JP2006039981A - Server apparatus, method, and program used for merchandise rental system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rental system which has solved the following two problems: the problem that a conventional rental system gives both a user and a rental shop troubles on the ground that demands for work rental such as existing DVDs and CDs are met; and the one that it takes much time for a user to obtain desired work in a recent rental system and also it is troublesome to return it. <P>SOLUTION: When the user applies for rental of goods such as a film DVD or the like from a user terminal, s/he can select arbitrarily a place to receive the rental goods from a plurality of shops Cn in a variety of places. Thus, a rental job server RS is provided with a means which authenticates the user according to an input from the user terminal Un that has accessed via a network NW and, when the authentication is successful, transmits to the user terminal Un a goods selection menu including detailed information on the rental goods and a shop selection menu for selecting a shop to receive the goods and has the user select desired goods and a shop where the user receives them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a rental system used in a business of lending rental products such as DVDs and CDs that record works such as movies and music and other works. Specifically, the present invention relates to a rental business server used in such a rental system and a method for executing the rental business.

  If you want to rent a movie or other rental product rented on a VHS cassette or DVD, go to the rental video store and, if there is a desired work, rent the video by paying a predetermined fee etc. After the viewing, the method is generally to return to the rental store (pay the arrears fee when the return is later than the prescribed date and time).

  In this conventional rental method, the user needs to go to the rental video store each time he rents the target video and returns it. In addition, even if the user goes to the store, if the desired work is lent out, the labor he has gone out is wasted or he has to choose from works in stock. In addition, it is necessary for a store to secure a space for displaying many works, and it is also necessary to prepare employees involved in lending operations and display. Furthermore, measures against non-return of rental products such as video software and damage to products are indispensable.

  Therefore, as a solution to the above-mentioned problems in the conventional rental method, a rental system has been proposed in which a customer contract business and a video product rental business of a rental video store are performed via a network. As shown in the following Patent Document 1, a user (user) contractor registration, product selection and lending are performed by a user via a network from a user terminal, and product receipt is video data, etc. The store stores the product as video data or the like so that a plurality of users can access the same video data at the same time.

  Specifically, in response to an access from the user terminal via the network, a personal information input screen for inputting the personal information of the user is transmitted to the user terminal to prompt the input of the personal information. A contractor registration means for registering information in a predetermined contractor information database and a product selection menu including detailed information on rental products are transmitted to the user terminal to prompt the user to select rental products. A store server having rental product lending means to be downloaded to a terminal and used is provided.

  According to this rental system, the user can make contracts, select products and rent without going to the store. In addition, since the user views by reproducing the video data of the rental product on the user terminal, no return is necessary. On the other hand, the store side can operate 24 hours a day, reduce the work of employees, reduce the operating cost by reducing the store area, and it is not necessary to prepare multiple identical products, and purchases Costs can be reduced.

  However, these advantages can be obtained by ordering and sending products (sending video data) from the user terminal via the network. Therefore, on the user side, a device that can receive and view a work transmitted as video data is required. In the case of a video work that takes several hours of viewing time such as movie software, it is necessary to view it. These devices must be capable of high-speed communication and large-capacity recording. At present, ordinary devices cannot be prepared in terms of communication facilities and price. Many users may want to rent a conventional video cassette or DVD.

JP 2003-178241 A

  On the other hand, recently, when a work to be rented is ordered using the Internet, a rental system has been used in which the DVD video reaches the home and the return is simply posted as mail. According to this method, a customer (user) can place an order after confirming the presence or absence of a desired video on the Internet while at home, and a DVD is delivered by courier or mail as early as the next day of the order. . And when returning, you just put a DVD in the envelope for mail delivered together and post into a post box. The usage fee can be borrowed any number of times, with a fixed monthly fixed amount by credit card or account transfer. However, the number that can be borrowed at one time is limited (for example, up to two DVDs), and there is a restriction that the next cannot be sent unless the borrowed DVD is returned.

