JP2002117134A - Method and device for managing product history - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform distribution history management or value evaluation by storing history information on a distribution route in a product such as refrigerator or printer so as to perform electronic access. SOLUTION: A recycle chip 2 composed of a non-contact IC card is mounted on a refrigerator 1 and on a non-volatile memory 17 in this recycle chip 2, history information such as production information, recycle information and processing information of the distribution route is written by a reader/writer 21. At the same time, the history information stored on the non-volatile memory 17 is read out and it is confirmed whether the distribution route is proper or not. Then, recycle processing is exactly performed and further, illegal dumping or the like is prevented. Moreover, the time limit of user, residual value evaluation and waste evaluation or the like are calculated on the basis of cumulative using time or fault repair information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides a storage medium for storing various pieces of history information required for distribution channels such as manufacturing information, recycling information, and use information for products such as home electric appliances and automobiles. And a management device for managing product history.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a home appliance recycling business for four items of home appliances (television, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner) has been started. In this home appliance recycling business, it is necessary to judge whether or not the recycling of waste home appliances is being performed properly, and consumers will bear the cost of recycling waste home appliances. It is feared that illegal dumping will increase due to dislike of payment.

[0003] For this reason, a conventional recycling process is described in, for example, JP-A-200-126749 (hereinafter referred to as a first conventional example) and JP-A-11-268803 (hereinafter referred to as a second conventional example). What is known is. In a first conventional example, in a recycling processing management system applied to a recycling processing factory which performs a series of plural processings from arrival of a recycling processing object to shipment, the plurality of processings are performed on the processing object. And a recycle processing management system and a recycle processing system that obtain processing data relating to a processing target when the respective processing is performed and input the obtained processing data to a database each time a plurality of processings are performed. The management method is described.

In a second conventional example, a waste processing information system that collects information on the processing flow of waste at a network center and manages the processing flow of the waste based on the collected information has been proposed. Is a waste home appliance, and a management slip is attached to each waste home appliance to collect information on the waste home appliances. It describes an illegal dumping prevention system related to the home appliance recycling business, which makes it possible to determine the presence or absence of illegal dumping and the location of illegal dumping.

[0005]

However, in the first and second prior arts, the new recycling society of resource recycling type is intended for household electric appliances which are used and discarded in ordinary households. Focusing on the enactment of the “Specific Household Appliance Recycling Law”, which is scheduled to be implemented from 2001 with the aim of construction, manages the actual recycling of used automobiles and home appliances. This does not control any information on distribution channels such as manufacturing information and usage information before being discarded, and specifies the distribution channels when home electric appliances are illegally dumped. In addition, there is an unsolved problem that even if the recycling process is performed properly, it is not possible to grasp the distribution channel up to that time.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned unsolved problems of the prior art, and is capable of specifying distribution channels for all products including home appliances and other products to be recycled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product history management method and a management device capable of providing information necessary for recycling. In addition, the present invention stores usage state information for all products including a product to be recycled, performs usage limit information and residual value evaluation based on the usage state information, and provides information such as parts replacement. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product history management method and a management device capable of performing the above.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a product history management method according to claim 1 is a product history management method for managing the history of products distributed on the market, Attaching a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information to the product, sequentially storing distribution route history information corresponding to the distribution route of the product in the storage medium, and storing the distribution route history information in the storage medium. Performing product history management based on the distribution channel history information.

A product history management method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a product history management method for managing the history of a product circulating in a market, wherein electronic information readable from the outside for the manufactured product is stored. Attach a storage medium that can be stored,
A step of sequentially storing distribution channel information corresponding to the distribution channel of the product in the storage medium; a step of storing usage state information of the product in the storage medium; and a step of storing the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium. And performing a distribution process.

A product history management method according to a third aspect of the present invention is a product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market. Attach a storage medium that can be stored,
A step of sequentially storing distribution channel information corresponding to the distribution channel of the product in the storage medium; a step of storing usage state information of the product in the storage medium; and a step of storing the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium. And a step of performing a use limit information calculation process of calculating use limit information based on the use state information.

A product history management method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in the market, wherein the manufactured product has electronic information readable from outside. Mounting a storage medium capable of storing the product and sequentially storing distribution channel information corresponding to the distribution channel of the product in the storage medium; storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium; Performing distribution processing based on the distribution route information stored in the medium, performing usage limit information calculation processing for calculating usage limit information based on the usage state information, and calculating a residual value based on the usage limit information. And performing a calculated residual value evaluation process.

Still further, a product history management method according to a fifth aspect is a product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in the market, wherein the manufactured products are externally readable electronic information. Loading a storage medium capable of storing the product, sequentially storing distribution channel information according to the distribution channel of the product in the storage medium, storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, A step of performing a distribution process based on the distribution route information stored in the medium; and a step of performing an information providing process of providing information on a component requiring replacement based on the use state information. Features.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the product history management method according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the usage status information includes usage status data and fault data necessary for calculating usage limit information. It is characterized by comprising repair information. Furthermore, a product history management method according to a seventh aspect is characterized in that, in the invention according to the sixth aspect, the use state data is constituted by accumulated use time and use environment data.

Further, a product history management method according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the product is a device to be recycled. Still further, the product history management device according to claim 9 is
A product history management device that manages the history of products distributed in the market, comprising a storage medium mounted on the product and storing externally readable electronic information, and distribution history information corresponding to a distribution route in the storage medium. It is characterized by comprising a distribution history information writing means for storing, and a product history management means for managing a product history based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product history management device for managing the history of products distributed in the market, wherein the storage device stores externally readable electronic information attached to the products. Medium, information writing means for storing distribution history information corresponding to the distribution route in the storage medium,
An information confirmation unit for performing a distribution process based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium.

Further, a product history management device according to an eleventh aspect is a product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in the market, and stores externally readable electronic information attached to the products. Medium, distribution history information writing means for storing distribution history information corresponding to a distribution route in the storage medium, usage state information writing means for storing usage state information of the product in the storage medium, and the storage medium Use state information writing means for storing product use state information in the storage medium; information confirmation means for performing distribution processing based on distribution history information stored in the storage medium; and use state information stored in the storage medium. Use limit information calculating means for calculating use limit information based on the use limit information.

A product history management device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is a product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in the market, and stores externally readable electronic information attached to the product. A storage medium, distribution history information writing means for storing distribution history information corresponding to a distribution route in the storage medium, usage state information writing means for storing usage state information of the product in the storage medium, Use state information writing means for storing use state information of a product on a medium;
An information checking unit that performs a distribution process based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium; a use limit information calculation unit that calculates use limit information based on use state information stored in the storage medium; And a residual value evaluation processing means for performing residual value evaluation processing for evaluating residual value based on the limit information.

Further, a product history management device according to a thirteenth aspect is a product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in the market, and stores externally readable electronic information attached to the products. A storage medium, distribution history information writing means for storing distribution history information corresponding to a distribution route in the storage medium, usage state information writing means for storing usage state information of the product in the storage medium, Use state information writing means for storing use state information of a product on a medium;
Information providing means for performing a distribution process based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium, and information provision for providing information on replacement parts that need to be replaced based on the use state information stored in the storage medium Means.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the product history management apparatus according to any one of the ninth to thirteenth aspects, the information writing unit is configured to write the history information according to the distribution route to a network. The history information is registered in the product history management means via a. Further, in the product history management device according to claim 15, in the invention according to any one of claims 9 to 14, the product is a device to be recycled, and the distribution route history information includes a used material, a recycling processing method, and the like. It is characterized by containing recycling information.

