JP2001325528A - Method and device for gathering information, program, and medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such problem that though effective marketing can be done by grasping customer information showing what business consumables a customer buys by using what device, but it becomes difficult to gather customer information by salesmen if the sale of business consumables using the Internet spreads. SOLUTION: A customer code and an article code are extracted from order data (S81) and business consumables relating to an ordered article are picked up on the basis of order reception probability correlation analytic data and a condition 1 (S82). When the business consumables are picked up, the picked-up business consumables are narrowed down on the basis of expected sale analytic data by articles and a condition 2 (S84). When there are picked-up business consumables (S85), information on a product which use the business consumables is obtained from a product information database (S86) and when data relating to the obtained product information are not recorded in a 'purchase or specification article name' field of a customer information database (S87), order reception confirmation mail to which an information providing request regarding the product information is added is issued (S88).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an information collecting method, an information collecting apparatus and a program thereof, and a medium. The present invention relates to a method and an information collecting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Printers, copiers, and facsimile machines using an electrophotographic system are essential devices for performing business. Devices using these electrophotographic methods require consumables such as toner. If the consumables are used up and the consumables cannot be refilled immediately, the equipment becomes unavailable. In order to prevent such a situation, each office maintains an appropriate stock of consumables. Recently, there may be a department called IMS (Information Manager of System) that maintains and manages the appropriate stock of consumables throughout the business site.

[0003] In some apparatuses using the electrophotographic system, toner is supplied by a cartridge called a toner cartridge. Each device needs to be equipped with a toner cartridge according to its model, and different models of the same printer generally require different toner cartridges. Therefore, in an office or a business where various types of devices are used, it is necessary to stock and maintain various types of toner cartridges. Not only toner cartridges but also all business supplies consumed in offices and business establishments require proper inventory maintenance and management. Hereinafter, an article such as a toner cartridge may be referred to as a “business consumable”. “Business consumables” include toner cartridges, toner for photocopiers, photosensitive drums, ink for inkjet printers, other service parts, paper and OHP sheets, etc., in addition to toner cartridges.

[0004] The toner cartridge itself is formed of a recyclable material. Further, the toner cartridge may not only contain the toner but also have a mechanism for supplying the toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, or may contain the photosensitive drum itself.
Therefore, in order to recycle those materials and parts,
It is desirable that the used toner cartridge is efficiently collected.

There are the following forms and demands regarding the sales form, marketing, inventory management and recycling of business consumables having such characteristics.

[Sales Form] With the spread of the Internet, the use of the Internet is also desired for sales and orders of business consumables. Although systems for selling goods using the Internet already exist, it is not easy to correctly select and order business consumables from a wide variety of goods according to the equipment used. Moreover, the price of a product displayed in such a sales system does not correspond to the customer.

[Marketing] If customer information such as what kind of equipment is used and what kind of business consumables are purchased can be grasped for each customer, effective marketing and sales promotion can be performed. Needless to say. At present, such customer information is individually collected by salesmen. If sales and orders of business consumables using the Internet become popular, salesmen will have less chance to visit customers,
It will be difficult to collect customer information.

[Inventory management] Manufacturers and stores that supply and sell business consumables according to equipment used need to supply business consumables to customers in a short period of time. Are in stock. However, due to the wide variety of business consumables and difficulties in forecasting demand, it cannot be said that the stock is appropriate. For this reason, a situation occurs in which the business consumables ordered from the customer are not in stock, and are excessive at other dealers geographically separated. In this case, even though the business consumables can be supplied to the customer from the store having excess stock, it cannot be delivered in a short period of time due to a problem such as deviating from the normal delivery area. Therefore, there is a demand for inventory management that takes into account the variety of business consumables and the difficulty of forecasting demand.

[Recycling] In order to effectively collect and recycle toner cartridges, it is desirable that the manufacturer and recycler of the toner cartridge can know when, what kind of toner cartridges are returned, and how many. In other words, manufacturers and recyclers
A collection and recycling schedule for used cartridges can be set, and used cartridges can be efficiently and inexpensively collected and recycled.

However, at present, whether or not to recycle the toner cartridge itself is determined only by the user when the toner cartridge is used, and it is difficult to carry out the collection and recycling effectively and at low cost. Cannot be said to have an appropriate environment. further,
The current method of collecting toner cartridges is (1) the retailer or manufacturer tailor trucks for collection, (2)
The user brings it to the store, (3) the user packs it in a collection-only box and ships it, etc., and any of these methods requires labor and cost.

[0011] Under such circumstances, manufacturers and recyclers who originally play an important role in recycling will passively carry out recycling activities, and collection is supported by efforts of users and dealers. Reality. further,
It is considered that there are many used toner cartridges that are discarded because of the labor and cost of collection. Therefore, a collection system that can reduce the time and effort for collection is desired.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems individually or collectively, and it is an object of the present invention to collect information about customers effectively and efficiently.

Another object is to promote sales of business consumables based on collected customer information.

[0014]

The present invention has the following configuration as one means for achieving the above object.

[0015] An information collection system according to the present invention comprises: a management unit for managing information of a device used by a user; a providing unit for providing a list of products to the user based on information managed by the management unit; Order receiving means for receiving the order of the user based on the list, search means for searching for a potential order item from the user based on the ordered product, and information of the user regarding the searched potential order item And collecting means for collecting the information.

[0016] Further, the first transmission means for transmitting data for providing information on the device used by the user via the Internet, and the purchase screen provided when the user purchases a product, provided by the user. And a second transmission unit for transmitting display data for displaying product information related to information on the device used by the user.

Further, a search means for searching for a potential order item of the user based on goods ordered from the user via the Internet and sales analysis information, and a user based on the order item searched by the search means And a first transmitting means for transmitting data for providing information on the used device.

The information collecting method according to the present invention manages information on equipment used by a user, provides a list of products to the user based on the managed information, and receives an order from the user based on the list. And searching for potential order items from the user based on the received business consumables, and collecting information of the user regarding the searched potential order items.

A program according to the present invention realizes the above information processing method.