  In this rental system, the user does not need to go to the rental video store, but the order is delivered to the home or other designated place. It takes time to do. Also, when returning, it is necessary to go to a place where mail can be delivered with a sealed letter containing the work.

  The present invention is based on meeting the demand for the rental of works using existing DVDs and CDs. The conventional rental method requires both the user and the rental store, and the recent rental method has a problem. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new rental system that solves both of the problems that it takes time to get a work and it takes time to return the work.

  The present invention allows a user to arbitrarily select a place where a rental product can be received or returned from a plurality of stores when applying for a rental product such as a movie DVD from a user terminal. In addition to reducing the burden on users in the rental system, especially the effort to go to the rental store in a predetermined location, for businesses that provide rental services, the burden of sales at conventional limited stores is reduced, We realized a rental system that can cut costs. Rental products handled here typically include recording media such as video tapes, DVDs, and CDs that record images and / or audio that are lent out at rental stores.

As a means for realizing the rental system, the present invention is a rental business server used in a business of lending rental products to users,
The user can access the user terminal via the network, and the user is authenticated by inputting from the user terminal (for example, confirming that the user is a pre-registered user by inputting an ID (identification code) and a password) An authentication means for performing
When the authentication is obtained, a product selection menu including detailed information on the rental product and a store selection menu for selecting a store to receive the product are transmitted to the user terminal, and the product desired by the user is received. Rental content determining means for selecting a store is provided.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the rental business server further includes command means for instructing to receive the rental product selected by the user and delivering it to the desired store, or a store that can be returned in addition to the store that receives the rental product. Means for displaying on a user terminal is provided.

  Convenience stores in various places are suitable as the store for receiving or returning.

  Further, as a method for realizing the product rental system described above, the present invention includes a step of performing authentication processing of a user by an input from the user terminal when the user accesses from the user terminal via a network; A step of transmitting a product selection menu including detailed information on rental products and a store selection menu for selecting a store to receive the products to the user terminal when the authentication is obtained; Selecting a store that receives the rental terminal and confirming the rental application based on information sent from the user terminal, and issuing a command for instructing delivery of the rental product to the store based on the determined rental application content. It is characterized by.

  The above method is implemented by a program that causes a computer to realize a function as a rental business server. A recording medium on which the program is recorded is also included in the present invention.

  The server and method of the present invention can be realized by hardware resources such as a computer, software, or a combination of hardware resources and software.

  When the user applies for rental product rental from the user terminal, the rental business server sends the product selection menu and the store selection menu to the user terminal after the user has been authenticated, Select a product and a store to receive it. Accordingly, the user can select a place for receiving the rental product from a store convenient for him. For example, if such a store is a convenience store, it is located in almost all parts of the country and sells daily necessities such as food and daily necessities. it can.

  In addition, the store that returns the rental product may be a store that has been rented or a different store. For example, a store can be selected such that the rental is at a store near the office or business trip, and the return is at a store near the home.

  Accordingly, the user can be saved from having to go to a specific rental store for borrowing or returning rental products. In addition, for a business providing a rental service, the burden of business in a conventional rental-dedicated store is reduced, and costs can be reduced.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rental system for carrying out the present invention. This system includes a rental business server RS, a business terminal Tn (n = 1, 2, 3,...), A retail server CS, a store terminal Cn, a billing agency server DS, a user terminal Un, and these rental business servers. It includes a communication network NW such as the Internet that interconnects the RS, each business terminal Tn, the retail server CS, the billing agency server DS, and each user terminal Un.

  In addition, the business terminal Tn, the shop terminal Cn, and the user terminal Un in this system may each be one or plural. In addition, the rental business server RS, the retail server CS, and the billing agency server DS are not limited to one each, and a plurality of units are used or installed depending on the scale of the entire system (particularly, the number of areas and stores described later). It is also possible.

  The rental business server RS includes a computer storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for realizing a business of renting a rental product to a user, as will be described later, and its peripheral devices. The rental business server RS can be accessed from the business terminal Tn and the user terminal Un via the network NW.

