Storage of purchase-related information

• US 20060106719A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pilu, Maurizio, McDonnell, James Thomas Edward, Lawrence, Richard Anthony, Robson, Huw
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

A memory tag is a transponder device with a memory for storing digital content. Purchase-related information for a product is stored in such a memory tag. A write capability of the memory tag is disabled.

Claims

1. A method for a retailer to record purchase-related information, comprising:

providing purchase-related information in digital form; and

writing the digital form of the purchase-related information in to a memory tag forming an integral part of a product, the memory tag being a transponder device with a memory for storing digital content;

and preventing the digital form of the purchase-related information from being modified on the memory tag.

2. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1, comprising writing the digital form of the purchase-related information to a memory location in the memory tag which cannot be overwritten.

3. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1, comprising removing write capability from the memory tag after writing the digital form of the purchase-related information to the memory tag.

4. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1, comprising including with the purchase-related information written to the memory tag a serial number of the product.

5. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1, comprising encrypting at least a part of the purchase-related information written on the memory tag.

6. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 5, wherein neither an encryption nor a decryption key is provided to the customer.

7. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 5, wherein the purchase-related information written on the memory tag comprises a customer-readable part to allow the customer to evaluate the purchase-related information and an encrypted part to allow a validator to validate the purchase-related information.

8. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1 wherein the purchase-related information comprises a purchase receipt.

9. A method to record purchase-related information as claimed in claim 1 wherein the purchase-related information comprises a product warranty.

10. A method of validating a claim based on purchase-related information, comprising:

receiving a product of which a memory tag, being a transponder device with a memory for storing digital content, forms an integral part, the memory tag containing purchase-related information;

reading the purchase-related information from the memory tag;

validating the purchase-related information from the memory tag; and

accepting the claim for settlement if the purchase-related information from the memory tag is valid.

11. A method of validating a claim as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of validating the purchase-related information comprises checking for valid check data in the purchase-related information.

12. A method of validating a claim as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least a part of the purchase-related information is stored in encrypted form, and the step of validating the purchase-related information comprises first decrypting the encrypted part of the purchase-related information.

13. A method of validating a claim as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of reading information identifying the product, the step of validating the purchase-related information comprising determining that the purchase-related information is consistent with the information identifying the product.

14. A method of validating a claim as claimed in claim 10, wherein the purchase-related information comprises a purchase receipt.

15. A method of validating a claim as claimed in claim 10, wherein the purchase-related information comprises a product warranty.

16. A memory tag being a transponder device with a memory for storing digital content, the memory having stored therein purchase-related information for a product, wherein a write capability of the memory tag is disabled.

17. The memory tag of claim 16 provided as an integral part of the product to which the purchase-related information relates.

18. A memory tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein the memory tag has a unique identifier.

19. A memory tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein the purchase-related information comprises a purchase receipt.

20. A memory tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein the purchase-related information comprises a product warranty.

21. A memory tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least a part of the purchase-related information is encrypted.

22. A memory tag as claimed in claim 21, wherein the purchase-related information written on the memory tag comprises a customer-readable part to allow the customer to evaluate the purchase-related information and an encrypted part to allow a validator to validate the purchase-related information.

23. A memory tag as claimed in claim 16, wherein the purchase-related information is written into memory that cannot be overwritten.