System for electrically testing mobile devices at a consumer-operated kiosk, and associated devices and methods

• US 10,445,708 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Hunt, Loren, Snook, James Andrew, Segil, Rick, Doppalapudi, Prabhakar, Flournoy, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey T
• Application Number:
  US14/506,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• 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: H04M 1/0287 being disposable or recyclable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• 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

A system for recycling a mobile device. A system configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology includes an electrical connector and testing electronics. The electrical connector is configured to be electrically connected to a mobile device, and the testing electronics are configured to produce an electrical measurement by measuring an electrical attribute associated with a hardware component of the mobile device over the electrical connector. The system is further configured to valuate, identify, and/or authenticate the mobile device based at least in part on the electrical measurement.

Claims

1. A kiosk for processing mobile devices, the kiosk comprising:

a processor;

a controller downstream from the processor;

a switch operably coupled to the processor and the controller, wherein the switch has a first switch state and a second switch state;

an electrical connector downstream from the controller, wherein the electrical connector is configured to be electrically connected to a mobile device;

a memory; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that are executable by the controller to—

toggle the switch between the first switch state and the second switch state, wherein, in the first switch state, the processor is coupled to the electrical connector and the controller is disconnected from the electrical connector, and wherein in the second switch state, the controller is coupled to the electrical connector and the processor is disconnected from the electrical connector,

produce a test result by performing an electrical test over the electrical connector when the switch is in the first switch state, and

forward the test result to the processor when the switch is in the second switch state.

2. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the mobile device has an electrical hardware component, and wherein the instructions are executable by the controller to carry out an electrical test of the hardware component while the switch is in the second switch state.

3. The kiosk of claim 2, further comprising a non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processer to valuate, identify, and/or authenticate the mobile device based at least in part on the electrical test.

4. The kiosk of claim 3, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

look up at least one reference quantity in a database associated with a make and/or model of the mobile device;

compare the electrical measurement to the at least one reference quantity;

produce a test result based on the comparison; and

determine an appropriate purchase price of the mobile device based at least in part on the test result.

5. The kiosk of claim 4, wherein the at least one reference quantity includes:

a quantity corresponding to a maximum allowable electrical current; and

a quantify corresponding to a minimum allowable electrical current.

6. The kiosk of claim 2, further comprising:

a display; and

a non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processer to—

determine an appropriate purchase price of the mobile device based at least in part on the electrical test, and

display the purchase price to a user on the display.

7. The kiosk of claim 2 wherein the mobile device has a device bus having data lines, and wherein the instructions are executable by the controller to send test signals to the hardware component over the data lines while the switch is in the second switch state.

8. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the test signals include test packets.

9. The kiosk of claim 2, wherein the hardware component is a charging circuit.

10. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the switch further comprises a first switch port, a second switch port, and a third switch port, wherein:

in the first switch state, the first switch port is connected to the third switch port and the second switch port is disconnected from the third switch port; and

in the second switch state, the second switch port is connected to the third switch port and the first switch port is disconnected from the third switch port.

11. A kiosk for resale and recycling of mobile devices, comprising

means for electrically connecting to a mobile device;

means for producing an electrical measurement by measuring an electrical attribute associated with a mobile device connected to the means for electrically connecting to the mobile device, the means for producing an electrical measurement comprising;

a processor;

a controller; and

a switch operably coupled to the processor and the controller, wherein the switch is configured to toggle between a first switch state and a second switch state, wherein, in the first switch state the processor is coupled to the means for electrically connecting to the mobile device and the controller is disconnected from the means for electrically connecting to the mobile device, and wherein in the second switch state the controller is coupled to the means for electrically connecting to the mobile device and the processor is disconnected from the means for electrically connecting to the mobile device; and

means for determining a purchase price of the mobile device based on the electrical measurement.

12. The kiosk of claim 11, wherein the electrical attribute is a charge current drawn by the mobile device to charge a battery.

13. The kiosk of claim 11, wherein the electrical attribute is an electric current drawn from a hardware component of the mobile device.