Method and apparatus for monitoring usage of items

• US 9,449,323 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey, Basso, Andrea, Hines, Tara, Ivanov, Aleksey, Morris, Nadia
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/188,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor can be operable to transmit a radio frequency signal directed to a radio frequency identifier tag carried by a first item, receive usage information from the radio frequency identifier tag, determine a measure of wear and tear of the first item from the usage information, compare the measure of wear and tear to a threshold, detect from the comparison a state of usage of the first item, and submit a notice representative of the state of usage of the first item. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein upon execution of the executable instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

collecting media consumption behavioral data according to media content consumed by a user of a media distribution system;

collecting demographic information that is associated with a subscription account of the user;

collecting location information from a portable device of the user;

determining a user profile according to the media consumption behavior data, the demographic information, and the location information;

receiving a measure of wear associated with a first item, wherein the first item comprises a shoe, wherein the measure of wear is received from the first item by way of a radio frequency identifier tag that is carried by the first item, wherein the measure of wear comprises a plurality of wear observations that are tracked at the first item, wherein each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations is captured by a sensor that is carried on the first item, and wherein the first item aggregates each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations that is captured to generate the measure of wear;

determining whether the measure of wear that is received exceeds a threshold; and

responsive to the determining that the measure of wear exceeds the threshold;

receiving, from the first item, point of sale information, wherein the point of sale information was stored at the first item by way of the radio frequency identifier tag when the first item was transferred to the user;

identifying a replacement item for the first item according to information in the user profile and the point of sale information; and

sending a message associated with the replacement item to the portable device of the user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, wherein the point of sale information comprises one of a description of the first item, warranty information that is associated with the first item, or a combination thereof.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a point of sale terminal transmits to the radio frequency identifier tag a radio frequency signal comprising a the point of sale information.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a replacement proposal comprising one of replacing the first item with a second item having substantially similar characteristics to the first item or replacing the first item with a third item having a plurality of distinct characteristics to the first item.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the second item represents a lateral replacement of the first item, and wherein the third item represents a non-lateral replacement of the first item.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

collecting activity information from the portable device of the user; and

determining a psychographic pattern of behavior of the user according to the activity information, wherein the user profile further comprises the psychographic pattern of behavior.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise updating the user profile responsive to the determining that the measure of wear exceeds the threshold.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the point of sale information comprises one of a purchase price at a time when the first item was purchased, an identification of a merchant who sold the first item, a date when the first item was sold, or a combination thereof.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency identifier tag is one of an active or passive radio frequency identifier tag.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first item comprises one of a food item, a transportation item, a fixture item, or an appliance item.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is coupled to the radio frequency tag, and wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a radio frequency signal directed to the radio frequency identifier tag; and

receiving the measure of wear from the sensor responsive to the transmitted radio frequency signal.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first item further comprises one of a weight sensor or a location sensor.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

collecting media consumption behavioral data according to media content consumed by a user of a media distribution system;

collecting demographic information that is associated with a subscription account of the user;

collecting location information from a portable device of the user;

determining a user profile according to the media consumption behavior data, the demographic information, and the location information;

receiving a measure of wear associated with a first item, wherein the first item comprises a shoe, wherein the measure of wear is received from the first item by way of a radio frequency identifier tag that is carried by the first item, wherein the measure of wear comprises a plurality of wear observations that are tracked at the first item, wherein each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations is captured by a sensor that is carried on the first item, and wherein the first item aggregates each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations that is captured to generate the measure of wear;

determining whether the measure of wear that is received exceeds a threshold; and

responsive to the determining that the measure of wear exceeds the threshold;

receiving, from the first item, point of sale information, wherein the point of sale information was stored at the first item by way of the radio frequency identifier tag when the first item was transferred to the user;

identifying a replacement item for the first item according to information in the user profile and the point of sale information; and

sending a message associated with the replacement item to the portable device of the user.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, wherein the operations further comprise determining a replacement proposal comprising one of replacing the first item with a second item having substantially similar characteristics to the first item or replacing the first item with a third item having a plurality of distinct characteristics to the first item.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second item represents a lateral replacement of the first item, and wherein the third item represents a non-lateral replacement of the first item.

16. A method, comprising:

collecting, by a system comprising a processor, media consumption behavioral data according to media content consumed by a user of a media distribution system;

collecting, by the system, demographic information that is associated with a subscription account of the user;

collecting, by the system, location information from a portable device of the user;

determining, by the system, a user profile according to the media consumption behavior data, the demographic information, and the location information;

receiving a measure of wear associated with a first item, wherein the first item comprises a shoe, wherein the measure of wear is received from the first item by way of a radio frequency identifier tag that is carried by the first item, wherein the measure of wear comprises a plurality of wear observations that are tracked at the first item, wherein each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations is captured by a sensor that is carried on the first item, and wherein the first item aggregates each wear observation of the plurality of wear observations that is captured to generate the measure of wear;

determining, by the system, whether the measure of wear that is received exceeds a threshold; and

responsive to the determining that the measure of wear exceeds the threshold;

receiving, by the system, from the first item, point of sale information, wherein the point of sale information was stored at the first item by way of the radio frequency identifier tag when the first item was transferred to the user;

identifying, by the system, a replacement item for the first item according to information in the user profile and the point of sale information; and

sending, by the system, a message associated with the replacement item to the portable device of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment, wherein the point of sale information comprises one of a description of the first item, warranty information that is associated with the first item, or a combination thereof.