KR20060024093A - A method for processing customer information interconnected with a home networking system, and a system therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a customer information processing method and system that can provide various services to customers by collecting and managing customer purchase information in a home networking system. The customer information processing system according to the present invention is a customer information processing system interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes, and is mounted on the set-top box and includes image processing, text recognition, and product information. And a customer relationship management (CRM) client that processes customer information and manages product information purchased by the customer. A home appliance equipped with a camera and a barcode reader, respectively, for providing a CRM client with barcode or video information for confirming purchase information of a customer through a home network; And a CRM server mounted on a home network management system and processing product information purchased by a customer of a CRM client. According to the present invention, not only the customer information collected on the Internet, but also a variety of information can be obtained per customer under the home network system, and also not only the taste of the customer's home appliances, but also information on additional items through each home appliance. It can be obtained and extends the range of additional value-added services that a home networking system can provide.

Customer Relationship Management, CRM Server, CRM Client, Home Networking System, Home Appliance

Description

A method for processing customer information interconnected with a home networking system, and a system therefor}

1 is a network diagram for schematically illustrating a home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating the application of a home network management scheme to a home network apartment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a configuration diagram of a customer information processing system interworking with a home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an operation flowchart of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an operation flowchart of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an operation flowchart of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a customer information processing method and system interworking with a home networking system, and more particularly, to provide various services to customers by collecting and managing customer purchase information in a home networking system. It relates to a customer information processing method and system.

Home networking refers to a technology that allows all devices in a home to be networked and interoperable to make home living environment safer and more convenient. In order to implement this, various devices in the house should have the minimum functions for accessing the home network, and establish a wired / wireless network infrastructure (infra) for interworking so that the house can be operated as a single control and communication system. Should be connected.

Such a desire and concept for home networks have been around for a long time, but in Korea, it can be seen that it is divided into two generations.

First, home automation-oriented first-generation home networks have implemented a call while checking the visitor's video on a monitor, or a call in an apartment complex through an interphone, and has a security detection function for fire or gas in a household. Increasingly, home automation equipment that detects abnormal conditions in the house, provides a level of security capable of self-alarming and automatic notification to the outside, and remote control such as control of a light or some home appliances have been introduced.

These first generation home networks have evolved with the spread of the Internet and the development of related technologies, and discussions about wired and wireless home network technologies are actively underway. It has become an environment that can be linked.

In addition, the second generation home network using the Internet and the computer began to draw attention mainly from the construction company and the prospective residents, as well as the interworking between various devices in the home, as well as remote control and home networking using the Internet and the computer.

At present, the main interests related to home network are one step further from computer network-centered discussion for the interworking of computer-related devices and the efficient use of multiple computers, and ultra-high-speed communication for interlocking A / V-related devices and providing high quality VOD service. The focus is on standardization to facilitate interoperability and interoperability.

Many components are required to form such a home network, but it can be classified into four elements.

First, you need an access network. This is the basic element for connecting the external network with the home network, and performs the communication function with the outside, and needs to be connected with the main network providers and local operators such as ADSL, VDSL, cable network, and B-WLL. Second, we need a home gateway. The home gateway is a device for interworking the access network with the home network and serves as the center of the home network. It is responsible for the connection between various types of home network networks, signal conversion, and communication with external networks. Thirdly, what is needed is a home network. It refers to a generation communication network for driving home networks, and is in charge of communication between devices in the home such as power lines, Ethernet, dedicated lines, and wireless communication networks. Finally, there is a terminal. Such a terminal refers to a terminal directly used by a user using a home network.

Therefore, the home network refers to a complex industrial field in which various industrial fields such as communication, home appliances, imaging, medical, etc. are implemented by fusion and interworking.

On the other hand, CRM is an abbreviation of Customer Relationship Management, and is used as an information industry term for a methodology or software necessary for a company to manage customer relationships in a well-organized manner.

For example, attracting new customers can be ten times more expensive than having existing ones, so it's always better to keep existing customers in place by providing higher customer satisfaction and better service. It is a profit for you. By doing so, customers can take advantage of the company's services at a lower cost. To achieve this goal, companies need to manage and maintain customer relationships more efficiently. That's why companies need customer relationship marketing.

In addition, as a company, CRM refers to a solution that can generate higher profits by generating revenue from selected customers and enabling long-term customer relationships. In other words, it refers to the process of planning, supporting, and evaluating marketing activities based on customer characteristics by analyzing and integrating company-related data.

On the other hand, the CRM is not only necessary for the enterprise. CRM can be extended to all fields. It can be applied in many areas, from our daily lives to businessmen. But even though they are different, there are common principles. It's about getting a lot of information about your customers, analyzing it, using what you've analyzed, setting goals for the future, developing a planning strategy to accomplish your goals, and acting on the planning strategies you've set.