  As will be described later, the business terminal Tn is configured by an information processing device including a personal computer and peripheral devices used in the rental product distribution center 2 (FIG. 2) installed for each predetermined area.

  The user terminal Un is an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (personal computer) or a portable terminal for a user who wants to rent a rental product such as a DVD as described above to apply on the Internet. The mobile terminal includes a personal information terminal (PDA) and a mobile phone. Each user terminal Un needs to have a function of transmitting personal information (address, name, credit card information, etc.) and contractor information (user ID, password) to the rental business server RS via the network NW. .

  Further, the user terminal Un needs to have a screen for displaying the menu information by accessing the home purge (HP) of the rental business provided on the Internet by the rental business server RS by the user's operation. . The menu information provided from the rental business server RS includes the genre for searching for the work to be rented, the name of the work, the rental period, the fee, and other information related to the rental product (description of the work, etc.) Store information for selecting a store to receive the product.

  The rental business server RS has a function of receiving personal information sent from the user terminal Un, accessing the billing agency server DS, and generating and storing contractor (member) information. The contractor information is information for identifying a member who is a contractor, and is generated as information unique to each contractor. This contractor information is stored in a predetermined database (not shown). In addition, a function of inquiring the user ID, password and contractor information transmitted from the user terminal Un, and a function of sending the menu information to the inquired user terminal Un are also provided.

  The configuration and specifications of the billing proxy server DS are not dependent on the rental system, but are determined by a system such as a credit sales company that performs payment with a credit card. The billing proxy server DS will be described only with respect to functions necessary for this rental system.

  FIG. 2 shows entities such as business operators using servers and terminals that constitute the rental system, and the relationship between them. The rental business server RS shown in FIG. 1 is used by the rental business operator 1, and the business terminal Tn is used by each rental product distribution center 2 installed for each business area of the business enterprise 1.

  The retailer server CS is a main store (hereinafter referred to as “retail headquarters”) 3 of a business that operates a store 4 such as a convenience store, and the store terminal Cn is used at each store 4. The retail headquarters 3 is provided with a regional distribution center 5 for delivering products to each store 3 in the region in charge for each predetermined region. Each regional distribution center 5 is shown as a regional management unit A, B,... In FIG. In this rental system, the rental company 1 is in cooperation with the retail headquarters 3 for rental business.

The billing proxy server DS is used in the credit sales company 7 that performs the above-described payment settlement. The user terminal Un is used in places such as the home of the user (user) 6 of the rental product. Also,
In this rental system, since a product is rented only to a registered member, the user needs to be a member, and the condition of the member is that the user is a credit available user. Accordingly, when using the user 6 for the first time, the user 6 accesses the rental company 1 (server RS) via the network NW using the user terminal Un, and personal information (information such as address, name, age, credit card number). Send. Alternatively, the membership application form may be sent by mail or facsimile.

  The rental company 1 inquires of the credit card company 7 about credit card information for the user who has applied for membership. If the result of the inquiry is a credit card user, information obtained by adding a user ID and password to the personal information of the user as member information to be registered in the information database of the rental business server RS (or other information processing apparatus) Store. As a result, the user 6 becomes an existing contractor (member) in which member information is registered. Further, the user ID and password are notified to the registered user, and a membership card 10 as shown in FIG. 3 is sent. As shown in FIG. 3A, the member's name 10a is displayed on the front surface of the member card 10, and as shown in FIG. A barcode 10b representing the member user ID and other information is displayed. As will be described later, the membership card 10 is used when the user 6 rents a product at the store 4.

  If the user 6 is a registered member, the user ID and password are entered on the login screen of the rental business operator 1 (FIG. 7 to be described later) and sent to the business operator 1 (server RS). The business operator 1 makes an inquiry with the received user ID and password data and the contractor information database, and if it is registered data, that is, a member, it displays menu information (displayed after the search screen described later) to the user terminal Un. Information for product selection and store selection).

