Systems and methods for supply and distribution of prepared meals

Abstract

Systems and method for supplying and distributing prepared or partially-prepared meals are configured to (i) produce meals made to order, (ii) transport the meals to one or more chilled automated dispensers located in a convenient location readily accessible to multiple customers for pickup, and (iii) maintain cold-chain integrity by storing the meals in one or more chilled environments immediately after preparation and until pickup by the customers. A customer (user) device facilitates placement of a customer order for one or more meals. A kitchen facility produces the meals and one or more dispensers stores the meal(s) in a chilled environment until pickup by the customer. A delivery vehicle provides refrigerated transport of customer orders from the kitchen facility to the dispenser(s), and a central control system manages communications and operations.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF PREPARED MEALSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)(0001] This application claims the priority benefit, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e), of U.S. Application No. 63 / 830,082, filed June 25, 2025 and entitled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF PREPARED MEALS,” and U.S. Application No. 63 / 735,130, filed December 17, 2024 and entitled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF PREPARED MEALS.” Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Over the past several decades, consumers have steadily prepared less food at home (FAH) in favor of food prepared elsewhere, i.e., food away from home (FAFH). Herein, FAH generally refers to meals cooked at home and includes groceries and meal kits where preportioned ingredients and recipes are provided to customers. Herein, FAFH refers to meals cooked outside of home and includes, for example, the delivery of take-out from restaurants and prepared meals that require minimal preparation by customers (e.g., the prepared meal is heated in a microwave or an oven before consumption). For instance, FIG. 1 shows that since 1960, the percentage of meals prepare at home (FAH) has decreased from 75% to 40% and, likewise, the percentage of meals prepared outside of home (FAFH) has increased from 25% to 60%. In 2023 alone, the total food expenditures in the United States were approximately $2.6 trillion of which FAFH accounted for $1.5 trillion or 58% of the total food expenditures. Within the FAFH market, take-out and delivery of meals from restaurants accounted for nearly $600 billion or 40% of the FAFH market.SUMMARY

[0003] The Inventors have recognized and appreciated the FAFH market has grown considerably in recent years, even surpassing the FAH market, which suggests a broader demand amongst consumers for meal options that are convenient and less time-consuming to prepare. This growth has led to a rise of various meal delivery services that specialize in the delivery of meals in the FAFH market. The prepared meals in the FAFH market may generally be divided into three main categories: (1) meals prepared by restaurants or caterers; (2) meals prepared for food stores (e.g., a supermarket, a grocery store); and (3) direct-to-consumer meals.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0004] The first category of meals, i.e., meals prepared by restaurants or caterers, are typically made to order. Herein, the term “made to order” refers to a meal that is only prepared, e.g., cooked or assembled, after a customer places an order for that meal. For example, meals that are made to order are typically prepared from fresh ingredients. It should be appreciated that meals made to order may include at least some ingredients prepared in advance (e.g., cutting vegetables, preparing sauces, and so on). The meals in this category are typically served ready to eat, e.g., the meal is fully assembled and served hot to a customer. Additionally, meals in this category do not typically include any shelf-life extenders (e.g., preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, and the like). Thus, the shelf life of meals in this category is shorter compared to meals prepared for food stores. Moreover, meals in this category are typically prepared in small batches (e.g., less than ten meals per batch). This category is more amenable to a more diverse range of meal options or meals customized according to specific customer requirements.

[0005] The first category of meals is typically delivered via an on-demand meal delivery service or picked up at the venue (e.g., the restaurant) by the customer. On-demand meal delivery services, such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub, allow customers to order prepared meals (e.g., take-out meals, prepackaged meals) on-demand from various vendors (e.g., restaurants, grocery stores), which are then delivered directly to the customer (e.g., at their personal residence). Generally, on-demand meal delivery services allow customers to order individual food items as desired.

[0006] On-demand meal delivery services, however, suffer from several shortcomings. For instance, conventional on-demand meal delivery services suffer from high distribution costs and complexity associated with the delivery of prepared meals to each customer. This is commonly referred to as the last-mile problem. The problem arises, in part, due to a low route density (also referred to as a “drop density”), i.e., defined as the number of deliveries per unit distance or per unit time, when goods are delivered to unique addresses for each customer. Additionally, the delivery of goods to each customer adds considerable cost due to labor and material costs associated with packing prepared meals, missed deliveries, long wait times during busy periods, and spoilage of food items.[0007| For example, the delivery of prepared meals directly to a customer typically requires the meals to be handed off to the customer. Thereafter, the customer must either consume the meal immediately or store it in a chilled environment (e.g., a refrigerator). If a customer is unable to take receipt of a prepared meal (e.g., delivered to their personal residence), the prepared meal may be exposed to ambient conditions for a prolonged period of time. For mostAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 food items, prolonged exposure in these settings will degrade its quality and taste. For food items that require refrigeration, such as certain fresh fruits, vegetables, or frozen goods (e.g., ice cream), exposure to ambient conditions can lead to spoilage. On-demand meal delivery services seldom provide any cooling to preserve prepared meals. At best, some on-demand meal delivery services include ice packs, e.g., for food items that spoil quickly at room temperature (e.g., ice cream). However, this alone may only keep the prepared meals at chilled temperatures for a few hours, which may not be sufficient if delivery is not aligned with a customer’s schedule. For example, if delivery occurs in the morning after a customer leaves their personal residence (e.g., home) for the day, the prepared meals may sit outside for an entire day significantly increasing the likelihood of spoilage.

[0008] Conventional on-demand meal delivery services also create excessive packaging waste, which has a negative environmental impact. For example, prepared meals are typically contained in separate non-reusable containers and often include non-reusable utensils. On- demand meal delivery services also have a substantial carbon footprint due to the distances required to deliver prepared meals to respective customers.

[0009] Additional issues that adversely affect the customer’s experience with on-deomand meal delivery service for made to order meals include inconsistent food quality due to variability in quality control across multiple vendors, variable wait times (e.g., wait times are often longer during peak business hours, which can lead to delivery of cold food), variability in the reliability of the delivery driver, and the unhealthy food items typically offered through these services compared to home-cooked meals. Additionally, while on-demand meal delivery services provide customers the flexibility to order one prepared meal at a time, this often comes at great expense to the customer since the labor and delivery costs of these services are often passed directly onto the customer.

[0010] The second category of meals, i.e., meals prepared for food stores, are typically made in advance according to a forecast of customer demand. Because of uncertainties in the forecast, this category of prepared meals typically requires a longer shelf life to increase the time window for a customer to purchase the meal. For instance, prepared meals in this category typically include ingredients to extend the shelf life, i.e., shelf-life extenders. Meals in this category are typically prepared in large batch sizes (e.g., thousands of meals per batch) via an assembly-line process. Although meals may be mass produced, this category is not amenable to a diverse range of meal options or meals customized according to specific customerAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 requirements. Mass distribution of these meals reduces unit costs and prices through economies of scale.

[0011] The second category of meals is typically delivered via an on-demand meal delivery service or picked up at the venue (e.g., the food store) by the customer. Thus, the delivery of meals in this category is subject to the same shortcomings as the first category of meals, i.e., meals prepared by restaurants or caterers.

[0012] The third category of meals, i.e., direct-to-consumer meals, include meals made to order with no shelf-life extenders (similar to meals in the first category). However, unlike the first category, meals in this category are refrigerated to preserve freshness, packaged, and distributed directly to a customer. The customer typically only needs to reheat the meal (e.g., via a microwave) before consumption. Thus, meals in this category are not served ready to eat, but instead are deliberately prepared for consumption at a later time, e.g., by storing the meals in a chilled environment. Meals in this category are typically stored in a chilled environment immediately after preparation and until receipt by a customer, thus preserving cold-chain integrity. Generally, meals in this category may be stored in two temperature domains: (a) a refrigerated environment (e.g., 32°F to 40°F or 0°C to 4°C); or a frozen environment (e.g., less than 32°F or less than 0°C). Compared to the frozen environment, the refrigerated environment is relatively less expensive to implement and typically maintains the prepared meals at a higher quality. However, the shelf life of prepared meals stored in the refrigerated environment (e.g., 5 days from manufacture) is typically less than the frozen environment. Additionally, direct- to-consumer meals are typically ordered online by a customer.

[0013] Direct-to-consumer meals conventionally are provided by subscription-based meal delivery services that are accessed online by customers. For example, subscription-based meal delivery services, such as Factor, provide a set of ready-to-eat meals to subscribed customers at regular intervals, which are delivered directly to the customer (e.g., at their personal residence). Subscription-based meal delivery services typically provide relatively healthier, more nutritious offerings than meals prepared for stores (in the second category discussed above) and delivered via on-demand meal delivery services. However, customers are typically required to order multiple meals ahead of time and to take receipt of the multiple meals at the same time. This model provides a way to reduce the cost per order for each prepared meal by bundling multiple meals together.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001|0014] Subscription-based direct-to-consumer meals are typically shipped to customers using either a common carrier or a proprietary delivery system. In a common carrier shipment, the prepared meals are typically stored in large, insulated boxes with phase-change gel-packs (or ice pack) to maintain a chilled environment. Common carriers provide a way to service populations in large geographic regions. Additionally, the cost per order is relatively lower than the proprietary delivery system. Common carrier shipments also often require the use of more wasteful packaging materials. A proprietary delivery system is specifically designed to facilitate the shipment of prepared meals. Compared to a common carrier, a proprietary delivery system may be more convenient to customers, offer greater control over distribution timing and quality, better maintain cold-chain integrity, and use less wasteful packaging.[00.15] Subscription-based direct-to-consumer meal delivery services, however, also suffer from several shortcomings. Like on-demand meal delivery services, subscription-based meal delivery services also suffer from high distribution costs and complexity related to the last-mile problem. As noted above, subscription-based meal delivery services typically include ice packs or gel-packs. However, as explained above, ice packs or gel-packs only keep the prepared meals at chilled temperatures for a couple hours, which may not be sufficient if delivery is not aligned with a customer’s schedule.

[0016] Compared to on-demand meal delivery services, subscription-based meal delivery services frequently generate more packaging waste. In addition to the use of non-reusable packaging containers, prepared meals are typically delivered in boxes with various packaging materials (e.g., packaging insulation). Additionally, delays in shipment and / or damage to the packages during transit can lead to a loss of cold-chain integrity resulting in food spoilage as described above. Subscription-based meal delivery services also have a substantial carbon footprint due to the distances required to deliver to each respective customer.

[0017] Additional issues that adversely affect the customer’s experience with subscriptionbased direct-to-consumer meal delivery services include long order lead times (e.g., customers must order several days or even a week in advance), inflexibility to changes in orders, and a limited menu selection particularly for customers with specific dietary needs. Additionally, it can often be challenging for subscription-based meal delivery services to acquire and retain customers. Subscription-based meal delivery services lack the infrastructure to facilitate face- to-face customer interactions, which makes promotion of these services difficult. As a result, subscription-based meal delivery services often rely on online promotions where prospective customers are offered free trials to use their service. In some instances, this can lead to customerAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 acquisition costs in excess of $200 per customer with a low likelihood of retaining the customer as a subscriber.(0018] In view of the foregoing limitations of prepared meal delivery services, the present disclosure is directed to various inventive implementations of a system to (i) produce prepared meals made to order, (ii) transport the prepared meals to one or more dispensers (also referred to herein as a “dispensing locker,” or an “automated food locker”) located in a convenient location readily accessible to multiple customers for pickup by the customer or a customer proxy, and (iii) maintain cold-chain integrity by storing the prepared meals in one or more chilled environments immediately after preparation and until pickup by the customers. In some implementations, the system may include a user device to facilitate placement of a customer order for one or more prepared meals, a kitchen facility to produce the prepared meal(s) for that order (and other customer orders), one or more dispensers to store the prepared meal(s) in a chilled environment until pickup by the customer, a delivery vehicle to transport orders from the kitchen facility to the dispenser(s), and a central control system to receive information and / or transmit commands to the user device, the kitchen facility, and the dispenser(s).(0019] In one aspect, the cost and complexity of distributing prepared meals to each customer, i.e., the last-mile problem, may be appreciably reduced by using the dispensers to facilitate customer pickup of prepared meals. Unlike conventional meal delivery services, which deliver individual orders to each customer at different times, multiple orders of prepared meals for different customers may be consolidated and delivered at the same time to a few locations or, in some instances, a single location depending on the number of dispensers that a particular delivery vehicle stops by during a single trip. This, in turn, may appreciably reduce delivery costs (e.g., by reducing the distance and time traveled to deliver the orders) without appreciably inconveniencing the customers. In some implementations, the close proximity of the dispensers to retailers may allow for more direct face-to-face interactions with current and prospective customers, thus lowering customer acquisition costs. For example, a kiosk may be set up in or near a grocery store to offer shoppers samples. Other locations for dispensers in readily accessible and public / common spaces (e.g., outside of office buildings, high-density residential areas such as apartment buildings or condominium complexes, near public transportation hubs, etc.) also provide convenient opportunities for interactions with current and prospective customers.(0020] In another aspect, the systems disclosed herein may store the prepared meals in a chilled environment immediately after preparation at the kitchen facility until pickup by the customerAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 or customer proxy at the dispenser, thus maintaining cold-chain integrity. In one example, the prepared meals may be transported in a delivery vehicle that provides a first chilled environment. In another example, the dispenser may provide a second chilled environment to store the prepared meals until pickup. In this manner, the systems disclosed herein may alleviate the need for the customer to be present and / or near the dispenser at the time their order is transported to the dispenser. By storing the prepared meals in a chilled environment, the system allows for greater flexibility and adaptability to a customer’s schedule. Said another way, the system may allow the customer to pick up their order at a time that is most convenient to them without increasing the risk of the prepared meals being spoiled and / or losing quality due to exposure to ambient conditions.