Traditionally, CRM is based on Internet service functions, and the main purpose is to build a database that is detailed enough to describe the relationship to its customers, to meet the product plan and sales demanded by customers, and to remind customers of their service needs. . In addition, it provides services that enable companies to understand what products they buy together, and sometimes allow customers to access their database to retrieve their purchase information.

Initially, CRM was configured as a simple client server method, but since 2001, e-CRM, which supports Internet-based customer activities, stands out.

However, the existing CRM system has a problem that offline CRM and online e-CRM are being built in their own areas, and CRM is managed only by a company. Recently, as system integration technologies on the Internet such as Enterprise Information Portal (EIP) and Web Service (WebService) have appeared, CRM is currently required to be integrated with various systems through the Internet, and home networking systems are introduced. As the area of are expanded, these CRM systems also need to be expanded.

An object of the present invention for solving the above problems is to provide a customer information processing method and system that interoperates with a customer-centered home networking system that can obtain a variety of information for each customer under the home network system as well as customer information collected on the Internet. It is to.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a customer information processing method and system that interoperates with a home networking system capable of comprehensively collecting information about a customer by utilizing the multimedia processing processing capability installed in a home networking set-top box for image processing. It is to provide.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to process the information collected from the home networking set-top box in the set-top box to manage, not only to obtain information not stored in the CRM customer database managed by the existing enterprise, home networking set-top It is to provide a customer information processing method and system that works with a home networking system that can add new functions to a box platform.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a customer information processing method and system that interoperates with a home networking system that can provide a number of additional additional services in the set-top box by using a set-top box that is connected to the online operator network. It is to.

As a means for achieving the above object, the customer information processing system according to the present invention,

In the customer information processing system that works with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes,

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) client mounted on the set-top box and managing image information purchased by a customer by processing image processing, text recognition, product information, and customer information;

A home appliance equipped with a camera and a barcode reader, respectively, for providing the CRM client with barcode or image information for confirming purchase information of the customer through a home network; And

A CRM server mounted on the home network management system and processing product information purchased by a customer of the CRM client.

There is a feature configured to include.

Here, the CRM client,

An image processing module for processing photo information photographed from the camera;

A character recognition module which recognizes and processes the image of the image processing module as a character;

A customer purchase product information DB storing the customer purchase product information;

A customer information management module for searching for or modifying the customer purchase product information to perform a search function or a stock notification function of a current item;

A home appliance management module configured to check whether the home appliance is operated and determine a corresponding operation type; And                     

Network processing module for requesting access to a product code DB or product image DB in the CRM server

It may include.

The CRM client may include: an interface / middleware for connecting each device to allow access and interaction between devices belonging to the home network; And providing various environments for operation of the service and distribution of various services that can be obtained through connection and control of devices belonging to the home network, and adding an Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi) platform defining a service standard of the set-top box. It can be included as.

Here, the purchased product information of the customer stored in the customer purchased product information DB is characterized in that it is selected from the group consisting of purchase date, item type, quantity, manufacturer, brand name and expiration date information.

Here, the article search function of the customer information management module is characterized in that the external search using the wired or wireless telephone or the Internet based on the purchase product information of the customer.

Here, the home appliance management module is characterized in that the product information is provided from a barcode reader mounted on the home appliance when the home appliance is an appliance or an appliance for storing other goods therein.

The character recognition module and the image processing module may convert customer purchase information collected from the photo information into text.                     

The character recognition module and the image processing module may convert the customer purchase information into a character using a processing function in the set top box, wherein the converted character is a product code.

Here, the CRM server,

A product code DB for storing information in various product codes according to local information of a home network complex managed by the home networking system;

A product image DB storing image information of various products according to local information of a home network complex managed by the home networking system;

A customer statistics DB that stores statistical information about the goods purchased by the customers;

A provider information DB that stores information on online / offline operators connected to an external network;

When requesting the customer statistics information from the online / offline service provider side, responding to the request with reference to the customer statistics DB, or when the customer wants to automatically purchase goods from the CRM client, the management of the operator to select the order place system; And

Network processing module for processing an access request from the CRM client to the product code DB or product image DB

It may include.

Here, when the barcode value is transmitted from the barcode reader, the CRM server retrieves the barcode value from the product code DB, maps the barcode value to a Universal Product Code (UPC), and stores the mapped barcode information. .

Here, the CRM server is characterized in that when the bar code value is not retrieved from the product code DB, or in the case of the product does not exist the bar code, request the photo information to the home appliance.

Here, when the product name is described in the picture information, the CRM server is characterized by reflecting the product information in the customer purchase product information DB in the CRM client by text recognition.

Here, if the product name is not described in the picture information, the CRM server is characterized in that to search in the product image DB to reflect the product information in the customer purchase product information DB.

Here, the operator management system is characterized by managing information about the offline store with reference to the operator information DB.

Here, the operator management system is characterized by referring to the customer statistics DB, grasps the taste of the customer and inquires the operator side about information on advertisements and new products.

