Systems and methods for managing an inventory of products purchased by customers from a retailer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017270472-A1
Application number	US-201715463175-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that permit a customer to purchase one or more products but not take possession of the products or cause delivery of the products at the time of the purchase order. The products are then stored at one or more product storage locations of the retailer while being marked as purchased by the customer in an inventory management database of the retailer. The customer is provided with a customer interface including a plurality of input fields configured to allow the customer to define one or both of: a delivery time period and a delivery destination for delivery of at least a portion of the products purchased by the customer; and a pickup location and a pickup time period for at least a portion of the products purchased by the customer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system of managing an inventory of products purchased by a customer from a retailer, the system comprising:
an order processing server of the retailer configured to process a purchase order by a customer for a plurality of products, wherein the customer does not take possession of the plurality of products or cause delivery of the plurality of products at the time of the purchase order; wherein the order processing server is configured to:
generate a graphical interface configured to permit the customer to select at least one storage location of the retailer for storing the plurality of products being purchased by the customer, duration of storage of the plurality or products being purchased by the customer at the selected at least one storage location of the retailer, and storage conditions for storing the plurality of products being purchased by the customer at the selected at least one storage location of the retailer; and
generate a price for the plurality of products based on the at least one storage location, duration of storage, and storage conditions selected by the customer;
an inventory management database configured to store electronic data associated with the plurality of products purchased by the customer, the plurality of products purchased by the customer at the price generated by the order processing server being marked in the inventory management database of the retailer as being purchased by the customer, the plurality of products marked as being purchased by the customer being stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer selected by the customer, for the storage duration selected by the customer, and at the storage conditions selected by the customer until subsequent delivery to the customer or pickup by the customer; and a customer access interface including a plurality of input fields configured to allow the customer to define one or both of:
a delivery time period and a delivery destination for delivery of at least a portion of the plurality of products; and a pickup location; and
a pickup time period for at least a portion of the plurality of products.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer interface includes at least one input field configured to permit the customer, via entering information into the at least one field of the customer interface, to select a product type associated with the plurality of products being purchased by the customer, the product type being selected from a group consisting of frozen, fresh, perishable, toxic, flammable, and breakable, and wherein the order processing server is further configured to generate the price for the plurality of products based the product type being purchased by the customer.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer interface includes at least one input field configured to permit the customer, via entering information into the at least one input field of the customer interface, to access electronic data stored in the inventory management database and indicating a location of the at least one storage location of the retailer where the plurality of products purchased by the customer are stored, and to access electronic data stored in the inventory management database and indicating a total number of units of the products purchased by the customer that are stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer interface includes at least one input field configured to permit the customer, via entering information into the at least one input field of the customer interface, to at least one of: view and modify a delivery list for the at least a portion of the plurality of products purchased by the customer from the retailer; select delivery of the at least a portion of the plurality of products purchased by the customer from the retailer from the at least one storage location of the retailer to the delivery destination defined by the customer; and select pick-up of the at least a portion of the plurality of products purchased by the customer from the retailer at the one or more storage locations of the retailer.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer interface includes at least one input field configured to permit the customer, via entering information into the at least one input field of the customer interface, to at least one of: set up time intervals for automatic delivery of the at least a portion of the plurality of products purchased by the customer from the retailer from the at least one storage location of the retailer to the destination defined by the customer; enable automatic reordering of the at least a portion of the plurality of products delivered from the at least one storage location of the retailer to the destination defined by the customer; and set-up periodic notification alerts to be sent to an electronic device of the customer to remind the customer to arrange for delivery, pick-up, and reorder of the at least a portion of the plurality of products purchased by the customer from the retailer.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a retailer access interface, the retailer access interface including a plurality of input fields configured to permit the retailer to at least one of: access the inventory management database to view the electronic data associated with the plurality of products purchased by the customer and stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer; and to set at least one business rule in association with the plurality of products purchased by the customer and stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a retailer access interface, wherein the retailer access interface includes at least one input field configured to permit the retailer, via entering information into the at least one input field of the retailer access interface, to set at least one business rule governing pricing for the plurality of products purchased by the customer and stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer, the pricing being based on the at least one storage location, duration of storage, and storage conditions selected by the customer for the plurality of products being purchased by the customer and at least one of a total number of units of the products being purchased by the customer and delivery options associated with the plurality of products being purchased by the customer.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a retailer access interface, wherein the retailer access interface at least one input field configured to permit the retailer, via entering information into the at least one input field of the retailer access interface, to set at least one business rule permitting at least one of the plurality of products purchased by the customer and stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer to be delivered to a different customer of the retailer to fulfill an active product order, the business rule providing for replacement at the at least one storage location of the retailer of the at least one of the plurality of products purchased by the customer after removal of the at least one of the plurality of products purchased by the customer for delivery to the different customer.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one smart label on the plurality of products purchased by the customer and stored at the at least one storage location of the retailer, the at least one smart label being configured to: monitor an expiration date and storage conditions for the plurality of products purchased by the customer, the storage conditions including temperature, humidity, dust count, pollen count, and aller

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Halbrook Courtland J
• Hendricks Joseph W

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G06Q30/0623

  by investigating goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0633

  Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title