Further, in the product history management apparatus according to claim 16, in the invention according to claim 15, when the information confirmation means discards and recycles the recycle target device, the information confirmation means stores the information in the discard processing step. It is characterized in that it is configured to check whether or not legal processing is performed based on information stored in a medium. Still further, in the product history management device according to claim 17, in the invention according to claim 15 or 16, the information confirming unit is configured to, based on the information stored in the storage medium when purchasing the device to be recycled. It is characterized by being able to confirm the distribution process up to that time.

The product history management device according to claim 18 is the invention according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the storage medium has information processing means, and when predetermined permission information is input. It is characterized in that it is configured to enable access to stored information. Further, the product history management device according to claim 19 is the device according to claims 9 to
In the invention according to any one of the above, the storage medium is configured by an IC card.

According to a twentieth aspect of the invention, there is provided a product history management apparatus according to any one of the ninth to nineteenth aspects, wherein the storage medium comprises a non-contact IC card. Furthermore, the product history management device according to claim 21 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 20, the storage medium is configured to receive information transmission and reception and power supply using electromagnetic waves as a medium. .

[0022] Further, a product history management device according to claim 22 is characterized in that, in the invention according to any one of claims 9 to 21, the information stored in the storage medium is encrypted. Furthermore, a product history management device according to claim 23 is the invention according to any one of claims 9 to 22, wherein the storage medium, the information writing unit, and the information confirmation unit are configured to be capable of forming a short-range wireless network. It is characterized by being.

In the invention according to claim 1 or 9,
A storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information in a manufacturing process of a product circulating in a market is mounted, and history information corresponding to a distribution route is written to the storage medium by information writing means. Stores manufacturing information such as manufacturing date, manufacturing factory name, recyclability, recycled parts name, and so on. When lending it to another person, store the lending information such as the lending date and lender name, and when repairing the product, store the repair information. When a request for collection is made, a specific household appliance waste management slip in which predetermined items are described is stored. Then, when the collection company hands over to a manufacturer or the like, the predetermined items are stored in the management slip. In this way, the history information in the distribution process is stored in the storage medium, and the product history is integrated by the product history management means based on the history information, so that the product from manufacturing to disposal is manufactured. In addition to managing the entire flow, the recycling of resources can be promoted to promote the effective use of global resources, and illegal dumping can be prevented to protect the global environment.

In the invention according to claim 2 or 10,
Attach a storage medium capable of storing electronic information that can be read from the outside during the manufacturing process to a product such as a device to be recycled, and use the information writing means on this storage medium according to the distribution route. Stores manufacturing information such as manufacturing date, manufacturing factory name, recyclability, recycled parts name, etc., and stores retailer information such as retail store name, arrival date, sales date, purchaser name, etc. When lending to another person, store the lending information such as the lending date and the lender's name, and when it is used up and request collection by a garbage collection company such as a retail store, specific household equipment with specified items The waste management slip is stored, and when the delivery company hands over to a manufacturer or the like, predetermined items are stored in the management slip. In this way, the necessary information in the distribution process is stored in the storage medium, and the retailer, the purchaser, the waste collection company, the manufacturer, and the like can use the information confirmation unit to record the distribution history of the device to be recycled. You can check, purchase products,
This can be used as a reference for the recycling process, and the manufacturer can surely grasp the flow of the manufacturing equipment.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3 or 11, in addition to the invention according to claim 2 or 10, the use state information of the product is stored in a storage medium, and the use limit information is stored based on the use state information. Since the calculation is performed, when forming a market for used products, it is possible to accurately grasp the usage state from the usage state of the product and calculate accurate usage limit information.

Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 4 or 12, in addition to the invention according to claim 3 or 11, the residual value of the usage limit information is evaluated. Can be accurately grasped. Still further, in the invention according to claim 5 or 13, in addition to the invention according to claim 2 or 10, information on replacement parts that require replacement based on the use state information stored in the storage medium is provided. Information to prompt replacement of toner and ink in printers and copiers, replacement of engine oil, transmission oil, filters, tires, etc. in automobiles, replacement of lamps in lighting equipment, etc. It can provide services that satisfy users.

Further, in the invention according to claim 6, by using the use environment data such as the accumulated use time, the ambient temperature, the humidity and the like necessary for calculating the use limit information and the failure repair information as the use state information. The use limit can be accurately grasped from the use state of the product and the repair status. Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 7, by applying the accumulated use time and the use environment data as the use state information, it is possible to more accurately grasp the use state of the product.

Further, in the invention according to claim 8 or 15, since the product is a device to be recycled, a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information in the manufacturing process is mounted on the device to be recycled, and Information corresponding to the distribution route is recorded on the medium by the information writing means. Stores store retail store information such as retail store name, arrival date, sale date, purchaser name, etc., and store loan information such as loan date and lender name when the purchaser lends to others, and As a result, when a request is made to a waste collection company such as a retail store for collection, a management slip for specific household equipment containing the specified items is stored. To store the constant matters. In this way, the necessary information in the distribution process is stored in the storage medium, and the retailer, the purchaser, the waste collection company, the manufacturer, and the like can use the information confirmation unit to record the distribution history of the device to be recycled. You can check, purchase products,
This can be used as a reference for the recycling process, and the manufacturer can surely grasp the flow of the manufacturing equipment.

Further, in the invention according to claim 16,
When discarding and recycling the equipment to be recycled, the disposal company reads the information stored in the storage medium using the information confirmation means, and checks the management slip information created by the collection company such as a retail store to ensure that It is possible to check whether the process is appropriate or not, and if the process is illegally dumped, the illegal dumper can be identified from the final information stored in the storage medium.

Still further, in the invention according to claim 17,
When a consumer purchases a recycle target device, it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the product has undergone a legitimate distribution process by confirming the information stored in the storage medium with the information confirmation means. it can. In the invention according to claim 18, since the storage medium includes the information processing means,
Access to stored information is enabled when permission information such as a preset password or encryption is input, so that information stored on the storage medium is prevented from being falsified or erased intentionally. can do.

Further, in the invention according to claim 19, since the storage medium is constituted by an IC card, the storage capacity of the storage information can be increased, and the password and encryption can be performed by the built-in information processing means. Can be set. Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 20, since the storage medium is constituted by a non-contact type IC card, the information writing means and the information confirmation means can access the stored contents in a non-contact state, Can be easily written and confirmed.

Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 21,
Since the storage medium is configured to receive and transmit information and supply power using electromagnetic waves as a medium, it is possible to reliably access the storage medium even in an environment where power cannot be supplied to the recycling target device. . Also,
In the invention according to claim 22, since the information to be stored in the storage medium is encrypted, it is impossible for anyone other than the parties concerned to read the storage content of the storage medium, thereby preventing unauthorized use of the storage medium. .

Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 23, since the storage medium, the information writing means, and the information confirmation means are configured to be able to form a small-scale wireless network, the storage medium can be transferred to the storage medium via the small-scale wireless network. Can be easily accessed.

