Intellareturn offers a new way to gather product ownership and warranty data and provide a cost efficient and time-saving solution for repair and return, utilizing the existing infrastructure of logistics providers and courier shipping networks for delivery and drop-off services. Customers may no longer need to wait for special boxes to wrap their products — or even in line at the post office to complete warranty service repairs. The solutions offer a new convenience that saves time and money for both end customers and manufacturers of items protected by warranty programs. These programs are especially beneficial to enhance repair efforts, customer service time and cost factors.

We have listed some of the core attributes of the patented Intellareturn technology below as a quick summation. For complete details, please visit the intellectual property section.

• The invention network works with a self-adhesive ID label that integrates a flat RFID chip and antenna into the label itself. The digital ID inside each RFID chip determines who the item's owner is and instructions for warranty and/or other returns processing, according to rules set by the item's owner or manufacturer, as it is sent on its way to a database, which routes it. Those rules can be used to set priorities for certain kinds of data or individual customers with a database lookup.

• The ID number and return instructions are also visibly pre-printed on the labels so the system can work without a wireless RFID network just by using a toll free hotline number and/or e-mail or other web address information printed on the labels. It is also possible to print a simple and personalized bar code on the labels themselves, should a RFID reader not yet be installed at a specific delivery location.

• A typical RFID label carries a unique customer ID number embedded in a computer chip. It's scanned by a reader, which is linked to a customer's database information and a credit or debit account.

• The unique design allows RFID labels to be affixed to virtually any non-conductive paper or plastic-based carrier. The invention uses these attributes to manufacture self-adhesive labels to conform to the shape of virtually any product, such as a cell phone, laptop PC, PDA or key ring, or even the product itself.

• The system enables reliable identification and return receipt coordinated by a delivery service with integrated communication, labeling, billing, tracking and shipment combined with the Internet-all triggered and communicated via a smart label. The system creates a method to remotely interrogate smart materials embedded in objects to determine their identity and facilitate their return through a tracking and delivery network, utilizing wireless and Internet communications.

• Alternatively, the RFID tag or label could be hidden inside the product or inside the tag or label (i.e., placed within the battery compartment of a cell phone). The instructions printed on the tag might be as simple as printing an indicia to "bring this item to XYZ Package Place for immediate return/reward, etc."

• The parcel organization(s) reads the information on the intelligent RFID tag or label that can be linked to a database complete with web site URL, owner ID number, product serial number or other instructional data from the label's ID code. This information is then integrated into the parcel services systems and network(s) that are connected to email notification, online tracking, and other processing and return processing capabilities through the Internet.

• The invention uses both wireless and Internet technologies to make it easier to handle returns integration.

• One aspect of the invention is a computer-assisted method for manipulating warranty registration information. The method includes the steps of acquiring product registration information from one or more database sources, identifying one or more portions of the acquired warranty or product ownership information as relating to a particular product, and creating a computer-readable file having the identified portions.

• In one embodiment, access is provided to the computer-readable file over a computer communications link. In another embodiment, the acquiring step comprises acquiring the warranty information a wireless link using RFID technologies. In another embodiment, a file is created that contains a warranty record of the particular product. In another embodiment, the identifying step includes identifying the effective date of the compliance information, identifying an amended compliance information item that the warranty information is amending and determining an effective date of the warranty coverage information from the effective date of the amended compliance information item.

• The system for providing product registration and access to product warranty registration information includes a subsystem for acquiring warranty registration information from one or more database sources. The system extracts owner information and coverage dates from the acquired warranty information that is related to a particular product. The system also includes a subsystem for providing access to the computer-readable compliance information files over a computer communications link that uses the Internet to help update or append the database with new information, such as travel destination contact addresses (i.e., from flight or travel booking itinerary), or purchase of an extended warranty coverage protection.

• The approach automates to the greatest degree possible, in a unified and synergistic fashion and using best proven business practices, the various aspects of managing a successful and simplified warranty registration and related product warranty return shipment system and method. The effect of such integration on the warranty returns process is profound, allowing the return of virtually anything with an RFID label to be drastically streamlined.