Acoustic coupling product label

• US 7,245,708 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Forrest, Simon J., McNicoll, Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US11/006,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20050129200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.37, 379/357.03, 379/93.26
• US Class Current: 379/93.37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories

Abstract

A system comprises an acoustic coupling product label (20) for mounting on a product to be serviced. The label (20) includes a memory (23) for storing information relating to the product to be serviced, control means (29) for controlling the flow of data from the label (20), an activation switch (22), and an acoustic transducer that emits tones corresponding to said product information. The system further includes a telephone (30) and a computerized product support system (50), which collects and interprets the information provided by the label (20). The control means (29) is arranged to control the flow of data from the label (20) to the system (50) at a rate and time required by the system (50).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a) an acoustic coupling product label for mounting on a product to be serviced, the label including

(i) a memory for storing information relating to the product to be serviced, and

(ii) an acoustic transducer which emits tones corresponding to the product information;

b) a computerized product support system which collects and interprets information provided by the label;

c) a telephone; and

d) control means for

i) receiving information from the support system, which indicates (A) a time when data should be transmitted, and (B) data rate for transmitted data, and

ii) transmitting data from the label over the telephone to the system at said rate and said time.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power source which is independent of a power source of the product to be serviced.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional tones corresponding to a telephone number of a service provider are transmitted before the tones corresponding to the product information.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computerized product support system notifies appropriate service personnel for the product to be serviced.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s identity is verified, so as to stop accidental or malicious use of the label.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a password is received from the user to verify identity of the user.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a PIN number is received from the user to verify identity of the user.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a number of buttons on the label is arranged to enable entry of the PIN number.

9. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the user'"'"'s voice is compared to a stored sample in order to authenticate the user.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the label stores multiple different types of information about the product, and different respective incoming codes cause the label to transmit the respective information.

11. An acoustic coupling product label for mounting on or near the front of a product or in an easily accessible location on a product to be serviced, the label comprising:

a) a memory for storing information relating to the product to be serviced;

b) an activation switch;

c) an acoustic transducer which emits tones corresponding to the product information; and

d) control means for

i) receiving information which indicates

(A) times when data should be transmitted, and

(B) data rate required for transmitted data, and

ii) transmitting data from the label at said rate and said time.

12. A label as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a power source which is independent of a power source of the product to be serviced.

13. A label as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least two buttons, the actuation of each providing broadcast information in a different language.

14. A label as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for enabling dynamic updating of the information in the memory.

15. A label as claimed in claim 14, wherein the information in the memory is updated from the product to be serviced, via a sound card.

16. A label as claimed in claim 14, wherein the information in the memory is updated via the use of a device which is used to capture configuration information and convert it into tones for transmission to the label for storage in the memory.

17. A label as claimed in claim 16, wherein the device comprises an MP3 player.

18. A label as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a printable display or smart ink, which is actuated to provide an indication to a user that a product requires servicing.

19. A label as claimed in claim 11, further comprising volume control means.

20. An acoustic coupling product label according to claim 11, wherein the label stores multiple different types of information about the product, and different respective incoming codes cause the label to transmit the respective information.

21. A computerized product support system comprising:

means for receiving tones corresponding to product information from an acoustic coupling product label; and

means for transmitting tones to the label to inform the label of the data rate and time at which the system requires the information.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising means for notifying appropriate service personnel for the product to be serviced.

23. A method of providing product information over a standard telephone line to a computerized product support system, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an acoustic coupling product label for mounting on a product to be serviced, the label having a memory containing the product information;

b) locating a telephone near the label;

c) activating the label so that tones corresponding to the product information are transmitted over the standard telephone;

d) receiving information from the support system which indicates one or more times when data should be transmitted by the label, and data rates which should be used and

e) transmitting the information at said rate and time required.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the label is mounted on the front of a product to be serviced.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein additional tones corresponding to a telephone number of a service provider are transmitted before the tones corresponding to the product information.

26. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein additional tones indicating that the call is an authorized service call are transmitted before the tones corresponding to the product information.

27. A method as claimed in claims 23, further comprising the step of determining service entitlement, by a service provider, based on the information transmitted to the system by the label.

28. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein a call centre uses a serial number of the label to check a Service Level Agreement to stop abuse of the call centre by people without service contracts.

29. A method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the step of verifying the user'"'"'s identity, so as to stop accidental or malicious use of the label.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the user enters a password, so as to be authenticated as a valid user of the system.

31. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the user enters a PIN number, so as to be authenticated as a valid user of the system.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the user enters the PIN utilizing a number of buttons on the label.

33. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the user'"'"'s voice is compared to a stored sample in order to authenticate the user.