[0034]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a product (recycling target device).
Non-contact type I as a storage medium in the refrigerator 1
A recycle chip 2 composed of a C card is mounted on an internal control board 3. This recycled chip 2
As shown in FIG. 2, a power coil 11 and a transmission / reception coil 1 that are electromagnetically inductively coupled to each other using a mutual induction action corresponding to a pair of transmission / reception coils of a reader / writer described below.
2, a power supply unit 13 for full-wave rectification of the induced electromotive force of the power coil 11 to generate operation power, and a data transmission circuit 14 connected to the transmission / reception coil 12 operated by the operation power from the power supply unit 13. A data receiving circuit 15, a control circuit 16 having a built-in microprocessor connected to the data transmitting circuit 14 and the data receiving circuit 15,
A nonvolatile memory 17 connected to the control circuit 16;

On the other hand, the reader / writer 21 accessing the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2
As shown in FIG. 7, a power transmission circuit 25 which amplifies a clock signal oscillated by the crystal oscillator 22 and supplies it to the power supply coil 24 by an amplifier 23, and a microprocessor 26 to which a clock signal of the crystal oscillator 22 is supplied. A data transmitting circuit 27 and a data receiving circuit 28 connected to the microprocessor 26; a data transmitting coil antenna 29 to which the data transmitting circuit 27 and the data receiving circuit 28 are connected; A memory 30 for storing the written information and the history information read from the recycle chip 2, and a liquid crystal display 31 connected to the microprocessor 31 for displaying the written information and the history information.

Here, the data transmission circuit 27 transmits the transmission data from the microprocessor 26 to, for example, the NRZ in order to transmit the data utilizing the mutual induction action of the coils.
The encoded data is subjected to digital modulation of, for example, a PSK method using a carrier of a predetermined frequency, and this digitally modulated signal is supplied to the data transmission coil antenna 29 via an amplifier and a bridge drive circuit. Is sent to the recycle chip 2 side.

On the other hand, in the data receiving circuit 28, when the transmission data from the recycle chip 2 is received by the coil antenna 29, an effective signal centered on a predetermined frequency is obtained by a band-pass filter from the signal received by the differential input buffer and electromagnetically converted. Extract the band component, amplify it with an amplifier, and then
Demodulated data is obtained by performing the K-system demodulation process, and the demodulated data is subjected to a decoding process based on an NRZ code or the like to generate read data, which is input to the microprocessor 26.

The microprocessor 26 executes data processing for writing and reading information to and from the recycle chip 2, and writes information to the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 and reads stored information. Read out the data processing to be issued. Here, the data processing is performed as shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the power supply unit 13 started supplying power. Has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether or not the write data exists. If the write information is not stored in the memory 30, the process waits until the write information is stored. The process moves to S3, sends a write request to the data transmission circuit 27, and moves to step S4.

In this step S4, it is determined whether or not a data input circuit 28 has received a password input request from the recycle chip 2. If a password input request has not been received, the process waits until this is received. When the request is received, the process proceeds to step S5, where it is determined whether or not a preset password has been input. If the password has not been input, the process waits until the password has been input. The process shifts to step S6 to output the input password to the data transmission circuit 27, and then shifts to step S7.

In this step S7, it is determined whether or not the write information transmission request from the recycle chip 2 has been received by the data receiving circuit 28. If the write information transmission request has not been received, the process proceeds to step S8. It is determined whether a password retransmission request has been received. If a password retransmission request has been received, the process proceeds to step S5. If a password retransmission request has not been received, the process proceeds to step S9, and a write inhibit message is received. Judge whether or not
When a write inhibit message is received, step S10
And a write-protect message is displayed on the liquid crystal display 3.
1 and then returns to step S1. If no write-protection message has been received, the process returns to step S8.

If the result of determination in step S7 is that a write information transmission request has been received, the flow advances to step S10 to output the write information stored in the memory 30 to the data transmission circuit 27. And then step S
Then, it is determined whether or not the write completion notification of the write information has been received by the data receiving circuit 28. If the write completion notification has not been received, the process waits until the write completion notification is received,
If it has been received, the process proceeds to step S12, where a request to read the history information stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 is output to the data transmission circuit 27, and then the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, it is determined whether or not the history information stored in the non-volatile memory 17 has been received by the data receiving circuit 28. If the history information has not been received, the process waits until the history information is received. When the history information has been received, the process proceeds to step S14, where the received history information is displayed on the liquid crystal display 31, and the data processing ends.

The control circuit 16 of the recycle chip 2
The microprocessor built in executes the access processing shown in FIG. 4 when power is supplied from the power supply unit 13. This access processing first determines whether or not a data write request from the reader / writer 21 has been received by the data receiving circuit 15 in step S21, and if no data write request has been received, waits for reception. When the data write request is received, the process proceeds to step S22, where the number N of password mismatches described later is cleared to “0”, and then proceeds to step S23.

In this step S23, a password transmission request is output to the data transmission circuit 14 and then in step S2
The process proceeds to step S4, where it is determined whether or not the password has been received by the receiving circuit 15. If the password has not been received, the process waits until the password has been received. If the password has been received, the process proceeds to step S25. In this step S25, it is determined whether or not the received password matches a preset password. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step S26, where the number N of password mismatches is set to "1".
Then, the process proceeds to step S27 to determine whether or not the number N of password mismatches matches the set value Ns. If N <Ns, the process proceeds to step S27.
Returning to 23, when N = Ns, the passwords do not match, so the flow shifts to step S28 to output a message to the effect that the write request is discarded to the data transmission circuit 14, and then returns to step S21.

If the result of determination in step S25 is that the received password matches the preset password, the flow advances to step S29 to output a write information transmission request to the data transmission circuit 14, and then to step S30 Then, it is determined whether or not the write information has been received by the data receiving circuit 15. If the write information has not been received, the process waits until the write information is received. The write information is transferred to the nonvolatile memory 1
7 and then proceeds to step S32 to output a write completion notification to the data transmission circuit 14.

Then, the flow shifts to step S33, where it is determined whether or not a history information read request has been received by the data receiving circuit 15. If no history information read request has been received, the process waits until the history information read request is received. When the information read request is received, the process proceeds to step S34, and the non-volatile memory 1
7 and outputs the history information to the data transmission circuit 14, and then proceeds to step S35 to determine whether the transmission of the history information is completed. If the transmission of the history information is not completed, the process is completed. When the transmission of the history information is completed, the process returns to step S21. This figure 3
And the processing of FIG.
11 and the processing of steps S21 to S32 correspond to the information writing unit, and the processing of steps S12 to S14
And the processing of steps S33 to S35 correspond to the information confirmation means.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
Now, as shown in FIG. 1, when a refrigerator as a recycling device is manufactured in a factory of a manufacturer, at this time, recycling information such as a material used for each component of the refrigerator and a recycling method, and the date of manufacture are provided. The non-volatile memory 17 stores the manufacturing information such as the manufacturing location, the lot number, etc.
Control board 3 of refrigerator 1
Attach to At this time, the password is managed in association with, for example, the serial number of the refrigerator, and the product information and the password are registered in the product registration center as a management means managed by the company or a third party.

Thereafter, when the manufactured refrigerator is to be shipped according to an order from a retail store, the recycle chip 2 is accessed by the reader / writer 21 and a predetermined password is input, so that the shipping date is set in the nonvolatile memory. At the same time, the history information stored in the non-volatile memory 17 is read, and it is confirmed whether or not the stored history information is correct.

Thereafter, when the shipped refrigerator arrives at the retail store, the reader / writer 21 provided at the retail store uses the refrigerator.
By entering your password, you can check the date of arrival, the name of the retail store,
Enter the retail store information including the retail store location, the name of the handler, the e-mail address, and the like. At this time, the password is written on the shipping slip or the like, or the password information associated with the serial number is encrypted with the public key of the retail store, transmitted to the retail store by e-mail, and restored with the private key at the retail store. You may do so. When the input of the retail store information is completed, the distribution processing information on the previous distribution route stored in the non-volatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 is read out as the history information and displayed on the liquid crystal display 31. From this history information, it can be confirmed that the refrigerator has passed through a regular distribution channel.

