JP2002215778A - Service providing system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide product information for a customer, and provide maintenance service by correspondingly controlling program environment information on a customer side device and program installing data with every product. SOLUTION: The customer side device transmits the program environment information, cumulative power source closing time, and a product number of one's own product stored in a storage part to a product supplier side service providing device when closing a power source. The product supplier side service providing device correspondingly controls transmitted information and the installing data with every product or information with every constitutive part, and provides the installing data on the application including a program environment and product information-maintenance information with every customer on the basis of these information by a request from the customer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a service providing system using a communication network, and more particularly to a service providing system suitable for providing services such as information provision and maintenance to customers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a product as a product is sold to a customer through an intermediary store. Thereafter, customer information for services such as information provision and maintenance for the customer is transmitted through the intermediary store. Or by responding with a postcard or the like attached to the product.

[0003]

However, the acquisition of customer information via the intermediate store and the acquisition of customer information by returning a postcard or the like often do not return the postcard or the like. It was difficult.

[0004] In addition, program environment information such as settings and information relating to the operation status of the customer side device such as device usage time have been hardly obtained. For this reason, it has been difficult to carry out detailed sales promotion activities for individual customers, such as prompting replacement or replacement of parts according to the customer's device usage time.

[0005] In the maintenance service, since the contents set by the customer after purchase of the product have not been obtained, repair of only hardware is generally performed. To restore a preinstalled application, a CD attached to the product is required. −
It is necessary for the customer to work from a medium such as a ROM and to manually redo the contents set after purchasing the product. An object of the present invention is to enable a product provider to reliably acquire and manage the above-described customer information and information on a customer-side device, and to provide a higher service than a case where a product user returns a conventional postcard or the like. To provide a service providing system capable of receiving the service.

[0006]

However, the acquisition of customer information via the intermediate store and the acquisition of customer information by returning a postcard or the like often do not return the postcard or the like. It was difficult.

[0007] In addition, program environment information such as settings and information on the operation status of the customer side device such as device usage time have hardly been obtained. For this reason, it has been difficult to carry out detailed sales promotion activities for individual customers, such as prompting replacement or replacement of parts according to the customer's device usage time.

[0008] In the maintenance service, since the contents set by the customer after purchase of the product have not been obtained, repair of only the hardware is generally performed. To recover the preinstalled application, a CD attached to the product is required. −
It is necessary for the customer to work from a medium such as a ROM and to manually redo the contents set after purchasing the product. An object of the present invention is to enable a product provider to reliably acquire and manage the above-described customer information and information on a customer-side device, and to provide a higher service than a case where a product user returns a conventional postcard or the like. To provide a service providing system capable of receiving the service.

[0009]

According to the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a service providing apparatus which manages information relating to a product, including installation data, and information written by a customer side apparatus in association with each other. This is achieved by providing services such as application installation and program environment setting via a communication network based on such information at the request of the side device or the customer. Further, the above object is achieved in that the customer device automatically stores the total device use time in its own device, and writes the stored information to the service providing device on the product supplier side.

[0010]

Embodiments of a service providing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10 is a product,
15 is a service providing device, 18 is a network, 101
Is a display unit, 102 is an input unit, 103 and 153 are communication units,
104 is a storage unit, 151 is a customer information storage unit, 152 is a product information storage unit, 154 is a service function unit, 155 is a provided information storage unit, and 156 is an information control unit.

In the service providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a product 10 is a product purchased by a customer, and these products include at least a product number of the own product (including a type of the product). ) Has a storage unit 104 in which the information is stored in advance. This storage unit 1
In the field 04, customer information such as the total use time of the apparatus, setting information performed by the customer after purchase, and name and address input by the customer are also recorded.

The product 10 configured as described above can be connected to the service providing device 15 of the product provider via a communication network such as the Internet by the communication unit 103, and the product number of the product is changed. The service is transmitted to the service providing device 15 to receive the service.

The service providing device 15 of the product provider is constructed or connected to the server of the product provider, and includes a customer information storage unit 151 and a product information storage unit 15.
2, a communication unit 153, a service function unit 154, a provided information storage unit 155, and an information control unit 156.

