Method of providing digital content for users of physical items

• US 9,923,983 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Werner, Jon H., DiBenedetto, Christian, Vaterlaus, Amy Jones, Vincent, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US15/331,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/235 Update request formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for enhancing users'"'"' overall experiences with physical items by supplementing their physical experiences with digital experiences. According to an embodiment, an electronic device scans a smart tag associated with an item to obtain an item identifier of the item, and sends the item identifier to a server, which selects digital content to be made available to a user of the item.

Claims

1. A method of registering an item to a user account, the item associated with a smart tag encoded with an item identifier that identifies the item, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server from a device, a purchase-indication message for the item, the purchase-indication message indicating that the item has been purchased and is no longer being offered for sale, the purchase-indication message including the item identifier that identifies the item;

setting, by the server, a registration flag in the subset of item data, wherein the registration flag, when processed by the server, causes the server to provide a prompt to register the item to the user account;

receiving, at the server from an electronic device, a request to provide digital content related to the item, the request including the item identifier transmitted from the smart tag to the electronic device upon positioning of the electronic device proximate to the smart tag, the request further including a selection of an option from a menu of options presented on the electronic device;

locating, by the server, in a database of item data a subset of item data related to the item, the subset of item data determined at least in part by the selection of the option; and

responsive to processing the registration flag, providing the prompt, by the server, to the electronic device to register the item to the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the prompt, by the server, to the electronic device to register the item to the user account comprises:

redirecting the electronic device to an item-registration webpage.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to providing the prompt, by the server, to the electronic device to register the item, receiving, by the server, registration information from the electronic device, the registration information including a user identifier;

searching a database of user account data to identify the user account, the user account associated with the user identifier; and

including the item identifier or a reference to the item identifier in the user account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to providing the prompt, by the server, to the electronic device to register the item, receiving, by the server, registration information from the electronic device, the registration information including a user identifier; and

including at least one of the user identifier or a reference to the user identifier in the subset of item data associated with the item identifier and related to the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device that sends the purchase-indication message to the server is a POS device of a merchant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device that sends the purchase-indication message to the server is the electronic device.

7. A system for registering an item to a user account, the item associated with a smart tag encoded with an item identifier that identifies the item, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory device including executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a purchase-indication message for the item, the purchase-indication message indicating that the item has been purchased and is no longer being offered for sale, the purchase-indication message including the item identifier that identifies the item;

set a registration flag in the subset of item data, wherein the registration flag, when processed by the processor, causes the processor to provide a prompt to register the item to the user account;

receive from an electronic device a request to provide digital content related to the item, the request including the item identifier transmitted from the smart tag to the electronic device upon positioning of the electronic device proximate to the smart tag, the request further including a selection of an option from a menu of options presented on the electronic device;

locate in a database of item data a subset of item data related to the item, the subset of item data determined at least in part by the selection of the option; and

responsive to processing the registration flag, provide the prompt to the electronic device to register the item to the user account.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein providing the prompt to the electronic device to register the item to the user account comprises:

redirecting the electronic device to an item-registration webpage.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to providing the prompt to the electronic device to register the item, receiving registration information, by the processor, from the electronic device, the registration information including a user identifier;

searching a database of user account data to identify the user account, the user account associated with the user identifier; and

including at least one of the item identifier or a reference to the item identifier in the user account.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to providing the prompt to the electronic device to register the item, receiving registration information, by the processor, from the electronic device, the registration information including a user identifier; and

including at least one of the user identifier or a reference to the user identifier in the subset of item data associated with the item identifier and related to the item.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the device that sends the purchase-indication message to the server is a POS device of a merchant.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the device that sends the purchase-indication message to the server is the electronic device.