PICKUP LOCATIONS

• US 20130262251A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wan, Lin, Lakshman, Girish, Bhaskaran, Michael Mahesh, Ferguson, Eric T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,830,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A pickup location that includes a control station and one or more storage compartment modules provides the ability for items to be ordered and delivered for pickup by a user without having to pack those items in a shipping package prior to shipping from a materials handling facility. Delivering items for pickup by a user without having to package the items prior to shipping, may provide a better experience for the customer, reduce waste in packaging material and a lower cost of delivering the ordered items to the customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with executable instructions,

receiving from a customer a request to purchase an item;

identifying a pickup location at which the item may be delivered and stored for retrieval;

causing the item to be picked from inventory at a materials handling facility and placed in a delivery container;

initiating transport of the delivery container from the materials handling facility to the identified pickup location, wherein the item is not packed in a shipping package prior to transport;

providing instructions at the pickup location to remove the item from the delivery container;

providing instructions at the pickup location to place the item into a storage compartment of the identified pickup location; and

messaging to the customer that the item is available for pickup at the pickup location.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second order for a second item that may be delivered and stored for retrieval at the pickup location;

causing the second item to be picked from inventory at the materials handling facility and placed in the delivery container; and

wherein transporting the delivery container includes transporting the second item in the delivery container, and wherein the second item is not packed in a shipping package prior to transport.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

providing instructions at the pickup location to remove the second item from the delivery container; and

providing instructions at the pickup location to place the second item into a second storage compartment of the identified pickup location.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

messaging to a second customer that the second item is available for pickup at the pickup location.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving from a customer a request to purchase an item includes receiving from the customer a request to purchase a second item.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

causing the second item to be picked from inventory at a second materials handling facility and placed in a second delivery container;

initiating transport of the second delivery container from the second materials handling facility to the identified pickup location, wherein the second item is not packed in a shipping package prior to transport;

providing instructions at the pickup location to place the second item into the storage compartment of the identified pickup location; and

wherein messaging to the customer that the item is available for pickup at the pickup location is performed after the item and the second item are placed in the storage compartment.

7. One or more computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

identifying a first delivery container at a pickup location, the first delivery container including a first item;

identifying a second delivery container at the pickup location, the second delivery container including a second item;

identifying a storage compartment at the pickup location;

providing instructions to place the first item and the second item in the identified storage compartment; and

wherein at least one of the first item and the second item are not packed in a shipping package.

8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, the acts further comprising:

messaging a customer that the first item and the second item are available for pickup at the pickup location.

9. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the second delivery container is stored in a second storage compartment of the pickup location.

10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the first delivery container includes a plurality of items.

11. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein a third item is to be placed in the identified storage compartment along with the first item and the second item.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the first delivery container is received at the pickup location during a first time internal and the second delivery container is received at the pickup location during a second time interval.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the first delivery container is received from a first materials handling facility and the second delivery container is received from a second materials handling facility.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein providing instructions to place the first item and the second item in the identified storage compartment includes placing the first delivery container and the second delivery container in the identified storage compartment.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein providing instructions to place the first item and the second item in the identified storage compartment further includes:

providing instructions to place the first item in the second delivery container and place the second delivery container that includes both the first item and the second item in the identified storage compartment.

16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, the acts further comprising:

identifying a third delivery container at the pickup location, the third delivery container including a third item; and

,

wherein providing instructions to place the first item and the second item in the identified storage compartment further includes instructions to place the third item in the identified storage compartment.

17. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein identifying a second delivery container includes identifying a storage compartment at the pickup location that currently includes the second delivery container.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein identify a first delivery container at a pickup location includes scanning a barcode located on the first delivery container.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for preparing a delivery container at a materials handling facility for transport to a pickup location, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to:

identify a first shipment set for a first item to be transported to the pickup location for retrieval;

identify a second shipment set for a second item to be transported to a pickup location for retrieval;

initiate picking of the first item and the second item, the first item and the second item picked into the delivery container; and

initiate transport of the delivery container to the pickup location, wherein the first item and the second item are transported in the delivery container and not packed in a shipping package.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the processor to:

identify a third shipment set for a third item to be transported to a second pickup location for retrieval;

initiate picking of the third item, the third item picked into a second delivery container; and

sequence loading of the delivery container and the second delivery container to correspond to a delivery route.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the processor to:

identify a third shipment set for a third item to be transported to a second pickup location for retrieval;

initiate picking of the third item, the third item picked into a second delivery container; and

sequence picking of the first item, second item and third item to correspond to a loading plan for the delivery container and the second delivery container.

22. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with executable instructions,

identifying an item included in a storage compartment of a pickup location;

determining if the item is to be returned to a materials handling facility;

providing instructions to retrieve the item from the storage compartment; and

initiate return of the item to the materials handling facility.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

canceling at least a portion of an order associated with the item.

24. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein determining if the item is to be returned includes determining that the item is no longer a high-volume item.

25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein determining if the item is to be returned includes determining that the item is associated with an order and a second item of the order has not been received at the pickup location.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

canceling the order and initiating a request to fulfill the order from a materials handling facility.