Abstract:
A storage method for digital media items which optimizes delivery time. An example storage method includes determining transport times for transporting the digital media items from a plurality of primary storage locations within the entertainment kiosk to a dispense aperture of the entertainment kiosk, obtaining expected transaction rates of the digital media items, assigning the digital media items to the primary storage locations such that digital media items having expected transaction rates that are greater than expected transaction rates of other digital media items are stored in primary storage locations having transport times that are shorter than transport times of other primary storage locations.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Entertainment kiosks are available which rent and/or sell digital media, including but not limited to movies, television shows, music, music videos, video game software, and a wide array of additional file types and file formats. 
         [0002]    These kiosks may deliver digital media in various ways, including but not limited to compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), download to portable storage devices, and wireless download to portable storage devices. 
         [0003]    Kiosks that deliver discs include a delivery and return aperture, internal bins for storing the discs, and a transport mechanism for moving selected discs from their storage bins to the delivery aperture and back again. Storage bins may be located at various distances from the delivery aperture and result in a range of transport times. 
         [0004]    During a transaction, a selected disc may be located in a bin located far from the delivery aperture compared to other bins so as to cause the transport mechanism to take longer to deliver the selected disc to the delivery aperture. The increased transport time may result in customer dissatisfaction. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a digital media item storage method which reduces transport time during a transaction. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A storage method for digital media items is provided. 
         [0007]    An example storage method includes determining transport times for transporting the digital media items from a plurality of primary storage locations within the entertainment kiosk to a dispense aperture of the entertainment kiosk, obtaining expected transaction rates of the digital media items, assigning the digital media items to the primary storage locations such that digital media items having expected transaction rates that are greater than expected transaction rates of other digital media items are stored in primary storage locations having transport times that are shorter than transport times of other primary storage locations. 
         [0008]    Assigning the digital media items to the primary storage locations may include ranking the storage locations based upon the transport times starting with a first primary storage location having a shortest transport time and ending with a second primary storage location having a longest transport time, ranking the digital media items based upon the expected transaction rates starting with a first digital media item having a highest expected transaction rate and ending with a second digital media item having a lowest expected transaction rate, and assigning ranked digital media items to ranked primary storage locations beginning with the first digital media item being assigned to the first primary storage location. 
         [0009]    The example storage method may be further optimized by establishing a predetermined number of temporary storage locations having transport times that are shorter than the transport times of the primary storage locations, and assigning the digital media items from the primary storage locations to the temporary storage locations during transactions involving the digital media items. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example kiosk. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view illustrating the example kiosk. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view inside the example kiosk illustrating an example transport mechanism. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a view illustrating an example bin configuration. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating an example storage method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , example entertainment kiosk  12  may include computer  20 , display  22 , input device  24 , payment peripheral  26 , printer  28 , digital media identifier  30 , transport system  32 , and inventor data store  34 . 
         [0016]    Computer  20  includes a processor, memory, program and data storage. Computer  20  may execute an operating system such as a Microsoft operating system, and a web browser for viewing web pages. 
         [0017]    Computer  20  controls operation of kiosk  12 . Computer  20  executes software  40 , which displays images of screens and records operator selections from those screens during a digital media transaction. Software  40  may include but not be limited to one or more software applications, libraries, objects, and/or modules. 
         [0018]    A digital media transaction may include a sale of digital media items or licenses to digital media items. Digital media items may include, but not be limited to, movies, television shows, music, music videos, video game software, productivity software and a wide array of additional file types and file formats. Digital media items may be identified by title, alphanumeric, or and/other identifier. 
         [0019]    Kiosk  12  may store multiple copies of the same digital media item. For example, kiosk  12  may store multiple copies of a newly released movie. 
         [0020]    Display  22  displays the images of the transaction screens. 
         [0021]    Input device  24  records operator selections during a digital media transaction. Input device  24  may include a touch sensitive device or a keyboard. Input device  24  and display  22  may be combined as a touch screen  36 . 
