Patent Application
20240013246
This disclosure is directed to evaluation of pre-owned electronic devices by performing at least a part the evaluation using a portable electronic device. More particularly, the disclosed technology provides for performing at least part of the evaluation of a pre-owned electronic device using a portable electronic device.
Small electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, smart watches, etc. are in widespread use. These small consumer electronic devices may be collectively referred to herein as “pre-owned electronic devices”, “pre-owned devices” or “PODs”. With increased use among all segments of the populations, numerous services and other applications are frequently released by various entities to be performed or used on such devices. Also, the hardware and/or software of these devices are frequently upgraded in the form of new devices being released by manufacturers.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/598,004 filed on May 17, 2017 (“'004 application”), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/153,137 filed on May 12, 2016 (“'137 application”), PCT Application No. PCT/IB2018/055218, filed on Jul. 13, 2018 (“'218 application”), PCT Application No. PCT/IB2018/055219, and Jul. 13, 2018 (“'219 application”), PCT Application No. PCT/IB2019/056533 filed on Jul. 31, 2019 (“533 Application”), and U.S. application Ser. No. 17/071,717, filed on Oct. 15, 2020 (“'717 application”), the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, describe systems and techniques for distributed collection centers, such as collection kiosks (herein sometimes also referred to as “booths”) that are configured to accept a POD such as a client's smartphone (or other consumer electronic device) and to then provide the client with an amount of money corresponding to an estimated value. Such systems and techniques enable many people who find themselves in situations where, after having bought a new smartphone or some other consumer electronic device to replace an older device, would like to conveniently and safely dispose of the old device. In many instances, such persons may desire to trade the old device in return for some monetary or other gain.
Example embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are illustrative, and are not intended to be limiting. Configurations other than those specifically described may be employed as appropriate according to some embodiments. Some example embodiments according to this disclosure provide for using a portable electronic device, without being attached to an associated fixed apparatus, to perform an entire evaluation of, or at least a part of the evaluation of, a POD.
The need to perform analysis of a POD for various reasons such as, but not limited to, trading, quoting, evaluation, protection plans or repair estimation, occurs often. Sometimes the evaluation systems described in applications mentioned above are not available to satisfy such needs due to space constraints of stores or due to reasons such as more and more transactions related to POD being made from home or another location away from a store or the like where an evaluation system described in the applications mentioned above is available. Sometimes the evaluation systems were not the best-suited due to the fact that many PODs have different sizes, such as, for example, from watch size to full laptop size. In some other instances, the cost of purchasing an evaluation system such as those described in the applications mentioned above may be seen as a barrier to its use. For these reasons, it became desirable to have smaller, more portable, evaluation devices still operable within the evaluation system ecosystem. The embodiments described in this disclosure provide systems and methods for substituting evaluation device in evaluation systems by transforming a portable device, such as a smartphone or tablet, into a portable evaluation device. By using software applications capable of providing at least some of the services required to evaluate a POD, such as the imaging of the device or automated machine to machine (M2M) testing of the audio and other components of the POD and combining new techniques to compensate for, circumvent, or render less significant, the benefits of having fixed structure and controllable environments.
Unlike the repurposed POD (rePOD) described in the '533 application, which also uses a mobile application on a smartphone or tablet, the embodiments described herein pose a plurality of challenges to achieve this. In many RePOD evaluation systems described in the '533 application, evaluation devices are attached, or are to be temporarily affixed, to some structure of an apparatus such as, for example, a kiosk, and the apparatus provides a standardized environment. The standardized environment, for example, provides an inspection chamber or inspection area, which may have a locking mechanism (access door) during inspection process or other such mechanism to prevent fraud by swapping devices, contain mirrors, have fixed or electronically controllable lighting sources to ensure POD in the inspection area are imaged in stable/controlled environment, and the distance between the camera and the POD is known for any captured images of the POD. These characteristics provide substantial advantages and efficiencies for many evaluations performed in the evaluation systems as they would allow for standardized imaging in the evaluation system. Such characteristics also allow for other standardization such as for example a known distance for testing audio components. The mirrors in the inspection area in some of the evaluation systems also allow a multiplicity of images to be extracted from one master image and provide a surrounding view of the POD.
As an overview, using a PED to accomplish equal or similar quality level evaluations as provided by fixed structures such as those described in the applications mentioned above, the following challenges may be required to be addressed in embodiments described in this disclosure:
To overcome these challenges while providing equal or similar quality level of evaluation tests and evaluations performed by a portable evaluation device, several new methods are described in this disclosure.
To achieve device-to-device (e.g. between the POD and the evaluation device (e.g., PED)) interaction over a network of a plurality of devices where no unique identifier for one of the devices is originally known to the other device, a technique must be used to pair the devices in order to determine that a device instance, for example, an instance of PED 102 in
In some embodiments, a robust pairing technique may be quasi-automated and made more robust by making use of a unique identifier displayable or emittable (transmittable) by a first device, and having the identifier capturable by a second device so that the evaluation system, executing either on one or the devices or as a remote service, may pair the devices together which allows for further device to device communication, or device to server to device communication. Similar to the security challenges described in the '533 Application, the PED is more subject to fraud because of the lack of a controlled and/or locked environment where no human manipulation can occur between tests. For example, with a PED, it is possible for a person to “change the phone” when taking the back surface picture of the POD, thereby showing the back of a different device that could be in good condition, while the POD under analysis has a damaged back surface. This is more important in certain situations such as when, especially in light of the newer smartphones, the POD having glass as a material for the back, which is costly to repair.
