Apparatus and method for operating supply chain management in mobile terminal

• US 8,239,243 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Dong-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): OBEID, MAMON A
• Application Number:
  US12/556,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/59, 705/7.11, 705/7.31, 713/2
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

An apparatus and method for effectively operating Supply Chain Management (SCM) emerging as a management scheme preferred by mobile terminal manufacturers are provided. The method includes, upon detection of initial booting, gathering at least one of mobile terminal identifier information, product information, and subscriber location information, generating a sales information message comprising the gathered information, and transmitting the generated sales information message. Accordingly, an SCM system is reliably implemented in advance and determines statistical data regarding a time of sales of the mobile terminal. Further, the SCM system may determine statistical data for preferred models and colors of the mobile terminal. In addition, the determined statistical data may be utilized as marketing information or may be usefully utilized for point-of-sales inventory management by performing demand prediction.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a sales information message of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

upon detection of initial booting of the mobile terminal after being purchased, determining whether a function for transmitting a sales information message is set;

in response to determining that the function for transmitting the sales information message is set, reading at least one of mobile terminal identifier information, product information, and subscriber location information from a memory of the mobile terminal;

generating the sales information message comprising the read information;

transmitting the generated sales information message using an address of a Supply Chain Management (SCM) database server unique for a corresponding manufacturer of the mobile terminal; and

in response to the transmission of the sales information message, releasing, by a controller of the mobile terminal, the function for transmitting the sales information message,

wherein the mobile terminal identifier information, the product information, and the subscriber location information are unique information of the mobile terminal and are pre-stored in the memory of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the sales information in the message is used as statistical data in the SCM database server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal identifier information comprises at least one of an International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) and an Electronics Serial Number (ESN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information comprises at least one of a model name, a color code, an operator code and a market type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber location information comprises cell IDentifier (ID) of a base station to which a subscriber belongs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sales information message comprises a short message, and is transmitted to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC).

6. An apparatus for transmitting a sales information message in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit programmed to store at least one of mobile terminal identifier information, product information, and subscriber location information;

a controller programmed to;

upon detection of initial booting of the mobile terminal after being purchased, determine whether a function for transmitting a sales information message is set; and

in response to determining that the function for transmitting the sales information message is set, read any one of the mobile terminal identifier information, the product information, and the subscriber location information from the storage unit;

a sales information message generator/transmitter programmed to;

generate the sales information message by gathering the read information; and

transmit the generated sales information message using an address of a Supply Chain Management (SCM) database server unique for a corresponding manufacturer of the mobile terminal,

wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to transmission of the sales information message, release the function for transmitting the sales information message,

wherein the mobile terminal identifier information, the product information, and the subscriber location information are unique information of the mobile terminal and are pre-stored in the memory of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the sales information in the message is used as statistical data in the SCM database server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mobile terminal identifier information comprises at least one of an International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) and an Electronics Serial Number (ESN).

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the product information comprises at least one of a model name, a color code, an operator code and a market type.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the subscriber location information comprises a cell IDentifier (ID) of a base station to which a subscriber belongs.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sales information message comprises a short message, and is transmitted to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC).