Mobile retail systems and methods of distributing and stocking the mobile retail systems

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to enhance customer service through the distribution of mobile sales vehicles comprising: an engine and a drivetrain; a point of sales system; product storage storing pre-selected products selected in response to an evaluation of location demographic information, and in response to an evaluation of population demographic information, wherein the pre-selected products comprise a sub-set of potential products available from a retail entity operating the sales vehicle; and a product distribution system coupled with the point of sales system and comprising a control circuit configured to authorize access by a customer to one or more products stored in the product storage and purchased by the customer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile product sales vehicle, comprising:
 an engine and a drivetrain enabling independent movement of the sales vehicle to different locations;   a driving control system comprising global positioning processing, sensors, and sensor processing, wherein the driving control system provides self-driving of the sales vehicle and couples with the engine and the steering system of the sales vehicle to automatically control the self-movement of the sales vehicle without human interaction;   a point of sales system;   product storage configured to store pre-selected products selected in response to an evaluation of location demographic information comprising information about one or more potential locations to which the sales vehicle could be directed and an assigned location of the one or more potential locations to which the sales vehicle is assigned to be located, and wherein the location demographics information comprises information about numerous potential customers that have a relationship with the assigned location, wherein the pre-selected products comprise a sub-set of potential products available from one or more retail entities; and   a product distribution system coupled with the point of sales system and comprising a control circuit configured to authorize access by a customer to one or more products stored in the product storage and purchased by the customer.   
     
     
         2 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of customer terminals configured to allow customers to interact with at least the point of sales system, wherein each of the plurality of customer terminals comprising a display and one or more cameras corresponding to the corresponding display; and   an image processing system coupled with the one or more cameras of the plurality of customer terminals and configured to recognize movements by the customer allowing the customer to interact with the point of sale system without having to touch the display or other inputs.   
     
     
         3 . The sales vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an audio processing system cooperated with the plurality of customer terminals and configured to receive audio voice input from a customer, recognize a first command from the audio voice input and cause the first command to be implemented; and   wherein the image processing system is further configured to detect one or more predefined movement gestures performed by the customer, identify a second command corresponding to the one or more predefined movement gestures and information displayed at the corresponding customer terminal when the one or more predefined movement gestures are performed by the customer, and cause the second command to be implemented.   
     
     
         4 . The sales vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an audio processing system cooperated with the plurality of customer terminals and configured to receive audio voice input from a customer; and   wherein the image processing system is further configured to preform facial recognition such that a customer is identified through voice recognition and facial recognition.   
     
     
         5 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the product storage further comprises multiple self-service storage units configured to store pre-ordered products that have been pre-ordered by one or more customers with the intent to retrieve respective pre-ordered products from one of multiple sales vehicles to be assigned to the assigned location, wherein each of the storage units is directly accessible by customers from an exterior of the sales vehicle, and wherein each storage unit comprises a locking system that when locked prevents access to the respective storage unit from the exterior the sales vehicle; and
 wherein the point of sales system communicationally couples with each of the storage units and is configured to issue an unlock command to cause a respective one of the storage units to activate the locking system to unlock.   
     
     
         6 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the product storage further comprises multiple storage units each configured to store one or more products, wherein the storage units further comprise a temperature control system configured to independently control a temperature within the corresponding storage unit based on a product stored within the storage unit. 
     
     
         7 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vehicle product inventory system communicatively coupled with a remote sales system, wherein the vehicle product inventory system is configured to maintain vehicle product inventory information of inventory on the sales vehicle and further configured to receive a communication from the remote sales system that a first product on the sales vehicle has been pre-ordered, to reserve at the sales vehicle the first product, and to reduce an available inventory quantity in the sales vehicle for the first product in response to the communication of the pre-order and to maintain an accurate count of a total available number of the first product and other products in the sales vehicle; and   the vehicle product inventory system communicationally coupled with the point of sale system, wherein the vehicle product inventory system is provided with vehicle product inventory information corresponding to each product carried by the sales vehicle, communicates with the point of sale system to allow customers at the point of sale system to access and review product information of the available products currently carried on the sales vehicle, and to update the vehicle product inventory information as products are acquired by customers from the sales vehicle such that product information provided to subsequent customers regarding product inventory on the sales vehicle is accurate.   
     
     
         8 . The sales vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle product inventory system further has access to product inventory available through the one or more retail entities and not currently available at the sales vehicle, and to receive orders from one or more customers for one or more products not currently available at the sales vehicle and a designation of a method of receiving the ordered product from a set of methods of receiving the product, wherein the set of methods comprises picking up the ordered product at a later time from a sales vehicle, picking up the ordered product at a sales facility maintained by the respective one of the retail entities, and delivery of the ordered product to a designated delivery location. 
     