The customer information storage unit 151 stores customer information transmitted from the customer device. Product information storage unit 1
Reference numeral 52 stores information including installation data for each product number of various products provided by the product provider and information for each component of the product. The service function unit 154
The function to provide various services corresponding to the products of the customer is executed. The provided information storage unit 155 stores various types of information provided to customers. Information control unit 15
6 is a control and communication unit 153 for the entire service providing apparatus 15.
Acquisition of customer information from customer-side devices connected via
It controls the provision of information and services to customers. The information and services provided include, for example,
Announcement of recommended replacement parts calculated based on the total usage time of equipment, guidance on estimated asset value of customer equipment and disposal service, FAQ on customer equipment, failure information, compatibility information, application reinstallation and execution, application repair And so on.

FIG. 2 shows an image of a process of acquiring customer information and information of a customer side device and providing a service in the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above. When the customer turns on the power switch after purchasing the product,
If the customer information including the customer name, address, and the like is not stored in the storage unit 104 of the own device, an input of the customer information is requested (1). When the customer information is input, the information is stored in the storage unit 104 of the own device (2). The product accesses the service providing apparatus 15 on the product supplier side, and stores customer information such as application information and setting information, cumulative usage time, customer name, address, and the like stored in the storage unit 104 of the own device and the product of the own product. The number is sent to the product supplier server (3). The server on the product supplier stores the information transmitted from the customer device in the customer information storage unit 151 (4). Next, the product supplier side server stores the customer information storage unit 1
Based on the information stored in the storage unit 51 and the information for each product or each component stored in the product information storage unit 152, a home page including the provided information is automatically created for each customer (5). Then, the created homepage address is written into the storage unit 104 of the customer device (6). The provided information includes an announcement of a recommended replacement part calculated from the cumulative power-on time, an estimated asset value of the customer-side device, guidance of a disposal service, an FAQ regarding the customer-side device, failure information, compatibility information, and the like.

[0016] As described above, the customer can enjoy individual information after purchasing the product. The above-described processes (1) to (3) are processes performed by the customer device, and the processes (4) and (5) are processes performed by the server on the product supplier side.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed processing operation when transmitting customer information and information on the customer side device from the customer who purchased the product to the service providing device on the product provider side. explain. (1) When the power is turned on to the product, the product starts measuring a power-on time (step S101). Specifically, the power-on time is stored here, and the power-on time is calculated from the time stored when the power is turned off. (2) Next, for the product, the customer information registration flag in
N or OFF is checked, and if the flag is ON, an inquiry is made as to whether to change the customer information (step S1).
02, S103). (3) If the flag is OFF in the check in step S102, or if the customer indicates that the customer information is to be changed in step S103, the customer information registration screen is read from the storage unit of the own device,
Display on the screen. Ask the customer to enter necessary information such as name, address, and E-Mail address. Customer information input by the customer is recorded in the storage unit of the product. The customer information registration screen is closed, and the customer information registration flag and the customer information change flag are turned on (steps S104 to S109).
The above-mentioned customer information registration flag and customer information change flag are previously turned off and incorporated in the product, and are turned on when this process is performed. (4) The product checks whether the customer information change flag and the hardware / software change flag are ON (steps S110 to S112). (5) If the customer information change flag and the hardware / software change flag are OFF and OFF respectively in the checks in steps S110 to S112, the product is the product number recorded in the storage unit of the own device and the total device use time. Is transmitted to the service providing device on the product supplier side. When the customer information change flag and the hardware / software change flag are OFF and ON, respectively, the product number, the total device use time, and the hardware / software information are set to O.
N, if OFF, product number, cumulative device use time, customer information; ON, if ON, product number, cumulative device use time, customer information, hardware / software information, provide service from product supplier The data is transmitted to the device (steps 113 to S116). The aforementioned hardware / software change flag is previously set to OFF and incorporated in the product, and is turned ON when the customer who has purchased the product changes hardware or software. (6) The product turns off the customer information change flag and the hardware / software change flag (step S11).
7, S118).

