Electronic Device And Data Management System

• US 20120044060A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsubara, Yoshihiro, Ohori, Haruyoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/194,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Efficiently processing information related to the warranty of an electronic device is enabled. A receipt printer 10 has an RFID tag 27 that can contactlessly read and write information by means of wireless communication with an external data processing terminal is disposed in the case, and the data processing terminal can read and write product warranty related data to the RFID tag 27.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a contactless tag that can contactlessly read and write information by means of wireless communication with an external data processing terminal disposed in the electronic device case;

wherein the data processing terminal can read and write product warranty related data to the contactless tag.

2. The electronic device described in claim 1, wherein:

the electronic device is shipped in the packaging; and

a mark that is visible from the outside is recorded on the packaging at a position corresponding to the location of an antenna of the contactless tag in the case;

wherein the data processing terminal can read and write product warranty related data to the contact less tag from outside the packaging.

3. The electronic device described in claim 1, wherein:

overwriting the product warranty related data that is written to the contactless tag is protected by a password.

4. The electronic device described in claim 1, wherein:

information related to the product warranty can be reported based on the product warranty related data written to the contactless tag.

5. The electronic device described in claim 4, wherein:

the product warranty related data written to the contactless tag includes at least information related to a warranty period; and

the electronic device can report that the end of the warranty period is near or that the warranty period has ended based on the information related to the warranty period.

6. The electronic device described in claim 1, wherein:

the contactless tag can communicate with the data processing terminal by means of short-range wireless communication conforming to a Near Field Communication standard.

7. A data management system comprising:

an electronic device having a contactless tag disposed in the case of the electronic device;

a data processing terminal that can read and write information in the contactless tag disposed to the electronic device; and

a server device connected to the data processing terminal by a communication channel;

wherein the data processing terminal reads and writes product warranty related data to the contactless tag, and sends data read from the contactless tag to the server device; and

the server device stores information received from the data processing terminal.

8. The data management system described in claim 7, wherein:

the electronic device is stored in packaging; and

a mark that is visible from the outside is recorded on the packaging at a position corresponding to the location of an antenna of the contactless tag in the case.

9. The data management system described in claim 7, wherein:

the electronic device password protects overwriting the product warranty related data that is written to the contactless tag.

10. The data management system described in claim 7, wherein:

the electronic device can report product warranty related data based on the product warranty related data written to the contactless tag.

11. The data management system described in claim 7, wherein:

the server device stores error log information for errors that occur in the electronic device as error log data received from the data processing terminal, and analyzes error trends based on the error log data.

12. The data management system described in claim 11, wherein:

production site data for the electronic device is contained in information received from the data processing terminal, and the server device analyzes error trends by detecting error frequency per production site using the product site data and the error log data.

13. The data management system described in claim 11, wherein:

current location data for the electronic device is contained in information received from the data processing terminal, and the server device analyzes distribution of the electronic devices by detecting where the electronic devices are currently located using the current location data.

14. The data management system described in claim 11, wherein:

the server device identifies error content and issues a report or warning when the frequency of occurrence of an error exceeds an allowable range.

15. The data management system described in claim 11, wherein:

the server device stores previously error log data correlated to data describing information related to a procedure for handling an error identified by error log data content,

detects error log data having the same or similar content as the content of the received error log when an error log is received from the data processing terminal, and

sends to the data processing terminal information related a procedure for handling the error identified by the content of the error log data.