System and method for storage container tracking and delivery

Abstract

A method for item storage and distribution to a user, each stored item associated with a storage identifier, the user associated with a user identifier, the method including associating a set of storage identifiers with the user identifier, in response to receiving a description for a first storage identifier from a user device associated with the user identifier, storing the description as an storage description for the first storage identifier, setting a fill status of the first storage identifier to packed, and removing storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for stored item distribution from a storage facility to a user, each stored item associated with a storage identifier, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:
 at a computing system:   associating a set of storage identifiers comprising a first storage identifier with the user identifier;   receiving a description for a first storage identifier from a user device associated with the user identifier;   storing the description as an storage description for the first storage identifier;   setting a fill status of the first storage identifier to packed;   receiving a removal request comprising storage identifiers associated with empty fill statuses from a delivery device remote from the storage facility; and   removing the storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers, each storage identifier having an empty fill status. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating a set of storage identifiers with the user identifier in response to receipt of a container request comprising a request location and requested number of containers from a user device associated with the user identifier, wherein a number of storage identifiers of the set associated with the user identifier is at least the requested number of containers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising facilitating delivery of a first container identified by the first storage identifier to the request location in response to receipt of the container request. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating the user identifier with the set of storage identifiers in response to receipt of the set of storage identifiers from a delivery device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to receipt of a summary request from the user device associated with the user identifier, sending the storage description of the first storage identifier to the user device; and   in response to receipt of a retrieval request from the user device associated with the user identifier comprising a selection associated with the storage description and a retrieval location, facilitating delivery of the first container to the retrieval location.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receiving the description for the first container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receipt of the first storage identifier in association with a packed fill status from a delivery device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein removing storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier comprises removing a second storage identifier having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier, wherein receipt of the removal request from a device remote from the computing system comprises receipt of the second storage identifier in association with an empty fill status from a delivery device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a description for the first storage identifier comprises receiving media indicative of container contents associated with the first storage identifier from the user device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media comprises a digital photograph image of the container contents. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the set of storage identifiers with the user identifier further comprises associating a second storage identifier with the user identifier; the method further comprising:
 receiving a removal request comprising the second storage identifier from the delivery device; and   removing the second storage identifier from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 facilitating delivery of a set of containers to the requested location comprises facilitating delivery of a set of containers comprising more than the requested number of containers to the requested location; and   receiving the set of storage identifiers from the delivery device comprises receiving a set of storage identifiers comprising more storage identifiers than the requested number of containers.   
     
     
         14 . A method for stored item distribution to a user, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:
 at a computing system:
 receiving a delivery request associated with the user identifier, the delivery request comprising a requested time, requested location, and a requested number of containers; 
 facilitating delivery of a set of containers to the requested location at the requested time, the set of containers comprising more containers than the requested number of containers, the set of containers associated with a set of storage identifiers, each storage identifier of the set of storage identifiers associated with a container of the set of containers; 
 receiving a subset of the set of storage identifiers from one of a set of delivery devices remote from a storage facility; 
 associating the subset of storage identifiers with the user identifier in response to receipt of the subset of storage identifiers from one of the set of delivery devices; 
 receiving a photograph of contents of a first container in association with a first storage identifier from one of the set of delivery devices, the first storage identifier identifying the first container, the set of storage identifiers comprising the first storage identifier; 
 storing the photograph as a storage description for the first storage identifier; 
 receiving a summary request associated with the user identifier from a user device remote from the storage facility; 
 sending the storage description for the first storage identifier to the user device in response to receipt of the summary request; 
 receiving a retrieval request comprising the first storage identifier, a retrieval location, and a retrieval time from the user device; and 
 facilitating delivery of a first container identified by the first storage identifier to the retrieval location at the retrieval time. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving a sub-subset of the subset of storage identifiers from the set of delivery devices; and   disassociating the storage identifiers of the subset of storage identifiers that are not identified by the sub-subset of storage identifiers from the user identifier.   
     
     
         16 . A method for stored item distribution to a user, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:
 at a computing system:
 receiving a set of storage identifiers from one of a set of delivery devices; 
 associating the set of storage identifiers with the user identifier; 
 receiving a media description in association with a first storage identifier from one of the set of delivery devices, the set of storage identifiers comprising the first storage identifier; 
 receiving a second media description in association with the first storage identifier from a user device associated with the user identifier; 
 storing the second media description as a storage description for the first storage identifier; 
 receiving a summary request associated with the user identifier from a user device remote from the storage facility; 
 sending the storage description for the first storage identifier to the user device in response to receipt of the summary request; 
 receiving a retrieval request comprising the first storage identifier, a retrieval location, and a retrieval time from the user device; and 
 facilitating delivery of a stored item identified by the first storage identifier to the retrieval location at the retrieval time.