Patent attributes
Apparatus and associated methods relate to an online ordering/takeout system for customers to place orders with a variety of merchants, where a customer can let a merchant know that the customer is on their way, and in response, the status of the order is updated in a locker-tracking system. In an illustrative example, a customer device may allow for customers to communicate an in-transit status to the merchant. A merchant device may, for example, allow a customer to gain access to a locker that stores the customer's order. In response to milestone events, such as placing a food item in a locker or the customer indicating they are “on their way,” the system may update a status of the locker to reflect a current status of the locker/order. Some embodiments may advantageously provide confirmation to the merchant that the customer is in route to the merchant's location.