Next, when a refrigerator is sold to a customer at a retail store, when requesting delivery to a delivery company, delivery company information such as a delivery company name, a delivery company address, a handler name, and a delivery date is similarly read. Using the writer 21, the data is written into the non-volatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 and then when the delivery company delivers to the customer, the delivery date, customer name, customer address, Write customer information such as phone numbers and email addresses,
By reading the history information up to now from the non-volatile memory 17 and displaying it on the liquid crystal display 31, it is possible to confirm that the customer is a refrigerator delivered through a regular distribution channel. At this time, write the password on the warranty card and explain that the password should be saved, or request that the password be encrypted and transmitted by e-mail as in the case of the above-mentioned retail store and saved. .

When the delivery company does not intervene, the customer information is written and the history information is confirmed when the refrigerator is delivered to the customer at the retail store. After that, when the customer uses the refrigerator and the required number of years elapses, the refrigerator breaks down and replaces it with a new product. If the old refrigerator is to be discarded at this time, an offer to that effect is made to the retailer, so that the new refrigerator is delivered from the retailer and the old refrigerator is carried out. At this time, the reader / writer 21
By entering the password from the warranty card that was saved, write in the collection information consisting of the retailer's collection date, retailer's name, retailer's address, and the name of the operator who collects the refrigerator for disposal, and the history so far. By reading the information and displaying it on the liquid crystal display 31, it is possible to confirm the owner up to the present.

After that, when the refrigerator is delivered from the retail store to the recycler, the password is encrypted by e-mail and transmitted, or handed over in a separate document, and the retailer information and the recycler information are described. By creating a specific household appliance waste management slip in a predetermined format, storing it in the memory of the reader / writer 21, and entering a password using the reader / writer 21,
The management waste for the specific process is written into the non-volatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 and the history information is confirmed.

When the recycler picks up the refrigerating refrigerator, he inputs necessary recycler information such as the pick-up date into the non-volatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 by inputting a password using the reader / writer 21, and also writes the specific home. Of the equipment waste management slip, read the history information, and perform a recycling process at the recycling factory based on the name of the parts used and the recycling method. , Or a product registration center managed by the manufacturer or a third party. At this time, the recycled chips 2 may be collected and sent to the product registration center.

When renting or transferring the refrigerator to another person while the refrigerator is usable, inform the retailer of the fact,
Using the reader / writer 21, the lender name, lender address,
The lender information such as a telephone number and an e-mail address or the transferor information such as a transferor name, a transferor address, a telephone number, and an e-mail address are stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2.
And the history information up to that time is confirmed.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, the recycle chip 2 is attached to the product to be recycled in the manufacturing process, and various information of the distribution channel is stored in the non-volatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2 and the reader is read. Since the writing of distribution processing information and the reading of history information can be performed by the writer 21, it is possible to accurately confirm that the vehicle passes through the regular distribution channel everywhere in the distribution channel.

Moreover, since a password is required to access the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2, unauthorized access to the nonvolatile memory 17 can be reliably prevented. Further, when the user is illegally discarded, the password is unknown, so the reader / writer 2
1 cannot access the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2, but since the serial number and the password are registered in the product registration center described above,
For example, by inquiring the password from a public organization such as the police or the municipal office based on the serial number, obtain the password and use the reader / writer 21 to access the nonvolatile memory 17 of the recycle chip 2. By this, it is possible to read the history information until immediately before the illegal dumping,
An illegal dumper can be specified from this history information.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the non-volatile memory 17 stores usage environment data in a state where a consumer uses an electric appliance, for example, a printer as a computer peripheral device. That is,
In the second embodiment, the cycle chip 2 built in the control circuit board during the manufacturing process of the printer PR includes, as shown in FIG. Switching circuit 18 for switching between an external power supply input terminal tc input from a product control circuit
The voltage monitor circuit 19 monitors the external power supply voltage input to the external power supply input terminal tc.
The switching circuit 18 is switched to the external power supply input terminal tc when the external power supply voltage is detected, and the switching circuit 18 is switched to the power supply unit 13 when the external power supply voltage is not detected. A temperature sensor 20T for detecting the outside air temperature and a humidity sensor 20H for detecting the humidity of the outside air are connected to the control circuit 16.

On the other hand, the control circuit 16 of the recycle chip 2
Then, the access processing shown in FIG. 6 is executed. In the access process, when the result of the determination in step S21 is that the data write request has not been received in the process of FIG. Determine whether or not it has been written,
If the customer information has not been written, step S
Returning to 21, if customer data has been written,
In step S37, the current time is read, and it is determined whether or not the current time is a predetermined time. If not, the process returns to step S21. If it is the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S38. Then, the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20T and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 20H are read, and then the process proceeds to step S39, where the read outside air temperature and humidity are stored in the use environment information storage area formed in the nonvolatile memory 17. The same processes as those in FIG. 4 are performed except that the process is sequentially stored and then the process returns to step S21. The processes corresponding to those in FIG. Is omitted.

According to the second embodiment, manufacturing information, recycling information, retail store information, customer information,
The write information such as the equipment waste management slip for the specific process is written in the recycle chip 2 in the same manner as in the above-described first embodiment, but until the printer PR is sold to the customer and the customer information is input. During this time, the power of the printer PR is not turned on and the external power supply voltage of the external power supply input terminal tc of the recycle chip 2 is “0”, so that the output voltage of the voltage monitoring circuit 19 maintains “0”. Thus, the switching circuit 18 maintains the state switched to the power supply unit 13 side.
For this reason, the processing in the control circuit 16 is stopped except that the electromagnetic wave from the power supply coil 24 of the reader / writer 21 is received by the power coil 11 and DC power is output from the power supply unit 13.

However, the printer PR is sold to the customer, and the customer information is stored in the non-volatile memory 17. In this state, the customer connects the printer PR to, for example, a personal computer to perform printing. Is turned on, and when DC power is supplied from the control circuit of the printer PR to the external power supply input terminal tc of the recycle chip 2, the output voltage of the voltage monitoring circuit 19 becomes a predetermined level. Thus, the switching circuit 18 is switched to the external power supply input terminal tc side. As a result, the control circuit 16 is turned on to be in an operating state, and
Is performed.

When the process of FIG. 6 is executed, there is no data write request from the reader / writer 21, so the process shifts from step S 21 to step S 36, and the customer information has been written to the nonvolatile memory 17. The process proceeds to step S37 to determine whether or not the current time is a predetermined time set in advance. If the current time has not reached the predetermined time, the process directly returns to step S21. If the current time has reached the predetermined time, The process proceeds to step S38 to read the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor 20T and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 20H, and then proceeds to step S39 to store the outside air temperature and humidity in the use environment information storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17. And then returns to step S21.

For this reason, when the power is turned on to the printer PR and a predetermined time is reached, the outside air temperature and humidity at this time are stored in the use environment information storage area, and an abnormality occurs in the printer PR. , If you need repairs,
When the repairer travels on a business trip or sends the printer to a support center for repair, the repairer uses the reader / writer 21 to store repair information such as the repair date and the repairer name in the nonvolatile memory 17.
, The history information up to that time is read out together with the usage environment information, and by analyzing the usage environment information, it is possible to analyze the causal relationship between the usage environment and the cause of the abnormality.

After that, when the repair is completed, the reader / writer 21 stores the repair completion information such as the repair location in the nonvolatile memory 1.
7 and when the printer PR is repaired at the support center, the printer is delivered to the customer. in this way,
In the second embodiment, since the external power is supplied to the recycle chip 2, the use environment information of the printer PR can be stored in the non-volatile memory 17 at predetermined intervals. This can be useful for investigating the cause when an abnormality occurs.