A medium according to the present invention is characterized by recording a program code for realizing the above information processing method.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A system for collecting and collecting customer information and a sales and recovery system for business consumables having a sales promotion function based on the collected customer information according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the embodiment, a toner cartridge used in a device such as an electrophotographic printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine is described as an example of a business consumable, but the present invention is applied to other business consumables. can do. For example, toners for copying machines, photosensitive drums, other service parts, paper and OHP sheets, inks for inkjet printers, and the like can be used. Of these, it is desirable to collect empty containers and the like. For example, it is desired to collect toner containers and package boxes for toners for copying machines.

[Flow of Toner Cartridge] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the current toner cartridge.

In FIG. 1, a toner cartridge manufactured at a factory 11 of a manufacturer 1 according to a production plan is sent to a warehouse 12 of the manufacturer at any time. Then, when an order enters the manufacturer 1 from the seller 3, it may take a considerable number of days to deliver to the seller 3 (or its warehouse). If there is stock, the seller 3 can deliver it to the user 4 at least one day (the day after the order).

On the other hand, there is no established route for collecting used toner cartridges.
There are various routes, such as direct delivery from user 4 to manufacturer 1 via 3. In addition, it is considered that there are many used toner cartridges that are not collected due to the labor and cost of collection.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of the toner cartridge in the present embodiment.

In FIG. 2, toner cartridges manufactured at the factory 11 of the manufacturer 1 according to the production plan are sent to the master warehouse 5 at any time. The toner cartridges once received in the master warehouse 5 are delivered to branch warehouses 6 distributed in various places according to a shipping schedule described later.
Although details will be described later, when an order is received from the user 4, the toner cartridge is delivered from the branch warehouse 6 to the user 4. At the time of delivery, used toner cartridges are collected as desired by the user 4 and delivered to the branch warehouse 6 once, as will be described in detail later. The used toner cartridge delivered to the branch warehouse 6 is then sent from the branch warehouse 6 to the collection center 7 at a predetermined timing for recycling.

The master warehouse 5 shown in FIG. 2 is a main warehouse that is the center of the flow of the toner cartridge, and is a manufacturer.
It is operated by 1, seller 3 or logistics company. It is preferable that the branch warehouse 6 serving as a contact point with the user 4 is operated by a logistics company. The collection center 7, which is the center of recycling, is operated by the manufacturer 1 or a recycler.

Further, the shared database (DB) 8
Centralized management of logistics including production, master warehouse 5 and branch warehouse 6 inventory, user 4 order, and collection between factory 11, master warehouse 5, branch warehouse 6, user 4 and collection center 7. is there. The goal of centralized management by the shared DB 8 is to achieve appropriate production, inventory and logistics, to enable the delivery of toner cartridges ordered by user 4 within one day, for example, and to collect collected toner cartridges. But at the right time and quantity,
And to be delivered to the collection center 7.

The seller 3 may not participate in the flow of the toner cartridge itself, but participates in the flow of data in the sales and collection system described later.

By constructing the flow of the toner cartridge and systematizing it as shown in FIG. 2, the user can surely obtain the toner cartridge in a short time. Therefore, it is possible to easily maintain and manage the inventory of various types of toner cartridges in offices and offices that use various types of printers, copiers, and facsimile machines. Furthermore, in the case of a small office or office, if the remaining amount of toner is divided by a certain threshold value and the toner cartridge is ordered after the notification of the replacement of the toner cartridge is notified from a printer or the like, the inventory management itself is unnecessary. It is also possible to

In other words, by centrally managing the production, distribution, inventory, order receiving and delivery of various toner cartridges by the shared DB 8, for example, the toner can be transferred between the master warehouse 5 and the branch warehouse 6 according to the production and the order. Cartridge inventory can be adjusted. Therefore,
It is possible to supply toner cartridges to user 4 in a short period of time without having to stock business consumables in warehouses such as seller 3, problems caused by lack of inventory or excess inventory of seller 3, interest from excess inventory An increase in burden can be eliminated.

Also, the collection center 7 is connected via the shared DB 8
Since it is possible to determine when and how many types of toner cartridges will be returned, a collection and recycling schedule for used cartridges can be set, and used cartridges can be efficiently and inexpensively collected and recycled. In other words, active recycling activities can be developed.

Further, since the labor and cost for recycling the used toner cartridge can be minimized, the used toner cartridge can be prevented from being discarded, and the recovery rate can be increased.
A collection system and a recycling system that consider the environment can be constructed.

Hereinafter, a sales and collection system for realizing the flow of the toner cartridge shown in FIG. 2 will be described in detail.

[Sales and Collection System] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a sales and collection system for a toner cartridge.

The main server 81 is a server device that provides the shared DB 8. The shared DB 8 is not always provided by one server device, but may be provided by being divided into a plurality of server devices or provided in parallel.
In other words, the shared DB 8 may be provided as one logically logical database.

The main server 81 has a shared DB via a wide area network (WAN) 100 such as the Internet.
A plurality of terminal devices that use 8 are connected. Terminal device 1
3, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71 are manufacturer 1 and seller respectively
3, terminal of user 4, master warehouse 5, branch warehouse 6, and collection center 7. The terminal device 32 is a mobile terminal used by a salesman or serviceman of the seller 3, and the terminal device 62 is a mobile terminal used by a delivery clerk of a distributor.

[Shared Database] The shared DB 8 provided by the main server 81 stores and stores a database and its field information as exemplified below.
These pieces of information are provided to each terminal device shown in FIG. 3 and are updated by the terminal devices. The database and its fields shown below may be added or deleted depending on the characteristics of the user or business consumables targeted by the sales collection system.

● Seller information database Seller ID and password Name, address, telephone number and facsimile number E-mail address Customer contact information Sales performance information Collection performance information Inventory information ● Warehouse information database Master warehouse information Branch warehouse information Master-branch Interconnection information Inventory information by warehouse Master warehouse information and branch warehouse information include the location of those warehouses. Also, the master-branch connection information includes information indicating the time required for delivering the goods from the master warehouse 5 to the branch warehouse 6 and the time required for delivering the goods between the branch warehouses 6 and the like. Is included. Further, the warehouse-specific stock information includes information indicating an appropriate stock amount of each warehouse.

