Method and apparatus for managing product notices

• US 20040068484A1
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Readytrace Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Readytrace Incorporated
• Inventors: Jʼmaev, Jack I.
• Application Number:
  US10/615,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/014 Providing recall services for goods or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

Product notices are received from a user by way of a wide area network connection. Web pages are used to obtain a product identifier. A signal command is generated according to the product identifier and is directed to a signal transmitter. The signal transmitter may be remotely located, in which case the signal command is sent to the signal transmitter by way of a wide area network connection.

Claims

1. A method for managing product notices comprising:

receiving a product identifier; and

issuing a notice to a product according to the product identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a record of the issued notice.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein creating a record comprises:

adding a record to a table; and

storing in the added record one or more of the time a notice is issued, the date that a notice is issued, the type of notice this is issued, the product identifier associated with the product and a product digital identifier associated with the product.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a product identifier comprises:

establishing a wide area network connection with a user; and

receiving a product identifier from the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving a product identifier comprises:

providing a product identifier web page to a user by way of the wide area network connection; and

retrieving a user entry for a product identifier from the product identifier web page.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the notice to the product comprises:

retrieving a channel record from a product channel table;

forming a signal command according to the channel record; and

directing the signal command to a signal transmitter.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein forming a signal command comprises:

retrieving a notice record from a notice type table;

obtaining an alphanumeric message from the notice record; and

including the alphanumeric message in the signal command.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein directing the signal command to a signal transmitter comprises:

establishing a wide area network connection with a signal transmitter; and

conveying the signal command to the signal transmitter by way of the wide area network connection.

9. A product notice management system comprising:

product notice server for receiving a product identifier and generating a signal command according to the received product identifier; and

signal transmitter for issuing a product notice signal according to the signal command.

10. The product notice management system of claim 9 wherein the product notice server creates a record of an issued product notice.

11. The product notice management system of claim 10 wherein the product notice server creates a record of an issued product notice by:

adding a record to a table; and

storing in the added record one or more of the time a notice is issued, the date that a notice is issued, the type of notice this is issued, the product identifier associated with the product and a product digital identifier associated with the product.

12. The product notice management system of claim 9 wherein the product notice server comprises a wide area network interface and wherein a product identifier is received by way of the wide area network interface.

13. The product notice management system of claim 12 wherein the product notice server receives a product identifier by:

establishing a connection with a user computer using the wide area network interface;

provides a user with a product identifier web page; and

retrieves a user entry from the product identifier web page.

14. The product notice management system of claim 9 wherein the product notice server generates a signal command by:

retrieving a channel record from a product channel table;

obtaining a channel indicator from the channel record; and

forming a signal command that includes the channel indicator.

15. The product notice management system of claim 14 wherein forming a signal command comprises:

retrieving a notice record from a notice type table;

obtaining an alphanumeric message from the notice table; and

forming a signal command that includes the channel indicator and the alphanumeric message.

16. The product notice management system of claim 14 wherein the product notice server comprises a wide area network interface and wherein the signal transmitter comprises a wide area network interface and wherein a connection is established between the product notice server and the signal transmitter and wherein the product notice server further conveys the signal command to the signal transmitter using the established connection.