RF-ID PRODUCT TRACKING SYSTEM WITH PRIVACY ENHANCEMENT
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for using electronic product identification devices to track product sales and enable sales transactions to be registered in an electronic registration (ER) system without causing privacy or security concerns for the purchasers. RF-ID devices are placed on products being sold and include detailed information about the products. When the products are purchased, the detailed information is loaded into an ER database and all but a limited amount of information is removed from the RF-ID device. The limited information is sufficient to enable the detailed information to be located in the ER database by authorized individuals in connection with a return transaction or the like.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. In a system that uses electronic tags on products for storing information related to the products, a method comprising:
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providing an electronic tag having information loaded thereon that relates to a product to which the tag is to be attached; upon purchase of the product by a consumer; reading the information from the tag, generating an associated unique identifier that uniquely identifies the product relative to other similar products, storing the information read from the tag in an electronic database, together with the associated unique identifier that uniquely identifies the product relative to other similar products, erasing at least some of the product information from the electronic tag at the point of sale, and storing the unique identifier on the electronic tag; and maintaining the electronic tag on the product after purchase; wherein the unique identifier is readable from the electronic tag in connection with a post sale transaction or inquiry, and wherein the information on the product is accessible from the electronic database using the unique identifier in order to assist with processing of the post sale transaction or inquiry. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of using electronic tags on products in connection with a post sale transaction or inquiry, the method comprising:
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reading a unique identifier from an electronic tag in connection with the post sale transaction or inquiry; and accessing information on the product from an electronic database using the unique identifier in order to assist with processing of the post sale transaction or inquiry, wherein the electronic tag was preloaded with information that relates to the product to which the tag was attached prior to purchase of the product by a consumer, and the information having been read from the tag prior to purchase of the product by the consumer, an associated unique identifier that uniquely identifies the product relative to other similar products having been generated prior to purchase of the product by the consumer, the information read from the tag having been stored in the electronic database, together with the associated unique identifier that uniquely identifies the product relative to other similar products, prior to purchase of the product by the consumer, at least some of the product information having been erased from the electronic tag at the point of sale prior to purchase of the product by the consumer, and the unique identifier having been on the electronic tag prior to purchase of the product by the consumer. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification