Point of purchase packaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042835-B2
Application number	US-201916280185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2019
Priority date	Feb 20, 2019
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A method for point of purchase packaging includes responsive to receiving a selection of an object at a point of purchase, identifying a purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by a conveyor system. Responsive to sorting the plurality of objects based on data received and the purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object, the method instructs an automated packaging system to package the plurality of objects based on the sorting. Responsive to determining a first portion of the plurality of objects are packaged for collection at the point of purchase, the method instructs the conveyor system to send the first portion of the plurality of objects to a first transfer station at the point of purchase for collection by a purchaser of the portion of the plurality of objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a first verbal input for a selection of an object and an instruction associated with the selected object at a point of purchase;
receiving, by one or more processors, a second verbal input for a purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by a conveyor system;
receiving, by one or more processors, data for each object out of a plurality of objects from one or more sensors associated with the conveyor system, wherein the plurality of objects includes the selected object;
responsive to sorting the plurality of objects based on the data received and the purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object, instructing, by one or more processors, an automated packaging system to package the plurality of objects based on the sorting; and
responsive to determining a first portion of the plurality of objects are packaged for collection at the point of purchase, instructing, by one or more processors, the conveyor system to send the first portion of the plurality of objects to a first transfer station at the point of purchase for collection by a purchaser of the first portion of the plurality of objects, wherein the first portion of the plurality of objects includes the selected object.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
instructing, by one or more processors, the conveyor system to send a second portion of the plurality of objects to a second transfer station for collection by a parcel service for delivery to an address provided by the purchaser.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein instructing an automated packaging system to package the plurality of objects based on the sorting, further comprises:
instructing, by one or more processors, the automated packaging system to package the first portion of the plurality of objects in at least one package utilizing packaging material provided in the purchaser defined instruction; and
instructing, by one or more processors, the automated packaging system to package the second portion of the plurality of objects, wherein each object in the second portion of the plurality of objects is packaged.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, manufacturer defined instructions associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by the conveyor system, wherein the manufacturer defined instructions include size specification, weight specification, handling instructions, and stored packaging instructions; and
sorting, by one or more processors, the plurality of objects based on the manufacturer defined instructions, wherein the manufacturer instructions supersedes the purchaser defined instruction.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
responsive to determining the data received for the selected object does not meet the manufacturer defined instruction, instructing, by one or more processors, the conveyor system to remove the selected object prior to sorting the plurality of objects.

6. A computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a first verbal input for a selection of an object and an instruction associated with the selected object at a point of purchase;
program instructions to receive a second verbal input for a purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by a conveyor system;
program instructions to receive data for each object out of a plurality of objects from one or more sensors associated with the conveyor system, wherein the plurality of objects includes the selected object;
program instructions to, responsive to sorting the plurality of objects based on the data received and the purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object, instruct an automated packaging system to package the plurality of objects based on the sorting; and
program instructions to, responsive to determining a first portion of the plurality of objects are packaged for collection at the point of purchase, instruct the conveyor system to send the first portion of the plurality of objects to a first transfer station at the point of purchase for collection by a purchaser of the first portion of the plurality of objects, wherein the first portion of the plurality of objects includes the selected object.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
instruct the conveyor system to send a second portion of the plurality of objects to a second transfer station for collection by a parcel service for delivery to an address provided by the purchaser.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein instructing an automated packaging system to package the plurality of objects based on the sorting, further comprises program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
instruct the automated packaging system to package the first portion of the plurality of objects in at least one package utilizing packaging material provided in the purchaser defined instruction; and
instruct the automated packaging system to package the second portion of the plurality of objects, wherein each object in the second portion of the plurality of objects is packaged.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
identify manufacturer defined instructions associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by the conveyor system, wherein the manufacturer defined instructions include size specification, weight specification, handling instructions, and stored packaging instructions; and
sort the plurality of objects based on the manufacturer defined instructions, wherein the manufacturer instructions supersedes the purchaser defined instruction.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
responsive to determining the data received for the selected object does not meet the manufacturer defined instruction, instruct the conveyor system to remove the selected object prior to sorting the plurality of objects.

11. A computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a first verbal input for a selection of an object and an instruction associated with the selected object at a point of purchase;
program instructions to receive a second verbal input for a purchaser defined instruction associated with the selected object for sorting and packaging by a conveyor system;
program instructions to receive data for each object out of a plurality of objects from one or more sensors associated with the conveyor system, wherein the plurality of objects includes the selected object;
program instructions to, responsive to sorting the plurality of objects based on the data received and the purchaser defined instruction associated

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kline Eric V
• Blake Christopher
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• G06Q30/0601

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• G07G1/0045 Primary

  with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader · CPC title

• B65G2203/042

  Sensors · CPC title