JP2001283059A - Video unit and method for managing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video unit and its management method by which the sold unit such as a video camera, a video tape recorder or an editing unit being the video unit is managed more efficiently than the conventional one. SOLUTION: An intrinsic serial number and a user Internet address are reported from a user to a maker side (step S1) and the maker side corresponds the serial number to the Internet address to construct a database (step S3). The contents of various kinds of services are judged by referring to the serial number which is registered in the database, the Internet address is specified by referring to the database when the service is required and data required for the service is transmitted to the applying Internet address (step S4).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a customer management process for sold video equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Sold devices are managed by serial numbers on the manufacturer side, but much effort and time are spent on customer management.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a video device and a method of managing the video device, which is a video device, a video tape recorder, an editing device, etc., which can be managed more efficiently than before. The purpose is to provide.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video apparatus having a communication function so that data can be transmitted and received via a network. Means for notifying the manufacturer of the Internet address via the network.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in managing a video device having a communication function so that data can be transmitted / received via a network, the video device to be managed requires a communication line. When connected to the manufacturer, the unique serial number of the video device and the Internet address of the user are reported to the manufacturer, and on the manufacturer side receiving the report, a database is constructed by associating the serial number with the Internet address, and the database is created. Judging the contents of various services by referring to the serial number registered in the Internet, specifying the Internet address by referring to the database when the service is required, and transmitting the data necessary for the service to the corresponding Internet address It is characterized by the following.

According to the video equipment management method of the present invention, when managing a video equipment having a communication function so that data can be transmitted and received via a network, an Internet address is input to the video equipment to be managed and managed. When the video device is connected to the communication line, the unique serial number of the video device and the Internet address of the user of the video device are reported to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer receiving the report transmits the serial number and the Internet address. A database is constructed in correspondence with the above, the contents of various services are determined by referring to the serial number registered in the database, and if a service is required, the Internet address is specified by referring to the database, and Data required for service to Internet address Characterized by by sending to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video device management method according to the second or third aspect, wherein the maker receiving the notification transmits data necessary for the service and updates the program of the video device. It is characterized by the following.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video device management method according to the second or third aspect, wherein the maker receiving the notification transmits data necessary for the service and notifies the user of the maintenance time. It is characterized by the following.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video device management method according to the second or third aspect, wherein a MAC address set as an address unique to the video device by a manufacturer is replaced with a serial number. I do.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a video device management method according to the present invention will be described based on specific embodiments. FIG. 2 shows a broadcast video tape recorder 1 specially constructed for management by this management method. In addition to a video tape recorder unit 2 and communication means 3 mounted on a conventional video tape recorder, its own serial video recorder is provided. Remember the number,
A control unit 4 that stores an Internet address or the like input by a user from the outside and controls a communication operation described later is mounted. The communication means 3 is conventionally provided for transmitting news gathering data and editing data to a broadcasting station or the like via a network such as the Internet.

The configuration of the control unit 4 will be specifically described according to the procedure of a customer management method on the manufacturer side via a network. FIG. 1 shows a communication procedure between a user who purchased the broadcast video tape recorder 1 and a manufacturer who sold the same.

In step S1, the user key-in his / her own Internet address to the purchased broadcast video tape recorder 1. When the communication means 3 of the broadcast video tape recorder 1 is connected to the maker through the telephone line and the Internet 5, the communication means 3 of the broadcast video tape recorder 1 is connected (step S2).
Is controlled by the control unit 4 to transmit the user's Internet address and the serial number of the broadcast video tape recorder 1 to the manufacturer via the Internet 5 to notify the manufacturer.

The maker receiving this in step S3 constructs the database 6. Specifically, the Internet address, the date of manufacture, and the like are compressed and recorded in correspondence with the serial number, such as the serial number, the user's Internet address, and the date of manufacture.

On the side of the manufacturer who wants to manage customers, a database is searched at an appropriate time to extract customers who need service. In (Step S4), based on the above extraction result, the user's Internet address and service data are transmitted to the user who needs the service via the Internet 5.

In step S5, when the broadcast video tape recorder 1 on the user side detects service data,
The control unit 4 determines the contents and executes necessary processing. Specifically, the manufacturer extracts a user from the database 6 using the serial number or the date of manufacture as a search key for the device approaching the maintenance time (step S4).
The maintenance side is notified to the side via (Step S5). As a result, the control unit 4 decodes the message and displays a message "Maintenance time" on an appropriate display of the video tape recorder unit 2 of the broadcast video tape recorder 1.

As described above, by configuring the program so that the manufacturer automatically creates the database 6 by automatically editing the received data, the customer management process can be realized more easily than before.

In the above embodiment, the case where the manufacturer reports to the user that the maintenance time is due has been described as an example. The manufacturer can remotely update the program of the tape recorder unit 2 via the Internet.

By the way, at present, all devices having a communication function have a 6-byte MAC (Media Access C).
ontrol) Before the address is shipped by the manufacturer, RO
M is printed. In the MAC address, the first three bytes are determined by the IEEE as contents allocated to each maker, and the last three bytes are determined as contents that can be allocated to each device by each maker. This MAC address is always added to the transmission data when communication is performed. Therefore, the maker that has received the information can determine which specific video device has sent the data by looking at the MAC address in the data transmitted from the video device. Therefore, instead of the serial number described in the above embodiment, this MA
The C address may be used. In that case, the user does not need to report at step S1.

[0019]

As described above, according to the method for managing video equipment of the present invention, sold equipment such as video cameras, video tape recorders, and editing equipment, which are video equipment, can be managed more efficiently than before. The above-described management method can be realized by a video device provided with means for notifying a manufacturer of a serial number unique to the device and an Internet address input by a user or data in place of the internet address.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a communication procedure diagram showing a specific example of a video device management method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a video device used for realizing the management method according to the embodiment;

[Description of Signs] 1 Video tape recorder 2 Video tape recorder unit 3 Communication means 4 Control unit 5 Internet (network) 6 Database

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A video device having a communication function so that data can be transmitted and received via a network, wherein means for reporting a serial number unique to the device and an Internet address input by a user to a manufacturer via the network are provided. Video equipment. 2. When managing a video device having a communication function so that data can be transmitted and received via a network, when a video device to be managed is connected to a communication line, a unique serial number of the video device is managed. The number and the user's Internet address are reported to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer who receives the report builds a database by associating the serial number with the Internet address, and refers to the serial number registered in the database to provide various services. A video device management method for judging contents, specifying an Internet address by referring to the database when a service is required, and transmitting data required for the service to the corresponding Internet address. 3. When managing a video device having a communication function so that data can be transmitted and received via a network, an Internet address is input to the video device to be managed, and the video device to be managed is connected to a communication line. When connected, the unique serial number of the video device and the Internet address of the user of the video device are reported to the maker. The contents of various services are determined by referring to the serial numbers registered in the database, and if a service is required, the Internet address is specified by referring to the database, and the data necessary for the service is transmitted to the corresponding Internet address. Of video equipment that sends video Law. 4. The video equipment management method according to claim 2, wherein the manufacturer receiving the notification transmits data necessary for a service to update the program of the video equipment. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the maker receiving the notification transmits data necessary for the service and notifies the user of the maintenance time. 6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the MAC address set by the manufacturer as an address unique to the video device is replaced with a serial number.