JP2004192502A - Mile point charge system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To expand a mile point charge system wherein an airline company converts miles of lines utilized by customers to points and records the points in users' FFP (Frequent Flyers Program) cards, up to different types of business for ordinary services beyond types of business with which the system has conventionally tied up. <P>SOLUTION: The mile point charge system is provided with a storage device, a point recorder, and a card reader/writer mutually connected by a communication line. The number of points used by a customer is subtracted from integrated value data, and the integrated value of the new number of points after subtraction is recorded in a wireless IC. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mile point charge system in which an airline converts points into points according to miles on a route used by a customer and records the points on a user's FFP card.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The airline gives points to passengers according to the travel distance (miles) of the airline route used by the customer, accumulates points within a predetermined period, and exchanges points for free air tickets according to the accumulated points. The service (Frequent Flyers Program (hereinafter simply referred to as FFP)) has become popular. With the generalization of FFP, airlines tend to differentiate themselves by giving features to the content of services according to points and promote sales. For example, in addition to exchanging for free air tickets that can be carried out in-house, it is possible to differentiate by adding services that cannot be realized without partnering with other industries, such as exchanging for hotel use tickets.
[0003]
However, the fact is that FPPs that partner with each other as a service to differentiate themselves are actually limited to those related to travel that have some kind of relationship with airlines. If the service provided by the FFP deviates from the interest of the customer, the customer tends to use an airline that provides the service of interest, and the purpose of promoting sales by the FFP cannot be achieved. Therefore, if services that are frequently used by customers as well as businesses related to travel can be incorporated into the FFP, the effect of the FFP increases. In particular, not only services that are unusual for ordinary customers like travel, but also points can be used according to points on public transportation such as bus trains, and daily goods can be purchased according to points at supermarkets etc. The effect of FFP will be even greater if daily services can be provided. In order to do so, it is necessary to expand the range of different industries that should be partnered beyond the previously affiliated industries to those that provide daily services.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Generally, the conventional FFP employs a system in which data relating to points is managed for each customer as a personal database by a host computer owned by each airline. However, if this conventional system is used, it is necessary to introduce a system that allows public transportation such as a bus train or a supermarket to be connected to a host computer of an airline, which is difficult to realize. In addition, in these types of industries, a system is provided which provides points in accordance with the purchase amount and provides services according to the amount, and it is difficult to introduce a new large system.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, there is provided a mile point charge system including a storage device, a point recording device, and a card reading / writing device that are connected to each other by a communication line, and the storage device stores points according to an operating distance of an airline route used by a customer. Converted, converted point number data and its expiration date data and integrated value data of all points within the expiration date already converted are calculated and stored, and the point recording device reads the current point from the storage device. And the card reading / writing device reads out the data of the integrated value of the number of points recorded on the wireless IC of the FFP card, and reads the data of the number of points used by the customer. Is subtracted from the integrated value data, and the integrated value of the new number of points after the subtraction is recorded in the wireless IC. It is solved by mile point charge system to be.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The mile point charge system of the present invention includes a host computer 11, a mile storage device 13, a point charge device 21, and an FFP card read / write device 31. In the mile point charging system, a user who is a customer charges mile points using the FFP card 5 as a medium.
[0007]
The host computer 11, the mile storage device 13, and the communication line 41, the mile storage device 13 and the point charging device 21 are connected to each other by a communication line 42, and the mile storage device 13 and the FFP card read / write device 31 are connected to each other by a communication line 43. I have. Generally, the host computer 11 and the mile storage device 13 are arranged in the airline 1, and the point charge device 21 is arranged in each branch 2 of the airline. The FFP card read / write device 31 is arranged in a store 3 of a different business type.
Each branch 2 of the airline where the FFP card reading / writing device 31 is arranged is merely an example, and customers such as airports and travel agencies charge points for miles to the card, not limited to each branch 2 of the airline. Any place convenient for you. The stores 3 of different industries can be supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, convenience stores, stations, and the like.
[0008]
The host computer 11 has storage means 12. The storage unit 12 stores general information such as information on flights used by customers, and stores information on miles used for each route used by customers.
