KIOSK TRANSACTIONS

• US 20150220896A1
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Carr, David Jon, Ramsden, Richard Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/169,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

The current disclosure extends to facilitation of a transaction for one or more items with a customer via a kiosk. In embodiments, the kiosk is located at or proximate to a retail store. In embodiments, a customer can order products or services via an ordering platform such as a merchant website. The customer may receive an order confirmation and a unique transaction identifier. The customer may then travel to a kiosk at the store and enter the transaction identifier to recall the order. While the order is open at the kiosk, the customer may add or substitute items, order specialty items such as prescriptions or fuel, make payment, and confirm the transaction. Purchased items may then be carried out to the customer at the kiosk.

Claims

1. A method for carrying out a transaction comprising:

at an ordering interface, initiating a transaction with a customer for one or more items;

generating a unique transaction identifier;

transmitting the transaction identifier to the customer;

at a computer terminal kiosk, receiving the transaction identifier; and

transmitting instructions to a picker associate to gather the one or more items and deliver the one or more items to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising carrying the one or more items to the customer at the computer terminal kiosk.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting payment for the transaction at the computer terminal kiosk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer terminal kiosk is at a retail store drive-through lane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer terminal kiosk is at a retail store parking lot.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising effecting a purchase of fuel at the computer terminal kiosk.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising suggesting a substitute item for the one or more items.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising effecting a purchase of photo prints at the computer terminal kiosk.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the transaction identifier further comprises scanning a code at the computer terminal kiosk.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

initiating the transaction with a customer comprises authenticating the customer to a customer account and

receiving the transaction identifier comprises authenticating the customer to the customer account at the computer terminal kiosk.

11. A method for carrying out a transaction comprising:

receiving, from a customer, a product order for at least one item via a web-based ordering platform;

assigning a unique identifier to the transaction;

at a computer terminal kiosk, receiving the unique identifier input by the customer;

transmitting data reflecting the product order to the computer terminal kiosk; and

delivering the at least one item to the customer at the computer terminal kiosk.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising at the computer terminal kiosk, confirming the product order.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising accepting payment for the product order at the computer terminal kiosk.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the unique identifier input by the customer comprises scanning, at the computer terminal kiosk, a code.

15. A system for carrying out a transaction comprising:

a computer terminal kiosk adapted to;

receive data regarding at least one item in the transaction;

accept payment for the transaction; and

effect a change to the transaction;

a kiosk backend server adapted to communicate with the computer terminal kiosk; and

at least one associate device adapted to;

receive a communication regarding the at least one item and

provide instructions to a picker associate to gather the at least one item for delivery to a customer at the computer terminal kiosk.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer terminal kiosk is at a retail store drive-through lane.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer terminal kiosk is at a retail store parking lot.