In the second embodiment, the use environment information such as the outside air temperature and humidity is stored in the non-volatile memory 17 at a predetermined time while the power of the printer PR is on. However, when the storage capacity of the usage environment information storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17 cannot be increased, the oldest usage environment information is updated when the usage environment information storage area becomes full. Overwrite with the usage environment information and save the usage environment information for a certain period of time, or calculate the maximum value, minimum value and average value of the usage environment information stored, for example, on a monthly basis, and calculate By storing only the operation result,
The amount of storage can be reduced.

In the second embodiment, the case where the use environment information is stored at every predetermined time has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The use environment information is used every predetermined time after the power is turned on. The environment information may be stored, and the storage timing of the use environment information can be arbitrarily set. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the case where the outside air temperature and the humidity are applied as the use environment information has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the use environment information necessary for each product may be stored. You may.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, when a consumer purchases and uses an electric appliance, for example, a personal computer, the use state information is stored in the nonvolatile memory 17. That is, in the third embodiment, the recycle chip 2 having the same configuration as that of FIG. 5 in the second embodiment described above is incorporated in the control board of the personal computer PC. Then, an evaluation process of collecting usage state information shown in FIG. 7 and evaluating the residual value is executed.

In this evaluation process, first, in step S40
Then, a software timer, which will be described later, is cleared to “0” to stop the operation, an elapsed time variable C representing the elapsed time from the start of use is cleared to “0”, and initial conditions necessary for the evaluation process are cleared. After setting, the process proceeds to step S41. In this step S41, it is determined whether or not a data write request has been received from the reader / writer 21, and if a data write request has been received, the process proceeds to step S42,
Step S22 of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment described above
After performing the same history information writing / reading processing as in steps S35 to S35, the process returns to step S41. If a data write request has not been received, the process proceeds to step S43.

In step S43, the reader / writer 2
1 to determine whether a use limit information request has been received. If no use limit information request has been received, step S4
Move to 4. In this step S44, it is determined whether or not the software timer which measures the operating time and elapses, for example, in 10 minutes is being activated. If the software timer is activated, the process jumps to step S46. If so, the process shifts to step S45, starts the software timer, and shifts to step S46.

In step S46, it is determined whether or not the time of the software timer has expired. If the time has not expired, the process returns to step S41. Then, the process proceeds to step S48. In this step S48, the cumulative use time T stored in the cumulative use time storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17 is used.
Ma is read, and a value obtained by adding “1” to the read Ma is calculated as a new accumulated use time TMa.
Then, the calculated cumulative use time TMa is updated and stored in the cumulative use time storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17, and then the process proceeds to step S50.

In this step S50, the elapsed time variable C representing the elapsed time from the start of use is incremented by "1", and the process proceeds to step S51.
Is determined to be equal to a predetermined value Cs set in advance,
If C ≠ Cs, the process returns to step S41, and C
If = Cs, the process moves to step S52. In this step S52, the outside air temperature To and the humidity Ho detected by the temperature sensor 20T and the humidity sensor 20H are read, and the moving average value Tm of the outside air temperature and the humidity stored in the use environment information storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17 is read. And H
m, and then proceeds to step S53 to calculate new moving average values Tm and Hm based on the read outside air temperature To and humidity Ho and the previous moving average values Tm and Hm, respectively. After the updated information is stored in the usage environment information storage area of the memory 17, the process returns to the step S41.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S43 is that the request for use limit information has been received from the reader / writer 21, the process proceeds to step S54, where the accumulated use time TMa and the outside air temperature stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 are stored. The moving average value Tm and the humidity moving average value Hm are read, and the accumulated use time TMa is subtracted from a preset use limit time TML to obtain a value obtained by subtracting the outside air temperature moving average value Tm and the humidity moving average value Hm. by multiplying the correction coefficient K _T and K _H is calculated with reference to the correction coefficient calculation map representing the relation between the average value Tm and humidity moving average value Hm and the correction coefficient K _T and K _H, available usage limit calculating a time TMc (= (TML-TMa) × K T × K H), and set it as the use limit information, then the process proceeds to step S55, non volatile components Read and use limit information and troubleshooting information stored in the sex memory 17, the correction coefficient calculation map representing the relationship between the basis of repair information to use limit time TMc example repair information and the correction coefficient K _A Multiplied by the correction coefficient K _A calculated with reference to the residual value RV (=
After calculating (TMc × K _A ), the process proceeds to step S56.

In step S56, step S55
It is determined whether or not the residual value RV calculated in the step is equal to or less than a predetermined value RVs. If the residual value RV exceeds the predetermined value RVs, the process directly jumps to step S58, and the residual value RV is equal to or less than the predetermined value RVs. If step S
Going to 57, refer to the recycling information stored in the non-volatile memory 17 to find useful information such as the presence of diamonds and precious metals, and the inclusion of valuable parts such as automobile parts by themselves. The process proceeds to step S58 after calculating the waste value VA in the case of the waste based on the information.

In step S58, step S54
, The residual value information calculated in step S55, and the waste value VA calculated in step S57.
Is transmitted to the reader / writer 21 and then the step S41 is performed.
Return to In the processing of FIG. 7, the processing of S41 and S42 corresponds to the distribution history information writing means and the product history management means, the processing of steps S44 to S53 corresponds to the use state information writing means, and the processing of steps S43 and S54. The processing corresponds to the use limit information calculating means, and steps S55 to S57
Corresponds to the residual value evaluation means.

According to the third embodiment, in the manufacturing process, in the non-volatile memory 17, recycling information such as a material used for each part constituting the personal computer and a recycling processing method, a manufacturing date, a manufacturing location, The recycle chip 2 in which the manufacturing information such as the lot number and the password are written in the non-volatile memory 17 is a personal computer P
Attach it to the control board of C and use the reader / writer 21 at the time of shipment.
By accessing the recycle chip 2 and inputting a predetermined password, the shipping date is written into the nonvolatile memory 17, the history information stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 is read, and the stored history information is read. Check that there is no mistake in

Thereafter, at the retail store, the reader / writer 21
By inputting the password, the retailer information including the date of arrival, the name of the retail store, the location of the retail store, the name of the handler, the e-mail address, etc. is entered, and the personal computer PC is sold to the customer. And customer information such as customer address, telephone number, and e-mail address. As described above, when the consumer turns on the power to start using the personal computer PC in a state where the distribution route information necessary for the distribution route is stored in the nonvolatile memory 17, the voltage monitoring circuit 19 of the recycle chip 2 causes , The power-on is detected, and the switching circuit 18 is switched to the external power input terminal tc side by this.
6 is supplied with power and the execution of the evaluation process of FIG. 8 is started.

At this time, the data write request and the usage limit information request by the reader / writer 21 are not received, and the process shifts from step S43 to step S44, where the power is turned on and the software timer is started. Since the process has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S45, in which a software timer is activated to start measuring the usage time.

Thereafter, S41, S43, S44 and S46 until the time of the software timer expires.
When the software timer times out, the process proceeds from step S46 to step S47, where the software timer is cleared to "0" and restarted, and then "1" is added to the accumulated use time TMa. The value is calculated as a new cumulative use time TMa, and this is updated and stored in the cumulative use time storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17 (step S49).

