Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A TOTE DELIVERY OPTION
BACKGROUND
[0001] Manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distribution centers, and other
distributors of
product or goods (which may collectively be referred to as distributors)
typically maintain an
inventory of various items that may be ordered by and shipped to clients or
customers. This
inventory may be maintained and processed at a materials handling facility or
facilities such as
distribution centers, cross-docking facilities, and order fulfillment
facilities. Figure 1 illustrates a
broad view of the operations of a conventional distributor. Multiple customers
10 may submit
orders 20 to the distributor, where each order 20 specifies one or more items
from inventory 30
to be shipped to the customer that submitted the order. At order fulfillment
40, the orders may be
separately processed by the enterprise to fulfill the customer orders 20. The
one or more items
specified in each order may be retrieved or "picked" from inventory 30 in the
materials handling
facility. The picked orders may then be packed and shipped 50 to the customers
10. Note that a
shipped order does not necessarily include all of the items ordered by the
customer; a shipped
order may include only a subset of the ordered items available to ship at one
time from one
inventory-storing location. Typically, the customer is billed for the items(s)
in the order and for
charges related to shipping the order to the customer.
[0002] The increasing scope of network-based commerce, fueled by the ubiquity
of personal
computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web, has resulted in striking
changes to the ways
customers may shop for and purchase products from distributors. Virtual
storefronts, which may
be referred to as network sites or web sites, in which customers may view
product information
including features, specifications, appearance, pricing, availability, have
become commonplace
even among wholesalers and retailers who have maintained physical customer
presences (e.g.,
"brick-and-mortar" storefronts). Much commerce is already being conducted
exclusively
through network sites by product distributors lacking any other customer
presence. Electronic
commerce using virtual storefronts may offer many advantages, such as lower
cost overhead
(e.g., due to lack of sales personnel, lack of physical storefronts, highly
automated ordering
processes, etc.), and a potential customer base limited only by the reach of
the Internet. A
product distributor that provides a "storefront" for customers exclusively
through a network site,
or the portion of a product distributor that provides a network site for
customers while the
distributor maintains physical customer presences, may be referred to as a
network enterprise.
[0003] Figure 2 illustrates an example conventional network enterprise that
provides a
"virtual storefront" to customers via a network site. Multiple customers 110,
through access to
the Internet 100, may order one or more items from the network enterprise 102
via a network site
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104 serving as a "virtual storefront" for the product distributor. The network
site 104 may
generate orders 120 for the customers, where each order 20 specifies one or
more items from
inventory 130 to be shipped to the customer that submitted the order. The
orders may be
processed 140 by the product distributor to fulfill the customer orders 120.
The one or more
items specified in each order may be retrieved or "picked" from inventory 130
in a materials
handling facility. The picked orders may then be packed and shipped 150 to the
customers 110.
Typically, each individual customer order is separately picked, sorted,
packed, and shipped.
Typically, the customer is separately billed 106 for the items(s) in each
separate order and for
charges related to shipping each order to the customer.
[0004] In conventional order fulfillment systems, the items in an order are
generally packed
and shipped in cardboard boxes, shipping envelopes, or other such shipping
materials, and often
contain filler materials such as Styrofoam "peanuts" or bubble wrap. After
receiving an order,
the customer must open the package(s) and dispose of the packaging, for
example by breaking
down and disposing of the boxes, throwing away the filler materials, and so
on.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a broad view of the operation of a conventional
distributor.
[0006] Figure 2 illustrates an example conventional network enterprise that
provides a
"virtual storefront" to customers via a network site.
[0007] Figure 3 is a high-level flowchart of a method for implementing a tote
delivery
service according to at least some embodiments.
[0008] Figure 4A illustrates an example reusable tote according to at least
some
embodiments.
[0009] Figure 4B illustrates a tote placed in a receptacle for tote delivery
according to at least
some embodiments.
[0010] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example tote delivery service
according to at least
some embodiments.
[0011] Figure 6 is a flowchart of placing an item into a tote order via a tote
ordering pipeline,
according to at least some embodiments.
[0012] Figure 7 is a flowchart of placing an item into a tote order using a
single-action user
interface element, according to at least some embodiments.
[0013] Figure 8 illustrates an example web page of a network site that
provides one or more
tote delivery service UI elements, according to some embodiments.
[0014] Figures 9A through 9D illustrates example web pages that provide
information about
example embodiments of the tote delivery service, according to some
embodiments.
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[0015] Figure 10 illustrates an example web page via which a customer may sign
in to the
tote delivery service, according to some embodiments.
[0016] Figure 11 illustrates an example web page via which a customer may
confirm that an
item is to be placed in a pending tote order, according to some embodiments.
[0017] Figure 12 illustrates an example web page that confirms that a tote
order has been
placed by the customer, according to some embodiments.
[0018] Figure 13 illustrates an example item detail page that may be presented
to a customer
that is not subscribed to a subscription-based shipping program provided by
the network
enterprise, according to some embodiments.
[0019] Figure 14 illustrates an example item detail page that may be presented
to a customer
that is subscribed to a subscription-based shipping program provided by the
network enterprise,
according to some embodiments.
[0020] Figure 15 illustrates an example tote management page that may be
presented to a
customer according to some embodiments.
[0021] Figure 16 illustrates an example tote return page that may be presented
to a customer
according to some embodiments.
[0022] Figure 17 illustrates the physical layout and operations of an example
fulfillment
center when fulfilling a bulk transfer order, according to some embodiments.
[0023] Figure 18 illustrates operations of an example tote delivery service
sortation node,
according to some embodiments.
[0024] Figure 19 is a flowchart of back end operations for a tote delivery
service, according
to at least some embodiments.
[0025] Figure 20 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system
that may be
used in at least some embodiments.
[0026] While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several
embodiments
and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that
embodiments are not limited
to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the
drawings and
detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the
particular form
disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents and
alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended
claims. The headings
used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used
to limit the scope
of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the
word "may" is used in a
permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the
mandatory sense (i.e.,
meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes"
mean including, but
not limited to.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for product ordering and
delivery
that provide consolidated customer deliveries of items ordered via a network
site are described.
The methods and apparatus for product ordering and delivery may use reusable
totes to deliver
items ordered from a network enterprise to customers' delivery addresses. The
methods and
apparatus may collectively be referred to as a tote delivery service. Instead
of sending customers
separate boxed or otherwise packaged shipments for each order they place via
the network site,
embodiments of the tote delivery service may allow customers of a network
enterprise to easily
consolidate their orders into standing periodic (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly)
deliveries in reusable
containers, which may be referred to as totes. In at least some embodiments,
the reusable totes
may be returned to the network enterprise for reuse. In at least some
embodiments, the reusable
totes may be kept by the customers.
[0028] In an example implementation of the tote delivery service by a network
enterprise, the
tote delivery service may be promoted as a free, fast, and "green" delivery
program for at least
some items that uses reusable totes and that thus reduces or eliminates the
delivery of individual
orders in cardboard boxes or other packaging materials that require breaking
down, recycling, or
trashing by the customer. In at least some embodiments, customers may be
required to have an
account with the network enterprise to use the tote delivery service. In some
embodiments, the
customers may be required to sign up for or subscribe to the tote delivery
service to place orders
to be delivered by tote. In other embodiments, the customers may not be
required to sign up for
or subscribe to the tote delivery service; the tote delivery service may be
made available to some
or all customers of the network enterprise without requiring the customers to
specifically
subscribe to receive the service. In at least some embodiments, customers may
be required to
sign in (e.g., by entering a password) to use the tote delivery service when
placing an item in a
tote order.
[0029] In some embodiments, each customer is assigned a pre-defined tote
delivery day
according to a zone that the customer's delivery address is in, where each
zone corresponds to a
day of the week (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) on which deliveries
are made to that
zone. The zones may, for example, be based on the zip codes of the delivery
addresses. Thus, in
at least some embodiments, a customer may provide a delivery address (or just
a zip code) to
view the customer's corresponding tote delivery day, or the customer's tote
delivery day may
automatically be displayed for the customer on a user interface based on the
customer's delivery
address. Note that two or more zones may have the same day of the week as the
zone delivery
day, and that some zones, or at least some customers in at least some zones,
may have more than
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one delivery day in a week. Furthermore, a customer may have more than one
delivery address,
and thus may have more than one tote delivery day. In some embodiments,
instead of assigning
pre-defined tote delivery days to all customers, at least some customers may
be allowed to select
a preferred tote delivery day or delivery days, possibly with some
restrictions (e.g., a customer
may pick between Monday and Friday). In some embodiments, at least some
customers may be
provided with multiple, for example two, tote delivery days per week (e.g.,
Tuesday and Friday)
to a given delivery address. For example, some customers may be members in a
subscription-
based shipping program in which the customer pays a fixed periodic fee that
covers all regular
conventional shipping costs for that period, and/or that provides reduced
shipping costs for that
period; these customers may be given two tote delivery days per week, instead
of one tote
delivery day per week, as an added benefit of being members of the
subscription-based shipping
program.
[0030] After a customer signs up for the tote delivery service, tote delivery
may be presented
as an option on at least some item detail pages of the network site user
interface for the customer,
for example as a single-action user interface element (e.g., a button). In
addition, tote delivery
may be presented as an option in the order pipeline user interface. Other
shipping options, for
example a next-day shipping option and a two-day shipping option, may also be
presented to the
customer on these or other web pages of the network site. In some embodiments,
any eligible
item offered via the network site may be added by a customer to the customer's
virtual tote up to
a specified cutoff (e.g., two days) before the customer's tote delivery day
(or days). In some
embodiments, the cutoff may be firm; in other words, the customer must order
an item for tote
delivery prior to the cutoff for a given tote delivery in order for the item
to be included in the
customer's tote order for that delivery. In some embodiments, the cutoff may
be flexible for at
least some customers and for at least some items; that is, an item ordered for
tote delivery after
the cutoff for a given tote delivery may be included in the customer's tote
order for that delivery
if possible. Some items offered via the network site may not be eligible for
tote delivery; for
example, some items may be too large or too heavy for tote delivery. Other
types of shipments
may be seamlessly delivered to customers via the tote delivery service. In
some embodiments,
rental items, such as video games, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, tools, and so on, may
be delivered via
the tote delivery service. In some embodiments, the customer may choose, via
the user
interface, to have pre-ordered items and back-ordered items delivered via the
tote delivery
service. The network site system may automatically add these pre-ordered items
and back-
ordered items to a soonest feasible tote delivery day, if the customer so
chooses.
[0031] At least some network enterprises may not necessarily need to create
new order
fulfillment facilities to offer the tote delivery service; the tote delivery
service may be integrated
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into existing facilities. However, at least some network enterprises may need
to add sortation
node and tote delivery capabilities into their existing order fulfillment
network. In some
implementations of the tote delivery service, inventory may reside in the
order fulfillment
network as in conventional order fulfillment networks. In some embodiments,
under direction of
the network enterprise logic, at least some items ordered to be delivered via
the tote delivery
service by customers in a given city may be bulk picked at one or more
fulfillment centers in the
order fulfillment network and bulk transferred within the order fulfillment
network to sortation
nodes that manage deliveries for respective cities or regions. A bulk pick for
and bulk transfer to
a particular sortation node may be performed one or more times in a given day
at a given
fulfillment center, but are not necessarily performed every day. Also note
that items bulk picked
on a given day are not necessarily bulk transferred on the same day. In some
embodiments, in
addition to bulk transferring items from fulfillment centers in the order
fulfillment network to a
sortation node, some items may be transferred directly from one or more
vendors to a sortation
node under direction of the network enterprise logic to fulfill tote delivery
service deliveries.
[0032] The sortation nodes may be implemented in fulfillment centers, smaller,
forward-
deployed fulfillment centers, or even as stand-alone "delivery depots." A
sortation node may be
a node in the network enterprise's order fulfillment network that is owned and
operated by the
network enterprise. Alternatively, a sortation node may be owned and/or
operated by another
entity, such as a local carrier or delivery company that owns and/or operates
the tote delivery
vehicles. At each sortation node, the bulk-picked items, received in bulk
transfers from one or
more fulfillment centers, may be rebinned into customer totes, which may in
some embodiments
be on rolling racks pre-assigned to specific zip codes. On (or before) the
scheduled tote delivery
day, the totes for that tote delivery day may be loaded onto appropriate
delivery vehicles for
delivery. For example, the racks of totes for that tote delivery day may be
rolled onto the
appropriate delivery vehicles for delivery. Each of one or more delivery zones
served by the
sortation node (e.g., each zip code) may be given a common day-of-week promise
(e.g.,
"delivered Wednesdays before 6pm"), ensuring high delivery densities on each
route; different
ones of the zones served by a sortation node may be given different tote
delivery days. In some
embodiments, one or more zones served by a sortation node may be given more
than one tote
delivery day per week.
[0033] At each address to which a tote order is to be delivered on a tote
delivery run, the
driver drops the tote or totes including items to be delivered via the tote
delivery service on the
tote delivery day and retrieves any return totes, which may, but do not
necessarily, include
returned items from the customers. In some embodiments, two or more tote
delivery runs may be
made to a given zone on a given tote delivery day at different time slots, for
example a morning
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tote delivery run and an evening tote delivery run, or a "before 9am" delivery
run, a "before
lpm" delivery run, and an "after 6pm" delivery run. In these embodiments,
individual customers
may be assigned a particular time slot on a tote delivery day, or
alternatively a customer may
specify which time slot on the tote delivery day that the customer wants to
receive the tote
delivery for that day. In embodiments where the customer specifies which time
slot of two or
more time slots on a tote delivery day that the customer prefers, the
specification may be made as
a default for the customer and/or may be made on a tote-by-tote basis. For
example, when the
customer confirms a tote delivery, or alternatively via a tote management
page, the user may be
provided with an option as to which time slot the customer prefers for a tote
delivery, in addition
to which tote delivery day the customer wants the tote delivered on and which
tote deliver
address the customer wants the tote delivered to (if the customer has multiple
delivery
addresses).
[0034] In some embodiments, it may be required that a person be present at a
tote delivery
address to receive a tote order at the time the tote order is delivered for
the delivery service to
leave the tote(s) at the delivery address. In some embodiments, the delivery
service may leave
totes "on the doorstep" at unattended delivery addresses or leave totes "on
the doorstep" without
a person receiving the tote order directly. In some embodiments, the user
interface may allow a
customer to specify, for a given tote order, whether the customer will allow
the tote order to be
left "on the doorstep" at the delivery address without a person receiving the
tote order directly, or
alternatively may allow the customer to specify, for a given tote order, that
the customer wants
the tote order to be received by a person at the delivery address. In some
embodiments, the user
interface may allow the customer to specify which person(s) are allowed to
receive a tote order.
[0035] From the customer perspective, embodiments of the tote delivery service
may provide
low-cost or free, relatively fast shipping with less cardboard and other
packaging materials to
throw away or recycle. In exchange for fast, low-cost or free, "greener" (more
environmentally
friendly) shipping, customers may choose to aggregate their orders from the
network enterprise
into fewer deliveries to their home or other delivery address. In addition,
the tote delivery
service and the user interface to the tote delivery service may provide a tote-
centric view to the
customer of the items the customer orders at different times from the network
enterprise, rather
than a shipment or order-centric view of the customer's orders as is provided
by conventional
systems. In conventional, order-centric systems, the customer may place orders
for one or more
different items at different times, with an order generated, and shipped, for
each item or items
ordered at a given time. In the tote delivery service, the customer may place
different items, at
different times, into the same tote (or into different totes). A given tote
scheduled for delivery to
a particular delivery address on a particular tote delivery day may be viewed
(and processed, by
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the tote delivery service) as a single tote order, even though different items
in the tote may have
been placed into the tote at different times that are hours, days, weeks, or
even longer apart, and
even though different items in the tote may have been placed into the tote by
different customers
that share the same delivery address. In some embodiments, a tote order is
given a single tote
order number for tracking the tote order, even if the tote order includes
multiple items added to
the tote at different times, in different customer sessions, or by different
customers. Thus, the
tote delivery service may allow customers to consolidate what would be
processed as many
separate orders using conventional systems, each requiring separate shipping,
handling, and
paperwork, into a single, consolidated tote order. Note that, while a customer
may be presented
with a single virtual tote into which the customer places items for a given
tote order, the tote
order may be delivered to the customer's delivery address in one, two or more
physical totes.
[0036] As an example of the tote-centric view, the customer may request that a
back-ordered
or pre-ordered item be delivered via the tote delivery service. The back-
ordered or pre-ordered
item may then be displayed in a virtual tote to be delivered on a future tote
delivery day, for
example on a tote management page 1100 as illustrated in Figure 15. This may
make it easier for
the customer to keep track of items that the customer has ordered than in
conventional, order-
centric systems, as the customer can browse through future scheduled tote
deliveries to view
what items the customer has pending to be delivered and when the items are
scheduled to be
delivered via the tote delivery service, rather than the customer having to go
back through past
orders to try and figure out what items the customer has pending for delivery
as in conventional,
order-centric systems.