To circumvent this, a plurality of security challenges may be applied. For instance, when a PED is taking images of the top of the POD, a first QR code security challenge may be made, which, in more detail, may be performed for example using the following process:
An example scenario associated with attempted fraud using “screen sharing” is described. A malicious user may have two similar devices where one has a bad cosmetic condition while the second is in good cosmetic condition. The malicious user can try to use screen sharing to trick the evaluation system thinks it sees a good condition device while in fact it is operably connected to, and has retrieved IMEI and other device information from, a bad condition device. The user may thus attempt to conceal the true condition of the device, and then subsequently if necessary may attempt to claim that the damage occurred during transportation.
Example embodiments may circumvent the occurrence of such fraud. Example embodiments provide for the evaluation system to send information such as an encryption or hash key or any complement to such key, specifically and only to the device actually in-sight of the evaluation device. Note that, in order to prevent screen sharing for the above fraudulent purpose, the evaluation system cannot take for granted that the device in-sight is the device it is in communication with. Techniques such as, for example, using the flash LED of the PED to send a Morse-like code (such as, for example, described above for taking back picture) to the device that is in sight, or, flipping the PED over so that the camera of the POD captures an information displayed on the PED (e.g., a QR code or another computer recognizable identifier).
To ensure the authenticity of the device in sight is actually also being digitally connected to the evaluation system, for example, that it is not a screen-shared view of another device, the application software running on the POD could, at some point, be required to operate a reverse security challenge in which it would recognize an information, for example, through a light series or through a visually displayed recognizer for example a QR code displayed on the PED and presented to the POD in such way that, the information may be a key or a complement to a key used within the security challenge. An exemplary embodiment of such complete bidirectional security challenge pairing could be implemented the described manner.
These techniques may also be used to offer multi-layer challenges for more robust pairing authentication, such as, for example, requiring a sequence of two computer recognizable identifiers (e.g., QR codes) to be recognized.
Use of these pairing techniques may be performed on the application based diagnostics and/or web-based diagnostic models.
To circumvent many of the problems caused by the lack of a dedicated evaluation device, embodiments of this disclosure may use any of three techniques, or a combination thereof, to provide similar evaluation levels as provided by systems with dedicated evaluation devices. In order to do so, the PED, which may, for example, be a smartphone or a tablet, uses a mobile application (referred to as “evaluation app” or “home app”) that mimics several of the functions provided by dedicated evaluation devices.
The first technique makes use of a diagnostic application or services in an application, the second technique makes use of a web-based diagnostic, and the third technique uses basic display of a page presenting a POD IMEI.
In an embodiment that uses a diagnostic application or services in an application, a smartphone application, similar to applications described for a rePOD as described in the '533 Application, acts as a '“virtual” evaluation device, but in order to work appropriately to overcome the challenges identified above, may contain several of the techniques described herein.
The evaluation may be implemented as a standalone application, or, in some embodiments, the functions embedded in another application, such as the mobile application, may be embedded in the same diagnostic application that may be used to diagnose a POD. In order to do so, some embodiments are organized so that the mobile application software may be used interchangeably as the POD diagnostic software, or as the PED software (e.g. the evaluation app referred to above), by selecting an operation mode.
When operating in diagnostic mode, the application software would:
When operating in device evaluation mode, the mobile application would act as an evaluation system component, and provide many or all of the services typically provided by evaluation apparatus, combined with the techniques described herein to overcome the identified challenges.
To determine the operating mode of the PED software, several techniques may be embodied. In an exemplary embodiment, a user interface allows for the mode selection to be determined, for example, by providing ‘mode’ selection buttons, or an interface question permitting the determination of such mode. For example, in an embodiment, the following question may be asked (
In another embodiment, a URL parameter is used to preselect an operation mode. In such embodiment, the URL parameter may be set for example as: appurl://operationmode=diagnose. In another embodiment, multiple GET URL parameters could be used to preselect an operation mode alongside other information.
In such embodiments, the URL parameter may be embedded for example in a QR code, allowing a user to scan a QR code from a camera of the POD that is to be evaluated which may then trigger the POD operating system to open the relevant store for downloading and installing the application, or opening the application if it was already present. For instance, the QR code would be an encoded link to a website that would redirect the user to the appropriate step depending on if the POD already as the diagnostic app installed then the app url to open it is prompted, if not, the app store will be opened for the user to install it.
In such embodiments using a QR code, the URL may be printed on a surface, or on a marketing material. In other embodiments, the QR code is displayed for instance using a web page, a kiosk display, a POS display, or another application. For example, the QR code may be made available on a smartphone carrier website under a ‘trade-in’ your phone section, which, when scanned by the existing smartphone of a user, would become a starting point for the trade-in process. Other processes, such as gathering a certification report, repair estimations and etc. (see concurrently filed U.S. Provisional Application 63/106,635, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference) may also start using this technique.
In such embodiments using a QR code displayed on a screen, because the identifier can be generated each time (for each ‘session’), an identifier corresponding to a session with the user may be added to the URL, for example randomly or sequentially generated, which may be used for activity traceability purposes, and to facilitate the user experience, as it will be further described herein. As an example, the QR code may generate a link with a campaign id for the POD to go to and download the app. Once downloaded, the POD would be trackable using some fingerprinting method to match said installation with an associated campaign id.
