Automated storage system
AssigneeChas-Tech, Inc.
InventorsCharles H. McCarty, Bonita S. Linder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated storage system comprising a plurality of self-storage, facilities which are collectively networked to a central command center, wherein a customer may communicate with the central command center via an interactive kiosk located at each of the storage facilities or auxiliary access means, such as the Internet, to undertake various self-storage related transactions without the need for an attendant.
Claims24
An improved storage system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage facilities, each of said plurality of storage facilities including a plurality of storage units and kiosk means for providing automated rental transactions;
- said kiosk means including processing means communicatively linked to user feedback means for communicating sensory messages to a user and for allowing a user to communicate information to said processing means, fee collecting means for collecting fees from a user, printing means for printing information, unique identification indicia accepting means for allowing aL user to communicate unique identification indicia to said processing means to generate a personalized contract, and electronic communication means for establishing electronic communication with an external processing unit, said processing means including memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of said user feedback means, said fee collecting means, said printing means, said unique identification indicia accepting means, and said electronic communication means;
- and
- central processing means communicatively linked to said kiosk means within each of said plurality of storage facilities, said central processing means including memory means for storing rental information for each of said plurality of storage units within each of said plurality of storage facilities;
- whereby a user may use said kiosk means to access said rental information stored in said memory means of said central processing means to selectively rent one or a plurality of said storage units within one or more of said plurality of storage facilities.
A system for automating rental transactions in any of a plurality of storage facilities, wherein each of said plurality of storage facilities includes a plurality of storage units, comprising:
- a central processing center having electronic storage means for storing rental information for each of said plurality of storage units within each of said plurality of storage facilities, communication means for communicating with an external access system, and means for enabling the rental of any of said plurality of storage units within said plurality of storage facilities from said external access system by a user independently of the location of the user, said external access system allowing the user to communicate with said central processing center to conduct a plurality of automated rental transactions.
A method of automating self-storage rental transactions, comprising the steps of:
- (a) communicatively linking a plurality of self storage facilities to a central processing center, wherein each of said plurality of self storage facilities includes a plurality of self storage units and said central processing center includes electronic storage means containing rental information for each of said plurality of storage units within each of said plurality of self storage facilities;
- and
- (b) selectively communicating with said central processing center via external access means to automatically conduct any of a plurality of predetermined rental transaction options without the need for an attendant, said predetermined rental transaction options including the option of renting a self storage unit remote from the external access means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.