Patent ID: 8494672
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: B65G,G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A secure automated retail store for storing, selling and distributing articles, the secure automated retail store having a housing which is operated by computer control so that no people are required to be inside of the housing for either of receiving closed shipping containers into the housing for storage, or for selling and distributing articles to a customer at an output of the housing, which articles were retrieved from inside of stored ones of the shipping containers, comprising: a secure entry means controlled by a computer for receiving a plurality of closed shipping containers at an entry point thereof, an automated forming means for automatically and without human manipulation forming an opening in a plurality of the shipping containers which have been entered into the housing; an automated storing means for automatically and without human manipulation storing the plurality of opened shipping containers inside a storage area of the housing; a customer interface for allowing a customer of said automated retail store to select a desired one or more of the articles stored therein, and to make a payment for said selected one or more articles; a computer controlled retrieving means for automatically and without human manipulation entering into selected ones of the opened shipping containers located in the storage area, which said retrieving means passes through the formed opening in selected ones of the shipping containers so as to retrieve said customer selected articles from inside selected ones of the stored opened shipping containers; a secure output means controlled by a computer so that automatically and without human manipulation only retrieved articles are passed from inside said storage area to an output of the housing, said secure output means including a physical barrier controlled by said computer so as to automatically prevent unauthorized people from entering from said output of the housing into said storage area of the housing where said shipping containers are stored; and a computer controlled moving means for automatically and without human manipulation moving the retrieved articles to said output of the housing.