Service plan product and associated system and method

• US 8,478,696 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosskamm, Daniel, Brenny, Joseph, Orzel, Steven, Eastman, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROJAS, HAJIME S
• Application Number:
  US12/842,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan includes a support backer and a tag removably coupled with the backer. The tag includes service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account stored in a database and plan administrator contact indicia. The tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to access the database to identify details regarding the service plan account. Related systems and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages.

Claims

1. A warranty plan system comprising:

a physical display within a retail store;

a tangible warranty plan product positioned on the physical display, the tangible warranty plan product including;

a preprinted label including information identifying an individual warranty plan account, the individual warranty plan account providing for or facilitating repair, replacement and other servicing of a primary product as needed during a predefined term of the individual warranty plan account, wherein the primary product is initially separate from the tangible warranty plan product,

a first bar code identifying one of a plurality of available tiers of warranty plan accounts,

a second bar code for the warranty plan product, the second bar code indicating the individual warranty plan account and the tier indicated by the first bar code, and

a backer selectively coupled to and supporting the preprinted label such that the preprinted label is readily removable from the backer for placement on the primary product, wherein the first bar code and the second bar code are supported by the backer and exist prior to positioning the tangible warranty plan product on the physical display, and wherein the information identifying the individual warranty plan account is separate from the first bar code and the second bar code; and

a point-of-sale register within the retail store, the point-of-sale register being configured to receive the tangible warranty plan product once the tangible warranty plan product is transferred to the point-of-sale register from the physical display, the point-of-sale register being configured to optically read the first bar code and the second bar code of the tangible warranty plan product and a primary product bar code of the primary product during a mercantile transaction in which the tangible warranty plan product and the primary product are processed as separate items for retail sale, the point-of-sale register including a computer that is programmed to process the first bar code as an indication of the identified one of the plurality of available tiers of warranty plan accounts and that is programmed to process the second bar code as an indication of the link between the tangible warranty plan product and the individual warranty plan account within the one of the plurality of available tiers of warranty plan accounts, wherein the primary product bar code differs from the first bar code and the second bar code, and the point-of-sale register associates the primary product with the individual warranty plan account based on the second bar code, which is optically read from the tangible warranty plan product, and the primary product bar code, which is optically read from the primary product, and initializes the tangible warranty plan account for a predetermined term,

wherein the backer includes a pocket, and the tangible warranty plan product comprises a tangible contract sheet providing details regarding terms of the individual warranty plan account, including the second bar code, and being maintained in the pocket of the backer.

2. The warranty plan system of claim 1, wherein the backer defines a card.

3. The warranty plan system of claim 2, wherein the card includes an aperture, and the aperture is received by a peg hook in the physical retail store such that the card hangs from the peg hook in the physical retail store.

4. The warranty plan system of claim 2, wherein the card is colored to visually indicate the tier of the warranty plan account indicated by the first bar code, wherein different warranty plan products include cards with different colors, and wherein the different warranty plan products are associated with different tiers of warranty.

5. The warranty plan system of claim 1, wherein the physical retail display is spaced from the point-of-sale terminal and separately supporting both the primary product and the warranty plan product.

6. The warranty plan system of claim 1, wherein the backer includes a foldable flap configured to selectively cover the label.