosk.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein initiating the payment process further comprises:

transmitting the code to the kiosk management system for verification;

receiving a confirmation from the kiosk management system that the code received at the kiosk is verified; and

authorizing release of the item for the kiosk to the consumer.

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

receiving, at the kiosk, the code from the portable device of the consumer, to initiate retrieval of the item;

verifying the code at the kiosk;

transmitting a confirmation to the kiosk management system that the code received at the kiosk is verified; and

authorizing release of the item for the kiosk to the consumer.

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

when the item from the query is excluded from the plurality of items stored at the kiosk,

receiving, at the kiosk, a delivery message from the kiosk management system, the delivery message including delivery information related to the item that was excluded;

receiving, at the kiosk, the item that was excluded, from the distribution agent assigned to the kiosk; and

transmitting a delivery confirmation to the kiosk management system when the item that was excluded is received at the kiosk.

12. A kiosk comprising:

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

wherein the plurality of items were distributed to the kiosk by a distribution agent;

a dispensing unit configured to release a requested item to the consumer from the storage unit;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a management system and with other computing devices;

a memory configured to store inventory information for the plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit; and

a processor device in communication with the storage unit, dispensing unit, wireless communication interface, and memory, the processor device configured to at least;

maintain, with respect to a consumer, pre-registered account information that includes at least payment information and an identification number of a separate computing device;

receive a request for the consumer to conduct a transaction for the requested item; and

upon determining the requested item is among the plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk;

provide, to the separate computing device indicated in the pre-registered account information for the consumer, a code for the transaction and instructions to cause the separate computing device to prompt the consumer to initiate retrieval of the requested item upon determining the separate computing device is in proximity of the kiosk and transmit the code to the kiosk upon receiving a response to the prompt without further consumer interaction, the code being unique to the transaction and to the consumer;

receive the code for the transaction from the separate computing device associated with the pre-registered account information for the consumer via the wireless communication interface;

upon identifying the transaction based on the code, initiate verification of the code;

upon verifying the code, dispense the requested item without further interaction by the consumer by;

identifying a releasing mechanism associated with the requested item;

causing the identified releasing mechanism to release the requested item to the dispensing unit for retrieval; and

causing payment for the requested item to be initiated using the pre-registered account information maintained with respect to the consumer; and

send updated inventory information for the kiosk, to the management system via the wireless communication interface.

13. The kiosk of claim 12, wherein the processor device is further configured to at least:

if the requested item is among the plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk;

receive a reservation request from the management system via the wireless communication interface to reserve the requested item in the storage unit of the kiosk; and

reserve the requested item in the storage unit of the kiosk for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The kiosk of claim 12, wherein the processor device is further configured to at least:

if the requested item is excluded from the plurality of selected items stored in the storage unit of the kiosk,

receive a delivery message from the management system via the wireless communication interface, the delivery message including information related to delivery of the requested item to the kiosk, and a code for the transaction;

receive the requested item;

transmit a delivery confirmation to the management system via the wireless communication interface when the requested item received; and

reserve the requested item in the storage unit of the kiosk.

15. The kiosk of claim 12, wherein the kiosk is located in proximity to a preferred item provider, and wherein the consumer is made eligible for a promotion offered by the preferred item provider.

16. The kiosk of claim 12, wherein the kiosk is one of a plurality of kiosks located in a geographic area, wherein the distribution agent is one of a plurality of distribution agents, and wherein the distribution agent is assigned from the plurality of distribution agents to the kiosk based at least in part on the geographic area.

17. The kiosk of claim 16, wherein the kiosk is maintained by the distribution agent assigned from the plurality of distribution agents.

18. The kiosk of claim 12, wherein the consumer is a first consumer, wherein the request identifies a second consumer specified by the first consumer, wherein the separate computing device from which the code is received is associated with the second consumer, and wherein the requested item is released to the dispensing unit for retrieval by the second consumer when the payment process is complete.

19. 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:

maintaining pre-registered account information for a consumer, the pre-registered account information including at least payment information and an indication of a portable device;

maintaining inventory information for a plurality of items stored in a 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 a geographic area in which the kiosk is located;

providing, to the portable device indicated by pre-registered account information for the consumer, a code unique to an order transaction and instructions to cause the portable device to prompt the consumer to initiate retrieval of an item upon determining the portable device is within a proximity of the kiosk and to transmit the code to the kiosk upon receiving a response to the prompt without further user interaction;

initiating the order transaction from the consumer for the item stored in the kiosk among the plurality of items distributed to the kiosk by the distribution agent, the order transaction being initiated upon receiving the code from the portable device associated with the consumer via a wireless communication connection and identifying the order transaction based on the code;

dispensing the item from the kiosk to the consumer when the consumer presents the code associated with the order to the kiosk, without further interaction by the consumer, by;

determining an item storage location associated with the item from the kiosk based on the code;

identifying a releasing mechanism associated with the item storage location;

instructing the releasing mechanism to release the item from the item storage location; and

initiating payment for the item using the pre-registered account information;

following dispensing the item from the kiosk to the consumer, 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 management system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the transaction history includes transaction information associated with one or more items dispensed from the kiosk, and the operations further comprise transmitting the transaction history to the management system.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of transaction history to the kiosk management system.