Next, the elapsed time variable C is incremented by "1" to set C = 1 (step S50). Since the calculated elapsed time variable C is smaller than the predetermined value Cs, the process returns to step S41. After that, the elapsed time variable C coincides with the predetermined value Cs by repeating the time-up of the software timer a predetermined number of times, and the outside air temperature To and the humidity Ho detected by the temperature sensor 20T and the humidity sensor 20H.
Is read (step S52), the moving average values Tm and Hm of the outside air temperature To and the humidity Ho are calculated, and the moving average values Tm and Hm are updated and stored in the usage environment information storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17 (step S52). Step S53).

In this way, the cumulative use time TMa is sequentially updated each time the user uses the personal computer. Then, in order to end use of the personal computer, when the operating system is terminated and the power is cut off, the power supply to the external power input terminal tc is stopped at the time of the power cut off, so that the operation of the control circuit 16 is started. Stopped.

Accordingly, since the cumulative use time TMa calculated in step S48 immediately before is stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 as the cumulative use time TMa,
Although there is some error, special measures such as detecting the end of the operating system, providing a self-holding circuit in the power supply circuit, and holding the self-holding circuit for the delay time necessary for calculating the accumulated use time by the self-holding circuit when the power is turned off. It is possible to reliably calculate the cumulative use time TMa without requiring any special processing or devices, and without changing the operating system or providing a self-holding circuit. The error included in the accumulated use time TMa can be reduced by setting a short time-up time of the software timer.

When a user uses a personal computer and a hard disk, a flexible disk drive, a compact disk drive, or the like breaks down and is replaced with a new part or is replaced with a high-performance product, for example. When this exchange is performed at a store, the exchange information is input as a password by the reader / writer 21 and then stored in the nonvolatile memory 17 as failure repair information.
And sends the repair information to the manufacturer. When the user himself replaces the failed part, he enters the password using the reader / writer 21 at a dealer or the like at a necessary time, and then stores the replacement information in the nonvolatile memory 17 and transmits it to the manufacturer. be able to.

After that, when the user replaces the personal computer and puts the used personal computer on the used market, an evaluation is performed at a used goods purchase shop. When the reader / writer 21 provided at the purchase store inputs a password and transmits a use limit information request to the recycle chip 2 mounted on the personal computer, the process proceeds from step S43 to step S54 in the evaluation process of FIG. do it,
The usage limit time TMc is calculated based on the cumulative usage time TMa, the outside air temperature moving average value Tm, and the humidity moving average value Hm stored in the usage environment information storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17.

The calculation of the usage limit time TMc is based on the cumulative usage.
Use time TMa is reduced from preset use limit time TML
To the calculated value, the outside air temperature moving average Tm and the humidity moving average
Based on the value Hm, for example, the outside air temperature moving average value Tm and the humidity
Moving average value Hm and correction coefficient K _TAnd K_HExpress the relationship with
Correction coefficient K calculated with reference to the correction coefficient calculation map_TPassing
And K_H(TMc = (TML−
TMa) × K_T× K_H).

After that, the calculated use limit time TMc and the failure repair information are read, and the use limit time TMc is multiplied by the correction coefficient K _A calculated by referring to the correction coefficient calculation map based on the failure repair information. Residual value RV (= TMc ×
K _A ) is calculated (step S55). If the calculated residual value RV is equal to or greater than the predetermined value RVs, the process directly proceeds to step S58, but the residual value RV is changed to the predetermined value RV.
If it is less than or equal to s, it is determined that the product is not worthy as a used product and is discarded, and the process proceeds to step S57. The content information of a certain part is extracted, and the waste value VA is calculated from the extracted information.

Then, by transmitting the calculated use limit time TMc, residual value RV and waste value VA to the reader / writer 21, the liquid crystal display 31 of the reader / writer 21 is transmitted.
, And the time limit TMc, the residual value RV and the waste value V
A is displayed. Therefore, at the used goods store, the displayed use limit time TMc, residual value RV, and waste value V
An accurate purchase price can be set based on A. When the purchase is determined at the used goods store, the necessary information such as the purchase date, used goods store name, contact information, etc. is stored in the reader / writer 21 in the nonvolatile memory. 17 and when the disposal is determined, when the difference obtained by subtracting the disposal cost from the waste value VA is a positive value, the difference is paid to the seller,
If the difference is negative, the difference is collected from the seller.

When purchasing a used personal computer at a used goods store, the reader / writer 21
Similarly, a request for use limit information is sent to a personal computer PC.
By transmitting the information to the recycle chip 2 attached to the PC, the use limit time TMc and the residual value RV can be displayed on the liquid crystal display 31 of the reader / writer 21. In addition to examining the validity of the purchase price, the reader / writer 21 makes a data write request, so that the distribution route history information can be read and displayed on the liquid crystal display 31. It can be confirmed that it has passed through the distribution channel.

Further, in the third embodiment, since the calculation of the cumulative use time TMa does not judge whether or not the customer information has been written, there is no customer information to be written, and the cumulative use time T
When there is a large amount of Ma, it can be determined that the display has been used as a display at the store, and when the display is purchased, the usage state can be accurately determined. In the third embodiment, the case where the cumulative use time TMa is updated every time the software timer expires has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the power supply circuit may be provided with a self-holding circuit. When the power switch is turned on, the self-holding circuit is turned on, and when the power is turned off when the operating system of the personal computer is terminated, the power-on state is maintained by the self-holding circuit after the power is turned off. The usage time measured by the software timer during this time is stored in the nonvolatile memory 17.
Is added to the accumulated use time TMa stored in the non-volatile memory 1.
7 may be updated and stored in the cumulative use time storage area. Further, when the end is selected by the operating system, an end notification is sent to the control circuit 16 of the recycle chip 2 before turning off the power. And control circuit 1
The cumulative use time TMa may be calculated at the time when the end notification is received in step 6, and may be updated and stored in the cumulative use time storage area of the nonvolatile memory 17.

In the third embodiment, the case where the usage time from when the power is turned on to when the power is turned off has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the camera is not actually operating even when the power is turned on, such as a camera or a copier, the operating state is directly detected to calculate the accumulated use time, or to move repeatedly like a printer carriage. In such a case, the cumulative number of operations may be measured instead of the cumulative use time.

Further, in the third embodiment,
The case where the outside air temperature To and the humidity Ho are used as the use environment information has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these. Etc.
When the set temperature is changed, by storing the outside air temperature and the temperature change state until the set temperature is reached, it can be used as an evaluation criterion for the cooling performance. It can be used as an evaluation standard for heating performance.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control circuit 16 of the recycle chip 2 uses the time limit TM
a, the case where the residual evaluation RV and the waste evaluation VA are calculated has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For VA, the cumulative use time TM read by the reader / writer 21
The cumulative use time TMa and the failure repair information read out by the reader / writer 21 or the reader / writer 21 based on the information a and the failure repair information may be output to an external information processing terminal and may be calculated by the information processing terminal.

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the case where a non-contact type IC card which performs data transmission / reception and power supply using electromagnetic waves is applied as the recycle chip 2 has been described. Without limitation, a non-contact type IC card that operates using electric power supplied to a recycling device, a contact type IC card engaged with a recycling device, and a chip shape capable of storing electronic information Alternatively, a film-shaped tag or any other storage medium can be applied, and furthermore, a storage element alone such as a non-volatile memory or a magneto-optical storage medium is arranged in the product, and these storage elements can be accessed from outside. May be configured.

