Computerized method and system for managing warranty services in a digital system or device

• US 20050092824A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ads-Tec GmbH, Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Speidel, Thomas G., Moegerle, Thomas G., Hindermeyer, Erich, Gierens, Konrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A digital system or device includes a battery pack as an exemplary functional subunit. In a warranty case determined by an electrical load test for determining its actual charge capacity, a battery check program initializes, via the operating system and an underlying printer, a printout of a warranty certificate. This certificate form, in particular, contains a UID of the underlying battery pack gathered from a ROM implemented in the battery pack. Before generating the printout of the certificate, the UID gathered from the ROM is coded e.g. by the battery check program and only the coded UID is printed. The printout of the warranty certificate thereafter will be delivered to the warranty service provider by the user. After having received the delivered warranty certificate and having checked validity of the user'"'"'s warranty claim by means of the coded UID the warranty service provider sends a replacement battery pack back to the user. As a consequence, the user can replace the battery pack on its own and therefore does not have to deliver the replaced battery pack to the warranty service provider.

Claims

1. A computerized method for handling warranty services related to a renewable subunit of a user'"'"'s digital system or device by means of a warranty service provider, wherein the renewable subunit provides a readable unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

applying, on a side of the digital system or device, a test procedure on the renewable subunit in order to determine functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

determining, on the side of the digital system or device, a valid warranty claim dependent on the determined functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

in case of a determined valid warranty claim, gathering the unique identifier from the renewable subunit and generating a warranty certificate including the unique identifier;

delivering the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider;

determining, on a side of the warranty service provider, the validity of the warranty claim by means of the unique identifier of the renewable subunit; and

if valid, delivering, on the side of the warranty service provider, a renewing subunit to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is encoded before the delivery to the warranty service provider.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the warranty certificate together with the encoded unique identifier is printed-out and the printout is delivered to the warranty service provider by means of facsimile or post mail transmission.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the warranty certificate is delivered to the warranty service provider in electronic form.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generation and the delivery of the warranty certificate is initiated by the user of the digital system or device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier of the renewable subunit is gathered from a read-only memory included in the subunit.

7. The method according to according to claim 1, wherein:

the renewable subunit is a battery pack, and

the test procedure applied on the battery pack to determine its reliability is an electrical load test.

8. A computer program for handling warranty services related to a renewable subunit of a user'"'"'s digital system or device by means of a warranty service provider, wherein the renewable subunit provides a readable unique identifier, the computer program comprising:

first program means, residing on a side of the digital system or device, for applying a test procedure on the renewable subunit in order to determine functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

second program means, residing on the side of the digital system or device, for determining a valid warranty claim dependent on the determined functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

third program means, residing on the side of the digital system or device, for gathering the unique identifier from the renewable subunit in case of a determined valid warranty claim and for generating a warranty certificate including the unique identifier;

fourth program means, residing on the side of the digital system or device, for delivering or initiating delivery of the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider;

fifth program means, residing on a side of the warranty service provider, for determining the validity of the warranty claim by means of the encoded unique identifier of the renewable subunit; and

sixth program means, residing on the side of the warranty service provider, for delivering or initiating delivery of a renewing subunit back to the user.

9. The computer program according to claim 8, further comprising program means for encoding the unique identifier before the delivery to the warranty service provider.

10. The computer program according to claim 9, further comprising program means for initiating print-out of the warranty certificate together with the encoded unique identifier.

11. The computer program according to claim 9, further comprising program means for delivering the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider in electronic form.

12. The computer program according to claim 8, further comprising program means for gathering the unique identifier of the renewable subunit from a read-only memory included in the subunit.

13. The computer program according to claim 8, wherein the renewable subunit is a battery pack and the computer program comprises program means for applying an electrical load test on the renewable subunit.

14. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium, comprising computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform:

applying, on a side of the digital system or device, a test procedure on the renewable subunit in order to determine fuctionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

determining, on the side of the digital system or device, a valid warranty claim dependent on the determined functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

in case of a determined valid warranty claim, gathering the unique identifier from the renewable subunit and generating a warranty certificate including the unique identifier;

delivering the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider;

determining, on a side of the warranty service provider, the validity of the warranty claim by means of the unique identifier of the renewable subunit; and

delivering, on the side of the warranty service provider, a renewing subunit back to the user.

15. A digital system or device including at least one renewable subunit providing a readable unique identifier, comprising program means adapted for carrying out the steps of:

applying, on a side of the digital system or device, a test procedure on the renewable subunit in order to determine functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

determining, on the side of the digital system or device, a valid warranty claim dependent on the determined functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

in case of a determined valid warranty claim, gathering the unique identifier from the renewable subunit and generating a warranty certificate including the unique identifier;

delivering the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider;

determining, on a side of the warranty service provider, the validity of the warranty claim by means of the unique identifier of the renewable subunit; and

delivering, on the side of the warranty service provider, a renewing subunit back to the user.

16. A digital system or device including at least one renewable subunit providing a readable unique identifier, comprising:

program means, residing on a side of the digital system or device, for;

applying a test procedure on the renewable subunit in order to determine functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

determining a valid warranty claim dependent on the determined functionality or reliability of the renewable subunit;

gathering the unique identifier from the renewable subunit in case of a determined valid warranty claim and for generating a warranty certificate including the unique identifier;

delivering or initiating delivery of the warranty certificate to the warranty service provider; and

program means, residing on a side of the warranty service provider, for;

determining the validity of the warranty claim by means of the encoded unique identifier of the renewable subunit; and

delivering or initiating delivery of a renewing subunit back to the user.