[0021] In yet another aspect, the system may provide meals that are made to order. In other words, the kitchen facility may only begin preparing a meal after they receive an order for that meal. This may be facilitated, in part, by a user device (e.g., a smartphone, a computer, a kiosk) that allows a customer to place an order for one or more prepared meals. When placing an order, a customer may further specify a pickup location (e.g., the location of a dispenser where the order should be delivered) and a pickup schedule (e.g., a time window for the customer to pick up their order at the pickup location). In some implementations, the customer may further provide other inputs to customize their order according to their preferences, such as dietary restrictions and / or needs, portion preferences, ingredient exclusions, preferred flavor profiles, and the like.

[0022] The systems disclosed herein may generally support a modified on-demand meal delivery service where a customer can place an order for one or more prepared meals for pick up at a dispenser (rather than delivered directly to their door / home). However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the systems disclosed herein may support a modified subscription-based meal delivery system where a customer may receive orders of one or prepared meals at regular time intervals (e.g., once a week, once a month) at a dispenser (rather than delivered directly to their door / home).

[0023] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in anyAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(0024] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and / or structurally similar elements).(0025] FIG. 1 shows a chart of the relative percentage of food prepared at home and food prepared away from home over time.(0026] FIG. 2 shows an example system for facilitating the supply and distribution of prepared meals, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure.(0027] FIG. 3A shows an example method for ordering a prepared meal using the system of FIG. 2.(0028| FIG. 3B shows an example method for maintaining various ingredients in a chilled or frozen environment using the system of FIG. 2.(0029] FIG. 4 A shows an example smartphone for ordering a prepared meal.(0030] FIG. 4B shows an example computer for ordering a prepared meal.(0031] FIG. 4C shows an example order kiosk for ordering a prepared meal.(0032] FIG. 5A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of an example dispenser to facilitate storage and walk-up pickup of prepared meals, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure. The dispenser is shown deployed in a parking lot near a store.(0033] FIG. 5B shows a wider perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 5 A.(0034] FIG. 6A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of another example dispenser to facilitate storage and walk-up pickup of prepared meals, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure. The dispenser is shown deployed in a parking lot near a store.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0035] FIG. 6B shows another top, front, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 6A with no customers present.(0036] FIG. 6C shows a wider perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 6 A.(0037] FIG. 6D shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 6A.(0038] FIG. 7A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of an example dispenser to facilitate storage and drive-through pickup of prepared meals, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure. The dispenser is shown deployed in a parking lot near a store.(0039] FIG. 7B shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 7A with a vehicle parked adjacent to the dispenser.(0040] FIG. 7C shows a wider perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 7A.

[0041] FIG. 7D shows a view from within a vehicle of a customer as they pickup their order from the dispenser of FIG. 7A.(0042] FIG. 8A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of another example dispenser to facilitate storage and drive-through pickup of prepared meals, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure. The dispenser is shown deployed in a parking lot near a store.

[0043] FIG. 8B shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 8 A with a vehicle parked adjacent to the dispenser.

[0044] FIG. 9A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of another example dispenser with an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 9B shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 9A.

[0046] FIG. 9C shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of a portion of the dispenser of FIG. 9A with a loading door and a delivery person standing next to the loading door. The loading door is shown in a closed position.

[0047] FIG. 9D shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of the portion of the dispenser of FIG. 9C where the loading door is shown in an open position.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0048] FIG. 9E shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of another portion of the dispenser of FIG. 9 A with multiple compartment doors and a customer standing next to the compartment doors. The compartment doors are all shown in a closed position.

[0049] FIG. 9F shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of the portion of the dispenser of FIG. 9E where one compartment door is shown in an open position.

[0050] FIG. 9G shows a compartment door on the dispenser of FIG. 9A in a locked configuration (see light indicator displaying a red light).

[0051] FIG. 9H shows the compartment door of FIG. 9G in an unlocked configuration (see light indicator displaying a green light).

[0052] FIG. 91 shows a control panel on the dispenser of FIG. 9 A.

[0053] FIG. 9J shows a top, left-side perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 9A where a maintenance door on the dispenser is shown partially opened.

[0054] FIG. 9K shows a storage space within the dispenser of FIG. 9A to contain a plurality of prepared meals.

[0055] FIG. 9L shows a robotic picker in the dispenser of FIG. 9A to facilitate transport of prepared meals stored in containers within the dispenser.

[0056] FIG. 9M shows another view of the robotic picker of FIG. 9L interacting with a container disposed within a pickup compartment of the dispenser.

[0057] FIG. 9N shows an end effector of the robotic picker of FIG. 9L.

[0058] FIG. 90 shows a wheel cart system to facilitate linear movement of the robotic picker of FIG. 9L within the storage space.

[0059] FIG. 9P shows another example storage space within the dispenser of FIG. 9A where storage compartment dividers are removed.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows an example of a mobile dispenser, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure.

[0061] FIG. 11 shows an example of a static fixed-location dispenser, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure.

[0062] FIG. 12 shows an example of a dynamic fixed-location dispenser, according to some inventive implementations of the disclosure.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and implementations of, a system to supply and distribute prepared meals. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in multiple ways. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations and alternatives apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0064] The figures and example implementations described below are not meant to limit the scope of the present implementations to a single embodiment. Other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed example implementations may be partially or fully implemented using known components, in some instances only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present implementations are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the present implementations.

[0065] In the discussion below, various examples of a system to supply and distribute prepared meals are provided, wherein a given example or set of examples showcases one or more features of a dispenser, a kitchen facility, a central control system, and a user device with a user interface. It should be appreciated that one or more features discussed in connection with a given example of a system to supply and distribute prepared meals may be employed in other examples of systems to supply and distribute prepared meals according to the present disclosure, such that the various features disclosed herein may be readily combined in a given system according to the present disclosure (provided that respective features are not mutually inconsistent).[0066| Certain dimensions and features of the system to supply and distribute prepared meals and its components and / or subsystems are described herein using the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar.” As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar” indicates that each of the described dimensions or features is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. Unless context or the description indicates otherwise, the use of the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar” in connection with a numerical parameter indicates that the numerical parameter includes variations that, using mathematicalAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.1. An Example System for Supplying and Distributing Prepared Meals(0067] FIG. 2 shows an example system 100 for supplying and distributing prepared meals. As shown, the system 100 includes a kitchen facility 110, a plurality of dispensers 200, a user device 120, one or more delivery vehicles 114, and a central control system 140 (also referred to herein as a “control system 140”) to manage the operation of the foregoing components of the system 100. The central control system 140 may be communicatively coupled to the kitchen facility 110, the user device 120, each delivery vehicle 114, and each dispenser 200. This may be accomplished, for example, by the central control system 140, the kitchen facility 110, the user device 120, each delivery vehicle 114, and each dispenser 200 having one or more computing devices. The computing device(s) of the central control system 140 may be communicatively coupled to respective computing devices of the kitchen facility 110, the user device 120, each delivery vehicle 114, and each dispenser 200 via one or more wired or wireless data communication networks (e.g., a mobile network, an Internet service provider, and the like).(0068] In this example, the system 100 may include one dispenser 200 deployed next to a supermarket 132a at a pickup location 130a and another dispenser 200 deployed next to a supermarket 132b at another pickup location 130b. The supermarkets 132a and 132b represent non-limiting examples of locations that are generally accessible to a plurality of customers. Additional examples of pickup locations are discussed in further detail below. It should be appreciated that the number of pickup locations in the system 100 is generally not limited. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the number of dispensers 200 at a particular pickup location is not limited. Herein, the term “pickup location” may also be referred to as a “dispensing location.”(0069] The user device 120 may provide a user interface that allows a customer to place an order for one or more prepared meals. Once submitted, the order may be transmitted to the central control system 140. The central control system 140 may then transmit instructions to the kitchen facility 110 to prepare the meals in the order. The kitchen facility 110 may prepare the meals for that order and package them for transport in a delivery vehicle 114. The meals in the order may be consolidated with other meals in other orders for transport by the same delivery vehicle 114. Thus, the delivery vehicle 114 may carry a plurality of orders fortransportAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 to one or more dispensers 200. The delivery vehicle 114 containing the order may deliver the order to one dispenser 200 at a pickup location selected by the customer through the user device 120 (e.g., the pickup locations 130a or 130b). In particular, the prepared meals in the order may be loaded into one or more compartments within the dispenser 200. For example, the meals may be stored in one or more bags and the bags (with the meals contained therein) may be stored in the compartments. Thereafter, the customer or a customer proxy may pick up their order by accessing one or more compartments in the dispenser 200 containing the prepared meals in their order. Thereafter, the order may be transported to another location where the prepared meal(s) in the order is either reheated or cooked (e.g., the customer may perform a final cook) before consumption. This may occur, for example, at the customer’s personal residence, e.g., their home, or, more generally, any other location convenient to the customer. Further details on example methods of operating the system 100 are provided below in Section 1.1.(0070] The system 100 may thus (i) produce prepared meals made to order, (ii) transport the prepared meals to one or more dispensers 200, and (iii) maintain cold-chain integrity by storing the prepared meals in one or more chilled environments immediately after preparation and until pickup by the customers. The foregoing combination of features associated with the system 100 provides several advantages compared to conventional meal delivery services.[00711 First, the system 100 may appreciably reduce delivery costs for the operator of the system 100. This is achieved, in part, through the use of the dispensers 200, which allows the delivery of multiple orders of prepared meals to the same location. In this manner, the system 100 may eliminate the need to deliver orders to each customer (e.g., each customer’s personal residence), thus avoiding the last-mile problem. As a result, the drop density may be appreciably increased and the cost per order may be appreciably reduced. The cost savings may, in turn, allow for the delivery of higher quality food at potentially lower prices for customers.(0072] Second, the system 100 may provide improved customer experience. The dispensers 200 provide a predictable and convenient pickup experience, allowing customers to retrieve their meals on their own schedule. For example, customers can place an order for one or more prepared meals in advance and set a schedule (e.g., a time window) to pick up their order when it is convenient for them. In this manner, the system 100 may eliminate the need for customers to wait and receive delivery of their order in person due to uncertainties in the delivery times. The dispensers 200 may further provide a chilled environment to store the prepared meals, thusAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 eliminating exposure of the prepared meals to ambient conditions, which may otherwise reduce quality and increase the likelihood of spoilage. Additionally, the dispensers 200 may be strategically deployed in pickup locations that reduce the distance customers must travel to retrieve their orders, such as a parking lot near a store frequently visited by the customers, or near a multi-family housing.(0073] Third, the system 100 may provide an increased variety of prepared meals to customers at higher quality. The centralized production in a dedicated kitchen facility 110 may allow for tighter quality control and the ability to offer a wider variety of dishes, including options for specific dietary needs. More generally, the system 100 may provide customers the option to customize the prepared meals in their order according to their preferences, such as dietary restrictions and / or needs, portion preferences, ingredient exclusions, preferred flavor profiles, and the like. The use of automation in the kitchen facility 110 may further enhance quality and consistency while allowing the efficient production of small batches of customized meals according to customer preferences.(0074] Fourth, the system 100 may appreciably reduce waste and environmental impact, for example, by reducing the amount of packaging and shipping materials used compared to conventional meal delivery services. For example, by using delivery vehicles 114 dedicated to the transport of prepared meals in the system 100, the delivery vehicles 114 may provide a built-in refrigerated storage space for the prepared meals, thus eliminating the need for ice packs and / or insulating materials. Additionally, the storage of the prepared meals in the dispenser 200 may eliminate the need for separate shipping containers, such as a cardboard box, to store the prepared meals. In some implementations, the system 100 may further provide closed loop recycling of packaging used to store the prepared meals, further reducing waste (see further details in Section 1.2).}0075| The user device 120 provides a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface or GUI) to facilitate customer interaction with the system 100. These interactions may include, but are not limited to, placing an order for one or more prepared meals and tracking a status of the order. To facilitate placement of an order, the user interface may provide the customer a menu to browse the various prepared meals available for selection. The customer may then place an order by selecting one or more prepared meals from the menu. Said another way, the user device 120 may receive one or more user inputs that include a selection of one or more prepared meals as part of the order. It should be appreciated that, generally, there is no limit to theAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 number of prepared meals in each order. In one example, an order may include 3 to 4 meals. In another example, the order may include up to 20 meals.(0076] In some implementations, the order may include additional information on the customer’s preferences provided, in part, via one or more user inputs using the user device 120. In one example, the user interface may allow the customer to select a desired pickup location for their order. In some implementations, the pickup location may be restricted to locations where a dispenser 200 is deployed or will be deployed (e.g., in instances where the dispenser 200 is mobile and deployable to different locations).

