Electronic registration system for product transactions
DCFirst Claim
1. A computer implemented method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising:
- obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought;
communicating the individual product identification information to at least one transaction database for inclusion in the at least one transaction database;
updating the at least one transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; and
receiving, upon inquiry to the at least one transaction database, return qualification information forn the at least one transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic registration system which facilitates authorized product returns and reduces the incidence of improper returns. A retailer sales associate is prompted to enter individual product identification information such as an individual serial number. This individual product identification information is then stored in a data base along with the date on which the product was sold and an appropriate UPC code, SKU number or manufacturer code. A check digit algorithm may be used to verify the serial number prior to storage. A sales receipt may be imprinted with at least the date of the transaction and the serial number. When a product is returned, the retailer may cross-reference the serial number on the product with that on the receipt to verify the sales receipt. Otherwise, the database may be searched for pertinent sales information.
172 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising:
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obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; communicating the individual product identification information to at least one transaction database for inclusion in the at least one transaction database; updating the at least one transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; and receiving, upon inquiry to the at least one transaction database, return qualification information forn the at least one transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, the system comprising:
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an input device which, at a transaction location, obtains individual product identification information that individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; a communication channel operable to communicate the individual product identification information to a transaction database for inclusion in the transaction database along with additional information relating to the particular product transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction; a memory which stores data for the transaction database, the data including the individual product identification information and the date associated with the transaction; and a processor which, upon request, accesses the transaction database to retricve return qualification information associated with a particular product transaction and causes at least a portion of the return qualification information stored in the memory to be retrieved along with the additional information relating to the particular product transaction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer assisted method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising:
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obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction; verifying the validity of the individual product identification information substantially at the time of the transaction; communicating valid individual product identification information to a transaction database for inclusion in the transaction database; updating the transaction database with the valid individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; and receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer implemented method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising:
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obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; communicating the individual product identification information to a transaction database associated with a registration database having available further information relating to particular product transactions, for inclusion in the transaction database; updating the transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; and receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item and receiving the frther information relating to the product transaction.
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37. A computer assisted method for registering product transactions and providing information upon request concerning the product transactions, comprising:
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obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; communicating the individual product identification information to a transaction database, for inclusion in the transaction database; updating the transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item; and checking a registration database having available returns policy information relating to particular products in order to determine return qualification of the specific item. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, comprising:
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an input device which obtains, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies a specific item involved in the transaction; a verification device which evaluates the individual product identification information from the input device at a time of the transaction and rejects invalid information; and at least one memory which stores a transaction database, the transaction database being updated with transaction information including at least individual product identification information that has been validated by the verification device and additional information relating to the transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction, the memory being associated with a registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction, whereby at the time of a product return transaction, the registration computer system locates and provides original transaction information concerning a returned product and applicable return qualification information. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, comprising:
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means for obtaining, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies the specific item involved in the transaction for each item of a product type for which registration of individual product transactions is sought; means for communicating the individual product identification information to at least one transaction database for inclusion in the transaction database; means for updating the transaction database with the individual product identification information along with additional information including at least a date associated with the transaction; and means for receiving, upon inquiry to the transaction database, information from the transaction database for use in determining return qualification of the specific item.
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55. A computer implemented method to provide prompt and efficient handling of a return of a particular item purchased by a customer at a point of sale location, comprising:
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collecting, substantially at the time the customer purchases the particular item at the point of sale location, at least one code that individually identifies the specific item and differentiates said particular item from other, similar items not purchased by said customer; electronically communicating the collected identification code via an electronic communications link to a computer system that maintains a return qualification database; updating the return qualification database with the communicated identification code; and handling a return request for the specific item based at least in part on the contents of said updated return qualification database. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A system for registering product transactions to reduce the number of unauthorized returns of products sold by retailers, said system comprising:
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a data obtaining device that obtains, at a transaction location, individual product identification information which individually identifies a specific item involved in said transaction; a verifier, operatively coupled to said data obtaining device, that verifies validity of the individual product identification information from said data obtaining device at a time of the transaction; and a registration computer system, operatively coupled to receive said verified individual product identification information, said registration computer system having available return qualification information pertaining to the specific item involved in the transaction, said registration computer system having a general transaction database associated therewith, said registration computer system updating said general transaction database in response to original transaction information including at least said individual product identification information that has been validated by said verifier and additional information relating to the transaction including at least a date associated with the transaction, said registration computer system locating and providing, at the time of a product return transaction, original transaction information concerning a return product and applicable return qualification information.
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Specification