Point-based customer tracking and maintenance incentive system

A server machine, for providing maintenance management service for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the server machine being connected with a computer terminal of a customer side through a network for bi-directional communication, the computer terminal being connected to an object apparatus serving as an object of maintenance management, the server machine comprising:

• a lottery point storage unit for storing points generated based on a result of a lottery executed upon receiving from the computer terminal restart information including information indicating that the object apparatus serving as an object of maintenance management was restarted due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer;
• and
• a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery,
• wherein the server machine generates a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal,
• wherein the server machine retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit, and
• wherein the server machine stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate said restart completion to obtain more points.

A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for providing maintenance management point service to a customer and for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the instructions causing one or more processors of a server machine to perform the following:

• connect with a computer terminal of a customer side through a network for bi-directional communication, the computer terminal being connected to an object apparatus serving as an object of maintenance management;
• store points in a lottery point storage unit, the points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to restart information due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer;
• store preset points in a lottery point setting storage unit, the preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;
• generate a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal;
• retrieve points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit;
• and
• store the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate restart completion to obtain more points.

A processing method of maintenance management point service system for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the system comprising a computer terminal of a customer side, connected to an object apparatus serving as an object of maintenance management;

• and a server machine, for providing maintenance management service, connected with the computer terminal through a network for bi-directional communication, the processing method comprising:
• the computer terminal monitoring whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted;
• the computer terminal transmitting restart information including information indicating restart completion due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer to the server machine upon determining that the object apparatus as the object of maintenance management is restarted;
• the server machine storing points in a lottery point storage unit, the points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information;
• the server machine storing preset points in a lottery point setting storage unit, the preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;
• the server machine generating a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal;
• the server machine retrieving points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit;
• and
• the server machine storing the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to performed maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate restart completion to obtain more points.