It is important to note that embedding both functionalities (i.e. diagnostic functions and evaluation device functions) into a same app may be a desirable feature in some instances, but the same functionality may be achieved in some embodiments by having two different applications, the first application providing the diagnostic functions and services, and the second application providing the evaluation device functions and services. Alternatively, other embodiments of the present disclosure provide the services as integratable packages for third party mobile application designers or publishers.
Embodiments providing integratable packages may use any technology to support integration, such as source code, services (e.g., webservices or other services accessible through services interfaces), libraries, API or SDK to achieve the results described herein. Exemplary embodiments of applications integrating functions may be, for example, a smartphone carrier already providing its users with an application for example for account management purposes, but also desire to integrate either the diagnostic functionalities, or the evaluation functionalities, or both. For example, it may be desirable that, a user ordering a new smartphone, either online or at a store, has the portable evaluation device application functionalities pre-loaded, either as a standalone application, or embedded in the carrier application. Therefore, when referring to the mobile application, whether the diagnostic application or the evaluation application, the description herein refers to the services offered by an application, which may be a standalone, a dual function application, or partially integrated into another application that offers a plurality of services.
A problem solved by some embodiments is that many persons that may desire to trade their smartphone, prefer to ensure that their new smartphone has all the data transferred to it and is running properly for a few days before proceeding with trade-ins. By having the portable evaluation device functions readily available, either as a standalone application or embedded within their own application, the carrier may facilitate the process, for example, by allowing the trade-in process to be partially or totally completed at home, even several days after purchasing of a new device, in store or online.
In such embodiments where the PED functions are already present on a new device, different starting points may be offered. In one of such embodiment, the evaluation device functions may be used to initiate the process which may include presenting on the new smartphone a QR code for the POD to capture and, by using a fixed QR code, or generating a unique QR code (for example with embedded unique identifier) and using the embedded URL techniques described above, continue with the process.
An alternate embodiment that provides a session ID to the evaluation system may be performed by having one of the device camera pointing at the display of the other device, and having the first device read a unique identifier (e.g. a recognizable identifier as referred to above) displayed on the display of the second device, which permits, for devices connected through a network, the establishment of a communication channel between the two devices for them to interact, directly or with the use of intermediary services, such as a server in communication with the two device.
Embodiments of this disclosure using integratable packages may be operable so that third party applications may communicate information to a common diagnostic application and/or a common evaluation application. By transmitting the information from a third party application, an improved user experience may be achieved. For instance, a first application is a third party application and has been published by a cellular carrier company. The first application may provide several features and benefits outside the scope of the disclosure, however, such applications may also integrate with either:
While integrated results may be achieved by other integration methods specified (SDK/API), an alternative method is to pass information from a first application, which may be any of an identifier relatable to the cellular carrier company, or a reverse logistic processing company associated with, a session identifier, an IMEI, etc. Using the information received from the originating third party application, the diagnostic application or evaluation application may, accordingly, adapt or facilitate the experience.
Some embodiments using integration methods may provide or enable additional features, or use specific datasets to tailor a user experience. For example, when using an integration method, diagnostic or evaluation applications may be able to assess pre-evaluation probable trade-in value because they can associate an evaluation session with a specific carrier, which uses a specific reverse logistic company. By associating a session with a specific dataset, it is possible to provide probable pre-evaluation pricing for a device.
Each model of smartphones and tablets have different cameras, focus lenses or camera firmware or software that may result in significant differences in the picture quality. The same picture taken by two different models of a smartphone, even at the same exact position in space and with the exact same lighting environment may result in significantly different images. These differences may become important as they could result in defect analysis mechanisms behaving differently, when such mechanisms are made by trained human operators, trained artificial intelligence systems or programmatic functions, and may be the source of false positives or false negatives defects.
Some embodiments of the evaluation system may be configured to first determine the quality level of the camera of the portable evaluation device. It may do so by applying different techniques, for instance, it may first recognize the portable evaluation device make and model (i.e. iPhone 7) and access a database to retrieve information pertaining to this specific model. It may determine from this information if the camera system is acceptable, not acceptable, if some proactive actions, such as, for example, specifying some camera settings before taking images, or if some corrective actions must be taken before processing images. Alternatively, some embodiments may inquire directly or through the operating system services about features of the camera, such as, supported resolution, frame rate, etc.
Some embodiments of the evaluation system may also use image analysis or computer vision techniques to determine the viability of the images taken by the portable evaluation device. For example, by using color histograms, image histograms of a known image, or on a subset of a known image, it may be able to determine characteristics for accepting or rejecting the portable evaluation device, or applying proactive or corrective actions. For instance, an embodiment of the evaluation system in communication with a POD and a portable evaluation device, may demand the POD to display a known image or pattern, take an image of the POD using the evaluation device (after guiding the user accordingly to embodiments described herein), and, based on the analysis of the image, determine that is has sufficient brightness, contrast, is in focus, etc.