  As will be described later, the user 6 searches for a desired work on the search screen displayed on the user terminal Un, selects a displayed product item, determines a store that receives the desired work, and stores the information. Send to operator 1.

  Based on the received product item and the information of the store, the business operator 1 is designated to receive a shipping instruction, that is, to receive the product, to the business terminal Tn of the rental product delivery center 2 that holds the selected product (DVD of the product, etc.). A command for instructing to ship to the store 4 is sent (shipping instruction described later). On the other hand, the retail headquarters 3 is notified that rental products will be sent to a regional distribution center (regional management unit) 5 in charge of delivering the products to the store 4 designated for receipt. The retail headquarters 3 sends data related to the rental product to the designated store 4. In addition, you may make it contact directly to the designated store 4 not via the retail headquarters 3. FIG.

  The rental product delivery center 2 that has received a shipping instruction from the business operator 1 delivers the rental product (works) to each regional delivery center (regional management unit) 5 of the retail headquarters 3. Here, the rental products are delivered in a bag-like package 11 that can store one DVD or CD as shown in FIG. On the surface of the package 11, a barcode 11a representing information such as an ID number of a rental product (work) stored, a rental period, and a scheduled return date is added. The package 11 includes a rental slip 12 shown in FIG. On the lending slip 12, a user name 12a, a rental product ID number 12b, a rental period 12c, a scheduled return date 12d, a rental price 12e, a note 12f, and a bar code 12g representing other necessary information are displayed. The rental slip 12 is used when the rental products collected at the rental product delivery center 2 are confirmed as will be described later.

  Each regional distribution center 5 delivers the rental product to the store 4 by means of transportation such as truck service together with products such as food and daily necessities sold at the store 4 designated for receipt. In the store 4, the delivered rental items are stored. Then, when the user 6 visits the store, when the member card 10 is presented to the store clerk, the barcode 10b of the card 10 is read by a terminal such as a barcode reader of a POS (Point of Sales) system in the store 4. Thus, the user is confirmed and the rental product is specified. Thereafter, the store clerk confirms the rental product by reading the barcode 11a of the package 11 containing the rental product requested by the user 6 and the rental slip 12, and passes the package 11 to the user 6.

  In addition, when the user 6 does not come to receive rental products even after a predetermined period (for example, 3 days), the store 4 contacts the retail headquarters 3 and the retail headquarters 3 sends the rental products to the business operator 1. Send unrented data. Receiving this, the business operator 1 notifies the user by e-mail or mail addressed to the user from the rental business server RS. The notification notifies that a predetermined number of days have passed since the rental is possible, and that the rental is canceled when a predetermined period (for example, one week) has passed without receiving.

  The rented user 6 can return within a predetermined period (or after the period has elapsed) at a store 4 that can be returned as described later (either the store that received the rental product or another store). The package 11 containing the rental product and the rental slip 12 is returned. In the store 4, the returned rental product is confirmed by reading the barcode 11a of the package 11, and the package 11 is stored. When the user 6 returns the rental product and the rental slip 12 without the package 11, the returned rental product is confirmed by reading the barcode 12a of the rental slip 12, and the rental product and the rental slip 12 are read. Keep. In that case, it is desirable to store in a package prepared in advance in the store 4.

  Rental products stored in each store 4 are returned to the regional distribution center 5 by a transportation means such as a truck service that regularly delivers the products from the regional distribution center 5. The rental products stored here (the products that have been rented) will be sent out together with the lending slip 12 by means of transportation such as truck flights that deliver the rental products from the rental product distribution center 2 at regular intervals or as needed. They are collected at the rental merchandise distribution center 2.

