JP2004127148A - Calendar print service method, its device, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a calendar print service method which enables anyone to easily obtain a calendar for private use without spending costs. <P>SOLUTION: A service center 8 receives pieces of image data transmitted from terminals such as personal computers 4 and cellular phones 5 of members A, B via the Internet 3, prints the calendar including the image data, and distributes the printed matter to the houses 1, 2 of the members. Since the members A, B neither have to own color printers nor not have to operate calendar print software, anyone can easily obtain the calendar for private use without spending the expenses. For the operation main body of the service, the members can be secured for a long period of a span of many decades by printing and distributing the calendar with photographs in which growing processes of children of the members are recorded and a business base is stabilized by securing profits for the period. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a calendar printing service method, an apparatus, a program, and a recording medium, and particularly to a calendar printing service method for obtaining a private calendar on which a photograph of a child or the like is printed, or distributing the calendar to acquaintances or relatives, and an apparatus therefor. , A program, and a recording medium.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a personal calendar has been created using calendar printing software installed on a personal computer (hereinafter, abbreviated as “PC”) (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
[0003]
In this known method, a photo insertion unit and a schedule input unit are provided on the application screen of the calendar printing software, and a child photograph taken by a digital camera is inserted into the photo insertion unit, and a schedule for the month is scheduled. By writing in the input section, it is possible to create a private calendar, for example, which also serves as a child's growth record, for example, a monthly calendar.
[0004]
[Non-patent document 1]
“Born in Yokohama!“ Photo printing calendar ””, [online], CIJ, Inc. [Searched on October 1, 2002], Internet <URL: http://www.bento.ad.jp/freeware/japanese /Calendar/index.html>
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above known method,
(1) Since personal computers and color printers are indispensable items and a corresponding capital investment is required, there is a problem that costs are increased.
Furthermore, (2) Although the convenience of the recent personal computer has been improved, it is necessary to install the calendar printing software on the personal computer or set the color printer (install the printer driver, connect the cable, set the printing paper). Requires a certain amount of personal computer skills, and also requires appropriate skills to incorporate images (photos) into calendar printing software, so that it is still at a level where anyone, young and old, can easily operate it. Therefore, there is a problem that no one can easily create a private calendar.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a calendar printing service method, an apparatus, a program, and a recording medium by which anyone can easily obtain a private calendar without any cost.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
This invention receives image data transmitted from a terminal of a member via the Internet, prints a calendar including the image data, and delivers the printed matter to the member's house or a destination designated by the member. Is what is being done.
[0008]
Here, the image data may be data of a photograph taken by a digital camera, data of a photograph or an image read by a scanner, data of an image created by using image creation software, and the like. , Family photos, especially photos of children's growth process. The reason is that the calendar printing service can be provided for a long period of several decades immediately after birth, so that members can be kept in the meantime and stable profits can be secured. .
[0009]
According to the present invention, image data transmitted from a terminal of a member via the Internet can be inserted into a calendar and printed, and the printed matter can be delivered to the member's house or a destination designated by the member. Therefore, since the member does not need to have a color printer and does not need to operate calendar printing software, it is possible to realize a calendar printing service in which anyone can easily obtain a private calendar without any expense. In addition, for the operating body of the service, for example, by printing and delivering a calendar with a photograph of the growth process of the member's child, the calendar can be provided for a long period of several decades corresponding to the growth period of the child. Members can be retained, profits during that period can be secured, and the business base can be stabilized.
[0010]
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the member is a person who has performed a registration procedure of personal information including a name and a delivery destination of the member in advance with respect to the service center that performs the printing and delivery or the operating entity of the service. It is supposed to be.
In this aspect, the service can be provided only to the person who has registered personal information in advance, and differentiation from non-members whose personal information has not been registered can be achieved.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the member is inquired of whether or not the secondary use of personal information is possible, and when a response is possible, information useful for marketing research and sales activities is obtained from the personal information of the member. It is supposed to be extracted.
