Automated-service retail system and method

• US 11,142,402 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2017
• Issued: 10/12/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alert Innovation Inc. (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Lert, Jr., John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/816,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20180134492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41815 characterised by the cooperation between machine tools, manipulators and conveyor or other workpiece supply system, workcell
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A combination automated-service and self-service store for implementation at brick-and-mortar retail locations is provided. The store and corresponding method of implementation is an automated-service model in which robots, deployed at the brick-and-mortar location, fill orders for fungible goods placed by customers either online or in-store. The store also includes a shopping section where customers can select/order items and/or personally select non-fungible goods. The store includes a shopping section for non-fungible goods that customers prefer to pick out by hand and a back end automated order fulfillment section for other goods (e.g., fungible goods, dry goods, etc.). The two sets of goods are merged to a delivery bundle and delivered together for pickup by the customer. The combination automated-service and self-service store combines the convenience of online shopping and self-service shopping using an unconventional approach that reduces costs for the retailer and simultaneously increases customer satisfaction.

Claims

1. An automated store, comprising:

a marketplace comprising;

non-fungible goods sections configured to present one or more non-fungible goods to a customer or customer proxy for picking of specific ones of the non-fungible goods,

one or more screens co-located in the marketplace with the non-fungible goods sections, the one or more screens configured to display a virtual fungible-goods market for the customer or customer proxy to order one or more fungible goods;

an automated fulfillment section physically separate from the marketplace, the automated fulfillment section comprising;

an automated fulfillment system configured to receive the order of one or more fungible goods selected by the customer or customer proxy, the automated fulfillment system comprising;

a storage structure comprising a plurality of rack structures separated by aisles and having a plurality of storage levels, the storage structure configured to store a plurality of totes; and

at least one mobile robot capable of storing and retrieving totes from the storage structure;

wherein the at least one mobile robot picks one or more totes with the one or more fungible goods and a picker places the one or more fungible goods into one or more order totes for delivery to the customer; and

a delivery section configured to deliver the one or more order totes from the automated fulfillment section to the customer or a delivery proxy.

2. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the automated fulfillment system stores totes containing non-fungible goods picked by the customer or a proxy picker from the marketplace.

3. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the one or more screens displaying the virtual fungible-goods market comprises a virtual display with images of the one or more fungible goods that are selectable images.

4. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the marketplace further comprises a physical display of the one or more fungible goods that include scannable codes.

5. The automated store of claim 1, further comprising picking stations including pickers that custom-pick non-fungible goods based on instruction from the customer, wherein the pickers are human or wherein the pickers are robotic.

6. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the order totes comprise a delivery bundle and the delivery bundle comprises one or more shopping bags containing the one or more fungible goods, the one or more non-fungible goods, or both.

7. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the marketplace is on a ground level of the automated store and the automated fulfillment section is above the marketplace.

8. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the automated fulfillment section is on a ground level of the automated store and the marketplace is above the automated fulfillment section.

9. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the automated fulfillment section includes an inventory of fungible goods in the storage system configured for automated picking by the at least one mobile robot.

10. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the one or more fungible goods are disposed in totes stored in the plurality of rack modules of the automated fulfillment system.

11. The automated store of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile robot propels itself horizontally and vertically throughout the storage structure, placing totes into the storage structure, removing totes from the storage structure, and transporting totes.

12. The automated store of claim 1, further comprising drop-off stations configured to receive totes containing the one or more non-fungible goods.

13. The automated store of claim 12, wherein:

the drop-off stations comprise assessment tools configured to identify the one or more non-fungible goods;

the assessment tools comprise a scale for determining weight; and

the assessment tools comprise an optical scanner for reading images, labels or codes.

14. The automated store of claim 12, wherein the one or more non-fungible goods are placed in the totes.

15. A system for implementing an automated store service model, the system comprising:

a physical store location;

an order processing tool at the physical store location configured to receive information from a good hand-picked by a customer, the information comprising an identification of the good, and the order processing tool configured to present the customer with measured information relating to non-fungible goods enabling the customer to select a specific non-fungible good from a single category of non-fungible goods;

a display at the physical store location for displaying images associated with the measured information of the non-fungible goods available for selection, the customer or proxy for the customer selecting the specific non-fungible good from the single category of non-fungible goods using the order processing tool based on the images and measured information for the non-fungible goods;

a non-fungible goods fulfillment tool at the physical store location configured to tally the specific non-fungible good hand-picked by the customer, and selected by the customer after viewing images and measured information for the one or more non-fungible goods from the display;

an automated service fulfillment tool at the physical store location configured to instruct automated robots to pick one or more fungible goods included within the at least one order;

a delivery section at the physical store location for combining the one or more hand-picked non-fungible goods with the one or more fungible goods for delivery to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a scale for weighing the good hand-picked by the customer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the order processing tool and non-fungible goods fulfillment tool are integrated as a single tool.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the measured information comprises a weight of the good, a degree of ripeness of the good or a level of firmness of the good.

19. A system for implementing an automated store service model, the system comprising:

a physical marketplace comprising;

non-fungible goods sections configured to present one or more non-fungible goods to a customer or customer proxy for picking of specific ones of the non-fungible goods for purchase,

a screen adjacent to a non-fungible good section of the non-fungible goods sections, the screen configured to display a virtual image of a fungible good related to the non-fungible good to which the screen is adjacent, the screen allowing the customer or customer proxy to select the fungible good for purchase;

an automated service fulfillment tool configured to instruct automated robots to pick one or more fungible goods selected by the customer or customer proxy, including the fungible good selected by the screen;

a delivery section for combining the one or more hand-picked non-fungible goods with the one or more fungible goods for delivery to the customer or a delivery proxy for the customer.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a scale for weighing the good hand-picked by the customer.