Systems and methods for recycling consumer electronic devices

• US 10,417,615 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Bowles, Mark Vincent, Librizzi, Michael, Ploetner, Jeffrey, Beane, John Andrew, Rosser, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Mincarelli, Jan P
• Application Number:
  US14/925,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/82 Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

Systems and associated methods for recycling and performing other processes with consumer electronic devices are described herein. In various embodiments, the present technology includes systems and methods for identifying and evaluating an electronic device to facilitate processing (e.g., purchasing) the device. In some embodiments, the present technology includes a self-service evaluation apparatus and a cashier terminal that identifies and evaluates a device and that facilitates purchase and recycling of the device. Various other aspects of the present technology are described herein.

Claims

1. A system for recycling electronic devices, the system comprising:

an evaluation apparatus comprising;

a user interface configured to receive user input associated with an electronic device;

a wired electrical connector and/or a wireless transceiver configured to connect to the electronic device; and

a first processor in communication with the wired electrical connector and/or the wireless transceiver, the first processor configured to;

test the electronic device via the wired electrical connector and/or the wireless transceiver;

facilitate determining a compensation value for the electronic device, wherein the compensation value is at least partially based on the test; and

associate the electronic device with a unique identifier; and

a cashier terminal comprising;

a second processor configured to;

receive the unique identifier;

at least partially identify the electronic device based on the unique identifier;

based on the identification of the electronic device, obtain at least partial verification that an electronic device present at the casher terminal is the electronic device; and

when the electronic device has been at least partially verified, dispense the compensation value to the user in exchange for the electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the evaluation apparatus comprises a housing enclosing the first processor, and wherein the evaluation apparatus further comprises a user-operated imaging component operably connected to the housing.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate recycling of a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet, an MP3 player, a DVD player, and a camera.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate recycling of a wearable computer.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secure binning area configured to receive the electronic device after the compensation value has been dispensed to the user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the evaluation apparatus further comprises an imaging component, wherein the cashier terminal further comprises a display, wherein the first processor is configured to obtain an image of the user via the imaging component, and wherein the second processor is configured to display the image of the user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the evaluation apparatus further comprises an identification card reader in communication with the first processor;

wherein the cashier terminal further comprises a display, and wherein the second processor is configured to display an image of the user obtained from a user identification read by the identification card reader.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the cashier terminal further comprises a display, and wherein the second processor is configured to display an image of the electronic device after receiving the unique identifier.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the image comprises a sample image of a sample electronic device similar to the electronic device associated with the unique identifier.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the image comprises an image obtained of the electronic device at the evaluation apparatus.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the evaluation apparatus is configured to send data to a remote database, the data comprising one or more of the user input associated with the electronic device, information from a test of the electronic device by the first processor, the compensation value, and the unique identifier.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the cashier terminal is configured to retrieve all or a portion of the data from the remote database.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor is configured to receive the unique identifier via manual input of the unique identifier into a user interface of the cashier terminal.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the cashier terminal further comprises a display.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the cashier terminal is configured to display, in response to receiving the unique identifier, one or more of:

the make and model of the electronic device associated with the unique identifier,

a stock image of an electronic device matching the make and model associated with the unique identifier, and

an actual image of the electronic device as obtained by the evaluation apparatus.

11. An apparatus configured to process electronic devices having multiple form factors, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a user interface configured to receive user input associated with an electronic device;

an electrical connector extending from the housing and configured to connect to the electronic device external to the housing and/or a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the electronic device; and

a processor within the housing and in communication with the electrical connector and/or wireless transceiver, the processor configured to;

electrically test the electronic device via the electrical connector and/or wireless transceiver;

facilitate determining a compensation value for the electronic device, wherein the compensation value is at least partially based on the electrical test; and

associate the electronic device with a unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to a remote processing device for use by a cashier terminal to identify the electronic device as the same electronic device electrically tested by the apparatus, and identify the compensation value.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a user-operated imaging component external to the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate recycling of a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a tablet.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate recycling of a wearable computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an imaging component, wherein the processor is configured to obtain an image of the user via the imaging component.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an identification card reader in communication with the first processor.

17. A method for purchasing an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing an evaluation apparatus, the evaluation apparatus having;

a user interface configured to receive user input associated with an electronic device;

a wired electrical connector and/or a wireless transceiver configured to connect to the electronic device; and

a processor in communication with the wired electrical connector and/or the wireless transceiver;

at the evaluation apparatus;

receiving information from the electronic device via the wired electrical connector and/or the wireless transceiver;

obtaining a unique identifier associated with the electronic device; and

displaying a price for the electronic device;

at a cashier terminal;

receiving the electronic device from the user;

receiving the unique identifier;

at least partially verifying the electronic device is the same electronic device from which the evaluation apparatus received information; and

dispensing the price to the user based on the verification.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of:

a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a tablet.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the electronic device comprises a wearable computer.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising, at the evaluation apparatus, validating an identification of the user.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

at the evaluation apparatus, obtaining an image of the electronic device; and

at the cashier terminal, displaying the image of the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

at the evaluation apparatus, obtaining an image of the user; and

at the cashier terminal, displaying the image of the user.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising, at the cashier terminal, displaying a sample image of a sample electronic device similar to the received electronic device.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein providing the evaluation apparatus comprises providing the evaluation apparatus in a retail establishment, and wherein the cashier terminal is located in the retail establishment.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

electrically evaluating the information received from the electronic device; and

determining a price for the electronic device based at least in part on the electrical evaluation.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the unique identifier comprises manually entering the unique identifier via a user interface of the cashier terminal.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising, at the cashier terminal and in response to receiving the unique identifier, displaying one or more of:

the make and model of the electronic device associated with the unique identifier,

a stock image of an electronic device matching the make and model associated with the unique identifier, and

an actual image of the electronic device as obtained by the evaluation apparatus.

33. The method of claim 17, further comprising, at the evaluation apparatus, sending data to a remote database, the data comprising one or more of the user input associated with the electronic device, the price for the electronic device, and the unique identifier.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the unique identifier comprises retrieving the unique identifier from the remote database.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising, at the cashier terminal, retrieving all or a portion of the data from the remote database.