WO2003036573A9

WO2003036573A9 - Grocery trading method

Info

Publication number: WO2003036573A9
Application number: PCT/GB2002/004833
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger Roydon Ford; Vladimir Mikhailovi Vishnyakov; Stephen Eastwood Donnelly
Original assignee: University of Salford
Current assignee: University of Salford
Priority date: 2001-10-25
Filing date: 2002-10-25
Publication date: 2003-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2004-04-25
Also published as: GB0125632D0; WO2003036573A3; WO2003036573A2; AU2002341141A1

Abstract

A grocery trading method includes loading goods to order into a container (11) at a store (12). The loaded container (11) is delivered to customer premises (16) equipped with a receiver (13) for the container (11). The receiver (13) secures the container (11) against opening and/or removal except by a customer key (14).

Description

Grocery Trading Method

This invention relates to grocery trading.

By "grocery trading" as used herein is meant trading in packaged and loose foodstuffs, household requirements, canned and bottled drinks and, generally speaking, anything that goes to make up a personal or family "shop" such as is done usually on a weekly basis at a supermarket.

Recently, the concept of "e-commerce" has made an appearance. A customer can e-mail an order to a store, where it will be compiled and packaged, then delivered to the customer. Payment may be made by a remote credit card transaction. The customer, in at least one manifestation of this practice, nominates a two-hour delivery slot.

Sometimes, a delivery can be late for traffic or other reasons, which is irksome. Often, however, an e-commerce shopper is such because of a busy lifestyle that precludes personal shopping and waiting around for delivery men. Many simply cannot be at home at appropriate times.

Deliveries left unsecured at the customer's premises can, of course, be stolen or can perish if left exposed on a warm day for any length of time, and frozen or chilled goods can defrost or melt. These are severe limitations on the seemingly good idea of grocery e-tailing.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grocery trading method comprising loading goods to order into a container at a store, delivering the loaded container to customer premises equipped with a receiver for said container which secures said container against opening and/or removal except by a customer key.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiver for a container, the receiver being adapted to be fixed to a supporting structure, and the apparatus comprising a container engagement device, the container engagement device being moveable between a first position, in which a container may be inserted into or removed from the receiver, and a second position in which a container is prevented from being removed from the receiver and further comprises a lock device to lock the container engagement device in the second position.

Typically, the receiver may comprise a power source.

Preferably, the container further comprises temperature control means to control the internal temperature of the container. The temperature control means may comprise thermal insulation material on the container side walls, a thermal control device such as a refrigeration and/or heating unit, and/or a eutectic compound.

The refrigeration and/or heating unit may comprise a Peltier effect arrangement and/or Peltier element or other heat pumps, which may be used for maintaining a temperature above ambient in sub-zero weather, or maintaining a temperature below ambient in warm weather. Other temperature control arrangements can be used, for example, cool packs or liquefied gas, eg. nitrogen, with appropriate control and safety measures. With the refrigerator unit, the container may comprise a fridge/freezer combination, and may be taken inside the customer premises to serve as such. The receiver may automatically secure a loaded container delivered to it. The securing action may be triggered by a container weight sensor. It may be arranged that an unloaded container can be removed without a customer key.

Receiving a loaded container may trigger container refrigeration, or alternatively warming of the container. This may be dependent on the ambient temperature.

The receiver may secure an unloaded container against release except by a delivery man key - or a customer key may also set as a delivery may key. A customer key override may be provided to allow a delivery man to remove a container which contains goods for return, that would otherwise lock the container against access except by a customer key.

The container may be loaded at the store automatically according to an electronic order, which might be derived from an e-mail order. It might be arranged that the e-mail format can be automatically processed to comprise instructions for a loading automat, or such instructions might be generated from less-formal e-mail, fax, phone or other order methods.

The loaded container may be tagged with a delivery address and loaded with others on to a delivery vehicle according to a vehicle delivery schedule, which might be computed from address information compiled from address information compiled from electronic orders - computing facilities might be programmed to compute a preferred route taking into account the delivery addresses and road and traffic information, and to direct the driver, as by a cab display, to the next delivery address. At the delivery address, an empty container may be removed into the delivery vehicle for recycling, and the loaded container substituted. The receiver may be adapted to reject an incorrectly addressed receiver - otherwise, a single error early on in the delivery round could have a catastrophic effect.

