Patent Application
20120179519
The present invention relates to a system and method for retrieving product information.
Many products include memory that stores information about the product, such as serial number, manufacturing date, time of installation, or number of actuations. Retrieval of this information can be useful in a variety of circumstances. For example, it can be useful for a product manufacturer or product retailer to retrieve product information in order to help drive future business practices, such as sales promotions or new product development. Unfortunately, there can be a number of obstacles with product information retrieval.
One common way to retrieve product information is during a service telephone call. During the service call, typically in the process of attempting to identify the issue with the product, a trained telephone technician conducts a telephone interview with the product user. The telephone technician typically will explain to the user how to put the product in diagnostic mode, so that the product can display product information. Then the technician asks the user questions about the displayed product information.
Another common way to retrieve product information is during an in-person service call. When a user experiences a product malfunction, a technician may be sent to the physical location of the product to repair the product. As shown in
These methods of product information retrieval suffer from a number of flaws. The information is generally skewed because it is collected from products being serviced. Using these methods, it is rare that product information will be collected from normally operating products. Accordingly, the information collected may lead to less than optimal future business practices. Additionally, it can be cost prohibitive to pay a staff of technicians to either interview users or travel and directly interface with products.
Some products include hardware capable of communicating product information over a network to the manufacturer or another third party. However, there can be a number of issues with this approach. It can be cost prohibitive to include communication hardware in every product. And, even if communication hardware is included, the product may not have access to a network for communicating the information.
The present invention provides a system and method for product information retrieval with a mailable item. The system may include a product with communication circuitry and memory, a mailable item with communication circuitry and memory, and a collection device with communication circuitry and memory. The method for retrieving product information from a product may include providing a mailable item with a communication system and memory, transferring product information from the product to the mailable item, storing the transferred information, and mailing the mailable item to a recipient who can retrieve the product information.
The present invention may include providing one or more incentives. Incentives may help to ensure that the user transfers the product information on to the mailable item and mails the mailable item back. In one embodiment, the mailable item may include a software update for the product as an incentive for the user to obtain the mailable item. The mailable item may be configured such that installation of the software update is performed simultaneously while transferring the product information on to the mailable item. In another embodiment, in exchange for the user mailing the mailable item to the manufacturer, the manufacturer may offer an incentive such as coupons, promotional materials, discounts, monetary rewards, or a report on the status of the product.
In general, information retrieved using the present invention is collectively more reliable than data retrieved during service calls or service visits because the product from which information is being collected is unrelated to whether or not the product is malfunctioning. Further, the mailable item is generally less expensive than the cost of including hardware capable of communicating product information over a network in the product.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components.
Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes 1) providing a product with memory for storing product information and a wireless communication system for communicating the product information; 2) providing a mailable item having a wireless communication system and memory, 3) transferring product information from the product memory to the mailable item, 4) storing the transferred product information on the mailable item, 5) mailing the mailable item, 6) receiving the mailable item in the mail, 7) retrieving the product information from the memory of the mailable item, 8) storing the product information in a database, and 9) analyzing the product information in the database to drive business practices.
The product can be essentially any type of product that includes memory for storing product information and a wireless communication system for communicating the product information. For example, the product can be a water treatment system, air treatment system, automobile, mobile phone, tablet, or television. Further, although referred to as a product throughout this application, this term is not meant to be limiting and should be construed to include essentially any device or apparatus.
One embodiment of a product is illustrated in
The communication system 406 in the current embodiment includes a transmitter 408, a detector 410, and an antenna 412. In the current embodiment, the communication system 406 is capable of wireless two-way communication with the mailable item when it is in close proximity. In alternative embodiments, the communication system may be wired or may be capable of only one-way transmission. The communication system can be essentially any type of communication system and can use any of a variety of protocols. For example, the communication system could utilize WiFi, Bluetooth, TransferJet, or RFID technology.
The product information being stored on the product memory can include a variety of different types of product information. The product information can include both dynamic and static information. For example, the static product information may include the product serial number and manufacture date. The dynamic product information or product usage information may include information related to the software version, number of actuations of the product or the times at which the product is used, to name a few examples.
Product usage information may be related to the underlying function of the product. For example, if the product is a water treatment system, the product information may include the total number of power ups, total number of cartridges installed in the water treatment system over its lifetime, total number of water flows for the system, total number of days the system has been in use, total number of hours the current filter has been installed, total amount of volume of water treated through the current filter, total number of water flows through the current filter, total number of water flows with a low battery, total number of flows after the filter end of life, the maximum number of flows of water in a 24 hour period, and the maximum flow in a 24 hour period in the current filter.
Although
An exemplary operational state machine for a water treatment system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In some embodiments, the RFID reader/writer of the product may interact with multiple RFID tags. For example, in the operational state diagram described in
A mailable item in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes memory and a communication system. The memory and communication system can be separate components that are integral with the mailable item or fastened to the mailable item. For example, in one embodiment, the memory and communication system are included in an RFID tag that is attached to the mailable item with adhesive. A block diagram of one embodiment of a mailable item is illustrated in
A mailable item refers to any item that can be mailed using any service for delivering an item. Reference to mailing a mailable item refers to placement of a mailable item in a post office, mailbox or other courier service for transmission. For example a mailable item may include any item that is capable of being mailed utilizing a national postal service or a courier service such as UPS or FedEx. One mailable item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is a postcard. A postcard is generally defined as an object that can be mailed by itself without the use of an envelope or other packaging. In one embodiment, a postcard may includes a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. In some places, it may be possible to send a postcard for a lower fee than a letter. Another mailable item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is a pre-stamped envelope. The pre-stamped envelope may include memory and a communication sticker.
