Systems and methods for managing leased appliances
AssigneeTrue Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorKevin Knatt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Appliances for use under appliance leasing agreements include a memory that stores a local parameter defining a lockout time at which the appliance will be locked out from performing an appliance leasing function and a controller that is configured to automatically switch the appliance from an operating mode to a locked mode at the stored lockout time. An asset management system for leased refrigeration appliances can include a remote server for sending a command to appliances which changes the lockout time stored in local memory. An encrypted key generator may also be used to enable a user to locally update the lockout time stored in the memory upon entry of an encrypted key.
Claims13
A system for managing leased refrigeration appliances, the system comprising an encrypted key generator, the encrypted key generator configured to receive from a requester a key request containing an updated lockout time for a refrigeration appliance, the encrypted key generator being configured to generate an encrypted key in response to the key request and to provide the encrypted key to the requester, the encrypted key being configured to cause the refrigeration appliance to change a lockout time stored in memory to the updated lockout time when the encrypted key is entered into a user interface associated with the appliance.
An asset management system for leased refrigeration appliances, the asset management system comprising:
- a plurality of refrigeration appliances;
- an asset management server remote from the plurality of refrigeration appliances;
- and
- a client-server network connecting the asset management server to the plurality of refrigeration appliances;
- wherein the asset management server is configured to selectively send a command to any of the plurality of refrigeration appliances to set when the refrigeration appliance will be locked out from performing one or more of its appliance functions
- wherein each refrigeration appliance further comprises a user interface configured to receive user input of an encrypted key for defining a time at which the refrigeration appliance will be locked out from performing one or more of its appliance functions.
A method of managing a leased appliance, the method comprising:
- setting a local parameter on the leased appliance to automatically cause the appliance to switch from an operating mode to a locked mode at a time associated with an initial payment made under an appliance leasing agreement;
- and
- updating the local parameter to a time associated with a second payment made under the appliance leasing agreement after the second payment is made;
- wherein said setting the local parameter comprises locally decrypting an encrypted key to determine the time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.