Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A quick-stop mass retail system for
ordering and purchasing articles from a remote location
for pickup at an article pickup area at an automated
store, comprising: interactive means for communicating a
customer's purchase order for at least one article; a host computer including means for receiving
the customer's purchase order, means for processing the
customer's purchase order, and means for storing the
customer's purchase order in a database; means for retrieving said article ordered by
said customer from a storage location for said article
at the automated store in response to customer purchase
order information received from said host computer; and means for retrieving identification information
from said customer and communicating the same to said
host computer; whereby said host computer enables said means
for retrieving said article to provide said article to
the article pickup area upon obtaining said
identification information and comparing said
identification with the customer's purchase order.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
The quick-stop mass retail system recited
in Claim 1, wherein a plurality of articles are stored
in a plurality of storage locations associated with the
automated store and said means for retrieving said
articles includes a network of dispensing stations
interconnected by at least one means for transporting
said articles from said storage locations to the article
pickup area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The quick-stop mass retail system recited
in Claim 2, wherein said storage locations include means
for detecting when inventory is to be restocked, said
means for detecting communicating with said host
computer being such that said host computer initiates a
purchase of additional inventory in response to the low
inventory detection.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The quick-stop mass retail system recited
in any one of Claims 1-3, wherein said host computer is
arranged to track inventory of said articles and enable
restocking of said respective storage locations when
detecting inventory below a certain level.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The quick-stop mass retail system recited
in any one of Claims 1-4, wherein said means for
retrieving identification information is arranged to read
said identification information from an identification
card or a code associated with the customer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
285 words
A quick-stop mass retail system for
ordering and purchasing articles from a remote location
for pickup at an article pickup area at an automated
store, comprising: interactive means for communicating a
customer's purchase order for at least one article, said
interactive means including at least one of an
interactive telephone network for receiving touch-tone
input signals from a telephone keypad in response to
requests for purchase information communicated to the
customer, and a modem connection over a data network in
response to requests for purchase information
communicated to the customer; a host computer including means for receiving
the customer's purchase order; means for processing the
customer's purchase order; and means for storing the
customer's purchase order in a database; means in communication with said host computer
for retrieving said article ordered by said customer
from a storage location for said article at the
automated store, wherein a plurality of articles are
stored in a plurality of storage locations associated
with the automated store and said means for retrieving
said articles includes a network of dispensing stations
interconnected by at least one means for transporting
said articles from said storage locations to the article
pickup area; means in communication with said host computer
for retrieving identification information from an
identification card associated with said customer; means associated with said storage locations
for detecting inventory of articles stored therein and
communicating with said host computer such that said
host computer initiates a purchase of additional
inventory in response to the low inventory detection; whereby said host computer enables said means
for retrieving said article to provide said article to
the article pickup area upon obtaining said
identification information and comparing said
identification with the customer's purchase order.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
128 words
A method for ordering and purchasing
articles from a remote location for pickup at an article
pickup area at an automated store, comprising: (a) communicating a customer's purchase order
for at least one article via an interactive electronic
network; (b) receiving the customer's purchase order at
a host computer in communication with said interactive
electronic network; (c) processing the customer's purchase order
and storing the purchase order in a database; (d) retrieving identification information from
the customer with a means for retrieving information
communicating with said host computer; and (e) retrieving said article ordered by the
customer from a storage location for said article at the
automated store by a means for retrieving articles
communicating with said host computer and delivering
said article to said article pickup area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method recited in Claim 7, further
comprising the step of said host computer detecting an
inventory level threshold below which inventory of said
article is to be restocked.