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the case where the non-volatile memory 17 is accessed by the reader / writer 21 using an IC card has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power is supplied by utilizing the mutual induction of electromagnetic waves, or the power is supplied by providing an external power supply input terminal tc as in the second and third embodiments, and the data is transmitted as shown in FIG. As a circuit and a data receiving circuit, for example, an ISM of 2.4 GHz
(Industrial Scientific Medical) using a band as a carrier frequency, forming a small-scale wireless network 41 with another short-range wireless communication interface within a radius of about 10 m to 15 m, and transmitting and receiving information. RF section 42 having, for example, a transmission circuit and a reception circuit
By applying the short-range wireless communication interface 43 provided with
From a portable information terminal such as a portable telephone provided with the information terminal 4 or another information terminal 45 to the nonvolatile memory 1 of the recycle chip 2.
7 can be accessed, and the non-volatile memory can be accessed by inputting a password without providing a special reader / writer. In addition, it is also possible to apply a wireless LAN to the recycle chip 2 and to participate in the wireless LAN network.

As described above, when the recycle chip 2 is caused to participate in the wireless network 41, one of the information terminals 45 participating in the participating wireless network 41 is connected via the Internet 46, as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to connect to the management server 47 of the manufacturer of the product, and the management server 47 as the information providing means collects various information such as the repair information stored in each recycle chip, so that the product is easily broken down. Information such as parts and service life can be grasped, and can be used as reference materials for the next product development, and failure occurrence can be predicted based on the accumulated use time TMa and failure repair information.
When the failure occurrence prediction time is approaching, it is possible to provide information such as replacement information of the corresponding part or information such as replacement to a newly developed part to the user's contact information stored in the recycled chip 2 by e-mail or the like. .

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the case where the non-volatile memory 17 is accessed from a recycle chip using a password has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. By encrypting the information written in the non-volatile memory 17 with the public key and transmitting the secret key by e-mail or by storing it in a storage medium and mailing it, it is received by the authorized recycling equipment acquirer of the distribution channel. By passing the information, unauthorized access to the nonvolatile memory 17 may be prevented.

Further, in the above-described first to third embodiments, a case has been described in which only the manufacturer and the recycle processing company register the product with the product registration center. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown, a reader / writer 21 used by a retail store, a delivery company, or the like is connected to the Internet 51 via a public telephone network 50 as necessary, so that a product registration center 52 connected to the Internet 51 can be directly accessed. With this configuration, each time information is written through the distribution channel, the written information is transmitted to the product registration center 52, and the history information itself is managed by the product registration center 52 on a global scale. Often, write information is sent to the manufacturer's management center instead of the product registration center 52. It may be. Here, the product management center 52 does not need to be located at one place, and may be distributed for each country, local government, or the like, and an arbitrary number can be provided.

Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, a case has been described in which devices to be recycled such as refrigerators, printers, and personal computers are applied as products. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Needs recycling of electrical appliances such as TVs, washing machines, lighting equipment, computer peripherals such as computers, scanners, projectors, and liquid crystal panels with drive ICs, and portable information terminals such as mobile phones, watches, automobiles, etc. The present invention can be applied to all products to be disposed of or products to be disposed of without being recycled.

In the first to third embodiments, the reader / writer 21 is used to
Although the case where the history information is written to and read from the non-volatile memory 17 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and only a writer that writes the history information to the non-volatile memory 17 may be used. . Further, in the first to third embodiments, the case where the recycle chip 2 is applied as the storage medium has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the microprocessor and the memory incorporated in the product may be used. It can also be configured as software using it.

[0098]

As described above, according to the first or ninth aspect of the present invention, a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information in a manufacturing process of a product distributed on the market is mounted. History information according to the distribution route by the information writing means on the storage medium, for example, in a manufacturing factory, manufacturing information such as a manufacturer name, a manufacturing date, a manufacturing factory name, the possibility of recycling, the name of recycled parts, a name of a retail store at a retail store, Retail store information such as arrival date, sale date, purchaser name, etc.If the purchaser lends to others,
Lending information such as the lending date and lender name, repair information when the product is repaired, and specific household use with specified items when requesting collection by a waste collection company such as a retail store after it has been used. The history information in the distribution process such as the equipment waste management slip is stored, and the product history is integrated by the product history management means based on this history information. By controlling all the flows, the resources can be reused to promote the effective use of the earth resources, and the effects of preventing illegal dumping and protecting the global environment can be obtained.

According to the second or tenth aspect of the present invention, a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information in a manufacturing process is attached to a product such as a device to be recycled, and the information medium is written on the storage medium. Information according to the distribution channel by means of incorporation, for example, in a manufacturing factory, the manufacturer name, manufacturing date, manufacturing factory name,
Stores manufacturing information such as recyclability, recycled parts names, etc., stores retail store information such as retail store name, arrival date, sales date, purchaser name etc. at a retail store, and if the purchaser lends to another person, Store the lending information such as the lending date and lender name, and when it is used up and request collection by a garbage collection company such as a retail store, store the specified household equipment waste management slip describing the specified items, After that, when the delivery company hands over to the manufacturer or the like, predetermined items are stored in the management slip. In this way, the necessary information in the distribution process is stored in the storage medium, and the retailer, the purchaser, the waste collection company, the manufacturer, and the like can use the information confirmation unit to record the distribution history of the device to be recycled. Can be checked and used as a reference for product purchase and recycling.
The advantage is obtained that the manufacturer can surely grasp the flow of the manufacturing equipment.

According to the third or eleventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the second or tenth aspect, the use state information of the product is stored in a storage medium, and based on the use state information. Since the usage limit information is calculated,
When forming a market for used products, it is possible to obtain the effect of accurately grasping the use state from the use state of the product and calculating accurate use limit information.

According to the fourth or twelfth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the third or eleventh aspect, a residual value is evaluated for the usage limit information. The effect of being able to accurately grasp the residual value of is obtained. Still further, in the invention according to claim 5 or 13, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 2 or 10, information on replacement parts that require replacement based on the use state information stored in the storage medium is stored. Since it can be provided, it is possible to provide information prompting replacement of a developing unit in a printer or a copier, replacement of an oil filter and a tire in a car, replacement of lamps of a lighting fixture, and the like, The effect that the service which a user satisfies can be provided can be obtained.

Further, according to the invention of claim 6, as the use state information, use environment data such as accumulated use time, ambient temperature, humidity, etc. necessary for calculating use limit information, and failure repair information are applied. As a result, it is possible to obtain the effect that the use limit can be accurately grasped from the use state and the repair state of the product. Further, according to the invention of claim 7, by applying the accumulated use time and the use environment data as the use state information, it is possible to obtain the effect that the use state of the product can be grasped more accurately.

According to the eighth or fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the product is a device to be recycled, a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information in the manufacturing process is attached to the device to be recycled. In this storage medium, information corresponding to the distribution route by the information writing means, for example, in a manufacturing factory, in addition to manufacturing information such as a manufacturer name, a manufacturing date, a manufacturing factory name, etc., recycling information such as a used material and a recycling method is stored. At a retail store, store the retail store information such as the name of the retail store, the date of arrival, the date of sale, and the name of the purchaser, and if the purchaser lends it to another person, store the loan information such as the loan date and the name of the lender. ,
When a used household waste collection company such as a retail store is requested to collect it, it stores the specified household equipment waste management slip that describes the specified items. Stores items. In this way, the necessary information in the distribution process is stored in the storage medium, and the retailer, the purchaser, the waste collection company, the manufacturer, and the like can use the information confirmation means to record the distribution history of the device to be recycled. This can be confirmed, and can be used as a reference for product purchase and recycling processing, and the effect that the manufacturer can surely grasp the flow of manufacturing equipment can be obtained.

