Point bank system
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorKanae Amemiya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A maintenance management side manages machine information and the installed number of machines such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, a digital multi-functional apparatus, and a scanner, and exchanges the usage number for each machine for a point value, based on the machine information and the installed number of machines. A service is provided to the user based on the point value. In addition, the service to the user can be utilized through each machine provided at the user side.
Claims22
A point bank system for managing a point value calculated based on a usage number of a machine provided at a user side, comprising:
- a usage number maintaining part maintaining the usage number for the machine, said usage number collected through a network,
- a point exchanging part exchanging the usage number of the machine maintained in the usage number maintaining part for the point value;
- a point accumulating part accumulating the point value exchanged by the point exchanging part.
A machine provided to a user side and capable of connecting to a point bank system managing a point value calculated based on a usage number at said machine, comprising:
- a usage number sending part sending the usage number to said point bank system;
- a point balance specifying part specifying a point balance accumulated in said point bank system;
- and
- a point balance displaying part displaying said point balance specified by said point balance specifying part.
A machine comprising:
- a service utilizing screen displaying part displaying a service utilizing screen for utilizing a service received from a point bank system that provides the service to a user based an accumulative point value;
- and
- a selected service sending part sending a service selection, which is input by the user based on said service utilizing screen displayed by said service utilizing screen displaying part.
A machine comprising:
- a point balance specifying part specifying a point balance accumulated in a point bank system, which manages a point value calculated based on a usage number of the machine provided at a user side;
- a self usage point exchanging part exchanging the usage number of the machine for the point value:
- and
- a self usage point adding part adding the point value exchanged by said self usage point exchanging part to said point balance specified by said point balance specifying part.
A machine for generating counter information, comprising a counter information generating part canceling the counter information generated by a predetermined usage number of the machine where a computer is provided, or suppressing generation of the counter information for the predetermined usage number of the machine.
A terminal comprising:
- a point balance specifying part specifying a point balance accumulated in a point bank system, which manages a point value calculated based on a usage number of a machine provided at a user side;
- and
- a point balance displaying part displaying said point balance specified by said point balance specifying part.
A terminal comprising:
- a service utilizing screen obtaining part obtaining a service utilizing screen for utilizing a service, from a point bank system, which manages a point value calculated based on a usage number of a machine provided at a user side;
- a service utilizing screen displaying part displaying said service utilizing screen obtained from said point bank system;
- and
- a service selection sending part sending a service selection input based on said service utilizing screen displayed by said service utilizing screen displaying part, to said point bank system through a network.
A method for accumulating a point value, comprising the steps of:
- (a) exchanging a usage number for each machine provided at a user side for the point value;
- and
- (b) accumulating the point value obtained in said step (a).
A method for providing a service, comprising the,steps of:
- (a) determining at least one candidate service to provide, based on a usage number of each machine provided at a user side;
- (b) creating a service utilizing screen for utilizing the service based on the candidate service determined in said step (a);
- and
- (c) providing the service selected by the user, based on a service selection which the user input based on the service utilizing screen created in said step (b).
A program for causing a computer serving as a terminal at a user side to calculate a point balance, said program comprising the code for:
- (a) specifying the point balance managed in a point bank system that exchanges a usage number of each machine provided at the user side for a point value and accumulates the point balance;
- (b) exchanging the usage number of the machine for the point value;
- and
- (c) adding the point value exchanged by said code (b) to the point balance specified by said code (a)
A program for causing a computer to create counter information, said program comprising the code for:
- canceling the counter information generated by a predetermined usage number of a machine where the computer is provided or suppressing the generation of the counter information for the predetermined usage number of the machine.
A computer terminal with a program for causing said computer terminal to calculate a point balance, said program comprising the code for:
- (a) specifying the point balance managed in a point bank system that exchanges a usage number of each machine provided at the user side for a point value and accumulates the point balance;
- (b) exchanging the usage number of the machine for the point value;
- and
- (c) adding the point value exchanged by said code (b) to the point balance specified by said code (a).
A computer terminal with a program for causing said computer terminal to create counter information, said program comprising the code for:
- canceling the counter information generated by a predetermined usage number of a machine where the computer is provided or suppressing the generation of the counter information for the predetermined usage number of the machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.