  Each rental merchandise distribution center 2 reads the collected lending slip 12 with the business terminal Tn to input data such as a user ID, a work name, a return date and time, and transmits the data to the rental business server RS via the network NW. The server RS checks the lending conditions and the return deadline for the product based on the transmitted data. As a result, if the return is within the deadline, a predetermined rental fee is calculated, and if the deadline has passed, a rental fee to which the late fee corresponding to the elapsed days is added is calculated. The rental company 1 sends the rental fee amount and the user data from the server RS to the credit sales company 7 (billing agency server DS) and charges the user as a credit fee. The credit sales company 7 collects the user's credit amount every month and withdraws it from a predetermined account, and settles the fee with the rental company 1.

  The above is the rental business method according to the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the operation of the rental business server RS, which is the main means for implementing this method, will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing operations performed between the user terminal Tn and the rental business server RS, and FIGS. 7 to 15 show the display on the user terminal Tn based on the menu information sent from the rental business server RS. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen displayed. Hereinafter, in this embodiment of the rental system, the network NW is the Internet, and the rental product is a DVD of a movie work.

  First, when the user accesses the rental HP established on the Internet by the business operator 1 using the user terminal Un, a “login” screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. Here, when the user is already registered (member), when the user ID and password are input and “login” is clicked (ST1: user login), the rental business server RS determines the user information based on the received user ID. When “ID search” for inquiring about member information stored in the database (user master) 21 is performed (ST11), and “user authentication” is obtained when the corresponding user ID and password information match (ST12), As shown in FIG. 8, the user terminal Un is sent a signal for displaying a “logon” screen in which the name of the user is displayed in the upper left part. The process for authenticating the user in this way is performed according to the authentication process procedure (steps 11 and 12 in FIG. 6) of the program stored in the computer constituting the server RS.

  If the user forgets the ID or password on the “Login” screen in FIG. 7, the user information registered by the personal information such as the date of birth of the user is searched by clicking “Reminder”. be able to.

  In addition, when the user uses for the first time (not a member), clicking “New Member Registration” brings up a screen for member registration (not shown) as described above. Here, when the user sends information such as address, name, age, credit card number, etc., in the rental business server RS, if the user is a credit card user, it is registered as a new member as described above. The user ID and password are notified, and the above-mentioned member card 10 is issued.

  Next, the user who has obtained user authentication selects “genre” and “sub-genre” on the “search for works” (search) screen (FIG. 8) displayed on the user terminal Un. For example, “foreign film” is selected as the “genre” and “love story” is selected as the “sub-genre”. When “search” is clicked (ST3: genre search), the server RS refers to the work information database (stock master) 22 and searches for works belonging to the selected genre and sub-genre (ST13: work search). And the information of the work of an applicable genre is taken out from the stock work preserve | saved at the inventory master 22 (ST14: applicable work information), and it transmits to the user terminal Un as goods selection menu information.

  On the user terminal Un, as shown in FIG. 9, a “search result list” screen showing information of works belonging to the selected genre and sub-genre is displayed (ST4: genre search result list display). On this screen, a description of the corresponding work, a rental fee, a rental status, and a selection button for “view details” of the work are displayed. When the user clicks “view details” of each work on this screen, a work detail screen showing details of the selected work and other information is displayed as shown in FIG. Here, when the user wants to rent the corresponding work, click “Add to rental cart” (ST5: Work selection), and the business server RS determines the rental period and fee determined for the work ( ST15: Product determination), a “rental cart” screen as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the user terminal Un.

  The user confirms the rental work at “Step 1” on this screen, and selects a receiving store (in this example, a convenience store) at “Step 2” below. Here, the convenience store selected (registered) as the store that the user wishes to receive at the time of membership registration is displayed. When receiving a work at this convenience store, “Next” is displayed to go to the next step. Select (click).

  On the other hand, when the user desires another store, the desired area is selected and input by “place name search” or “zip code search” (ST6: area search). In response to this, the business server RS refers to the area information database (area master) 23 and searches for area information corresponding to the selected condition (ST16: area information). Then, a map of the area and store information are extracted from the area information stored in the area master 23 (ST17: area display), and transmitted to the user terminal Un as store selection menu information. Thereby, in the user terminal Un, as shown in FIG. 12, the store in the selected area is displayed on the map together with its name and location. When the user checks (marks) the store that he / she wants to receive from the stores displayed on this map and clicks “Next” (ST7: store determination), the business server RS displays in FIG. A “rental confirmation” screen as shown is displayed on the user terminal Un.