Further, according to the invention of claim 16, when the equipment to be recycled is disposed of and recycled, the disposal company reads the information stored in the storage medium by the information confirming means, and stores the information in the retail store or the like. By confirming the management form information created by the collection company, it is possible to confirm whether or not the processing is legal, and if illegal dumping has occurred, the final information stored in the storage medium Thus, the effect that the illegal dumper can be specified can be obtained.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, when the consumer purchases the recycle target equipment, the information stored in the storage medium is confirmed by the information confirmation means, so that the regular distribution process can be performed. An effect is obtained that it can be easily confirmed whether or not the product has passed. Furthermore, according to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, since the storage medium includes the information processing means, it is possible to access the stored information when permission information such as a preset password or encryption is input. Therefore, the effect that the information stored in the storage medium can be reliably prevented from being falsified or erased.

Further, according to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, since the storage medium is constituted by an IC card, the storage capacity of the storage information can be increased and the built-in information processing means can be used. The effect of setting passwords and encryption can be obtained. Still further, according to the invention of claim 20, since the storage medium is constituted by a non-contact type IC card, the information writing means and the information confirmation means can access the stored contents in a non-contact state. Thus, the effect that information can be easily written and confirmed can be obtained.

Further, in the invention according to claim 21, since the storage medium is configured to receive and transmit information and supply electric power by using electromagnetic waves as a medium, an environment in which power cannot be supplied to the apparatus to be recycled is provided. Also, the effect that the access to the storage medium can be reliably performed can be obtained. Furthermore, according to the invention according to claim 22, since the information stored in the storage medium is encrypted, the contents stored in the storage medium cannot be read by anyone other than the parties concerned, thereby preventing unauthorized use of the storage medium. The effect is obtained.

Further, according to the twenty-third aspect of the present invention, the storage medium, the information writing means and the information confirmation means are configured to be able to configure a small-scale wireless network.
The effect is obtained that the storage medium can be easily accessed via the small-scale wireless network.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a recycle chip and a reader / writer applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data processing procedure executed by a reader / writer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an access processing procedure executed by a microprocessor of a recycle chip.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a recycle chip applicable to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an access processing procedure executed by a microprocessor of a recycle chip according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an evaluation processing procedure executed by a control circuit of a recycled chip according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a network configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a network configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Recycle chip 3 Control board 11 Power coil 12 Data transmission / reception coil 13 Power supply unit 14 Data transmission unit 15 Data reception unit 16 Control circuit 17 Non-volatile memory 21 Reader / writer 25 Power transmission circuit 26 Microprocessor 27 Data transmission circuit 28 Data reception circuit 29 Data transmission / reception coil antenna 30 Memory 31 Liquid crystal display PR Printer 41 Small wireless network 42 RF unit 43,44 Short-range wireless communication interface 45 Information terminal 46 Internet 47 Manufacturer's management server 50 Public telephone network 51 Internet 52 Product Administration Center

Claims (23)

[Claims] 1. A product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: mounting a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information on the manufactured product; A step of sequentially storing distribution route history information corresponding to the distribution route of the product in a medium; and a step of performing product history management based on the distribution route history information stored in the storage medium. Product history management method. 2. A product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: mounting a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information to the manufactured product; Sequentially storing distribution channel information according to the distribution channel of the product in a medium, storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and distributing based on the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium Performing a process. 3. A product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: mounting a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information on the manufactured product; Sequentially storing distribution channel information corresponding to the distribution channel of the product in a medium, storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and distributing based on the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium. A product history management method, comprising: performing a process; and performing a use limit information calculation process of calculating use limit information based on use state information. 4. A product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising attaching a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information to the manufactured product, Sequentially storing distribution channel information according to the distribution channel of the product in a medium, storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and distributing based on the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium Performing a process, performing a usage limit information calculation process for calculating usage limit information based on usage state information, and performing a residual value evaluation process for calculating a residual value based on the usage limit information. A product history management method characterized in that: 5. A product history management method for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: mounting a storage medium capable of storing externally readable electronic information on the manufactured product; Sequentially storing distribution channel information according to the distribution channel of the product in a medium, storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and distributing based on the distribution channel information stored in the storage medium A product history management method, comprising: performing a process; and performing an information providing process of providing information on a replacement component requiring replacement based on the use state information. 6. The product according to claim 3, wherein the use state information includes use state data and failure repair information necessary for calculating use limit information. History management method. 7. The product history management method according to claim 6, wherein the use state data is constituted by accumulated use time and use environment data. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the product is a device to be recycled, and the distribution route history information includes recycling information such as a used material and a recycling processing method. Product history management method. 9. A product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: a storage medium mounted on the product for storing externally readable electronic information; Product history management, comprising: distribution history information writing means for storing distributed history information; and product history management means for managing product history based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium. apparatus. 10. A product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: a storage medium mounted on the product for storing externally readable electronic information; A product history management device comprising: an information writing unit that stores the distribution history information; and an information confirmation unit that performs a distribution process based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium. 11. A product history management device for managing the history of products distributed on the market, comprising: a storage medium mounted on the product for storing externally readable electronic information; Distribution history information writing means for storing the distribution history information, use state information writing means for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and use state for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium Information writing means, information confirming means for performing distribution processing based on distribution history information stored in the storage medium, and usage limit information for calculating usage limit information based on usage state information stored in the storage medium A product history management device comprising: a calculation unit. 12. A product history management device for managing the history of products distributed on the market, comprising: a storage medium for storing externally readable electronic information attached to the product; Distribution history information writing means for storing the distribution history information, use state information writing means for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and use state for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium Information writing means, information confirming means for performing distribution processing based on distribution history information stored in the storage medium, and usage limit information for calculating usage limit information based on usage state information stored in the storage medium A product history management device, comprising: a calculation unit; and a residual value evaluation processing unit that performs a residual value evaluation process for performing a residual value evaluation based on the usage limit information. 13. A product history management device for managing the history of products circulating in a market, comprising: a storage medium mounted on the product for storing externally readable electronic information; Distribution history information writing means for storing the distribution history information, use state information writing means for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium, and use state for storing the use state information of the product in the storage medium Information writing means, information confirmation means for performing a distribution process based on the distribution history information stored in the storage medium, and replacement parts requiring replacement based on use state information stored in the storage medium. A product history management device, comprising: an information providing unit that provides information. 14. The information writing means is configured to register the history information in the product history management means via a network when writing the history information according to the distribution channel. 14. The product history management device according to claim 9. 15. The product according to claim 9, wherein the product is a device to be recycled, and the distribution route history information includes recycling information such as a used material and a recycling method. Product history management device. 16. The information confirming means according to claim 1, wherein when the recycle target device is discarded and recycled, whether or not an appropriate process is performed based on the information stored in the storage medium in the disposal process The product history management device according to claim 15, wherein the product history management device is configured to check the product history. 17. The information confirming means is configured to be able to confirm a distribution process up to that time based on information stored in a storage medium when purchasing a device to be recycled. Item 17. The product history management device according to item 15 or 16. 18. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said storage medium has information processing means, and is configured to enable access to stored information when predetermined permission information is input. 18. The product history management device according to any one of claims 17 to 17. 19. The product history management device according to claim 9, wherein said storage medium is constituted by an IC card. 20. The product history management device according to claim 9, wherein said storage medium is constituted by a non-contact type IC card. 21. The product history management device according to claim 20, wherein the storage medium is configured to receive information transmission / reception and power supply using an electromagnetic wave as a medium. 22. The product history management device according to claim 9, wherein information stored in the storage medium is encrypted. 23. The product history management according to claim 9, wherein the storage medium, the information writing unit, and the information confirmation unit are configured to form a short-range wireless network. apparatus.