On the other hand, as another means for achieving the above object, the customer information processing method according to the present invention,

In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes,                     

a) detecting, by the CRM client, whether a user manipulates the home appliance;

b) transmitting barcode or image information from the home appliance to the CRM client;

c) requesting, by the CRM client, product catalog information from the CRM server;

d) requesting product information from an on / offline service provider by the CRM server when there is no product catalog information in the DB in the CRM server;

e) receiving, by the CRM server, product catalog information stored in a product catalog DB from the on / offline operator; And

f) the CRM server providing the product catalog information requested from the CRM client to reflect in the customer information processing

There is a feature consisting of.

Here, step b),

b-1) requesting a barcode reader attached to the home appliance to retrieve a new product code;

b-2) photographing the product if the product code does not exist; And

b-3) obtaining information on a product by introducing a character recognition technology from the photographed image

It may include.                     

Here, the CRM client of step b) maintains a copy of the information frequently retrieved from the product code DB and the product image DB of the CRM server, and stores the same product in the customer purchase product information DB if the same item exists in the copy. It features.

Here, the CRM client of step c), if the information received from the home appliance is a new product code, or a video or a new product photograph captured a list of new products, characterized in that the request to the CRM server to search .

Here, step d) is characterized in that, if there is no information on the corresponding product in the CRM server, the query for the product code to the external on / offline operator system that manages the external product code system.

Here, step e) may further include the CRM server receiving a new product list from the on / offline operator.

Here, the step f) is characterized in that the response to the CRM client product final UPC (Universal Product Code) system product code.

On the other hand, as another means for achieving the above object, the customer information processing method according to the present invention,

In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes,

a) a customer relationship management (CRM) client receiving an inquiry from a online / offline provider about a particular appliance usage pattern or whether to purchase;

b) the CRM client upgrading firmware of the home appliance; And

c) providing, by the home appliance, the home appliance usage pattern requested by the online / offline service provider to the on / offline service provider;

There is a feature consisting of.

Here, step b) is characterized in that made according to the system information on the home appliance managed by the CRM client.

On the other hand, as another means for achieving the above object, the customer information processing method according to the present invention,

In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes,

a) a customer relationship management (CRM) client obtaining information from a camera or a barcode reader about an item frequently purchased by a customer;

b) setting by the customer whether or not to purchase the item automatically;

c) the CRM client making a specific product purchase inquiry to the CRM server;

d) requesting, by the CRM server, a place of purchase search and a product order from an on / offline service provider; And

e) receiving the ordered product from the CRM client by the CRM client

There is a feature consisting of.

Here, the step c) may further include a step of notifying when the goods frequently purchased by the customer fall.

Here, the step c) may further include a step of searching for and providing advertisements or information related to items frequently purchased by the customer on the web.

Here, step c) is characterized in that is performed when the customer's prior consent or reservation.

Therefore, according to the present invention, not only the customer information collected on the Internet but also a variety of information can be obtained on a customer basis under the home network system, and the customer management system can be more comprehensively obtained by moving the customer management system from the company center to the customer center. In addition, by adding new functions to the home networking set-top box platform, not only the customer's taste for home appliances, but also information on additional items can be obtained through each home appliance. By adding your own item management capabilities to your multimedia content services capabilities, you can expand the range of additional services that your home networking system can provide.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the operation of the customer information processing method and system in conjunction with the home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Although the set-top box, which is the gateway of the existing home networking system, has excellent image processing capability, currently only provides a level of service for providing multimedia contents, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the customer database managed by the existing enterprise level is managed. By configuring and managing the set-top box, it provides a customer purchase information management service that can increase the utilization of the set-top box.                     

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a customer information processing method and system that includes a CRM client in a set-top box of a home networking system, a CRM server in a home network management system, and interoperates with a home networking system for interworking these two systems. Will be provided. For example, a customer may automatically find information about a product purchased at an external store, and manage it by the customer unit instead of the enterprise unit.

Specifically, in order to collect a variety of product information purchased by the customer is equipped with a barcode reader on the home appliances to collect information about the accessories stored in the home appliances or home appliances. If there is no product code, image information is obtained from a camera that depends on the home appliance, and the image information is analyzed in a set-top box and processed into meaningful customer purchase information.

The customer information processing system interworking with the home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented by interworking a CRM server and a CRM client to collect and process customer information to manage a relationship between a company and a customer.

1 is a network diagram for schematically illustrating a home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a home networking system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a main server 100 and a home network apartment complex 200, where the main server 100 is a home network management system 110. The home network apartment complex 200 is composed of a plurality of home network apartments.

The home networking apartment complex 200 is connected to the external internet network 300 by IP (Internet Protocol), and the customer's purchase information DB is mounted and managed in the home networking set-top boxes 210a, 210b, ..., 210n, respectively. Done.

