Method of Direct-to-Consumer Reverse Logistics

• US 20110145088A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Eilertsen, Eric, Jones, Titus Arthur, Wellikoff, Nathaniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

A method of reverse logistics using an auction to sell products directly to consumers from a store instead of using a third party reclamation company. One or more methods of auctioning one or more typically unsalable items directly to purchasers from a retail store including the steps of providing a communications multi-network having at least one logic engine, at least one star communication network through which non-location data is transferred to said logic engine, and at least one mesh communication network through which location data is transferred to said logic engine. The method further includes the steps of locating products for purchase that are eligible to be auctioned, the scanning of product codes of each auctionable product, tracking the scanning device in the store, transmitting auctionable product data through the star communication network, sorting auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale, producing a unique identifier for each bundled lot, initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each bundled lot, and auctioning each bundled lot to a best bidder in the auction.

Claims

1. A method of auctioning one or more items directly to purchasers from a retail store, comprising:

a. Providing store shelves in said retail store and products for purchase on said store shelves;

b. Providing a wireless communication network in said retail store;

c. Providing at least one logic engine wherein said logic engine is operatively connected to said wireless communication network;

d. Locating said products for purchase on said store shelves of said retail store eligible to be auctioned, said products for purchase eligible to be auctioned being auctionable products;

e. Scanning a product code of each said auctionable product with a scanning device, said scanning producing auctionable product data and auctionable product location data;

f. Transmitting said auctionable product data through said wireless communication network;

g. Sorting said auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale in said retail store;

h. Producing a unique identifier for each said bundled lot, said unique identifier having machine readable indicium;

i. Initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each said bundled lot directly to said one or more purchasers; and

j. Auctioning each said bundled lot in said auction to said one or more purchasers whereby each said one or more purchasers is selected from the group consisting of a highest bidder in said auction from said retail store and a best bidder in said auction from said retail store.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of scanning a product code of each said auctionable product further comprising said scanning producing auctionable product location data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of tracking said scanning device in said retail store at each said scan of said auctionable product through said auctionable product location data.