Granted Patent B2

US 12,657,986 · App. 18/610,132 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventor: Paresh K. Patel (Camas, WA)

Assignee: PayRange LLC

G07F9/006G06K7/10297G06Q20/18

Abstract

Claims (56)

1 . A system including one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving, from a server, a request to provision a controlled device, wherein the request includes:

(i) a selection identifier corresponding to the controlled device; and

(ii) a user identifier corresponding to a user account associated with the request;

prior to provisioning the particular controlled device for use by a user associated with the user account:

scanning a particular controlled device to obtain a device identifier corresponding to the particular controlled device;

linking the device identifier with the user identifier; and

transmitting, to the server, the user identifier and the linked device identifier, thereby causing the particular controlled device to be restricted for use, wherein subsequent to the transmitting of the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, the particular controlled device can only be used when in proximity to an electronic mobile device associated with the user identifier; and

provisioning the particular controlled device for use by the user.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection identifier does not include the device identifier.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the selection identifier is associated with a user selection of a controlled device; and

the user selection is associated with the user account corresponding to the user identifier.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning a visual tag of the particular controlled device using an imaging device or a laser scanner.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning an electronic tag of the particular controlled device using a near-field communication (NFC) device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

subsequent to transmitting the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, receiving an authorization communication from the server, wherein the authorization communication is conditioned on a match of the linked device identifier with a controlled device selection associated with the user identifier; and

releasing the particular controlled device in accordance with the receiving of the authorization communication.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular controlled device is an electronic vaporizing device.

8 . A method, comprising:

receiving, from a server, a request to provision a controlled device, wherein the request includes:

(i) a selection identifier corresponding to the controlled device; and

(ii) a user identifier corresponding to a user account associated with the request;

prior to provisioning the particular controlled device for use by a user associated with the user account:

scanning a particular controlled device to obtain a device identifier corresponding to the particular controlled device;

linking the device identifier with the user identifier; and

transmitting, to the server, the user identifier and the linked device identifier, thereby causing the particular controlled device to be restricted for use, wherein subsequent to the transmitting of the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, the particular controlled device can only be used when in proximity to an electronic mobile device associated with the user identifier; and

provisioning the particular controlled device for use by the user.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the selection identifier does not include the device identifier.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the selection identifier is associated with a user selection of a controlled device; and

the user selection is associated with the user account corresponding to the user identifier.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning a visual tag of the particular controlled device using an imaging device or a laser scanner.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning an electronic tag of the particular controlled device using a near-field communication (NFC) device.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

subsequent to transmitting the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, receiving an authorization communication from the server, wherein the authorization communication is conditioned on a match of the linked device identifier with a controlled device selection associated with the user identifier; and

releasing the particular controlled device in accordance with the receiving of the authorization communication.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the particular controlled device is an electronic vaporizing device.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of:

receiving, from a server, a request to provision a controlled device, wherein the request includes:

(i) a selection identifier corresponding to the controlled device; and

(ii) a user identifier corresponding to a user account associated with the request;

prior to provisioning the particular controlled device for use by a user associated with the user account:

scanning a particular controlled device to obtain a device identifier corresponding to the particular controlled device;

linking the device identifier with the user identifier; and

transmitting, to the server, the user identifier and the linked device identifier, thereby causing the particular controlled device to be restricted for use, wherein subsequent to the transmitting of the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, the particular controlled device can only be used when in proximity to an electronic mobile device associated with the user identifier; and

provisioning the particular controlled device for use by the user.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the selection identifier does not include the device identifier.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the selection identifier is associated with a user selection of a controlled device; and

the user selection is associated with the user account corresponding to the user identifier.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning a visual tag of the particular controlled device using an imaging device or a laser scanner.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein scanning the particular controlled device to obtain the device identifier includes scanning an electronic tag of the particular controlled device using a near-field communication (NFC) device.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform the operations of:

subsequent to transmitting the user identifier and the linked device identifier to the server, receiving an authorization communication from the server, wherein the authorization communication is conditioned on a match of the linked device identifier with a controlled device selection associated with the user identifier; and

releasing the particular controlled device in accordance with the receiving of the authorization communication.

Continuity (5)

References Cited (129)