In this aspect, the secondary use of the personal information of the approved member can be made possible, and the personal information can be effectively used. In particular, personal information included in the private calendar includes important milestone event information for the family, such as the family's birthday, wedding anniversary, children's admission, enrollment, planned entry date, Such information is indispensable for marketing research and sales activities in various industries, and although we would like to obtain it at a price, the recent movement to protect personal information has made it difficult to obtain such useful information. By permitting the secondary use of personal information after receiving consent as in the embodiment, for example, it is also possible to sell useful information, and to carry out a more stable business by adding the sales revenue. it can.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the specification or examples of various details and examples of numerical values, character strings, and other symbols are merely reference for clarifying the idea of the present invention, and all or some of them Obviously, the idea of the invention is not limited. In addition, well-known techniques, well-known procedures, well-known architectures, and well-known circuit configurations (hereinafter, “known matters”) will not be described in detail, but this is also for the purpose of simplifying the description, It does not intentionally exclude all or some of the matters. Such a well-known matter can be known to those skilled in the art at the time of filing the present invention, and is naturally included in the following description.
[0012]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an entire system for realizing a calendar printing service according to an embodiment. In this figure, member homes 1 and 2 of members A and B who receive a calendar printing service (hereinafter, simply referred to as “service”) according to the embodiment have personal computers 4 and mobile phones 5 accessible to the Internet 3. Terminals are provided.
[0013]
The PC 4 has installed therein dedicated software (so-called browser software) for accessing the Internet 3 and downloading and browsing various contents (such as homepages) published on the Internet 3. Special software (a so-called mailer) for creating, transmitting, and receiving e-mail exchanged via the Internet is installed. Further, a device driver for taking in image data (photograph data) photographed by the digital camera 6 via the dedicated cable 7 and a recording device (not shown) of the digital camera 6 are set in the personal computer 4 to record the recorded data. A device driver of an image data reading device (such as a card reader; not shown) for reading (image data) is installed.
[0014]
Therefore, the member A can access the Internet 3 using the personal computer 4 to browse contents such as a homepage, send and receive e-mails, and also transmit photographic data taken by the digital camera 6 to the personal computer 4. It can be captured, for example, sent as an e-mail attachment. Alternatively, the photograph data can be transmitted to a server on the Internet 3 using the file upload function of the browser software.
[0015]
On the other hand, the mobile phone 5 has a function of accessing the Internet 3 and a function of taking a picture (with a camera). The member B can use this mobile phone 5 to exchange a normal conversation with another mobile phone or a subscribed phone, and also in a manner similar to that of the personal computer 4, that is, by accessing the Internet 3 and accessing the homepage. And the like, and can send and receive e-mails, and send photographic data taken with an attached camera, for example, as an attached file of e-mail, or send the photographic data to the Internet 3. Or to the server above.
[0016]
A service center (calendar print service device) 8 of the calendar print service according to the embodiment is connected to the Internet 3. The service center 8 includes a server (receiving means, delivery preparing means, secondary usage information extracting means) 9, an information storage unit (storage means) 10, a color printer (printing means) 11, and the like. It has the following functions. The Internet 3 is a network compatible with the Internet Protocol (TCP / IP; Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), and its physical configuration is not limited. For example, analog telephone lines, digital telephone lines, leased lines, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), CATV (Community Antenna Television), broadband lines such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network), satellite lines, and optical fibers are used. Any of a line and the like or a mixed line thereof may be used.
[0017]
<Server 9>
(1) The server 9 has a function of receiving access from terminals (such as the personal computer 4 and the mobile phone 5) of the member homes 1 and 2 via the Internet 3.
(2) The server 9 has a function of referring to the member information in the information storage unit 10 and authenticating the member when the member 9 accesses from a registered member.
(3) In the case of access from a non-member (unregistered member), the server 9 prompts the user to register by browsing the content describing the service outline, and stores the member information when the member registration is performed. It has a function of recording in the unit 10.