[0037] In addition, in some embodiments, by virtue of the use of local
sortation nodes in the
tote delivery service, customers may be allowed to cancel items in totes or
cancel entire tote
orders much later than can be done for orders being shipped by conventional
shipping methods,
up to the tote delivery day. For example, if a customer's scheduled tote
delivery time is 6pm, the
customer may be allowed to cancel part or all of the tote order up until noon
on the tote delivery
day. This provides more flexibility to the customers in regards to managing
and scheduling their
tote deliveries than is provided by conventional ordering and shipping
methods.
[0038] From the network enterprise perspective, embodiments of the tote
delivery service
may provide a competitively advantageous delivery option and an enterprise-
wide platform for
product delivery. With the possible realization of the efficiency of higher
units per shipment that
may result from an implementation of the product ordering and delivery method,
a network
enterprise may justify operating its own last-mile delivery system while
offering lower-cost or
even free delivery to customers via the reusable totes.
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[0039] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may provide a
user interface
to a network enterprise system that enables customers to manage their tote
deliveries. The tote
management user interface may allow the customer to specify tote delivery for
items ordered
from the network enterprise. The tote management user interface may also
provide a display of
virtual totes scheduled for delivery on future tote delivery days. The tote
management user
interface may also allow customers to view their tote delivery history so that
the customers can
review the content of previous totes that have already been delivered. Via at
least some
embodiments of the tote management user interface, the customer may, for
example, view what
items are scheduled to be delivered in which totes, add items to particular
totes to be delivered to
the customer's shipping address (or shipping addresses) on particular tote
delivery days, change
the quantity of a particular item in a tote (e.g., specify that two of a given
item are to be delivered
in the tote instead of one), remove items from totes, move an item from one
tote to another tote,
copy an item from one tote (either a previously delivered tote or an upcoming
tote) to another
tote, replicate previously delivered or upcoming totes to one or more upcoming
tote delivery
days, and schedule periodic deliveries (e.g., monthly deliveries) of
particular items to be
delivered in totes. In addition, in at least some embodiments, the customer
may specify, via the
user interface, that back-ordered or pre-ordered items are to be delivered by
tote. In some
embodiments, the tote management user interface may be used to view the
projected future tote
shipping days for such items as scheduled delivery items, back-ordered items,
and pre-ordered
items. In some embodiments, the tote management user interface may allow a
customer to
manage a tote calendar, for example to schedule vacations or other times when
the customer's
tote delivery is to be temporarily suspended. Items that were previously
scheduled for tote
delivery during such a period may be automatically rescheduled for tote
delivery after the period.
[0040] In some embodiments, a single customer may have multiple shipping
addresses to
which items may be delivered, and thus may, but does not necessarily have
multiple scheduled
delivery days, with different days for the different addresses. For example, a
customer may have
a home shipping address and a business shipping address, and these two
addresses may be in
different zip codes and thus may, but do not necessarily, have different
scheduled tote delivery
days. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a customer may have other people's
shipping
addresses listed for deliveries. For example, a customer may have his or her
parents' address, his
child's address, and so on. Thus, some embodiments may allow a customer to use
the tote
delivery service to deliver items to other people's shipping addresses, as
long as the other
people's addresses are listed as shipping addresses for the customer and tote
delivery is available
to those addresses. In some embodiments, two or more customers that share the
same tote
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delivery address may be allowed to consolidate items that the customers
separately order into a
single tote order to be delivered to the shared address.
[0041] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may provide tote
delivery as
one shipping option among two or more alternative shipping options. For
example, the network
enterprise may provide, via the user interface, a next-day shipping option, a
two-day shipping
option, and a tote delivery shipping option. Providing alternative shipping
options may, for
example, allow the customer to receive items that are needed as soon as
possible via a faster,
conventional direct shipping option, while scheduling items for which the need
is not so pressing
for future delivery by tote on upcoming tote delivery days.
[0042] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may provide
reusable
containers (totes) that can be returned by the customer to the network
enterprise for re-use. In at
least some embodiments, a customer may place one or more items to be returned
to the network
enterprise in a tote to be returned. The user interface may provide one or
more user interface
elements whereby the customer can inform the network enterprise that the
item(s) are being
returned on a given tote delivery (and pickup) day. Using this ability to
easily return items to the
network enterprise in the reusable totes, at least some embodiments may enable
"order
bracketing" where the customer can order, for example, three pairs of the same
shoe in different
sizes, or three of the same item in different colors, and return the items
(e.g., the pairs of shoes
that don't fit, or the items that aren't the desired color) that the customer
decides not to keep. In
some embodiments, only items that were previously delivered via the tote
delivery service may
be returned via the tote delivery service. However, in some embodiments, items
that are shipped
according to other shipping methods may also be returned to the network
enterprise via the tote
delivery service. In addition, in some embodiments, other items than return
items may be
delivered from a customer to the network enterprise, or to other entities, via
returned totes. For
example, in various implementations, video game rentals, DVD/Blu-Ray Disc
rentals, exchanges,
items for repair, items being sent to the network enterprise for credit or
resale, and so on may be
delivered from a customer to the network enterprise or to some other entity
via return totes and
the tote delivery service. Also note that, in at least some embodiments, at
least some items
delivered to customers via the tote delivery service may be returned by other
return methods than
in return totes.
[0043] In some embodiments, return totes may be used to deliver inventory from
other
entities, such as merchants or sellers, to the network enterprise. For
example, a merchant or
seller may provide one or more different items to the network enterprise that
may be placed into
the network enterprise's inventory, in some cases for sale via the network
site. The tote delivery
service may be provided to an address of the merchant or seller. The merchant
or seller may
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place items to be delivered to the network enterprise into a return tote that
is picked up and
delivered to a sortation node on a tote delivery run.
[0044] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may provide
recommendations and reminders to the customer via the user interface to the
network site and/or
via alternative communications channels such as email and text messaging. The
network
enterprise logic may examine a customer's purchasing history and/or tote
contents and, based on
that examination, determine items that the customer may wish to have delivered
via the tote
delivery service. The network enterprise logic may then provide a
recommendation to the
customer to that effect. The reminders may, for example, let the customer know
which tote days
the customer should expect a tote to be placed on their doorstep, what the
cutoff day is for
placing items into (or removing items from) a given tote, and what will be
delivered in the totes
on those tote days. Via the recommendations and reminders, a customer may, for
example, be
prompted to wait for a scheduled delivery of an item via tote, or add an item
to a tote, rather than
making a trip to the store to pick up the item. As another example, a customer
may be prompted
to suggest that the customer consolidate items ordered via other shipping
options (for example,
items in a virtual "shopping cart") into an upcoming tote order.
[0045] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may implement an
order
fulfillment and consolidation method and system in which items from customers
to be delivered
on a given tote day are picked from one or more fulfillment centers and bulk-
transferred to
stations that are local to tote delivery zones. These stations may be referred
to as sortation nodes.
A sortation node receives the bulk transfers from one or more fulfillment
centers and sorts the
items into reusable totes according to one or more tote delivery zones
scheduled for an upcoming
tote delivery run. The totes for a respective tote delivery zone may then be
loaded onto delivery
vehicles, which then make the delivery runs to the respective tote delivery
zones. The tote
delivery vehicle personnel may drop off totes containing items to addresses in
the respective
zones, and may pick up empty totes (and totes with items to be returned, if
any) from the
addresses in the respective delivery zones to be returned to the sortation
node. If there are any
items in the returned totes, the items may be removed from the totes and
either re-stocked locally
or returned to an appropriate fulfillment center (e.g., in bulk return
transfers) for re-stocking or
other processing (e.g., return to the manufacturer). In some embodiments,
items in returned totes
may be otherwise processed; for example, items to be exchanged, items to be
repaired, and rental
items may be returned in totes, and may be removed from the totes and
appropriately processed.
[0046] Figure 3 is a high-level flowchart of a method for implementing a tote
delivery
service according to at least some embodiments. As indicated at 200, a
customer adds one or
more items to a virtual tote for a particular delivery address and a
particular delivery day via a
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user interface to the network site. The customer, via the user interface, may
effectively place one
or more items offered through the network site in the virtual tote to be
delivered as a
consolidated tote order to a specified address on an indicated tote delivery
day (e.g., Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) for a tote delivery zone (e.g., determined by zip
code) that includes
the specified address. The customer may subsequently add other items to the
virtual tote, change
the quantity of a given item in a tote, or remove items from the virtual tote,
up to the cutoff time
for the respective tote delivery day. In at least some embodiments, a customer
may generate a
tote order for a given tote delivery day by other methods, for example by
duplicating another tote
or by scheduling regular, recurring tote deliveries. Figures 8 through 16
illustrate examples of
various user interface screens and user interface elements that may be
provided to customers in at
least some embodiments and that allow the customers to add items to totes,
manage totes, and
perform other functions related to the tote delivery service.
[0047] As indicated at 202 of Figure 3, the one or more items in the tote
order are placed into
a physical, reusable tote at a respective sortation node prior to the delivery
run to the customer's
delivery zone on the given tote delivery day. In some cases, a tote order may
require two or
more physical totes to hold all of the items in the order. Prior to the
scheduled tote delivery, the
items that the customer has specified for delivery on the customer's tote
delivery day may be
picked (along with items ordered by other customers) and, at the sortation
node, sorted into a tote
or totes to be delivered to the customer's specified address. Figure 4A
illustrates an example
reusable tote according to at least some embodiments. Figure 18 illustrates
operations of an
example sortation node, according to at least some embodiments.
[0048] As indicated at 204 of Figure 3, the customer's tote(s) may then be
loaded onto a
delivery vehicle at the sortation node, along with other totes to be delivered
to other addresses in
the tote delivery zone. As indicated at 206, the customer's tote(s) is
delivered to and dropped off
at the specified customer address on the tote delivery day for the tote
delivery zone. The
customer (or someone else at the address) may then retrieve the tote(s),
remove the item(s) from
the tote(s), and place the empty tote(s) in an appropriate location (e.g., "on
the doorstep") to be
picked up on a subsequent tote delivery day for that tote delivery zone. In at
least some
embodiments, if the customer has an item or items to be returned to the
network enterprise, the
customer may place the item or items in a tote to be picked up, and place the
tote in an
appropriate location for pickup on a subsequent tote delivery day. At least
some embodiments
may provide one or more methods whereby the customer may inform the network
enterprise that
the item(s) are being returned by tote.
[0049] Figure 4A illustrates an example physical, reusable tote according to
at least some
embodiments. The reusable tote 250 shown in this Figure is given as an
example, and is not
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intended to be limiting. In some embodiments, each customer, or each customer
address, may
have at least one permanently or semi-permanently assigned tote 250. In other
embodiments,
any randomly selected tote 250 may be temporarily assigned to delivery
addresses at the
sortation nodes, e.g. for one delivery run. Various sizes, shapes, materials,
colors, and
configurations of totes are possible and contemplated. A tote 250 may be a
rectangular box with
substantially rigid sides, a bag with substantially flexible sides, or some
other configuration. A
tote 250 may be composed at least in part of a substantially durable material
or materials to
facilitate reuse. In some embodiments, the tote may be composed of a weather-
resistant material
or materials. Any appropriate substantially durable and/or weather-resistant
material (e.g.,
plastic, metal, cloth, durable cardboard, etc.) may be used. At least some of
the material(s) of
which the tote 250 is composed may be recyclable so that damaged or worn-out
totes 250 may be
recycled. A tote 250 may be a solid color or patterned; any desired color or
color palette may be
used. A tote 250 may provide a resealable opening or "lid" 256 via which items
may be placed
into and removed from the tote 250. In some embodiments, the lid 256 may be
lockable or
otherwise securable. A tote 250 may include one or more handles (not shown)
via which the tote
250 may be picked up and carried.
[0050] A tote 250 may include a logo and/or other information 254, displayed
on or attached
to one or more surfaces of the tote, identifying or related to the network
enterprise and/or the tote
delivery service, such as a name, telephone number, web address, email
address, instructions,
return policies, and so on. In some embodiments, a tote 250 may include other
identifying
information or marks, such as information identifying a zone that the tote 250
is delivered to, or
information identifying a particular sortation node that the tote 250 belongs
to. In some
embodiments, a tote 250 may include or display one or more advertisements for
the network
service or for other entities (e.g., the network service or tote delivery
service may sell advertising
space on the totes to other entities). While Figure 4A shows information 254
as being displayed
on at least one outside surface of the tote 250, in some embodiments, at least
a portion of
information 254 may be displayed on or attached to at least one inside surface
of the tote 250
rather than, or in addition to, being displayed on or attached to the outside
surface.
[0051] A tote 250 may, but does not necessarily, include a tote delivery
indicator 252 that
may identify at least a delivery address for the particular tote 250 to the
delivery personnel and/or
to sortation node personnel or automated sorting devices. Tote delivery
indicator 252 may, for
example, be a printed label that is permanently affixed to the tote 250, or a
removable printed
label. While Figure 4A shows tote delivery indicator 252 as being attached to
an outside surface
of tote 250, in some embodiments, tote delivery indicator 252 may be otherwise
attached. For
example, in some embodiments, tote delivery indicator 252 may be a tag that
may be attached to
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and removed from the tote; for example, the tag may be similar to a luggage
tag that can be
attached to a handle of tote 250. In some embodiments, tote delivery indicator
252 may be a
radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, or other type of electronic tag,
that delivery personnel
and/or sortation node personnel or automated sorting devices may scan, e.g.
using a hand-held
scanner, to identify at least the delivery address for the tote 250. In some
embodiments, an
electronic tag may be programmable at the sortation node so that the delivery
address (or other
information) indicated by the tag on a given tote 250 may be changed at the
sortation node if and
when necessary. In some embodiments, tote delivery indicator 252 may include
or may be a bar
code that may be programmed to indicate the particular tote delivery and that
may be scanned by
tote delivery personnel and/or sortation node personnel or automated sorting
devices.
[0052] In some embodiments, totes 250 do not include an indicator 252. For
example, as
illustrated in Figure 4B, in some embodiments, totes 250 may be placed into
receptacles 260,
such as open-top bins, at a sortation node, and the receptacles, including the
totes 250, may be
loaded into delivery vehicles. Instead of using indicators 252 on the totes
250, the receptacles
260into which the totes 250 are placed may each include a tote delivery
indicator 262 similar to
tote delivery indicator 252 that may be used by tote delivery personnel to
determine the delivery
address for the tote(s) 250 contained therein. At a delivery address, the
delivery personnel
identifies the corresponding receptacle 260 for that address, removes the tote
250 or totes 250
from the receptacle 260, and drops off the tote(s) 250.
[0053] In some embodiments, the reusable totes 250 may be returned to the
network
enterprise for reuse. In some embodiments, the reusable totes 250 may be kept
by the customers.
In some embodiments, the customers may either return or keep a tote 250. In
some
embodiments, at least some customers may be charged a nominal fee or deposit
for each tote 250.
In some embodiments, this tote fee or deposit may be refunded to the customer
upon return of a
tote 250.
[0054] In some embodiments, the network enterprise may provide special or
different tote
bags to at least some customers. For example, seasonal totes and/or holiday
totes that are
patterned, colored, or otherwise decorated to indicate a season, holiday, or
other occasion may be
provided. As another example, the network enterprise may provide a "giftwrap"
service via
which totes may be gift wrapped or otherwise decorated for delivery upon a
customer's request,
possibly for a fee. As another example, the network enterprise may provide
deluxe totes to some
customers, possibly for an upgrade fee. As another example, in some
embodiments, customers
that are members in a subscription-based shipping program may be provided with
different totes
than those provided to non-subscribed customers.
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[0055] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example tote delivery service
according to at least
some embodiments. This Figure shows both data flow and product flow within an
example tote
delivery service. The tote delivery service may be viewed as comprising two
major components
or subsystems - a front end 300 that provides tote ordering and virtual tote
management to
customers via a user interface 320 to network enterprise logic 330, and a back
end 302 that
provides tote order consolidation and delivery to customers under the
direction of network
enterprise logic 330. In at least some embodiments, the back end 302 may also
provide a return
service via the tote delivery service whereby customers may return or deliver
items to the
network service or to other entities, including methods for refunding
customers for items
returned in totes, providing credit for used items delivered via return tote
for resale, and so on.