FIG. 4 is a detailed processing operation for automatically creating a customer-specific homepage in the service providing device on the product provider side after the customer information and the information on the device on the customer side are transmitted from the customer who purchased the product. Is described below. (1) The service providing apparatus checks whether the customer information of the transmitted product number already exists in the customer information storage unit of the own apparatus, and if not, adds the newly transmitted information. If it exists, the transmitted information is overwritten and updated to the registered information (steps S201 to S203). (2) The component parts table of the product number is extracted from the product information storage unit, and the total device usage time stored in the customer information storage unit is compared with the life of each component in the component parts list (steps S205 and S206). . (3) The part number of the part that satisfies the cumulative device use time> life × 0.8 in steps S205 and S206,
The information of the part name and the sales price is extracted (Step S20)
6). (4) The provided information such as FAQ of the product number is extracted from the product information storage unit (step S207). (5) The service providing apparatus checks whether the homepage establishment flag is ON, and if OFF, establishes the homepage, adds the information extracted in steps S206 and S207 to the homepage, and then sets the homepage establishment flag to ON. At the same time, the address of the established homepage is stored in the storage unit of the customer device (step S20).
8-S212). At this time, the information extracted in step S206 is information on the recommended replacement part. (6) If the homepage establishment flag is ON in the check in step S208, the homepage is updated with the information extracted in steps S206 and S207 (step S2).
13).

FIG. 5 is an example of a component list stored in the storage unit in the service providing apparatus. The constituent parts table describes constituent parts for each product number, and stores the part name, part number, life, and sales amount of each part. Add and maintain each time a product supplier sells a new type of product.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation when the customer who purchased the product changes the hardware or software or changes the setting and records the information in the storage unit of the own device. It is. (1) When a customer changes hardware or software or changes a setting, the product compares the product with hardware / software information recorded in a storage unit of the device (step S301). (2) If there is no change in the comparison in step S301, the process ends. When there is a change, the hardware / software information in the storage unit of the own device is updated. afterwards,
The hardware / software change flag is turned on (steps S302 to S304).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a processing operation for recording the power-on time performed when the customer turns off the power of the product. (1) When the customer turns off the power switch to turn off the power of the product, the product ends the measurement of the power-on time (step S401). Specifically, the power-off time is stored here, and the difference from the power-on time recorded in step 101 of FIG. 3 is calculated as the current power-on time (steps S401 and S402). (2) The current power-on time calculated in step S402 is added to and updated by the total device use time recorded in the storage unit of the own device (step S403). The above-mentioned total use time is recorded in the storage unit of the product, and is set to zero in advance. This process is performed every time the power is turned on and off by the customer, and the total use time of the device at the time of the previous power-off is always recorded.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation between the customer-side device and the product-supplier-side service providing device when the customer uses the service provided by the product supplier. (1) The customer-side device reads the address of the dedicated homepage from the storage unit of the own device, transmits the product number, and connects to the homepage (steps S501 and S502). (2) The service providing device on the product supplier side performs step S
A homepage corresponding to the product number transmitted in 502 is searched, and a service menu screen of the homepage is transmitted (steps S503 and S504). (3) The customer device displays the service menu screen transmitted in step S507 on the display unit (step S505). (4) The customer selects a service to be used by the input unit (Step S506). (5) The service providing device transmits information corresponding to the service selected in step S506 to the customer device, or executes the selected service to the customer device (step S507). (6) The customer device displays the selected information on the display unit or receives a service (step S508). (7) If the customer continues to use the service, if the user inputs that effect, the customer can return to the service menu display in step S505 and receive the service. If the service is not used, the process ends (step S
509).