         [0022]    Payment peripheral  26  may include one or more of a card reader for reading payment and/or loyalty cards, a currency acceptor, a currency dispenser, a coin acceptor, and a coin dispenser. 
         [0023]    Printer  28  includes a receipt printer, but may print additional information, such as coupons or other offers or promotions. 
         [0024]    Digital media identifier  30  identifies digital media items. For example, digital media identifier  30  may include an RFID tag reader for reading RFID tags on digital media discs or their cases. 
         [0025]    As another example, digital media identifier  30  may include a barcode reader for reading barcodes on digital media discs or their cases. 
         [0026]    Transport system  32  delivers digital media items from storage locations within inside kiosk  12  to customers following identification of digital media items and payment. 
         [0027]    Digital media identifier  30  may be located along the transport path, facilitating identification. Digital media identifier  30  may also be used to identify dispensed digital media items. 
         [0028]    Inventory data store  34  contains an inventory of digital media items within kiosk  12 , either physical discs or digital media files or both. Software  40  updates the inventory of digital media items each time a digital media item is dispensed or received. Software  40  may also send updated inventory information to host server  16  via network  14 . Host server  16  may manage inventory in a plurality of kiosks  12 . 
         [0029]    Inventory data store  34  may further include expected transaction rates for each digital media item in inventory. 
         [0030]    Network  14  may include a cellular communication network, a global communications network also known as the Internet, a wired or wireless network, or any combination of such networks. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , an example kiosk  12  is illustrated. Example kiosk  12  may be based upon the entertainment kiosk disclosed in commonly-assigned published U.S. application Ser. No. 10/866,387, publication number 2004/0254676, entitled “AUTOMATED BUSINESS SYSTEM AND METHOD OF VENDING AND RETURNING A CONSUMER PRODUCT”. This published application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0032]    Example kiosk  12  includes housing  50  for storing digital media items in cases. Kiosk  12  further includes touch screen  52 , auxiliary display  54 , card reader  56 , printer  58 , and dispense and retrieve aperture  60 . 
         [0033]    Auxiliary display  54  displays movie trailers, promotions, and other information under the control of software  40 . 
         [0034]    Dispense and retrieve aperture  60  includes a bin from which digital media items in cases are dispensed and into which empty cases may be inserted. Digital media identifier  30  may be located in dispense and retrieve aperture  60  or on transport system  32 . 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , transport system  32  may include a system as described in the incorporated published application, including a robot  72  capable of movement along three different directions, vertical, horizontal, and forwards/backwards. Robot  72  interacts with aperture  60  to transport digital media items as CDs or DVDs from storage bins  70  to aperture  60  and to transport returned digital media items from aperture  60  to bins  70 . Even though only a back wall is illustrated in detail, bins  70  may be located along one or more inside walls with housing  50 , including along a front wall adjacent aperture  60 . 
         [0036]    Also envisioned is an alternative transport system which may include a radial design capable of movement along vertical, radial, and forwards/backwards directions. With such a transport system, bins  70  may be located around transport system  32 . 
         [0037]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , an example bin configuration is illustrated. Storage bins  70  are arranged in ninety rows and ten columns. 
         [0038]    Transport system  32  takes different amounts of time to transport digital media items from bins  70  based upon the transport distance of bins  70  from aperture  60 . For example, a digital media item in bin  74  will take longer to transport to aperture  60  than a digital media item in bin  76 , which is closer to aperture  60 . 
         [0039]    Software  40  stores bin rankings of transport times from each bin  70  to aperture  60 . Bins  70  with shortest transport times may be ranked highest. Software  40  may also perform tests to determine the transport times. 
         [0040]    Software  40  may store digital media items in bins  70  based upon expected transaction rates for each digital media item, for example, rental rate over a predetermined period. 
         [0041]    For example, if a particular digital media item is expected to be rented one hundred times from kiosk  12  over a period of a week and there are five copies of the particular digital media item, then the expected rental rate or expected rentals per week for one of the copies would equal twenty rentals per week. 
