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.
Claims19
An information processing apparatus functioning as a point bank system including at least a user information database and a counter information database for managing a point value calculated based on a usage number of a group of image formation machines provided at a user side, comprising:
- a user information managing part configured to manage a point balance and machine identifications of the group of machines by storing to a user information database said point balance and said machine identifications of the group of machines corresponding to the user side;
- a usage number maintaining part configured to maintain the usage number for each of the group of machines by storing to the counter information database said usage number collected from the user side through a network,
- a point exchanging part configured to exchange the usage number for each of the group of machines maintained in the counter information database for the point value;
- a calculating part configured to calculate a total of the point value for the group of machines identified by the machine identifications corresponding to the user side by referring to the user information database;
- a point accumulating part configured to accumulate the point value of the user side by adding the total of the point value calculated by the calculating part to the point balance corresponding to the group of machines corresponding to the user side in the user information database;
- a candidate service determining part configured to determine at least one candidate service to display at one or more of the group of machines at which one or more users operate at the user side, based on the point value calculated based on usage of the group of machines and accumulated in said user information database for the group of machines at the user side,
- a service utilizing screen creating part configured to create a service utilizing screen for utilizing the at least one candidate service determined by the candidate service determining part,
- a service utilizing screen sending part configured to send the service utilizing screen created by the service utilizing screen creating part to each of the image formation machines in the group of machines at the user side, whereby a common service utilizing screen is available at any one of machines in the group of machines at the user side, and
- a service providing part configured to provide the service, which the user selects from the service utilizing screen at the machine at the user side, based on a service selection sent from the machine,
- whereby the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the point bank system.
An image forming apparatus functioning as one of a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a digital multi-functional apparatus, which is provided to a user side and capable of connecting to a point bank system managing a point value calculated based on a usage number of a group of image formation machines provided at the user side, comprising:
- a usage number sending part configured to send a self usage number of the image forming apparatus to the point bank system;
- a service utilizing screen receiving part configured to receive a service utilizing screen from said point bank system that provides the service to a user based on an accumulative point value calculated based on usage of the group of machines and which indicates a total of the point value for the group of machines provided at the same user side;
- a service utilizing screen displaying part configured to display the service utilizing screen at a display unit for an operation of an image formation by the user;
- and
- a selected service sending part configured to send a service selection, which is input by the user based on the service utilizing screen displayed by the service utilizing screen displaying part, to the point bank system;
- whereby the service utilizing screen is displayed as a common service utilizing screen available at any one of the image formation machines in the group associated with the image forming apparatus, and the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the point bank system.
An image forming apparatus functioning as one of a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a digital multi-functional apparatus, which is provided to a user side and capable of connecting to a point bank system managing a point balance calculated based on a usage number of a group of image formation machines provided at the user side, comprising:
- a storage area configured to store point information, candidate services, and a parameter to exchange a self usage number of the image forming apparatus for a current point value;
- a total point receiving part configured to receive a total of point values in the group associated with the image forming apparatus, from the point bank system, and to update the point information with the total of point values;
- a point exchange part configured to exchange the self usage number to a current point value of the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is used, to add the current point value to the total of point values indicated in the point information, and to send the current usage number to the point bank system;
- and
- a service utilizing screen creating part configured to create a service utilizing screen by using at least one candidate services, when the total of point values achieves a predetermined value to utilize the service;
- whereby the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the group associated with the image forming apparatus.
A computer-implemented method performed in a computer for managing a point value calculated based on a usage number of a group of image formation machines provided at a user side, the computer comprising a processor and computer readable medium storage having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform steps of the computer-implemented method comprising:
- (a) managing a point balance and machine identifications of the group of machines by storing to a user information database said point balance and said machine identifications of the group of machines corresponding to the user side;
- (b) maintaining the usage number for each of the group of machines by storing to a counter information database, said usage number collected from the user side through a network;
- (c) exchanging a usage number for each of group of machines provided at the same user side for the point value;
- (d) calculating a total of the point value for the group of machines identified by the machine identifications corresponding to the user side by referring to the user information database;
- (e) accumulating the point value of the user side by adding the total of the point value to the point balance corresponding to the group of machines corresponding to the user side in the user information database;
- (f) determining at least one candidate service to display at one or more of the group of machines at which one or more users operate at the user side, based on a total of the point value calculated based on usage of the group of machines and exchanged for the usage numbers of the group of machines provided at the same user side;
- (g) creating at least one service utilizing screen for utilizing the at least one candidate service determined by the candidate service determining part;
- (h) sending the service utilizing screen created by the service utilizing screen creating part to each of the image formation machines in the group of machines at the user side, whereby a common service utilizing screen is available at any one of machines in the group of machines at the user side;
- and
- (i) providing the service, which the user selects from the service utilizing screen at the machine at the user side, based on a service selection sent from the machine;
- whereby the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the point bank system.
A computer-implemented method performed in a computer for managing a point value calculated based on a usage number of a group of image formation machines provided at a user side, the computer comprising a processor and computer readable medium storage having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform steps of the computer-implemented method comprising:
- (a) determining at least one candidate service to provide, based on a total of the point value calculated based on usage of the group of machines and exchanged from a usage number of the group of machines provided at the same user side;
- (b) creating a service utilizing screen for utilizing the service based on the candidate service determined in said step (a);
- (c) sending the service utilizing screen to each of the group of machines provided at the same user side to display at a display unit for an operation of an image formation, whereby a common service utilizing screen is available at any one of machines in the group of machines at the user side;
- and
- (d) providing the service selected by the user, based on a service selection which the user input based on the service utilizing screen displayed at one of the group of machines provided at the same user side,
- whereby the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the point bank system.
A computer readable medium storage comprising a program product having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a machine of a group of image formation machines which is provided to a user side and capable of connecting to a point bank system managing a point balance calculated based on a usage number of the group of machines for image formation provided at the user side, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:
- storing point information, candidate services, and a parameter to exchange a self usage number of the image forming apparatus for a current point value;
- receiving a total of point values in the group associated with the image forming apparatus, from the point bank system, and updating the point information with the total of point values;
- exchanging the self usage number to a current point value of the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is used, adding the current point value to the total of point values indicated in the point information, and sending the current usage number to the point bank system;
- and
- creating a service utilizing screen by using at least one candidate service when the total of point values achieves a predetermined value to utilize the service;
- whereby the service is provided to the user based on the point value accumulated in the group associated with the image forming apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.