[0056] Network enterprise logic 330 may be implemented on one or more computer
systems,
such as server computers. Figure 20 illustrates an example computer system
that may be used to
implement enterprise logic 330 or components thereof. Referring to Figure 5,
enterprise logic
330 may store tote delivery data 336 in a data store 334. Tote delivery data
336 may include, but
is not limited to, records of items previously delivered to particular
customers via the tote
delivery service and records of items to be delivered to particular customers
via the tote delivery
service. Data store 334 may also store other information that may be used by
the network
enterprise logic during front end and/or back end operations, including one or
more of, but not
limited to, product information that describes the items that the network
enterprise offers for sale,
order information for other types of orders than tote delivery orders,
inventory information that
indicates the quantities and locations of the network enterprise's inventory
within the order
fulfillment network, user interface elements such as web pages, and customer
account
information that includes customers' names, addresses, billing information,
and so on. Data store
334 may be implemented as or on one or more storage devices configured
independently or as a
storage system. In general, data store 334 may be implemented as one or more
of any type of
storage device and/or storage system suitable for storing data used by the
server systems that
implement the network enterprise logic 330 including, but not limited to:
redundant array of
inexpensive disks (RAID) devices, disk drives or arrays of disk drives such as
Just a Bunch Of
Disks (JBOD), (used to refer to disks that are not configured according to
RAID), optical storage
devices, tape drives, RAM disks, Storage Area Network (SAN), Network Access
Storage (NAS),
or combinations thereof.
[0057] Tote delivery information 336 may, for example, be stored as or in a
database. The
database may be implemented as a single, monolithic database or as a
combination of two or
more databases and/or data stored in other, non-database formats, such as
files stored in any of
various file formats. The database may be or may include a relational
database, or may be or
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may include any other type of database, such as an object oriented database,
depending on
implementation, or combinations thereof. In at least some embodiments, the
database may
include a customer database configured for storing information about customers
that have
accounts for accessing the network site. In some embodiments, the database may
include a
subscription database for storing information about customers that have
subscribed to a
subscription-based shipping program.
[0058] In front end 300 operations, the user interface 320 may present tote
delivery user
interface (UI) elements to customers 310 via internet 312, for example via web
browser software
on the customers' computing devices. The customers' computing devices may
include desktop
computers, notebook computers, mobile devices such as cell phones or smart
phones, television
web platforms, or any other device capable of displaying the user interface
320. Tote delivery
service UI elements 322 may include both control elements (e.g., buttons,
menus, text boxes,
radio buttons, etc.) via which the customers 310 can provide input to the
enterprise logic 330 to
manage their tote deliveries, and display elements that display tote delivery
information. Tote
delivery service logic 332 of enterprise logic 330 may present tote delivery
information to the
customers 310 via tote delivery service UI elements 322 of the user interface
320. Tote delivery
service logic 332 of enterprise logic 330 may also receive tote management
input (e.g., customers
310 orders for items to be delivered via the tote delivery service, customers
310 modifications of
the contents of scheduled tote deliveries, etc.) via user tote delivery
service UI elements 322 of
user interface 320. Enterprise logic 330 may process this tote management
input to appropriately
modify tote delivery data 336.
[0059] In at least some embodiments, user interface 320 may also provide
recommendations
and reminders regarding the tote delivery service to customers 310, via the
network site over
Internet 312 or via alternative communications channels such as email and text
messaging. To
generate recommendations and/or reminders, enterprise logic 330 may examine
enterprise data in
data store 334, including but not limited to tote delivery data 336. For
example, enterprise logic
330 may examine a customer's tote delivery history to determine that the
customer periodically
orders a particular item, and then send a recommendation to the customer via
user interface 320
recommending that the item be scheduled for regular tote delivery. As an
example of a reminder,
enterprise logic 330 may examine a customer's upcoming tote orders to generate
and send
reminders of one or more upcoming tote deliveries. In some embodiments, other
information
than the enterprise data stored in data store 334 may be obtained and analyzed
to generate
recommendations. For example, data indicating consumer purchasing patterns or
other consumer
metrics may be obtained from one or more other external sources, such as other
consumer goods
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enterprises, consumer product providers, and/or consumer research entities,
and used in
generating recommendations for customers.
[0060] In back end 302 operations, tote delivery service logic 332 of
enterprise logic 330
may retrieve and process tote delivery data 336 to generate bulk transfer data
338. Bulk transfer
data 338 is provided to fulfillment centers 350 of the network enterprise's
order fulfillment
network. In at least some embodiments, bulk transfer data 338 directs the
fulfillment centers 350
to pick from inventory and bulk-transfer items for delivery in one or more
tote delivery runs to
each of one or more tote delivery zones on a specific tote delivery day at
each sortation node
360. A bulk pick for and bulk transfer to a particular sortation node 360 may
be performed one
or more times in a given day at a given fulfillment center 350, but are not
necessarily performed
every day. Also note that items bulk picked on a given day are not necessarily
bulk transferred
on the same day. Figure 17 illustrates operations of an example fulfillment
center 350 according
to some embodiments. Referring to Figure 5, note that a sortation node 360 may
be, but is not
necessarily, located within a fulfillment center 350; a transfer may thus be a
transfer to a
sortation node 360 within a fulfillment center 350, a transfer from one
fulfillment center 350 to
another fulfillment center 350, or a transfer from a fulfillment center 350 to
a stand-alone
sortation node 360. A sortation node 360 may be a node in the network
enterprise's order
fulfillment network that is owned and operated by the network enterprise.
Alternatively, a
sortation node 360 may be owned and/or operated by another entity, such as a
local carrier or
delivery company that owns and/or operates the tote delivery vehicles.
[0061] Each fulfillment center 350 may send at least one separate bulk
transfer 352 of items
for tote delivery on the specific tote delivery day to at least one of one or
more sortation nodes
360. Note that a bulk transfer may be scheduled to arrive at a sortation node
360 before the
respective tote delivery day or, alternatively, on the tote delivery day. In
some embodiments,
bulk transfer data 338 may not include specific customer order information
that indicates which
customer ordered what items; only quantities of particular items to be picked
and transferred to
particular sortation nodes 360 may be described. In some embodiments, in
addition to bulk
transfers from fulfillment centers 350, a sortation node 360 may receive bulk
transfers or other
shipments directly from one or more vendors or merchants that include items
for tote deliveries.
[0062] Tote delivery service logic 332 may also process tote delivery data 336
to generate
zone delivery data 340. Zone delivery data 340 may be provided to sortation
nodes 360 of the
network enterprise's order fulfillment network. In at least some embodiments,
zone delivery data
340 directs the sortation nodes 360 in sorting the items received in one or
more bulk transfers
352 from fulfillment centers 350 or from other sources, on or before the
respective zone delivery
days, into reusable totes for delivery to specific customer addresses 372 in
specific delivery
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zones 370 on respective zone tote delivery days. Figure 18 illustrates
operations of an example
sortation node according to some embodiments.
[0063] Referring to Figure 5, each sortation node 360 may provide tote
delivery service to
one or more delivery zones 370. In some embodiments, delivery zones 370 may be
determined
by zip code. In other embodiments, other geographic information, or other
types of information,
may be used to determine delivery zones. Generally, a sortation node 360 will
deliver to
multiple zones 370, with different ones of the zones 370 scheduled for
delivery on different days
of the week. In some implementations, the tote delivery service may be
provided every day of
the week, and in other implementations the tote delivery service may not be
provided on some
days (e.g., Monday through Saturday or Monday through Friday). In some
embodiments, one or
more zones served by a sortation node may be given more than one tote delivery
day per week.
A sortation node 360 may, but does not necessarily, deliver to more than one
zone 370 on a given
day. In some embodiments, for at least some zones 370, a respective sortation
node 360 may
deliver to at least some customers 310 in the zone 370 on two or more days a
week. Generally,
only one sortation node 360 serves each tote delivery zone 370; however, in
some
implementations, two or more sortation nodes 360 may serve the same zone 370.
In some
embodiments, two or more tote delivery runs may be made to a given zone on a
given tote
delivery day at different time slots, for example a morning tote delivery run
and an evening tote
delivery run. In these embodiments, individual customers may be assigned a
particular time slot
on a tote delivery day, or alternatively a customer may specify which time
slot on the tote
delivery day that the customer wants to receive the tote delivery.
[0064] The reusable totes containing items to be delivered to customer
addresses 372 are
loaded onto one or more delivery vehicles for delivery runs 362 to specific
tote delivery zones
370. In some embodiments, the totes may be loaded onto rolling racks, and the
racks may be
loaded onto the delivery vehicles. In some embodiments, the totes may be
placed into
receptacles, such as open-top bins, and the receptacles, including the totes,
may then be loaded
into the delivery vehicles, for example on mobile racks. See Figure 4B for an
example of a tote
in a receptacle. In some embodiments, the receptacles may already be in the
delivery vehicles,
and the totes may be placed into the receptacles inside the delivery vehicles.
In some
embodiments, one or more totes may be placed into each receptacle. In some
embodiments, the
receptacles into which the totes are placed may each include a tote delivery
indicator 262 as
shown in Figure 4B that may be used by tote delivery personnel to determine
the delivery
address for the tote(s) contained therein. On a delivery run to a tote
delivery zone 370, the
delivery personnel on the delivery vehicle drop each tote off at a respective
customer address
372. Generally, only one tote will be dropped at a given address 372; however,
in some cases,
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more than one tote may be required to deliver all the items to be delivered on
a given delivery
day to a given address 372. The delivery personnel may also pick up one or
more previously
delivered totes from at least some addresses 372. In some embodiments, a given
delivery vehicle
may deliver to more than one zone 370 on a given delivery run, or on a given
delivery day.
[0065] A picked-up tote may be empty, or may include one or more previously
delivered
items that the respective customer is returning to the network enterprise. In
some embodiments,
items that are shipped according to other shipping methods may also be
returned to the network
enterprise via the tote delivery service. In some embodiments, other items
than return items may
be delivered from a customer to the network enterprise via returned totes. For
example, in some
embodiments, video game rentals, DVD/Blu-Ray disc rentals, exchanges, items
for repair, items
being sent to the network enterprise for credit or resale, and so on may be
delivered from a
customer to the network enterprise or to some other entity via return totes
and the tote delivery
service. As another example, in some embodiments, a merchant or seller may
deliver items to
the network enterprise via return totes. The delivery vehicles may then return
the picked-up totes
to the respective sortation nodes 360. At the sortation node 360, any items
that are in the
returned totes may be removed and appropriately processed.
Front end operations
[0066] In front end operations, customers may access a user interface 320 to
tote delivery
service logic 332 of enterprise logic 330 to order items to be delivered
according to the tote
delivery service and to manage their tote orders. Embodiments of the user
interface 320 may
provide one or more methods via which a customer may place items into tote
orders to be
delivered according to the tote delivery service. Some examples of tote
ordering methods and
tote delivery service user interfaces are provided herein. These examples are
not intended to be
limiting.
[0067] Figure 6 is a high-level flowchart of placing an item into a tote order
via a tote
ordering pipeline, according to at least some embodiments. As indicated at
220, a customer may
select the tote delivery option for an item. For example, the customer may
select the tote
delivery service option from an item detail page. Example item detail pages
are illustrated in
Figures 8, 13 and 14. As indicated at 222, the customer may be prompted to
sign in to the tote
delivery service. In some embodiments, the customer may be required to provide
at least a
password each time the customer wants to add an item to a tote order. Figure
10 shows an
example tote delivery service sign in page that may be displayed to the
customer in at least some
embodiments. As indicated at 224, the customer may be prompted to confirm that
the item is to
be placed in a tote order. In some embodiments, a confirmation web page may be
displayed, for
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example web page 700 of Figure 11, via which the customer can confirm that the
item is to be
added to the tote order. As indicated at 226, the customer may be notified
that the item has been
placed in the tote order. In some embodiments, a web page may be displayed,
for example web
page 800 of Figure 12, that notifies the customer that the item has been added
to the tote order.
In some embodiments, the customer may be notified via one or more other
communications
channels, such as email, text message, or telephone.
[0068] Figure 7 is a flowchart of placing an item into a tote order using a
single-action user
interface element, according to at least some embodiments. As indicated at
230, a customer may
select a single-action tote delivery service UI element for an item. for
example, element 442 of
item detail page 400 shown in Figure 8 may be a single-action user interface
element. As
indicated at 232, the item may be automatically added to an upcoming tote
order in response to
the customer selecting the single-action element. As indicated at 234, the
customer may be
notified that the item has been placed in the tote order. In some embodiments,
a web page may
be displayed, for example web page 800 of Figure 12, that notifies the
customer that the item has
been added to the tote order. In some embodiments, the customer may be
notified via one or
more other communications channels, such as email, text message, or telephone.
Example tote delivery service user interface
[0069] Figures 8 through 16 illustrate examples of various user interface (UI)
screens and UI
elements that may be used in at least some embodiments of the tote delivery
service as part of the
front end 300 subsystem of the tote delivery service as illustrated in Figure
5. These UI screens
and UI elements are given by way of example, and are not intended to be
limiting. In at least
some embodiments, the example UI screens shown in Figures 8 through 16,
variations thereof,
and/or other UI screens, may be provided as web pages by a network site of a
network enterprise
to enable various functions and features of the tote delivery service
according to various
embodiments. Note that, in some embodiments, other UI screens than the example
UI screens
illustrated in the Figures may be provided by the network site; at least some
of these other UI
screens may include one or more UI elements related to the tote delivery
service.
[0070] In the example UI screens shown in Figures 8 through 16, the customer
interface to
the tote delivery service is shown as a graphical user interface (GUI) that is
suitable for display
on a personal computer or other similar device with a relatively large display
device. In some
embodiments, implementations of the tote delivery service user interface may
be presented on
any suitable device, for example on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or
other handheld device,
on a cell phone using audio prompts, etc, using any of a variety of other
presentation methods, UI
screens, UI elements, etc.
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[0071] In at least some embodiments, customers may be required to already
have, or to set up
if they do not already have, a user account on the network site to receive
and/or to access at least
some of the UI screens and UI elements illustrated in Figures 8 through 16,
and to use the tote
delivery service described herein. The customer may have provided customer
information
including, but not limited to, delivery/shipping address, billing address, and
payment method
information in the process of setting up a user account with the network site.
[0072] In some embodiments, the tote delivery service may not be available for
all customers
of the network site; for example, in some embodiments, the tote delivery
service may only be
offered in areas with relatively high population densities, such as cities or
towns, and thus at least
some rural customer addresses may not qualify for the service. However, in
some embodiments,
a customer may have multiple shipping addresses associated with their account;
thus, for a given
customer, one or more shipping addresses may qualify for the tote delivery
service, while one or
more other shipping addresses may not qualify.
[0073] In some embodiments, the tote delivery service may be provided to
customers of other
enterprises, such as other network enterprises than the network enterprise
that provides the tote
delivery service. Items that another enterprise's customers order for delivery
by tote (either via
the network enterprise's network site or by some other method, such as a web
site of the other
enterprise) may be transferred into the network enterprise's order fulfillment
network via one or
more ingestion channels. The other enterprise's items may be sorted into
outgoing totes at
sortation nodes to fulfill their customers' tote orders. Note that, in some
embodiments, the other
enterprise's items may be placed into totes along with items from the network
enterprise that
provides the tote delivery service.
[0074] In some embodiments, a customer with an account may also be required to
sign up
for, or sign in to, the tote delivery service to use the tote delivery service
and to gain access to at
least some of the UI screens and UI elements illustrated in Figures 8 through
16. In other
embodiments, the tote delivery service may be provided to all qualified
customers with an
account without requiring the customers to sign up or sign in. In some
embodiments, the
network site may not charge any sign-up or delivery fees for the tote delivery
service; the tote
delivery service may be offered as a free delivery service to all qualified
customers. In some
embodiments, the network enterprise may charge a fee to sign up for the tote
delivery service,
and/or may charge a delivery fee for each delivery. However, generally, any
fees charged by the
network enterprise for the tote delivery service may be less than conventional
shipping fees.
[0075] In some embodiments, the tote delivery service may be offered to some
customers at
lower cost, or no cost, while being offered to other customers at a higher
cost. For example, in
some embodiments, customers that are members in a subscription-based shipping
program may
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be offered the tote delivery service at lower cost or no cost. As another
example, in some
embodiments, customers in areas with relatively high population densities,
such as cities or
towns, may be offered the tote delivery service at lower cost or no cost,
while customers in areas
with lower population densities (e.g., rural areas) may be offered the tote
delivery service at
higher cost. In some embodiments, the customer may be charged a nominal fee or
deposit for
each tote. In some embodiments, this tote fee or deposit may be refunded to
the customer upon
return of a tote.