Some embodiments provide means to guide the user in correcting the ambiance lighting environment to circumvent at least some of the lighting-related problems identified above. For example, using histogram analysis, a PED looking at a known displayed image on the POD may determine that the ambient lighting level is inadequate, or that the ambient lighting set is inadequate because it provides too much of a given base color (RGB). By analyzing the color histogram on complete or subsets of the image the evaluation system is able to determine whether the lighting is adequate or not. For enhanced clarity when using this method, an embodiment of this disclosure may demand a user to place a POD on a white paper, and, taking a first picture using the PED conveniently placed at the top of the POD, ensuring the image covers a substantial amount of the available pixels. The evaluation system becomes capable, for example using computer vision techniques comparing a first image with a black background displayed on the POD and a second image with a white background displayed on the POD, to determine surface coverage. The evaluation system, continuing on with analyzing these images, is capable to determine adequacy of the lighting environment by analyzing tonal distribution, by applying color histogram, and/or image histogram techniques to the various images and/or a subset, for example the subset corresponding to the display area where the two images substantially differ. Some embodiments may use the surrounding area of the POD images as reference points for which the color may be known, for example that may be presumably white when instructions to use indicates the user to use a white sheet, or any color such as green when a processor or carrier provided the user with a printable template or a pre-printed background sheet. QR codes may also be used as reference points to help in the determination or adjustment of the ambient lighting, white balancing, brightness, contrast, colors, etc.
For the evaluation system to determine adequacy of the lighting environment, it may compare the various histograms created with color or image histogram techniques with acceptable threshold, determining that the brightness, the contrast, and capable of doing so for each of the base color (RGB) provide for an acceptable ambient lighting. Images taken in an acceptable lighting can be flagged for further analysis, for example, submitted for defect analysis. Images taken in unacceptable lighting can be refused, requesting the user to adjust the lighting accordingly or possibly, for some lighting defect that can easily be corrected, processed through filters and image enhancement algorithms before being submitted for analysis.
To achieve high quality defect analysis, especially on glass surface, previous applications of the applicant, such as those mentioned above, described a technique known as DLST (Dynamic Lighting Source Technique) wherein a plurality of light sources may be controlled by the evaluation system, creating different lighting environment and causing light to be reflected on possible broken areas of the glass, therefore enhancing the probability of detection.
To maintain the advantages of such capabilities, the inventors developed a variation of the DLST that the inventors named MLST (mobile lighting source technique). The MLST uses, when available, at least one of the PED “flash” function (LED light placed nearby the back camera) or the POD device “flash” function, and taking, when appropriate, images with and without the light flash on. For example, an embodiment may require the user to take pictures at 6 different positions, each outlying (focusing) on the main structural side of the POD: top, bottom, up, down, right, left. Using the MLST, the PED may take a first image of the POD top face with its flash off, a second image of the top with its flash on, a third image of the right side with flash on, and so on, up to 12 distinct images, two for each surface. The evaluation system may combine more images, for example, by displaying colored surface, images or patterns on the POD display. By taking plurality of images using this technique that simulates different lighting environment, the evaluation system is capable of substantially improving the probability of detecting defects even in an uncontrolled environment.
As described, many embodiments will require the user to position the devices at various points in space and at various angles, so that adequate pictures can be taken from all sides of the POD. In some embodiments, capturing images of less than all the sides of the POD may be sufficient for the evaluation.
A first technique to achieve capturing images from multiple capture points is to instruct the user to place the phone at an approximate angle and distance, so that the camera can capture, for example, the right side of the POD, then instruct user to move either device (POD or the PED) so the camera of the PED can now capture for example the left side of the POD, and so on. This technique is likely to lead to a high variance in the images taken by the evaluation device in terms of focal distance, focus, angle, position.
Some embodiments improve this base technique by applying camera preview overlays on the display of the PED (
Some embodiments further improve this base technique by using 3D positioning, which may use artificial intelligence and augmented reality techniques, including, but not limited to, computer vision, object detection, optical character recognition, QR, barcode or other identification scanning and recognition, etc. These techniques may be either embedded or programmed in the POD or the portable evaluation device, may rely on online third party services frameworks such as Firebase™ from Google, or other services that could be provided for instance using service interfaces to servers of the evaluation system.
Some embodiments may enhance 3D positioning techniques, by using when available on the POD and/or on the PED, motion or position sensors such as, for example, gyroscopes (angular rate/velocity sensors), accelerometers, etc., in order to determine the relative and/or absolute positions of the POD and of the PED and/or angular positioning.
Some embodiments may use different image processing techniques that analyze the quality of static images or image streams (such as camera preview streams) as a whole and also at pixel or groups of pixel level, such as color histogram analysis, primary colors pixels levels analysis, edge detection filters, for ensuring that at least one image is taken with a proper (e.g. a predetermined and/or preconfigured) focus, brightness and/or contrast. These techniques can be static (e.g., one image analysis) or dynamic (e.g., using an image stream) requiring the user to move or rotate either device so that the selected measurement variables indicate measurements within desired thresholds as determined by one or more preconfigured thresholds.
Some embodiments using 3D positioning techniques may display either on the POD or the PED, or both, positioning and/or general instructions, which may be any combination of dynamic or static text, pictograms and images indicating the user to move or displace either device so that the camera points at the desired evaluation surface, at a certain approximate angle and distance. Indications may also ask for more generic instructions such as requesting a brighter environment or the like. The instructions to the user, such as “move closer”, “move farther”, “bend toward”, etc., alongside probable histograms will help greatly in reducing the approximation of the images taken.
To achieve distance evaluation either from imaging only, or combined with 3D sensors, a reference distance, which may be measured by knowing or identifying properties from a reference object may be used. The object reference may be the POD itself, since its physical dimensions may be extracted from a database, for example, using the POD make and model. In some embodiments, the distance (depth) can also be determined using more than one image of the POD, for example, by taking images before and after the POD is moved a short distance (e.g., 2-5 inches). This technique may be used in conjunction with existing frameworks, or enhanced LIDAR or multiple cameras of some more recent smartphones that can be used as PED.
