Battery tester with promotion feature to promote use of the battery tester by providing the user with codes having redeemable value

• US 7,791,348 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interstate Battery Systems International Incorporated (Interstate Battery System of America, Inc.), Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Troy, Michael E., Brown, Dennis V., Bertness, Kevin I., Sampson, William G., McShane, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/711,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 705/14
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

Battery maintenance equipment is provided for use in maintaining storage batteries. The battery maintenance equipment includes battery maintenance circuitry. A redemption code output is provided and configured to provide an output having a redeemable value in response to the battery maintenance circuitry. A method includes outputting a redemption code in response to usage of battery maintenance equipment.

Claims

1. Battery maintenance equipment for use with storage batteries of the type used in an automotive vehicle, comprising:

battery maintenance circuitry configured to couple to a storage battery in the automotive vehicle through Kelvin connections to terminals of the storage battery and responsively measure a parameter of the storage battery based up a current flowing through the terminals of the storage battery and a voltage measured across the terminals of the storage battery;

an input configured to receive maintenance condition information related to a maintenance condition under which maintenance is performed on the battery and verifying use of the battery maintenance equipment with the storage battery;

redemption code circuitry configured to provide a redemption code output having a redeemable value in response to a battery test performed by the battery maintenance circuitry and which includes maintenance condition information received by the input wherein the redeemable value is selected to promote use of the battery maintenance circuitry,

wherein the redemption code output is a function of a number of times the maintenance equipment has been used with the battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output comprises a printed output.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the printed output comprises a coupon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is a function of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is transmitted over a network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is a wireless output.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is based upon the number of times the battery maintenance circuitry is utilized.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is based upon a period of time.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output includes information related to a serial number of the maintenance equipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output includes information related to a location of the maintenance equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output includes information related to the date.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output identifies an operator.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is for use in a lottery.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output is displayed on the battery maintenance equipment.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the redemption code output comprises a bar code.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 including a memory configured to store a plurality of redemption code outputs.

17. A method of encouraging use of battery maintenance equipment with storage batteries of automotive vehicles, comprising:

coupling battery maintenance circuitry to a storage battery of an automotive vehicle through Kelvin connections to terminals of the storage battery and measuring a parameter of the storage battery based up a voltage measured across the terminals of the storage battery in response to a current flowing through the terminals of the storage battery;

verifying use of the battery maintenance equipment with a storage battery;

generating a redemption code in response to verifying that a battery test has been performed on the storage battery by the battery maintenance equipment the redemption code having a value selected to promote use of the battery maintenance equipment with the storage battery, wherein the redemption code is based upon the number of times the battery maintenance circuitry is utilized; and

outputting the redemption code.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein outputting comprises printing the redemption code output.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the printed output comprises a coupon.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the outputting is a function of a number of times the maintenance equipment has been used with the storage battery.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the outputting is a function of time.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the outputting comprises transmitting over a network.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the outputting is provided wirelessly.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code is based upon a period of time.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code includes information related to serial number of the maintenance equipment.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code includes information related to the location of the test equipment.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code includes information related to the date.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code identifies an operator.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code is for use in a lottery.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code is displayed on the battery maintenance equipment.

31. The method of claim 17 wherein the redemption code output comprises a bar code.

32. The method of claim 17 including storing a plurality of redemption codes in a memory.

33. The method of claim 17 including storing the redemption code in a centralized database.