[0076] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service user interface
may provide
one or more single-action user interface elements, for example on an item
detail page, via which
a customer may initiate an order for an item provided by the network site to
be delivered
according to the tote delivery service. In some embodiments, the tote delivery
service user
interface may also provide one or more single-action user interface elements
via which a
customer may initiate an order for an item provided by the network site
according to one or more
other shipping options provided to the customer by the network site, for
example according to a
subscription-based shipping program, where each shipping option is associated
with a particular
one of the single-action user interface elements. In some embodiments, one or
more of these
single-action shipping options may only be presented to customers that are
current subscribers of
a subscription-based shipping program, and not to non-subscribed customers. In
embodiments
that use single-action user interface elements for shipping options, including
but not limited to a
tote delivery service shipping option, a single action by a customer on a user
interface provided
by the network site to select a particular one of the shipping options
provided by the network site
may automatically initiate the purchase order, processing, and shipping or
delivery of an item
offered by the network site according to the selected shipping option, for
example the tote
delivery service option. Information associated with the customer including,
but not limited to,
shipping address, billing address, and payment method information may be used
in the automatic
processing of the order in response to the single action selection of the
shipping option.
[0077] In some embodiments, one or more other single-action items to initiate
other services
provided by the network site may be presented to customers of the network
site. For example, in
some embodiments, all customers that have an account with the network site,
whether or not the
customer is subscribed to a shipping program offered by the network enterprise
or signed up for
the tote delivery service, may be presented with at least one single-action
user interface element
for initiating a purchase order on the item detail pages of items offered for
sale by the network
site.
[0078] Methods and systems for the single-action initiation of a purchase
order are described
in U.S. Patent number 5,960,411, titled "Method and System for Placing a
Purchase Order via a
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Communications Network", issued September 28, 1999, which is hereby
incorporated by
reference.
[0079] Methods and apparatus for subscription-based shipping programs are
described in
U.S. Patent number 7,590,565, titled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUBSCRIPTION-
BASED SHIPPING", issued September 15, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
Example tote delivery service user interface ordering process
[0080] Figures 8 through 12 illustrate example web pages that may be displayed
in ordering
an item or items to be delivered by tote according to embodiments of the tote
delivery service,
for example according to the method illustrated in Figure 6. These web pages
are given by way
of example, and are not intended to be limiting.
[0081] Figure 8 illustrates an example web page of a network site that
provides one or more
tote delivery service UI elements, according to some embodiments. This example
web page 400
is an item detail page via which a customer may order one or more units of a
particular item, but
note that tote delivery service UI elements may be provided on one or more
other web pages of
the network site, such as the "home" page. Network site navigation 402 may
include one or
more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc., via which the customer
may navigate to
other pages on the network site and/or perform other functions, such as
searches. In at least some
embodiments, network site navigation 402 may include a tote 404 user interface
element and/or a
cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404 may display a web page
indicating the
contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting cart 406 may display
a web page
indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart order(s). A
shopping cart may
be defined as a virtual location that holds items that have been or are being
ordered by the
customer via some other shipping option or options than the tote delivery
shipping option. Item
detail area 420 may provide relevant graphical and/or textual information
about the particular
item associated with this item detail web page, such as an item description,
price, availability of
the item, and other item information such as a picture of the item. User
interface area 430 may
include one or more user interface elements for selecting standard options of
the network site,
such as an "Add to cart" button 432 that allows the user to add the item shown
on the web page
to a collection, or cart, of items that the customer may purchase when done
selecting items. Area
430 may also include a user interface element, such as a pop-up menu or text
box, via which the
customer may select a shipping address for the item, if ordered. The address
selection user
interface element may default to a default shipping address of the current
customer's account.
[0082] Web page 400 may include a banner, bar, or other UI element, shown here
as element
410, which may display information about the tote delivery service. This
element 410 may
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include a user-selectable UI element 412, such as a hot link or button, that,
when selected, may
take the customer to a web page that provides additional information about the
tote delivery
service. Example of such web pages are shown in Figures 9A through 9D. Element
410 may
also include an indication of an upcoming tote delivery day for the customer
(e.g., Friday), and a
countdown timer for the cutoff for ordering items to be delivered on the
indicated tote delivery
day (e.g., 1 day, 12 hours, and 13 minutes and counting). In some embodiments,
element 410
may not be displayed to customers that are known to have already signed up to
the tote delivery
service.
[0083] Web page 400 may include an area 440 which may allow a customer to
place the item
associated with the item detail page into the customer's virtual tote for
delivery via the tote
delivery service and which may display delivery information for the tote via
the tote delivery
service. This area 440 may include a user-selectable UI element 442, such as a
button, that,
when selected, may place the item in the customer's virtual tote for delivery
to the address
specified in area 430 on the tote delivery day shown in UI element 444. Area
440 may also
include an indication of an upcoming tote delivery day for the customer (e.g.,
Friday), and a
countdown timer for the cutoff for ordering items to be delivered on the
indicated tote delivery
day.
[0084] In some embodiments, UI element 442 may be a single-action user
interface element.
In these embodiments, selecting UI element 442 may automatically initiate the
purchase order,
processing, and delivery of the item according to the tote delivery service.
Information
associated with the customer including, but not limited to, shipping address,
billing address, and
payment method information may be used in the automatic processing of the
order in response to
the single action selection of UI element 442.
[0085] In some embodiments, UI element 442 may open a different web page via
which the
customer may continue placing the order for the item via the tote delivery
service. For example,
in embodiments in which a customer is required to sign in to the tote delivery
service, if the
customer is not currently signed in, selecting UI element 442 may open a web
page such as web
page 600 shown in Figure 10 via which the customer signs in to the tote
delivery service. As
another example, in some embodiments, selecting UI element 442 may open a web
page such as
web page 700 shown in Figure 11 via which a customer may confirm or complete
an order to be
delivered via the tote delivery service.
[0086] While Figure 8 shows areas 430 and 440 as separate areas, in some
embodiments, the
UI elements shown in areas 430 and 440 may be combined into one area.
[0087] In some embodiments, web page 400 may include a link (not shown) to a
"sign in"
web page such as web page 600 of Figure 10 via which the customer may sign in
to the tote
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delivery service. In some embodiments, a customer may be required to sign in
to the tote
delivery service each time the customer adds an item to a tote. In other
embodiments, the
customer may only be required to sign in to the tote delivery service once per
session.
[0088] Figures 9A through 9D show examples of web pages that may provide
additional
information about embodiments of the tote delivery service. Note that these
web pages or the
content thereof are given by way of example, and are not intended to be
limiting.
[0089] Figure 9A illustrates an example web page that provides information
about an
example embodiment of the tote delivery service. Web page 500 may, for
example, be reached
by selecting a UI element on another web page, such as UI element 412 of the
item detail page
400 shown in Figure 8. Network site navigation 402 may include one or more UI
elements, such
as buttons, tabs menus, etc., via which the customer may navigate to other
pages on the network
site and/or perform other functions, such as searches. In at least some
embodiments, network site
navigation 402 may include a tote 404 user interface element and/or a cart 406
user interface
element. Selecting tote 404 may display a web page indicating the contents of
the customer's
current tote order. Selecting cart 406 may display a web page indicating the
contents of the
customer's current shopping cart order(s). Web page 500 may, for example,
include a general
description of the tote delivery service, instructions on how to use the tote
delivery service, and
indications of the particular customer's tote delivery day(s) (in this
example, Friday) and order
deadline for placing items in the tote for delivery on the tote delivery day
(in this example,
Tuesday, two days or 48 hours before the scheduled tote delivery day
(Friday)).
[0090] Web page 500 may also include one or more links to other web pages,
such as a link
to a Frequently-Asked Question (FAQ) web page and a link to a terms and
conditions web page
for the tote delivery service, and/or a link to a "sign in" web page such as
web page 600 of
Figure 10 via which the customer may sign in to the tote delivery service. Web
page 500 may
also include information and/or a UI element via which a customer may contact
the network
enterprise with questions or concerns about the tote delivery service, for
example a UI element
that opens an email message to an email address of the network enterprise, or
a phone number
that the customer may call.
[0091] Figure 9B illustrates another example of a web page that provides
information about
an example embodiment of the tote delivery service. In some embodiments,
customers may be
required to sign in to the tote delivery service. Figure 9B shows a web page
that includes a
delivery information area that may, for example include a UI element via which
the customer
may enter the customer's email address. The email address may be used to
identify the customer
and/or to send the customer notifications and reminders related to the tote
delivery service.
Delivery information area may also include a UI element via which the customer
may enter their
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password. Delivery information area may also include a UI element, such as
sign in button 512,
via which the customer may complete the sign in process after entering their
email address and
password.
[0092] In some embodiments, some customers may be given more tote delivery
days per
week than other customers. For example, a network enterprise may provide a
subscription-based
shipping program; subscribers to the shipping program may be provided with one
or more
shipping options, and possibly other options, that are not provided to non-
subscribed customers.
Customers that are subscribed to the shipping program may be given an
additional tote delivery
day as a benefit of being subscribers. In some embodiments, customers that are
subscribed to
the shipping program may be benefits, such as a shorter cutoff time for
ordering items to be
delivered by tote. Thus, in some embodiments, a web page that provides
information about the
tote delivery service may be different for some customers, for example
customers that are
subscribed to a shipping program, than a web page that provides information to
a non-subscribed
customer. Figure 9C illustrates an example of a web page that provides
information about an
example embodiment of the tote delivery service to a customer that has one
assigned tote day per
week (Wednesday, in this example). Figure 9D illustrates an example of a web
page that
provides information about an example embodiment of the tote delivery service
to a customer
that has two assigned tote day per week (Wednesday and Saturday, in this
example), for example
to a customer that is subscribed to a subscription-based shipping program.
[0093] Figure 10 illustrates an example web page via which a customer may sign
in to the
tote delivery service, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a
customer may
be required to sign in to the tote delivery service each time the customer
adds an item to a tote, or
at least provide a tote delivery service password. Web page 600 may, for
example, be reached by
selecting a UI element on another web page, such as UI element 442 of the item
detail page 400
shown in Figure 8, UI element 930 of item detail page 900 shown in Figure 13,
or UI element
1030 of item detail page 1000 shown in Figure 14, if the customer is not
currently signed in to
the tote delivery service, or if the tote delivery service requires the
customer to sign in each time
an item is ordered to be delivered via tote delivery. In some embodiments, web
page 600 may be
reached from a "sign in" UI element on the network site's home page, or from a
menu item or
button in network site navigation 402 area of another web page. Network site
navigation 402
may include one or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc., via
which the customer
may navigate to other pages on the network site and/or perform other
functions, such as searches.
In at least some embodiments, network site navigation 402 may include a tote
404 user interface
element and/or a cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404 may
display a web page
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indicating the contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting cart
406 may display a
web page indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart
order(s).
[0094] Web page 600 may include a sign in area 610 via which a customer may
sign in to the
tote delivery service. Sign in area 610 may, for example include a UI element
via which the
customer may enter the customer's email address. The email address may be used
to identify the
customer and/or to send the customer notifications and reminders related to
the tote delivery
service. Sign in area 610 may also include one or more UI elements via which
the customer may
indicate whether the customer is a new customer or an existing customer. In
this example, radio
buttons are used. If the customer indicates that he or she is a new customer,
one or more UI
elements may be presented on web page 600 via which the customer may "sign up"
for the tote
delivery service and receive or specify a password. Alternatively, the
customer may be taken to
another web page to sign up for the tote delivery service. If the customer
indicates that he or she
is already signed up (i.e., already has a password), as shown in Figure 10,
then a UI element may
be presented via which the customer may enter their password. Sign in area 610
may also include
a UI element, such as sign in button 612, via which the customer may complete
the sign in
process after entering their email address and password.
[0095] Web page 600 may, but does not necessarily, include an area in which
the customer's
current (virtual) tote contents, if any, may be displayed. Note that the items
may or may not
actually be physically present in a physical tote. Each item shown may include
item information
such as a brief item description, quantity, and price.
[0096] Figure 11 illustrates an example web page via which a customer may
confirm that an
item is to be placed in a pending tote order, according to some embodiments.
Web page 700
may, for example, be reached by selecting a UI element on another web page,
such as UI element
442 of the item detail page 400 shown in Figure 8, UI element 930 of item
detail page 900 shown
in Figure 13, or UI element 1030 of item detail page 1000 shown in Figure 14.
Network site
navigation 402 may include one or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs
menus, etc., via
which the customer may navigate to other pages on the network site and/or
perform other
functions, such as searches. In at least some embodiments, network site
navigation 402 may
include a tote 404 user interface element and/or a cart 406 user interface
element. Selecting tote
404 may display a web page indicating the contents of the customer's current
tote order.
Selecting cart 406 may display a web page indicating the contents of the
customer's current
shopping cart order(s).
[0097] Web page 700 may include an area 710 via which the customer may choose
from
among multiple shipping addresses and/or tote delivery days to or on which an
item or items
currently being purchased will be delivered in a tote. A customer may have
one, two, or more
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different shipping addresses that are eligible for the tote delivery service.
Different shipping
addresses for a customer may be, but are not necessarily, in different
delivery zones. Thus, the
customer may have one shipping address with one day (e.g., Wednesday) as the
tote delivery
day, and another shipping address with a different day (e.g., Friday) as the
tote delivery day. In
the example shown in Figure 10, the customer has two different tote delivery
days (delivery day
1 and delivery day 2) to two different shipping addresses (address 1 and
address 2), and the
customer may select one or the other (e.g., via radio buttons as shown in this
example) as the tote
delivery day for a current item or items. Note, however, that the delivery day
for two different
delivery addresses may be the same delivery day. Also note that a customer may
have only one
delivery address, and thus may have only one delivery day, and thus may not be
given an option.
However, in the latter case, the customer may be given the option of selecting
a future delivery
day (e.g., Friday next week, instead of Friday this week, to the given
shipping address).
[0098] In some embodiments, a customer may have multiple tote delivery days in
a week to
the same shipping address, for example Tuesday and Friday to a given address.
In some
embodiments, all customers may be given two (or more) tote delivery days per
week. In some
embodiments, a subset of delivery addresses may be given two (or more) tote
delivery days per
week; for example, delivery addresses in some but not all delivery zones may
be given two tote
delivery days per week. As another example, in some embodiments, subscribers
to a
subscription-based shipping program may be given two (or more) tote delivery
days per week,
rather than the standard one tote delivery day per week provided to non-
subscribed customers, as
a benefit of being subscribed to the shipping program. Area 710 may thus allow
a customer to
specify which upcoming tote delivery day the customer wants the item to be
delivered.
[0099] Web page 700 may also include a payment and billing area 730. Payment
and billing
area 730 may display the current payment method to be used to bill the
customer, e.g. a Visa or
other credit card account. Payment and billing area 730 may include a user
interface element that
allows the subscriber to change the payment method, if desired. Payment and
billing area 730
may also display the current billing address for the customer payment and
billing area 730 may
include a user interface element that allows the subscriber to change the
billing address, if
desired.
[0100] Web page 700 may, but does not necessarily, include an area 720 in
which the
customer's current (virtual) tote contents, if any, may be displayed. This
example shows that this
customer has two items (item 1 and item 2) currently in their virtual tote
pending tote delivery on
the selected upcoming tote delivery day (day 2, in this example). Note that
the items in the
virtual tote may or may not actually be physically present in a physical tote.
Also note that the
displayed tote contents for a given tote represent a tote order. Each item
shown may include item
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information such as a brief item description, quantity, and price. In some
embodiments, area 720
may include, for each item, a UI element (e.g., a link to another web page,
shown as "Change" in
this example) via which the customer may choose to change an item, or the
quantity of an item,
in a tote order. Note that changing may include removing the item from a tote
order, moving the
item to a different tote order, or changing the quantity of the item in the
tote order. For example,
in some embodiments, selecting the "change" UI element may open a web page via
which the
customer may manage the current content of one or more virtual totes; an
example of such a web
page is shown as web page 1100 in Figure 15.
[0101] Web page 700 may, but does not necessarily, include a tote order
summary area 740
that may display summary information for the items in the virtual tote as they
are currently
displayed in area 720, such as the cost of the items, shipping charges (free,
in this example), total
pre-tax cost of the items, any relevant taxes or an estimation thereof, total
cost of the items,
discounts, and possibly other relevant information about the tote order. Note
that the tote order
summary 740 is specific to the tote order for a given tote delivery day to a
given tote delivery
address. The items in the respective virtual tote are treated as one tote
order, even though the
items in the tote may have been ordered at different times that may be hours,
days, or even weeks
apart.
[0102] Web page 700 may include a UI element 742, such as a button, via which
the
customer may confirm that the item is to be added to a specified tote order.
Selecting this UI
element 742 causes the current item, as specified by the customer, to be
placed into the specified
virtual tote, and into the corresponding tote order. Web page 700 may also
include a UI element
via which the customer may cancel the order confirmation shown on the page, if
desired.
Selecting UI element 742 may cause the network enterprise logic to enter or
modify the tote
order in the system for processing, picking, and delivery by tote on the
indicated tote delivery
day to the indicated customer address. Selecting this UI element 742 may also
open a web page
that confirms that the tote order has been placed or modified, such as web
page 800 shown in
Figure 12. Selecting this UI element 742 may cause the network enterprise
logic to perform
other actions, such as notifying the customer, by email or some other
communications channel, to
confirm that the tote order has been placed or modified, is being processed,
and will be delivered
by tote on the scheduled tote delivery day to the respective customer address.