Therefore, in order to achieve this augmented reality interface, some embodiments may combine, or alternatively use computer vision techniques for properly positioning (e.g., placing in space and at desired angle) the POD or the portable evaluation device. For instance, by using object identifications and other computer vision techniques, such as, for example, OpenCV™, the object detection with TensorFlow™, etc., a PED may be capable to adequately evaluate the angle and distance to the POD, for example, by identifying a reference point or object, such as the make and model of the POD as reported by the diagnostic software on the POD, or a known QR code size, and, using common computer vision techniques, the evaluation system or evaluation device becomes capable of adequately ensuring a distance is respected and provides similar feedback and is capable of providing feedback instructions as if it was using 3D sensors. Embodiments may combine such techniques with other computer vision and OCR methods that could indicate the orientation of the POD, for example, using MLKit™ or similar software.
In some instances, downloading and installing a mobile application on a pre-owned electronic device may be cumbersome. While the best diagnostic results may be achieved by using application software because they inherently have access to more system call functions than is possible using web technologies, many of the diagnostics and evaluation methods described previously (e.g., in the '533 application and other applications mentioned above) or herein may also be implemented using web technologies. This implementation may be used for instances where a full, thorough diagnosis is not required, or for instances where a pre-evaluation of the device is deemed significant, which may require a final diagnostic to be completed using the diagnostic application before completing the evaluation.
Some embodiments of this disclosure provide one or more of a plurality of tests that may be performed using a portable evaluation device application, which may be for instance installed on a store sales representative mobile phone or tablet, or pre-loaded on a smartphone or tablet, purchased in store or online, and, instead of using a mobile diagnostic application on the POD, the POD is directed to a diagnostic web-page that can interact with the portable evaluation device as described herein. The web diagnosis services may be used as substitute to several of the services described herein for diagnosing, evaluating or testing the pre-owned electronic device. In such instances, the evaluation system, instead of rendering the services using mobile application software and techniques, renders the same or similar services using web technologies. Web pairing
The web diagnosis services needs first to pair the POD with a PED, using the techniques previously described or herein described. For instance, a unique QR code may be displayed through the web page rendered on the POD, and the portable evaluation device may be configured to react to the information contained in the QR code which is, or contains, a unique identifier, and, by submitting the unique code to a service in relation with the creation or rendering of the QR code, may pair the devices, rendering possible either device to device communication, or using intermediary services, device to server, server to device communications.
Some embodiments using web diagnosis services will use a pairing technique so that the portable evaluation device becomes operatively in communication with the POD, either directly or using intermediary services or servers.
In some embodiments using web diagnosis services, the following services also offered by the diagnosis application may be rendered using web technologies: display identifiers, display colors, display pattern, display image, touch areas, automated speaker and microphone tests (one of the POD or evaluation device can play a sound, for example an audio sweep, to be recorded or analyzed by the other device, and vice-versa, Bluetooth, GPS, cameras, etc.
Traceability is generally known as the ability for a system, such as, for example, a website, to trace users moving in one or more websites (e.g. such as “web tracking”). This helps keeping track of user visits, and providing for resuming visits, etc. An issue faced in environments described in this disclosure is that the user experience is not necessarily occurring only within a given web browser, but can span multiple devices and environments. For example, a user, say user 1, is on the verizon.com website and is looking for a new iPhone valued at $500. When ready to check the trade-in value through the evaluation application described in this disclosure, the evaluation system may want to know (trace) it was user 1 on verizon.com. User 1 will begin running the diagnostic application on the POD, then, when the PED is evaluating the POD, it ideally needs to know, directly or indirectly (not necessarily the PED, but the evaluation system) that it is indeed user 1 that is with (associated with, or owning) the POD. By tracing the user activity, the originating website may then be updated, in realtime or quasi-realtime, so that the valuation of the POD as completed by the two smartphones (the POD and the PED) is for example $100. The website may then use that information to apply a “trade-in value” showing the user that the upgrade, minus the $100, will be only $400 (and not the full price of $500). Traceability methods permit this type of operation. Example embodiments, provide efficient techniques for multi-device traceability in the context of trade-in etc., of pre-owned devices.
Some embodiments may utilize tracing capabilities from a website. In some embodiments, using identifiers for traceability of sessions, once an evaluation is completed the user may be sent back to a URL containing information relating to the session, which may be using the session ID as a URL GET parameter, or, using realtime web methods, such as long polling, SSE (Server Sent Events), Websockets or other real time frameworks. Using real time methods allow the originating web session to get automatically updated with information from the evaluation session, either in real time, or at the end of the evaluation. An example of such embodiment may correspond to the following use-case:
In some embodiments an evaluation or a pre-evaluation may be performed in-store, using, for example, a mobile device such as the smartphone or tablet of a sales representative as the PED. The diagnostic application may be downloaded, for instance, by downloading from the appropriate store, or conveniently routed using a QR code URL that conveniently redirects accordingly, as described herein. Alternatively, a web diagnosis can be used.
In some embodiments traceability is made by associating an evaluation session, which may be represented by the id of the evaluation (e.g., such as stored in a JSON file), with an electronic message address associated with the owner of the POD, such as a phone number, electronic email address or an address on some other electronic notification capable service.
