Automatic mobile communicator depot system and methodology

• US 9,355,515 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellomat Israel Limited
• Original Assignee: Cellomat Israel Limited
• Inventors: Brahami, Rafi, Samet, Hanan, Poran, Rafael, Rabinovitch, Meir, Chayon, Itzik, Borochov, Roshel, Nabarro, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US14/277,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

An automatic mobile communicator depot system including a mobile communicator acceptor for accepting mobile communicators and providing mobile communicator acceptance inputs, a mobile communicator dispenser for dispensing substitute mobile communicators in response to substitute mobile communicator dispensing instructions, a customer interface receiving customer inputs identifying a specific mobile communicator with a specific customer, and a depot controller responsive at least to the customer inputs and the acceptance inputs and including dispenser control functionality for providing dispensing instructions to the mobile communicator dispenser to dispense a specific substitute mobile communicator to a specific customer and automatic telephone number transfer functionality for transferring a telephone number from a mobile communicator received by the mobile communicator acceptor from a given customer to the substitute mobile communicator dispensed by the mobile communicator dispenser to the customer.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot, the method comprising:

providing an automatic mobile communicator depot, said automatic mobile communicator depot including a mobile communicator dispenser configured to dispense mobile communicators in response to mobile communicator dispensing instructions;

receiving, from a specific customer, customer inputs identifying a specific mobile communicator with said specific customer; and

responsive at least to said customer inputs;

providing, utilizing said automatic mobile communicator depot, dispensing instructions to said mobile communicator dispenser to dispense said specific mobile communicator to said specific customer; and

automatically assigning, utilizing said automatic mobile communicator depot, a telephone number of said specific customer to said specific mobile communicator to be dispensed by said mobile communicator dispenser to said specific customer; and

automatically dispensing to said specific customer, utilizing said mobile communicator dispenser, said specific mobile communicator.

2. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 1 and wherein said customer inputs comprise at least a telephone number of said specific mobile communicator.

3. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 1 and also comprising capturing an image of at least part of said specific mobile communicator.

4. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 1 and also comprising communicating between said depot and at least one mobile communicator service center.

5. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 4 and wherein said communicating comprises communicating at least some of said customer inputs to said at least one mobile communicator service center.

6. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 5 and also comprising placing said specific mobile communicator into a bin located within a mobile communicator storage and transport structure.

7. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 6 and wherein said communicating comprises communicating the identities of said bin and of said mobile communicator storage and transport structure to said at least one mobile communicator service center in association with a unique identifier of said specific mobile communicator.

8. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 7 and wherein at least part of said identities of said bin and of said mobile communicator storage and transport structure are encoded in barcodes imprinted on respective ones of said bin and said mobile communicator storage and transport structure.

9. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 6 and wherein said mobile communicator storage and transport structure is operable for removal thereof from said depot and for transport between said depot and said mobile communicator service center.

10. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 1 and wherein:

said automatic mobile communicator depot also includes a mobile communicator acceptor;

the method also comprises accepting, utilizing said mobile communicator acceptor, mobile communicators and providing, utilizing said automatic mobile communicator depot, mobile communicator acceptance inputs;

said specific mobile communicator comprises a specific substitute mobile communicator; and

said automatically assigning comprises automatically transferring, utilizing said automatic mobile communicator depot, a telephone number from a mobile communicator received by said mobile communicator acceptor from said specific customer to said substitute mobile communicator dispensed by said mobile communicator dispenser to said specific customer.

11. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 10 and wherein:

said accepting mobile communicators comprises accepting from a customer a mobile communicator to be repaired; and

said dispensing substitute mobile communicators comprises dispensing to said customer a temporary replacement mobile communicator to be used until the customer'"'"'s mobile communicator is returned in a repaired state to the customer.

12. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 11 and wherein:

said accepting mobile communicators comprises accepting from said customer said temporary replacement mobile communicator; and

said dispensing substitute mobile communicators comprises dispensing said mobile communicator earlier received from said customer, to said customer in a repaired state.

13. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 11 and wherein said transferring comprises automatically transferring said telephone number from said temporary replacement mobile communicator received from said customer to said mobile communicator dispensed to said customer in a repaired state.

14. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according claim 11 and also comprising automatically transferring data stored in a mobile communicator received from said customer to said temporary replacement mobile communicator dispensed to said customer.

15. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 14 and wherein said data comprises at least part of a contact list.

16. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 14 and wherein said transferring of data is achieved at least partly by utilizing wireless communication.

17. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 14 and also comprising automatically transferring data stored in said temporary substitute mobile communicator earlier received from said given customer to said mobile communicator dispensed to said customer in a repaired state.

18. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according claim 11 and also comprising automatically transferring data of a given customer, said data stored in an internet accessible storage facility, to said temporary substitute mobile communicator dispensed to said customer.

19. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 18 and wherein said data comprises at least part of a contact list.

20. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 18 and wherein said transferring of data is achieved at least partly by utilizing wireless communication.

21. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 11 and wherein said customer inputs comprise at least a description of a malfunction of said specific mobile communicator which needs to be repaired and a preferred future pickup location of said specific mobile communicator in a repaired state.

22. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 11 and also comprising notifying said customer that his mobile communicator has been repaired and will be available for pickup at a specific automatic mobile communicator depot at a specific time.

23. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 11 and also comprising notifying said customer that his mobile communicator has been repaired and is available for pickup at a specific automatic mobile communicator depot.

24. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 10 and wherein:

said accepting mobile communicators comprises accepting from a customer a mobile communicator to be replaced; and

said dispensing substitute mobile communicators comprises dispensing to said customer a permanent replacement mobile communicator.

25. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 10 and wherein said receiving customer inputs comprises receiving customer inputs identifying a specific mobile communicator with a specific customer via the internet.

26. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 10 and also comprising:

dispensing, to said customer, utilizing said mobile communicator dispenser, mobile communicator accessories suitable for use with said substitute mobile communicators to be used until the customer'"'"'s mobile communicator is returned in a repaired state to the customer; and

accepting, from said customer, utilizing said mobile communicator acceptor, said mobile communicator accessories earlier dispensed to said customer, upon return of said customer'"'"'s mobile communicator in a repaired state to the customer.

27. A method for operating an automatic mobile communicator depot according to claim 26 and wherein said accessories comprise at least one of a mobile communicator charger and a data synchronizing cable.