IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0465562
(2003-06-20)
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등록번호 |
US-8204787
(2012-06-19)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Rogers, Philip Michael
- Junger, Peter Joseph
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
126 |
초록
▼
An electronic registration system which facilitates authorized product returns and reduces the incidence of improper returns. A retailer sales associate is prompted to enter individual product identification information such as an individual serial number. This individual product identification info
An electronic registration system which facilitates authorized product returns and reduces the incidence of improper returns. A retailer sales associate is prompted to enter individual product identification information such as an individual serial number. This individual product identification information is then stored in a data base along with the date on which the product was sold and an appropriate UPC code, SKU number or manufacturer code. A check digit algorithm may be used to verify the serial number prior to storage. A sales receipt may be imprinted with at least the date of the transaction and the serial number. When a product is returned, the retailer may cross-reference the serial number on the product with that on the receipt to verify the sales receipt. Otherwise, the database may be searched for pertinent sales information.
대표청구항
▼
1. An electronic product return qualification and management system, comprising: a database; anda host processing system associated with the database and configured to receive purchase data on product purchases, the purchase data including at least a unique product identifier for each purchased prod
1. An electronic product return qualification and management system, comprising: a database; anda host processing system associated with the database and configured to receive purchase data on product purchases, the purchase data including at least a unique product identifier for each purchased product and a respective date of purchase thereof;wherein the host processing system is configured, in response to receiving purchase data, to determine a last date for consumer return and a last date for warranty repair for the product, based on the purchase data and defined criteria available to the host processing system;wherein the host processing system is configured to store the unique product identifier, date of purchase, last date for consumer return, and last date for warranty repair in the database; andwherein the host processing system is configured to provide, upon inquiry, return qualification of an item associated with the inquiry. 2. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of communication channels which enable the host processing system to receive the purchase data from a plurality of different remote locations, respectively. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase data further includes a purchase location for each purchased product, and the host processing system is configured to store the purchase location in the database. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processing system includes a user selectable process which generates reports based on the purchase information received by the host processing system. 5. The system of claim 1, further including at least one transaction processing system configured to obtain the unique product identifier upon purchase of a product and supply the purchase data to the host processing system. 6. The system of claim 1, including at least one transaction database which accumulates the purchase data for a plurality of purchases and periodically provides the purchase data to the host processing system in batch form. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processing system is configured to verify validity of the unique product identifier prior to storing data related thereto in the database. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processing system is configured to further determine, from the purchase data and the defined criteria, a last date on which a returned product will be accepted for credit by a manufacturer of the product. 9. In an electronic product return qualification and management system, a computer implemented method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising: obtaining, via the system, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;communicating, via the system, the individual product identification information to at least one transaction database of the system for inclusion in the at least one transaction database;updating, via the system, the at least one transaction database of the system with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; andreceiving, upon inquiry to the at least one transaction database of the system, return qualification information from the at least one transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein communicating the individual product identification information includes communicating the date associated with the transaction. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one transaction database is associated with a registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction and wherein receiving includes receiving original transaction information including at least a date associated with the transaction along with return qualification information pertaining to the specific item. 12. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, the system comprising: an input device which obtains individual product identification information that individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;a communication channel configured to communicate the individual product identification information to a transaction database for inclusion in the transaction database along with additional information relating to the particular product transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction;a memory which stores data for the transaction database, the data including the individual product identification information and the date associated with the transaction; anda processor configured to, upon request, access the transaction database to retrieve return qualification information associated with a particular product transaction and causes at least a portion of the return qualification information stored in the memory to be retrieved along with the additional information relating to the particular product transaction. 13. The system of claim 12, further including a display device controlled to prompt a system user to obtain the individual product identification information with the input device for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought. 14. The system of claim 13, further including a verification device which evaluates the individual product identification information from the input device and rejects invalid information. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the individual product identification information includes at least a serial number and wherein the verification device utilizes a check digit to evaluate the validity of the serial number obtained from the input device. 16. The system of claim 12, further including a recorder which creates a transaction receipt that identifies the individual product information and the date associated with the transaction. 17. In an electronic product return qualification and management system, a computer assisted method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising: obtaining, via the system, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction;verifying, via the system, the validity of the individual product identification information;communicating, via the system, valid individual product identification information to a transaction database of the system for inclusion the transaction database;updating, via the system, the transaction database of the system with the valid individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; andreceiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database of the system, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating includes communicating the data associated with the transaction along with the valid individual product identification information. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining includes: identifying the type of product involved in the transaction;determining whether the product is of a type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; andobtaining individual product identification information if the product type is that of a product for which registration of individual product transactions is sought. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining individual product identification information includes obtaining at least a serial number. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein obtaining the serial number is scanning the serial number represented in a bar code format. 22. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item is receiving a date associated with the transaction. 23. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating valid individual product identification information to the transaction database includes communicating to the transaction database associated with a registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction and wherein receiving includes receiving original transaction information including at least the date associated with the transaction along with return qualification information pertaining to the specific item. 24. In an electronic product return qualification and management system, a computer implemented method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising: obtaining, via the system, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;communicating, via the system, the individual product identification information to a transaction database associated with a registration database of the system having available further information relating to particular product transactions, for inclusion in the transaction database;updating, via the system, the transaction database of the system with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; andreceiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database of the system, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item and receiving the further information relating to the product transaction. 25. In an electronic product return qualification and management system, a computer assisted method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising: obtaining, via the system, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;communicating, via the system, the individual product identification information to a transaction database of the system, for inclusion in the transaction database;updating, via the system, the transaction of the system database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction;receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database of the system, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item; andchecking a registration database of the system having available returns policy information relating to particular products in order to determine return qualification of the specific item using the system. 26. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, comprising: an input device which obtains individual product identification information which individually identifies a specific item involved in the transaction;a verification device which evaluates the individual product identification information from the input device and rejects invalid information; andat least one memory which stores a transaction database, the transaction database being updated with transaction information including at least individual product identification information that has been validated by the verification device and additional information relating to the transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction, the memory being associated with a registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction, whereby at the time of a product return transaction, the registration computer system locates and provides original transaction information concerning a returned product and applicable return qualification information. 27. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, comprising: means for obtaining individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;means for communicating the individual product identification information to at least one transaction database for inclusion in the transaction database;means for updating the transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; andmeans for receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item. 28. A computer implemented method to provide prompt and efficient handling of a return of a particular item purchased by a customer, comprising: collecting at least one code that individually identifies the specific item and differentiates said particular item from other, similar items not purchased by said customer;electronically communicating the collected identification code via an electronic communications link to a computer system that maintains a return qualification database;updating the return qualification database with the communicated identification code; andhandling a return request for the specific item based at least in part on the contents of said updated return qualification database. 29. A method as in claim 28, further including storing, in said return qualification database, at least one further code indicating when said item was purchased by the customer. 30. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, said system comprising: a data obtaining device configured to obtain individual product identification information which individually identifies a specific item involved in said transaction;a verifier, operatively coupled to said data obtaining device, configured to verify validity of the individual product identification information from said data obtaining device;a registration computer system, configured to receive said verified individual product identification information, said registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction, said registration computer system having a general transaction database associated therewith, said registration computer system updating said general transaction database in response to original transaction information including at least said individual product identification information that has been validated by said verifier and additional information relating to the transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction, said registration computer system locating and providing original transaction information concerning a return product and applicable return qualification information.
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