Product registration using a code processing system

• US 7,035,813 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cook, Fred S.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S.
• Application Number:
  US09/784,368
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/20, 705/21, 705/24, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/16
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0028 Use of a wired telephone or public communication device charging and metering the use of the telecommunication network H04M17/02

Abstract

A product registration system and method is disclosed that automatically registers a product with a manufacturer. In the product registration system, a point of sale system obtains a communication code that is associated with a product and transfers the communication code to a code processing system. Examples of the communication code include a phone card code or a pre-paid phone card code. The code processing system processes the communication code to determine manufacturer information for the product. The code processing system transfers a product registration request to a manufacturer registration system based on the manufacturer information to register the product with the manufacturer. The code processing system also transfers the communication code and a communication code activation request to a communication code activation system to activate the communication code. The product registration system advantageously automates product registration and communication code activation.

Claims

1. A method of registering warranties on products using phone cards, the method comprising the steps of:

packaging a phone card with a separate product wherein the phone card includes a phone card code;

obtaining a financial card number with a point of sale system for the purchase of the product;

obtaining the phone card code from the phone card with the point of sale system upon purchase of the product;

transmitting the financial card number, a charge authorization request for the financial card number, and the phone card code from the point of sale system to a code processing system;

transmitting the financial card number and the charge authorization request from the code processing system to a financial network;

receiving an authorization response in the code processing system from the financial network and processing the phone card code to determine product information and manufacturing information for the product if the authorization response indicates that the charge to the financial card number was allowed;

transmitting a warranty activation request and the product information from the code processing system to a manufacturer warranty activation system based on the manufacturer information to activate a warranty on the product; and

transmitting the phone card code and a phone card activation request from the code processing system to a phone card activation system to activate the phone card.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the phone card code comprises a pre-paid phone card code.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein financial card number includes one of a credit card number, a debit card number, or a bank card number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the phone card code to determine product information and manufacturing information for the product comprises:

looking up the phone card code in a database, where each phone card code in the database corresponds with a product and a manufacture.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the product information includes one of a serial number, a model number, or a product price.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

formatting the product information based on the manufacturer information before transmitting the product information from the code processing system to the manufacturer warranty activation system.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a warty activation response in the code processing system from the manufacturer warranty activation system identifying that the warranty on the product is activated;

receiving a phone card activation response in the code processing system from the phone card activation system identifying that the phone card is activated; and

transmitting the warranty activation response, the phone card activation response and the authorization response to the point of sale system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

printing a warranty activation certificate based on the warranty activation response in the point of sale system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

determining how to communicate with the manufacturer warranty activation system based on the manufacturer information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the code processing system communicates with the point of sale system the manufacturer warranty activation system, and the phone card activation system over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

11. A warranty activation system, comprising:

a point of sale system configured to obtain a financial card number for a purchase of a product, obtain a phone card code from a phone card upon purchase of the product, where the phone card is separated from and is packaged with the product, and transmit the financial card number, a charge authorization request for the financial card number, and the phone card code; and

a code processing system configured to receive the financial card number, the charge authorization request for the financial card number, and the phone card code, transit the financial card number and the charge authorization request to a financial network, receive an authorization response from the financial network, process the phone card code to determine product information and manufacturing information for the product if the authorization response indicates that the charge to the financial card number was allowed, transmit a warranty activation request and the product information to a manufacturer warranty activation system based on the manufacturer information to activate a warranty on the product, and transmit the phone card code and a phone card activation request to a phone card activation system to activate the phone card.

12. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the phone card code comprises a prepaid phone card code.

13. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein financial card number includes one of a credit card number, a debit card number, or a bank card number.

14. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the code processing system is further configured to:

look up the phone card code in a database, where each phone card code in the database corresponds with a product and a manufacturer.

15. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the product information includes one of a serial number, a model number, or a product price.

16. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the code processing system is further configured to:

format the product information based on the manufacturer information before transmitting the product information to the manufacturer warranty activation system.

17. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the code processing system is further configured to:

receive a warranty activation response from the manufacturer warranty activation system identifying that the warranty on the product is activated;

receive a phone card activation response from the phone card activation system identifying that the phone card is activated; and

transmit the warranty activation response, the phone card activation response, and the authorization response to the point of sale system.

18. The warranty activation system of claim 17 wherein the point of sale system is further configured to:

print a warranty activation certificate, based on the warranty activation response.

19. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the code processing system is further configured to:

determine how to communicate with the manufacturer warranty activation system based on the manufacturer information.

20. The warranty activation system of claim 11 wherein the code processing system communicate with the point of sale system, the manufacturer warty activation system and the phone card activation system over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).