Systems and Methods for Object Storage and Retrieval

Abstract

Described in detail herein are object storage and retrieval systems and methods. A storage receptacle can be configured to receive an input from the user device including the decoded identifier from the machine-readable element associated with the one or more physical objects, via a input device, confirm the one or more physical objects are stored within the interior volume of the at least one storage receptacle, and dispense the one or more physical objects via the at least one opening of the at least one storage receptacle.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An autonomous storage and retrieval system comprising:
 a user device configured to execute an instance of a first application;   an electronic device disposed in a facility, the electronic device including an interactive display and a communications interface, the electronic device configured to:
 execute the an instance of a second application configured to communicate with the first application executing on the user device; 
 receive a first input corresponding to one or more physical objects associated with a section of the facility within a proximate distance of the at least one electronic device; 
 generate a unique optical machine-readable element encoded with an identifier associated with the one or more physical objects; 
 display the unique optical machine-readable element on the interactive display; 
 communicatively pair with the user device, via interaction between the second application of the electronic device and the first application of the user device; and 
 transmit the unique optical machine-readable element to the user device; 
   a storage receptacle, the storage receptacle including an input device, an interior volume, and at least one opening, the storage receptacle configured to store a plurality of physical objects within the interior volume and to:
 receive, using the input device, a second input from the user device from which the one or more physical objects are identified; 
 confirm the one or more physical objects are stored within the interior volume of the storage receptacle; and 
 dispense the one or more physical objects via the at least one opening of the storage receptacle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a terminal disposed in the facility and in communication with the one or more storage receptacles. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the terminal is configured to:
 receive a third input from the user device including the machine-readable element encoded with the identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;   determine the one or more physical objects are disposed in the storage receptacle; and   transmit an authorization to dispense the one or more physical objects to the storage receptacle.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the terminal is configured to:
 receive identifiers associated with the one or more physical objects; and   generate a new optical machine-readable element associated with the one or more physical objects.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device generates a print-out of the optical machine-readable element. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input device is an optical scanner configured to scan and decode the optical machine-readable element rendered on a display of the user device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is a Near Field Communications (NFC) device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a local computing system associated with the facility and including a first database and a remote computing system including a second database. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein in response to transmitting the unique optical machine-readable element to the user device, the electronic device receives a fourth input associated with delivering the one or more physical objects to a specified location. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein in response to the electronic device receiving the fourth input, the electronic device is configured to generate a communications bridge between the electronic device and the remote computing system. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the remote computing system is configured to update the second database. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein in response to the dispensing of the one or more physical objects the local computing system is configured to update the first database. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of electronic devices are disposed in the facility, the plurality of electronic devices include the electronic device, each of the plurality of electronic devices are associated with a different section of the facility. 
     
     
         14 . An autonomous storage and retrieval method comprising:
 executing, via a user device configured to, an instance of a first application;   executing, via an electronic device disposed in a facility, the electronic device including an interactive display and a communications interface, an instance of a second application configured to communicate with the first application executing on the user device;   receiving, via the electronic device, a first input corresponding to one or more physical objects associated with a section of the facility within a proximate distance of the at least one electronic device;   generating, via the electronic device, a unique optical machine-readable element encoded with an identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;   displaying, via the electronic device, the unique optical machine-readable element on the interactive display;   communicatively pairing, via the electronic device, with the user device, via interaction between the second application of the electronic device and the first application of the user device; and   transmitting, via the electronic device, the unique optical machine-readable element to the user device;   receiving, via a storage receptacle including an input device, an interior volume, at least one opening, the storage receptacle configured to store a plurality of physical objects within the interior volume using the input device, a second input from the user device from which the one or more physical objects are identified;   confirming, via the storage receptacle, the one or more physical objects are stored within the interior volume of the storage receptacle; and   dispensing, via the storage receptacle, the one or more physical objects via the at least one opening of the storage receptacle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a terminal is disposed in the facility and is in communication with the one or more storage receptacles. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the terminal, a third input from the user device including the machine-readable element encoded with the identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;   determining, via the terminal, the one or more physical objects are disposed in the storage receptacle; and   transmitting, via the terminal, an authorization to dispense the one or more physical objects to the storage receptacle.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the terminal, identifiers associated with the one or more physical objects; and   generating, via the terminal, a new optical machine-readable element associated with the one or more physical objects.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating, via the electronic device, a print-out of the optical machine-readable element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the input device is an optical scanner configured to scan and decode the optical machine-readable element rendered on a display of the user device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the communications interface is a Near Field Communications (NFC) device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , a local computing system is associated with the facility and includes a first database and a remote computing system includes a second database. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising receiving, via the electronic device, a fourth input associated with delivering the one or more physical objects to a specified location, in response to transmitting the unique optical machine-readable element to the user device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising generating, via the electronic device, a communications bridge between the electronic device and the remote computing system, in response to the electronic device receiving the fourth input. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising, updating, via the remote computing system the second database. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising updating, via the local computing system, the first database, in response to the dispensing of the one or more physical objects. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , a plurality of electronic devices are disposed in the facility, the plurality of electronic devices include the electronic device, each of the plurality of electronic devices are associated with a different section of the facility.