A delivery vehicle can be refrigerated, the goods being themselves refrigerated in the store - even goods that do not need refrigeration such as canned and dry goods, so that "warm" goods do not warm up refrigerated goods.

The container may comprise a rigid bin or basket. A container may be selected from a set of containers of different capacities according to the loading requirement - electronic loading instructions may estimate the required capacity, so that an appropriate container is put on a conveyor system taking it past loading points.

However, a container may comprise a basket base adapted for attachment of extension wall units for loading exceeding basket base capacity.

The container may have wheels, facilitating transfer from outside to inside the customer's premises.

The container, or the receiver, may incorporate a computer providing one or more of:

• data logging, eg. of container identification content, temperature regime, access procedures, order information, delivery notes and invoices, and data processing;

• data communication, eg. by wireless means; • alarm system including sensors for eg. power failures, out-of-specification temperature, unauthorised access, tampering;

• events timing, eg. for a food heating compartment;

• provision for container access;

• data store and distribution means for multimedia data and digital information, eg. for product promotion, special offers, etc;

• battery and/or generator for primary and/or back-up power supply.

A grocery trading method according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a container secured to a receiver at customer premises, and a delivery trolley;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of another embodiment of a container;

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of an automatic container loading arrangement;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a receiver attached at a customer's premises, with a container in place;

Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a delivery vehicle. The drawings illustrate a grocery trading method in which goods are loaded into a container 11 at a store 12 (Figure 3). The loaded container 11 is delivered to customer premises equipped with a receiver 13 (Figures 1 and 4) for said container 11 which secures said container 11 against opening and/or removal except by a customer key 14 which fits a lock arrangement 15.

As illustrated, the lock is a conventional mechanical lock with a regular metal key, but as a practical matter, an electronic arrangement will usually be preferred.

The receiver 13 is in the form of a closure for the container 11 secured to an external wall 16 of the premises, connected to a power source 17 for refrigeration. The receiver 13 houses a Peltier effect refrigeration unit 18.

The receiver 13 automatically secures a loaded container 11 delivered to it. An electronic lock arrangement can operate automatically when a loaded container 11 is presented from a delivery trolley 19 (Figure 1) or on its own wheels (Figure 2) by operating electric motor 21 driven hooks 22 in similar fashion to electrically operated automobile boot locks.

Load cells 23 weigh the container, differentiating a loaded container 11 from an empty one. Detection of a loaded container triggers a securing action in which the container is only released for access by a customer key 14.

An unloaded container 11 may be removed by a delivery man key, which can be a "skeleton" key for all receivers, but which only operates to release empty containers.

A customer key can also be arranged to release an unloaded container, for, perhaps, inserting goods for return, and the system may then have an override permitting the delivery man key to operate on a containing goods for return. The container 11 is loaded in the store 12 by an automat 24 from loading units 25 containing products for loading. The containers 11 for a delivery "round" are placed by a placement unit 26 on to a conveyor 27. The conveyor indexes the containers 11 round the loading units, goods being tipped into the containers at the loading units according to an electronic order delivered to a controller 28. The order may originate from an e-mail in an appropriate format from an e-mail input 29, or may be translated by an automatic or human translator 31 from a fax of phone input 32.

Loaded containers are transferred to a holding conveyor 33 which accepts a delivery truck load.

The containers are tagged, such as by a magnetic code or bar code on a card

34. Alternatively, any other suitable tagging device may be used, such as a radio frequency identity device (RFID). The tagging device can carry customer information and is read by a reader 35 in the receiver 13, which can reject and/or provide a warning signal of an incorrectly addressed container.

The containers 11 may be all one size, or may be of different sizes, or, as illustrated, may comprise a basket base 11a and extension wall units 1 lb. In any event, different sizes of container can be moved from delivery truck to receiver 13 on the trolley

19 which can have an adjustable table 37 for presenting different sized containers to the receiver 13.