  Since rental products can be returned at any store 4 of the retail headquarters 3 that has partnered with the above-described business operator 1, stores that can be returned (of the retail headquarters that have partnered with the business) are displayed on the screen. For example, on the screen of FIG. 13, a store that can be returned is displayed with its mark below the display of the receiving store.

  As described above, the rental content determination process that allows the user to select a desired product and a store that receives the product is performed according to the processing procedure of the program stored in the computer constituting the server RS (steps 13 to 17 in FIG. 6). Is called.

  Here, when the user confirms the receiving store and clicks “rental” (ST8: rental content confirmation), the rental information including the rental work name and the rental period and the receiving store information are transmitted to the business server RS. It is registered in the lending management database in the RS. It is assumed that the business server RS confirms the rental contents and completes the rental application (ST18: rental application confirmed). Then, it instructs the business terminal Tn of the rental product delivery center 2 to receive the rental product (DVD work) related to the application and deliver it to the desired store, and the retail headquarters 3 receives and designates the rental product. A notification is sent to the regional delivery center (regional management unit) 5 in charge of delivery to the store 4 (ST19: delivery instruction and delivery notification). On the other hand, a “complete” screen as shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the user terminal Un. Thereby, the user can confirm the completion of the rental application.

  Further, on the “complete” screen, it is possible to display a screen on which a member user can confirm his / her rental status and past history. That is, by clicking “My Page” on the “Complete” screen in FIG. 14, a “My Page” screen as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed.

  Finally, the user logs out at the user terminal Un and ends. Alternatively, when further searching for rental works, the “search” screen (FIG. 8) can be redisplayed and a rental application can be made according to the above procedure.

  The user who applied as described above can receive the package containing the rental product and the rental slip by going to the receiving store and presenting the above membership card. When the user does not receive the rental product within a predetermined period (for example, 3 days), a predetermined notification is made by e-mail or mail as described above.

  The user who received the rental can return the package 11 containing the rental product and the rental slip 12 at the store where the rental is possible. The returned merchandise is collected from the store 4 to the rental merchandise delivery center 2 via the regional delivery center 5 as described above, and data relating to the lending is sent to the rental business server RS from here, and the rental period at the server RS. The rental fee is calculated by checking the etc. Then, the billing server DS is charged from the server RS as a user's credit fee, and the fee is settled.

  The operation of the rental business server RS as described above can be processed more quickly by being distributed to a plurality of servers for each processing content, that is, processing such as user authentication.

  According to the rental system described above, the user can receive rental products at a store such as a convenience store that is easily accessible. Further, when returning rental products, it is possible to select a convenient store, not limited to the store that received the rental. Therefore, it is much more convenient for the user than renting at a conventional rental video store.

  On the other hand, for the business providing the rental service, the burden is reduced and the cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional sales at the rental exclusive store. Specifically, FIG. 16 shows a comparison of (A) the profit ratio according to the embodiment of the present invention and (B) the ratio of profit at a conventional rental store.

  In other words, the profit of the product rental can be expressed by the amount obtained by subtracting the cost from the sales per product. In the conventional rental store method, the cost is as shown in FIG. This is the purchase cost and store operating cost of the product, and the ratio of the latter (dedicated) store operating cost is large. The breakdown is mainly system operating expenses such as equipment necessary for business, personnel expenses such as salaries of store staff, various expenses such as store rent and utility expenses. On the other hand, in the rental system of the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 16 (A), expenses other than the purchase cost of goods are center operating expenses corresponding to the store operating expenses in (B), Although it is a store fee paid to the retail headquarters that has a business tie-up, all are costs for multiple stores, so if it is per store, especially the center operating cost is far more than the store operating cost of (B) Get smaller. Therefore, according to the rental system of the present invention, it is possible to increase the profit rate while suppressing expenses.