     
         9 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale system is configured to receive a confirmation confirming an identification of a first customer; and
 wherein the product distribution system is further configured to cause one or more products purchased by the first customer to be retrieved from the product storage and to provide the confirmed first customer with access to the one or more products purchased by the first customer.   
     
     
         10 . The sales vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the driving control system is configured to receive a schedule and routing information to one or more pre-selected locations, including the assigned location, and automatically controls the self-movement of the sales vehicle without human interaction to move the sales vehicle to the one or more pre-selected locations. 
     
     
         11 . A method of enabling mobile product sales, comprising:
 storing, in product storage of a mobile products sales vehicle, pre-selected products selected in response to an evaluation of location demographic information comprising information about one or more potential locations to which the sales vehicle could be directed and an assigned location of the one or more potential locations to which the sales vehicle is assigned to be located, and wherein the location demographics information comprises information about numerous potential customers that have a relationship with the assigned location, wherein the pre-selected products comprise a sub-set of potential products available from one or more retail entities;   receiving a schedule and routing information to one or more pre-selected locations, including the assigned location;   autonomously controlling, through a driving control system of the sales vehicle, an engine and a steering system of the sales vehicle and automatically controlling self-movement of the sales vehicle without human interaction to at least the assigned location;   allowing customers to access a point of sales system and to purchase one or more products currently available on the mobile sales vehicle while at the assigned location; and   authorizing access, through a product distribution system of the sales vehicle and coupled with the point of sales system, by a customer to one or more products stored in the product storage and purchased by the customer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 enabling customers access to and to interact with a plurality of customer terminals fixed with the sales vehicle and to interact with at least the point of sales system through one of the plurality of customer terminals, wherein each of the plurality of customer terminals comprising a display and one or more cameras corresponding to the corresponding display; and   recognizing, through an image processing system coupled with one or more cameras of the plurality of customer terminals, movements by the customer and allowing the customer to interact with the point of sale system without having to touch the display or other inputs.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving audio voice input from a customer, through an audio processing system cooperated with the plurality of customer terminals;   recognizing a first command from the audio voice input;   causing the first command to be implemented;   detecting, through the image processing system, one or more predefined movement gestures performed by the customer;   identifying a second command corresponding to the one or more predefined movement gestures and information displayed at the corresponding customer terminal when the one or more predefined movement gestures are performed by the customer; and   causing the second command to be implemented.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving audio voice input from a customer;   performing, through the image processing system, facial recognition; and   identifying a customer through voice recognition and facial recognition.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 enabling customers direct exterior access to multiple self-service storage units storing pre-ordered products that have been pre-ordered by one or more customers with the intent to retrieve respective pre-ordered products from one of multiple sales vehicles to be assigned to the assigned location; and   issuing an unlock command to a locking system of a respective one of the storage units to activate the locking system to unlock the respective one of the storage units.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 independently controlling a temperature within each of multiple storage units, of the sales vehicle, based on a product stored within the respective storage units.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 wirelessly communicating, through a vehicle product inventory system, with a remote sales system;   wirelessly receiving a communication from the remote sales system that a first product on the sales vehicle has been pre-ordered;   reserving at the sales vehicle the pre-ordered product;   reducing, by the vehicle product inventory system, an available inventory quantity in the sales vehicle for the first product in response to the communication of the pre-order and maintaining an accurate count of a total available number of the first product and other products in the sales vehicle;   maintaining, local at the sales vehicle, vehicle product inventory information corresponding to each product carried by the sales vehicle;   allowing customers, at the sales vehicle through the point of sale system, to access and review product information of the available products currently carried on the sales vehicle based on the vehicle product inventory information; and   locally updating the vehicle product inventory information as products are acquired by customers from the sales vehicle such that product information provided to subsequent customers regarding product inventory on the sales vehicle is accurate.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 accessing product inventory information of products available through the one or more retail entities and not currently available at the respective one of the retail entities;   receiving, through the point of sale system of the sales vehicle, orders from one or more customers for one or more products not currently available at the sales vehicle and a designation of a method of receiving the ordered product from a set of methods of receiving the product, wherein the set of methods comprises picking up the ordered product at a later time from a sales vehicle, picking up the ordered product at a sales facility maintained by the sales entity, and delivery of the ordered product to a designated delivery location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 wirelessly communicating with an application executed on a first user interface unit associated with a first customer;   receiving from the application executed on the first user interface unit a confirmation confirming an identification of the first customer; and   wirelessly communicating, from the point of sales system, private information associated with the first customer to the first user interface unit exclusively associated with the customer based on the confirmation, and causing the first user interface unit to display private information of the customer that is not to be displayed on a display of a first customer terminal of the sales vehicle.