Method and apparatus for mobile pickup stations
OwnerPing Yanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for scheduling delivery and delivery of products to buyers. The products include user ordered meals. A Mobile Pickup Station (MPS) server is placed within a computer network and receives product shipping instructions from buyers or third party sellers. The MPS server determines optimal pickup points using buyer commuting information and buyer delivery requests. A portable kiosk or locker station, enclosing buyers' purchases within individually lockable lockers, is placed at a pickup point chosen by the buyers. The buyers use access codes, such as a product ID and password, to unlock the lockers and receive their purchases.
Claims178
A method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- receiving route information from a buyer by the server;
- selecting from a plurality of pickup points a pickup point based on the route information;
- and
- dispatching a mobile pickup station to the pickup point by the server, the mobile pickup station containing a product ordered.
A method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer, comprising:
- receiving at least one area identifier from a buyer by the server;
- selecting from a plurality of pickup points a pickup point based on the area identifier;
- and dispatching a mobile pickup station to the pickup point by the server, the mobile pickup station containing a product ordered.
A method of displaying to a buyer stores where a product may be purchased, comprising:
- receiving route information from the buyer by the server;
- receiving channel width from the buyer by the server;
- calculating a channel area using the channel width and the route information by the server and
- displaying a set of stores to a buyer from a plurality of stores based on the route and channel width.
A method of determining for a buyer a store where a product may be purchased, comprising:
- receiving product information from a buyer by the server;
- receiving route information from the buyer by the server, the route information including a route and channel width;
- and
- selecting a set of stores from a plurality of stores based on the product information and the route information.
A method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- receiving route information from a buyer by the server;
- selecting from a plurality of fixed pickup stations a fixed pickup station based on the route information;
- and
- delivering a product ordered by the buyer to the fixed pickup station by the server.
A method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer, comprising:
- receiving at least one area identifier from a buyer by the server;
- selecting from a plurality of fixed pickup stations a fixed pickup station based on the area identifier and
- delivering a product ordered by the buyer to the fixed pickup station by the server.
A method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- receiving route information from a buyer by the server;
- receiving a channel width from the buyer by the server;
- calculating by the server a channel area using by the server the channel width and the route information;
- determining by the server a set of pickup points from a plurality of pickup points based on the channel area;
- selecting from the set of pickup points a pickup point;
- and
- dispatching by the server a mobile pickup station to the pickup point, the mobile pickup station containing a product ordered by the buyer.
A data processing system adapted to schedule and deliver a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving route information from a buyer by the system;
- selecting from a plurality of pickup points a pickup point based on the route information;
- and
- dispatching by the system a mobile pickup station to the pickup point, the mobile pickup station containing a product ordered by the buyer.
A data processing system adapted to schedule and deliver a product to a buyer, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving at least one area identifier from a buyer by the system;
- selecting from a plurality of pickup points a pickup point based on the area identifier information;
- and
- dispatching by the system a mobile pickup station to the pickup point, the mobile pickup station containing a product ordered by the buyer.
A data processing system adapted to display to a buyer stores where a product may be purchased, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving route information from the buyer by the server;
- receiving channel width from the buyer by the server;
- calculating a channel area using the channel width and the route information by the server and
- displaying a set of stores to a buyer from a plurality of stores based on the route and channel.
A data processing system adapted to determine for a buyer a store where a product may be purchased along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving product information from a buyer by the system;
- receiving by the system route information from the buyer, the route information including a route and channel width;
- and
- selecting a set of stores from a plurality of stores based on the product information and the route information.
A data processing system adapted to schedule and deliver a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving route information from a buyer by the system;
- selecting from a plurality of fixed pickup stations a fixed pickup station based on the route information;
- and
- delivering by the system a product ordered by the buyer to the fixed pickup station by the system.
A data processing system adapted to schedule and deliver a product to a buyer, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
- receiving at least one area identifier from a buyer by the system;
- selecting from a plurality of fixed pickup stations a fixed pickup station based on the area identifier information;
- and
- delivering a product ordered by the buyer to the fixed pick up station by the server.
A method of selecting a product by a buyer accessing a server via a communications network, the method comprising:
- receiving by the server from the buyer via the communications network a specification for preferred products;
- generating by the server a set of preferred products using the specification and product category;
- and displaying by the server to the buyer via the communications network the set of preferred products.
A method of purchasing a product by a buyer accessing a server via a communications network, the method comprising:
- receiving by the server from the buyer via the communications network a specification for preferred products;
- receiving by the server from the buyer via the communications network a date;
- selecting by the server the product using the specification;
- and ordering the product on the date by the server for the buyer.
A computer implemented method of delivering a meal to a buyer, comprising:
- selecting a pickup point;
- selecting a pick up time for the meal by the buyer;
- transporting to the pickup point the ingredients for the meal in a mobile pickup station by the server;
- the mobile pickup station including food storage equipment for delivery to the buyer at the pickup time.
A computer implemented method of delivering a meal to a buyer, comprising:
- selecting a pickup point;
- selecting a pick up time for the meal by the buyer;
- transporting to the pickup point the ingredients for the meal in a mobile pickup station by the server;
- the mobile pickup station including food preparation equipment and preparing by the server the meal at the pickup point for delivery to the buyer at the pickup time.
A computer implemented method for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- receiving route information from the buyer;
- receiving a channel width from the buyer;
- calculating a channel area using the channel width and the route information by the server;
- determining a set of pickup points from the plurality of pickup points based on the channel area by the server;
- selecting from the set of pickup points a pickup point;
- and
- dispatching a mobile pickup station to the pickup point by the server, the mobile pickup station containing the product for the buyer.
A data processing system for delivering a meal to a buyer, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions executable by the process stored therein, the program instructions including:
- selecting a pickup point;
- selecting a pick up time for the cooked meal by the buyer;
- transporting to the pickup point the ingredients for the meal in a mobile pickup station by the system, the mobile pickup station including food storage equipment for delivery to the buyer at the pickup time by the system.
A data processing system for delivering a meal to a buyer, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions executable by the process stored therein, the program instructions including:
- selecting a pickup point;
- selecting a pick up time for the cooked meal by the buyer;
- transporting to the pickup point the ingredients for the meal in a mobile pickup station by the system, the mobile pickup station including food preparation equipment;
- and
- preparing the meal at the pickup point for delivery to the buyer at the pickup time by the system.
A data processing system for scheduling and delivery of a product to a buyer along the buyer's commuting route, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions executable by the process stored therein, the program instructions including:
- receiving route information from the buyer by the system;
- receiving a channel width from the buyer by the system;
- calculating a channel area using the channel width and the route information by the system;
- determining a set of pickup points from the plurality of pickup points based on the channel area by the system;
- selecting from the set of pickup points a pickup point;
- and
- dispatching a mobile pickup station to the pickup point by the system, the mobile pickup station containing the product for the buyer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.