The home network management system 110 provided in the main server 100 provides multimedia contents to each set top box 210a, 210b, ..., 210n of the home network apartment complex 200, and the set top box 210a. , 210b, ..., 210n).

Here, the home networking management system 110 is connected to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) network, and when a customer requests services such as finance, entertainment, education, and electronic complaints from home, each set-top box ( 210a, 210b, ..., 210n). Here, the financial, entertainment, education, electronic complaint services, such as the financial server 410, entertainment server 420, online education server 430 and the electronic complaint server 440 from the home through the Internet network 300 To the networking system.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the CRM server 120 is mounted on the home network management system 110. The CRM server 120 may submit an order to an online large portal company 510 or to query an external offline large store system 520 to manage an offline product code system, and the set top box 210a. , 210b, ..., 210n) may be processed when a query is made for the product code system. Here, the online large portal company 510 and the offline large store system 520 have product catalog DBs 511 and 521, respectively, and provide the corresponding product catalog information to the home networking system through the Internet network 300. do.

The customer information processing system interworking with the home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a CRM server 120 and a plurality of CRM clients 220a, 220b, ..., 220n, and the CRM server 120 It is mounted on the home networking management system 110 to use a common API with various services for supporting the home network.

In addition, the plurality of CRM clients 220a, 220b,..., 220n utilize the processing power of the IP set-top boxes 210a, 210b,..., 210n, respectively, to minimize the traffic of the external network. It is mounted on the boxes 210a, 210b, ..., 210n.

Accordingly, requests and responses regarding customer information are made between the IP set-top boxes 210a, 210b, ..., 210n, various home appliances, and home networking systems.

Meanwhile, an embodiment of the present invention focuses on collecting customer information among various CRM services. In order to collect such customer information, two technologies are required, the first is a home networking infrastructure technology related to the IP set-top box 210, and the second is a commercially available character recognition technology.

Specifically, the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a camera 232 or a barcode reader 231 on the home appliance's own information and home appliances, such as inside the home appliance (for example, food in a refrigerator, or DVD title in a VCR). An IP-based home network system should be in place so that customers can obtain information on purchased or rented goods and manage it. Products from video information taken from home appliances and delivered to the set-top box 210 via a network There is a need for a pattern recognition technique capable of extracting information.                     

Meanwhile, the IP set-top box 210 platform serving as a gateway of a home networking system is currently equipped with various multimedia commercial technologies, for example, MPEG-4 technology, and also includes an operating system supporting such technologies. In addition, to support a variety of services in the future, the current operating system such as Windows CE .NET and Windows XP Embedded aims at an adaptive software-based operating system platform that can easily apply basic services, network processing, and other services. .

In addition, as a multimedia commercial technology, functions such as Personal Video Recorder (PVR), Video on Demand (VOD), and Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) are provided, and in addition, e-mail / internet access, Voice over IP (VoIP) and IM (Instant Messaging) and intelligent service update functions will be included.

On the other hand, in relation to the pattern recognition technology, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology refers to a technology for automatically recognizing a character written in a form, such as printed characters on a computer. In the case of such OCR, various commercial products have been developed due to the recent decades of research, and now, researches on the recognition method which is insensitive to multi-language, multi-type recognition, and miscellaneous work are being conducted. This character recognition method typically consists of four steps: 1) pretreatment → 2) feature extraction → 3) recognition → 4) postprocessing.

First, the preprocessing step scans the character, removes the skew, normalizes the size and shape, removes the noise, and extracts the feature of the character required by the recognizer. Next, the recognition step converts the input image into a character code that can be understood by a computer by applying recognition methods such as structural analysis and neural network based on the extracted feature. Finally, the post-processing step includes a dictionary, language modeling, such as lexicon), to correct misrecognized characters. The OCR technology is applied to photographs taken by a camera installed in the home appliance, and is used to extract meaningful information rather than simple photographic information about a customer.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an application of a home networking system to a home network apartment according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a system system in a home for acquiring customer purchase information. Specifically, in the home network apartment 200a, FIG. The IP set-top box 210 having the CRM client 220 is connected to the home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n in the home and connected to the home Ethernet network.

2, the CRM service according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided by the set-top box 210, which is a gateway of the home networking system, and, as described above, the CRM client 220 that manages the product catalog. It is mounted on the IP set-top box 210.

The set-top box 210 is connected to all home appliances (230a, 230b, ..., 230n) and home Ethernet (240), such as a refrigerator, a phone, a TV, a rice cooker, a microwave oven in the house, and all home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n are equipped with a network card (not shown) so that the set top box 210 can communicate with the network. In addition, some home appliances (230a, 230b, ..., 230n) is equipped with a barcode scanner 231 and a camera 232, so that the image information obtained from these home appliances (230a, 230b, ..., 230n) is also Ethernet in the home It is transmitted to the set-top box 210 through the network 240.

