Autonomous storage and retrieval tower

Abstract

An autonomous storage and retrieval tower for receiving, storing, and dispensing free physical products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous storage and retrieval tower, the tower comprising:
 a housing;   a plurality of shelves, each shelf configured to support one or more physical items;   a storage receptacle for receiving the one or more physical items to be stored by the autonomous storage and retrieval tower or for outputting the one or more physical items from the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   an application programming interface (API) in communication with a fulfillment server for tracking at least one physical item of the one or more physical items within the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   an input device for receiving an input from a user for storing or retrieving a physical item of the one or more physical items from the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   a controller in communication with the API, the controller configured to operate in a normal mode of operation or an exception mode of operation, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the input from the input device for storing the physical item in the autonomous storage and retrieval tower; 
 analyze the input for a specified identifier, wherein the specified identifier is associated with storing a free physical item unrelated to an order; 
 identify the specified identifier in the input; 
 transition from the normal mode of operation to the exception mode of operation; 
 disable the API; 
 instruct storing of the free physical item associated with the input, wherein the free physical item is retrieved from the storage receptacle onto a tray; 
 transition from the exception mode of operation to the normal mode of operation; and 
 enable the API. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive the input from the input device for retrieving the physical item from the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   analyze the input for a specified identifier, wherein the specified identifier is associated with retrieving a free physical item not associated with an order;   identify the specified identifier in the input;   transition from the normal mode of operation to the exception mode of operation;   disable the API;   instruct retrieval of the free physical item associated with the input, wherein the free physical item is placed in the storage receptacle;   transition from the exception mode of operation to the normal mode of operation; and   enable the API.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the free physical item is a free gift. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input is an alpha-numerical code. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the specified identifier is one or more letters or one or more numbers included within the alpha-numerical code. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the alpha-numeric code is decoded from a barcode. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the disabling of the API prevents the autonomous storage and retrieval tower from communicating with the fulfillment server. 
     
     
         8 . A method for receiving and storing one or more free physical items within an autonomous storage and retrieval tower, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a controller including an application programming interface (API) in communication with a fulfillment server configured to track at least one physical item of one or more physical items within the autonomous storage and retrieval tower, an input from an input device for storing a physical item in the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   analyzing, via the controller, the input for a specified identifier, wherein the specified identifier is associated with storing a free physical item not associated with an order;   identifying, via the controller, the specified identifier in the input;   transitioning from the normal mode of operation to the exception mode of operation;   disabling, via the controller, the API;   instructing, via the controller, storing of the free physical item associated with the input, wherein the free physical item is retrieved from a storage receptacle configured for receiving physical items to be stored by the autonomous storage and retrieval tower or for outputting the physical items from the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   transitioning from the exception mode of operation to the normal mode of operation; and   enabling, via the controller, the API.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receiving, via the controller, the input from the input device for retrieving the physical item from the autonomous storage and retrieval tower;   analyzing, via the controller, the input for a specified identifier, wherein the specified identifier is associated with retrieving a free physical item not associated with an order;   identifying, via the controller, the specified identifier in the input;   transitioning from the normal mode of operation to the exception mode of operation;   disabling, via the controller, the API;   instructing, via the controller, retrieval of the free physical item associated with the input, wherein the free physical item is placed in the storage receptacle;   transitioning from the exception mode of operation to the normal mode of operation; and   enabling, via the controller, the API.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the free physical item is a free gift. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the input is an alpha-numerical code. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the specified identifier is one or more letters or one or more numbers included within the alpha-numerical code. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the alpha-numeric code is decoded from a barcode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the disabling of the API prevents the autonomous storage and retrieval tower from communicating with the fulfillment server.