An example use-case may be:
By providing a complete function and visual evaluation framework using a PED as described herein, most services offered by evaluation systems using dedicated apparatus may be rendered, or improved, using the PED at least as an entry point to the evaluation system. Certain embodiments according to this disclosure enables performing a highly accurate evaluation of a POD in the comfort of one's home, or conveniently in a store that does not have the space requirements to offer a complete diagnostic system. While the PED does not have an integrated device inventory vault, like many of the other previously described embodiments of the applicant (kiosks, etc.), a separate vault may still be used as described in the '533 application. Some embodiments according to this disclosure may expand many of the services offered in the evaluation systems described in the '533 application and other applications mentioned above, including, for example, one or more of device evaluation and valuation for a carrier trade-in program, multiple disposition options for evaluating and valuating on a plurality of buyers and markets, determination of insurability, determination of claim validity, estimation of repair material, estimation or repair costs, so that they can now be offered not only in more stores, but also through online entry points, through app download entry points, or pre-loaded on new smartphones.
Example embodiments allow for more convenient and efficient POD trade-in experiences. For example, a user can use another device—which may be a newly purchased device (e.g. new smartphone)—at home to get a guaranteed price for a trade-in POD and mail the POD or use pickup services. The user can get a price at home and drop the POD off at a kiosk with vault in a nearby store (carrier, or UPS store for example). Stores can use technology to offer valid trade in services without full kiosks. Stores can use technology to offer quotes, then allow user to confirm later on before mailing in the POD.
Some embodiments described herein, by using a PED that is movable in space, provide the capability of performing visual inspection on a much wider variety of devices, including large electronic devices such as laptops, computers, computer screens, TV, appliances, and even larger devices such as on-board electronics (e.g., entertainment and/or navigation systems, etc.) of vehicles. While some of these devices may or may not have ability to execute mobile applications or web-based diagnosis applications, they sometimes are able to execute or be operated in predetermined ways by a user for further determination of the device's health.
Many of the large devices may provide means for the equivalent of an application to be executed. For instance, computers, laptops and smart TVs are able to execute some applications or make use of web technologies. Similar, adapted, diagnostic functions would be used allowing the evaluation devices to go further than visual inspection, and could, for example, perform in-depth analysis of the screen, such as hard to see defects, capabilities and probable malfunctions.
As for larger devices, for instance, a vehicle on-board diagnostic features may be used in order to communicate information about a vehicle diagnostics to an evaluation system. While may on board diagnostics are wired, an interface would be necessary to permit communication between the wired on-board interfaces and the evaluation system, some on board diagnostics make use of vehicles' Bluetooth, LTE or 5G capabilities for example, and are able to connect directly to evaluation systems described herein, such as, for example, the PED, in order to exchange diagnosis information.
Embodiments performing audio tests using an evaluation device (portable, such as, PED described above, or fixed) may do so by playing an audio signal (such as a recorded sequence or programmatically generated pattern), either in recorded or generated form, such as a white noise or frequency sweep, which allows the evaluation system, by having the evaluation device microphone record or analyze the received signal, to determine frequency response data. While the sound may be emitted from the POD, it may be preferable to use the evaluation device audio speaker in order to better determine the source of a probable problem (e.g., if the speaker of the POD is used to play the audio signal, it may be faulty and create a false positive failure). The speaker of the evaluation device may be presumed to be good, however, an evaluation technique could allow for example, a self-evaluation of the evaluation device (e.g., a self-check) to precede the evaluation of the POD, in order to ensure the audio capabilities of the evaluation device are working adequately. In such an embodiment, to test the microphone of the POD, the audio signal is emitted by the evaluation device speaker while it is positioned at a known approximate distance from the POD, the POD microphone would record the audio signal, and results of an analysis (by the POD or another computing entity) of the recorded audio signal may be used to determine if the audio signal is good. Some embodiments may operate the evaluation device's microphone so that it records or analyzes the signal simultaneously in order to validate that the test was made using a good working evaluation device. Embodiments analyzing an audio signal may do so in real time, for example if the analysis process is made on the device connected to the microphone, in quasi-realtime, for example by a remote server receiving in quasi-realtime the audio signal, or deferred, for example when the audio signal is recorded and analyzed after recording. The analysis process is organized to determine the validity of the signal for example by analyzing the amplitude of a signal, probably analyzing over a plurality of frequencies or frequency-range, and probably comparing the measured points or ranges to a template, which may be a generic frequency-amplitude template or a device specific template, based on the anticipated frequency-amplitude measurements for a given model. Because of the analogous nature of the playback and audio recording, tolerance are added accordingly.
Embodiments described herein provide for alternative front-end devices to perform many of the tasks previously performed by dedicated, or semi-dedicated equipment, as disclosed for example by the Applicant's previous applications mentioned above, including full fledge kiosks, low-cost apparatus, and the like. The embodiments described herein would rely on some technologies already developed, or adapted, in order to provide users with a plurality of services that require thorough diagnostics, evaluation, inspection, and for some, valuation, including device trading, device valuation, device protection, device repairs, etc.
By using PEDs and the technologies and methods previously and herein described, it is now possible to perform, using a mobile device, in-depth evaluation and assessment of another device (e.g., such as POD described above), including its visuals conditions, health conditions, statuses (such as, for example, finance lock, account lock, blacklisted). A user may use this technology and within minutes, perform an evaluation using the PED and its application, which may work in conjunction with other components of the evaluation system (e.g., defect analysis, device estimator, human operators/agents, artificial intelligence agents, report generation, notification services, etc.) and provide the user with a full-fledge evaluation information, which may contain one or more report and/or information, including market valuation information for similar devices.
