Application for device evaluation and other processes associated with device recycling

• US 10,438,174 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ecoatm Incorporated (Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Bowles, Mark Vincent, Erman, Randal, Hammes, Jarrod, Ploetner, Jeffrey, Silva, John, Segil, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/873,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1441, 705308, 705 28, 710 33, 235379-383, 700231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• 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: Y02W 30/82 Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

Software application systems and associated methods for recycling, purchasing, and/or performing other processes with mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and/or other electronic devices at a kiosk are described herein. In various embodiments, the present technology includes systems and methods associated with an electronic device to facilitate a consumer-operated kiosk processing (e.g., purchasing) the electronic device. In some embodiments, the present technology includes using a mobile app to identify an electronic device, evaluate the electronic device, resolve device issues to enable purchase of the electronic device, etc. Various other aspects of the present technology are described herein.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system having at least one processor for recycling an electronic device at a consumer-operated kiosk having a camera, the method comprising:

at the electronic device;

obtaining information about the electronic device via a software application,

wherein the information includes an identifier of the electronic device;

when, as determined by the at least one processor, the information is sufficient to determine a price for the electronic device;

determining the price for the electronic device, based on an evaluation of the information by the at least one processor;

recording the price and the identifier; and

causing the price to be presented to a user via the software application; and

at the kiosk;

receiving the identifier;

when, as verified by the at least one processor, the electronic device associated with the identifier is at the kiosk;

performing a visual inspection of the electronic device using the camera;

determining whether the condition of the electronic device is acceptable, based on the visual inspection; and

if the condition of the electronic device is acceptable, offering the price for the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a used mobile telecommunication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor includes one or more of a processor of the electronic device, a processor of the kiosk, and a processor of a server computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, receiving the information about the electronic device from the electronic device at a remote server computer, wherein determining a price for the electronic device includes transmitting information remotely from the server computer to the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein performing a visual inspection of the electronic device using the camera includes causing the software application to display information or a visual pattern on a screen of the electronic device, such that the camera can photograph the displayed information or visual pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the condition of the electronic device at the kiosk is unacceptable, determining a price to offer for the electronic device based on the visual inspection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the electronic device includes user accessibility information, and further comprising, at the kiosk, providing a user accessible interface based on the user accessibility information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the condition of the electronic device is acceptable includes determining whether the state of the electronic device at the kiosk is substantially similar to the state of the electronic device when the information was obtained at the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving electronic device location data via the software application, wherein the location data indicates whether the electronic device has been properly submitted at the kiosk.