[0018]
Here, member information refers to personal information (such as name and address, contact information such as telephone number and e-mail address) identifying the member, family anniversary (birthday, wedding anniversary, enrollment, joining, Other anniversary or planned dates), the address to send the printed matter (calendar) (including the address to distribute copies of acquaintances and relatives if necessary), payment information for service charges (for example, for card payment , Card company name, card number, expiration date, etc.) and other information (in particular, various information useful for marketing research and sales activities).
[0019]
(4) The server 9 has a function of receiving image data uploaded from a registered member.
(5) The server 9 has a function of embedding the image data uploaded from each member and the anniversary of the member's family in a calendar format for each registered member, and outputting the data to the color printer 11 for printing.
(6) The server 9 has a function of performing necessary preparation processing (such as printing of an address label) for sending (mailing or delivering) the printed matter created in (5) to each member (or copy distribution destination). .
(7) The server 9 has a function of collecting service usage fees of registered members (fixed usage fees such as annual membership fees and monthly fees, and usage-based usage fees according to the number of printed materials, or both).
[0020]
<Information storage unit 10>
The information storage unit 10 has a function of storing a monthly calendar format F common to members and a function of storing member registration information. That is, the information storage unit 10 includes a calendar format storage unit 10a and a member information database 10b, and each storage information can be freely referred to from the server 9 and can be updated.
[0021]
<Color printer 11>
The color printer 11 has a function of outputting print data output from the server 9 (image data uploaded from each member and an anniversary of the member's family embedded in a calendar format F) as a printed matter. .
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of the service according to the embodiment.
{Circle around (1)} Member A or member B (hereinafter, referred to as “member A”) first takes a picture of, for example, his / her own child with digital camera 6 and captures the photograph data into personal computer 4. After accessing the server 9 of the service center 8 and authenticating the user, the photograph data is uploaded to the server 9. Alternatively, an e-mail attached with the photograph data is transmitted to the address of the service center 8. Alternatively, in the case of the member B having the mobile phone 5, the camera of the mobile phone 5 takes a picture of, for example, his / her own child, and uploads it from the mobile phone 5 to the server 9 of the service center 8.
[0023]
{Circle over (2)} The server 9 of the service center 8 receives the photo data uploaded from the members A and B, retrieves the calendar format F for the current month of the following year from the calendar format storage unit 10a, and retrieves the photos from the member information database 10b. The information of the member who uploaded the data (information such as the anniversary and shipping address) is extracted, print data in which the photograph data and the anniversary information are embedded in the calendar format F, and output to the color printer 11.
[0024]
(3) The color printer 11 takes in the print data from the server, and generates and outputs a printed matter (monthly calendar exclusively for the member A or the member B) 12 in which the photograph data and the anniversary information are embedded in the calendar format F.
(4) The staff of the service center 8 packs the printed matter 12, attaches the member's address sticker (or prints and bundles a cover sheet in the case of using an envelope with a window), and performs a shipping procedure. When the copy distribution destination of the printed matter 12 (an acquaintance or a relative's house, etc.) is designated, the copy distribution destination is also similarly packed with the printed matter 12 and pasted with an address sticker or using an envelope with a window. Will print and enclose the cover sheet and perform the shipping procedure.
[0025]
{Circle around (5)} The member A or the member B or the copy distribution destination posts and keeps the delivered printed matter 12 together with a previously delivered monthly calendar by binding the printed matter 12 to a binder or the like.
{Circle around (6)} The server 9 of the service center 8 performs a service usage fee settlement procedure for each member who has completed the shipping procedure. Further, when it is necessary to collect a fee from a copy distribution destination, for example, when a copy of the printed matter 12 is distributed for a fee, a service use fee settlement procedure is performed for the copy distribution destination.
