SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING UTILIZATION OF INVENTORY SPACE FOR DISPENSABLE ARTICLES

• US 20130238116A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Smith, Thomas Franklin, Martinka, William, Polubinski, Jim Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing the utilization of inventory space for articles dispensable from an article dispensing machine is provided. A subset of articles in the article dispensing machine may be targeted for removal. Based on a list of the subset of articles, the article dispensing machine may move the subset of articles from a storage unit to a predetermined area. The subset of articles may be removed from the predetermined area, followed by loading of new articles to the predetermined area. Quicker and more efficient removal and loading of articles from and to the article dispensing machine may result.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of receiving slots, the method comprising:

receiving a list identifying a subset of the plurality of articles, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine, wherein the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

moving the subset of the plurality of articles to one or more of a merchandising zone of the storage unit and an article removal bin from a non-merchandising zone of the storage unit, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles makes one or more of the plurality of receiving slots available for a new article that is eligible for a customer transaction;

receiving a command through the user interface for initiating inventory management of the article dispensing machine;

receiving a load confirmation through the user interface indicating that the new article has been loaded into the merchandising zone; and

moving the new article from the merchandising zone to the non-merchandising zone of the storage unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a removal confirmation through the user interface indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the one or more of the merchandising zone of the storage unit and the article removal bin.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

moving the thinned article to the merchandising zone; and

moving one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the merchandising zone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving one or more of the thinned article, the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article from the merchandising zone to the article removal bin.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to the user interface, an indication of one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to receiving the command.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, using a picker device, one or more of the subset of the plurality of articles from the merchandising zone at one or more of a remove starting location or a remove ending location of the subset of the plurality of articles in the merchandising zone, in response to receiving the command.

10. A method of optimizing utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in an article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a user interface, a processor, and a non-removable storage unit for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of storage racks, the plurality of storage racks comprising a plurality of receiving slots, the method comprising:

moving a subset of the plurality of articles from the storage unit to a predetermined area of the article dispensing machine, the subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine, the predetermined area comprising one or more of a merchandising zone of the storage unit or an article removal bin;

receiving a removal confirmation through the user interface indicating that the subset of the plurality of articles has been removed from the predetermined area;

receiving a load confirmation through the user interface indicating that a new article has been loaded into the merchandising zone; and

moving the new article from the merchandising zone to an optimized storage rack of the storage unit, the optimized storage rack selected from the plurality of storage racks such that the optimized storage rack is nearest to a picker device of the article dispensing machine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the new article has a higher transaction volume as compared to other articles of the plurality of articles.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the optimized storage rack comprises an optimized receiving slot of the plurality of receiving slots, the optimized receiving slot nearest to the picker device; and

moving the new article comprises moving the new article from the merchandising zone to the optimized receiving slot.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the subset of the plurality of articles targeted for removal comprises one or more of a thinned article, a damaged article, a fraudulent article, a wrong title article, or a do not rent (DNR) article;

the thinned article comprises a first article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on one or more of an upcoming expiration of a transaction eligibility cutoff date or a business decision; and

the DNR article comprises a second article of the plurality of articles that is targeted for removal based on an expiration of the transaction eligibility cutoff date.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the subset of the plurality of articles comprises:

moving the thinned article to the merchandising zone; and

moving one or more of the damaged article, the fraudulent article, the wrong title article, or the DNR article to the article removal bin.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a command through the user interface for initiating inventory management of the article dispensing machine.

16. A method of retrofitting an article dispensing machine for optimizing utilization of inventory space for a plurality of articles in the article dispensing machine, the article dispensing machine comprising a non-removable storage unit, the storage unit comprising one or more storage racks for holding the plurality of articles in a plurality of receiving slots, the method comprising:

adding an additional storage rack to the storage unit, wherein the additional storage rack is for holding a first subset of the plurality of articles;

installing an article removal bin to the article dispensing machine, wherein the article removal bin is for holding a second subset of the plurality of articles, the second subset targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine; and

updating software of the article dispensing machine, the software for allowing the first subset to be held in the additional storage rack and the second subset to be placed in the article removal bin.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing space in the article dispensing machine for one or more of the additional storage rack to be added or the article removal bin to be installed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing space comprises one or more of removing an existing apparatus in the article dispensing machine or securing a wiring bundle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the additional storage rack rotates together with the one or more storage racks.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising installing a merchandising zone indicator on the one or more storage racks and the additional storage rack, wherein the merchandising zone indicator is for identifying a merchandising zone of the storage unit, the merchandising zone for holding one or more of the second subset of the plurality of articles or a new article.