FIG. 9 shows a processing image in the first embodiment when the customer receives the application re-installation service. The customer requests the product supplier to reinstall the application on the customer-specific home page shown in FIG. 2 (1). The server on the product supplier side acquires the product number of the customer device via the network and accepts the service request (2). Next, the product supplier server extracts customer setting information corresponding to the product number from the customer information storage unit 151 and application data required for installation from the product information storage unit 152, and based on the information, extracts the customer's information. Create a master for installation corresponding to the product (3). The install master is created as a remote file on the FTP server in the product supplier server. Customer equipment
Remote installation is performed from the installation master in the product supplier server via the network (4).
The processes (2) and (3) are performed by the service function unit 154 and the information control unit 156 in the server on the product supplier side. Further, the processing of (2) and (3) may be performed simultaneously with the processing of automatically creating a home page including provided information for each customer described in FIG. In this case, when the customer receives the application reinstall service,
Even if the processes (2) and (3) are not performed, the processing time can be reduced because the installation master has already been completed.

FIG. 10 shows the service menu screen described with reference to FIG. 8. The customer menu and the product in the first embodiment when the customer receives the application re-installation service among the services provided by the product supplier. It is a flowchart explaining the processing operation | movement with the service provision apparatus of a supplier side. (1) The customer device displays a service menu screen on the display unit. Select an AP installation service from a menu on the screen (steps S601 to S60).
2). (2) The service providing device extracts the hardware / software information of the product number from the customer information storage unit (Step 603). (3) Based on the hardware / software information extracted in step S603, install data of the product number and other necessary install data are extracted from the product information storage unit (step S604). In the product information storage unit, data necessary for pre-installation for each product number and device drivers such as optional items are stored in advance by the product supplier. (5) In step S603, it is checked whether all the installation data of the product number and other necessary installation data have been extracted from the product information storage unit based on the hardware / software information (step S605). (6) If all the necessary data cannot be extracted in the check in step S605, the service providing apparatus transmits a non-target hardware / software detection screen to the customer side apparatus (step S606). The non-target hardware / software detection screen is configured to allow the user to select whether to continue or cancel the installation service based on the extracted data. (7) The customer device displays the non-target hardware / software detection screen transmitted in step S606 on the display unit. The customer selects on the screen whether to continue or cancel the installation service (step S60).
7, S608). (8) If all necessary installation data can be extracted by the check in step 605, or step S
If the customer selects continuation of installation in 608, an installation master of the product number is created from the hardware / software information extracted in step S603 and the installation data extracted in step S604 (steps S609 and S610). (9) The service providing device installs the client device via the communication unit based on the installation master created in step S610 (step S61).
1). (10) After the installation in step S611 is completed, or when the customer selects to stop the installation in step S608, the service providing apparatus transmits a service menu screen to the customer side apparatus (step S612). (11) The customer device displays the menu screen transmitted from the service providing device (step S613).

FIG. 11 shows a processing image in the second embodiment when the application re-installation service is received. The contents described in FIG. 11 are the same as those in FIG. The difference in the process of receiving the application re-installation service is that after the process (2), the product supplier server extracts the customer setting information corresponding to the product number from the customer information storage unit 151 and sets the customer installation setting. The installation master of only the part is created (3). In the reinstallation, the recovery CD-ROM or the installation program CD-ROM attached to the product purchased by the customer is mounted on the customer side device, and the application data is The configuration is such that the configuration is transferred from the CD-ROM and the customer installation setting information is remotely installed from the service providing device on the product supplier side (4).

FIG. 12 shows a processing image in the third embodiment when the application re-installation service is received. The contents described in FIG. 12 are the same as those in FIG. The difference in the process of receiving the application re-installation service is that after the process (3), the install master data is transferred to the customer side device via the network (4), and the customer side device
The point is that the installation master data stored in the storage device of the own device is read and the installation is performed from the local disk (5).

FIG. 13 shows an image of a process in the embodiment in the case where an application including customer settings is reinstalled together with hardware repair when a customer side device breaks down. When a customer requests carry-in repair, send-back repair, or pick-up repair (1), the product supplier repairs the hardware of the product (2), and then sends the product to the server of the product supplier. Enter the product number of the product (3). The server on the product supplier side extracts customer setting information corresponding to the product number from the customer information storage unit 151 and information about the product from the product information storage unit 152, and installs the product corresponding to the customer's product based on the extracted information. To create a master (4). The product supplier server reinstalls the application including the customer settings (5). The product supplier returns the product to the customer (6). Items (2) to (6) are performed by the product supplier. The processes (4) and (5) are performed by the service function unit 154 and the information control unit 156 in the server on the product supplier side.

