SYSTEM AND/OR METHOD FOR HANDLING RECALLED PRODUCT PURCHASES AND/OR RETURN/WARRANTY REQUESTS

• US 20110119142A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: MARAZ, Maridee Joy, JUNGER, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/014 Providing recall services for goods or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments described herein relate to the field of electronic registration (ER) of purchased products and, more particularly, to improved electronic registration techniques purchase-side and/or return-side handling of recalled items. Certain exemplary embodiments on the purchase-side may help to filter-out products that have recalled been before they are purchased. Certain exemplary embodiments on the return-side may help enable recall return overrides, thus facilitating the acceptance of recalled products even though they might not qualify under an original return/warranty policy. Advantageously, more and more recalled products may be filtered out of circulation through the use of purchase-side and/or return-side recall watch list checking techniques of certain exemplary embodiments. Such purchase-side and/or return-side recall watch list checking may be performed together with or separate from electronic registration techniques in different exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A method of processing an item return or warranty request at a point-of-sale (POS) location, the method comprising:

receiving at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location;

determining, using at least one processor of an electronic registration (ER) system, whether the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database; and

when it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database;

determining, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall, and

when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall, sending an override instruction to the POS location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the override instruction includes a first instruction regarding how the return or warranty request of the item subject to the recall is to be handled.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the override instruction further includes a second instruction regarding what is to be done with the item after the return or warranty request is processed at the POS location in accordance with the first instruction.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indentifying is a unique identifier of the item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and

confirming whether the item is subject to the recall using the second identifying information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a recall watch list to be consulted at least during the determination as to whether the item is likely subject to a recall, the recall watch list being updatable by manufacturers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising when it is determined that the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database:

determining, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall; and

sending to the POS location modified terms and/or conditions for the return or warranty request.

10. A method of processing an item presented for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) location, the method comprising:

receiving at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location;

providing a recall watch system including a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall;

determining, using at least one processor of the recall watch system, whether the item is likely subject to a recall;

when it is determined that the item is subject to recall, sending an instruction to the POS location; and

when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall, allowing the purchase.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the instruction indicates that the purchase of the item is to be aborted or at least temporarily halted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the instruction further indicates that what is to be done with the item at the POS location after the purchase is aborted or at least temporarily halted.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the instruction indicates that return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions of the item are to be altered upon the purchase of the item compared to a situation in which the item were not subject to recall.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing an electronic registration (ER) database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products; and

updating the ER database with the altered return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions for the item.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the instruction is based on information stored in recall watch database concerning the severity of the problem prompting the recall.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and

confirming whether the item is subject to recall using the second identifying information.

19. An electronic registration (ER) system for processing an item return or warranty request made at a point-of-sale (POS) location, comprising:

an interface configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location;

an ER database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine whether the item presented in connection with the return or warranty request qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in the ER database;

when it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database (a) determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall after consulting a recall watch database storing information identifying products subject to recall, and (b) cause an override instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the override instruction includes a first instruction regarding how the return or warranty request of the item subject to the recall is to be handled.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the override instruction further includes a second instruction regarding what is to be done with the item after the return or warranty request is processed at the POS location in accordance with the first instruction.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first indentifying is a unique identifier of the item.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the interface is further configured to receive second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and

the at least one processor is further configured to confirm whether the item is subject to the recall using the second identifying information.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the recall watch database is updatable by manufacturers.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured, when it is determined that the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in the ER database, to:

determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall, and

cause modified terms and/or conditions for the return or warranty request to be sent to the POS location.

28. A recall watch system for processing an item presented for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) location, comprising:

an interface configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location;

a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall based on the information stored in the recall watch database,

cause an instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to recall, and

allow the purchase when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the instruction indicates that the purchase of the item is to be aborted or at least temporarily halted.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the instruction further indicates that what is to be done with the item at the POS location after the purchase is aborted or at least temporarily halted.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the instruction indicates that return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions of the item are to be altered upon the purchase of the item compared to a situation in which the item were not subject to recall.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a link to an electronic registration (ER) database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products, the ER database being updatable with the altered return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions for the item.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the instruction is based on information stored in recall watch database concerning the severity of the problem prompting the recall.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein:

the interface is further configured to receive second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and

the at least one processor is further configured to confirm whether the item is subject to recall using the second identifying information.