NON-SERIALIZED ELECTRONIC PRODUCT REGISTRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20140207690A1
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: CHENEY, Brian, JUNGER, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A non-serialized electronic product registration (ER) system and method which enables return qualification information to be provided upon request for non-serialized products. Retailer specific return policies are enforced by providing the ER system with retailer return policies for UPCs, SKUs, model numbers and/or other non-unique product identifiers. The retailer periodically provides information to the ER system that indicates the last date on which products having a particular non-unique identifier have been sold. The ER system then determine the last date on which such products can be returned and provides non-serialized return qualification information to the retailer upon request.

Claims

1. A product registration method for use with non-uniquely identified products, the method comprising:

receiving product information identifying a plurality of non-uniquely identified product types that have been sold;

associating registration dates with the non-uniquely identified product types;

determining, via at least one processor, last dates on which non-uniquely identified products corresponding to the non-uniquely identified product types can be accepted for return/warranty service under applicable return/warranty criteria, the last dates of the non-uniquely identified products being determined based on the registration dates associated with the non-uniquely identified product types to which the respective non-uniquely identified products correspond;

storing aspects of said determinations to a database; and

enabling, in response to received inquiries and in consultation with the database, return/warranty eligibility qualifications to be made for non-uniquely identified products.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information is received on a daily basis, the product information including an identifier for each type of product sold that day.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein products of the same type share a common non-unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the common non-unique identifier is a UPC.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein products belonging to the non-uniquely identified product types are not serialized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein products belonging to the non-uniquely identified product types are not serialized.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the return/warranty eligibility qualifications take into account the last dates on which inquired-about non-uniquely identified products can be accepted for return/warranty service under applicable return/warranty criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, in response to received inquiries, return/warranty eligibility qualifications to be made for uniquely identified products.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling inquiries related to uniquely identified products and inquiries from related to non-uniquely identified products to be distinguished from one another and handled accordingly, based at least in part on the contents of the respective inquiries.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the contents of inquiries for non-uniquely identified products include UPCs, and the contents of inquiries for uniquely identified products include serial numbers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein return/warranty eligibility qualifications can be made for non-uniquely identified products for which serialized registration data has not been collected.

12. A method for use with non-uniquely identified products, the method comprising:

transmitting an inquiry to an electronic registration (ER) system when a non-uniquely identified product having a non-uniquely identified product type is presented in connection with a post-sale return and/or warranty request,

the ER system including at least one processor and a database storing associations between registration dates and non-uniquely identified product types,

the ER system, including the at least one processor, being configured to at least (a) make determinations as to last dates on which non-uniquely identified products can be accepted for return/warranty service using the database and based at least in part on the respective types of those products and the registration dates associated therewith, and (b) issue return/warranty service qualifications using the determinations and applicable return/warranty criteria; and

receiving, from the ER system and in response to the inquiry, an issued qualification as to whether the presented non-uniquely identified product might qualify for return/warranty service under the applicable return/warranty criteria.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein product information used in making the associations is transmitted to the ER system on a daily basis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the product information is received from a plurality of different sources.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein products of the same type share a common non-unique identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the common non-unique identifier is a UPC.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein qualifications are based on comparisons between last dates associated with inquired about product types, dates inquiries are made, and applicable return/warranty criteria.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the ER system is configured to accept and respond to requests regarding uniquely identified products.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising collecting serialized registration data if possible, and then transmitting collected serialized registration data to the ER system.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the ER system is located remotely from where the non-uniquely identified product is presented for return.