The main server 81 shown in FIG. 3 can control the stock transfer from the master warehouse 5 to the branch warehouse 6 and the distribution of the delivery to the plurality of branch warehouses 6 based on the information. Further, when the toner cartridge ordered from the user 4 is not in the nearest branch warehouse 6, inventory movement between warehouses can be controlled so that the user 4 can deliver the product at the desired delivery date or in the shortest time.

● Product information database Product name and model number Related consumables Stock information by product Price information Specification information ● Customer information database User ID and password Name, address, telephone number and facsimile number E-mail address Sales person in charge, salesman and service Man Nearest branch warehouse # 1 Nearest branch warehouse # 2 Purchase / use product name (model number), quantity and delivery date Order history Collection flag Collection history Payment history Price information Figure 15 shows the “purchase” stored / stored in the customer information database. /
It is a figure explaining other information "product name (model number) used". For example, A Trading Co. uses one facsimile machine of model FAX-B and one printer of model LBP-A, and obtains from the product information database that the model numbers of the toner cartridges are B-CRG and A-CRG. Can be Naturally, it is expected that a copier is also used, but at present, information on the copier is not collected. A method for obtaining this uncollected information will be described later, but, of course, the customer information database can be updated based on the information obtained by the salesman visiting the customer.

● Shipping information database Shipping customer information Status Order number Order date and time Order item Delivery date Price Payment method Shipping date and time Arrival date and time Inspection date and time ● Collection information database Collection customer information Collection number Collection date Collection item Collection center scheduled delivery date Delivery date ● Manufacturer, seller information, distributor information Manufacturer ID and password Seller ID and password Salesman ID and password Serviceman ID and password Warehouse ID and password Shipper ID and password ● Sales analysis information Correlation of order probability of business consumables Analysis Data Expected Sales Analysis Data by Product These sales analysis information is used for collecting customer information described later and promoting sales of business consumable expenses. FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 are diagrams showing an example of business order consumable order probability correlation analysis data and product-by-product expected sales analysis data. That is, the business order consumable order probability correlation analysis data indicates the probability of receiving an order for another business consumable in relation to the order for a specific business consumable.

Here, an example of correlation for one product is shown, but by extracting a product having a high order probability for a combination of a plurality of ordered products, a more flexible order probability correlation analysis can be performed. Further, by taking into account the scale data such as the number of employees of the customer, the location data, the business type data, and the like, the order probability correlation analysis can be performed more flexibly.

The expected sales analysis data for each product indicates an expected value of sales per company and per month for each business consumable.

The expected sales analysis data for each product may be an expected value of monthly sales of individuals for each business consumable. Although a simple example is shown in FIG. 17, in addition to sales, an index of sales contribution such as gross profit, gross profit ratio, inventory turnover, etc. may be used, and more flexible analysis can be performed.

In the example shown in FIG. 16, the toner cartridge of the model number CRG-B is only ordered with a probability of 2% in relation to the order of the toner cartridge of the model number CRG-A.
It can be seen that the toner of D is ordered with a probability of 15%.

In the example shown in FIG. 17, the average sales per company is 40,200 yen / ton for a toner cartridge of model number CRG-A.
You can see that the toner cartridge of model number CRG-B is 25,600 yen / month. In addition, customers with an average monthly order value of 1,000,000 yen or more and 30 or more types of ordered items (A type)
It can be seen that the average sales per company is 89,600 yen / month for the model CRG-A toner cartridge and 30,200 yen / month for the model CRG-B toner cartridge.

The order probability correlation analysis data for business consumables and the expected sales analysis data for each product are updated periodically (for example, monthly).

[Order Sequence and Screen] FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a toner cartridge order sequence, and FIG.
9 are diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed on the terminal device 41 of the user 4 when ordering the toner cartridge.

First, the user 4 accesses the main server 81 via the terminal device 41. That is, the user 4 uses a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the main server 81 with software such as a Web browser running on the terminal device 41.
Is specified. In response, data described in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) corresponding to the login screen (hereinafter, referred to as “HTML data”) is supplied from the main server 81 to the terminal device 41, and is displayed on the monitor of the terminal device 41. The login screen shown in 5 is displayed.

The user 4 inputs the user ID corresponding to the customer number and the password in step S1 shown in FIG. 4, and then presses the [OK] button to notify the main server 81 of the user ID and the password. . It is assumed that the user 3 and the user are notified of the user ID and the password by the seller 3 in advance for each user (office or office) such as a printer.

In step S2, the main server 81 notified of the user ID and the password refers to the customer information database to determine whether or not there is a user corresponding to the notified user ID and password. Then, if there is a corresponding user, the user data is generated and HTML data corresponding to the order screen is generated and supplied to the terminal device 41.
As a result, the order screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the monitor of the terminal device 41.

The order screen shown in FIG. 6 mainly includes a list of toner cartridges corresponding to the device used by the user.
101, settlement method selection unit 102, delivery date designation unit 103, and participation application unit 10 for collecting used toner cartridges
Consists of four. Note that the delivery date designation unit 103
It is desirable to use a pull-down menu format in which the part enclosed in [] is downed and business days excluding holidays and holidays can be specified.
In that case, the corresponding message is "Please specify the desired delivery date from the pull-down menu, and specify the morning / afternoon delivery time zone." (Example) Delivery date [2000] Year [2] Month [14] ● AM ○ PM

The list 101 displays the model number of the toner cartridge, the model number of the corresponding device, and the price, and has an input frame for inputting the number of orders for each model number of the toner cartridge. Although only two types of toner cartridges are shown in FIG. 6, in actuality, the model numbers of the toner cartridges corresponding to all models of printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and the like used by the user are listed.

In FIG. 6, for example, when the user
In the case where the devices to be used are duplicated, for example, when two B-types are used, cartridges corresponding to the model and the device are listed so as not to be duplicated, so that the display screen can be easily viewed by the user. be able to.

Information on the equipment used by the user is obtained from the purchased / used product name field of the customer information database. A record having a product name or model number corresponding to this information can be retrieved from the product information database, and the model number of the toner cartridge can be derived from the related consumable field of the record.