In the case of an on-site repair in which hardware is repaired on site, FIG. 9, FIG.
Reinstallation using the network described in 2 may be performed.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, after selling a product, the product provider can surely acquire the operation information of the customer's device, and can carry out a detailed sales promotion activity to each customer. In addition, the customer can enjoy a higher service than returning a postcard or the like by using a service such as an announcement of a recommended replacement part of the own device and own information and a reinstallation service.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing image of acquiring customer information and information of a customer side device and providing a service in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed processing operation when transmitting customer information information from a customer to a service providing apparatus on a product provider side;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed processing operation when a customer-specific homepage is automatically created in the service providing apparatus on the product provider side.

FIG. 5 is a component parts list stored in a storage unit in the service providing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation when recording information in a storage unit of the own device when a customer changes hardware or software or changes a setting.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation for recording a power-on time performed when a customer turns off a product.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation between a customer-side device and a product-supplier-side service providing device when a customer uses a service provided by a product supplier.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a processing image in the first embodiment when a customer receives an application re-installation service.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation between the customer-side device and the product-supplier-side service providing device in the first embodiment when the customer receives the application re-installation service.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a processing image in a second embodiment when a customer receives an application re-installation service.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a processing image in a third embodiment when a customer receives an application re-installation service.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an image of a process in a case where an application including a customer setting is reinstalled together with hardware repair when a customer side device breaks down.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Customer side device, 101: Display unit in customer side device 102: Input unit in customer side device 103: Communication unit, 153: Communication unit 104: Storage unit of customer side device 15: Providing service on product provider side Device 151: Customer information storage unit in service providing device 152: Product information storage unit in service providing device 154: Service function unit in service providing device 155: Provided information storage unit in service providing device 156: In service providing device Information Control Unit 18: Network

Claims (5)

[Claims] In a service providing system in which a service providing device and a customer device are connected by a communication network and a service is provided from the service providing device to the customer device, the customer device has registered or changed customer information. Later, the information stored in the own device is written to a service providing device, and when a service is required, a service request is made to the service providing device. The service providing device acquires customer information from a customer device, And providing a service to the customer device from the provided service information registered in the service providing device and the customer information in response to a service request from the customer device. 2. A method for providing a service to a customer device connected to a communication network, comprising: acquiring new customer information or updated customer information from the customer device; A service providing method, wherein customer information is stored, and a service is provided to the customer device according to the customer information from a service registered in the service providing device in response to a service request from the customer device. 3. A service providing method for a service providing apparatus for providing a service to a customer device connected to a communication network, wherein program environment information such as addition / deletion and setting of a program executed in the customer device is acquired as customer information. Storing the customer information in the service providing device, and, upon a re-installation request from the customer device, installing the installation data for the customer device based on the customer information from the installation data for each program previously held in the service providing device. A service providing method characterized by generating and sending to a customer device. 4. A service providing method for a customer device receiving a service from a service providing device connected to a communication network, wherein program environment information such as addition / deletion and setting of a program executed in the customer device is used as customer information. At the time of program re-installation, make a service request to the service providing device,
A service receiving method, wherein re-installation data of a program generated based on the customer information is acquired from a service providing device. 5. A service providing device for a service providing system in which a service providing device and a customer device are connected by a communication network and provide services from the service providing device to the customer device, wherein a program executed by the customer device is added. A customer information recording unit for storing program environment information such as / deletion, setting, etc., a product information recording unit for storing installation data of a program executed in the customer device, and the customer information recording in response to a re-installation request from the customer device. A service providing apparatus, comprising: a service function unit that generates installation data for the customer device from information of a unit and a product information recording unit and provides the installation data to the customer device.