Patent ID: 6829596
Filing Date: 2004-12-07
Classification: G06Q,G07F,H04M

Abstract:
An apparatus for activation of an asset comprising:an activation host residing at a first location for controlling and exchanging information regarding each asset of a plurality of assets purchased by an asset owner from a distributor, said activation host comprising a centralized computer for controlling and exchanging said information regarding each said asset; an activation database for storing said information regarding each said asset, said activation database having a plurality of data records corresponding to said plurality of assets, said plurality of records including a unique activation code corresponding to each asset, and a unique account assigned each asset; an activation device residing at a second location remote from said activation host, for exchanging information regarding said plurality of assets with said activation host, said activation device having means for printing data including said unique activation code, said activation device further including means for communicating with said activation host and processor means for processing data exchanged with said activation host; a processing device residing at a third location remote from said activation host and said activation device for processing activation requests initiated from said asset owner, said processing device electronically communicating said activation requests to said activation host; a plurality of physical mediums representing corresponding assets, each medium of said plurality of mediums having a unique asset ID thereon corresponding to said unique account in said activation database; and wherein a plurality of activation codes are transmitted to said activation device by said activation host and are stored in said activation device on a periodic basis, upon purchase of an asset by said asset owner from said distributor, at least one medium of said plurality of mediums being engaged with said activation device wherein said activation device transfers a corresponding activation code to said at least one medium, said activation code not being magnetically encoded on the medium and being visibly observable on the medium and wherein said processing device, upon prompting by said as set owner, communicates said asset ID and said activation code for comparison by said activation host to determine whether to activate said asset.