  The preferred embodiment has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is only necessary to realize a rental method that achieves the above-described object. For example, with regard to the settlement of the rental fee, in the above embodiment, the returned rental product data is inputted at the business terminal Un of the rental product center 2, the rental fee is calculated by the rental business server RS, and the billing agency server DS Payment is made as a credit price, but this can be replaced with the following method.

  That is, when returning a rental product at the store 4 selected by the user, the store 4 calculates a rental fee based on the data of the rental product and receives the amount from the user (cash payment). On the other hand, by sequentially inputting the data from the POS terminal of the store 4 to the POS system, the retail headquarters 3 totals the rental fee for a predetermined period (for example, one month), and determines the predetermined amount from the total rental fee for each predetermined period. The amount after deducting the fee (arranged with the business operator 1) is transferred to the business operator 1. Thereby, the settlement of the rental fee is achieved. According to this method, payment settlement at the billing proxy server DS is not required, and processing such as rental fee calculation at the rental business server RS is not required. The business operator 1 rents a rental fee with the retail headquarters 3. And manage the settlement of fees.

The figure which shows the structure of the rental system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows those who use the server and terminal which comprise the rental system of FIG. 1, and those relationships. The figure which shows the membership card given to the user who registered with the rental system of FIG. The figure which shows the example of the package which accommodates rental goods. The figure which shows the example of the rental slip produced and used accompanying a rental product. The flowchart which shows the processing operation performed between a rental business server and a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "login" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "search" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "search result list" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "article detail" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "rental cart" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the screen which showed the location of the shop on the map displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "rental content confirmation" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "completion" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which shows the example of the "my page" screen displayed on a user terminal. The figure which compares and shows the ratio of the profit obtained by the system of this invention, and the profit obtained by the conventional rental system.

Explanation of symbols

RS: Rental business server, Tn: Business terminal, CS: Retailer server, Cn: Store terminal, Un ... User terminal, DS ... Billing agency server, NW ... Communication network, 1 ... Rental company, 2 ... Rental product distribution center 3 ... Retail headquarters, 4 ... Store, 5 ... Regional distribution center, 6 ... User, 7 ... Credit sales company, 10 ... Member card, 11 ... Package, 12 ... Lending slip.

Claims (6)

A rental service server used for renting rental products to users,
An authentication means that is accessible by the user from the user terminal via the network, and authenticates the user by an input from the user terminal;
When authentication is obtained, a product selection menu including detailed information on rental products and a store selection menu for receiving products are transmitted to the user terminal, and a user selects a desired product and a store that receives the product. A rental business server comprising rental content determination means for causing a rental service to be performed.   2. The rental business server according to claim 1, further comprising command means for instructing to receive the rental product selected by the user and deliver it to a desired store.   3. The rental business server according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying on the user terminal a store that can be returned in addition to the store that receives the rental product.   4. The rental business server according to claim 1, wherein the store for receiving or returning is a convenience store that handles food and other general merchandise. A method for executing a business of lending rental products to users,
When a user accesses from a user terminal via a network, the user is authenticated by an input from the user terminal; and
A step of transmitting a product selection menu including detailed information of rental products and a store selection menu for selecting a store to receive the products to the user terminal when authentication is obtained;
A step in which the user selects a desired product and a store to receive it and confirms a rental application based on information sent from the user terminal;
Issuing a command to instruct delivery of the rental product to the store based on the determined rental application content. When a user accesses from a user terminal via a network, the user is authenticated by an input from the user terminal; and
A step of transmitting to the user terminal a product selection menu including detailed information on rental products and a store selection menu for selecting a store to receive the products when authentication is obtained;
A step in which the user selects a desired product and a store to receive it and confirms a rental application based on information sent from the user terminal;
A program for causing a computer to execute a command for instructing delivery of the rental product to the store based on the determined rental application content.

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