Method And Device For Accepting Electronic Appliances

• US 20080109746A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Mayer, Boris
• Application Number:
  US11/791,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109746A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A method for accepting electronic equipment at an acceptance device is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the method comprises recognizing the equipment with the acceptance device, associating the equipment with a recipient address, applying the associated recipient address onto an addressing indici attached to the equipment, removing the equipment from the acceptance device, and transporting the equipment to the recipient address.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method for accepting electronic equipment at an acceptance device, the method comprising:

recognizing the equipment with the acceptance device;

associating the equipment with a recipient address;

applying the associated recipient address onto an addressing indicium attached to the equipment;

removing the equipment from the acceptance device; and

transporting the equipment to the recipient address.

32. The method according to claim 31, comprising placing the equipment into a housing of the acceptance device so that the equipment can be recognized.

35. The method according to claim 31, comprising optically detecting a barcode located on the equipment.

36. The method according to claim 31, comprising reading an RFID transponder located on or in the equipment.

37. The method according to claim 31, comprising evaluating a manual input by a customer.

38. The method according to claim 31, comprising:

generating an image of the equipment; and

comparing the image to a previously generated image of the equipment.

39. The method according to claim 31, wherein the recipient address is stored in a database where it is associated with an equipment manufacturer and/or with a type of equipment.

40. The method according to claim 31, comprising inserting the equipment into shipping packaging onto which the recipient address is applied.

41. The method according to claim 31, comprising:

collecting a plurality of items of electronic equipment in the acceptance device, each of the plurality of items of electronic equipment sharing the recipient address; and

provided each of the plurality of items of electronic equipment with the shared recipient address.

42. The method according to claim 41, comprising:

collecting each of the plurality of items of electronic equipment in a container; and

placing the collected plurality of items of electronic equipment into a shared shipping package.

43. The method according to claim 31, wherein items of electronic equipment that have the same recipient address are placed into a common compartment of an electronic parcel deposit box facility into which the acceptance device is integrated.

47. The method according to claim 31, comprising:

generating a transaction report after the equipment has been accepted; and

issuing the transaction report.

48. The method according to claim 31, wherein the equipment comprises a mobile telephone.

49. A device for accepting electronic equipment, comprising:

a housing with an acceptance opening, whereby the acceptance opening is associated with a detector system that is adapted to recognize the equipment;

a processor associated with the detector system, the processor being adapted to determine a recipient address and to associate the recipient address with the equipment; and

an addressing device that is adapted to apply the recipient address to an addressing indicium attached to the equipment.

50. The device according to claim 49, comprising:

an input device that is adapted to allow a user to enter information;

a display that is adapted to display information to a user; and

an issuing device that is adapted to issue a transaction report.

51. The device according to claim 49, wherein the device is integrated into an electronic parcel deposit box facility having one or more lockable storage compartments and the acceptance opening is formed by a storage compartment of the parcel deposit box facility.

52. The device according to claim 49, wherein the detector system comprises one or more scanners that are adapted to read a barcode.

53. The device according to claim 49, comprising an RFID reader that is adapted to receive information from an RFID transponder.

54. The device according to claims 49, wherein the detector system comprises:

an optical reader that is adapted to acquire an image of the equipment; and

a comparing device that is adapted to compare a detected image of the equipment to previously created images of electronic equipment stored in a database.

55. The device according to claims 49, comprising a packager that is adapted to place the equipment into shipping packaging.

56. The device according to claim 49, comprising a collector that is adapted to collect a plurality of items of electronic equipment that share a common associated recipient address.

57. The device according to claim 56, wherein the collector is adapted to collect the plurality of items of electronic equipment in a container and to place them into a shared shipping package.

58. The device according to claim 49, wherein the shipping package comprises an envelope or a box.

59. The device according to claim 49, comprising a monetary amount dispenser.

60. The device according to claim 49, wherein the device is connected to a central administration unit.

61. An acceptance device that is adapted to receive electronic equipment for shipment, the acceptance device comprising:

means for recognizing the equipment with the acceptance device;

means for associating the equipment with a recipient address;

means for applying the associated recipient address onto an addressing indicium attached to the equipment; and

means for removing the equipment from the acceptance device.