[0103] Figure 12 illustrates an example web page that confirms that a tote
order has been
placed by the customer, according to some embodiments. Web page 800 may be
reached, for
example, by selecting UI element 742 of web page 700 shown in Figure 11.
Network site
navigation 402 may include one or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs
menus, etc., via
which the customer may navigate to other pages on the network site and/or
perform other
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functions, such as searches. In at least some embodiments, network site
navigation 402 may
include a tote 404 user interface element and/or a cart 406 user interface
element. Selecting tote
404 may display a web page indicating the contents of the customer's current
tote order.
Selecting cart 406 may display a web page indicating the contents of the
customer's current
shopping cart order(s).
[0104] Web page 800 may, but does not necessarily, include a tote order
summary area 840
that may display summary information for the tote order, such as the tote
order number, tote
delivery address and tote delivery day, a summary of the items in the tote
order, total cost of the
tote order, and possibly other relevant information about the tote order, such
as discounts. Note
that the tote order summary 740 is specific to the tote order for a given tote
delivery day to a
given tote delivery address. The items in the respective tote are treated as
one tote order, even
though the items in the tote may have been ordered at different times that may
be hours, days, or
even weeks apart.
[0105] Web page 800 may also include an indication of a tote order number via
which the
customer may track the tote order, the number of items and/or a description of
the items that will
be in the delivered tote, and the delivery day or date on which the tote will
be delivered to the
customer address. Web page 800 may also inform the customer that a
confirmation has been sent
to the customer via another communications channel, such as email.
[0106] Web page 800 may also include a UI element 812 via which the customer
may open
another web page on which the customer may view or edit the contents of one or
more virtual
totes; an example of such a web page is shown as web page 1100 in Figure 15.
Web page 800
may also include a UI element 810 via which the customer may open, or return
to, another web
page to continue shopping.
[0107] In some embodiments, web page 800 may also include an item
recommendations area
820 that may display recommendations of one or more other items that the
customer may wish to
order, using the tote delivery service or possibly some other shipping option.
Area 820 may list
information about these one or more recommended items, such as an image, brief
description,
price, and possibly special offer information where applicable. In some
embodiments, the
recommended items that are listed may be determined by the enterprise logic
based on current or
past purchasing history of the customer, including but not limited to the
item(s) purchased by the
customer in the current tote order. Note that a similar or the same display of
recommended items
may be shown on other web pages of the network site, including but not limited
to one or more
of the other example web pages shown in Figures 8 through 16. Further note
that the
recommended items may be included in the confirmation email sent to the
customer for the
current order, or may be sent to the customer via some other communications
channel. In some
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embodiments, selecting one of the recommended items in area 820 may open an
item detail page
for that item. Example item detail pages are shown in Figures 8, 13, and 14.
Alternatively, in
some embodiments, selecting one of the recommended items in area 820 may
automatically add
the item to the current tote order, and may open the web page 700 shown in
Figure 11 so that the
customer may re-confirm the modified order. In some embodiments, the customer
may be given
a choice as to whether a selected recommended item is to be placed into the
current tote (thus
modifying the current order, e.g. by taking the customer back to web page 700
of Figure 11) or
ordered separately (thus taking the customer to the item detail page for the
recommended item).
Integrating the tote delivery service with a subscription-based shipping
program
[0108] As previously mentioned, a network enterprise may provide a
subscription-based
shipping program. In the subscription-based shipping program, subscribers to
the shipping
program may be provided with one or more shipping options, and possibly other
options, that are
not provided to non-subscribed customers. Furthermore, in some embodiments of
the tote
delivery service in which the network enterprise also offers a subscription-
based shipping
program, customers that are subscribed to the shipping program may be given an
additional tote
delivery day as a benefit of being subscribers. In some embodiments, customers
that are
subscribed to the shipping program may be given other tote delivery service
benefits, such as a
shorter cutoff time for ordering items to be delivered by tote on an upcoming
tote delivery day.
Thus, in some embodiments, item detail pages, and possibly other web pages in
the ordering
process, that are presented to a customer that is subscribed to a shipping
program may be
different than an item detail page or other web page that is presented to a
non-subscribed
customer. Figure 13 illustrates an example item detail page that may be
presented to a non-
subscribed customer according to some embodiments, while Figure 14 illustrates
an example
item detail page that may be presented to a customer subscribed to such a
shipping program,
according to some embodiments.
[0109] Figure 13 illustrates an example item detail page that may be presented
to a non-
subscribed customer according to some embodiments. Web page 900 is an item
detail page via
which a non-subscribed customer, that is a customer that is not currently
subscribed to a
subscription-based shipping program offered by the network enterprise, may
order one or more
units of a particular item to be shipped according to standard (non-
subscriber) shipping options
or delivered according to the tote delivery service. Network site navigation
402 may include one
or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc., via which the customer
may navigate to
other pages on the network site and/or perform other functions, such as
searches. In at least some
embodiments, network site navigation 402 may include a tote 404 user interface
element and/or a
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cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404 may display a web page
indicating the
contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting cart 406 may display
a web page
indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart order(s).
[0110] Item detail area 920 may provide relevant graphical and/or textual
information about
the particular item associated with this item detail web page, such as an item
description, price,
availability of the item, and other item information such as a picture of the
item. User interface
area 910 may include one or more user interface elements for selecting
standard options of the
network site presented to a non-subscribed customer, such as an "Add to cart"
button 912 that
allows the customer to add the item shown on the web page to a collection, or
cart, of items that
the customer may purchase when done selecting items and a "buy now" button
914. In some
embodiments, UI element 914 may be a single-action user interface element. In
these
embodiments, selecting UI element 914 may automatically initiate the purchase
order,
processing, and delivery of the item according to a standard shipping option
offered by the
network enterprise. Information associated with the customer including, but
not limited to,
shipping address, billing address, and payment method information may be used
in the automatic
processing of the order in response to the single action selection of UI
element 914. Area 910
may also include a user interface element, such as a pop-up menu or text box,
via which the
customer may select a shipping address for the item, if ordered. The address
selection user
interface element may default to a default shipping address of the current
customer's account.
[0111] Web page 900 may include a banner, bar, or other UI element (not shown)
that may
display information about the tote delivery service. Web page 900 may also
include a user-
selectable UI element, such as a hot link or button, that, when selected, may
take the customer to
a web page that provides additional information about the tote delivery
service. Examples of
such a web page are shown in Figures 9A through 9D. In some embodiments, these
elements
may not be displayed to customers that are known to have already signed up to
the tote delivery
service.
[0112] Web page 900 may include a UI element 930, such as a button, that, when
selected,
may place the item in the customer's virtual tote for delivery to the address
specified in area 910
on a displayed tote delivery day, if ordered before a displayed time. In some
embodiments, UI
element 930 may be a single-action user interface element. In these
embodiments, selecting UI
element 930 may automatically initiate the purchase order, processing, and
delivery of the item
according to the tote delivery service. Information associated with the
customer including, but
not limited to, shipping address, billing address, and payment method
information may be used in
the automatic processing of the order in response to the single action
selection of UI element
930.
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[0113] In some embodiments, UI element 930 may open a different web page via
which the
customer may continue placing the order for the item via the tote delivery
service. For example,
in embodiments in which a customer is required to sign in to the tote delivery
service, if the
customer is not currently signed in, selecting UI element 930 may open a web
page such as web
page 600 shown in Figure 10 via which the customer signs in to the tote
delivery service. As
another example, in some embodiments, selecting UI element 930 may open a web
page such as
web page 700 shown in Figure 11 via which a customer may confirm or complete
an order to be
delivered via the tote delivery service.
[0114] In some embodiments, web page 900 may include a link (not shown) to a
"sign in"
web page such as web page 600 of Figure 10 via which the customer may sign in
to the tote
delivery service.
[0115] Figure 14 illustrates an example item detail page that may be presented
to a customer
subscribed to such a shipping program according to some embodiments. Web page
1000 is an
item detail page via which a customer that is currently subscribed to a
subscription-based
shipping program offered by the network enterprise may order one or more units
of a particular
item to be shipped according to one or more shipping options offered to
subscribers to the
shipping program or delivered according to the tote delivery service. Network
site navigation
402 may include one or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc.,
via which the
customer may navigate to other pages on the network site and/or perform other
functions, such as
searches. In at least some embodiments, network site navigation 402 may
include a tote 404 user
interface element and/or a cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404
may display a web
page indicating the contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting
cart 406 may display
a web page indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart
order(s).
[0116] Item detail area 1020 may provide relevant graphical and/or textual
information about
the particular item associated with this item detail web page, such as an item
description, price,
availability of the item, and other item information such as a picture of the
item. User interface
area 1010 may include one or more user interface elements for selecting
options of the network
site presented to a non-subscribed customer, such as an "Add to cart" button
1012 that allows the
customer to add the item shown on the web page to a collection, or cart, of
items that the
customer may purchase when done selecting items and a "buy now" button 1014.
In some
embodiments, UI element 1014 may be a single-action user interface element. In
these
embodiments, selecting UI element 1014 may automatically initiate the purchase
order,
processing, and delivery of the item according to a shipping option offered by
the network
enterprise only to subscribed customers, such as free two-day shipping.
Information associated
with the customer including, but not limited to, shipping address, billing
address, and payment
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method information may be used in the automatic processing of the order in
response to the
single action selection of UI element 1014. Area 1010 may also include a user
interface element,
such as a pop-up menu or text box, via which the customer may select a
shipping address for the
item, if ordered. The address selection user interface element may default to
a default shipping
address of the current customer's account.
[0117] Web page 1000 may include a banner, bar, or other UI element (not
shown) which
may display information about the tote delivery service. Web page 1000 may
also include a
user-selectable UI element, such as a hot link or button, that, when selected,
may take the
customer to a web page that provides additional information about the tote
delivery service.
Example of such web pages are shown in Figures 9A through 9D. In some
embodiments, these
elements may not be displayed to customers that are known to have already
signed up to the tote
delivery service.
[0118] Web page 1000 may include a UI element 1030, such as a button, that,
when selected,
may place the item in the customer's virtual tote for delivery to the address
specified in area
1010 on a displayed tote delivery day, if ordered before a displayed time. In
addition to UI
element 1030 via which the customer may order the item to be delivered via the
tote delivery
service, web page 1000 may include one or more other UI elements via which the
customer may
choose to order the item to be delivered by one of one or more other shipping
options offered via
the subscription-based shipping program to subscribed customers. In the
example shown in
Figure 14, web page 1000 includes a UI element 1040 via which the customer may
select to have
the item shipped via a one-day shipping option for a lower shipping cost than
is offered to non-
subscribed customers, and a UI element 1050 via which the customer may select
to have the item
shipped via a free two-day shipping option for free, whereas non-subscribed
customers are
charged some shipping cost for two-day shipping.
[0119] In some embodiments, one or more of the s UI elements that provide the
various
shipping options (in this example, UI elements 1030, 1040, and 1050) may be
single-action user
interface elements. In these embodiments, selecting one of the UI elements,
for example element
1030, may automatically initiate the purchase order, processing, and delivery
of the item
according to the respective shipping option. Information associated with the
customer including,
but not limited to, shipping address, billing address, and payment method
information may be
used in the automatic processing of the order in response to the single action
selection of a
shipping option UI element.
[0120] In some embodiments, selecting UI element 1030 may open a different web
page via
which the customer may continue placing the order for the item via the tote
delivery service. For
example, in embodiments in which a customer is required to sign in to the tote
delivery service, if
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the customer is not currently signed in, selecting UI element 1030 may open a
web page such as
web page 600 shown in Figure 10 via which the customer signs in to the tote
delivery service.
As another example, in some embodiments, selecting UI element 1030 may open a
web page
such as web page 700 shown in Figure 11 via which a customer may confirm or
complete an
order to be delivered via the tote delivery service.
[0121] Web page 1000 may also display information about the various shipping
options
offered to the subscribed customer. In this example, web page 1000 displays
the dates on which
the customer should receive the item if ordered via the various shipping
options. Web page 1000
may also display a time by which the item must be ordered respective to each
of the two or more
shipping options in order to receive the item by the indicated date.
[0122] In some embodiments, web page 1000 may include a link (not shown) to a
"sign in"
web page such as web page 600 of Figure 10 via which the customer may sign in
to the tote
delivery service.
[0123] In some embodiments, UI elements that provide multiple shipping options
to a
customer including a tote delivery service shipping option, as shown on web
page 1000 of Figure
14, may be provided on other web pages than the item detail pages. For
example, in some
embodiments, the user interface may provide a UI element or elements on one or
more web
pages, for example in a network site navigation area 402, via which the
customer may choose to
complete an order of one or more items that are currently in the customer's
shopping cart (see,
e.g., UI element 432 of Figure 8, UI element 912 of Figure 13, and UI element
1012 of Figure
14). A shopping cart may be defined as a virtual location that holds items
that have been or are
being ordered by the customer via some other shipping option or options than
the tote delivery
shipping option. Items in a shopping cart are generally processed through a
"checkout" process
in which the customer confirms or completes the shopping cart order(s).
Selecting such a UI
element may open an order confirmation or completion web page for the shopping
cart. UI
elements that provide the multiple shipping options to the customer including
the tote delivery
service shipping option may be displayed on an order confirmation or
completion web page for
the shopping cart, or on some other web page displayed during the checkout
process, and may be
configured to perform actions similar to those described for the shipping
option UI elements
described for Figure 14. Note that selecting the tote delivery service
shipping option during the
shopping cart checkout process may result in one or more item(s) in the
virtual shopping cart
being moved into a virtual tote order.
[0124] Furthermore, while web page 1000 of Figure 14 is given as an example of
an item
detail page specific to a customer that is subscribed to a subscription-based
shipping program, in
some embodiments, including but not limited to embodiments that do provide and
embodiments
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that do not provide such a subscription-based shipping program, non-subscribed
customers may
be presented with a similar item detail page that provides multiple shipping
options to the
customer including a tote delivery service shipping option.
Tote management
[0125] As previously noted, at least some embodiments of the tote delivery
service may
provide a user interface to a network enterprise system that enables customers
to manage their
own tote deliveries. The tote management user interface may allow the customer
to specify tote
delivery for items ordered from the network enterprise. The tote management
user interface may
also, for example, provide a display of virtual totes scheduled for delivery
on future tote delivery
days. In at least some embodiments the tote management user interface may
display previously
delivered totes and their contents instead or in addition to future tote
deliveries so that customers
can view their tote order history. Via the tote management user interface, the
customer may, for
example, view what items are scheduled to be delivered in which totes, add
items to particular
totes to be delivered to the customer's shipping address (or shipping
addresses) on particular tote
delivery days, remove or delete items from totes, move or replicate an item
from one tote to
another, replicate entire tote orders from one tote delivery day or delivery
address to another, and
schedule periodic deliveries (e.g., monthly deliveries) of particular items or
entire tote orders to
be delivered in totes. In addition, in at least some embodiments, the customer
may specify, via
the user interface, that back-ordered or pre-ordered items are to be delivered
by tote; in some
embodiments, the tote management user interface may be used to view the
projected future tote
shipping days for such items as scheduled delivery items, back-ordered items,
and pre-ordered
items.
[0126] Figure 15 illustrates an example tote management page that may be
presented to a
customer according to some embodiments. Tote management page 1100 may be
reached, for
example, by selecting a "Change" user interface element as shown in area 720
of web page 700
illustrated in Figure 11, or by selecting a UI element 812 on web page 800
illustrated in Figure
12. In some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may be reached from a
"manage your
totes" UI element on the network site's home page, or from a "manage your
totes" UI element on
the customer's account management page, or from a menu item or button in a
network site
navigation 402 area of another web page. Network site navigation 402, on this
and other web
pages, may include one or more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc.,
via which the
customer may navigate to other pages on the network site and/or perform other
functions, such as
searches. In at least some embodiments, network site navigation 402 may
include a tote 404 user
interface element and/or a cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404
may display a web
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page indicating the contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting
cart 406 may display
a web page indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart
order(s).
[0127] Tote management page 1100 may display, in a tote management area 1110,
one or
more virtual tote UI elements 1112 each corresponding to an upcoming tote
delivery day for the
customer. In some embodiments, tote management page 1100, or a similar page,
may display
previously delivered totes 1112 and their contents instead or in addition to
upcoming tote
deliveries. In this example, the customer has one tote delivery day per week
(Friday), and the
totes 1112 for four upcoming Friday deliveries are shown. In some embodiments,
a given
customer may have more than one tote delivery day per week (for example two
days, e.g.
Wednesday and Friday), and tote management page 1100 may thus display totes
1112 for more
than one delivery day per week for the customer.
