Embedded warranty management

• US 20060184379A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Gurbuxani, Vishal, Biltz, Michael J., Tan, George B.
• Application Number:
  US11/276,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and systems for obtaining and analyzing data from embedded sensors in electronic products for warranty management. A data collection unit in an electronic product collects and reports data about environmental factors that is relevant about a warranty agreement and transmits the data over a communications link to a data interpretation unit. The data interpretation unit may obtain warranty information from an electronic product and query a database to determine if the electronic product has been exposed to environmental factors outside the ranges that are specified in the warranty agreement. The data interpretation unit may query a database to determine the product grade of the electronic product based on the sensor data and to determine an estimated product value. The data interpretation unit may query a database to determine an estimated warranty cost of an extended warranty based on the condition of the electronic product and historical warranty value.

Claims

1. A method for processing a warranty claim of an electrical product, comprising:

(a) obtaining, by a processor, a usage information from an embedded device that is integrated with the electronic product, the usage information being indicative of a degree of usage of the electrical product;

(b) accessing, by the processor, a warranty threshold corresponding to the degree of usage for the electrical product;

(c) if the degree of usage exceeds the warranty threshold, rejecting the warranty claim; and

(d) if the degree of usage does not exceed the warranty threshold, accepting the warranty claim.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) determining whether the degree of usage occurred during a warranty time period; and

wherein (b) comprises;

(b)(i) obtaining a timestamp that is associated with the usage information; and

(b)(ii) determining whether the timestamp is within the warranty time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) in response to (d), submitting, by the processor, the warranty claim.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information corresponds to a usage time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a)(i) categorizing the usage time based on at least one mode of operation to form at least one usage category;

(a)(ii) weighing the at least one usage category to form at least one weighted usage category; and

(a)(iii) determining the degree of usage from the at least one weighted usage category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information corresponds to a number of operation cycles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information corresponds to a number of accessed data files.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information corresponds to an amount of electrical usage of the electrical product.

9. A method for processing a warranty claim of an electrical product, comprising:

(a) obtaining, by a processor, a data input from a sensor that is integrated with the electrical product;

(b) obtaining, by the processor, a usage information from an embedded device that is integrated with the electrical product, the usage information being indicative of a degree of usage of the electrical product;

(c) accessing, by the processor, threshold information corresponding to the degree of usage and the data input for the electrical product; and

(d) comparing the threshold information with the degree of usage and the data input to determine whether the warranty claim is valid.

10. A method for determining an extended warranty cost of an electrical product, comprising:

(a) obtaining, by a processor, a usage information from an embedded device that is integrated with the electrical product, the usage information being indicative of a degree of usage of the electrical product;

(b) accessing, by the processor, a first quality indicator corresponding to the degree of usage for the electrical product;

(c) determining a first quality parameter from the first indicator based on a first operating threshold;

(d) estimating a product grade from the first quality parameter; and

(e) estimating the extended warranty cost from the product grade.

11. The computerized method of claim 10, further comprising:

(f) obtaining, by the processor, a data input from a sensor;

(g) accessing, by the processor, a second quality indicator corresponding to the data input for the electrical product;

(h) determining a second quality parameter from the second quality indicator based on a second operating threshold;

(i) weighing the first quality parameter and the second quality parameter; and

(j) summing the weighted first and second quality parameters to estimate the extended warranty cost.

12. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein (e) comprises:

(e)(i) determining a quality estimate value of the electrical product;

(e)(ii) determining a historical warranty value of the electrical product; and

(e)(iii) determining the estimated warranty cost from the quality estimate value and the historical warranty value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the usage information corresponds to a usage time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(a)(i) categorizing the usage time based on at least one mode of operation to form at least one usage category;

(a)(ii) weighing the at least one usage category to form at least one weighted usage category; and

(a)(iii) determining the degree of usage from the at least one weighted usage category.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the usage information corresponds to an amount of electrical usage of the electrical product.

16. An apparatus that analyzes warranty information from an electrical product, comprising:

a communications module that receives a signal over a communications channel from the electrical product, the signal containing the warranty information and the warranty information includes a usage information from an embedded device that is integrated with the electrical product, the usage information being indicative of a degree of usage;

a rules engine that determines whether the degree of usage complies to a warranty agreement for the electrical product; and

a processing component computer that obtains the warranty information from the communications module and that determines, by querying the rules engine, whether the warranty information complies to the warranty agreement.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a product history service component that stores the warranty information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the product history service component comprises a product value estimator that determines an estimated value of the electrical product from the warranty information.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the product history service component comprises an extended warranty cost estimator that determines an extended warranty cost from the warranty information.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the product history service component comprises a product grade estimator that determines a product grade from the warranty information.

21. An apparatus that obtains warranty information for an electrical product, comprising:

an embedded device that is integrated with the electronic product and that obtains a usage information for the electronic product, the usage information being indicative of a degree of usage of the electrical product;

a device interface that receives a query request, the query request being indicative that a warranty validity for the electronic product is to be verified; and

a communications module that sends a transmitted signal over a communications channel from the electrical product in response to the query request, the transmitted signal containing the usage information, that receives a received signal, the received signal containing warranty status information, and that provides the warranty status information through the device interface.