         [0042]    Total motion time is minimized when the digital media items with the highest expected transaction rates are in bins  70  with the lowest transport time. Thus, software  40  stores digital media items having high expected transaction rates close in terms of transport time to aperture  60  and digital media items having low expected transaction rates farther away from aperture  60 . Transport times may or may be equivalent to distances from aperture  60 . 
         [0043]    Software  40  may determine expected transaction rates for digital media items based upon historical transaction records stored locally in inventory data. Alternatively, software  40  may download expected transaction rates from host server  16 . Host server  16  determines the expected transaction rates from inventory data from multiple kiosks, including kiosk  12 . 
         [0044]    Software  40  further speeds up delivery of digital media items by allocating a predetermined number of bins  70  closest to aperture  60  as temporary storage area  80  for outgoing and incoming digital media items. Temporary storage area  80  may be adjusted to include more or less bins  70 , for example, based upon average numbers of digital media items per transaction. 
         [0045]    For example, software  40  may transport a digital media item from its bin outside of temporary storage area  80  to a bin within temporary storage area  80  when the digital media item is selected. After payment is received from a customer, robot  72  may more quickly deliver the digital media item to aperture  60 . 
         [0046]    Software  40  may move digital media items in and out of temporary storage area  80  on a daily basis and after the inventory of digital media items is replenished. 
         [0047]    Advantageously, this storage method is especially useful for transactions involving more than one digital media item, especially when the digital media items have different expected transaction rates, and therefore, different transport times from their bins  70  to aperture  60 . 
         [0048]    For example, if a customer involved in a rental transaction chooses a first digital media item having a high expected rental rate and a second digital media item having a low expected rental rate, software  40  may move the second digital media item to temporary storage  80  before the customer has completed final transaction steps to speed up its delivery. In a modification of this embodiment, software  40  may also move the first digital media item to temporary storage area  80 . 
         [0049]    During a return transaction, software  40  may transport a returned digital media item to a bin  70  within temporary storage area  80  and then later move the digital media item to a different storage bin  70  outside of temporary storage area  80 , for example, when no transactions are in progress. 
         [0050]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , an example storage optimization method is illustrated based upon rental transactions and expected weekly rental rates. 
         [0051]    In step  90 , software  40  stores bin rankings of transport times from each bin to aperture  60 . Bins  70  with shortest transport times may be ranked highest. 
         [0052]    In step  92 , software  40  receives inventory update information from host server  16  via network  14 . 
         [0053]    Inventory update information may include information regarding digital media items to be removed and digital media items to be added during servicing of kiosk  12 . Inventory update information may include expected rental rates for each digital media item added to inventory, to be added to expected rental rates already stored within kiosk  12 . Software  40  may receive inventory update information periodically, such as weekly as in this example. 
         [0054]    In step  94 , software  40  updates its internal inventory store  34  to reflect the added and removed digital media items and the expected rental rates for the added and removed digital media items. 
         [0055]    In step  96 , software  40  ranks digital media items in inventory data store  34  based upon expected rentals per week. 
         [0056]    In step  98 , software  40  creates a storage plan containing digital media items ranked by expected rentals per week and bins  70  ranked by transport time, such that digital media items having the highest expected rentals per week are mapped to bins  70  having the shortest transport times. The storage plan represents how the current inventory of digital media items should be stored within kiosk  12  based upon the bin configuration in the kiosk  12 , e.g., the bin configuration in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0057]    In step  100 , software  40  activates robot  76  to place digital media items in bins  70  in accordance with the storage plan. Software  40  may use empty bins  70  in temporary storage area  80  as required to free up occupied bins  70 . 
         [0058]    It may be desirable to optimize inventory locations prior to kiosk replenishment. Software  40  may repeat optimization to make adjustments any time kiosk  12  is idle. 
         [0059]    Advantageously, optimal storage of digital media items based upon expected rental rates and bin transport times decreases overall wait time during rental transactions. Combination of this method with temporary storage area  80  further decreases overall wait time. 
         [0060]    Although particular reference has been made to certain embodiments, variations and modifications are also envisioned within the spirit and scope of the following claims.