OWNERSHIP OF A MARKED ITEM OUTSIDE A SHOP

Abstract

A code attribution control system includes unique codes. Each of the codes is arranged or marked openly accessible legible or scannable on a sales item. One or more of the sales item is openly and freely displayed and for sale within a physical border of in a physical shop. The item initially is allocated a status code attribute as “not sold” in said attribution control system. For a consumer to establish ownership or indication of ownership of the item, the consumer scans and registers the code outside the border of the shop, whereby the status code attribute is changed to “sold” in the attribution control system, after which owner restricted services related to the item will be made available to the consumer.

Claims

1. A code attribution control system, comprising unique codes, wherein each said code is arranged or marked openly accessible legible or scannable on a sales item, wherein one or more of said sales item is openly and freely displayed and for sale within a physical border of in a physical shop, wherein said item initially is allocated a status code attribute as “not sold” in said attribution control system, wherein for a consumer to establish ownership or indication of ownership of said item, the consumer scans and registers said code outside said border of the shop, and whereby said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, after which owner restricted services related to said item will be made available to the consumer.

2. The code attribution control system of claim 1, wherein the consumer uses a portable device with a code scanner scanning said code, and said portable device communicates said scanned code to said attribution control system.

3. The code attribution control system of claim 1, wherein the consumer and the sales item may alternatively be within the border of the controlled area of the shop and having registered a receipt from said shop for said item.

4. The code attribution control system of claim 1, wherein the consumer is scanning and registering the code outside when receiving a position given by a position indicating device, that is calculated to be outside of the control border.

5. The code attribution control system of claim 2 wherein said portable device a mobile phone or a computer, with a code scanner.

6. The code attribution control system of claim 2, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute=“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system to said portable device.

7. The code attribution control system of claim 2, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system , and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute=“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system, to said portable device, said portable device communicating with said sold item and sending an activation code (34) activating said item, or communicating with said sold item and sending an activation code activating said item .

8. The code attribution control system of claim 1, wherein said consumer is registered with a personal record in a consumer database accessible to said attribution control system.

9. The code attribution control system of claim 1, wherein said shop border is a virtual representation of extension the shop, or a digital representation of a border, material or not, of the shop.

10. The code attribution control system of claim 4, wherein the position indicating device is a GPS.

11. The code attribution control system of claim 5, wherein the code scanner is a camera, any type of bar code code scanner, or a contactless code scanner, including an RFID/near-field communication scanner.

12. The code attribution control system of claim 2, wherein the consumer and the sales item may alternatively be within the border of the controlled area of the shop and having registered a receipt from said shop for said item.

13. The code attribution control system of claim 2, wherein the consumer is scanning and registering the code outside when receiving a position given by a position indicating device, that is calculated to be outside of the control border.

14. The code attribution control system of claim 3, wherein the consumer is scanning and registering the code outside when receiving a position given by a position indicating device, that is calculated to be outside of the control border.

15. The code attribution control system of claim 3 wherein said portable device is a mobile phone or a computer, with a code scanner.

16. The code attribution control system of claim 4 wherein said portable device is a mobile phone or a computer, with a code scanner.

17. The code attribution control system of claim 3, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute =“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system to said portable device.

18. The code attribution control system of claim 4, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute =“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system to said portable device.

19. The code attribution control system of claim 5, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute=“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system to said portable device.

20. The code attribution control system of claim 3, whereafter said status code attribute is changed to “sold” in said attribution control system, and upon said owner restricted services related to said item is made available to the consumer, said status code attribute=“sold” is communicated (indicating successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, or reg. number, or similar) from said attribution control system, to said portable device, said portable device communicating with said sold item and sending an activation code activating said item, or communicating with said sold item and sending an activation code activating said item.

Description

BRIEF FIGURE CAPTIONS The invention is illustrated in the attached drawing figures, wherein

[0016] FIG. 1 is an overview of the basic features related to the invention, but also an illustration of the invention, which will be described under the paragraph “Embodiments of the invention”, below. In FIG. 1 we have illustrated an outline plan of a shop (20) such as a building, with walls representing a border (22), and having an entry (23) and an exit (24). Items (10) are displayed for sale within the border (22). The border (22) defines an enveloping control area wherein there is an inside and an outside that are distinguished. The geometrical, geographical shape and arrangement of the border (22) is according to the discretion of the implementing party. Several such enveloping control areas may be controlled. Each item (10) is identified by a code. One or more portable/handheld units (60) with a code scanner (40) are available to the customers for scanning reading the code marks on the items (10). Usually, when a consumer purchases an item (10) when located within the border (22) of the shop (20), he will normally receive a printed receipt at the cash register (75). Alternatively, when a consumer purchases an item (10) when located within the border (22) of the shop (20), he may also receive an electronic receipt if the consumer is registered in a consumer database (50) operated by the shop and operated e.g. in an app. A basic feature of the present invention is to consider the holder of the coded item (10) outside the border of the shop, as the proprietor.