[0128] This example also assumes that the customer has only one shipping
address, or that
totes 1112 for only one shipping address of the customer are shown. However, a
customer may
have one, two, or more different shipping addresses that are eligible for the
tote delivery service.
Different shipping addresses for a customer may be, but are not necessarily,
in different delivery
zones. Thus, a customer may have one shipping address with one day (e.g.,
Wednesday) as the
tote delivery day, and another shipping address with a different day (e.g.,
Friday) as the tote
delivery day, or a customer may have two or more different shipping addresses
with the same
tote delivery day. In some embodiments, if the customer has two or more
shipping addresses,
then tote management page 1100 may display totes 1112 corresponding to each
shipping address,
and thus may display totes 1112 for more than one delivery day per week, or
may display more
than one tote 1112 per delivery day (e.g., two totes 1112 for Friday delivery,
each to a different
shipping address). Alternatively, in some embodiments, a tote management page
1100 may be
specific to a particular tote shipping address for the customer, and the
customer may have to
navigate to a tote management page 1100 corresponding to each different
shipping address to
view upcoming totes 1112 for that address. In some embodiments, tote
management page 1100
may provide one or more UI elements via which the user may choose to view the
totes 1112 for a
selected one of multiple shipping addresses, or for more than one shipping
address, or all
shipping addresses, on a single tote management page 1100.
[0129] One or more of the displayed virtual totes 1112 may include one or more
item 1114
UI elements that the customer has previously added to the tote 1112
corresponding to the
delivery day, and possibly also corresponding to a specific delivery address
if the customer has
more than one shipping address that qualifies for the tote delivery program.
Note that a
displayed tote 1112 may be empty. Each item 1114 UI element may be displayed
graphically,
for example as a thumbnail image representing the particular item 1114, and/or
textually, for
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example as a textual link to an item details page corresponding to the item.
In some
embodiments, selecting an item 1114 UI element may open an item details page
for the item.
Note that the customer may then add another unit or units of the item to an
upcoming tote; upon
returning to the tote management page 1100, the added item(s) will be
displayed in the
appropriate tote 1112.
[0130] In some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may provide one or more
UI
elements or methods via which the customer may modify the content of an
upcoming tote 1112.
In some embodiments, the customer may remove or delete an item 1114 from an
upcoming tote
1112, for example by click-dragging the item 1114 out of the tote 1112 using a
cursor control
device such as a mouse, by right-clicking on the item 1114 with the mouse and
selecting a
"remove item" option from a popup menu, or by selecting the item 1114 and
choosing a "remove
item" or "delete item" option from a menu or other UI element provided
elsewhere on the tote
management page 1100. In some embodiments, each item 1114 may have a "delete
item" or
"cancel item" UI element, for example a checkbox, displayed next to the item.
The customer
may select this UI element to delete or cancel the respective item 1114, or
alternatively may
select this UI element for one or more items 1114 and then select a "delete"
UI element (e.g.,
element 1122) to delete or cancel the one or more selected items 1114. In some
embodiments,
the customer may move an item or items 1114 from one upcoming tote 1112 to
another
upcoming tote 1112, for example by click-dragging the item(s) 1114 out of one
tote 1112 into
another tote 1112. In some embodiments, the customer may replicate one or more
items 1114
from a previously delivered or upcoming tote 1112 to another upcoming tote
1112, for example
by click-dragging an item(s) 1114 in one tote 1112 into another tote 1112. In
some
embodiments, the customer may be asked if the customer wants to replicate or
move a click-
dragged item or items. In some embodiments, an item or items 1114 in a
previously delivered or
upcoming tote 1112 may be selected, and the user interface may allow the
customer to specify,
via one or more user interface elements, that the item(s) 1114 are to be
delivered by tote 1112 on
a regular schedule, for example once a week, once every two weeks, once a
month, and so on.
[0131] In some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may provide one or more
UI
elements or methods via which the customer may manage entire totes 1112. In
some
embodiments, a tote 1112 for one delivery day may be moved to another delivery
day. In some
embodiments, a tote 1112 for one delivery day may be replicated to another
delivery day, or a
tote 1112 for one delivery address may be replicated to another delivery
address. In some
embodiments, previously delivered totes 1112, as well as upcoming totes 1112,
may be
replicated. In some embodiments, a tote 1112 may be selected and deleted, thus
canceling the
orders for all items 1114 in the tote 1112. In some embodiments, a tote 1112
may be selected,
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and the user interface may allow the customer to specify, via one or more user
interface
elements, that the current tote 1112 contents are to be delivered by tote on a
regular schedule, for
example once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, and so on. In some
embodiments,
previously delivered totes 1112, as well as upcoming totes 1112, may be so
scheduled for regular
delivery. Some embodiments may provide one or more UI elements, for example a
popup menu
or buttons, whereby a customer can select an entire tote and specify a
particular action to be
performed on the tote 1112, for example one or more of "Replicate," "Delete,"
"Move," and
"Schedule for Regular Delivery" actions.
[0132] The example tote management page 1100 in Figure 15 shows four user
interface
elements (replicate 1120, delete 1122, move 1124, and schedule 1126), such as
buttons, that may
be used in replicating selected items and/or totes, deleting selected items
and/or totes, moving
selected items and/or totes, and scheduling selected items and/or totes for
regular delivery,
respectively, according to some embodiments.
[0133] Tote management page 1100 thus allows a customer to, for example, move
or
replicate an item or items, or an entire tote 1112, from one tote delivery day
to another tote
delivery day. Since a customer may have multiple delivery addresses, tote
management page
1100 may also allow a customer to move or replicate an item or items, or an
entire tote 1112,
from one delivery address to another delivery address. Thus, embodiments of
the tote delivery
service, via the user interface and network enterprise logic, may allow a
customer to manage his
or her tote deliveries across time and across location.
[0134] Customer actions on tote management page 1100 that modify the contents
of one or
more displayed totes 1112 may cause the network enterprise logic (e.g.,
enterprise logic 330 of
Figure 5) to modify electronic records (e.g., tote delivery data 336 of Figure
5) corresponding to
the tote delivery orders placed by the customer. The network enterprise logic
may also send
notifications, for example by email or some other communications channel, to
the customer
notifying the customer of the modifications to the upcoming totes 1112. In
some embodiments,
the network enterprise logic may not apply the changes to the electronic
records until the
customer has exited or closed the tote management page 1100. In some
embodiments, tote
management page 1100 may provide an "apply changes" or similar UI element (not
shown in
Figure 15) that the customer may select to apply any changes that the customer
has made to the
totes 1112 in a current session; in these embodiments, the network enterprise
logic may not apply
the changes to the electronic records until the customer has indicated that
the changes are to be
applied.
[0135] Tote management page 1100 may provide one or more UI elements via which
the
customer may scroll, page, or otherwise view other totes 1112 than those
currently displayed.
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For example, tote management area 1110 may include left and right arrow UI
elements that allow
the customer to step or page through the customers' upcoming and/or previously
delivered totes
1112. As another example, tote management area 1110 may include horizontal
and/or vertical
scroll bars that allow the user to scroll through the customer's upcoming
and/or previously
delivered totes 1112. In some embodiments, a popup menu or toolbar menu may
textually
display a list of the customer's upcoming and/or previously delivered tote
days; the customer
may select a tote day from the menu to display that tote 1112. In some
embodiments, tote
management area 1110 may include a UI element in which the customer may enter
a future or
past tote day, and a "go to" UI element that the customer selects to go to
(display) the respective
tote.
[0136] Tote management page 1100 provides a method for the customer to keep
track of
items that the customer has ordered, as the customer can browse through future
scheduled tote
deliveries to view what items the customer has pending to be delivered and
when the items are
scheduled to be delivered via the tote delivery service, rather than the
customer having to go
back through past orders to try and figure out what items the customer has
pending for delivery
as in conventional systems. Tote management page 1100 may also provide a
method for the
customer to review previously delivered totes.
[0137] In at least some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may also
provide other
user interface elements than virtual totes 1112 into which the customer may
move items and from
which the user may add items to totes 1112. In some embodiments, tote
management page 1100
may include a "Shopping Cart" user interface element (not shown in Figure 15)
that displays the
current contents of the customer's "shopping cart," that is items that have
been or are being
ordered by the customer via some other shipping option than the tote delivery
shipping option.
Tote management page 1100 may allow the customer to move items from the
shopping cart into
totes 1112, and also may allow the customer to move items from totes 1112 into
the shopping
cart. In some embodiments, moving an item from the shopping cart into a tote
1112 or moving
an item from a tote 1112 into the shopping cart may result in an appropriate
web page being
displayed via which ordering/shipping method details may be specified by the
customer and/or
appropriate notification being provided to the customer.
[0138] In some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may include a "staging
tote" user
interface element (not shown in Figure 15). In at least some embodiments, the
enterprise logic
and user interface may provide a "staging tote"; the staging tote may be a
virtual location where
a customer may store items that the customer is considering for tote delivery
(or for some other
shipping option) but for which the customer has not yet added to a particular
tote 1112 or
specified to be shipped by some other shipping option. In some embodiments, in
addition to an
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"add to tote order" user interface element, an item detail page, such as item
detail pages 400
shown in Figure 8 and item detail pages 900 and 1000 shown in Figures 13 and
14, respectively,
may include an "add to staging tote" user interface element; other web pages
may also include an
"add to staging tote" user interface element. Tote management page 1100 may
allow the
customer to move items from the staging tote into totes 1112, move items from
totes 1112 into
the staging tote, and delete items from the staging tote. If tote management
page 1100 includes
other user interface elements that may include items such as the above-
described shopping cart
user interface element, the tote management page 1112 may allow the customer
to move items
from the staging tote into the other user interface element and vice versa.
[0139] In at least some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may include one
or more
user interface elements that allow a customer to return one or more items in a
tote or entire tote
orders. As another example, in some embodiments, the customer may select one
or more items
in a tote, or an entire tote order, and select a "return item(s)" or "return
tote order" option. In at
least some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may include return totes
(not shown) as
well as delivery totes 1112. The return totes may allow the customer to view
and manage items
to be returned in totes via the tote delivery service. The user interface may
provide one or more
user interface elements whereby a customer may add items to a return tote that
the customer
wants to return, or remove items from, a return tote. In some embodiments,
rather than
displaying separate return totes, return items may be added to or removed from
totes 1112; the
user interface may display one or more indications of which items in the cart
1112 are to be
delivered on the respective tote delivery day, and which items are to be
returned in the return cart
on the respective tote delivery day.
[0140] In some embodiments, tote management page 1100 may be displayed in
various
modes. The modes may, for example, be selectable via a user interface element
or elements such
as a menu, check boxes, or radio buttons. Display modes for the tote
management page 1100
may include one or more of, but are not limited to:
= An "upcoming tote delivery" mode in which only totes 1112 for upcoming
delivery days
are shown;
= A "previously delivered totes" mode in which only previously delivered totes
are shown;
= A "return totes" mode in which only totes that include items to be returned
are shown;
= A "scheduled tote" mode in which only regularly scheduled totes are shown;
= An "Address" mode in which only totes for a specified delivery address are
shown;
= A "delivery day" mode in which only totes for a specified delivery day or
days (e.g.,
Friday) are shown;
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= A "combination" mode in which two or more of the above are shown; and
= A "show all" mode in which all tote management user interface elements are
shown.
[0141] While the example tote management page 1100 in Figure 15 shows the
totes and
items as graphical representations of tote orders, in some embodiments, a tote
management page
may display the tote orders textually, or using a combination of textual and
graphical
representation. In some embodiments, the customer may be allowed to choose the
display mode
(graphical or textual) for the tote management page. In some embodiments, a
page may be
provided via which the customer may view tote orders, either graphically or
textually, but on
which the customer is not allowed to modify the tote orders, or is only
allowed to perform a
subset of the tote management actions described above.
[0142] Figure 16 illustrates an example tote return page that may be presented
to a customer
according to some embodiments and via which the customer may specify items to
be delivered to
the network enterprise in return totes, as well as when and from where the
item is to be so
returned. Tote return page 1150 may be reached, for example, by selecting a
"Return an item by
tote" user interface element on one or more other web pages. For example, in
some
embodiments, tote return page 1150 may be reached from a "Return an item by
tote" UI element
on the network site's home page, on the customer's account management page, or
on tote
management page 1100, or from a menu item or button in a network site
navigation 402 area of
another web page. Network site navigation 402, on this and other web pages,
may include one or
more UI elements, such as buttons, tabs menus, etc., via which the customer
may navigate to
other pages on the network site and/or perform other functions, such as
searches. In at least some
embodiments, network site navigation 402 may include a tote 404 user interface
element and/or a
cart 406 user interface element. Selecting tote 404 may display a web page
indicating the
contents of the customer's current tote order. Selecting cart 406 may display
a web page
indicating the contents of the customer's current shopping cart order(s).
[0143] Tote return page 1150 may include an area 1160 via which the customer
may choose
from among multiple shipping addresses and/or tote delivery days to or on
which an item or
items will be returned in a tote. A customer may have one, two, or more
different shipping
addresses that are eligible for the tote delivery service. Different shipping
addresses for a
customer may be, but are not necessarily, in different delivery zones. Thus,
the customer may
have one shipping address with one day (e.g., Wednesday) as the tote delivery
and pickup day,
and another shipping address with a different day (e.g., Friday) as the tote
delivery and pickup
day. In the example shown in Figure 16, the customer has two different tote
pickup days (pickup
day 1 and pickup day 2) from two different shipping addresses (address 1 and
address 2), and the
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customer may select one or the other (e.g., via radio buttons as shown in this
example) as the tote
pickup day for the specified item or items to be returned.
[0144] Tote return page 1150 may include an area 1170 via which a customer may
specify
one or more items to be returned to the network enterprise on the specified
tote pickup day from
the specified address. This area 1170 may, for example, include a user
interface element or
elements via which the user may specify the item(s) to be returned, a quantity
of the item(s) to be
returned, and a reason for return. These user interface elements may include
popup menus, text
entry boxes, or other suitable user interface elements, or a combination
thereof.
[0145] Tote return page 1150 may also include an area 1190 in which the
customer's current
(virtual) tote return items for the specified pickup day and delivery address,
if any, may be
displayed. This example shows that this customer has one item in their virtual
return tote
pending pickup on the selected upcoming tote pickup day (day 2, in this
example). Each item
shown may include item information such as a brief item description and
quantity. In some
embodiments, area 1190 may include, for each item, a UI element (e.g., a link
to another web
page, shown as "Change" in this example) via which the customer may choose to
change an item,
or the quantity of an item, in a return tote. Note that changing may include
removing the item
from the return tote, moving the return item to a different tote, or changing
the quantity of the
return item. For example, in some embodiments, selecting the "change" UI
element may open a
web page via which the customer may manage the current content of one or more
virtual totes
including return totes; an example of such a web page is shown as web page
1100 in Figure 15.
[0146] Tote return page 1150 may also include a return information area 1180
that may
display summary information for the items in the return tote as they are
currently displayed in
area 1190, such as the refund amount for the item(s), shipping charges (0, in
this example) to be
refunded, total pre-tax refund amount for the items, any relevant taxes to be
refunded, and a total
refund amount, and possibly other relevant information about the tote return.
[0147] Tote return page 1150 may also include a UI element 1192, such as a
button, via
which the customer may place the specified item in the specified return tote.
Selecting UI
element 1192 may cause the network enterprise logic to enter the specified
item in the system for
pickup by tote on the indicated tote pickup day from the indicated customer
address. Selecting
this UI element 1192 may cause the network enterprise logic to perform other
actions, such as
notifying the customer, by email or some other communications channel, to
confirm that the item
will be picked up by tote on the scheduled tote pickup day from the respective
customer address.
[0148] While not shown, tote return page 1150 may also include one or more
user interface
elements whereby a customer may specify how any funds due to the customer are
to be provided
to the customer; for example, payment by check, by crediting an account such
as a credit card
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account or an account with the network enterprise, or by adding the amount to
a "store credit"
account with the network enterprise via which the customer can pay, at least
in part, for future
purchases.
[0149] In some embodiments, other items than items being returned to the
network enterprise
by a customer may be delivered from a customer, or from a seller or merchant,
to the network
enterprise, or to other entities, via return totes and the tote delivery
service. A web page similar
to tote return page 1150 may be provided to facilitate the delivery of such
items or inventory to
the network enterprise via return totes.
Managing multiple shipping options
[0150] A network site may provide the tote delivery service as one shipping
option among
two or more shipping options. For example, the network site may provide a less
expensive two-
day shipping option, and a more expensive one-day (overnight) shipping option.
In addition, a
network site may provide, as an alternative to a virtual tote into which items
may be placed for
tote delivery, a "shopping cart" into which a customer may place items to be
ordered later via a
checkout process.