[0077] In another example, the user interface may allow the customer to specify a pickup schedule to indicate when the customer plans to pick up their order. The pickup schedule may include, for example, one or more pickup times. More generally, the pickup schedule may include a time window, which may be defined by a start time and an end time. The customer may use the time window to indicate a range of times when they plan to pick up their order.

[0078] The chilled environment provided by the dispenser 200 may provide customers with greater flexibility when selecting a pickup schedule. In particular, the chilled environment may allow prepared meals to be stored for an extended period of time (e.g., multiple days) without an appreciable loss in the quality of the prepared meals. Thus, the system 100 may allow customers to select a relatively large time window (e.g., spanning one or more days). More generally, the time period of a time window may range from about 1 hour to about 24 hours, including all ranges and sub-values in between. For example, the time window may span a time period equal to about 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 9 hours, 10 hours, 11 hours, 12 hours, 13 hours, 14 hours, 15 hours, 16 hours, 17 hours, 18 hours, 19 hours, 20 hours, 21 hours, 22 hours, 23 hours, 24 hours, and so on. The prepared meals may be delivered at or before the start time of the time window and thereafter remain in storage within the dispenser 200 for an extended period of time until pick up. This flexibility is generally not available with conventional meal delivery services. At best, conventional meal delivery services provide chilled storage of prepared meals using ice packs, which typically provide a chilled environment for only a few hours.

[0079] It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the system 100 may limit the range of times a customer can select when specifying the pickup schedule to ensure efficient utilization of space within the dispenser 200. For example, it may not be desirable for an order to remain in storage within the dispenser 200 for a prolonged period of time because the spaceAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 occupied by the prepared meals in the order cannot be utilized for other orders, which may result in a reduction in throughput of order pickups. In some implementations, the range of selectable times a customer can select may be limited, in part, by how often prepared meals are transported to a dispenser 200. For example, if a delivery vehicle 114 transports prepared meals to a dispenser 200 once a day, then the system 100 may allow customers to specify a time window spanning one day. In another example, if a delivery vehicle 114 transports prepared meals to a dispenser 200 every 12 hours, then the system 100 may allow customers to specify a time window spanning 12 hours. In some implementations, the time window that can be specified may vary depending on the pickup location and / or the time of day. For example, prepared meals may be delivered to more popular pickup locations more frequently, which means the maximum time window may be relatively shorter. Conversely, prepared meals may be delivered to less popular pickup locations less frequently, which means the maximum time window may be relatively longer.

[0080] In yet another example, the user interface may allow the customer to specify various preferences related to the preparation of the meals. These preferences may include, but are not limited to, dietary restrictions and / or needs (e.g., dairy / lactose-free, gluten-free, vegan / vegetarian, food allergies, religious diets), portion preferences (e.g., small, medium, large), ingredient exclusions, preferred flavor profiles (e.g., spice level), and the like. The central control system 140 may utilize the foregoing preferences to generate a customized recipe for each meal in an order as discussed in further detail below.(0081] In some implementations, the system 100 may allow a customer to place a single order via the user device 120, e.g., to support an on-demand delivery service. In some implementations, the system 100 may allow a customer to place multiple orders that recur, for example, daily, weekly, or monthly based on a subscription, e.g., to support a subscriptionbased delivery service.(0082] After an order is submitted to the user device 120, the user device 120 may transmit order information associated with the order to the central control system 140 for further processing. Thereafter, the user device 120 may receive information from the central control system 140 regarding a status of the order, which, in turn, can be displayed to the customer. The status of the order may include, but is not limited to, the present state of the order (e.g., the order has been received, the order is under preparation by the kitchen facility 110, the order is in transit to the dispenser 200, the order is loaded into the dispenser 200, the order has beenAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 picked up), the estimated time of arrival to the dispenser 200, the estimated time remaining for the order to be picked up at the dispenser 200, and the like.(0083] The user device 120 may also be used to authenticate the customer (or customer proxy) before granting access to the compartments of the dispenser 200 containing their order. For example, the user device 120 may display a quick response (QR) code unique to the order and / or the customer. If the dispenser 200, which includes a QR code reader to scan the QR code, verifies the order and / or the identity of the customer (or customer proxy), the compartments may be unlocked and / or opened to provide the customer (or customer proxy) access to pick up the prepared meals in the order.(0084] The user device 120 may be any electronic computing device including, but not limited to, a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, an onboard computer of a vehicle (e.g., a computer configured to support Android Auto, Apple Car Play), and the like. Nonlimiting examples of user devices 120 are shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, which include a smartphone 120a, a computer 120b, and a kiosk 120c, respectively. In some implementations, the user device 120 may be associated with a particular customer (e.g., the smartphone 120a, the computer 120b). In some implementations, the user device 120 may be used by multiple users (e.g., the kiosk 120c). For example, the kiosk 120c may be located in a store. Generally, the user device 120 may include memory to store instructions (e.g., a software application) and a processor to execute the instructions. For example, the user device 120 may generate the aforementioned user interface to facilitate interaction between the customer and system 100. In some implementations, the user device 200 may include a location tracking sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) sensor) to transmit information on the location of the customer to the central control system 140, e.g., to determine when a customer is traveling towards a dispenser 200 to pick up their order. In implementations where the dispenser 200 includes a separate internal storage space (also referred to herein as a “storage area”) to store the orders (e.g., see the dispenser 200e in FIGS. 9A-9P), the location information of the customer may be used to trigger the transport of the orders from the internal storage space to one or more compartments, e.g., when the system 100 determines a customer is moving toward the dispenser 200.(0085] The kitchen facility 110 is responsible for preparing orders of prepared meals for customers. The kitchen facility 110 may generally include various cooking equipment commonly found in various commercial kitchens (e.g., restaurant kitchens, industrial kitchens). In some implementations, the kitchen facility 110 may be staffed with one or more chefs and / orAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 cooks to prepare the meals. In some implementations, the kitchen facility 110 may incorporate automation technologies to further increase efficiency and quality. This may lead to reduced production costs and, in turn, offer greater value to customers (e.g., via reduced prices of prepared meals).[0086| In some implementations, the kitchen facility 110 may only prepare meals made to order. In other words, the kitchen facility 110 may not prepare meals in advance, for example, according to a forecast unlike meals prepared for food stores. Thus, the kitchen facility 110 may not begin preparation of a meal until an order for that meal is placed by a customer. In this manner, the kitchen facility 110 may operate in a manner similar to a restaurant in the sense that the meals may be prepared using only fresh ingredients, i.e., without shelf-life extenders (e.g., preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, and the like). By preparing meals made to order, the kitchen facility 110 may more readily prepare meals according to a customer’s preferences (e.g., as specified in the order).

[0087] The kitchen facility 110 may generally prepare the meals in a way that provides convenience to the customer without sacrificing quality. In one example, the meals may be prepared such that the customer only needs to reheat the meal, e.g., via a microwave or an oven, before consumption. In another example, the kitchen facility 110 may partially cook (also referred to as “par cooking”) of at least some ingredients (e.g., meats, vegetables, carbohydrates) when preparing a meal. After the meal is picked up by a customer, the customer may perform a final cooking of the ingredients to finish the meal. In this manner, customers may enjoy meals that are best consumed immediately after the final cook without the burden of having to cook the meal from scratch. It should be appreciated that not all meals may require cooking. For example, certain meals may be served cold (e.g., a salad, a dessert). For these meals, the kitchen facility 110 may full assembly the meals and the meals may be immediately consumed by the customer after pick up without further preparation.

[0088] In some implementations, the kitchen facility 110 may prepare all the meals for the system 100. In other words, the kitchen facility 110 may provide centralized production of the prepared meals. A centralized kitchen facility may allow for greater quality control especially when compared to a network of restaurants managed by different parties producing different dishes. Additionally, a centralized kitchen facility may facilitate preparation of a wider variety of high-quality dishes at lower cost. This may be accomplished, in part, by the kitchen facility 110 including equipment that may be readily adapted for use in the preparation of different dishes. Said another way, the kitchen facility 110 may support various cooking processes thatAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 may be readily adjusted and tailored for use in different recipes. In some implementations, the kitchen facility 110 may incorporate automation technologies to further increase efficiency and quality. This may lead to reduced production costs and, in turn, offer greater value to customers (e.g., via reduced prices of prepared meals).|0089| The kitchen facility 110 may also package the prepared meals for each order for transport to a dispenser 200 via a delivery vehicle 114 and / or storage in the dispenser 200. In some implementations, the prepared meals may be flash chilled and then packaged into reusable containers. From thereon, the system 100 may store the prepared meals in a chilled environment up until pick up, thus maintaining cold-chain integrity. The reusable containers may, for example, be returned to the kitchen facility 110 (e.g., via the dispenser 200 as discussed in Section 1.2 below), cleaned, and reused for another meal. For example, the reusable containers may be formed from ceramic, stainless steel, or glass. The reusable containers containing the prepared meals may be placed into a reusable bag (e.g., see the bag in FIG. 7D) for transport and handling. As described above, the system 100 may keep the prepared meals in chilled environments immediately after the meal is prepared and until the meal is picked up at the dispenser 200. This may be accomplished, for example, by the delivery vehicle 114 and the dispenser 200 each providing a chilled environment to store the prepared meals. As a result, the packaging may not include a shipping container (e.g., a cardboard box), an ice pack, or packaging insulation (e.g., to thermally insulate the prepared meals).

[0090] The delivery vehicle 114 transports a plurality of orders from the kitchen facility 110 to one or more dispensers 200. Generally, the system 100 may include one or more delivery vehicles 114 in operation, e.g., to distribute prepared meals to multiple dispensers 200. In some implementations, the delivery vehicle 114 may be a truck, a van, or the like. As described above, each delivery vehicle 114 may provide a chilled environment to store the prepared meals while in transit to maintain cold-chain integrity. This may be accomplished, for example, using an active cooling system, such as a refrigeration unit installed on the delivery vehicle 114 to provide active cooling and temperature regulation of a storage space within the delivery vehicle 114. The walls surrounding the storage space may be thermally insulated, e.g., to reduce unwanted heat transfer to the storage space from the surrounding ambient environment.