[0017] The handheld device (60) may be implemented as a mobile phone with an app dedicated to communicate with an app server (110) connected to a central data register (90) with a code attribution control system (91). The mobile phone will then under ordinary conditions be the customer's own mobile.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the border (22) may be physically absent, but still defined, or divided into several connected or not interconnected sub-areas, or even “void” areas defining “outside” the border (22), such as an otherwise unrelated cafe within a shop.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is code attribution control system, comprising unique codes (30). One of the purposes of the code attribution control systems is to control and manage ownership of unique coded items that can be openly and freely displayed in public shopping areas before a sales transaction, as well as when outside the shop areas whereby an owner might be assumed.

[0020] Each said code (30) is arranged or marked openly legible or scannable on a sales item (10), wherein one or more of said sales items (10) is openly and freely displayed and for sale within a physical border (22) of a physical shop (20).

[0021] Each said item (10) is initially allocated a status code (33) attribute as “not sold” in the attribution control system (91).

[0022] For a consumer to establish ownership or indication of ownership of said item (10), the consumer scans and registers said code (30) of the item (10), when he has brought the item (10) outside the border (22) of the shop (20), or is otherwise in possession of the item (10) outside the shop. When having scanned the code (30), the status code (33) attribute is changed to “sold” in the attribution control system (91), [0023] after which owner restricted services related to the item (10) will be made available to the consumer. Those are the core features of the invention.

[0024] Thus a first condition for establishing the ownership of the item (20), is that the item (20) is actually outside the shop (20), i.e. outside the border (22) of a controlled area of the shop (20), and that the holder of the item (10) scans the code (30). (The system assumes that the holder of the item (10) is the owner, when the item (10) is outside the border (22) of the shop. Of course, the item (10) may be stolen or otherwise illegitimately obtained or brought outside the border (22), but that is legal matter not addressed here), hence the ownership in reality is indicated, such as would be the case when stolen.) The invention addresses the problem of avoiding scanning the code in the shop, when not having become the owner, to avoid wrong ownership of the item (10), and denying a non-owner services and benefits related to the ownership of the item (10).

[0025] In an embodiment of the invention, the consumer uses a portable device (60) with a code scanner (40) scanning said code (30), and the portable device (60) communicates the scanned code (30) to the attribution control system (91).

[0026] Of course, the ownership of the item (10) may be established inside the shop (20), i.e. within the border (22). The consumer and the sales item (10) may in this alternative be within the border (22) of the controlled area of the shop (20) and having registered a receipt from said shop (20) for said item (10). Thus this may be the second condition for establishing the ownership, that the consumer has a receipt, if still inside the shop.

[0027] In practice, we need to establish conditions for being outside the border (22) of the shop (20). In an embodiment of the invention, the consumer is scanning and registering the code (30) outside the border (22) when receiving a position given by a position indicating device, such as a GPS or similar, that is calculated to be outside of the control border (22). Other means to indicate a position with sufficient accuracy, which means is accepted by the shop (20) owner. Position may also be determined using other technologies, tools, or methods, such as Wifi-assisted positioning.

[0028] The shop border (22) according to invention might be a virtual or digital representation of a physical border of the shop (22). It may in an embodiment of the invention be a polygon represented by the coordinates of its corners given by the corners coordinates, or it may in yet another embodiment be a radial distance from a point representing the center of the shop or the exhibition point, to ensure a position truly outside the shop or marketplace of display.

Position

[0029] In an embodiment of the invention, the portable device (60) is implemented as a mobile phone or a computer or similar device of some kind, with a position receiver such as a GPS, and provided with a code scanner (40) such as a mobile camera, any type of bar code code scanner, usually implemented as a camera app, or a contactless code scanner such as an RFID/near-field communication scanner.

[0030] Attribute status transfer back to owner

[0031] In an embodiment of the invention, whereafter the status code (33) attribute has been changed to “sold” in the attribution control system (91), and upon said owner restricted services related to the item (10) is made available to the consumer, the status code (33) attribute =“sold” is communicated from the attribution control system (91) to the portable device (60). The attribute =“sold” indicates successful ownership registered as “sold to consumer”, or “owned by consumer”, “owned by holder”, “bought”, or a registration number, or similar.