[0026]
As described above, in the service according to the embodiment, the member simply uploads the photo data from the personal computer 4 or the mobile phone 5 to the server 9 of the service center 8 when he or she likes, and embeds the photo data to clean the data. , For example, a private calendar (printed matter 12) for the current month of the following year can be received. Therefore, there is no need to provide a color printer in the member homes 1 and 2, and if a mobile phone 5 is used, no personal computer is required, so that the cost is only the service usage fee, and the cost can be reduced. Benefits are obtained. Moreover, since the only skills required of members are browsing and sending and receiving e-mail, the procedure for receiving the services of the embodiment is not particularly difficult for beginners of personal computers, and anyone can easily create a personal calendar. The advantage of being able to receive is obtained.
[0027]
Further, from the viewpoint of the operator of the service center 8, a service having the above advantages can recruit many users (members) and can secure a revenue base such as service usage fees, so that a stable business can be secured. Can be operated. In addition, photos uploaded by members are printed on the private calendar delivered by this service, but if these photos are used to record the child's growth process, the service will be available for many decades. Since the continuation of use is achieved, a stable business can be conducted in this respect as well.
[0028]
By the way, the first aim of the service of the embodiment is to print and deliver a private calendar by a simple procedure as described above, and to run a stable business with the service usage fee as the main pillar. The service also has a second purpose, which is described below.
[0029]
Users (members) of this service register various information including personal information before using the service. This information includes the child's birthday, the expected date of entering a kindergarten, and the expected date of entering a school, such as elementary, middle and high schools.・ ・) It is useful information that you want to obtain even for a fee. Therefore, the second aim of this service is to enable the secondary use of such useful information with the consent of the registrant, and to further increase the business stability by adding the secondary use revenue. The point is.
[0030]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the service including the secondary use of useful information. In this figure, when a member's application is accepted on the homepage of the service center 8 or by e-mail (step S11), the member's registration information is recorded in the member information database 10b (step S12), and then the secondary use is performed from the registration information. A daily process of extracting possible information (for example, advertising information) (step S13) and transferring the advertising information to another system (for example, a merchandise information guide system or a direct mail sending system) (step S14). Perform monthly processing.
[0031]
On the other hand, if the registered member has applied for calendar printing, the photo data transmitted from the registered member is received (step S15), and the calendar in which the photo is embedded is printed / shipped (step S16) to settle the payment. Perform monthly processing (Step S17).
[0032]
As described above, in this service, a calendar dedicated to the member in which the photo uploaded by the member is embedded can be created and sent, and information that can be used secondarily from the registered information of the member can be extracted. Then, for example, it can be used for a merchandise information guide system, a direct mail sending system, and the like.
[0033]
On December 3, 1997, the Electronic Network Council established the “Guidelines on the Protection of Personal Information in the Operation of Electronic Networks”. Regardless of the type of business, a common policy on proper management and protection of personal information is presented from the viewpoint of protecting the interests of users of electronic networks. According to this, "The use of personal information shall be limited to the range necessary to achieve the purpose of collection. However, if the use of personal information exceeds the scope of the original purpose, if the consent of the person is again obtained, Not. "
[0034]
4 to 6 are flowcharts of the present service corresponding to the above guidelines. In this figure, when an application for membership registration is accepted (step S21), it is first determined whether or not the application is from a homepage (step S22). If the application is made from the homepage, an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) document in which controls for entering various personal information necessary for providing the service are transmitted to the personal computer of the applicant (step S23).
[0035]
Next, an HTML document (information secondary use approval screen) for inquiring about the purpose of the secondary use of the contract screen of this service and the personal information and whether or not the secondary use is possible is transmitted to the personal computer of the applicant (step S24). If the contract for this service is approved ("YES" in step S25) and the secondary use of information is permitted ("YES" in step S26), the process proceeds to the calendar creation function or the member information management function (step S27). On the other hand, if the contract of this service is not approved ("NO" in step S25), a contract failure process is executed (step S28), and if the secondary use of information is not approved ("NO" in step S26), a calendar is created. In order to prohibit the secondary use of the registered information of the member, for example, a flag for the member in the member information database 10b is set to “not transmit advertisement information” to prohibit the secondary use of the registered information of the member. It is excluded from the advertisement information extraction (step S30).