[0151] In some embodiments, the network site user interface may provide UI
elements that
allow a customer to move items between shipping options and/or between a
virtual tote and a
shopping cart. For example, a tote management page 1100 may, in addition to
virtual totes 1112,
display a virtual "shopping cart" UI element, which may contain one or more
items. A shopping
cart may be defined as a virtual location that holds items that have been or
are being ordered by
the customer via some other shipping option or options than the tote delivery
shipping option.
Items in a shopping cart are generally processed through a "checkout" process
in which the
customer confirms or completes the shopping cart order(s). The user interface
may allow the
customer to, for example, drag an item from a virtual tote 1112 into the
shopping cart, or vice
versa. As another example, a tote management page 1100 may include one or more
UI elements
that represent one or more other shipping options, such as one-day and two-day
shipping options.
The user interface may allow the customer to, for example, drag an item from a
virtual tote 1112
into the UI element corresponding to a particular shipping option, and vice
versa.
[0152] In some embodiments, one or more user interface elements that provide
the tote
delivery service shipping option may be displayed on one or more web pages
displayed during
the shopping cart checkout process, for example on an order completion page
displayed during
the shopping cart checkout process. Selecting the tote delivery service
shipping option from a
web page of the shopping cart checkout process may result in one or more
item(s) in the virtual
shopping cart being moved into a virtual tote order.
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[0153] As an example of an application of this ability to move items between
shipping
options, a customer's tote delivery day to a given address may be Friday. On
Monday, the
customer may decide that he or she needs an item, currently in the virtual
tote scheduled for
delivery on the coming Friday, sooner than expected. The customer may go to
the tote
management page 1100 and move the item from the tote into some other shipping
option, or into
the shopping cart, so that the item is shipped via a standard shipping method
rather than via the
tote delivery service. As another example, a customer may decide that he or
she does not need
an item scheduled for one-day delivery that soon, and so may move the item
from the one-day
delivery option into a virtual tote scheduled for delivery later in the week
or next week, thus
saving shipping costs.
Tote delivery of pre-ordered and back-ordered items
[0154] A network enterprise may allow customers to pre-order items. For
example, books,
DVDs, electronic games, and similar items may be scheduled for release on
dates that may be
months in the future. The network site may allow a customer to pre-order such
an item via the
user interface so that the customer is allocated and shipped the item when the
item is finally
released. In some embodiments, the user interface may allow the customer to
select tote delivery
via the tote delivery service as the shipping option for the pre-ordered item.
For example, on a
web page on which the customer pre-orders the item (which may be similar to an
item detail page
such as those shown in Figures 8, 13, and 14), the web page may include a
"schedule for tote
delivery" UI element via which the user may place the pre-ordered item in a
virtual tote for
delivery on a future tote delivery day that is on or after the scheduled
release date of the item.
[0155] Similarly, a network enterprise may allow customers to back-order
items. For
example, a given item may be out of stock, but a shipment of the item may be
expected to be
received days or weeks in the future. The network site may allow a customer to
back-order such
an item via the user interface so that the customer is allocated and shipped
the item after the item
is received. In some embodiments, the user interface may allow the customer to
select tote
delivery via the tote delivery service as the shipping option for the back-
ordered item. For
example, on a web page on which the customer back-orders the item (which may
be similar to an
item detail page such as those shown in Figures 8, 13, and 14), the web page
may include a
"schedule for tote delivery" UI element via which the user may place the back-
ordered item in a
virtual tote for delivery on a future tote delivery day that is on or after
the expected receiving
date of the item.
[0156] Pre-ordered and back-ordered items may be viewed by the customer in
virtual totes to
be delivered on future tote delivery days, for example on a tote management
page 1100 as
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illustrated in Figure 15. This enables the customer to keep track of pre-
ordered and back-ordered
items, as the customer can browse through future scheduled tote deliveries to
view what items
the customer has pending to be delivered and when the items are scheduled to
be delivered via
the tote delivery service.
Scheduling regular tote deliveries
[0157] For at least some items, for example consumables such as pet food,
paper products,
and so on, a customer may desire to have some quantity of the items (e.g., a
bag of dog food, five
rolls of paper towels, one box of printer paper, etc.) delivered periodically
(e.g., once a week, bi-
monthly, once a month, or once every three months) to a given customer
address. The network
site may thus allow a customer to schedule automatic order fulfillment and
tote delivery on
periodic tote days of at least some items via the user interface so that a
specified quantity of an
item is delivered to a specified customer address. In some embodiments, an
item detail page
(which may be similar to an item detail page such as those shown in Figures 8,
13, and 14) may
provide one or more UI elements via which the customer may specify a number of
units of the
item to be automatically ordered and delivered by tote to a specified address
at a specified
interval. For example, a customer may specify that a bag of dog food is to be
delivered to the
customer's home address by tote once every two weeks. As another example, a
customer may
specify that four packages of printer paper are to be delivered to the
customer's business address
by tote once a month. As another example, a customer may specify that one or
more units of an
item is to be delivered to the customer's home address by tote each week.
Prior to the scheduled
periodic tote delivery day, the tote delivery service back end automatically
picks the specified
quantity of the item and transfers the item(s) to the appropriate sortation
node; the item is then
placed into the customer's tote for delivery on the tote delivery day.
[0158] In at least some embodiments, items that are scheduled for regular,
automatic tote
delivery may be viewed by the customer in virtual totes to be delivered on
future tote delivery
days, for example on a tote management page 1100 as illustrated in Figure 15.
This enables the
customer to view what items the customer has scheduled to be automatically
delivered by tote
and when the items are scheduled to be delivered via the tote delivery
service. In addition, the
tote management page may provide one or more methods via which the customer
can schedule
items or entire tote orders for regular tote delivery, cancel scheduled tote
deliveries, or otherwise
modify tote deliveries.
Recommendations and reminders
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[0159] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may provide
recommendations and reminders to the customer via the user interface to the
network site and/or
via alternative communications channels such as email and text messaging. To
generate
recommendations and/or reminders, network enterprise logic may examine
information stored in
enterprise data, including but not limited to tote delivery data. The tote
delivery data includes
customer tote ordering history (records of previous tote orders) as well as
information on
upcoming customer tote orders. Other information stored in enterprise data,
such as product data
and inventory data, may also be examined in generating recommendations and/or
reminders. In
some embodiments, other information than that stored in enterprise data may be
obtained and
analyzed to generate recommendations and/or reminders. For example, data
indicating consumer
purchasing patterns or other consumer metrics, statistics, and demographics
may be obtained
from one or more other external sources, such as other consumer goods
enterprises and consumer
research entities, and used in generating recommendations for customers.
[0160] As an example of a recommendation, the network enterprise logic may
detect that a
customer orders some item periodically, for example once a month or every
three months, via a
conventional ordering method. The network enterprise logic may generate and
provide a
recommendation to the customer stating something like "You appear to order N
units of item X
once a month. Would you like to schedule N units of item X to be delivered in
a reusable tote to
your doorstep on the first Friday of every month to save you time and shipping
costs?"
Alternatively, the network enterprise logic may generate and provide a
recommendation to the
customer stating something like "You may be running low on item X. Would you
like to add
item X to your tote scheduled to be delivered this Saturday?"
[0161] As another example of a recommendation, the network enterprise logic
may examine
the contents of a given customer tote and, based on that examination,
determine one or more
other items that are related to the items in the tote. The network enterprise
logic may generate
and provide a recommendation to the customer stating something like "These
items (A, B, and C)
are in your tote scheduled for delivery this Friday. Do you want to also
include this item D in the
tote?"
[0162] As another example of a recommendation, the network enterprise logic
may examine
consumer information obtained from network enterprise data and/or from one or
more external
sources to determine a purchasing trend, for example that a product X is
popular in a particular
customer's area, age group, or other demographic. The network enterprise logic
may generate
and provide a recommendation to the customer advertising product X and asking
if the customer
wants to add this product to an upcoming tote, or schedule the product for
scheduled delivery by
tote.
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[0163] In addition to recommendations, the customer may also be provided with
reminders of
what items the customer has scheduled for tote delivery on upcoming tote
delivery days. The
reminders may, for example, let the customer know which tote days the customer
should expect a
tote to be placed on their doorstep, what the cutoff day is for placing items
into (or removing
items from) a given tote, and what will be delivered in the totes on those
tote days. For example,
a reminder might state something like "Item Y is scheduled to be delivered in
a reusable tote to
your doorstep this coming Wednesday," or "M units of item Z are scheduled to
be delivered in a
reusable tote to your doorstep on Thursday, June 17." Another example of a
reminder may be
something like "Your tote delivery on Thursday, June 17, will include one unit
of item Y and 3
units of item Z. If you wish to make changes to this tote delivery, please do
so before 6 am on
Tuesday, June 15." A reminder message may also mention that the customer may
go to their tote
management page to add or remove items from a given tote, or to change the
quantities of the
items to be delivered.
[0164] Via the recommendations and reminders, customers may, for example, be
prompted to
wait for a scheduled delivery of an item via tote, or add an item to a tote,
rather than making a
trip to the store to pick up the item. As another example, customers may be
prompted to
consolidate shopping cart orders (i.e., items ordered according to other
shipping options than tote
delivery) into upcoming tote orders. For example, a customer may have a tote
order scheduled to
be delivered on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the customer may order an item Z
according to a two-
day shipping option. A recommendation may be generated and sent to the
customer saying
something like "You have ordered item X for delivery by FedEx on Thursday.
Would you like to
consolidate this item into your tote order for tomorrow?"
Returning items in totes
[0165] At least some embodiments of the tote delivery service may allow a
customer to
return previously delivered items in totes. In at least some embodiments, a
customer may place
one or more items to be returned to the network enterprise in a tote to be
returned. The user
interface may provide one or more user interface elements whereby the customer
can inform the
network enterprise that the item(s) are being returned via tote on a tote
delivery (and pickup) day.
For example, in some embodiments, the user interface may provide a tote return
page, for
example tote return page 1150 illustrated in Figure 16, that may be reached by
selecting a
"Return an item by tote" user interface element on one or more other web
pages. As another
example, in some embodiments, an item detail page, such as such as item detail
page 400 shown
in Figure 8, item detail page 900 shown in Figure 13, or item detail page 1000
shown in Figure
14, or other pages such as tote order confirmation page 800 shown in Figure
12, may include a
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"return item by tote" user interface element that, when selected, records that
the customer is
going to return at least one unit of the respective item in a specified tote.
As another example, in
some embodiments, a tote management page, such as tote management page 1100,
may include a
"return item by tote" user interface element. In some embodiments, a tote
management page,
such as tote management page 1100, may display, in addition to totes 1112 to
be delivered on
tote delivery days, a "return tote" to be picked up on the next tote delivery
day, and may also
include at least one user interface element that allows a customer to place
item(s) to be returned
into the return tote or remove item(s) from a return tote, or to otherwise
specify that an item is to
be returned via a return tote.
[0166] In addition to allowing a customer to return individual items, in at
least some
embodiments, the user interface may provide one or more user interface
elements that allow a
customer to return entire tote orders. For example, in some embodiments, a
tote management
page, such as tote management page 1100, may include a "return tote" user
interface element or
elements that allow a customer to select entire tote orders and specify that
the tote orders are to
be returned by tote.
[0167] Using this ability to easily return items to the network enterprise in
the reusable totes,
at least some embodiments may enable "order bracketing" where the customer can
order, for
example, three pairs of the same shoe in different sizes, or three of the same
item in different
colors, and return the items (e.g., the pairs of shoes that don't fit, or the
items that aren't the
desired color) that the customer decides not to keep.
[0168] In some embodiments, only items that were previously delivered via the
tote delivery
service may be returned via the tote delivery service. However, in some
embodiments, items that
are shipped according to other shipping methods may also be returned to the
network enterprise
via the tote delivery service.
[0169] While the above describes returning items that were delivered according
to the tote
delivery service in return totes, note that, in at least some embodiments, at
least some items
delivered to customers via the tote delivery service may be returned by other
return methods than
in return totes.
Inventory ingestion via return totes
[0170] In some embodiments, other items than items being returned to the
network enterprise
may be delivered from a customer, or from a seller or merchant, to the network
enterprise, or to
other entities, via return totes and the tote delivery service. For example,
in various
implementations, rentals, such as video game rentals, DVD/Blu-Ray Disc
rentals, tool rentals,
and so on, may be delivered to the customer in totes (or by some other
delivery method) and
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returned to the network enterprise (or to a rental enterprise) via returned
totes and the tote
delivery service.
[0171] As another example, an exchange method may be provided via the tote
delivery
service whereby a customer may return a damaged item or a wrong item for
exchange. In some
embodiments, the user interface may provide one or more user interface
elements whereby the
customer may inform the network enterprise that the customer has received a
damaged item, or
the wrong item, that needs to be replaced. Alternatively, other communications
channels may be
used to inform the network enterprise that an item needs to be exchanged. A
replacement item
may be delivered to the customer, either by tote delivery or by a conventional
shipping method,
and the damaged or wrong item may be placed into a return tote for delivery to
the network
enterprise. The item may be placed into the tote for pickup either prior to,
on the same day as, or
subsequent to the day that the replacement item is delivered to the customer.
[0172] In various embodiments, items including, but not limited to, items for
repair, items
being sent to the network enterprise for credit or resale, and other types of
items may be
delivered from a customer to the network enterprise, or to some other entity,
via return totes and
the tote delivery service.
[0173] In some embodiments, return totes may be used to deliver inventory from
other
entities, such as merchants or sellers, to the network enterprise. For
example, a merchant or
seller may provide one or more different items to the network enterprise that
may be placed into
the network enterprise's inventory, in some cases for sale via the network
site. The tote delivery
service may be provided to an address of the merchant or seller. The merchant
or seller may
place items to be delivered to the network enterprise into a return tote that
is picked up and
delivered to a sortation node on a tote delivery run. At the sortation node,
the items may be
processed into inventory, or may be transferred to some other facility or
facilities, such as a
fulfillment center, for processing. In some embodiments, items received from a
merchant or
seller at a sortation node may be stored at the sortation node for fulfilling
tote orders.
[0174] In some embodiments, the tote delivery service may be provided to
customers of other
enterprises, such as other network enterprises than the network enterprise
that provides the tote
delivery service. As another example of a use for the return totes, the other
enterprise may
deliver ordered items to a sortation node via return totes. The other
enterprise's items may then
be sorted into outgoing totes to fulfill their customers' tote orders. Note
that, in some
embodiments, the other enterprise's items may be placed into totes along with
items from the
network enterprise that provides the tote delivery service.
Back end operations - tote order fulfillment and tote order delivery
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[0175] In back end operations, tote delivery service logic of enterprise logic
may retrieve and
process tote delivery data to generate bulk transfer data. In some
embodiments, this retrieving
and processing may be performed subsequent to the cutoff time for a given tote
delivery day.
For example, the cutoff time for Friday tote delivery may be Tuesday night, so
the tote delivery
data may be retrieved and processed at some time Wednesday morning. In some
embodiments,
at least some retrieving and processing of tote delivery data for a given tote
delivery day may be
performed prior to the cutoff time for the tote delivery day. The bulk
transfer data may be
provided to one or more fulfillment centers of the network enterprise's order
fulfillment network
as bulk transfer orders. In at least some embodiments, a bulk transfer order
directs a fulfillment
center to bulk-transfer items for delivery on a specific tote delivery day to
at least one of one or
more tote delivery service sortation nodes. In some embodiments, a bulk
transfer order may
direct a fulfillment center to bulk-transfer items for delivery on two or more
tote delivery days to
a sortation node.
[0176] While the following generally describes a fulfillment center processing
a bulk transfer
order to generate a bulk transfer to a particular sortation node for a
particular tote delivery day, in
some implementations, a fulfillment center may process bulk transfer orders
for a particular
sortation node for two or more delivery days to generate one bulk transfer
that includes at least
some of the items required for the two or more delivery days. For example, a
fulfillment center
may receive bulk transfer orders for Thursday and Friday tote delivery days at
a particular
sortation node. The bulk transfer orders may be picked and consolidated into
one bulk transfer to
the sortation node.
[0177] Figure 17 illustrates the physical layout and operations of an example
fulfillment
center when fulfilling a bulk transfer order, according to some embodiments.
Note that Figure 17
and the description thereof are given by way of example, and are not intended
to be limiting. A
control system 1250 for fulfillment center 350 may receive bulk transfer data
338, for example a
bulk transfer order, from a network enterprise system that implements
enterprise logic, e.g.
enterprise logic 330 as shown in Figure 5. One or more agents 1242 may each
pick items from
inventory 1230 to fulfill portions or all of the bulk transfer order 338. In
some embodiments,
agents 1242 may receive pick instructions from control system 1250 on a device
such as an RF-
connected wireless terminal or handheld scanner, to go to locations in
inventory 1230 to pick a
list of items for the bulk transfer order 338 from those locations. This may
result in a stream
and/or batches of picked items for the bulk transfer order, which may then be
delivered to at least
one station 1260, for example a packing station, in the fulfillment center 350
for processing prior
to shipping 1270. A stream may be a continuous or nearly continuous flow of
picked items
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arriving at a station, while groups of items arriving periodically or
aperiodically at a station may
be referred to as batches.
