Claims
- 1. An item delivery and retrieval method, comprising the steps of:
(a) accessing a storage subsystem including a secure enclosure having a selectively accessible item storage assembly via a user terminal; and, (b) controlling selective access to the storage assembly by a computer subsystem including web page based customized application software implementing an interface of selectively configurable controls.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user terminal comprises a front office terminal or a back office terminal.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said user terminal comprises a front office kiosk.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said user terminal comprises a handheld wireless input device.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said user terminal comprises a handheld wireless device/scanner.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selectively configurable controls comprise application interface controls.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said selectively configurable controls comprise ActiveX controls.
- 8. An item delivery and retrieval method, comprising the steps of:
(a) designating a storage location of a secure storage facility accessible via software control employing browser technology and controlled by a customized application software architecture including a browser interface implementing a storage facility driver interface for controlling access to the storage facility, a back office application program interface supporting control for enabling a user to access the storage facility, and a front office application program interface supporting controls for enabling a user to access the storage facility; (b) generating data as to said predetermined storage location; (c) communicating the data as to the predetermined storage location to a user; (d) the user of step (c) going to the storage facility and inputting proper identification and said communicated data; (e) enabling and opening a door in the storage facility at said predetermined storage location by said storage facility driver interface; (f) retrieving or returning an item from or to the predetermined storage location; and (g) thereafter closing the door and securing the storage facility by said storage facility driver interface.
- 9. The method of claim 8 and additionally including the steps of:
(h) enabling and opening said door by said storage facility driver interface on demand by a user following step (a) and prior to step (c); (i) loading an item into said predetermined storage location; and (j) thereafter closing said door by said storage facility driver interface.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step (f) comprises retrieving the item from the storage location.
- 11. The method of claim 8 wherein said user accessing the storage facility via said back office interface comprises a first user and said user accessing the storage facility via said front office interface comprises a second user.
- 12. The method of claim 8 wherein said first user comprises an employee of a service company and said second user comprises a customer of the service company.
- 13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first user comprises an employee of a plurality of delivery service companies, said delivery service companies inserting respective back office application software which is executed by only one service company at a time so as to provide mutually exclusive use of the storage facility by said delivery service companies.
- 14. The method of claim 8 wherein said storage facility includes a carousel having a plurality of storage bins.
- 15. The method of claim 8 wherein said first and second user access the storage facility via one or more input terminals.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said one or more input terminals have a screen supporting a web page display.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said first and second user access the storage facility via separate input terminals.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first and second user access the storage facility via a common input terminal.
- 19. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of said terminals is located on a kiosk.
- 20. The method of claim 19 and including the step of locating the kiosk on a front portion of the storage facility.
- 21. The method according to claim 7 wherein said controls of the back office application program software interface during an item loading operation controls the steps of:
(a) initializing connections of the controls of the back office interface to the driver software interface during a connect function; (b) gaining full access to the carousel during an open all doors function; (c) positioning the carousel and opening the doors to a specific bin during an open bin location function; (d) positioning the carousel to a predetermined bin access point for a loading operation during a rotate carousel function; (e) identifying a particular bin when all the doors are open during an identify bin function; (f) closing all the doors and, if necessary, clear all bin access codes during a close bin function; and (g) closing all doors and securing the carousel so as to complete an item retrieval transaction during a close all doors function.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said controls comprise application interface controls.
- 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said controls comprise ActiveX controls.
- 24. The method according to claim 7 wherein said controls of the front office application program software interface during an item retrieval operation controls the steps of:
(a) initializing connections of the controls of the front office interface to the driver software interface during a connect function; (b) rotating the carousel such that one requested bin is positioned behind a door of said door assembly without any of the doors being opened while an authentication process takes place during a cue bin location function; (c) opening said door to the requested bin for item retrieval during an open bin location function; and (d) closing said door so as to complete an item retrieval transaction during a close bin function.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said controls comprise application interface controls.
- 26. The method of claim 24 wherein said controls comprise ActiveX controls.
- 27. The method according to claim 7 wherein the controls of the back office application program interface during an item loading operation controls the steps of:
(a) initializing connection of the controls of the back office interface to the carousel driver during a connect function; (b) registering a specific item to be loaded in the carousel in an inventory database during a register item function; (c) removing an item in the inventory database and clearing a bin access code therefore during a purge item function; (d) positioning the carousel and opening a door of the carousel for a specific item at a specific location during a load item function; (e) positioning the carousel and opening the door to a specific item for removal and removing it from the inventory database during a removal item function; (f) gaining full access to the carousel during an open all doors function; (g) positioning the carousel to a specified bin and opening the doors thereto during an open bin location function; (h) identifying a particular bin when all the doors of the carousel are opened during an identify bin function; (i) positioning the carousel to a specific access point during a rotate carousel function; (j) closing the door for a specific bin location during a close bin function; (k) closing all doors and securing the machine during a close all doors function; and (l) updating an inventory database.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein said controls comprise application interface controls.
- 29. The method of claim 27 wherein said controls comprise ActiveX controls.
- 30. The method according to claim 7 wherein said controls of the front office application program software interface during a retrieval or return operation controls the steps of:
(a) initializing connections of the controls of the front office interface to the carousel driver interface during a connect function; (b) rotating the carousel such that a requested item for retrieval is positioned behind a specific door without any of the other doors being opened while a transactional process of authenticating the user takes place during a cue item function; (c) positioning the carousel and opening a door for a specified item for return at a specific bin location registering the item in an inventory database during a load item function; (d) positioning the carousel and opening a door to a specified item during a remove item function; (e) closing the door of the carousel following retrieval of an item during a close bin function; and (f) closing the door of the carousel upon return of an item to a specified bin flagging/marking the item in the inventory database for return during a return item function; and (g) printing a receipt of a completed removal or return transaction.
- 31. The method of claim 30 wherein said controls comprise application interface controls.
- 32. The method of claim 30 wherein said controls comprise ActiveX controls.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a Division of non-provisional application Ser. No. 09/817,375, filed on Mar. 27, 2001, including the subject matter and claiming the priority dates of Provisional Application No. Serial No. 60/220,842, filed on Jul. 26, 2000, and Provisional Application Serial No. 60/265,875 filed on Feb. 5, 2001, the contents of which are meant to be incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60220842 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
|
60265875 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09817375 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Child |
10819990 |
Apr 2004 |
US |