The set top box 210 may collect three types of customer information. First, information on the product specifications of the home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n purchased by the customer can be obtained. Secondly, it is possible to know how the customer uses the home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n. For example, you can find out how to use the refrigerator 230a, VCR 230b, or microwave oven 230n, etc., or find the amount of water you drink in the water purifier, or find your favorite DVD titles. have. Thirdly, a camera 232, a barcode scanner 231, or the like is mounted on the home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n (for example, the refrigerator 230a), and the customer's home appliances 230a, 230b, ..., 230n) or take a picture of the accessory of the home appliance and transfer it to the set-top box 210, the product name can be found by using a character recognition or image recognition technology.

In addition, the set-top box 210 stores the information on the home appliance specifications, electrical appliance usage patterns, or accessories or storage items of the home appliances in the customer DB (250). Here, the customer DB 250 may be included in the CRM client 220 as a customer purchase product information DB.

As described above, since the image is analyzed to recognize the characters of the brand name level, or the pattern recognition technology is already implemented as well as commercialized technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.                     

On the other hand, Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of a customer information processing system interworking with a home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, CRM server which is a CRM module mounted in the home network management system 110 and IP set-top box 210, respectively Reference numeral 120 and the CRM client 220, wherein each component of the CRM server 120 and the CRM client 220 implements the functions shown in Figures 4 to 6 to be described later.

First, the CRM server 120 platform is a carrier management system 121, a network processing module 122, a product code DB 123, a product image DB 124, a customer statistics DB 125 and a company information DB 126 The CRM client 220 platform includes a character recognition module 221, an image processing module 222, a customer purchase product information DB 223, a customer information management module 224, and a home appliance management module 225. ), Network processing module 226, OSGi platform 227, and various interfaces / middleware 228.

Referring to FIG. 3, the home appliance management module 225 of the CRM client 220 inquires whether there is an operation of a device in a home appliance such as a refrigerator or a VCR. If there is an operation of a home appliance, it is judged what kind of operation was performed, or, in the case of a home appliance which stores the product in the accessory product or the inside, a product of a new article from a barcode scanner / reader mounted in a refrigerator or a VCR Get information.

When the barcode value is transmitted from the barcode scanner / reader, the product code DB 123 of the CRM server 120 is searched and mapped to the Universal Product Code (UPC), and the information is stored. If the barcode value is not retrieved from the product code DB 123 or in the case of a product without the barcode, the home appliance requests photo information. Subsequently, after receiving the photo information, when the product name is described in the picture information, the product information is reflected in the customer purchase product information DB 223 by text recognition, or when the product name is not described, The image is searched in the DB 124 and the corresponding product information is reflected in the customer purchase product information DB 223.

In addition, the character recognition module 221 and the image processing module 222 functions to convert the customer purchase information collected in the photograph into a character, preferably a product code. Since the two modules 221 and 222 require high computing processing power, the processor functions of the set-top box 210 may be used. Since the set-top box 210 already has a system for processing multimedia content, some of its functions may be used.

Therefore, the reason why the CRM client 220 should be mounted on the set top box 210 is because of these two modules 221 and 222, and since the set top box 210 is transmitted in a simpler form than commodity information, network traffic The load can also be reduced.

In addition, the customer information management module 224 of the CRM client 220 performs a search function or a stock notification function of an item currently held. At this time, the customer purchase product information DB 223 stores information such as purchase date, item type, quantity, manufacturer, brand name, expiration date, etc., and retrieves and corrects such information as necessary.

Here, the article search function is searched based on the type of goods, the manufacturer, the expiration date, etc. When using the article search function in the home by a wired / wireless telephone or the Internet from the outside, it is possible to immediately determine what items are needed outdoors. have.

The inventory notification function refers to a function of notifying a user about drinks, foods, etc., which are past their expiration date, and may notify management of such items as the warranty period of home appliances.

In addition, the various databases 124, 125, 126, and 127 of the CRM server 120 have mapping information or product information between various product information standards based on local information about a home network complex managed by a home networking system. A product code DB 123, a product image DB 124, and the like, which are stored, are also provided, and statistics for the goods purchased by the customers are provided.

In addition, the network processing module 122 of the CRM server 120 serves to process an access request from the set-top box 210 to the product code DB 123 or the product image DB 124, and vice versa The network processing module 226 of 220 serves to request the CRM server 120 to access the product code DB 123 or the product image DB 124.

The operator management system 121 of the CRM server 120 responds to the request with reference to the customer statistics DB 125 when the online / offline service provider requests the customer statistics information, and also in the CRM client 220. When you want to purchase goods automatically, select the place of purchase and order. In addition, since the operator management system 121 has local information, the operator management system 121 manages information on nearby offline stores with reference to the operator information DB 126. In addition, the operator management system 121, after grasping the taste of the customer based on the customer statistics DB 125, may also inquire the operator side about information about advertisements and new products.