For example, if the user who accesses the main server 81 is the A company shown in FIG.
LBP-A toner cartridge A-CRG and model number FAX-B
The toner cartridge B-CRG of the facsimile machine is listed. However, business consumables for the copier are not listed because there is no copier information in the customer database.

The participation application unit 104 is a part for asking the user whether to participate in the used toner cartridge collection service. If the user desires to participate in the collection service and indicates that he / she participates, the used toner cartridge is collected when the toner cartridge is delivered as described above.

Further, as described above, when the user indicates participation in the collection service, a slip (shipping / collection slip) for shipping and collection is issued, and this slip is used for packing the toner cartridge. Attached to boxes and delivered to users. The user keeps the box attached with the slip, and puts the used toner cartridge into this box for collection at the time of collection. By using such a shipping / collecting slip, it is possible to save the trouble of the user issuing a new slip at the time of collection and the delivery clerk inputting data.
In addition, shipping and collection can be managed with the same slip number and the like, and management of the collection rate for each user can be facilitated.

When a “Send” button is pressed after predetermined items on the order screen are input, in step S 3, the order item and order quantity data corresponding to the list 101,
The data of the settlement method corresponding to 2, the data of the desired delivery date corresponding to the designation unit 103, and the collection flag corresponding to the participation application unit 104 are sent to the main server 81.

Next, the main server 81 generates HTML data corresponding to the order confirmation screen in step S 4 according to the received data and the flag, and transmits it to the terminal device 41 for supply. As a result, the order confirmation screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the monitor of the terminal device 41. FIG. 7 shows a case in which the user 4 has indicated participation in the collection service. If the user 4 has not participated, the corresponding message is changed to "do not participate in collection of used toner cartridges".

In step S5, the user 4 refers to the order confirmation screen and presses the [OK] button if the order contents and participation / non-participation in the collection service are correct. If there is an error or content that you want to correct, press the [Cancel] button. [Cance
When the [l] button is pressed, the order screen is displayed again on the monitor of the terminal device 41.

Upon receiving the order confirmation, the main server 81 generates information indicating a new order. This information includes the order number, user ID, collection flag, order history, collection history,
It includes data such as the seller ID in charge, order date and time, order items, order quantity, desired delivery date, price and payment method.

Subsequently, the main server 81 checks the delivery date using the customer information database and the warehouse information database. Specifically, check the nearest branch warehouse # 1 and # 2 fields corresponding to the user ID, and check whether or not the order items of the number of orders are stocked in the branch warehouse 6 from the stock information field by warehouse, The delivery date is set based on the result. Normally, if there is stock in the branch warehouse 6 registered in the nearest branch warehouse # 1 and # 2 fields, it can be delivered the next day. If their branch warehouse 6
If there is no stock, the main server 81 determines the delivery date using the warehouse information database and sets the delivery date.

Next, the main server 81 sends the order confirmation information including the price confirmation request to the seller 3 in charge of the user 4 in step S7. This is because the delivery price to the user is set by the seller 3, and since the delivery price fluctuates depending on the status of the transaction with the user, it is necessary to confirm this. This price confirmation request is sent to the terminal device 31 of the seller 3.
Processed immediately by the software running on it,
Information such as price confirmation or order cancellation is returned to the main server 81 in step S8. Or, this price confirmation request
The information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 32 of the salesman in charge of the user, and information such as price confirmation or order cancellation is transmitted to the main server 81 through the mobile terminal 32 by the salesman in step S8.

Upon receiving the price confirmation, the main server 81 immediately sends the order information including the order approval request to the manufacturer 1 in step S9. This order approval request is immediately processed by software running on the terminal device 13 of the manufacturer 1 or immediately processed by an operator who manages the terminal device 13.In step S10, usually order approval is performed. Returned to main server 81. If there is an error in the price and information indicating order cancellation is received, the status of the corresponding order information is changed to, for example, "cancel".

Subsequently, the main server 81 proceeds to step S11
If an order approval is received, an e-mail indicating order confirmation is generated, and the e-mail is sent to user 4 and seller 3
Send to The e-mail includes information such as an order number, a user name, an order date and time, an order item, the number of deliveries, a delivery date, a price, and information of the seller 3 (name, address, telephone number, and facsimile number).

If the status in the order information is a status indicating order cancellation, an e-mail indicating order cancellation confirmation is generated, and the e-mail is transmitted to the user 4 and the seller 3. This e-mail contains information such as order cancellation reason, order number, user name, order date and time, order item, delivery quantity, delivery date, price, and seller 3 information (name, address, telephone number and facsimile number). It is.

Thus, the ordering sequence of the toner cartridge is completed. However, although not shown in FIG.
After the user 4 sends the order confirmation at 5, the terminal device 4 of the user 4
A screen for selecting continuation of order, reconfirmation of order contents, or end of order (logout) as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the monitor 1. When the user 4 presses the [logout] button, the connection between the main server 81 and the terminal device 41 is released.

Also, at the time of login in step S1, the user 4
If the server is already participating in the collection service, the main server
81 supplies an order screen as shown in FIG. 9 to the terminal device 41 in step S2. In other words, the lower part of the order screen shown in FIG. 6 is the participation application unit 104 for applying for participation in the collection of used toner cartridges, but the lower part of the order screen shown in FIG. On the display unit 105. The user 4 can know the current number of collections / recovery rate / points on the display unit 105.

As described above, the user 4 does not need to select a toner cartridge corresponding to the device to be used from a variety of toner cartridges, and can easily order a toner cartridge corresponding to the device to be used. Accordingly, the possibility of making an incorrect order is drastically reduced, and the trouble of returning the incorrectly ordered toner cartridge is also reduced. Further, since the price corresponding to the user 4 is displayed on the order screen, the user 4 can immediately know the cost required for purchasing the toner cartridge.

Further, from the point of view of the seller 3, it is possible to present a price corresponding to the user 4, so that it is possible to promote the sales of toner cartridges using the Internet 100 and to improve the efficiency of business. become. Further, there is an effect that the trouble of processing a return due to an incorrect order can be omitted.