[0036]
If it is not determined in step S22 that the application is made from the homepage, it is determined that the application is made by e-mail (step S31), and the contract screen of the service and the personal information of the service are sent to the e-mail address. An e-mail is sent to inquire about the purpose of the secondary use and whether or not the secondary use is possible (step S32). Based on the content of the reply mail, the contract for this service is approved ("YES" in step S33) and the information It is determined whether or not the next use is permitted (“YES” in step S34).
[0037]
If the contract of this service is approved and the secondary use of information is permitted, the process proceeds to the calendar creation function or the member information management function (step S35), while the contract of this service is not approved (“NO” in step S33). "), A contract failure process is executed (step S28), and if the secondary use of information is unacceptable (" NO "in step S34), the process shifts to only the calendar creation function (step S29). In order to prohibit the secondary use of the registered information of the member, for example, a flag of the member information in the member information database 10b is set to “not transmit advertisement information” and is excluded from advertisement information extraction (step S30).
[0038]
As described above, according to the flow chart of this service, the purpose of collecting personal information and the purpose of secondary use of personal information, etc. are notified to the member and the availability of the information is inquired. It can be carried out.
[0039]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the calendar printing process in the present service, and particularly includes a reprint service (an additional service for distributing a copy of the printed matter 12 to a distribution destination designated in advance by a member). In this figure, the member creates an e-mail attached with arbitrary photo data and sends it to the service center 8. Alternatively, the user accesses the homepage of the service center 8 and uploads arbitrary photo data. (Step S41). In the case of an e-mail, for example, "n months" (n is a number from 1 to 12) is specified at the head of the title or the body of the e-mail.
[0040]
The server 9 of the service center 8 reads the member ID (step S42), matches it with the standard calendar format (calendar format for n months) (step S43), and stores the member information in the member information database 10b based on the member ID. After performing matching with (anniversary, etc.) (step S44), embedding of anniversary information and photo data in a standard calendar format is performed (steps S45, S46).
[0041]
Next, the server 9 of the service center 8 determines whether or not there is a contract for the additional printing service (step S47). If there is no contract for the additional service, the printing process (step S48), the sending process (step S49), and the settlement process (step S50) are executed in accordance with the basic contract. And print processing (step S51), shipping processing (step S52), and settlement processing (step S53) for the additional service contract.
[0042]
Therefore, according to this flowchart, it is possible to execute a printing process, a shipping process, and a settlement process in accordance with the presence or absence of a reprint contract, and to provide a printed material 12 to a distribution destination designated in advance by a member, for example, parents, relatives, or acquaintances. You can distribute copies.
[0043]
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an information extraction process for secondary use. In this figure, when the member registration information is written in the member information database 10b (step S61), an extraction condition for the secondary usage information is set (step S62). An example of the extraction condition is one month before the child's birthday, one month before the master's birthday, one month before the wife's birthday, one month before the wedding anniversary, and the like. Next, a transmission target person of information meeting the above conditions is extracted (step S63). For example, in the case of a child's birthday, it is a contractor (member) of the present service and a target of the additional service. In addition, in the case of the master's birthday, it is the wife, and in the case of the wife's birthday, the master. In the case of a wedding anniversary, it is the husband and his wife. Next, the extracted information is transferred to another system such as a merchandise information guide system or a direct mail sending system in order to transmit the extracted information to the target person (step S64).
[0044]
Therefore, according to this flowchart, the registered information of the member can be effectively used (secondary use). For example, one month before the birthday of the child's birthday, the catalog of the birth present can be obtained by the contractor (member) or the additional user. It can be delivered to service recipients (parents, relatives, etc.).