The OSGi platform 227 of the CRM client 220 is a set of APIs that define a service standard of the gateway, and includes a remote management API, a security API, a framework resource management API, and a device management API. It is. The OSGi platform 227 targets SOHO or ROBO and is based on Java technology. The CRM client 220 to be mounted on the set-top box 210 is made based on various OSGi APIs.

Meanwhile, home networks are classified into three networks such as information network, A / V network, and control network. To access terminals belonging to each network, connection technology for equipment (Ethernet, Bluetooth, WLAN, IEEE) 1394, power line communication technology, etc.). Interface / middleware 228 is required to allow more fine tuning and smoother interaction between devices, such as Bluetooth, CEBus, HomePNA, HomeRF, JINI, LonWorks, and UPNP.

There are various services that can be obtained through the connection and control of such equipment, and OSGi 227 is aimed at providing a distribution environment for these services and providing a general environment for the services to operate.

Specifically, OSGi (www.osgi.org) is an abbreviation of Open Service Gateway Initiative and is a non-profit standardization organization established in March 1999. More than 40 members have joined as members, and members from various fields such as home appliances / electronics, automobiles, telecommunications and IT are active. Its role is to deliver the service to the local network or device and create an open standard in which the delivered service operates. OSGi is a standard designed to operate under the Java Virtual Machine (VM). The Java VM provides a buffer against the differences that come from heterogeneous embedded operating systems and embedded CPUs. OSGi services are all contained in a physical bundle called a bundle.

The OSGi service platform 227 is mainly concerned with three areas. The first is the connection and control between services, the second is the connection and control between service and OSGi framework, and the third is the connection and control between OSGi framework and external service management system. Therefore, the OSGi service platform 227 is located between an external network, such as a high speed communication network, and a network connecting the devices in the home. In addition, in an external network environment, a service provider performs service provision and management, and in a home network environment, numerous devices and different protocols must connect and control them smoothly. As a result, the OSGi service platform 227 serves as a mediator between the external network environment and the home network environment.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 4 to 6 are flowcharts illustrating operations of functions enabled when the CRM server 120 and the CRM client 220 are introduced in the customer information processing method interworking with the home networking system according to the embodiment of the present invention. .

The customer information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be broadly classified into three categories of services. The first is to store and manage the details of home appliances purchased by the customer, the operation information, and other items around the appliance in the set-top box (see FIG. 4), and the second is to upgrade the firmware. There is a function (see Fig. 5), and the third is a function for purchasing goods (see Fig. 6).

4 is an operation flowchart of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which includes a CRM client 220, a CRM server 120, an external online / offline operator 500, and a home appliance. The request and response process for managing the home appliance information and the purchased product catalog information of the customer 230 is shown.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the customer information processing method of interworking with the home networking system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the CRM client 220 detects whether a user operation on the home appliance 230 is performed (S401). That is, the CRM client 220 in the set-top box 210 determines that the user has operated the home appliance 230 requests information from the home appliance 230 in the form of an image and a barcode.

Next, the home appliance 230 transmits a bar code or image information to the CRM client 220 (S402). In this case, the CRM client 220 in the set-top box 210 receiving the barcode or image information may copy a copy of information frequently retrieved from the product code DB 223 and the product image DB 224 of the CRM server 120. If the same article is found in this copy, it is stored in the customer purchase product information DB 223.

Thereafter, the CRM client 220 requests product catalog information from the CRM server 120 (S403). In this case, the CRM client 220 requests a search to the CRM server 120 in the case of a new product code, an image of a new product list or a new product picture.

If there is no product catalog information in the DB in the CRM server 120, the CRM server 120 requests product information from the on / offline operator 500 (S404). That is, if there is no information on the corresponding product in the CRM server 120, the external on / offline operator system 500 that manages the external product code system requests a query for the product code.

Next, the on / offline operator 500 transmits product catalog information stored in its product catalog DBs 511 and 521 to the CRM server 120 (S405). In this case, the on / offline operator 500 may transmit a new product list to the CRM server 120.

Next, the CRM server 120 by providing the product catalog information requested from the CRM client 220, and eventually, the product information to the customer information processing system interworking with the home networking system according to an embodiment of the present invention It is reflected (S406). That is, when the CRM server 120 receives the request result from the on / offline operator 500, the CRM server 120 reflects the details and also the CRM client 220 in the set top box 210. Respond with the final Universal Product Code (UPC) system product code.

On the other hand, such customer purchase product information facilitates the management of the products purchased by the customer. For example, fruits such as apples and pears have a shelf life. Similarly, home appliances have a limited warranty.                     

If the PC or TV connected to the set-top box 210 sets a reservation for notifying the home appliance 230 or the goods in the home appliance after a certain period of time, the set-top box 210 each item After a certain period has elapsed after the date information, etc. for the field is notified to the TV or PC.

Although the company manages this information such as the warranty deadline, it is managed only in a profitable manner for the company and not from the customer's point of view. Is also subject to management. For example, when a customer wants to make a list of home appliances, accessory products of home appliances, products contained in or contained in home appliances, and the customer wants to search at home, company or other places, the set-top box The search function may be provided at 210.

