Late stage SKU assignment

• US 9,633,330 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Ali, Wajahat
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/245,127
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to late stage SKU assignment. In an embodiment, a device may be assigned a complete SKU having a predefined portion and a variable portion. The predefined portion may be set during a manufacturing process of the device, and the variable portion may be assigned after manufacture, after shipping, or after the device is put into use. In some embodiments, the variable portion may be based on a set of features enabled on the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

assigning a stock keeping unit (SKU) number to an electronic device, including;

assigning a preset portion less than all of the SKU number;

storing the preset portion in a memory of the electronic device during a manufacturing process;

after the electronic device is packaged for shipping to a destination, receiving a transmission including an indication of a variable portion less than all of the SKU;

assigning the variable portion to the electronic device, the variable portion based on the indication, including determining the variable portion based on the set of functions enabled on the device from a plurality of functions that firmware of the device is capable of performing; and

storing the indication to the memory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the set of functions for the device after packaging the device for shipping, enabling the set of functions including limiting functionality the device is enabled to perform from the plurality of functions.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing security data to the device;

providing an activation package to the device including;

a feature number corresponding to the set of functions;

authentication information to authenticate the activation package to the device via the security data; and

directing the device to store the feature number to the device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing the variable portion of the SKU number after use of the device has begun.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning the variable portion of the SKU number after activation of the device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the preset portion includes a placeholder value for the variable portion; and

assigning the variable portion includes replacing the placeholder value with the variable portion.

7. A device comprising:

a data storage medium storing;

a predefined portion of a complete stock keeping unit (SKU) of the device the predefined portion assigned prior to shipping the device from a manufacturer;

a processor configured to;

receive, from an activation entity external to the device, an indication of a variable portion of the complete SKU, the complete SKU based on the predefined portion and the variable portion;

implement a selected firmware configuration based on the indication, the selected firmware configuration including a set of functions enabled on the device from a plurality of functions that firmware of the device is capable of performing;

determine the variable portion based on the selected firmware configuration; and

store the indication to a memory.

8. The device of claim 7 further comprising:

a chip configured to receive the indication from the activation entity when the device is in a power-off state; and

the processor configured to retrieve the indication from the chip.

9. The device of claim 7 comprising the processor further configured to:

receive an updated indication during operation; and

store the updated indication, the variable portion of the SKU updating based on the updated indication.

10. The device of claim 7 further comprising:

the predefined portion includes a placeholder value for the variable portion; and

the processor further configured to determine the complete SKU by replacing the placeholder value with the variable portion based on the indication.

11. The device of claim 7 further comprising:

the data storage medium storing security data;

the indication is received from the activation entity in an activation package including authentication data; and

the processor further configured to authenticate the authentication data using the security data prior to storing the indication.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising:

the data storage medium storing a unique ID for the device; and

the processor further configured to provide the unique ID to the activation entity prior to receiving the activation package.

13. The device of claim 7 further comprising:

the predefined portion is stored to the data storage medium during a manufacturing process of the device; and

the processor is further configured to receive the indication from the activation entity via communication over a network after the device is shipped from a manufacturing location.

14. A device comprising:

a memory;

a processing circuit configured to;

access firmware stored in the memory, the firmware capable of a plurality of functions;

maintain a predefined portion of a complete stock keeping unit (SKU) of the device, the complete SKU including a predefined portion and a variable portion,

the predefined portion assigned prior to shipping the device from a manufacturer of the device,

the variable portion assigned based on features of the firmware selected after manufacturing;

receive an indication of the variable portion;

determine the variable portion based on a set of functions enabled on the device from the plurality of functions; and

store the indication of the variable portion in the memory.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising:

the processing circuit is configured to set a selected configuration of functions the device is limited to performing from the plurality of functions that the device is capable of performing; and

determine the variable portion based on the selected configuration of functions.

16. The device of claim 14 further comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) chip configured to receive the indication of the variable portion without the device being in a powered-on state; and

the processing circuit further configured to retrieve the indication of the variable portion from the NFC chip when the device is powered on.

17. The device of claim 16 comprising the processor further configured to:

based on the indication of the variable portion retrieved from the NFC chip;

enable a selection of features from a full set of available features of the device; and

disable use of any features not enabled.

18. The device of claim 17 comprising the processor further configured to:

receive an activation package including the indication of the variable portion and security data to authenticate the activation package;

verify the authenticity of the activation package based on the security data and a security key stored to the memory; and

enable the selection of features after verifying the authenticity of the activation package.