By virtue of the tags 34 or of information in the controller 28, a delivery route can be computed for a vehicle load of containers, and the containers for the route stacked automatically in a delivery vehicle 41, Figure 4, which is shown accommodating four lines of containers 11 (there might, of course, be more than one tier) which are on conveyors 42.

End-wise containers 11 are removed in turn at delivery points, the other containers being indexed around to present the next-to-be-delivered container at the end, an empty space being filled by the removed empty container.

It may be that it is desired to have separate compartments for refrigerated and non-refrigerated products with intervening insulation so that only that part of the container containing refrigerated products need be refrigerated. Figure 2 illustrates a container 71 which can double as a fridge/freezer unit in the customer's premises. Figure 2 shows a partially exploded view of the container 71 showing the upper module 16 and a Peltier cooling assembly 68 and a computer 67 located in the upper module 16. The container also has wheels 61 and a handle 62 for ease of movement eg. from the receiver outside the premises to a kitchen inside. In addition, the container has a freezer compartment 63, a refrigerator compartment 64 and a non-perishable goods compartment 65.

In order to enhance the security of the container 71 when loaded into the receiver, the container 71 may be loaded into the receiver with doors 69, 70 facing a wall on which the receiver is mounted. This helps prevent unauthorised access to the container 71 while the container 71 is loaded in the receiver.

The receiver 13 may be made more secure by enclosing it in a lockable structure, and it may even be arranged that it can be accessed from the inside of the customer's premises - this may be difficult to arrange in existing buildings, but could be designed into new dwellings.

Modifications and refinements can, of course, be made to all aspects of the system to adapt it to different circumstances and for supplying different kinds of product.

Claims

1. Grocery trading method comprising loading goods to order into a container at a store, delivering the loaded container to customer premises equipped with a receiver for said container which secures said container against opening and/or removal except by a customer key.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the receiver has a power source.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container comprises temperature control means.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the temperature control means comprises insulation material on the side walls of the container.

5. A method according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the temperature control means comprises a Peltier effect device.

6. A method according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the temperature control means comprises an eutectic compound.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver automatically secures a loaded container delivered to it.

8. A method according to claim 7, in which a securing action is triggered by a sensor that senses the presence of a container in the receiver.

9. A method according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which an unloaded container can be removed without a customer key.

10. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which receiving a loaded container triggers a temperature control system.

11. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which the receiver secures an unloaded container against release except by a delivery man key.

12. A method according to claim 11 , in which the customer key acts as a delivery man key.

13. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which a container is loaded at the store automatically according to an electronic order.

14. A method according to claim 13 , in which the loaded container is tagged with a delivery address and loaded with others on to a delivery vehicle according to a vehicle delivery schedule.

15. A method according to claim 14, in which a delivery schedule is computed from address information compiled from electronic orders.

16. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which an empty container is loaded at customer premises into a delivery vehicle and replaced by a loaded container.

17. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver includes detection means to detect an incorrectly addressed container and indicates the presence of an incorrectly addressed container.

18. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a container is selected from a set of containers of different capacities according to the loading requirement.

19. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which the container comprises a basket base adapted for attachment of extension wall units for loads exceeding basket base capacity.

20. A method according to any of the preceding claims, in which the container has wheels.

21. A receiver for a container, the receiver being adapted to be fixed to a supporting structure, and the receiver comprising a container engagement device, the container engagement device being moveable between a first position, in which a container may be inserted into or removed from the receiver, and a second position in which a container is prevented from being removed from the receiver, and further comprising a lock device to lock the container engagement device in the second position.

22. A receiver according to claim 21 , wherein the receiver prevents access to the inside of the container when the container engagement device is in the second position.

23. A receiver according to claim 21 or claim 22, further comprising a power supply, the power supply providing power to the container when the container engaging device is in the second position.

24. A receiver according to any of claims 21 to 23, further comprising detection means to detect an incorrectly addressed container and signal means to indicate the presence of an incorrectly addressed container.