[0091] In one non-limiting example, the delivery vehicle 114 may include a plurality of compartments within the storage space to store the prepared meals. Thus, orders containing one or more prepared meals may be individually loaded into the compartment(s), e.g., whenAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 picking up orders at the kitchen facility 110, and unloaded from the compartment(s), e.g., when delivering orders to a dispenser 200.(0092] In another non-limiting example, one or more rolling racks may be used to transport multiple orders of prepared meals. Each rolling rack may include one or more shelves defining one or more levels to support one or more orders (e.g., bags containing prepared meals). The shelves may further include dividers defining one or more sections on each shelf. In some implementations, the sections of the rolling rack may define the compartments used to store the orders in the dispenser 200. For example, when the rolling rack is loaded into the dispenser 200, the sections of the rolling rack may be aligned with one or more doors that provide access to customers to retrieve their order. Thus, the dispenser 200 may not itself provide any compartments to store the orders. In some implementations, the rolling rack may be separate from the compartments and / or the storage space (if present) in the dispenser 200. When the rolling rack is loaded into the dispenser 200, the orders on the rolling rack may be transferred from the rolling rack to the compartments or the storage space within the dispenser 200, e.g., via a transfer mechanism within the dispenser 200. In some implementations, the transfer may occur immediately after the rolling rack is loaded into the dispenser 200. The rolling rack, in turn, may remain empty until pick up or may store returned recyclable materials from customers. In some implementations, the orders may remain stored on the rolling rack until pick up. If the central control system 140 determines a particular order will be picked up (e.g., because the customer is traveling toward the dispenser 200), the dispenser 200 may move, via the transfer mechanism, the order from the rolling rack to one or more compartments. Thus, the rolling rack may effectively store orders in the same manner as the storage space.

[0093] Generally, the dispenser 200 may contain one or more rolling racks. Additionally, the rolling racks may be readily movable. For example, each rolling rack may include one or more wheels. Thus, the rolling racks may be easily manipulated, e.g., when being loaded onto a delivery vehicle 114 or unloaded from the delivery vehicle 114. During operation of the system 100, orders may be loaded onto a rolling rack at the kitchen facility 110. The rolling rack may then be loaded into the delivery vehicle 114 for transport to a dispenser 200. Once the delivery vehicle 114 arrives at the pickup location where the dispenser 200 is located, the rolling rack may be unloaded from the delivery vehicle 114. In some implementations, the rolling rack may then be loaded directly into the dispenser 200. This may be accomplished, for example, by removing a rolling rack from the dispenser 200 (e.g., an empty rolling rack) and inserting the rolling rack containing the orders into the dispenser 200.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0094] In some implementations, the rolling racks may support a regional service area featuring cross-docked final-mile facilities. For example, the rolling racks containing orders may be transported by large, long-haul trailers from the kitchen facility 110 to cross-docks, where they are either loaded immediately onto chilled trailers for nighttime delivery to stationary dispensers 200 (e.g., the static / dynamic fixed-location dispenser), or loaded into mobile dispensers 200 for daytime delivery to mobile pick-up locations.

[0095] In some implementations, the prepared meals may be transported in a trailer attached to the delivery vehicle 114 instead of or in addition to a storage space within the delivery vehicle 114 itself. For example, the trailer may transport one or more dispensers 200 (e.g., a mobile dispenser). In another example, the trailer may transport one or more rolling racks containing a plurality of orders. In some implementations, the trailer may be configured to transport both one or more rolling racks and one or more dispensers 200 for deployment. For example, the trailer may be used to deliver orders to dispensers 200 fixed to a particular pickup location (e.g., a static / dynamic fixed-location dispenser) overnight and then deliver and / or pick up mobile dispensers during the day. In some implementations, the same delivery vehicle 114, such as a pickup truck, may be used for all hauling tasks that involve towing the trailer, which includes the transport of dispensers 200 and / or the rolling racks. In one non-limiting example, the delivery vehicle 114 may be a commercial off the shelf electric truck (e.g., a Rivian pickup truck) configured to receive fast charging at the kitchen facility 110. The use of a towed trailer to store rolling racks and / or mobile dispensers 200 may appreciably reduce design complexity since development of a custom trailer design may be appreciably simpler than the development of a vehicle (e.g., a truck).

[0096] The dispenser 200 may securely store a plurality of orders and provide controlled access to customers (or customer proxies) to pick up the orders. As described above, the system 100 may include multiple dispensers 200 deployed at different pickup locations. It should be appreciated that one or more dispensers 200 may be deployed at a particular pickup location. Unlike conventional meal delivery services, which deliver individual orders to each customer at different times, the system 100 may facilitate delivery of multiple orders at the same time to a few locations or, in some instances, a single location depending on the number of dispensers 200 that the delivery vehicle 114 stops by during a single trip. This may appreciably reduce the time and distance traveled by the delivery vehicles 114, e.g., by eliminating the need to deliver orders to each customer’s personal residence, and, in turn, appreciably reduce delivery costs and the cost per order. In this manner, the system 100 may appreciably reduce or, in someAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 instances, eliminate the high operational costs and unreliability caused by the last-mile problem.(0097] The pickup location may be a location that is readily accessible to a plurality of customers. Herein, the term “readily accessible” may generally mean a location that is accessible to any member of the public at any time of day. Said another way, the pickup location may generally be a public space. In other words, the pickup location may not be a location that requires permission from another party or special credentials to gain access. Examples of public spaces that could be a pickup location include, but are not limited to, a supermarket, a food retailer, a train station, an office building, a condominium, an apartment, a planned community, a shopping mall, a shopping village, a hotel lobby, a library, a museum, a city hall, a public square, a concert hall, a waterfront, a school, and the like. To the extent the foregoing locations have an interior space, the pickup location may be within the interior space, e.g., respective lobbies of an office building, a condominium, or an apartment. Likewise, the pickup location may be outside any of the foregoing locations that have an interior space, e.g., the sidewalk next to respective entrances of a supermarket, a train station, or an office building. The pickup location may also be located in outdoor spaces typically associated and / or adjacent with any of the foregoing locations, e.g., a parking lot, a sidewalk, a park, a playground.

[0098] However, the pickup location may not include locations that are normally associated with a single customer or, more generally, a single household even if physically accessible by any member of the public. For example, the pickup location may not be immediately proximate to a personal residence of a particular customer or, more generally, a particular household. Herein, the term “immediately proximate” when used in reference to the personal residence of a customer or a household may refer to, for example, an entrance (e.g., the front door of a house, the door to a unit in an apartment or a condominium), a porch, a front yard, or a backyard.

[0099] In some implementations, the pickup locations for the dispensers 200 may be chosen in a way that allows the system 100 to operate in a synergistic collaboration with other businesses located near the pickup location. In one non-limiting example, the dispenser 200 may be deployed near one or more retailers, e.g., the parking lot near a grocery store. Placing the dispenser 200 near a retailer may allow customers to pick up an order from the dispenser 200 while going about a regular shopping trip. In this manner, picking up an order from the dispenser 200 may not appreciably inconvenience customers. In some implementations, the presence of the dispenser 200 near a retailer may even increase business at the retailer. ForAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 example, a customer picking up an order from the dispenser 200 may decide to purchase an item from a nearby retailer during their trip.(0100] The dispenser 200 may include a plurality of compartments to store a plurality of meals associated with one or more orders. The dispenser 200 may further include one or more doors to control access to the plurality of compartments. The dispenser 200 may include a first plurality of doors to provide, for example, a customer or a customer proxy access to the compartments (see, for example, the meal kit. In some implementations, the first plurality of doors may also be used by a delivery person to load prepared meals into the compartments. In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may include a second plurality of doors separate from the first plurality of doors to provide the delivery person access to the compartments, e.g., to load the prepared meals into the compartments. The first plurality of doors may be exclusively used by the customers and / or customer proxies and the second plurality of doors may be exclusively used by the delivery person.

[0101] The first plurality of doors and, if present, the second plurality of doors may each be secured via an electronically-controlled locking mechanism, such as a magnet lock. In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may further include a console to facilitate controlled access to the compartments. In particular, a customer may provide authentication (e.g., their identity and / or an order number) using the console. This may be accomplished in several ways. In one example, the customer may manually input information related to their order via a user interface provided by the console. In another example, the customer may use the user device 120 to display a quick response (QR) code. The QR code may contain information related to their order. The dispenser 200 may include, as part of the console, a QR code reader configured to scan QR codes. Upon authenticating the customer, the dispenser 200 may unlock one or more compartments that contain the prepared meals for that order. The customer (or the customer proxy) may then open the compartments to retrieve the prepared meals. In another example, the dispenser 200 may include a display screen to display a QR code and the customer may use their user device 120 to scan the QR code and gain access to the appropriate compartments to retrieve their order. It should be appreciated that the use of QR codes is a nonlimiting example. Other forms of verification may be integrated into the system including, but not limited to, a near field communication (NFC) pass (e.g., on a phone).

[0102] It should also be appreciated that the console is optional. For example, the dispenser 200 may not include any built-in user interface to facilitate customer access. Instead, the customer may use their user device 120 to access the dispenser 200. For example, the customerAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 may transmit an indication to the central control system 140, via the user device 200, that they arrived at the dispenser 200 and are ready to retrieve their order. After receiving the indication and confirming the customer’s identity, the central control system 140 may transmit instructions to the dispenser 200 to unlock one or more compartments containing the customer’ s order.

[0103] As described above, a customer proxy may pick up an order on behalf of the customer. The customer proxy may be an individual authorized by the customer to pick up an order. For example, the customer proxy may be a delivery driver that picks up one or more orders for one more customers from the dispenser 200 and thereafter delivers the orders to respective customers. In some implementations, the delivery driver may pick up all the orders from the dispenser 200 for customers whose orders they are delivering to on their delivery route.

[0104] The dispenser 200, as described above, may provide a chilled environment to store the plurality of meals, thus maintaining cold-chain integrity until pick up and extending the shelf life of the prepared meals. This may be accomplished, for example, by the dispenser 200 including a built-in refrigeration unit that provides active cooling. In some implementations, the refrigeration unit may regulate the temperature of the compartments in order to maintain the chilled environment within a desired temperature range. The chilled environment may operate in one or both of the following temperature domains: (a) a refrigerated environment (e.g., 32°F to 40°F or 0°C to 4°C); and / or a frozen environment (e.g., less than 32°F or less than 0°C). For example, the chilled environment may be divided into two separate sections - one section for a refrigerated environment that contains a subset of the compartments and another section for a frozen environment that contains the remaining compartments.

[0105] In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may include a storage space separate from the plurality of compartments to store more prepared meals. The dispenser 200 may further include a transfer mechanism to transfer meals between the compartments and the storage space. For example, when the central control system 140 detects a customer is approaching the dispenser 200 or is at the dispenser 200, the dispenser 200 may transfer the customer’s order from the storage space to one or more compartments for pick up. In this manner, the storage capacity of the dispenser 200 may be increased without requiring additional compartments and / or doors to facilitate access to the compartments.