Using combined applications and/or web technologies described herein on two devices provides many benefits to allow adequate inspection of POD, but may create processes that are cumbersome to some users. For example, downloading two applications, executing them on two different devices, may create steps that may discourage some users from using the technology. Thus, at least in some embodiments, a simplified or streamlined process may be provided.
Some embodiments may make use of computer recognizable indicators (CRI), that may contain instructions or indications that can be communicated from a first device to a second device, capable of instructing or indicating to the second device as to what to do for starting or continuing with a process. Examples of CRI are:
Embodiments using CRI may be configured to begin a POD evaluation process by providing the POD, using a CRI, indications to start the process, using web or mobile application methods described herein. For example, a user may scan using the POD a QR code, or place a NFC capable POD nearby an NFC device which may be a kiosk, smartphone or passive NFC device with a readable indicator (for instance URL or network credentials), and the indications communicated by the CRI facilitate access to the proper resource to begin the POD evaluation process for example by providing URL indications such as a web or application URL, or network connectivity indications, which may then redirect to URL indications.
Evaluation of a POD using certain embodiments described in this disclosure require manual handling of two devices: a POD and a PED. Therefore, certain embodiments may require one or more manual processes: The user needs to operate the POD so that the diagnostic application or web technology may gather information, assess features and internal health conditions, hereafter typically stored as device attributes, and the user will need to operate the PED and its evaluation application to perform visual inspections and complementary environmental inspections, such as audio, network, display, etc.
In another embodiment using CRI, a POD device may have performed a first process for evaluating its internal health conditions, for instance, by having downloaded and executed the diagnostic application, or for instance, and, at the end of that first process, a CRI is used for example by displaying a QR code on the POD to be scanned by a portable evaluation device, which causes the portable evaluation device, upon recognizing the CRI, to start the second process, for example by accessing a URL resource such a web page which may be used to redirect to a proper device store, or directly an application URL, which causes for example the downloading of an inspection (or evaluation) application, the execution of the inspection application, or accessing the web evaluation methods. To furthermore facilitate the experience, the CRI may contain an identifier which enables the evaluation system to automatically identify that an evaluation session that begins with a specific POD is being continued using the PED to inspect the external conditions of the POD.
In some embodiments, an evaluation system utilizes an evaluation device, such as, for example, a PED, for the purpose of creating a report of a POD. The evaluation device may interact with a report generation service to generate the report. The report generation process may integrate in a resulting report at least one of a complete, partial or altered image of the POD from at least one image taken by the PED or another evaluation device. The report generation process may acquire the IMEI of the POD by retrieving the IMEI using software calls to the operating system of the POD or by optical analysis of an IMEI displayed, using a screen shot image of a page displayed by the POD containing the IMEI or by using a camera image of a page displaying the IMEI. Further, the report generation process may also query at least one third party service, using the retrieved IMEI, for the determination of a particular status in relation with the POD, said status can be at least one of blacklist status, a finance lock status or an account lock status. Additionally, the report generation process may furthermore integrate in the resulting report at least one information based on the result of the query to the at least one such third party service.
To avoid fraud related to IMEI reuse, manufacturers are making it more and more difficult for software applications to retrieve IMEIs. IMEI optical character recognition (OCR) techniques may be incorporated in the use of certain embodiments of this disclosure. The evaluation system may provide information or instructions to the user on how to retrieve an IMEI. For operational phones, the instructions could be to dial *#06# which displays the IMEI on most phones in text and barcode format. Alternatively, a similar page is generally available in the Setting parameters of the operating system. Alternatively, for devices that configurations were wiped out, an information page such as the “(i)” (info) button on iOS will provide the user with the IMEI information in a similar way. Any of such pages could be used for scanning by the camera of any evaluation device, including the PED described herein, and, for example, applying OCR techniques or human data entry, automating the retrieval of the IMEI code.
Exemplary use cases may include:
The above use-case may be used for either full trade-in of the POD, or to get a quote for the POD, in which case this allows for the user to properly transfer and erase data before proceeding with the trade. The system, for example using the PED or website, may provide user guidance to ensure data is properly transferred, backed-up and erased. The PED or other evaluation system, for example, in a store with a kiosk with vault, may be used to perform a final check of data erasure and/or IMEI validation. For example to reduce PII/Customer information issues, some trade-in systems may require or desire that all personal information be erased from the device. In such case, the evaluation system can, using a connectable evaluation device, for example, a PED, make a final trade checkpoint which may include the steps of:
The evaluation system, using the PED, or other connected camera, can retrieve an image of the POD with the IMEI displayed and is able to confirm that the device is ready for final disposition, for example, in one of the kiosk vaults of the evaluation system, or before printing a final mail-in label or proceeding to the device pickup or dropoff.
The report generation process may also include information related to the owner of the POD in the report, may integrate results of health test functions from the diagnostics and/or evaluations, may include defect information obtained from images captured by the evaluation device (computer-assisted or computer (AI)-generated), and may also include valuation information for the POD. Although particular embodiments have been described above, a person of skill in the art having been provided with this disclosure, would appreciate aspects of the different embodiments may be used in various combinations to realize still other embodiments of the POD evaluation system and enhanced services.
