Method and apparatus for product regionalization
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsRay A. Walker, Andrew Joseph Zaremba, Wayne Leaman Westly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method of regionalizing a product for specific markets for the purposes of language localization, insuring compliance with local laws and standards, or theft prevention. The method is applicable to goods comprising an initially-sold machine or device and consumable items required by the machine or device. The method comprises regionalizing the consumable items; the first-installed consumable used in the machine or device then causes the machine or device to be regionalized, such that the machine or device subsequently only accepts consumables with the same regionalization. Also disclosed are apparatus to implement the method.
Claims51
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) for each consumable item distributed within a region, configuring the information retaining mechanism in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- and then
- c) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and an associated wireless communications link in data communication with the associated memory, and the consumable items each having an electronic memory component and a wireless communications link in data communication with the electronic memory component, comprising the steps of:
- a) for each consumable item distributed within a region, configuring the electronic memory component in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having a memory component configured for the region;
- and then
- d) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item electronic memory component over the wireless communication links to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) for each consumable item distributed within a region, configuring the information retaining mechanism in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- then
- c) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein;
- and
- for subsequent consumable item installed in the device,
- d) testing the information retaining mechanism of the subsequently installed consumable item to determine the region identification information contained therein;
- then
- e) comparing the region identification of the subsequently installed consumable with the region identification stored in memory, and then
- f) if the region identifications do not match, declining the subsequently installed consumable.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and an associated user interface for receiving user input and displaying output, and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) for each consumable item distributed within a region, configuring the information retaining mechanism in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- and then
- c) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing for distribution within the region consumable items each having the information retaining mechanism configured in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- and then
- e) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and an associated wireless communications link in data communication with the associated memory, and the consumable items each having an electronic memory component and a wireless communications link in data communication with the electronic memory component, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing for distribution within the region consumable items each having the electronic memory component configured in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having a memory component configured for the region;
- and then
- f) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item electronic memory component over the wireless communication links to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing for distribution within the region consumable items each having the information retaining mechanism configured in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- then
- c) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein;
- and
- for subsequent consumable item installed in the device,
- d) testing the information retaining mechanism of the subsequently installed consumable item to determine the region identification information contained therein;
- then
- e) comparing the region identification of the subsequently installed consumable with the region identification stored in memory, and then
- f) if the region identifications do not match, declining the subsequently installed consumable.
A method of regionalizing a manufactured device and consumable items utilized by the device, the device having an associated memory and an associated user interface for receiving user input and displaying output, and the consumable items each having an information retaining mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing for distribution within the region consumable items each having the information retaining mechanism configured in a manner which uniquely identifies the region;
- then
- b) installing in the device a consumable item having an information retaining mechanism configured for the region;
- and then
- c) transferring the region identification information from the consumable item information retaining mechanism to the memory associated with the device and storing the information therein.
A replaceable consumable component for use with a manufactured device having a stored regional designation and operable to accept only consumable components with the same regional designation, comprising:
- a) a radio frequency link for receiving information indicative of a particular regional designation;
- and
- b) an electrical storage device for storing information indicative of the particular regional designation,
- wherein the information is retrievable from the electrical storage device over the radio frequency link for indicating regional designation of the consumable component.
A method for storing information indicative of a particular regional designation of a replaceable component of a plurality of regional designations of similar replaceable components, the method comprising:
- a) providing a radio frequency signal having information contained therein indicative of the particular regional designation of the replaceable component;
- and
- b) storing the information indicative of the particular regional designation of the replaceable component in a storage device associated with that item in response to receiving the radio frequency signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.