[0178] The stream or batches of incoming picked items for the bulk transfer
may be
processed at the station 1260. In some embodiments, a tote delivery service
sortation node may
be located within a fulfillment center such as fulfillment center 350; in
these embodiments, the
station 1260 that the items picked for a bulk transfer order 338 may be a tote
delivery service
sortation node, for example as illustrated in Figure 18, and thus the items
for the bulk transfer
order may be sorted into physical totes for delivery according to tote
delivery service sortation
node processing, for example as described in relation to Figure 18. Referring
to Figure 17, if the
bulk transfer order is for a tote delivery service sortation node that is not
in the fulfillment center
350, e.g. that is in another fulfillment center or in a stand-alone sortation
node location, the
picked items for the bulk transfer may be packed or loaded into one or more
bulk transfer
containers. Bulk transfer containers may be relatively large receptacles,
e.g., shipping boxes or
bins, that can be loaded onto trucks, large metal shipping containers, or
other appropriate types of
containers. Once all of the items for a bulk transfer order are loaded, the
bulk transfer
container(s) may be shipped to the corresponding tote delivery service
sortation node as an
outgoing bulk transfer 352.
[0179] A fulfillment center 350 may also include a receiving 1280 station for
receiving new
inventory 1290 from various vendors, merchants, or other sources. The received
inventory 1290
may then be placed into stock storage. A receiving 1280 station may also
receive and process
returned, purchased, or rented items 1292 from customers. At least some of
these returned items
1292 are typically returned to inventory 1230. If the fulfillment center
includes a tote delivery
service sortation node, receiving 1280 may also receive bulk transfers 352
from other fulfillment
centers and returned totes from tote delivery runs, some of which may include
returned items
which may be pulled from the returned totes and processed by receiving 1280
personnel, or
alternatively by personnel at the tote delivery service sortation node or at
some other station
1260. In some embodiments, processing a returned item may include scanning the
item and the
tote it is pulled from so that the respective customer's account may be
credited. Processing a
returned item may also include processing the item back into inventory of the
network enterprise
or processing the item for return to a product provider for the network
enterprise such as a
vendor, merchant, or manufacturer. In some embodiments, rather than being put
into inventory
1230, some items received at receiving 1280 station may be transferred
directly to a station 1260
for order fulfillment, for example for processing according to the tote
delivery service processing
as described herein.
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[0180] Note that the various operations and stations of a fulfillment center
350 may be
located in one building or facility, or alternatively may be spread or
subdivided across two or
more buildings or facilities.
[0181] The tote delivery service logic of enterprise logic may also process
tote delivery data
to generate zone delivery data. The zone delivery data may be provided to one
or more tote
delivery service sortation nodes. A sortation node may be a node in the
network enterprise's
order fulfillment network that is owned and operated by the network
enterprise. Alternatively, a
sortation node may be owned and/or operated by another entity, such as a local
carrier or
delivery company that owns and/or operates the tote delivery vehicles. In at
least some
embodiments, the zone delivery data directs the tote delivery service
sortation nodes in sorting
the items received in one or more bulk transfers 352 into reusable totes for
delivery to specific
customer addresses in specific delivery zones on respective zone tote delivery
days.
[0182] Figure 18 illustrates operations of an example tote delivery service
sortation node
according to some embodiments. A tote delivery service sortation node 360 may
provide the tote
delivery service to one or more delivery zones. For simplicity, Figure 18
shows only one
delivery zone (delivery zone 370A). In some embodiments, the delivery zones
may be
determined by zip code. In other embodiments, other geographic information, or
other types of
information, may be used to determine delivery zones. Generally, a sortation
node 360 will
deliver to multiple zones, with different ones of the zones scheduled for
delivery on different
days of the week. Note that, in some implementations, the tote delivery
service may be provided
every day of the week, and in other implementations the tote delivery service
may not be
provided on some days (e.g., Monday through Saturday or Monday through
Friday). A sortation
node 360 may, but does not necessarily, deliver to more than one zone on a
given day. In some
embodiments, for at least some zones, a respective sortation node 360 may
deliver to at least
some customers in the zone on two or more days a week. Generally, only one
sortation node 360
serves each tote delivery zone; however, in some implementations, two or more
sortation nodes
360 may serve the same zone.
[0183] Sortation node 360 may include a receiving 1380 station that receives
bulk transfers
352 of items for one or more zone delivery runs from one or more fulfillment
centers 350. In
some embodiments, in addition to bulk transfers from fulfillment centers 350,
the sortation node
may receive bulk transfers or other shipments directly from one or more other
sources, such as
vendors, manufacturers, and merchants, that include items for one or more zone
delivery runs. A
control system 1350 for sortation node 360 may receive zone delivery data 340
from a network
enterprise system that implements enterprise logic, e.g. enterprise logic 330
as shown in Figure 5.
In some implementations, sortation node 360 may include or be associated with
a local inventory
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of items. For example, in some embodiments, sortation node 360 may be located
within a
fulfillment center 350. Thus, the control system 1350 may also receive
information directing the
sortation node 360 (or the fulfillment center 350 that includes the sortation
node 360) to pick at
least some items for a zone delivery run from the local inventory.
[0184] The received bulk transfer 352 items, and the locally picked items 1310
if any, may
be delivered in streams or batches to one or more sorting stations 1360 of the
sorting node 360.
At the sorting stations 1360, the received items may be manually and/or
automatically sorted into
customer totes. For example, in some embodiments, sorting station personnel,
and/or an
automated sorting device, may electronically scan each item and place the item
into an
appropriate customer tote, under direction of control system 1350 and
according to the received
zone delivery data 340. In some embodiments, under direction of control system
1350 and
according to the received zone delivery data 340, items ordered by two or more
customers that
share the same tote delivery address may be consolidated into a single tote
order to be delivered
to the shared address. Once the appropriate items are sorted into the
respective customer totes,
the totes may be transferred to a shipping 1370 station and loaded onto one or
more delivery
vehicles for the delivery run. In some embodiments, the totes may be loaded
onto rolling racks,
and the racks may be loaded onto the delivery vehicles.
[0185] In some embodiments, each customer tote may include a tote delivery
indicator that
may identify at least a delivery address for the particular tote to the
sorting station personnel,
automated sorting equipment, and the delivery personnel. An example tote 250
with an example
tote delivery indicator 252 is illustrated in Figure 4A. The tote delivery
indicator may, for
example, be a printed label that is permanently affixed to the tote, or a
removable printed label.
In some embodiments, the tote delivery indicator may be a tag that may be
attached to and
removed from a tote, for example the tag may be attached to a handle of a
tote. In some
embodiments, the tote delivery indicator may be a radio-frequency
identification (RFID) tag, or
other type of electronic tag, that may be electronically scanned, e.g. using a
hand-held scanner, to
identify at least the delivery address for the tote. In some embodiments, an
electronic tag may be
programmable at the sortation node 360 so that the delivery address (or other
information)
indicated by the tag on a given tote may be changed if and when necessary. In
some
embodiments, the tote delivery indicator may include or may be a bar code that
may be
programmed to indicate the particular tote delivery and that may be scanned by
tote delivery
personnel and/or sortation node personnel or automated sorting devices.
[0186] As an example of a tote delivery indicator, in some embodiments, the
tote delivery
indicator may be a tag that can be attached to and removed from a tote. The
tag may include a
bar code that corresponds to the tote order. The enterprise logic may
associate the particular bar
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code on a given tag with the particular tote order. The tag may be attached to
the respective tote
and delivered to the customer delivery address. The customer may return the
tote with the tag
attached, or remove the tag if they want to keep the tote. In addition, if the
customer wants to
return one or more items in the tote order, the customer may attach the tag to
a return tote or
include the tag in the return tote along with the item(s). At the sortation
node, the bar code can
then be scanned to correlate the returned items with the original tote order.
[0187] In some embodiments, the totes may be placed into receptacles as shown
in Figure
4B, such as open-top bins, and the receptacles, including the totes, may then
be loaded into the
delivery vehicles. In some embodiments, the receptacles may already be in the
delivery vehicles,
and the totes may be placed into the receptacles inside the delivery vehicles.
In some
embodiments, one or more totes may be placed into each receptacle. In some
embodiments, the
receptacles into which the totes are placed may each include a tote delivery
indicator 262 as
shown in Figure 4B that may be used by tote delivery personnel to determine
the delivery
address for the tote(s) contained therein. In at least these embodiments, the
totes themselves may
not include a tote delivery indicator.
[0188] Referring to Figure 18, on a delivery run to tote delivery zone 370A,
the delivery
personnel on the delivery vehicle(s) drop each tote off at a respective
customer address.
Generally, only one tote will be dropped at a given customer address; however,
in some cases,
more than one tote may be required to deliver all the items in a tote order to
be delivered on a
given delivery day to a given customer address. The delivery personnel may
also pick up one or
more previously delivered totes from at least some customer addresses. A
picked-up tote may be
empty, or may include one or more previously delivered items that the
respective customer is
returning to the network enterprise. The delivery vehicles may then return the
picked-up totes to
the sortation node 360. At the sortation node 360, any returned items in the
returned totes may
be pulled from the totes and processed. In some embodiments, processing a
returned item may
include scanning the item and the tote it is pulled from so that the
respective customer's account
may be credited. Processing a returned item may also include processing the
item back into
inventory of the network enterprise or processing the item for return to a
product provider for the
network enterprise such as a vendor, merchant, or manufacturer.
[0189] Figure 19 is a flowchart of back end operations for a tote delivery
service, according
to at least some embodiments. This flowchart assumes, by way of example, that
a city has a
single sortation node. Note that a city or other geographic region may have
more than one
sortation node. Furthermore, this flowchart represents back end operations for
one delivery day;
the elements of the flowchart may be repeated for each delivery day of a given
sortation node for
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a geographic region such as city (e.g., Monday through Friday, or Monday
through Saturday, or
every day of the week).
[0190] As indicated at 1400, the items scheduled for tote delivery in a given
city on a given
delivery day are bulk-picked in one or more fulfillment centers. In some
embodiments, tote
delivery data may be received and processed subsequent to the cutoff time for
the given delivery
day to generate bulk transfer orders and zone delivery data. In some
embodiments, at least some
retrieving and processing of tote delivery data for a given tote delivery day
may be performed
prior to the cutoff time for the tote delivery day. The bulk transfer orders
are provided to the one
or more fulfillment centers, and direct each fulfillment center to bulk-
transfer items for delivery
on the delivery day to the tote delivery service sortation node for the city.
As indicated at 1402,
the bulk-picked items are bulk transferred to the tote delivery service
sortation node for the city.
A bulk transfer may be shipped from a fulfillment center one, two or more days
before the
delivery day, or in some cases on the delivery day, and may be received at the
sortation node on
the day of, or before, the delivery day. At the sortation node, the bulk-
picked items are rebinned
into reusable customer totes, as indicated at 1404. In some embodiments, the
zone delivery data
is provided to the tote delivery service sortation node for the city, and
directs the tote delivery
service sortation node in sorting the items received in the bulk transfers
into the reusable totes for
delivery to specific customer addresses. The customer totes are loaded onto
one or more delivery
vehicle(s) at the sortation node, as indicated at 1406. Generally, the
rebinning into the totes and
loading of the totes onto the delivery vehicle(s) may be performed on the
delivery day, but in
some implementations may be performed prior to the delivery day. As indicated
at 1408, on the
delivery day, the customer totes are delivered to respective customer
addresses. As indicated at
1410, empty totes and totes including returned items may be retrieved by the
delivery personnel
and returned to the sortation node.
[0191] The above method describes the bulk picking and consolidated, bulk
shipping of
items for multiple customers' tote orders from fulfillment centers to
sortation nodes for rebinning
and delivery according to the tote delivery service. However, in some
embodiments, at least
some customer tote orders may be handled separately. That is, item(s) for a
customer's tote
order may be picked at a fulfillment center and transferred as a single,
independent order
shipment to a sortation node for placement into the customer's physical tote.
Illustrative system
[0192] In at least some embodiments, a server that implements a portion or all
of network
enterprise logic, including but not limited to tote delivery service logic for
implementing
embodiments of a tote delivery service, may include a general-purpose computer
system that
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includes or is configured to access one or more computer-accessible media,
such as computer
system 2000 illustrated in Figure 20. In the illustrated embodiment, computer
system 2000
includes one or more processors 2010 coupled to a system memory 2020 via an
input/output
(I/O) interface 2030. Computer system 2000 further includes a network
interface 2040 coupled
to I/O interface 2030.
[0193] In various embodiments, computer system 2000 may be a uniprocessor
system
including one processor 2010, or a multiprocessor system including several
processors 2010
(e.g., two, four, eight, or another suitable number). Processors 2010 may be
any suitable
processors capable of executing instructions. For example, in various
embodiments, processors
2010 may be general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a
variety of
instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS
ISAs, or any
other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each of processors 2010 may
commonly, but not
necessarily, implement the same ISA.
[0194] System memory 2020 may be configured to store instructions and data
accessible by
processor(s) 2010. In various embodiments, system memory 2020 may be
implemented using
any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM),
synchronous
dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of
memory. In the
illustrated embodiment, program instructions and data implementing one or more
desired
functions, such as those methods and techniques described above for
implementing embodiments
of a tote delivery service, are shown stored within system memory 2020 as code
2025.
[0195] In one embodiment, I/O interface 2030 may be configured to coordinate
I/O traffic
between processor(s) 2010, system memory 2020, and any peripheral devices in
the device,
including network interface 2040 or other peripheral interfaces. In some
embodiments, I/O
interface 2030 may perform any necessary protocol, timing or other data
transformations to
convert data signals from one component (e.g., system memory 2020) into a
format suitable for
use by another component (e.g., processor 2010). In some embodiments, I/O
interface 2030 may
include support for devices attached through various types of peripheral
buses, such as a variant
of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal
Serial Bus (USB)
standard, for example. In some embodiments, the function of I/O interface 2030
may be split
into two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a south
bridge, for example.
Also, in some embodiments some or all of the functionality of I/O interface
2030, such as an
interface to system memory 2020, may be incorporated directly into
processor(s) 2010.
[0196] Network interface 2040 may be configured to allow data to be exchanged
between
computer system 2000 and other devices 2060 attached to a network or networks
2050, such as
other computer systems or devices as illustrated in Figures 5, 17 and 18, for
example. In various
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embodiments, network interface 2040 may support communication via any suitable
wired or
wireless general data networks, such as types of Ethernet network, for
example. Additionally,
network interface 2040 may support communication via
telecommunications/telephony networks
such as analog voice networks or digital fiber communications networks, via
storage area
networks such as Fibre Channel SANs, or via any other suitable type of network
and/or protocol.
[0197] In some embodiments, system memory 2020 may be one embodiment of a
computer-
accessible medium configured to store program instructions and data as
described above for
Figures 3 through 19 for implementing embodiments of a tote delivery service.
However, in
other embodiments, program instructions and/or data may be received, sent or
stored upon
different types of computer-accessible media. Generally speaking, a computer-
accessible
medium may include storage media or memory media such as magnetic or optical
media, e.g.,
disk or DVD/CD coupled to computer system 2000 via I/O interface 2030. A
computer-
accessible medium may also include any volatile or non-volatile media such as
RAM (e.g.
SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, RDRAM, SRAM, etc.), ROM, etc, that may be included in some
embodiments of computer system 2000 as system memory 2020 or another type of
memory.
Further, a computer-accessible medium may include transmission media or
signals such as
electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication
medium such as a
network and/or a wireless link, such as may be implemented via network
interface 2040.
Conclusion
[0198] Various embodiments may further include receiving, sending or storing
instructions
and/or data implemented in accordance with the foregoing description upon a
computer-
accessible medium. Generally speaking, a computer-accessible medium may
include storage
media or memory media such as magnetic or optical media, e.g., disk or DVD/CD-
ROM, volatile
or non-volatile media such as RAM (e.g. SDRAM, DDR, RDRAM, SRAM, etc.), ROM,
etc, as
well as transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or
digital signals,
conveyed via a communication medium such as network and/or a wireless link.
[0199] The various methods as illustrated in the Figures and described herein
represent
example embodiments of methods. The methods may be implemented in software,
hardware, or
a combination thereof. The order of method may be changed, and various
elements may be
added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc.
[0200] Various modifications and changes may be made as would be obvious to a
person
skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. It is intended to
embrace all such
modifications and changes and, accordingly, the above description to be
regarded in an
illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
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