A user of the POD 106 may download an app (or App Clip as described above) to the POD which may display a on its screen an interface such as that shown in
In an embodiment, the user may (e.g. at operation 1614) repeat the same download process on to the PED 102, but select, instead of the diagnostic app that is selected on the POD, the evaluation mode (or the evaluation app) 1602 to be activated on the PED 102. Several techniques by which the POD and PED can be informed of the download information are described above in the section “Lack of Dedicated Device”. In the embodiment illustrated in
On the POD. The diagnostic app may operate to collect device information including device identifying information (e.g., make and model, screen type, IMSI, MAC address, etc.), device configuration (e.g., screen type, camera types, network capabilities, type of battery, etc.), and device defect information (e.g., network defects, microphone and/or speaker defects, battery defects, etc.). For example, at operation 1616 the make and model type of information can be detected, and at operations 1618-1620 one or more tests to detect network interface status, battery status, storage status, etc. and one or more tests to detect audio status can be performed as described above. Note that the device information that can be collected by the diagnostic app running on the POD may not include all the device information that is used in the evaluation of the device for trade-in. At operation 1622 the device information collected by the diagnostic app is transmitted to the evaluation system services 1606.
The evaluation system services 1606 receives (at operation 1624) the device information sent from the diagnostic app on the POD and stores the information in storage device 1626.
The evaluation system services 1606 then at operation 1625 generates a second computer recognizable code which may include, for example, QR code and/or a URL. The code may be generated in a manner that is based on, and depends on knowledge of, one or more pieces of the device information reported by the POD at operation 1622. The evaluation system services stores the generated second recognizable code in storage device 1626. The evaluation system services 1606 may, at operation 1625, also instruct the diagnostic app 1604 to display the second computer recognizable code on the display screen of the POD 106. At operation 1644, the diagnostic app displays the second computer recognizable code per instructions received from the evaluation system services 1606. Operation 1644 may, in some embodiments, include generating the second computer recognizable code on the POD using the required device information of the POD as required by the instructions from system evaluation services and then rendering the second computer recognizable code as generated on the POD. In some other embodiments, what is rendered is the on the screen of the POD is what generated by the evaluation system services.
The evaluation of the POD can be continued at any of the kiosk 1608, at a mini-kiosk 1610 or on the POD 102 operating as the continued evaluation device. In each case, a camera of the continued evaluation device can capture the second computer recognizable code displayed ay operation 1644 on the screen of the POD, and thereby access the already gathered information regarding the POD in the system evaluation services 1604.
The booth 1608 would enable the full range of imaging and testing the POD, and also provides a secure bin or vault for depositing the POD after evaluation, acceptance of a trade-in offer and submission of the POD for trade-in. The mini-kiosk 1610 may provide a range of services such as an imaging chamber for capturing more sophisticated images of the POD enabling detection of defects that are not necessarily detectable by the PED. The mini-kiosk, however, may typically not include a vault to securely deposit the POD. In the third alternative, the PED 102 is the continued evaluation device.
The PED 102, at operation 1632 detects the second computer recognizable code displayed on the POD and using that requests (at operation 1630) the evaluation system services 1606 for the correct evaluation app 1502. At operation 1628, the system evaluation services 1606, based on the POD 106 device information sent by diagnostic app and stored in storage device 1626, identifies the appropriate evaluation app (e.g., evaluation apps may be different based on the make/model and features of the POD) 1602. Then, at operation 1634, the evaluation system services, redirects the PED to a location for downloading the evaluation app 1602. By detecting a recognizable identifier displayed on the POD and then using that recognizable identifier to access information pertaining to the POD in the evaluation system services, the PED is able to validate the subsequently established communication connection and also that the POD in sight is the PED in communication.
The evaluation app 1602, after starting at operation 1636 (e.g., on PED 102), may, at operation 1638, proceed to guide the user through capturing respective images of preferably each side/surface of the POD as described above (e.g. in relation to
At operation 1640, the evaluation app may perform machine-to-machine evaluation of one or more aspects of the POD. For example, the evaluation app may instruct the diagnostic app 2604 to use the POD camera to take images of the screen of the PED 102 when the PED is placed in the line of sight of the POD and a known pattern is displayed on the screen of the PED. Different patterns can be shown and captured so as to detect any deficiencies of the POD's screen. The POD microphone can be tested by the PED playing a predetermined audio pattern and instructing the diagnostic app to record it through the POD's microphone. The POD speakers can be texted by the PED instructing the diagnostic app to play a known audio pattern and recording it at the PED. Other aspects such as the Bluetooth or other network interfaces, status of LEDs, status of camera flash etc., can be detected in similar manner by the PED instructing the diagnostic app to cause a certain action on the POD, and then capturing the POD's action. At operation 1642, the PED may continue the evaluation by accessing defect analysis services and trade-in value estimation services, both of which may be provided by the evaluation app and/or evaluation system services.
Although the above description of
It should be also noted that, whereas the second computer generated code displayed on the POD at operation 1644 provides for a reliable means of continuation of the evaluation begun by the diagnostic app 1604 at the booth 1608, mini-kiosk 1610 or PED 102, in some embodiments, the continuation of the evaluation may first, after the diagnostic app, proceed to the PED and thereafter may be continued at the booth 1608 or mini-kiosk 1610 if necessary.
While the embodiments presented herein have been described in detail, the foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not restrictive. It is understood that numerous other modifications and variations can be devised without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments.
This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/106,655 filed on Oct. 28, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2021/059990 | 10/28/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63106655 | Oct 2020 | US |