[0106] The dispenser 200 may thus provide customers a more predictable and convenient pickup experience. In conventional meal delivery services, prepared meals are generallyAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 delivered directly to a customer’ s personal residence. Although this may be convenient in terms of location, it may not be convenient if the delivery does not align with the customer’s own schedule. In particular, if the customer is not at home to retrieve the prepared meals shortly after delivery, the prepared meals may spoil, especially during warmer periods of the year and / or in warmer climates. For instance, if a customer is at their office and a delivery occurs in the middle of the day, the prepared meals may be left outside the customer’s home unsecured for several hours and exposed to ambient surroundings. As described above, some conventional meal delivery services include ice packs to keep the delivered meals in a chilled environment. But, ice packs typically last for only a few hours and, hence, may not be adequate in all situations. Besides, ice packs create significant waste, which can have a negative environmental impact.|0107] In contrast, the chilled environment of the dispenser 200 allows the prepared meals to be stored for an extended period of time without appreciable loss in quality as described above. Accordingly, the dispenser 200 may provide greater flexibility for customers to pick up orders according to a pickup schedule that is more convenient to them without having to sacrifice quality and / or risk spoilage of the prepared meals.(0108] In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may be permanently or temporarily fixed to a particular pickup location (see, for example, the dispensers 200a-200e, 200g, and 200h). Thus, the orders may be loaded into the dispenser 200 at the pickup location where the dispenser 200 is located. In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may be movable (see, for example, the dispenser 200e). Thus, the dispenser 200 may be deployed to different pickup locations as desired. For example, the dispenser 200 may be relocated as customer demand in different areas change. This may be accomplished using the delivery vehicle 114 to transport the dispenser 200. In this example, the orders may be loaded into the dispenser 200 at the kitchen facility 110 and the dispenser 200 may thereafter be transported to the pickup location. Once deployed, subsequent orders may be loaded into the dispenser 200 at the pickup location.(0109] The central control system 140 may be communicatively coupled to the kitchen facility 110, the plurality of dispensers 200, the delivery vehicles 114, and the user devices 120 of respective customers to manage the operation of the system 100. The central control system 140 may perform several functions including, but not limited to, receiving an order from a customer for one or more prepared meals (e.g., via a website or a mobile application using the user device 120), transmitting order information associated with each order to the kitchen facility 110, managing the transport and delivery of orders to different dispensers 200 (e.g.,Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 based on the pickup location selected by the customer when placing the order), and managing access to the compartments of a dispenser 200 during pickup (e.g., based, in part, on one or more designated pickup times or a time window).

[0110] When an order is placed via the user device 120, order information associated with the order may be transmitted to the central control system 140. In some implementations, the central control system 140 may then generate reference authentication information related to the order. The reference authentication information may be used to authenticate a customer or customer proxy seeking access to the dispenser 200 to pick up the order. The reference authentication information may include, for example, a customer identifier (e.g., an email address, a phone number, a user name, and so on), a unique order number, the pickup location, and / or the time window.

[0111] When a customer picks up an order, the customer may be authenticated before being given access to the compartments containing their order. As described above, the customer may provide information on their order, e.g., via a console on the dispenser 200, or via the user device 120. This information is referred to as query authentication information and may include various information on the order including, but not limited to, a customer identifier, a unique order number, the pickup location, and the time window. The query authentication information may be transmitted to the central control system 140 (e.g., from the dispenser 200 or the user device 120). Thereafter, the central control system 140 may compare the query authentication information to the reference authentication information for that order. If there is a match, the central control system 140 may grant access to the customer. In some implementations, a customer may be authenticated if one or more items of information contained in the reference authentication information and the query authentication information match.

[0112] To manage customer access to the compartments of the dispenser 200, the central control system 140 may store in memory storage data that identifies each compartment that contains a prepared meal for a particular order. For example, each compartment in a dispenser 200 may be indexed with a unique identifier (also referred to herein as a “compartment ID”). The storage data may include each identifier associated with a particular order. When a customer is granted access to the dispenser 200, the central control system 140 may transmit access information that includes, in part, the storage data for that order, to the dispenser 200 so that the dispenser 200 can unlock appropriate doors to provide the customer physical access to the compartments containing their order.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0113] In some implementations, the central control system 140 may track the location of the customer (e.g., via a mobile app on their phone as the user device 120) to determine when the customer is near the dispenser 200 containing their order. In implementations where the dispenser 200 includes a storage space separate from the compartments, the customer’s order may be moved from the storage space into one or more compartments as the customer gets closer to the dispenser 200. Once the customer arrives, they may access the dispenser 200 and retrieve their order, thus providing a seamless pickup experience.(0114] As described above, an order may be placed via the user device 120, which thereafter transmits order information associated with the order to the central control system 140. In some implementations, the central control system 140 may generate a customized recipe of a particular meal based on the various preferences specified in the order. This may be accomplished, for example, by the central control system 140 having access to a modular recipe database. The modular recipe database may include base recipes for different meals. The database may further include substitution rules and customizable parameters to account for different customer preferences. A substitution rule may specify replacement ingredients for ingredients that the customer wants excluded from the meal. For example, if a customer requests their order to be dairy free, a substitution rule may specify a suitable lactose-free replacement for that recipe. A customizable parameter may specify different amounts of certain ingredients to be added to a particular recipe. For example, if a customer requests a particular spice level for their meal, the customizable parameter for spice level may specify the quantity of spice to add for that spice level.(0115] The central control system 140 may utilize the modular recipe database, the substitution rules, and the customizable parameters in combination with the order information (e.g., as inputs) to generate the customized recipe for a meal. Thereafter, the central control system 140 may translate the customized recipe into an executable process workflow. The workflow may then be transmitted to the kitchen facility 100 for execution. In some implementations, the customized recipe may be stored in central control system 140, e.g., via memory, in association with the customer for future reference and / or retrieval if, for example, the customer places an order for the same meal with the same preferences in the future.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0011.1 An Example Method for Supplying and Distributing Prepared Meals

[0116] FIG. 3A shows an example method 300 (also referred to herein as a “process 300”) for placing and fulfilling an order for one or more prepared meals using the system 100 as disclosed herein.

[0117] The method 300 may begin at step 302 by placing an order for one or more prepared meals. As described in Section 1, a customer may place an order for one or more prepared meals using a user device 120 (e.g., a personal computer, a smartphone, an onboard computer of a vehicle, a user device supporting an artificial intelligence bot). This step may include the user device 120 receiving a plurality of user inputs related to the order. The user inputs may include for example, a selection of one or more prepared meals from a menu, a pickup location, a time window for pick up, and one or more preferences (e.g., dietary restrictions / needs, portion preferences, ingredient exclusions, preferred flavor profiles, and the like. Once the user device 120 receives the user inputs for the order, the user device 120 may then transmit the order information associated with the order to the central control system 140. Thereafter, the central control system 140 may further process the order (e.g., generating a customized recipe based on the user inputs) before transmitting the order information to the kitchen facility 110.

[0118] Thereafter, the kitchen facility 110 may begin preparing the one or more prepared meals in the order after receiving the order information for the order from the central control system 140 at step 304. In some implementations, the preparation of the meal(s) at the kitchen facility 110 may include, but is not limited to, fully cooking the meal, partially cooking the meal (e.g., the customer should finish cooking the meal after pick up), and assembling the meal (e.g., certain meals may not require cooking). Once the kitchen facility 110 is finished preparing the meal(s) in the order, the meal(s) may then be flash-chilled, e.g., to preserve the freshness of the meals, and then packaged for transport to a dispenser 200. In particular, the meals may be placed into respective containers (e.g., reusable containers). The containers, in turn, may be placed into one or more bags for handling and transport. As described above, the meal(s) may remain in a chilled environment until pick up to maintain cold-chain integrity and, thus, extend the shelf life of the meals. In some implementations, a record of each customer order may be stored and retained for use in future orders (e.g., to expedite the ordering process, to recommend the same items to customers, and so on). This may be accomplished, for example, by the central control system 140 storing a record of each order into a database where the record is associated with a customer identifier (e.g., an email address, a phone number, a user name, and so on).Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001After the meals are prepared and packaged, the prepared meals for the order may be transported to a pickup location at step 306. This may be accomplished using a delivery vehicle 114. Generally, the orders (e.g., one or more bags containing one or more prepared meals) may be loaded onto the delivery vehicle 114, transported to the pickup location, and unloaded from the delivery vehicle 114. In implementations where the dispenser 200 is already at the pickup location, the orders may be loaded into the dispenser 200. For example, one or more doors of the dispenser 200 may be opened and the orders may be loaded into respective compartments in the dispenser 200. In implementations where the dispenser 200 is not at the pickup location, the orders may be initially loaded into the dispenser 200, e.g., at the kitchen facility 110, and the dispenser 200 along with the orders stored therein may be transported to the pickup location. At the pickup location, the dispenser 200 may be unloaded from the delivery vehicle 114 and deployed. In some implementations, the prepared meals may be placed onto one or more rolling racks to improve the ease of loading and / or unloading multiple customer orders at once. The one or more of the foregoing steps of transporting, loading, and unloading the orders may be performed by a human operator (e.g., a delivery driver) and / or autonomous robotic systems.(0120] Generally, the orders may be loaded into any of the compartments. The order in which customer orders are loaded into the delivery vehicle 114 and / or the dispenser 200 may be random or based on space and / or labor efficiency. When a customer picks up the order, they may only be given access to the compartments containing their order. This may be accomplished, in part, by the system 100 and, in particular, the central control system 140 tracking the specific compartments containing the prepared meals for a particular order. For example, when an order is loaded into the dispenser 200, an indication may be transmitted to the central control system 140 that confirms the prepared meals for that order are loaded into the dispenser 200. The indication may further include storage data identifying the compartments containing the prepared meals for that order. In some implementations, the orders may be loaded into one or more compartments and the compartments may thereafter be assigned to a particular order. For example, each compartment may include a tag, e.g., a QR code, a barcode, and the like. After the delivery driver loads the prepared meals for a particular order into one or more compartments, the delivery driver may then use a scanner to scan each of the one or more compartments, thus creating an association between the order and the compartments containing the prepared meals for the order, i.e., creating the storage data. In some implementations, the orders may be preassigned to one or more compartments automatically by the central control system 140 before the orders are loaded. In other words,Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 the central control system 140 may automatically generate the storage data. When loading the orders, the central control system 140 may transmit instructions, e.g., to the delivery driver, to load the orders into the preassigned compartments. Once the meals are loaded, the delivery driver may provide the aforementioned indication to confirm the meals were properly loaded into the correct compartments. In implementations where a rolling rack is used to store the orders, the rolling rack may include shelves with sections defining the compartments. Accordingly, the placement of the orders into the sections of the rolling rack may be tracked in order to determine which compartments should be made accessible to customers when the rolling rack is ultimately loaded into the dispenser 200.(0121] As described above, the delivery vehicle 114 may provide a chilled environment to store the orders during transit. The dispenser 200 may further provide a chilled environment to store the orders until pick up. In this manner, the prepared meals may remain in a chilled environment from the kitchen facility 110 up until pick up at the dispenser 200.

[0122] After the orders are loaded into the dispenser 200, a customer (or customer proxy) may thereafter pick up the order at step 308. In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may be configured to allow individual customers (or customer proxies) to walk up to the dispenser 200 and pick up their order (see, for example, the dispenser 200a in Section 2.1). In some implementations, the dispenser 200 may be configured as a drive-through so that customers can pick up their order without exiting their vehicle (see, for example, the dispenser 200c in Section 2.2). Upon arrival at the dispenser 200, the customer (or the customer proxy) may validate their identity and / or the order. For example, the customer may scan a QR code on the door of the locker through an app on their phone). The doors for the compartments containing the order may then unlock, thus giving the customer access to the bags in their order. The customer may then retrieve the order and the doors of the compartment may then close and lock. Thereafter, the compartments may become available for another pickup transaction associated with another customer order.

