Portable shopping and order fulfillment system

• US 7,040,541 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Beach, Robert, Klein, John, Roslak, Thomas K., Murrah, Judith, Premutico, Mauro, Swartz, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US09/487,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20020050526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 235/376, 235/378, 235/383, 235/385, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/472.01, 235/472.02
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 : Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 : in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved order fulfillment system. The system is provided with improved data entry system for selecting items for purchase by a customer, and an improved item collection terminal and order delivery system. The portable terminal to be used for collecting of items is provided with an audio as well as video presentation means which are used to provide assistance to the to terminal user.

Claims

1. A system that fulfills orders placed from a remote computer, said system comprising:

a communication network for communicating an order from the remote computer to a central order processor, said order including a customer destination location for delivering a completed order;

a portable terminal having a data communication network connection for retrieving the order from the central order processor;

a reusable tote electronically matchable to a customer identification code for containment of items included in the order; and

a vehicle cradle for mounting on a motorized delivery vehicle for delivering goods to the customer destination location, said vehicle cradle including a housing for removably receiving said portable terminal, a power management system for delivering power to said portable terminal and a communication port for communicating data from said vehicle cradle to said portable terminal;

wherein said portable terminal is operable within said vehicle cradle and at a location remote from said vehicle cradle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle cradle couples to a wide area network antenna for communicating signal to the central order processor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle cradle is coupled to a GPS antenna and location processor for deriving the coordinates of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 the vehicle cradle further comprises:

an antenna transmitter for transmitting a set of transmission signals received from the portable terminal over the communication port over a wireless wide area communication network.

5. The system of claim 1 the communication port is a wireless communication transceiver.

6. The vehicle cradle of claim 5 wherein the communication port is an infra-red communication transceiver.

7. The system of claim 1, the vehicle cradle comprises:

a housing configured to allow a user to secure and remove the portable terminal;

a battery charger for charging a battery within the portable terminal;

a communication port for receiving order data from the portable terminal, the order data including a customer destination location for a delivery of completed order by the motorized vehicle; and

a signal transmitter for transmitting the order data received from the portable terminal over a wide area wireless communication network to an order server.