Return ordering system and method
AssigneeAmerica's Collectibles Network, Inc.
InventorsGeorge F. WILLARD, III, Lei CAO, Dustin W. COLE, Mahendra SATRASALA, David BYRD, G. Shannon MEADE, Bradley K. WALLER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The customer order fulfillment and return system for returning items from a customer order to specified locations in a warehouse. The returned items are assigned to specific sub-compartments of a tote, and the tote is assigned to a specific mobile return cart. The system then generates a return tour and the returned items are then returned to specific locations in the warehouse.
Claims28
A customer order fulfillment system for returning items from a customer order to one or more locations in a warehouse, the system comprising
- a return order generating subsystem for assigning returned items in a tote having one or more sub-compartments to a return cart, the return order generating sub-system including
- a map unit for storing a map having map data associated therewith that corresponds each of the returned items with the one or more locations in the warehouse,
- a return cart building unit for assigning a plurality of the totes to the return cart, wherein each of the plurality of totes has identification information associated therewith and the return cart has identification information associated therewith, wherein the identification information of the plurality of totes and the return cart are correlated together, and
- a return order generating unit for generating a return tour for the returned items assigned to the return cart, the return tour having return instructions associated therewith, wherein the return instructions of the return tour correlate the returned items in each of the plurality of totes of the return cart to the locations in the warehouse, and
- an interface providing a visual representation of the tote and the associated one or more sub-compartments, and providing a visual indicator of the returned items assigned to the one or more sub-compartments of the tote.
A method for returning items from a customer order to one or more locations in a warehouse, the method comprising
- providing an interface having a visual representation of a tote having one or more sub-compartments, and providing a visual indicator of the returned items assigned to the one or more sub-compartments of the tote,
- storing a map having map data associated therewith that corresponds each of the returned items with the one or more locations in the warehouse,
- assigning a plurality of the totes to a mobile return cart, wherein each of the plurality of totes has identification information associated therewith and the return cart has identification information associated therewith, and wherein the identification information of the plurality of totes and the return cart are correlated together, and
- generating a return tour for the returned items assigned to the return cart, the return tour having return instructions associated therewith, wherein the return instructions of the return tour correlate the returned items in each of the plurality of totes of the return cart to the locations in the warehouse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.