[0123] In implementations where the dispenser 200 includes a separate storage space and a transfer mechanism, the central control system 140 may monitor the location of the customer in relation to the dispenser 200 containing their order. Once the central control system 140 determines the customer is traveling towards the dispenser 200 to pick up their order, the central control system 140 may transport the bags in the order from the storage space to one or more compartments that are accessible by the customer. Once the customer arrives at the dispenser 200, the customer may access the compartments to retrieve their order. In this manner, theAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 compartments may primarily store orders that due for pick up, e.g., by customers actively traveling toward the dispenser 200.(0124] After the order is picked up, the prepared meals may be transported to another location (e.g., the customer’s personal residence) and, if need be, finished at step 310. For example, the prepared meals may be reheated, e.g., using a microwave, an oven, or the like. In another example, the customer may finish cooking one or more elements of the meal. In some implementations, any additional cooking may be completed in 10 minutes or less. It should be appreciated that the prepared meals may not need to be consumed right away. Instead, the customer may store the prepared meals in a refrigerator or a freezer for consumption at a later time.(0125] Lastly, the prepared meals may be consumed at step 312.(0126] FIG. 3B shows an example method 400 for maintaining cold-chain integrity of multiple ingredients / food products that are constituent elements of a customer’s prepared meal, according to one example implementation. As shown in FIG. 3B, at step 402, hot ingredients, room temperature ingredients and chilled ingredients may be put together in one or more first packages (e.g., containers, bags) and flash-chilled. Any frozen ingredients may be packaged separately from the flash chilled ingredients. For example, the frozen ingredients may be placed in one or more separate second packages, containers, or bags. At step 404, the first package(s) of flash-chilled ingredients and the second package(s) of frozen ingredients may then be placed together in at least one combined package for chilled transport and storage. At step 406, the customer (or customer proxy) may pick up the combined package containing both chilled and frozen ingredients.1.2 Closed Loop Recycling System(0127] As described in Section 1, the system 100 may appreciably reduce packaging waste compared to conventional meal delivery services. This may be accomplished, for example, by using reusable containers and eliminating shipping containers, ice packs, and / or insulation. In some implementations, the system 100 may also support the recycling of various packaging used in the transport and storage of the prepared meals. This may be accomplished, in part, using the dispensers 200 to receive materials from the customer for recycling. For example, a customer may drop off recyclable materials (e.g., containers, utensils) from their previous order at a dispenser 200. During drop off, the customer may first validate their identity, e.g., in the same manner when picking up an order. After validation, the dispenser 200 may provide accessAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 to one or more compartments. The customer may load the compartments with the recyclable materials.(0128] The recyclable materials may loaded into the dispenser 200 when the customer picks up an order. For example, a customer may pick up a new order from the dispenser 200, e.g., by retrieving a first bag containing their order from a tray. Thereafter, the customer may place onto the tray a second bag containing the recyclable materials from their previous order. In some implementations, the recyclable materials may remain in the compartments until picked up, e.g. by the delivery vehicle 114 or a separate vehicle in the system 100. In implementations where the dispenser 200 includes a separate storage space and a transfer mechanism, the dispenser 200 may transfer the second bag from the compartment containing the tray to the storage space until pickup.(0129] The pickup of recyclable materials from the dispenser 200 may occur when a delivery vehicle 114 drops off new orders of prepared meals at the dispenser 200. For example, a delivery driver may manually unload the recyclable materials from the compartments of the dispenser 200 and, thereafter, load the recyclable materials into the delivery vehicle 114. The recyclable materials may be stored, for example, in one or more bags. In one example, the delivery driver may thereafter return to the kitchen facility 110 where the recyclable materials may be reused as appropriate. For instance, reusable plates, bowls, and / or utensils may be cleaned and reused for another order. Other materials that are not reusable may be recycled and disposed of. In another example, the delivery driver may thereafter travel to a recycling center to drop off the recyclable materials for disposal.(0130] Thus, in some implementations, the system 100 may provide closed loop recycling of recyclable materials used to transport and store prepared meals, thus appreciably reducing or, in some instances, eliminating packaging waste. In other words, any packaging waste generated by the system 100, e.g., to facilitate the transport and / or storage of the prepared meals, may be retrieved and thereafter reused and / or recycled by the system 100.(0131] In some implementations, the process of retrieving recyclable materials from customers may be facilitated by the use of one or more rolling racks. As described in Section 1, the rolling racks may provide a way to transport multiple orders to the dispenser 200. The rolling racks may also be used to transport recyclable materials from previous orders returned by customers. For example, when a delivery vehicle 114 arrives at a dispenser 200 to deliver new orders of prepared meals for pick up, the delivery driver may first remove a first rack from the dispenserAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001200 used to store orders from a previous delivery to the dispenser 200. In some implementations, the first rack may be empty (i.e., all the orders were picked up). In some implementations, the first rack may contain one or more bags of recyclable materials dropped off by customers. The delivery driver may then unload a second rack from the delivery vehicle 114 containing new orders of prepared meals. The second rack containing the new orders may then be loaded into the dispenser 200, e.g., inserted and / or docked to a load port in the dispenser 200. Thereafter, the first rack removed from the dispenser 200 may be loaded onto the delivery vehicle 114 for transport back to the kitchen facility 110 and / or a recycling center. In this manner, the rolling racks may appreciably improve the ease with which orders and / or recyclable materials are loaded and unloaded.2. Examples of Dispensers

[0132] Following below are several example implementations of dispensers that may be used in the system 100 described in Section 1. It should be appreciated that one or more components and / or features associated with one dispenser may be readily incorporated to any other dispenser disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that the system 100 may deploy one or more different types of dispensers for operation (e.g., any one of the dispensers 200a-200h).2.1 Examples of Dispensers for Walk-Up Pickup

[0133] In some implementations, the dispensers 200 may be configured for walk-up pick up. Said another way, customers (or customer proxies) may walk up to the dispenser and retrieve their order. In this manner, the dispensers 200 may be configured as a kiosk where customers can directly access their orders while on foot. Non-limiting examples of dispensers for walkup pickup are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B and 6A-6D. Specifically, FIGS. 5A and 5B show a dispenser 200a with a plurality of compartments and a corresponding plurality of doors to access respective compartments disposed on multiple sides of the dispenser 200a. FIGS. 6A- 6D show a dispenser 200b with a different arrangement of compartments.

[0134] As shown, the dispensers 200a and 200b may be strategically placed near retail establishments to provide customers greater ease of access without encroaching on retail space. In some implementations, the dispensers 200a and 200b may be placed in parking lots adjacent to the entrances and / or exits of retail establishments. In this manner, the walking distance for customers to retrieve their meals before or after shopping may be reduced. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B and 6A-6D, the dispensers 200a and 200b may occupy one or more parking spaces in a row with space allotted for a pedestrian buffer on either side.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0012.2 Examples of Dispensers for Drive-Through Pickup

[0135] In some implementations, the dispensers 200 may be configured to operate as a drive- through pick up where customers can pick up their orders while remaining in their vehicles. FIGS. 7A-7D show an example dispenser 200c with compartments arranged for driver-through pickup. FIGS. 8A and 8B show another example dispenser 200d with a different awning, but the same compartment design and arrangement as the dispenser 200c.

[0136] Referring to the dispenser 200c, the dispenser 200c may be positioned further away from retail stores (see, for example, FIG. 7C). For example, the dispenser 200c may be deployed onto parking spaces in the parking lot that are seldom used by customers. During pickup and after verifying their order at the dispenser 200c, a customer may drive to the compartment containing their order (see, for example, FIG. 7B). The compartment may thereafter open and a tray containing a bag with their prepared meals may extend out towards the customer so that the customer may retrieve a bag containing the meals in their order (see, for example, FIG. 7D).

[0137] Below is one non-limiting example of a method for picking up an order from the dispenser 200c. This method assumes the dispenser 200c includes a storage space separate from the compartments used for pick up.

[0138] First, a phone app on the user device 120 may detect (e.g., via GPS or geomapping) that the customer is approaching the dispenser 200c. This, in turn, may trigger the following: (a) staging of the order for pick up by transferring the bags in the order from a storage space within the dispenser 200c into an appropriate compartment for pick up; and (b) notifying the customer via the user device 120 of the staged order with information including an identifier for a compartment containing the order and a QR code. The QR code may be displayed on the screen of the user device 120 (e.g., the screen of the phone).

[0139] Second, before the customer leaves the store parking lot, the customer may drive to the dispenser 200c in the parking lot, position themselves in front of the designated compartment on the dispenser 200c and present the QR code to a QR code reader disposed on or near the door for that compartment.

[0140] Third, after authentication, the door may open and a tray inside the locker supporting the bags in the order may extend towards the customer. The customer may then retrieve the bags in the order from the tray, e.g., through the driver side window of their vehicle. Optionally,Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 the customer may place packaging materials from previous order(s) onto the tray for return as part of a closed-loop recycling process (see Section 1.2).(0141] Fourth, the tray may retract and the customer may then depart from the dispenser 200c with their order. If there is any return load (e.g., packaging materials), the return may be transferred into the storage space of the dispenser 200c and stored until pickup by the delivery driver.

[0142] In some implementations, the dispenser 200c may allow customers to rapidly pick up orders. For example, the cycle time between customers picking up an order may be less than 15 seconds assuming the second customer is lined up behind the first customer. The fast cycle time may appreciably reduce or, in some instances, eliminating queuing at the dispenser 200c.2.3 An Example of a Dispenser with an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)

[0143] FIGS. 9A-9P show several views of another example dispenser 200e with an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). In one non-limiting example, the dispenser 200e may have the following dimensions: 5.4 meters (length) x 1.7 meters (width) x 3.4 meters (height). As shown in FIG. 9A, the front and left side of the dispenser 200e may include a first plurality of doors for customers (or customer proxies) to access corresponding compartments, e.g., for order pickup. The rear side of the dispenser 200e may include a second plurality of doors for a delivery driver to load orders into the dispenser 200e. As shown, the shape and / or dimensions of the first plurality of doors may be different from the second plurality of doors. In this example, each door of the first plurality of doors may provide access to a single corresponding compartment. Each door of the second plurality of doors may provide access to multiple compartments (e.g., nine compartments in this example).

[0144] When loading orders of prepared meals into the dispenser 200e, a delivery driver may first move to the rear side of the dispenser 200e as shown in FIG. 9C. The second plurality of doors may be securely locked, e.g., via an electronically-controlled locking mechanism, such as a magnet lock. To unlock one of the second plurality of doors, the delivery driver may provide authentication information to authenticate access to the dispenser 200. For example, the authentication information may indicate the delivery driver is an authorized person that can access the compartments of the dispenser 200e via the second plurality of doors. In some implementations, the delivery driver may scan a QR code located on one of the doors of the second plurality of doors, e.g., using an app on a smart device, or a scanner. Alternatively, the delivery driver may use a console located near the second plurality of doors (e.g., a touchAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 sensitive tablet) to select one of the second plurality of doors to access. Once authenticated, the central control system 140 may transmit, for example, access information to the dispenser 200e and the dispenser 200e, in turn, may unlock one of the second plurality of doors. Thereafter, the delivery driver may open the door and insert multiple orders into the dispenser 200e as shown in FIG. 9D. For example, the delivery driver may insert up to nine orders. After the meals are loaded, the door may close and lock.

[0145] For pick up, the dispenser 200e may include a console to facilitate user access to one or more compartments containing their order as shown in FIG. 9E. Alternatively, the customer may be notified beforehand the specific compartments that contain their order. The customer, upon arrival at the dispenser 200e, may scan a QR code located on each compartment’s door to gain access. Either way, the customer may undergo an authentication process as described in Sections 1 and 1.1 to unlock the compartments containing their order. Once unlocked, the customer may open the door to access the compartment containing their order as shown in FIG. 9F. In some implementations, each door may include a light indicator to indicate whether the door is in a locked configuration or an unlocked configuration. For example, FIG. 9G shows the door light indicator displaying a red light to indicate the door is locked. FIG. 9H shows the door light indicator displaying a green light to indicate the door is unlocked.

[0146] FIG. 91 shows the dispenser 200e may include a control panel, for example, to monitor and adjust the temperature of the chilled environment during normal operation. In some implementations, the dispenser 200e may provide a chilled environment via a refrigeration unit mounted to the top of the dispenser 200e as shown in FIG. 9J. The placement of the refrigeration unit may increase air flow and / or allow for greater space within the dispenser 200e, e.g., to store more orders. FIG. 9J further shows the right side of the dispenser 200e may include a maintenance door to provide access to the various mechanical components and / or a refrigeration unit in the dispenser 200e.