[Collecting Customer Information] Next, a method of collecting customer information will be described.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the collection of customer information, which is a process executed by the main server 81.

In step S81, a customer code and a product code are extracted from the order data. In step S82, business consumables related to the ordered item are picked up based on the order probability correlation analysis data and condition 1. For example, condition 1
Is set to ≧ 10%, when the toner cartridge CRG-A shown in FIG. 16 is ordered, the toner D and the paper 1 are picked up. Further, when the order of the paper 1 is received, the cartridges CRG-A and CRG-B and the toners D and E are picked up.

In step S83, it is determined whether or not the related business consumable has been picked up. If so, in step S84, the picked up business consumable is determined based on the expected sales analysis data for each product and the condition 2. Refine. For example, condition 2 is expected sales amount ≥ 10,000
In terms of yen, the average sales of toner D that was picked up when the toner cartridge CRG-A was ordered was 9,200 yen
/ Month is not usually extracted. However, for a specific customer (for example, A type customer shown in FIG. 17), 57,000 yen /
The month, which in this case is extracted. Similarly, when an order for paper 1 is received, the cartridges CRG-A and CRG-B are normally extracted, and in the case of an A-type customer, toner D is further extracted.

In step S85, it is determined whether or not there is any extracted business consumable. If so, in step S86, product information in which the business consumable is used and its specification information are obtained from the product information database. And step S8
At 7, it is determined whether or not data related to the obtained product information is recorded in the “purchased or specified product name” field of the customer information database. For example, when the toner D is extracted, it can be seen from the product information database that the toner D is a toner for the copying machine D having a copying speed of 15 sheets per minute. Based on the product information indicating that this is a copying machine, the "purchased / used product name" field of the customer information database corresponding to the customer code is checked to determine whether or not the related product, that is, the copying machine is recorded.

If the related product is not recorded in the “purchased / used product name” field of the customer information database corresponding to the customer code, for example, in the example of A Corporation shown in FIG. However, in such a case, in step S88, an order confirmation mail to which an information provision request regarding product information is added is issued as shown in an example in FIG. Of course, part of the request text and URL
Is changed according to a product or the like for which information is desired. The timing of issuing the order confirmation mail to which the information provision request for the product information is added is preferably immediately after the user places an order for the product.

If the related business consumables are not picked up in step S83, step S85
If there is no extracted business consumable, or if a product related to the “purchased / used product name” field of the customer information database corresponding to the customer code is recorded in step S87, step S89 Issues a normal order confirmation email.

In the processing shown in FIG. 18, step S82
In and S84, the narrowing is performed twice to narrow down the types of devices for collecting information to a range where a certain amount of sales can be expected. If such narrowing is not performed, the number of types of devices for which information is to be collected is likely to increase significantly, which may impose an excessive load on both the information collecting side and the information providing side (customer). Therefore, any filtering may be performed as long as the types of devices for which information is collected can be narrowed down.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining the collection of customer information. FIG. 20 shows a case where a user who has received an order confirmation mail to which an information provision request regarding product information has been added desires to provide (register) information. The process executed between the terminal device 41 operated by the user and the main server 81. Note that FIG. 20 and the following description are described as processing viewed from the user.

When the URL described in the order confirmation mail is accessed in step S101, an input form (see FIG. 21) is displayed on the screen of the terminal device 41 of the user in step S102. In step S103, when the manufacturer name, model name (model name) and the number of the used devices are selected or input, the manufacturer name, model name (model name) and the number of the selected or input used devices are displayed. Press the Register button, step S1
At 04, a registration confirmation screen (see Fig. 22) is displayed. The screen displayed in step S104 may use data temporarily stored in the terminal device 41. Steps
If the content displayed on the registration confirmation screen is correct in S105, [O
Press the [K] button to end the registration process. If the user wants to correct the registered contents, the user presses the [correction] button, and the process returns to step S102.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the method for collecting customer information described with reference to FIG. 20 in more detail.

When the main server 81 confirms the access to the URL described in the order confirmation mail in step S111,
In step S112, display data indicating an input form (see FIG. 21) is generated and transmitted to the user terminal device 41.

In step S113, the user inputs or selects a manufacturer name, a model name (model name), and the number of devices to be used according to the input screen displayed on the terminal device 41, and then clicks [Registration].
I press the button. Step S1 indicates that the register button has been pressed
The main server 81 recognized in 14 generates a registration confirmation screen (see FIG. 22) in step S115 and transmits it to the terminal device 41.

The user refers to the registration confirmation screen displayed on the terminal device 41, and presses the [OK] button if the registered contents are correct in step S116, and presses the [correct] button if the registered contents are to be corrected. push. Which button has been pressed is recognized by the main server 81 in step S117, and [OK]
If the button has been pressed, the registration process ends. Also,
When the [Correction] button is pressed, the main server 81 discards the information input in step S113 and proceeds to step S113.
Return to S112.

When the [Correction] button is pressed by the user, the processing can be returned to between steps S112 and S113 by using the data (such as an input form) temporarily stored in the terminal device 41. .

Although the procedure for registering a single model is shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the procedure for registering a plurality of models at once is as follows.
Modifying the registration procedure is easy. Further, it is possible to input a classification of lease or purchase of the equipment to be used, the years of use and the amount of use (print / copy number / month, etc.), and comments requested by the user.

The customer information (information on the equipment used) collected in this way is registered in the customer information database. Then, at the next order, a screen based on the newly stored customer information is transmitted to the user, displayed on the terminal device 41, and used.

For example, if the user who accesses the main server 81 is the company A shown in FIG. 15, before the customer information is collected, the toner cartridge A-CRG of the model number LBP-A as shown in a list 101 in FIG. , And the toner cartridge B-CRG of the facsimile machine of the model number FAX-B are listed, but after the customer information is collected, the list 10 shown in FIG.
Copy machine COPY- added to customer database as shown in 1.
Lists the toner D-TONER, a business consumable for D.

