System for adapting device standards after manufacture

• US 20040028082A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: QuickSilver Controls, Inc.
• Inventors: Master, Paul L., Watson, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/493
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system for efficient sale of devices that comply with licensed standards. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses a generic, or highly adaptable, hardware device. The device can be adapted to adhere to a specific standard, e.g., code-division multiple access, time-division multiple access, etc., after manufacture such as at the point-of-sale to an end user, prior to distribution, or at some other point in a distribution and sales network. This allows manufacturers, retailers and end users to benefit from more competitive selection of standardized communication, data and other formats. Reduction of manufacturing costs and elimination of shipping, or other transfer and storage costs, is also realized.

Claims

1. A method for allowing an adaptable electronic device to be adapted prior to sale to an end user, wherein the device is sold by a retailer, the method comprising the following steps performed by the retailer

obtaining an order for a device with first functionality;

adapting the device with the first functionality; and

selling the device with the first functionality to an end user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes the substep of adapting the device to achieve a code-division multiple access (CDMA) communications standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes the substep of adapting the device to achieve a time-division multiple access (TDMA) communications standard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes the substep of adapting the device to achieve a voice over internet protocol communications standard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adapting further comprises the substep of

adapting the device with a data format standard.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adapting further comprises the substep of

adapting the device with a communications standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is an audio playback device, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes a substep of adapting the device to use mpeg-3 (mp3) decoding.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes the substep of adapting the device to use RealAudio decoding.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, the method further comprising

wherein the step of adapting includes the substep of adapting the device to use Windows Media Player decoding.