Automatic resupply of consumable commodities

摘要

Methods and systems for facilitating initiation of resupply orders for consumable commodities include using a stand-alone electronic or audio-generating device incorporated into retail product packaging. The stand-alone device is equipped with a rudimentary processor or logic circuit, a memory, and a wireless transmitter. A simple user interface/activation device such as a push button or membrane switch is coupled to the logic circuit or processor. The stand-alone device is incorporated into or with product packaging, and may be configured with a resupply code at or after a point of sale. A user may activate the user interface of the device when the product needs resupplying, causing the resupply code to be transmitted to an access point or terminal that initiates a reorder sequence for the product.

主权项

1. An assembly, comprising:
a stand-alone code-provision device packaged with a defined quantity of a commodity contained in packaging, wherein the code-provision device is configured to provide a signal encoding a registered code configured for ordering the commodity from a supplier, wherein the code-provision device is activated by consumption of a predetermined portion of the defined quantity thereby enabling use of the registration code for ordering the commodity from a supplier, and the assembly is free of any wired interface to any external device, and wherein the code-provision device comprises a processor coupled a memory, and a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the memory holds the registered code; and a user input device coupled to the processor, wherein the user input device is positioned to be accessible to a user after the consumption of the predetermined portion of the defined quantity, and is configured to cause the code-provision device to wirelessly transmit the registered code in response to user input.