[0147] FIG. 9K shows the interior of the dispenser 200e, which may include a dispensing section 201 (see dashed boxes) with a plurality of compartments adjacent to the first plurality of doors and a storage space 202 located around the dispensing section 201 to provide additional storage for orders. Generally, the storage space 202 and / or the dispensing section 201 may readily scale along both the width and / or the height, e.g., to increase storage capacity. In some implementations, the number of compartments provided by the dispenser 200e may range from 10 to 500, including all sub-ranges and values in between. In the example shownAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 in FIG. 9K, the storage space 202 may provide storage for 222 orders and the dispensing section 201 may provide storage for 81 orders.(0148] In some implementations, the dispenser 200e may include a transfer mechanism 210 to transfer orders between the storage space 202 and the dispensing section 201. In this example, the transfer mechanism 210 may include a robotic picker that can move along two axes (a horizontal axis and a vertical axis). The robot picker may include additional axes of motion to grab and / or drop off the orders. In one non-limiting example, the robotic picker may include a crane-like mast that moves longitudinally between the right and left walls of the dispenser 200e, with a robotic arm having a forked hand to pick and place bags into compartments in the dispensing section 201 or the storage space 202.(0149] FIG. 9L shows the robotic picker may be used to store the orders in compartments within the storage space 202 or in compartments within the dispensing section 201, e.g., for pick up. The placement of the orders in either area may depend, in part, on the scheduled pickup time of the order and the allocation of space for the orders. FIG. 9M shows the dispenser 200e may provide a binary allocation system for simple box / bag storage and relocation. FIG. 9N shows the robotic picker may include a forked hand to facilitate pickup of a box or a bag for the order. FIG. 90 shows the robotic picker may include a floating wheel cart system that allows for cost effective linear movement along a single linear.(0150] FIG. 9P shows that, in some implementations, the dividers within the storage space 202 that define the compartments may be removed to provide a larger space, e.g., to accommodate larger bags for certain orders.2.4 An Example of a Mobile Dispenser(0151] In some implementations, the dispenser may be a mobile dispenser, i.e., the dispenser may be readily movable and deployable to different pickup locations. FIG. 10 shows an example mobile dispenser 200f. As shown, the dispenser 200f may be portable. In some implementations, the mobile dispenser 200f may be delivered to and retrieved from different pickup locations, e.g., each day. More generally, the mobile dispenser 200f may be transported to different pickup locations after a predetermined period of time (e.g., one day, one week, and so on). In some implementations, the mobile dispenser 200f may be shaped and / or dimensioned for transport in an open transport trailer.(0152] The mobile dispenser 200f may include an enclosure defining a cavity to contain one or more rolling racks. Each rolling rack may define a plurality of compartments. In someAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 implementations, the rolling racks may provide “static” storage where each compartment of the plurality of compartments is configured to store and dispense one order each time the rolling rack is loaded with orders. The enclosure may include a plurality of doors that align with corresponding compartments in each rolling rack. Each door is independently operable and, when opened, provides a customer access to an order stored in the corresponding compartment.

[0153] The rolling racks may be removable from the enclosure. When the mobile dispenser 200f is transported to the kitchen facility 110, the rolling racks within the mobile dispenser 200f may be removed and replaced with rolling racks loaded with new orders at the kitchen facility 110. In this manner, the mobile dispenser 200f may be loaded with new orders rapidly, thus reducing the turnaround time to replenish orders in the mobile dispenser 200f.

[0154] In some implementations, each door may be assigned a door number. The compartments of each rolling rack may, in turn, be mapped to corresponding door numbers. This, in turn, may facilitate tracking of customer orders in the mobile dispenser 200f when a rolling rack is loaded into the enclosure as described in Section 1. For instance, a customer may be notified of the compartment where their order is located during pickup based on the door number.

[0155] The mobile dispenser 200f may further include a refrigeration unit to facilitate refrigeration of the prepared meals when the mobile dispenser 200f is deployed. In this manner, the mobile dispenser 200f may maintain cold-chain integrity until the customer picks up their order.

[0156] A non-limiting example method of dispensing orders using the mobile dispenser 200f includes the following steps: (a) loading one or more rolling racks with prepared meals into a mobile dispenser 200f; (b) loading the mobile dispenser 200f onto a trailer or within a delivery vehicle 114 at a kitchen facility 110; (c) transporting the mobile dispenser 200f to a pickup location; (d) unloading (e.g., by the driver) the mobile dispenser 200f and positioning the mobile dispenser 200f to dispense orders; (e) loading the mobile dispenser 200f onto a trailer after a predetermined period of time (e.g., in the evening on the same day the dispenser 200f was delivered to the location); (f) transporting the mobile dispenser 200f to the kitchen facility 110; (g) removing one or more rolling racks from the mobile dispenser 200f; and (h) unloading and recycling any return packaging stored on the rolling racks removed from the dispenser 200f.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0012.5 An Example of a Fixed-Location Dispenser with Static Storage

[0157] In another example implementation, the dispenser 200 may be a fixed-location dispenser with static storage (also referred to herein as a “static fixed-location dispenser”). FIG. 11 shows an example static fixed-location dispenser 200g. The static fixed-location dispenser may be a stationary variant of the mobile dispenser 200f described above in Section 2.4. For example, the static fixed-location dispenser 200g may include an enclosure that is fixed at a pickup location. In some implementations, orders may be delivered to the static fixed-location dispenser 200g during off hours (e.g., late in the evening) for customer pickups during the following day.

[0158] The enclosure may include a cavity configured to contain one or more rolling racks. Unlike the mobile dispenser 200f, where the entirety of the dispenser is transported between a kitchen facility 110 and a pickup location, only the rolling tracks of the static fixed-location dispenser 200g are transported between the kitchen facility 110 and the pickup location. The enclosure may include a refrigeration unit to provide refrigeration of the prepared meals stored on the rolling racks.[0159 A non-limiting example method of dispensing orders using the mobile dispenser 200g includes the following steps: (a) loading one or more first rolling racks containing one or more orders onto a chilled transport trailer at a kitchen facility 110; (b) transporting the first rolling racks to a pickup location; (c) unloading the first rolling racks from the trailer; (d) removing second rolling racks from the static fixed-location dispenser 200g; (e) loading the first rolling racks into the static fixed-location dispenser 200g where respective compartments of each rolling rack are mapped to corresponding doors of the enclosure to facilitate customer pickup of orders; (f) loading the second rolling racks onto the trailer; (g) transporting the second rolling racks to the kitchen facility 110; (h) removing the second rolling racks from the trailer; and (i) unloading and recycling any return packaging stored on the second rolling racks.2.6 An Example of a Fixed-Location Dispenser with Dynamic Storage

[0160] In yet another example implementation, the dispenser 200 may be a fixed-location dispenser with dynamic storage (also referred to herein as a “dynamic fixed-location dispenser”). FIG. 12 shows an example dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h. Like the static fixed-location dispenser 200g, the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may be fixed at a pickup location. In this example, the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may support “dynamic” storage of orders where orders are transferred from a storage space (also referred toAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 as a “storage section”) to compartments in a dispensing section for customer pickup. The inclusion of a separate storage space may allow the dispenser 200h to store an appreciably greater number of orders compared to the static fixed-location dispenser 200g because the number of orders that may be stored is no longer limited by the number of compartments available.

[0161] The dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may include a load port to receive new orders (e.g., stored on one or more rolling racks), a storage space to store orders, and a dispensing section that includes a plurality of compartments to dispense orders to customers. The dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may further include a refrigeration unit to refrigerate the load port, the storage space, and the compartments.

[0162] The storage space may include a plurality of storage compartments where each storage compartment stores an order. Each dispensing compartment may have a corresponding door to facilitate customer access and pickup of an order. In some implementations, the number of storage compartments may be greater than the number of compartments in the dispensing section. The dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may include an automatic storage and retrieval system (ASRS) to facilitate the transfer of orders between the rolling racks at the load part, the storage section, and the dispensing section of the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h (see, for example, Section 2.3).

[0163] The dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may utilize rolling racks in a similar manner as the static fixed-location dispenser 200g. For example, the rolling racks may be transported from the kitchen facility 110 to the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h with orders for customer pickup and from the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h to the kitchen facility 110 to return packaging for recycling and / or to load new orders onto the rolling racks. The rolling racks may be transported via a chilled transport trailer. Rolling racks containing orders may be inserted into a load port. Likewise, rolling racks that no longer contain orders and / or only contain return packaging for recycling may be removed from the load port and transported to the kitchen facility 110 via the chilled transport trailer. It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the dynamic fixed-location dispenser 200h may include multiple load ports. Thus, a rolling rack containing orders may be inserted into a first load port while a rolling rack that no longer contains any orders is simultaneously removed from a second load port.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0013. Conclusion

[0164] All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be example and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is / are used. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented primarily by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein.

[0165] In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of respective elements of the example implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The use of a numerical range does not preclude equivalents that fall outside the range that fulfill the same function, in the same way, to produce the same result.

[0166] The above-described embodiments can be implemented in multiple ways. For example, embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on a suitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers.

[0167] Further, it should be appreciated that a computer may be embodied in any of a number of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Additionally, a computer may be embedded in a device not generally regarded as a computer but with suitable processing capabilities, including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other suitable portable or fixed electrical device.

[0168] Also, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, and pointingAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 devices, such as mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receive input information through speech recognition or in other audible format.(0169] Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in a suitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network, such as an enterprise network, an intelligent network (IN) or the Internet. Such networks may be based on a suitable technology, may operate according to a suitable protocol, and may include wireless networks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.(0170] The various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and / or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine. Some implementations may specifically employ one or more of a particular operating system or platform and a particular programming language and / or scripting tool to facilitate execution.

[0171] Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

[0172] All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.(0173] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.[01741 The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

[0175] The phrase “and / or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specificallyAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and / or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.|0176] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0177] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and / or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001

[0178] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of’ shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

Claims

Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001CLAIMS1. A method of providing a plurality of made-to-order chilled prepared meals via a chilled automated dispenser at a pickup location readily accessible to a plurality of customers for pickup by the plurality of customers, wherein the pickup location is not at a home of any customer of the plurality of customers, the method comprising:A) for each prepared meal of a plurality of prepared meals, receiving, via a central control system, an order that includes at least that prepared meal from a customer device associated with a customer of the plurality of customers, the order comprising: a selection of at least that prepared meal from a menu; the pickup location for that prepared meal; and a pickup schedule for the customer to pick up that prepared meal at the pickup location;B) for each prepared meal of the plurality of prepared meals, transmitting, via the central control system, the order that includes the selection for that prepared meal to a kitchen facility to begin preparation of that prepared meal after receiving the order based on at least one of the selection, the pickup location, or the pickup schedule, wherein the kitchen facility provides centralized production of the plurality of prepared meals;C) transporting, via a delivery vehicle, the plurality of prepared meals from the kitchen facility to the pickup location, the delivery vehicle providing a first chilled environment for the plurality of prepared meals;D) before or after step C), loading the plurality of prepared meals into the chilled automated dispenser, the chilled automated dispenser providing a second chilled environment and comprising a plurality of compartments to securely store and refrigerate the plurality of prepared meals and thereby provide the plurality of made-to-order chilled prepared meals, the chilled automated dispenser further providing controlled access to one or more compartments of the plurality of compartments to facilitate pick up of at least one made-to-order chilled prepared meal of the plurality of made-to-order chilled prepared meals; andE) in response to validating an identity of a customer of the plurality of customers or a customer proxy associated with the customer at the dispenser, providing the customer or the customer proxy access to one or more compartments of the plurality of compartments to pick up the at least one made-to-order chilled prepared meal associated with the order for that customer.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0012. The method of claim 1, wherein:D) is performed after C); and during D), the chilled automated dispenser is at the pickup location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:D) is performed before C); during D), the chilled automated dispenser is at or proximate to the kitchen facility; andC) comprises: transporting the chilled automated dispenser from the kitchen facility to the pickup location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in D), the at least one made-to-order chilled prepared meal requires cooking by the customer to complete preparation of the at least one made-to- order chilled prepared meal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in D), the at least one made-to-order chilled prepared meal is partially cooked at the kitchen facility and requires further cooking by the customer to complete preparation of the at least one made-to-order chilled prepared meal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in A), the order further comprises: one or more dietary preferences of the customer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:F) receiving, via the chilled automated dispenser, at least one recyclable material from the customer placed into the one or more compartments of the plurality of compartments; andG) transporting, via a delivery vehicle, the at least one recyclable material to one of the kitchen facility or a recycling center.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W0018. The method of claim 1, wherein the pickup location is one of a parking lot, a condominium, an apartment building, a planned community, a grocery store, a supermarket, a train station, or an office building.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before E): tracking, via the central control system, a location of the customer; and determining, via the central control system, when the customer is moving toward the pickup location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein C) is performed without using any ice pack.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of A) or B) is performed without requiring the customer to have a subscription.