Note that a device of another company may be registered as a device to be used. Even in such a case, a list of business consumables of the other company can be displayed and provided to the user by mutually supplying and mutually stocking the products of the other companies. In addition, if business consumables used in copiers, facsimile machines, inkjet printers, and the like are shared by cooperation between manufacturers, business consumables can be provided to users who own equipment of other companies. In such a case, it is listed in list 101 as a business consumable that can be supplied for equipment of another company.
From these aspects, it can be expected that at present the potential demand will be discovered.

Further, if business consumables for devices of other companies can be purchased, customers who rely on a plurality of dealers for purchasing business consumables for a plurality of devices of different manufacturers can collectively order customers. Alternatively, it can be narrowed down, and the effect of reducing business processing costs such as ordering, slip processing, and payment is expected.

In this way, it is possible to sell business consumables and collect customer information corresponding to orders using the Internet, and to obtain customer information systematically, unlike the collection of customer information by a salesman. This makes it possible to perform more effective marketing. Further, the collected customer information can be used not only for selling business consumables but also for promoting equipment.

[Process of Main Server] Next, a typical process executed by the main server 81 will be described.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an order receiving process, which corresponds to the ordering sequence shown in FIG.

When a user ID and a password are sent from the user 4, it is determined whether or not the user is a registered user in step S21 based on the customer information database, and the password is authenticated in step S22. If the user is a registered user and the password has been successfully authenticated, it is determined based on the customer information database whether or not there is fraudulent information on the user 4 in step S23. If not, HTML data of the order screen is generated in step S24. I do. Specifically, the list 101 and the selection unit 102 shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 are generated according to the user ID, and further, the participation application unit 104 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed or the display unit 105 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. The display is determined.
The HTML data of the order screen generated in this way is transmitted to the user 4 in step S25.

If the authentication is not a registered user, the password authentication has failed, and there is improper information on the user 4, the process ends.

Subsequently, when the order data is received in step S26, it is determined in step S27 whether or not the order data includes abnormal data. If the order data includes abnormal data, the process returns to step S25. . If no abnormal data is included, in step S28, based on the order data, FIG.
HTML data of the order confirmation screen shown in
S29 is transmitted to user 4.

Subsequently, in step S30, it is determined whether or not data indicating an order confirmation has been received. If data indicating cancellation has been received, the process returns to step S25. If the data indicating the order confirmation is received, the customer information database (specifically, the order history and the collection flag, etc.) is updated in step S31, and the process proceeds to step S32.
Generates the order information described above.

Shipping Process FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a shipping process based on order information.

In step S41, one piece of order information is read. Then, based on the user ID, the order item, and the number of orders recorded in the order information, inventory confirmation is performed in steps S42 to S46. In other words, the nearest branch warehouse # 1,
Check the stock of each node in the order of the nearest branch warehouse # 2, master multi-warehouse 5, seller (responsible seller) 3 corresponding to user ID, and manufacturer 1 and issue to the node from user 4 most. The procedure is performed.

For example, if the other node has no stock and the manufacturer 1 has stock, in steps S47 to S50, the delivery procedure is performed in order of the manufacturer 1, the master warehouse 5, and the branch warehouse 6. Needless to say, these retrieval processes are performed in synchronization with the flow of the toner cartridge.

Then, in step S50, it is determined whether or not the delivery corresponding to the order information has been made based on the information input from the mobile terminal 62 of the delivery clerk of the distribution company. The delivery procedure is performed in S51, and the order information is updated (the delivered flag is turned on, etc.).

If the branch warehouse 6 and the master warehouse 5 have no stock and the seller 3 has stock, step S
At 52, the seller 3 is requested for delivery. In response to this request, the seller 3 causes a serviceman to deliver the product, for example. In this case, in step S50, the serviceman's mobile terminal 32
It is determined whether or not the delivery corresponding to the order information has been performed based on the information input from.

If there is no stock in the manufacturer 1, the back order procedure and the order information are updated in step S53.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the collection process based on the order information.

The delivery clerk delivering the toner cartridge is:
Referring to the collection flag in the order information, if the collection flag is set to ON, the used toner cartridge is collected at the same time as the delivery. Then, the delivery clerk accesses the main server 81 using the mobile terminal 62 (S61 and S62),
Send the delivery information and collection information corresponding to the order information
(S63). The collection information includes information such as the collection date and the model number and number of the collected toner cartridges associated with the order information.

When receiving the collection information, the host server 81 updates the collection history corresponding to the user ID of the order information in step S64. Then, branch warehouse 6 in step S65
When the receiving information of the collection cartridge is notified from the terminal 61 of the collection warehouse, the collection information is updated in step S66, and when the collection information of the collection cartridge is notified from the terminal 61 of the branch warehouse 6 in step S67, the collection information is determined in step S68. To update.
Then, when the arrival information of the collection cartridge is notified from the terminal 71 of the collection center 7 in step S69, the collection information is updated (for example, the collection completion flag is turned on) in step S70.

[Specific Examples of Business Consumables and Devices Used by Business Consumables] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a copier equipped with the business consumables of the present embodiment.

In FIG. 13, an image scanner 2201 is
An original image is read, and digital image processing is performed on the original image. The printer 2202 is an image scanner
An image corresponding to the original image read in 2201 is formed on recording paper and output.

In the image scanner 2201, reference numeral 2200 denotes an original platen; 2203, an original platen glass (platen glass);
04 is placed with its recording surface facing downward in the figure,
Fixed by 2200. Light output from the fluorescent lamp 2205 is reflected by the original 2204, guided to mirrors 2206, 2207 and 2208, and formed into an image on a linear CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as “CCD”) 2210 by a lens 2209. Note that the lens 2209 is provided with an infrared cut filter. The CCD 2210 separates the reflected light of the original 2204 into red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors and reads them, and sends the obtained analog image signal to the image processing unit 2211. Where the fluorescent light 2205
And the unit with mirror 2206 at speed V, mirror 2
The unit with 207 and 2208 has a speed of V / 2, CCD2210
The entire document 2204 is read by being mechanically moved in the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the original.

The CCD 2210 has, for example, light receiving pixels of about 7,500 pixels for each color of RGB arranged in three lines (1210-1 to 1210-3), and reads 297 mm in the short direction of an A3-size document at a resolution of 600 dpi. It is possible. If you want to read 297mm in the width direction of an A3-size document at 400dpi resolution, use R
All that is required is a one-dimensional image sensor of about 5000 pixels for each GB color.

