Mobile storefront control systems and methods

Abstract

The present application provides systems and methods for a mobile storefront having direct customer access to inventory and pricing from a mobile storefront. In particular, systems and methods provide an application usable by customers to purchase goods or services from a mobile storefront through an electronic communication device. This includes reserving and purchasing products in inventory of the mobile storefront or pooled inventory from multiple mobile storefronts in an area, reserving and purchasing services and/or support, and for communicating directly with an electronic communication device of the mobile storefront.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system for operating a mobile storefront comprising:
 one or more mobile stores, each including an inventory compartment and a mobile store electronic communication device;   a technician or customer electronic communication device; and   a processor coupled to a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for use in controlling a support or service appointment in a broken tool wizard of the one or more mobile stores, the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to:
 synchronize a supplying mobile store to the technician or customer electronic communication device from the one or more mobile stores in a region based on available technician or customer data, available via the technician or customer electronic communication device and availability of at least one of a mobile store support, a repair service, and a pick-up service in the broken tool wizard, available to the supplying mobile store via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model; 
 communicate a selection of the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service to the mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile store for approval, via the mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile store; and 
 automatically update the support or service appointments available via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through the franchise distribution model upon approval. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the technician or customer data includes one or more of identification of the nature of the problem of a broken item, a description of the broken item, a description of the damage, a picture of the broken item, and a video of the broken item. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service corresponds to one or more of an availability in the inventory compartment corresponding to the supplying mobile store, a replacement availability corresponding to the supplying mobile store, and a service schedule availability corresponding to the supplying mobile store. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein available inventory in the inventory compartments of the supplying mobile store is identified as an alternative to the support or service appointment in a broken tool wizard, wherein the available inventory available to the supplying mobile store is available via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the availability of at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service in the broken tool wizard is expedited by a request for an expedited service that overrides the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service available through the broken tool wizard. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the broken tool wizard identifies the support or service appointment as a warranty request. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the broken tool wizard identifies the availability of at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service based on available inventory space in the inventory compartment, available to the supplying mobile store via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein upon selection the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service the technician or customer electronic communication device is provided with payment options including one or more of a direct payment, a timed payment, a payment from a corporate account, a financed payment, a third-party payment service to establish a customer financing arrangement approved via the supplying mobile store electronic communication device. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more payment options provided to the customer, via the customer electronic communication device, is determined by the supplying mobile store, via the mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile store. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processor communicates a service schedule or a mobile storefront site visit schedule on the display of the technician or customer electronic communication device based on the availability of at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service in the broken tool wizard, available to the supplying mobile store via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon executed by a processor to perform the method of operating a mobile storefront, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 a software application, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to:
 synchronize a supplying mobile storefront from one or more mobile storefronts in a region based on a broken tool wizard, available via an electronic communication device, in combination with a franchise distribution model; 
 communicate, through the display of the electronic communication device, an availability of at least one of a mobile store support, a repair service, and a pick-up service available through the supplying mobile storefront for selection via the electronic communication device; 
 communicate a selection of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service by the electronic communication device for approval by the supplying mobile storefront where approval is made by the supplying mobile storefront via a mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile storefront. 
   
     
     
         32 . The computer readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service includes at least one payment option from available payment options available through the supplying mobile store front via the mobile store electronic communication device and the payment options includes at least one of a direct payment, a timed payment, a payment from a corporate account, a financed payment, and a payment from a third-party payment service. 
     
     
         33 . The computer readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the broken tool wizard identifies the availability of the at least one of the mobile store support, the repair service, and the pick-up service based on available inventory space in the inventory compartment, available to the supplying mobile store via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model. 
     
     
         34 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the computer readable instructions further configure the processor to automatically change the available inventory space in the supplying mobile storefront upon approval by the supplying mobile storefront. 
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein the computer readable instructions further configure the processor to communicate with the one or more mobile storefronts or a distributor in a predetermined geographical region to pool available inventory space available through the supplying mobile storefront from the one or more mobile storefronts or a distributor in the predetermined geographical region. 
     
     
         36 . A system for operating a mobile storefront comprising:
 one or more mobile stores, each including an inventory compartment and a mobile store electronic communication device;   a technician or customer electronic communication device; and   a processor coupled to a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for use in controlling inventory and a repair or service space of the inventory compartments of the one or more mobile stores, the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to:
 synchronize a supplying mobile store to the technician or customer electronic communication device from the one or more mobile stores in a region based on available technician or customer data, available via the customer electronic communication device, and the inventory and a repair or service space available via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communication devices or through a franchise distribution model, where upon synchronizing the supplying mobile store to the technician or customer electronic communication device the supplying mobile store maintains control of the inventory and a repair or service space, via the mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile store, that is communicated as being available via the technician or customer electronic communication device. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of claim  39 , where upon synchronizing the supplying mobile store to the technician or customer electronic communication device, the supplying mobile store maintains control of one or more of payment options, distributor pricing, or delivery options, via the mobile store electronic communication device of the supplying mobile store, that is communicated as being available via the technician or customer electronic communication device.