Attribute Status Transfer Back to Item

[0032] In an embodiment of the invention, the attribute status is transferred straight to the item (10) instead of the owner. After the status code (33) attribute is changed to “sold” in the attribution control system (91), and upon the owner restricted services related to the item (10) are made available to the consumer, the status code (33) attribute =“sold” is communicated from the attribution control system (91), to the portable device (60), e.g. via a mobile line , and the portable device (60) communicates with the sold item (10), e.g. via a Bluetooth or Wifi line, and sends an activation code (34) activating the item (10). In another, more direct alternative, the attribution control system (91) communicates with the sold item (10) and sends an activation code (34) activating said item (10). In such an embodiment, the item (10) must be enabled for communicating with the attribution control system directly.

[0033] The term “activation code” comprises any kind of required token for enabling access of a device, or activating the device.

[0034] A practical use for the above embodiment is in cases where the item (10) is a motorized vehicle, a computer, a toy, which requires an activation code (34) to start.

[0035] In an embodiment of the invention, the consumer is registered with a personal record (52) in a consumer database (50) accessible to said attribution control system (91).

[0036] Having a value linked to a uniquely coded items is a type a variant of a reward and incentive program. It has been a common practice that in most cases it is the shop operator that has been managing such reward and incentive programs. An typical and very well known example of such is a “Buy three and get one for free”. However in some cases a program is a collaboration between the shop operator and the brand owner. These type of programs have been run with or without the use of unique item coding of the items. A new practice and new opportunity is created with the present innovation that it makes it it possible for the brand owner to alone and independently of the shop operators to offer enhanced services and benefits directly to the consumer on their own products. As in the past the brand owner, at least in practice, have been much dependent to collaborate with distributors and shop operators in order to efficiently run incentive programs. They can now avoid the need for the “middle man” when running such incentive programs because they can now operate such a incentive program, using the present innovation without the need for any shop operated systems or they labor, consent or any particular type of cooperation. Operating an item attribution system enables the brand owner to even differentiate the value the code based on the shop operator or even single shop if using a track and trace system. So if the consumer buys at the supermarket chain A, the consumer might be rewarded less than if buying a similar item at the brand owners own supermarket chain B. A track and trace system would enable to know and identify from which the sales point or shop operator in advance of the consumer scanning the item.

[0037] Further, a smaller shop operator or any operator, might be running such programs much easier if they collaborate with the brand if they decide to be the operator of the item attribution system.

[0038] An additional aspect of the present invention is, that when outside the shop border (22), the holder of the product is considered as the owner of the product, if he just scans the code and communicates with the system. The system requires that the system owner trusts that the beholder of the item is the rightful owner of the item. Theft is a calculated risk in the system, and is handled elsewhere. The invention helps conserve the brand value and value of use of the product for the product holder, and assures a simple maintenance of (for the original purchaser), or transfer of (for the used-item-buyer or inheritor in possession of of a used product) services and benefits for the product, such as updates, guarantees, spare part availability etc.,

[0039] The central data register (90) may also be connected to a customer database (50) containing records (52) about identified buyer: [0040] name, address, gender, age, size, [0041] income, family relations, education level, position, [0042] contact information, [0043] buying preferences, purchase history.

Code Generator

[0044] In an embodiment of the invention the system comprises a code generator (120) arranged to generate two or more unique codes (30) . In an embodiment of the invention the code generator (120) may be a third party service providing said unique codes (30) on a file, physical or a data file, for marking the items (10) and for storing the unique codes (30) in the central data register (90).

Short-Range Readable Encrypted Code Mark Label

[0045] In an embodiment of the invention, each code (30) is arranged placed on an outside surface of said sales item (10), and may be visually read, optically scanned or otherwise short-range readable. With short range readable, one must consider the code (30) is not possible to read at a distance such as from the outside of the shop (20), from the outside of said physical border (22) when within said physical border (22), if the shop (20) has a border (22). If the shop is an open market, the encrypted code (35) must not be legible from outside of the market. In practice, in an embodiment of the invention, the code (30) arranged as an encrypted text, a bar code, a QR code, or similar. (such as in an RFID).

[0046] In an embodiment of the invention, the returned information (37) related to said unique code (30), comprises the status code (33)=“sold”, or an exit key code, a transport order, a startup key code, user instructions, guarantee, sales contract, for said item (10), to said handheld device (60) and/or to another unit desired by the holder of the handheld device (60).

Further Information 38 on Price, Number of Items

[0047] In an embodiment of the invention, some returned information (38) related to the unique code (30) may, if not status code =“sold”, still be conveyed back to the portable/handheld device (60), such as the price of the item (10), the number of corresponding items (10) available in the shop (20), either displayed or in store.

Pay on Location

[0048] In an embodiment of the invention the handheld device (60) may then negotiate and pay for the item (10) directly or indirectly with a cash register (75) which further allows for porting the item (10) through a code scanner (70) of a cash register (75) or directly out of the shop (20) and otherwise allows the user of the handheld device (60) to the decrypted code (30), which is the purpose of it all for the user.