Retail location robotic wall system and mobile retail sales vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049351-B2
Application number	US-201615362428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	May 25, 2011
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A robotic retail wall is presented allowing for the dispensing of merchandise within a retail location. The robotic wall includes commodity products and robotics that pick and deliver products to consumers in response to input at a kiosk. The robotics and products are separated from a retail space by a transparent barrier, allowing consumers in the retail space to view the actions of the robotics in retrieving a product. Behind the robotic wall is a product stocking area, where commodity products can be added to the robotic wall with assistance from the robotics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transporting and selling products, the system comprising:
a wheeled mobile retail sales vehicle having a semi-trailer, the semi-trailer containing:
a product rack having a first horizontal rail and a second horizontal rail parallel to the first rail,
a first product suspended by a first pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails,
a second product suspended by a second pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails, and
robotics operable to retrieve the first and second products from the product rack and deliver the first and second products to a product delivery area provided from the semi-trailer;

a product rack cover, the product rack cover movable between a restraint position in which the product rack cover is engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips, and an open position in which the product rack cover is not engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips; and
wherein the robotics are able to retrieve the first and second products when the product rack cover is in the open position, and the robotics are unable to retrieve the first and second products when the product rack cover is in the restraint position.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional product racks aligned in vertical columns and horizontal rows; and
a plurality of additional product rack covers positioned to cover the horizontal rows, each product rack cover having a restraint position and an open position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a solid lid.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a wire mesh.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a pair of parallel horizontal arms spaced apart substantially the same distance as the first and second rails, wherein the horizontal arms are moveable in concert to engage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the restraint position and disengage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the open position.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of additional product racks aligned in a horizontal row, wherein the product rack cover further comprises a plurality of additional pairs of parallel horizontal arms aligned in a horizontal plane, each pair of horizontal arms being spaced apart substantially the same distance as rails of the additional product racks.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a kiosk, the kiosk having a user interface to allow selection of the first product based on a first product identifier, the kiosk to:
trigger a command for the robotics to locate the first product at a first stocking location chosen from one or more stocking locations, using the first product identifier; and
deliver the first product to the product delivery area.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of additional kiosks, each having a separate user interface, wherein each kiosk is configured to trigger respective commands for the robotics to select additional products and deliver the additional products to the product delivery area.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a robotic wall attached to the semi-trailer, wherein the product rack is one of a plurality of product racks hosted within the robotic wall; and
a barrier between an interior and an exterior of the robotic wall;
wherein the product delivery area passes from the interior to the exterior of the robotic wall.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising an electronic tracking system, the electronic tracking system to maintain inventory and track respective stocking locations of a plurality of products including the first and second products within the plurality of product racks hosted within the robotic wall.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotics operate to:
stock a plurality of products including the first and second products within an inventory area that includes the product rack, wherein the plurality of products are automatically stocked at respective stocking locations by the robotics throughout the inventory area to mix stocking locations of different retail products associated with different product identifiers;
locate the first product from the inventory area based on a corresponding stocking location; and
deliver the first product to the product delivery area.

12. A system for transporting and selling products, the system comprising:
a storage unit attachable to a mobile vehicle, the storage unit defining:
a product rack having a first horizontal rail and a second horizontal rail parallel to the first rail,
a first product suspended by a first pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails, and
a second product suspended by a second pair of overhang lips overhanging the first and second rails;

robotics operable to retrieve the first and second products from the product rack and deliver the first and second products to a product delivery area provided from the mobile vehicle; and
a product rack cover engageable with the storage unit, the product rack cover movable between a restraint position in which the cover is engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips, and an open position in which the product rack cover is not engaged with the first and second pair of overhang lips;
wherein the robotics are able to retrieve the first and second products when the product rack cover is in the open position, and the robotics are unable to retrieve the first and second products when the product rack cover is in the restraint position.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional product racks aligned in vertical columns and horizontal rows; and
a plurality of additional product rack covers positioned to cover the horizontal rows, each product rack cover having a restraint position and an open position.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a solid lid.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a wire mesh.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the product rack cover comprises a pair of parallel horizontal arms spaced apart substantially the same distance as the first and second rails, wherein the horizontal arms are moveable in concert to engage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the restraint position and disengage the first and second pair of overhang lips in the open position.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of additional product racks aligned in a horizontal row, wherein the product rack cover further comprises a plurality of additional pairs of parallel horizontal arms aligned in a horizontal plane, each pair of horizontal arms being spaced apart substantially the same distance as rails of the additional product racks.

18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a kiosk, the kiosk having a user interface to allow selection of the first product based on a first product identifier, the kiosk to:
trigger a command for the robotics to locate the first product at a first stocking location chosen from one or more stocking locations, using the first product identifier; and
deliver the first product to the product delivery area.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of additional kiosks, each having a separate user interface, wherein each kiosk is configured to trigger respective commands for the robotics to select additional products and deliver the additional products to the pr

Assignees

• Bby Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Stiernagle Chad

Classifications

• G07F9/002

  Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q20/18 Primary

  involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals · CPC title

• B60P3/0257

  the object being a vending stall, restaurant or food kiosk · CPC title

• G07F11/165

  using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements · CPC title