12. A method of providing a first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal to a first customer via a chilled automated dispenser at a pickup location that is readily accessible to the first customer, the chilled automated dispenser having a plurality of refrigerated compartments respectively corresponding to a plurality of online customer orders, wherein a first compartment of the plurality of compartments corresponds to a first online customer order that includes the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal, the method comprising:A) transmitting from a control system, to a first customer device used by the first customer, first instructions to render a first graphical user interface (GUI) on the first customer device to allow the first customer using the first customer device to place the first online customer order that includes at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal by: selecting the first made-to-order chilled partially -prepared or prepared meal from a menu accessed and displayed via the first GUI rendered on the first customer device; specifying the pickup location for the first made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meal via the first GUI rendered on the first customer device; andAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 specifying a pickup time window for pickup of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal via the chilled automated dispenser at the pickup location;B) receiving, by the control system, the first online customer order from the first customer device;C) generating, by the control system, first authentication information relating to at least one of the first customer or the first online customer order;D) transmitting, from the control system, at least the first online customer order to a kitchen facility that provides centralized production of the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals, wherein the kitchen facility initiates a preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal after receiving the first online customer order, based at least in part on at least one of the pickup location and the pickup time window;E) transporting from the kitchen facility to the pickup location, in a refrigerated environment, the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals produced at the kitchen facility including the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal;F) prior to or after E), loading into the plurality of refrigerated compartments of the chilled automated dispenser the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal, wherein the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal is loaded into the first refrigerated compartment of the plurality of refrigerated compartments;G) receiving, at the control system, a first indication that at least a portion of the first customer online order including the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal occupies the first refrigerated compartment of the plurality of refrigerated compartments of the chilled automated dispenser;H) after G), receiving, at the control system from at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the first customer device, second authentication information relating to at least one of the first customer or the first customer order; andI) transmitting, from the control system to at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the first customer device, access information that allows for access to the first refrigerated compartment of the plurality of refrigerated compartments of the chilled automated dispenser, based at least in part on a comparison of the first authentication information generated in C) and the second authentication information received in H).Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W00113. The method of claim 12, wherein: the chilled automated dispenser comprises at least one user interface to receive the second authentication information relating to the at least one of the first customer or the first online customer order; andH) comprises receiving the second authentication information from at least the chilled automated dispenser.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second authentication information is encoded as a quick response (QR) code or a near field (NF) code.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:I) comprises transmitting the access information to the chilled automated dispenser; and the method further comprises, in response to the access information, operating at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism in the chilled automated dispenser to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:H) comprises receiving the second authentication information from at least the first customer device; and the second authentication information includes at least one of a GPS location or a time provided by the first customer device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:C) comprises generating the first authentication information to include the pickup location and the pickup time window for the first customer online order; andI) comprises transmitting the access information based at least in part on the GPS location and the time provided by the first customer device, and the pickup location and the pickup time window for the first customer online order.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:I) comprises transmitting the access information to the chilled automated dispenser; andAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 the method further comprises, in response to the access information, operating at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism in the chilled automated dispenser to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:I) comprises transmitting the access information to the chilled automated dispenser; the chilled automated dispenser is configured to receive at least some of the access information from the first customer device; and the method further comprises, in response to at least some of the access information received from the first customer device, operating at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism in the chilled automated dispenser to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising: packaging at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal for transport in a reusable container, wherein the reusable container is formed from at least one of ceramic, stainless steel, or glass.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising: packaging at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal for transport without using an ice pack or a gel pack.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising: advancing preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal at the kitchen facility without using any shelf-life extender in the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein E) comprises transporting the plurality of made-to- order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals produced at the kitchen facility via a delivery vehicle with a built-in refrigerated storage space.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the built-in refrigerated storage space includes a plurality of transport compartments for the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meals.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W00125. The method of claim 23, wherein E) further comprises transporting a plurality of rolling racks carrying the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared meals via the delivery vehicle.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein E) comprises transporting the chilled automated dispenser with the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals produced at the kitchen facility.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein E) comprises transporting at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially -prepared or prepared meals via trailer.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein:A) comprises transmitting the first instructions to the first customer device to allow the first customer to generate the first online customer order by: selecting the first made-to-order chilled partially -prepared or prepared meal from the menu; specifying the pickup location; specifying the pickup time window; and specifying one or more dietary needs or dietary restrictions of the first customer to guide the preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: advancing the preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal in the kitchen facility based at least in part on the one or more dietary needs or dietary restrictions specified in the first online customer order.

30. A system for providing a first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal to a first customer, the system comprising: a chilled automated dispenser comprising: a plurality of refrigerated compartments respectively corresponding to a plurality of online customer orders, wherein a first refrigerated compartment of theAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 plurality of refrigerated compartments corresponds to a first online customer order that includes at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal; a kitchen facility that provides centralized production of a plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals including the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal, wherein the kitchen facility initiates a preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal based at least in part on the first online customer order; a refrigerated transport system to transport the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals, including the first made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meal, from the kitchen facility to a pickup location at which the chilled automated dispenser is at least temporarily disposed; and a control system, communicatively coupled to the chilled automated dispenser, the kitchen facility, and the refrigerated transport system, to:A) transmit, to a first customer device used by the first customer, first instructions to render a first graphical user interface (GUI) on the first customer device to allow the first customer using the first customer device to generate the first online customer order that includes at least the first made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meal by: selecting the first made-to-order chilled partially -prepared or prepared meal from a menu accessed and displayed via the first GUI rendered on the first customer device; specifying a pickup location for the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal via the first GUI rendered on the first customer device; and specifying a pickup time window for pickup of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal via the chilled automated dispenser at the pickup location;B) receive the first online customer order from the first customer device, wherein the first online customer order includes the selected first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal, the pickup location, and the pickup time window;C) generate first authentication information relating to at least one of the first customer or the first online customer order;Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001D) in response to B), transmit at least the first online customer order to the kitchen facility, whereby the kitchen facility begins preparation of the first made-to- order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal after receiving the first online customer order, based at least in part on at least one of the pickup location or the pickup time window;E) after D), receive, from at least one of the kitchen facility, the refrigerated transport system, or the chilled automated dispenser, a first indication that the first customer online order including the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal occupies the first refrigerated compartment of the plurality of refrigerated compartments of the chilled automated dispenser;F) after E), receive, from at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the first customer device, second authentication information relating to at least one of the first customer or the first customer order; andG) transmit, to at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the first customer device, access information that allows for access to the first refrigerated compartment of the plurality of refrigerated compartments of the chilled automated dispenser, based at least in part on a comparison of the first authentication information generated in C) and the second authentication information received in F).

31. The system of claim 30, wherein: the chilled automated dispenser further comprises at least one user interface to receive the second authentication information relating to the at least one of the first customer or the first online customer order; and in F), the control system is configured to receive the second authentication information from at least the chilled automated dispenser.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the second authentication information is encoded as a quick response (QR) code or a near field (NF) code.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein: in G), the control system is configured to provide the access information to the chilled automated dispenser; andAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 in response to the access information transmitted by the control system, the chilled automated dispenser is configured to operate at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein: in F), the control system is configured to receive the second authentication information from at least the first customer device; and the second authentication information includes at least one of a GPS location or a time provided by the first customer device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein: in C), the control system is configured to generate the first authentication information to include the pickup location and the pickup time window for the first customer online order; and in G), the control system is configured to transmit the access information based at least in part on the GPS location and the time provided by the first customer device, and the pickup location and the pickup time window for the first customer online order.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein: in G), the control system is configured to provide the access information to the chilled automated dispenser; and in response to the access information transmitted by the control system, the chilled automated dispenser is configured to operate at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein: in G), the control system is configured to provide the access information to the first customer device; the chilled automated dispenser is configured to receive at least some of the access information from the first customer device; and in response to the at least some of the access information received from the first customer device, the chilled automated dispenser is configured to operate at least one electronically-controlled locking mechanism to allow for access to the first refrigerated compartment.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W00138. The system of claim 30, wherein: the kitchen facility is configured to package at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal for transport in a reusable container; and the reusable container is formed from at least one of ceramic, stainless steel, or glass.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein: the kitchen facility is configured to package at least the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal for transport without using an ice pack or a gel pack.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein: the kitchen facility is configured to advance the preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal without using any shelf-life extender in the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein: the refrigerated transport system includes a delivery vehicle to transport the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the delivery vehicle includes a built-in refrigerated storage space.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the built-in refrigerated storage space includes a plurality of transport compartments for the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meals.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the delivery vehicle is an electric vehicle.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the delivery vehicle is configured to transport the chilled automated dispenser.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the delivery vehicle is configured to transport a plurality of rolling racks carrying the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared meals.Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W00147. The system of claim 41, wherein the delivery vehicle includes a trailer to transport at least one of the chilled automated dispenser or the plurality of made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meals.

48. The system of claim 30, wherein: in A), the control system transmits the first instructions to the first customer device to allow the first customer to generate the first online customer order by: selecting the first made-to-order chilled partially -prepared or prepared meal from the menu; specifying the pickup location; specifying the pickup time window; and specifying one or more dietary needs or dietary restrictions of the first customer to guide the preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially-prepared or prepared meal; and the kitchen facility initiates the preparation of the first made-to-order chilled partially- prepared or prepared meal based at least in part on the one or more dietary needs or dietary restrictions specified in the first online customer order.

49. A system, comprising: a kitchen facility configured to prepare and package one or more food items in response to one or more customer orders; a plurality of dispensing lockers located at one or more pickup sites separate from the kitchen facility, each dispensing locker of the plurality of dispensing lockers being configured to securely store a plurality of packaged food items and provide one or more customers controlled access to at least one packaged food item of the plurality of packaged food items; and a central control system communicatively coupled to the kitchen facility and the plurality of dispensing lockers, the central control system being configured to: receive the one or more customer orders for the one or more food items; transmit order information associated with the one or more customer orders to the kitchen facility; manage access to the plurality of dispensing lockers; and coordinate delivery of the plurality of packaged food items from the kitchenAttorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 facility to the plurality of dispensing lockers.

50. A system for distributing prepared meals, the system comprising: a plurality of dispensing lockers positioned at locations frequented by consumers for grocery shopping; a remote kitchen facility configured to prepare, package, and deliver prepared meals to the plurality of dispensing lockers; a user device having a user interface allowing a customer to order one or more meals and designate a pickup time and a pickup location for the one or more meals based on the locations of the plurality of dispensing lockers; and a processor, communicatively coupled to the plurality of dispensing lockers, the remote kitchen facility, and the user device, configured to receive one or more customer orders, transmit order information associated with the one or more customer orders to the kitchen facility, and manage access to the plurality of dispensing lockers to facilitate customer pickup of orders based on the pickup times and pickup locations for each customer order of the plurality of customer orders.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the locations frequented by consumers for grocery shopping comprise a supermarket.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the user interface is further configured to allow customers to at least one of: customize meal selections based on dietary preferences; schedule recurring meal orders; or track order status and delivery.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the remote kitchen facility comprises at least one automated component, the automated component comprising at least one of: a robotic arm for portioning and plating ingredients; a conveyor system for transporting meal components; or a controlled-atmosphere storage unit for preserving ingredient freshness.

54. The system of claim 50, further comprising a delivery management system integrated with the processor, the delivery management system being configured to at least one of:Attorney Docket No.: AVFL-007W001 determine delivery routes for transporting prepared meals from the kitchen facility to the plurality of dispensing lockers; track delivery vehicles in real time; or provide notifications regarding delivery status to the kitchen facility and customers.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the dispensing lockers are configured to at least one of: maintain prepared meals within a predetermined temperature range; authenticate customer identity for secure pickup; or collect data on locker usage patterns and customer preferences.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the dispensing lockers are portable.

57. A method for dynamically customizing food preparation workflows to meet individual customer preferences, comprising: receiving customer-specific input data through a user interface, the input data comprising dietary restrictions, portion preferences, ingredient exclusions, and preferred flavor profiles; accessing a modular recipe database in which base recipes are stored with substitution rules and customizable parameters; generating a customized recipe instance by applying the customer-specific input data to the modular recipe; translating the customized recipe instance into an executable process workflow for automated or semi-automated food preparation equipment; and storing the customized recipe instance in association with the customer's profile for future reference and ordering.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein each customer receives a uniquely tailored food item consistent with their dietary and flavor preferences.

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