The image processing section 2211 converts an analog image signal output from the CCD 2210 into a digital image signal, and converts yellow (Y), magenta (M),
Each color component image of cyan (C) and black (BK) is formed and sent to the printer 2202. Also, for each original scan (one sub-scan) in the image scanner 2201, YMCB
One color component image of K is sent to the printer 2202.
Accordingly, the image signals of the four color components are sequentially sent to the printer 2202 by the four document scans, and one print is completed. If a sufficient memory is provided in the image processing unit 2211, an image signal obtained by one original scan can be stored in the memory, and the remaining three original scans can be omitted.

The image signals of the YMCBK color components sequentially sent from the image processing unit 2211 in this manner are input to the laser driver 2212 in the printer 2202. Laser driver 2212
Is a laser diode 2213 according to an input image signal.
To emit light. The laser light output from the laser diode 2213 scans the photosensitive drum 2217 via the polygon mirror 2214, the f-θ lens 2215, and the mirror 2216, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 2217.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by the laser beam is developed by developing units 2219 to 2222 having yellow, magenta, cyan and black toners. That is, the four developing devices 2219 to 2222 sequentially contact the photosensitive drum 2217, and the development using the color toner is performed.

The recording paper supplied from the recording paper cassette 2224 or 2225 is wound around the transfer drum 2223 by the action of static electricity, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 2217 is transferred. In the recording process using four color toners, the toner of each color is superimposedly transferred onto the recording paper by rotating the transfer drum 2223 four times. Thereafter, the recording paper is separated from the transfer drum 2223, and the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit 226,
It is discharged outside the device.

In such an LBP, the photosensitive drum 221
7. The toner or toner cartridge contained in the developing units 2219 to 2222 and the recording paper contained in the recording paper cassettes 2224 and 2225 are business consumables.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing an example of the configuration of an ink jet printer (IJRA) on which the business consumables of the present embodiment are mounted.

In FIG. 14, the carriage HC engaged with the spiral groove 5005 of the lead screw 5004 rotating via the driving force transmission gears 5011 and 5009 in conjunction with the forward / reverse rotation of the drive motor 5013 is provided with a pin (not shown). And is reciprocated in the directions of arrows a and b. An ink jet cartridge IJC is mounted on the carriage HC.

A paper pressing plate 5002 presses the recording paper P against the platen 5000 in the moving direction of the carriage HC. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 denote home position detecting means for checking whether or not the lever 5006 of the carriage HC exists in the area where the sensor is disposed, in order to switch the rotation direction of the motor 5013. 5016 is the recording head IJH
A member 5015 for supporting a cap member 5022 for capping the front surface of the recording head 5015 is suction means for sucking the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the recording head IJH via the opening 5023 in the cap.

Reference numeral 5017 denotes a cleaning blade, and reference numeral 5019 denotes a member capable of moving the blade in the front-rear direction. These members are supported by a main body support plate 5018. It goes without saying that the cleaning blade is not limited to this mode, and a known cleaning blade can be applied to this embodiment. 5021 is a lever for starting suction for suction recovery,
It moves with the movement of the cam 5020 engaged with the carriage HC, and the movement of the driving force from the drive motor 5013 is controlled by known transmission means such as clutch switching.

The capping, cleaning and suction recovery are performed by the action of the lead screw 5004 when the carriage HC comes to the area on the home position side.
Although the desired processing can be performed at those corresponding positions, the desired operation may be performed at a known timing.

In such an IJRA, the ink jet cartridge IJC or the ink mounted therein is a business consumable.

Further, specific examples of other business consumables and devices using the business consumables include a facsimile machine, a laser beam printer, a multifunction machine of a facsimile machine and a copying machine, and the like. That is, any device that uses consumables may be used.

A storage medium (or recording medium) in which software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments are recorded is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and the computer (or CPU) of the system or the apparatus (for example, the main server 81) is provided. Or the MPU) reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium to achieve the object of the present invention. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where some or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. Needless to say, the CPU included in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium includes the sequence shown in FIG.
And / or program codes corresponding to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, 18, 18, 20 to 23, and / or 5 to 9, FIG. 19, FIG. 21, FIG.
2 and / or a program code for creating the screen data shown in FIG. 24 will be stored.

[0129]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Information about customers can be effectively and efficiently collected.

Further, the sales of business consumables can be promoted based on the collected customer information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the flow of a current toner cartridge;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a toner cartridge according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a toner cartridge sales and collection system;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a toner cartridge ordering sequence.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an order receiving process;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a shipping process based on order information,

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a collection process based on order information;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a laser beam printer.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of an inkjet printer.

FIG. 15 shows “purchase / store” stored in the customer information database.
Diagram explaining other information such as "Product name used (model number)"

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of order probability correlation analysis data of business consumables;

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of expected sales analysis data for each product of business consumables;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating collection of customer information,

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an order confirmation mail to which an information provision request regarding product information is added.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating collection of customer information,

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of an input form for providing information;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a registration confirmation screen regarding information provision,

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating collection of customer information,

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal device when ordering a toner cartridge.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 3/12 G06F 3/12 K F term (Reference) 5B021 AA01 AA05 AA19 BB00 BB04 CC09 NN00 5B049 BB11 CC05 DD05 EE05 FF03 GG07 GG09

Claims (50)

