| CPC G06Q 30/00 (2013.01) [A47G 29/141 (2013.01); G06Q 30/08 (2013.01); A47G 2029/146 (2013.01); A47G 2029/147 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A computer-implemented process for accepting, fulfilling and delivering a plurality of orders of products to a plurality of customers located substantially within at least one geographical region, the computer-implemented process being executed by a processor operatively coupled to a memory storing computer program instructions and implemented by hardware, the processor running the computer program instructions in the memory to control the hardware to perform the computer-implemented process, comprising:
obtaining the plurality of orders from the plurality of customers located within the at least one geographical region, wherein the plurality of orders are made by the plurality of customers using one or more computer-implemented customer devices;
fulfilling the plurality of orders with inventory from a fulfillment facility, wherein the fulfilling of the plurality of orders is performed with one or more additional computer-implemented devices;
sorting the inventory into a plurality of containers corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of orders associated with respective ones of the plurality of customers, wherein the sorting is performed with the one or more additional computer-implemented devices;
packing the plurality of containers onto a delivery vehicle, wherein the packing comprises electronically scanning a given container of the plurality of containers for a given one of the plurality of orders, wherein the electronically scanning electronically associates the given container with the given one of the plurality of orders in a system;
transporting the plurality of containers on the delivery vehicle to a waypoint distribution site located in the at least one geographical region, wherein the waypoint distribution site comprises at least one distribution device including a plurality of compartments and a first one-way valve for air flow into the distribution device and second one-way valve for air flow out of the distribution device, wherein operation of the first and second one-way valves is enabled by a pressure change within the distribution device caused by a respirating organism occupying the distribution device, and wherein the plurality of compartments further each comprise one or more security devices to regulate access by the plurality of customers;
transferring the given container from the delivery vehicle to a compartment of the plurality of compartments, wherein the distribution device is accessible to the plurality of customers, wherein the transferring comprises further electronically scanning the given container, wherein the further electronically scanning causes a visualization to be generated on one more devices of one or more additional containers of the plurality of containers associated with the given one of the plurality of orders in the system, wherein the further electronically scanning is performed with the one or more additional computer-implemented devices, wherein a given customer of the plurality of customers requests at least one of a compartment type and a compartment location within the distribution device via the one or more computer-implemented customer devices, and wherein the request is received at one of the distribution device and the one or more additional computer-implemented devices;
wherein the distribution device comprises an electronic device configured to:
communicate with the one or more additional computer-implemented devices to receive delivery information regarding the plurality of containers associated with the given one of the plurality of orders in the system to be transferred to the distribution device, wherein the delivery information identifies the plurality of containers and identifies the distribution device;
operate in concert with a given compartment of the plurality of compartments of the distribution device and a latch of the given compartment by:
storing contents of the given compartment in the memory, the contents corresponding to the delivery information and the plurality of containers transferred to the distribution device, and
operating the latch to release the given compartment of the plurality of compartments to a user upon authentication by the given customer via the one or more computer-implemented customer devices to allow access by the user to the given container within the given compartment wherein the electronic device of the distribution device comprises an interface device configured to receive information from the one or more computer-implemented customer devices utilized by the distribution device to perform the authentication, wherein the authentication 1s made by the given customer via the one or more computer-implemented customer devices, and wherein the authentication is verified by the one or more security devices prior to releasing the given compartment, and wherein the information from the one or more computer-implemented customer devices is encrypted upon being supplied by the one or more computer-implemented customer devices; and
repeating the transporting, transferring and releasing until each of the plurality of orders have been received;
wherein at least two of the one or more computer-implemented customer devices, the one or more additional computer-implemented devices, the plurality of compartments, and the one or more security devices are at least one of electronically connected and electro-mechanically connected with each other.
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