On the other hand, as a second function of the customer information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is a function to upgrade the firmware (firmware) according to the fact that the set-top box is connected to the external Internet network.

Specifically, as information processing capabilities embedded in home appliances become more advanced, operating systems for controlling home appliances also become more advanced, and electronic devices that upgrade firmware are gradually being introduced. need. Although operators, sellers, and distributors are already building servers that do this, but IPs aren't fixed for every home appliance 230, it connects the systems of the carriers to each home appliance 230. You need a system such as a repeater.

Since the set top box 210 already manages system information about the home appliance 230, the CRM client 220 in the set top box 210 may perform this function (see FIG. 5).

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the home appliance management between the CRM client 220, the external online / offline service provider 500, and the home appliance 230 is performed. It shows the request and response process for.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the customer information processing method of interworking with a home networking system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, an inquiry about a specific home appliance use pattern or purchase from an on / offline service provider 500 may be performed by the CRM client. When arriving at 220 (S501), the CRM client 220 is to upgrade the firmware of the home appliance 230 (S502).

Thereafter, the home appliance 230 provides the usage pattern requested by the on / offline service provider 500 to the on / offline service provider 500.

6 is an operation flowchart of a customer information processing method interworking with a home networking system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the CRM client 220, the CRM server 120, and an external online / offline service provider 500 are provided. Represents a request and response process for a product purchase agent function.

Referring to FIG. 6, as a method of processing customer information interworking with a home networking system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, after obtaining information about an item frequently purchased by a customer from a camera or a barcode reader, the information is applied to a PC or a TV. The customer sets whether or not to purchase the goods automatically, and if the customer's prior consent or reservations, such as online shops to apply for the goods to buy. Alternatively, even if the purchase is not performed, the notification may be performed that the goods have been dropped, or advertisements or information about the items frequently purchased by the customer may be filtered and provided on the web.

In detail, when the CRM client 220 makes a specific product purchase inquiry to the CRM server 120 (S601), the CRM server 120 requests an on-line / offline operator 500 to search for a purchase place and order a product. (S602).

Next, the on / offline operator 500 delivers the ordered product to the CRM client 220.

As a result, the embodiment of the present invention can obtain the purchase information of the customer from the home appliances connected to the set-top box by using the computing power of the home networking set-top box by using a character recognition, a barcode recognition, and an image processing technique. Customer-related information, which was managed by customers, sellers, and distributors, can be managed by customers in the home network gateway.

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention can be obtained directly in the method of indirectly obtaining the customer's preferences or tastes on the Internet, and also adds the goods management function of the customer as well as the multimedia content service of the current home networking set-top box. Can be provided as                     

While the invention has been shown and described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as indicated by the claims. Anyone who owns it can easily find out.

According to the present invention, not only the customer information collected on the Internet, but also a variety of information can be obtained for each customer under the home network system, and the customer management system can be more comprehensively obtained by moving the customer management system from the company center to the customer center. .

In addition, according to the present invention, by adding a new function to the home networking set-top box platform, not only the customer's taste for home appliances, but also information on additional items can be obtained through each home appliance.

In addition, according to the present invention, by adding a product management function of the customer to the multimedia content service function of the current home networking set-top box, it is possible to widen the range of additional additional services that can be provided in the home networking system.

Claims (29)

