To-go cubby unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12303050-B2
Application number	US-202418601660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2024
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A cubby unit includes a plurality of cubbies and one or more processing circuits. Each of the plurality of cubbies includes a cubby housing defining an internal compartment, a light disposed within the internal compartment, and a door. The door facilitates accessing the internal compartment of the cubby housing. At least a portion of the door is transparent. The one or more processing circuits are configured to to acquire access information, determine whether the access information is associated with a respective order within a respective cubby of the plurality of cubbies, and activate the light of the respective cubby in response to the access information being associated with the respective order such that light emitted by the light shines through the portion of the door that is transparent of the respective cubby to indicate in which one of the plurality of cubbies the respective order is located.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cubby unit comprising:
a plurality of cubbies, each of the plurality of cubbies including:
a cubby housing defining an internal compartment;
a light disposed within the internal compartment; and
a door coupled to the cubby housing, the door facilitates accessing the internal compartment of the cubby housing, at least a portion of the door is transparent;

one or more processing circuits including one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
acquire access information;
determine whether the access information is associated with a respective order within a respective cubby of the plurality of cubbies; and
activate the light of the respective cubby in response to the access information being associated with the respective order such that light emitted by the light shines through the portion of the door that is transparent of the respective cubby to indicate in which one of the plurality of cubbies the respective order is located; and

a human-machine interface configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interfaces including:
a first interface that provides a plurality of selectable cubby tiles, each of the plurality of selectable cubby tiles displaying an identifier associated with a respective one of the plurality of cubbies, the plurality of selectable cubby tiles (a) indicate which of the plurality of cubbies are occupied cubbies, (b) indicate which of the plurality of cubbies are unoccupied cubbies, and (c) facilitate manual assignment of a respective unoccupied cubby to the respective order by selecting a respective cubby tile of the plurality of selectable cubby tiles associated with the respective unoccupied cubby through the first interface; and
a second interface provided in response to the respective cubby tile being selected through the first interface, the second interface providing a keyboard that facilitates entering order information associated with the respective order to associate the respective order with the respective unoccupied cubby.

2. The cubby unit of claim 1 , wherein the access information is transmitted to a customer associated with the respective order by at least one of the cubby unit or an external system separate from the cubby unit.

3. The cubby unit of claim 1 , wherein the access information is acquired from a customer through the human-machine interface.

4. The cubby unit of claim 1 , further comprising a communications interface, wherein the access information is acquired wirelessly from a device of a customer using the communications interface.

5. The cubby unit of claim 1 , further comprising a scanner, wherein the access information is acquired using the scanner.

6. The cubby unit of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal management system configured to facilitate thermally regulating a temperature of a product selectively received within the internal compartment of at least one of the plurality of cubbies.

7. The cubby unit of claim 6 , wherein the one or more memory devices store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
acquire an indication regarding a characteristic of the product received by the internal compartment; and
control the thermal management system to regulate the temperature of the product based on the indication.

8. The cubby unit of claim 6 , wherein the one or more memory devices store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to control the thermal management system following removal of the product from the internal compartment such that the respective cubby is not thermally regulated.

9. The cubby unit of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cubbies includes a locking mechanism positioned to selectively lock and unlock the door, and wherein the one or more memory devices store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to disengage the locking mechanism of the respective cubby to unlock the door of the respective cubby in response to the access information being associated with the respective order.

10. The cubby unit of claim 1 , wherein activating the light includes flashing the light.

11. The cubby unit of claim 1 , wherein the door is a first door coupled to a first side of the cubby housing, and wherein each of the plurality of cubbies include a second door coupled to an opposing second side of the cubby housing.

12. The cubby unit of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the second door is transparent.

13. The cubby unit of claim 11 , wherein the human-machine interface is a first human-machine interface positioned on a first side of the cubby unit, further comprising:
a second human-machine interface positioned on an opposing second side to the cubby unit to facilitate entry or acquisition of the access information.

14. A cubby unit comprising:
a plurality of cubbies, each of the plurality of cubbies including:
a cubby housing defining an internal compartment; and
a door coupled to the cubby housing, the door facilitates accessing the internal compartment of the cubby housing; and

a human-machine interface configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interfaces including:
a first interface that provides a plurality of selectable cubby tiles, each of the plurality of selectable cubby tiles displaying an identifier associated with a respective one of the plurality of cubbies, the plurality of selectable cubby tiles (a) indicate which of the plurality of cubbies are occupied cubbies, (b) indicate which of the plurality of cubbies are unoccupied cubbies, and (c) facilitate manual assignment of a respective unoccupied cubby to the respective order by selecting a respective cubby tile of the plurality of selectable cubby tiles associated with the respective unoccupied cubby through the first interface; and
a second interface provided in response to the respective cubby tile being selected through the first interface, the second interface providing a keyboard that facilitates entering order information associated with the respective order to associate the respective order with the respective unoccupied cubby.

15. The cubby unit of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of graphical user interfaces includes a third interface providing the identifier associated with the respective unoccupied cubby that instructs a user to place the respective order in the respective unoccupied cubby manually assigned by the user in response to the order information being received.

16. The cubby unit of claim 14 , wherein a selectable cubby tile of the first interface assigned to an occupied cubby indicates to which order the occupied cubby is associated and includes a timer indicating how long the occupied cubby has been occupied.

Assignees

• Hatco Corp

Inventors

• Jakubowski James
• Wenzel Gerhard
• Ross Michael
• Bley Taylor
• Virgin Jim
• Bassill Nicholas

Classifications

• G07C9/00174

  Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00) · CPC title

• G06Q50/12

  Hotels or restaurants · CPC title

• A47G2029/145

  the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code · CPC title

• A47G2029/142

  the receptacle interior being adapted to receive a transportable deposit container for food or large parcels · CPC title

• A47G2029/147

  the receptacle comprising heating or cooling means · CPC title