Secondary market and vending system for devices
The system enables one to securely recycle an electronic device in a publicly accessible location. In particular, the embodiment described may be used by a mobile phone owner to submit his/her mobile phone for recycling via an electronic kiosk and receive compensation in some form. The compensation might be dispersed via cash, voucher, credit or debit card, or other magnetic or electronic transaction methods.
1. A method for recycling an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a kiosk, first information associated with the electronic device;
determining a first compensation value for the electronic device based at least in part on the first information;
presenting, via the kiosk, a first offer to a user to purchase the electronic device for the first compensation value;
receiving, via the kiosk, an input from the user in response to the first offer, wherein—the input includes a rejection of the first offer;
after receiving the input, receiving, via the kiosk, second information associated with the electronic device, wherein the second information is different than the first information;
determining a second compensation value for the electronic device based at least in part on the second information; and
presenting, via the kiosk, a second offer to the user to purchase the electronic device for the second compensation value.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with an identity of the electronic device, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with an electrical functionality of the electronic device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with an identity of the electronic device, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with a physical condition of the electronic device.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with a brand of the electronic device, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with a physical condition of a display screen of the electronic device.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with an identity of the electronic device, wherein the method further includes performing, via the kiosk, an electrical inspection of the electronic device, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with the electrical inspection.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with an identity of the electronic device, wherein the method further includes performing, via the kiosk, a visual inspection of the electronic device, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with the visual inspection.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information associated with an identity of the electronic device, wherein the method further includes performing, via the kiosk, an electrical inspection and a visual inspection of the electronic device, wherein receiving the second information includes receiving information associated with the electrical inspection and/or the visual inspection.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving the first information from the user, and wherein receiving the second information includes receiving the second information from the electronic device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information includes receiving the second information via a wired connection between the kiosk and the electronic device.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information includes receiving the second information via a wireless connection between the kiosk and the electronic device.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information includes receiving the second information via a wireless connection to the electronic device.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information includes obtaining, via one or more cameras of the kiosk, one or more images of the electronic device.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second information includes—
obtaining, via one or more cameras of the kiosk, one or more images of the electronic device; and
evaluating the one or more images to determine a physical condition of the electronic device, wherein determining the second compensation value includes determining the second compensation value based at least in part on the physical condition of the electronic device.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prompting the user to input a brand and/or model of the electronic device, wherein receiving the first information includes receiving the brand and/or model from the user.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prompting the user to input information associated with an ability of the electronic device to power-on and/or a condition of a display screen of the electronic device, wherein receiving the second information includes receiving the information associated with the ability of the electronic device to power-on and/or the condition of the display screen from the user.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the input from the user is a first input from the user, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, via the kiosk, a second input from the user in response to the second offer, wherein—
if the second input includes an acceptance of the second offer, the method further includes retaining the electronic device in the kiosk and facilitating providing the second compensation value to the user; and
if the second input includes a rejection of the second offer, the method further includes returning the electronic device to the user.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises receiving the electronic device in an internal inspection area of the kiosk, wherein receiving the second information associated with the electronic device includes receiving the second information from the electronic device while the electronic device is positioned in the internal inspection area.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the input from the user is a first input from the user, and wherein, if the first input from the user includes a rejection of the first offer, the method further comprises:
receiving the electronic device in an internal inspection area of the kiosk, wherein receiving the second information associated with the electronic device includes receiving the second information from the electronic device while the electronic device is positioned in the internal inspection area; and
receiving, via the kiosk, a second input from the user in response to the second offer, wherein—
if the second input includes an acceptance of the second offer, the method further includes retaining the electronic device in the kiosk and facilitating providing the second compensation value to the user; and
if the second input includes a rejection of the second offer, the method further includes returning the electronic device to the user.
20. A system for recycling an electronic device, the system comprising:
a kiosk;
one or more processors; and
a storage device containing non-transitory computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to—
receive, via the kiosk, first information associated with the electronic device;
determine a first compensation value for the electronic device based at least in part on the first information;
present, via the kiosk, a first offer to a user to purchase the electronic device for the first compensation value;
receive an input from the user in response to the first offer;
determine that
the input includes a rejection of the first offer;
after determining that the input includes a rejection of the first offer, receive, via the kiosk, second information from the electronic device, wherein the second information is different than the first information;
determine a second compensation value for the electronic device based at least in part on the second information, and
present, via the kiosk, a second offer to the user to purchase the electronic device for the second compensation value.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.
22. The system of claim 20 wherein the first information includes a brand and/or model of the electronic device.
23. The system of claim 20 wherein the second information includes information associated with an ability of the electronic device to power-on and/or a condition of the electronic device.
24. The system of claim 20 wherein the non-transitory computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to perform an electrical inspection and/or a visual inspection of the electronic device, wherein the second information includes information associated with the electrical inspection and/or the visual inspection.
25. The system of claim 20 wherein the kiosk includes a user interface device, and wherein the non-transitory computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to receive, via the user interface device, the first information from the user.
26. The system of claim 25 wherein the user interface device includes a touchscreen.
27. The system of claim 20 wherein the kiosk includes a display screen, and wherein the non-transitory computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to display, via the display screen of the kiosk, a prompt instructing the user to provide the first information.
28. The system of claim 20 wherein the kiosk includes a wired connector configured to receive the second information from the electronic device via a wired connection.
29. The system of claim 20 wherein the kiosk includes a wireless connectivity device configured to receive the second information from the electronic device via a wireless connection.
30. The system of claim 20 wherein the kiosk includes one or more cameras configured to obtain one or more images of the electronic device, wherein the second compensation value is based at least in part on the one or more images.
31. The system of claim 30 wherein the kiosk further includes an internal inspection area configured to receive the electronic device from the user; and wherein the one or more cameras are positioned within the internal inspection area.