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, image data transmitted from a member terminal via the Internet can be inserted into a calendar and printed, and the printed matter can be delivered to the member's house or a destination designated by the member. Therefore, since the member does not need to have a color printer and does not need to operate calendar printing software, it is possible to realize a calendar printing service in which anyone can easily obtain a private calendar without any expense. In addition, for the operating body of the service, for example, by printing and delivering a calendar with a photograph of the growth process of the member's child, the calendar can be provided for a long period of several decades corresponding to the growth period of the child. Members can be retained, profits during that period can be secured, and the business base can be stabilized.
[0046]
Further, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a service can be provided only to a person who has registered personal information in advance, and differentiation from a non-member who has not registered personal information can be achieved.
Further, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make secondary use of the personal information of the member who has received the consent, and it is possible to effectively utilize the personal information. In particular, personal information included in the private calendar includes important milestone event information for the family, such as the family's birthday, wedding anniversary, children's admission, enrollment, planned entry date, Such information is indispensable for marketing research and sales activities in various industries, and although we would like to obtain it at a price, the recent movement to protect personal information has made it difficult to obtain such useful information. By permitting the secondary use of personal information after receiving consent as in the embodiment, for example, it is also possible to sell useful information, and to carry out a more stable business by adding the sales revenue. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an entire system for realizing a calendar printing service according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a service according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the service including secondary use of useful information.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart (part 1) of the present service corresponding to the guideline on personal information protection in the operation of an electronic network.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart (part 2) of the present service corresponding to the guideline on personal information protection in the operation of the electronic network.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart (part 3) of the present service corresponding to the guideline on personal information protection in the operation of the electronic network.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a calendar printing process (particularly one with a reprint service) in the present service.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an information extraction process for secondary use.
[Explanation of symbols]
3 Internet
4 PCs (terminals)
5 Mobile phones (terminals)
8 service center (calendar printing service device)
9 server (receiving means, delivery preparation means, secondary usage information extraction means)
10 Information storage unit (storage means)
11 color printer (printing means)

Claims (10)

A calendar receiving image data transmitted from a member terminal via the Internet, printing a calendar including the image data, and delivering the printed matter to the member's house or a destination designated by the member; Printing service method. The member is a person who has performed a registration procedure of the personal information including the name and the delivery destination of the member in advance with respect to the service center that performs the printing and delivery or the operating entity of the service. The calendar printing service method according to 1. Inquiring of the secondary use of the personal information to the member, and if the response is possible, extracting information useful for marketing research and sales activities from the personal information of the member. 2. The calendar printing service method according to 2. Receiving means for receiving image data transmitted from the member's terminal via the Internet,
Printing means for printing a calendar including the image data received by the receiving means,
A calendar printing service device comprising: delivery preparation means for executing a preparation process for delivering a printed matter printed by the printing means to the member's house or a destination designated by the member. 5. The calendar printing service apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising storage means for storing personal information including a name and a delivery destination of the member registered in advance. Inquires the member about whether the secondary use of personal information is possible, and if the response is possible, a secondary use information extracting means for extracting information useful for marketing research and sales activities from the personal information of the member. The calendar printing service device according to claim 5, further comprising: A program for causing a computer to execute a predetermined processing function,
Receiving means for receiving the image data transmitted from the member's terminal via the Internet,
Printing means for printing a calendar including the image data received by the receiving means,
A program for implementing delivery preparation means for executing a preparation process for delivering a printed matter printed by the printing means to the member's house or a destination designated by the member. 8. The program according to claim 7, wherein the processing function further implements a storage unit that stores personal information including a name and a delivery destination of the member registered in advance. The processing function is for inquiring the member about the secondary availability of personal information and, if the response is possible, extracting information useful for marketing research and sales activities from the personal information of the member. The program according to claim 7, further comprising a use information extracting unit. A recording medium storing the program according to claim 7.

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