[Claims] A management unit that manages information on a device used by a user; a providing unit that provides a list of products to the user based on information managed by the management unit; Order receiving means for receiving an order, searching means for searching for a potential order item from the user based on the ordered product, and collecting means for collecting information on the user regarding the searched potential order item. An information collection device, comprising: 2. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the provision of the list, the ordering, and the collection of the information are performed via the Internet. 3. The information collection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit includes a request for providing the user information in an e-mail addressed to the user confirming the order. . 4. The information collection device according to claim 3, wherein the provision request includes information indicating a location of a resource on a provision request screen. 5. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit supplies the collected information to the management unit and manages the collected information. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit provides a list of products corresponding to the device based on device information managed by the management unit. Information collection device. 7. The information collection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for potential order items from the user based on sales analysis information. . 8. The sales analysis information is order correlation information of a plurality of products, and the search unit extracts a product with a high order probability corresponding to the ordered product based on the order correlation information. 8. The information collection device according to claim 7, wherein: 9. The sales analysis information is expected sales information of each product, and the search means extracts a product having a high sales contribution corresponding to the ordered product based on the expected sales information. 8. The information collection device according to claim 7, wherein 10. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the collecting means collects information on the device used by the user using the extracted product type. 11. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the commodity includes business consumables. 12. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the business consumable includes at least one of a toner cartridge, a toner, a photosensitive drum, an ink cartridge, and ink. 13. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the product is a product of a company or another company. 14. The information collection device according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit generates and transmits data displayed on a terminal device. 15. Managing information of a device used by a user, providing a list of products to the user based on the managed information, receiving an order from the user based on the list, and And searching for a potential order item from the user, and collecting information of the user regarding the searched potential order item. 16. The information collection method according to claim 15, wherein the provision of the list, the ordering, and the collection of the information are performed via the Internet. 17. The information according to claim 15, wherein, in the collection of the user information, a request for providing the user information is included in an e-mail addressed to the user confirming the order. Collection method. 18. The information collection method according to claim 17, wherein the provision request includes information indicating a location of a resource on a provision request screen. 19. The collected information is managed as information of a device used by the user.
19. The information collection method according to any one of claims 15 to 18. 20. The method according to claim 20, wherein in providing the list of products, a list of products corresponding to the device is provided based on information on a device used by the user.
20. The information collection method according to claim 15. 21. The search is based on sales analysis information,
21. The information collection method according to claim 15, wherein a potential order item from the user is searched. 22. The sales analysis information is order correlation information of a plurality of products, and the search extracts a product having a high order probability corresponding to the ordered product based on the order correlation information. 22. The information collection method according to claim 21, wherein the information is collected. 23. The sales analysis information is expected sales information of each product, and the search extracts a product having a high sales contribution degree corresponding to the ordered product based on the expected sales information. 22. The information collection method according to claim 21, wherein: 24. The information collection method according to claim 22, wherein, in the collection of the user information, information on a device used by the user using the extracted product type is collected. Method. 25. The information collection method according to claim 15, wherein the goods include business consumables. 26. The information collecting method according to claim 25, wherein the business consumable includes at least one of a toner cartridge, a toner, a photosensitive drum, an ink cartridge, and ink. 27. The information collection method according to claim 15, wherein the product is a product of a company or another company. 28. The information collection method according to claim 15, wherein in providing the product list, data to be displayed on a terminal device is generated and transmitted. 29. A program for implementing the information collecting method according to claim 15. Description: 30. A recording medium on which a program code for realizing the information collection method according to claim 15 is recorded. 31. A first transmission means for transmitting data for providing information on a device used by a user via the Internet, and a purchase screen displayed when the user purchases a product. An information collection device, comprising: second transmission means for transmitting display data for displaying product information related to the information on the device used by the user. 32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the transmission of the data for providing the information on the device used by the user by the first transmission unit is performed when the user orders a product. Information collection device. 33. The information according to claim 31, wherein the data for requesting the user to provide information on a device used includes presentation of an incentive to the user. Collection device. 34. The data according to claim 31, wherein the data for requesting the user to provide information on the device used by the user is for allowing the user to input information on the device used by the user. An information collection device according to any one of the above. 35. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the data for providing information on the device used by the user is an e-mail addressed to the user. . 36. Search means for searching for a potential order item of a user based on a product and sales analysis information received from the user via the Internet, and a user based on the order item searched by the search means. And a first transmission unit for transmitting data for providing information on the used device. 37. When a user purchases a product via the Internet, the user is provided with a screen provided by data for requesting the user to provide information on a device used by the user. 37. The information collection device according to claim 36, further comprising a second transmission unit configured to transmit display data for displaying product information related to information on a device to be used. 38. A storage unit for storing information on a user's device provided via a screen displayed by data for having the user's device's device information provided, When a plurality of devices used by the user are stored in the storage unit, display data for displaying the product information includes:
38. The information collection device according to claim 36, further comprising data for displaying product information associated with each of the plurality of devices. 39. When the plurality of devices stored in the storage unit include devices of the same model, the product information related to the devices of the same model is collectively displayed as product information of one model. 39. The information collection device according to claim 38, wherein: 40. Transmitting data for providing information on a user's device to be used via the Internet, and displaying a user's device provided by the user on a purchase screen when the user purchases a product. An information collection method, comprising transmitting display data for displaying product information related to information. 41. The information collection method according to claim 40, wherein the transmission of the data for providing information on the device used by the user is performed when the user orders a product. 42. The information according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the data for providing information on the device used by the user includes presentation of an incentive to the user. Collection method. 43. The data according to claim 40, wherein the data for providing information on the device used by the user is for allowing the user to input information on the device used by the user. Information collection method described in any of the above. 44. The information collection method according to claim 40, wherein the data for providing information on the device used by the user is an electronic mail addressed to the user. . 45. Search for a potential order item of the user based on the product and sales analysis information received from the user via the Internet, and provide information on the device used by the user based on the searched order item. An information collection method, characterized by transmitting data for having the information collected. 46. Further, when a user purchases a product via the Internet, a user provided by the user via a screen displayed by data for providing information on a device used by the user is provided. 46. The information collection method according to claim 45, further comprising transmitting display data for displaying product information related to information on a device to be used. 47. Further, information about a user's device provided via a screen displayed by data for having the user's device's information provided is stored in a memory, and the user's user information is stored in the memory. When a plurality of used devices are stored, the display data for displaying the product information includes data for displaying product information associated with each of the plurality of devices. 45. The information collection method according to claim 46. 48. If the plurality of devices stored in the memory include devices of the same model, product information related to the devices of the same model is displayed collectively as product information of one model. 48. The information collection method according to claim 47, wherein the information is collected. 49. A program for realizing the information collection method according to claim 31. 50. A recording medium on which a program code for realizing the information collecting method according to claim 31 is recorded.