The mile storage device 13 includes a control unit (not shown) and a storage unit 14. The control means obtains information on the mileage of the route used by the customer from the host computer 11 and converts points according to the mileage of the route used by the customer according to a predetermined rule. The converted point number data and its expiration date data are already stored in the storage means 14. The control means adds the newly converted point number data to the integrated value data of all points within the validity period already converted, calculates new integrated value data, and calculates the new integrated value data of the point number. I do.
[0009]
The FFP card 5 has a wireless IC 51. The point charging device 21 has a slot for receiving the FFP card 5, and can record on the wireless IC 51 when the FFP card 5 is received. When recording on the wireless IC 51 becomes possible, the point charging device 21 acquires the latest accumulated value data of the number of points from the mile storage device 13 via the communication line 42 and writes it into the wireless IC 51.
[0010]
The FFP card read / write device 31 arranged in the store 3 of a different business also has a slot for receiving the FFP card 5, and when the FFP card 5 is received, reading and recording from the wireless IC 51 becomes possible. When the reading and recording from the wireless IC 51 becomes possible, the point charge device 21 reads the integrated value data of the latest points written in the wireless IC 51 and updates the data of the points reduced by the service of the store 3 to the latest. Is subtracted from the accumulated value data of the number of points to create the accumulated value data of the latest number of points. The integrated value data of the latest point number created from the integrated value data of the point data number recorded in the wireless IC 51 is written to the wireless IC 51.
[0011]
Next, how to use the mile point charge system of the present invention will be described. The user, who is a customer, is given a point as a privilege from the airline 1 to the airline to be used in accordance with the operating mileage on the route. The user inserts the FFP card 5 into the point charging device 21 at the airline (branch) 2 at the airport when boarding to get points. When the user inserts the FFP card 5 and inputs information such as airmail to be used according to the instruction of the point charge device 21, the point charge device 21 connects to the mile storage device 13 and stores the customer ID recorded in the wireless IC 51 of the FFP card 5. First, the mile storage device 13 is accessed. The mile storage device 13 accesses the host computer 11 and retrieves customer information, mileage information for each route used by the customer, and information on the airline used.
[0012]
The mile storage device 13 converts the mileage information obtained from the host computer 11 into points according to the mileage of the route used by the customer in accordance with a predetermined rule and stores the converted points in the storage means 14. Furthermore, the newly converted point number data is added to the already converted integrated value data of all the points within the expiration date, and new integrated value data is calculated to be the latest integrated value data of the point number. . The point charge device 21 acquires the latest accumulated value data of the number of points from the mile storage device 13 and records it on the wireless IC 51 of the FFP card 5. The user holds the FFP card 51. It can be pulled out from the point charging device 21 and carried around freely.
[0013]
For example, when a user purchases a product at a store 3 such as an affiliated supermarket, the user hands over the FFP card 5 to a clerk at the store 3 at the time of settlement. The clerk inserts the FFP card 5 into the FFP card read / write device 31b. The clerk converts the points into points to be subtracted according to a predetermined rule according to the price of the product, and inputs the points to the FFP card read / write device 31b. The FFP card read / write device 31b subtracts a converted point from the integrated value data of the latest point number recorded in the wireless IC 51 of the FFP card 5. The integrated value data of the number of points after the subtraction is recorded in the wireless IC 51 of the FFP card 5 as the integrated value data of the latest point number.
[0014]
The above is the general embodiment of the mile point charge system. Here, the FFP card 5 of the airline is used as a medium, but the card need not be an airline card as long as the card has the wireless IC 51 mounted thereon. Any card that includes the wireless IC 51 already used in the store 3 may be used. That is, the same effect can be obtained even if the types of cards are mixed. Therefore, for example, points can be charged to an automatic ticket gate with a wireless IC which is used on a metropolitan area commuter train line and used.
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, FFP-based services can be expanded to businesses of different types that provide daily services beyond the business types that have been previously affiliated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 airline 2 airline (branch)
3 partner company 11 host computer 13 mile storage device 21 point charge device 31 FFP card read / write device 41, 42, 43 communication line

Claims (1)

A mile point charge system including a host computer, a mile storage device, a point charge device, and an FFP card read / write device connected to each other by a communication line,
The host computer stores the mileage of the route used by the customer,
The mile storage device converts points according to the mileage of the route used by the customer from the host computer, and converts the converted point number data and its expiration date data with all the point numbers within the expiration date already converted. Calculate and store the integrated value data,
The point charge device can receive the integrated value of the current point from the storage device and record the integrated value on the wireless IC of the FFP card,
The FFP card reader / writer reads out the data of the integrated value of the number of points recorded in the wireless IC of the FFP card, subtracts the number of points used by the customer from the integrated value data, and integrates the new number of points after the subtraction. A mile point charge system, wherein a value is recorded on the wireless IC.

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