In the customer information processing system that works with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes, A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) client mounted on the set-top box and managing image information purchased by a customer by processing image processing, text recognition, product information, and customer information; A home appliance equipped with a camera and a barcode reader, respectively, for providing the CRM client with barcode or image information for confirming purchase information of the customer through a home network; And A CRM server mounted on the home network management system and processing product information purchased by a customer of the CRM client. Customer information processing system comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the CRM client, An image processing module for processing photo information photographed from the camera; A character recognition module which recognizes and processes the image of the image processing module as a character; A customer purchase product information DB storing the customer purchase product information; A customer information management module for searching for or modifying the customer purchase product information to perform a search function or a stock notification function of a current item; A home appliance management module configured to check whether the home appliance is operated and determine a corresponding operation type; And Network processing module for requesting access to a product code DB or product image DB in the CRM server Customer information processing system comprising a. The method of claim 2, wherein the CRM client, An interface / middleware for connecting each device to allow access and interaction between devices belonging to the home network; And Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi) platform that provides various services for distribution and control of devices belonging to the home network and provides various environments for the services to operate, and defines service standards of the set-top box. Customer information processing system further comprising. The method of claim 2, The customer purchase product information stored in the customer purchase product information DB is selected from the group consisting of purchase date, item type, quantity, manufacturer, product name and expiration date information. The method of claim 2, The product search function of the customer information management module is a customer information processing system, characterized in that the external search using the wired or wireless telephone or the Internet based on the purchase product information of the customer. The method of claim 2, The home appliance management module is a customer information processing system, characterized in that the product information is provided from a barcode reader mounted on the home appliance when the home appliance is an accessory or a home appliance that stores other goods therein. The method of claim 2, And the character recognition module and the image processing module convert customer purchase information collected from the photo information into text. The method of claim 2, And the character recognition module and the image processing module convert the customer purchase information into text using a processing function in the set top box. The method according to claim 7 or 8, The converted character is a customer information processing system, characterized in that the product code. The method of claim 1, wherein the CRM server, A product code DB for storing information in various product codes according to local information of a home network complex managed by the home networking system; A product image DB storing image information of various products according to local information of a home network complex managed by the home networking system; A customer statistics DB that stores statistical information about the goods purchased by the customers; A provider information DB that stores information on online / offline operators connected to an external network; A service provider management system for responsive to the request by referring to the customer statistics DB or when purchasing the goods automatically from the CRM client, when the online / offline service provider requests the customer statistics information; And Network processing module for processing an access request from the CRM client to the product code DB or product image DB Customer information processing system comprising a. The method of claim 10, When the bar code value is transmitted from the bar code reader, the CRM server retrieves the bar code value from the product code DB, maps it to a Universal Product Code (UPC), and stores the mapped bar code information. Information processing system. The method of claim 10, The CRM server, if the bar code value is not retrieved from the product code DB or, if the product does not have a bar code, customer information processing system, characterized in that for requesting photo information from the home appliance. The method of claim 12, The CRM server, if the product name is described in the picture information, customer information processing system characterized in that to reflect the product information in the customer purchase product information DB in the CRM client by character recognition. The method of claim 12, The CRM server, if the product name is not described in the picture information, the customer information processing system characterized in that to search in the product image DB to reflect the product information in the customer purchase product information DB. The method of claim 10, The operator management system refers to the operator information DB, customer information processing system, characterized in that for managing information about the offline store. The method of claim 10, The operator management system refers to the customer statistics DB, the customer information processing system characterized in that to grasp the taste of the customer and to contact the online / offline operator side information about the advertisement and new products. In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes, a) detecting, by the CRM client, whether a user manipulates the home appliance; b) transmitting barcode or image information from the home appliance to the CRM client; c) requesting, by the CRM client, product catalog information from the CRM server; d) requesting product information from an on / offline service provider by the CRM server when there is no product catalog information in the DB in the CRM server; e) receiving, by the CRM server, product catalog information stored in a product catalog DB from the on / offline operator; And f) the CRM server providing the product catalog information requested from the CRM client to reflect in the customer information processing Customer information processing method comprising a. The method of claim 17, wherein b), b-1) requesting a barcode reader attached to the home appliance to retrieve a new product code; b-2) photographing the product if the product code does not exist; And b-3) obtaining information on a product by introducing a character recognition technology from the photographed image Customer information processing method comprising a. The method of claim 17, The CRM client of step b) maintains a copy of information frequently retrieved from the product code DB and the product image DB of the CRM server, and stores the same product in the customer purchase product information DB if the same item is found in the copy. How we process your information. The method of claim 17, The CRM client of step c), if the information received from the home appliance is a new product code, a new product list image or a new product picture, the customer information, characterized in that for requesting a search to the CRM server Treatment method. The method of claim 17, In step d), if there is no information on the corresponding product in the CRM server, requesting a product code inquiry to an external on / offline operator system managing an external product code system. The method of claim 17, The step e), the CRM server further comprises the step of receiving a new product list from the on / offline operators. The method of claim 17, The step f) is the customer information processing method, characterized in that for responding to the CRM client with a final UPC (Universal Product Code) system product code. In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes, a) a customer relationship management (CRM) client receiving an inquiry from a online / offline provider about a particular appliance usage pattern or whether to purchase; b) the CRM client upgrading firmware of the home appliance; And c) providing, by the home appliance, the home appliance usage pattern requested by the online / offline service provider to the on / offline service provider; Customer information processing method comprising a. The method of claim 24, The step b) is a customer information processing method characterized in that is made according to the system information for the home appliance managed by the CRM client. In the customer information processing method of interworking with a home network management system and a home networking system having a plurality of set-top boxes, a) a customer relationship management (CRM) client obtaining information from a camera or a barcode reader about an item frequently purchased by a customer; b) setting by the customer whether or not to purchase the item automatically; c) the CRM client making a specific product purchase inquiry to the CRM server; d) requesting, by the CRM server, a place of purchase search and a product order from an on / offline service provider; And e) receiving the ordered product from the CRM client by the CRM client Customer information processing method comprising a. The method of claim 26, The step c) further comprises the step of notifying, if the goods frequently purchased by the customer falls. The method of claim 26, The step c) further comprises the step of searching for and providing advertisements or information on the web about the items that the customer frequently purchases. The method of claim 26, C) is performed when there is prior consent or reservation of the customer.

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