The mailable item can be a unitary item or a multi-part item. In embodiments where the mailable item is a unitary item, the mailable item may include predefined destination information, a wireless communication system, and memory all joined to form a single item that can be delivered to a recipient. In embodiments where the mailable item is a multi-part item, the mailable item can include a package with predefined destination information and a product usage information module that includes a wireless communication system and memory. In this embodiment, the package and the product usage information module are separable parts such that the product information module can be removed from the package for use and inserted into the package for mailing. For example, an RFID tag and a self addressed stamped envelope together can form a multi-part mailable item. The package can be essentially any type of package that can be mailed, such as a mailer, envelope, or box.
In the current embodiment, the RFID tag 500 is both a wireless communication system and memory. Therefore, the RFID tag can both receive and store product information communicated from a product. In alternative embodiments, the RFID tag may be replaced by a different communication system and memory. For example, an infrared (IR) transceiver 504 and memory or a wireless transceiver 506 and memory could replace the RFID tag on the postcard.
The postcard may include a microcontroller and power supply. The microcontroller and power supply can have a variety of uses on the postcard. In one embodiment, the microcontroller in conjunction with the communication system can be programmed to upload a software update to the product.
The postcard or the product may also include a feedback module. In the current embodiment, the feedback module can provide feedback regarding the status of the product information transfer through visual, audible, or haptic feedback. In alternative embodiments, the feedback module can provide feedback regarding additional items. For example, in some embodiments, the feedback module can provide status of the software update through visual, audible, or haptic feedback.
Some embodiments of the method can be performed by a product user or a product manufacturer. For example, a method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is performed entirely by a product user, the method includes 1) providing a postcard with a communication system and memory, 2) transferring product information from a water treatment system onto the postcard, 3) storing the transferred information in postcard memory, and 4) mailing the postcard. An example of this embodiment of the method is illustrated in
Another method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is performed entirely by a product user, the method includes 1) providing a postcard with a communication system and memory, 2) transferring product information from a consumer electronic product onto the postcard, 3) storing the transferred information in postcard memory, and 4) mailing the postcard. An example of this embodiment of the method is illustrated in
The methods described in connection with
In some embodiments, the method for retrieving product information is performed by a manufacturer or other entity interested in analyzing a collection of product information. In some embodiments, the mailable items are mailed to a service center where the product information can be retrieved from the mailable items by a third party.
In
The present invention may include providing one or more incentives. Incentives may help to ensure that the user transfers the product information on to the postcard and mails the postcard back. In one embodiment, the postcard may include a software update for the product as an incentive for the user to obtain the postcard. The postcard may be configured such that installation of the software update is performed simultaneously while transferring the product information on to the postcard. In another embodiment, in exchange for the user mailing the postcard, the manufacturer may offer an incentive such as coupons, promotional materials, discounts, monetary rewards, admittance to an event sponsored by the product manufacturer, or a report on the status of the product.
An example of a method for retrieving product information is illustrated in
In one embodiment, the method of product information retrieval can be implemented even in products that have memory and communication systems that are not currently programmed to communicate with a mailable item. The mailable item may include a software update that includes the programming for the product to communicate with the mailable item for purposes of transmitting product information to the mailable item. In this way, even products already existing in the field can be easily updated to have the capability to provide information to a mailable item, such as a postcard that a customer receives in the mail. The updates to the product can be firmware upgrades that provide new features, turn on/off features, or fix bugs.
In one embodiment, the manufacturer can send postcards to a block of customers and incentivize them to send the postcards back. This grants the ability to analyze the information and provide feedback to customers. User habit information can be culled from the product information and help to provide specific reports to the customer. Further, the information can be used collectively to make assessments about the product information as a whole.
The system and method for product information retrieval with a mailable item can provide a variety of different functions. In one embodiment, the product information on the mailable item includes usage information that allows important information to be reported back to the user or utilized by the manufacturer for business development. For example, some of the usage information that can be collected includes system usage data, filter usage, remaining life, serial number, system configuration, and usage statistics such as averages, medians: flow rate, use time, pressure, and temperature. In another embodiment, the mailable item functions as a mailable “black box” that can report diagnostics and fault conditions. For example, the mailable item can collect data of the last 30 days of detailed use data, diagnostic data, and calibration data. In another embodiment, the mailable item can be an interactive RFID postcard for testing and reporting. For example, the RFID postcard and/or the product can display results with OLEDs, LEDs, or eInk. The product can provide wireless energy to power the electronics on the postcard. The interactive system can allow user queries and responses to be stored. The postcard may include one or more batteries to run a processor on the postcard. In another embodiment, the mailable item can be an RFID postcard with a survey. The text on the RFID postcard may include a survey for the user to fill out so that the postcard accomplishes two functions, transferring product information on to the postcard and providing a survey to the user. In another alternative embodiment, the mailable item can be a push postcard that queries the product and can upload data to the system. For example, the uploaded data can be utilized to reset faults, set configuration parameters, and upload software revisions. Thin battery technology may be utilized to integrate a battery in or on the postcard in order to increase the amount of data that can be transferred. A variety of different features of various embodiments of the mailable item have been described. It should be understood that some embodiments may include mailable items with a combination of these features and their corresponding components.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61430729 | Jan 2011 | US |
