Member registration system

• US 20020010617A1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Ryuta, Kubota, Yoko, Masutomo, Satoshi, Hamaguchi, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for enabling customers to register themselves for product or service providers without tiresome procedures. A customer computer receives, through radio communication, from a computer of a product or service provider, items of personal information necessary for the member registration. Then, the customer computer extracts, from a storage device storing personal information for the customer in advance, personal information for the customer which corresponds to the items of personal information received from the computer of the product or service provider, and transmits the extracted personal information to the computer of the product or service provider. Thereafter, the customer computer receives, from the computer of the product or service provider, member identification information and storing the member identification information in the storage device. With this configuration, the customer can transmit personal information to a product or service provider, without writing or entering the same data over and over again. Since the member identification information is retained in the storage device of the customer computer, the customer does not have to carry a number of different point cards that were respectively issued for use at the stores.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

means for receiving an item of personal information necessary for a member registration from a computer of a product or service provider if performing the member registration;

means for extracting, from a storage device storing personal information for a customer in advance, personal information for the customer, which corresponds to said item of personal information received from said computer of said product or service provider, and for transmitting the extracted personal information to said computer of said product or service provider; and

means for receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, member identification information and for storing said member identification information in the storage device.

2. The computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, information concerning said product or service provider and an icon of said product or service provider, and for storing said information concerning said product or service provider and the icon of the product or service provider in the storage device; and

display processing means for displaying, on a display device, an image wherein said icon of said product or service provider is located in a virtual town.

3. The computer according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for transmitting, to another computer, information concerning said product or service provider and said icon of said product or service provider.

4. The computer according to claim 2, wherein said display processing means displays advertisement information included in said information concerning said product or service provider if said icon of said product or service provider is selected.

5. A computer system comprising:

means for, upon receipt of a request from a customer computer, transmitting an item of personal information necessary for a member registration;

means for, upon receipt of the personal information for a customer from the customer computer, issuing member identification information, and for storing said personal information for the customer and the member identification information in a storage device; and

transmission means for transmitting the member identification information to the customer computer.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said transmission means transmits, to the customer computer, member identification information, information concerning a product or service provider that has issued said member identification information, and an icon of said product or service provider.

7. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said storage device stores a point balance for each member.

8. A storage medium for storing a member registration program, said member registration program comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a computer of a product or service provider, an item of personal information necessary for a member registration if performing the member registration;

extracting, from a storage device storing personal information for a customer in advance, personal information which corresponds to said item of personal information received from said computer of said product or service provider, and transmitting the extracted personal information to said computer of said product or service provider; and

receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, member identification information and storing said member identification information in said storage device.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein said member registration program further comprises the steps of:

receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, information concerning said product or service provider and an icon of said product or service provider, and for storing said information concerning said product or service provider and the icon of the product or service provider in the storage device; and

displaying, on a display device, an image wherein said icon of said product or service provider is located in a virtual town.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said member registration program further comprises a step of:

transmitting, to another computer, information concerning said product or service provider and said icon of said product or service provider.

11. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein in said display step, advertisement information included in said information concerning said product or service provider is displayed if said icon of said product or service provider is selected.

12. A storage medium for storing a member registration program, said member registration program comprising the steps of:

upon receipt of a request from a customer computer, transmitting an item of personal information necessary for a member registration;

upon receipt of the personal information for a customer from said customer computer, issuing member identification information, and storing, in a storage device, said personal information for the customer and said member identification information; and

transmitting said member identification information to said customer computer.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said transmitting step includes a step of transmitting member identification information, information concerning a product or service provider that has issued said member identification information, and an icon of said product or service provider to said customer computer.

14. A member registration method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a computer of a product or service provider, an item of personal information necessary for a member registration if performing the member registration;

extracting, from a storage device storing personal information for a customer in advance, personal information which corresponds to said item of personal information received from said computer of said product or service provider, and transmitting the extracted personal information to said computer of said product or service provider; and

receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, member identification information and storing the member identification information in said storage device.

15. The member registration method according to claim 14, further comprises the steps of:

receiving, from said computer of said product or service provider, information concerning said product or service provider and an icon of said product or service provider, and for storing said information concerning said product or service provider and the icon of the product or service provider in the storage device; and

displaying, on a display device, an image wherein said icon of said product or service provider is located in a virtual town.

16. The member registration method according to claim 14, further comprises a step of:

transmitting, to another computer, information concerning said product or service provider and said icon of said product or service provider.

17. The member registration method according to claim 14, wherein in said display step, advertisement information included in said information concerning said product or service provider is displayed if said icon of said product or service provider is selected.

18. A member registration method comprising the steps of:

upon receipt of a request from a customer computer, transmitting an item of personal information necessary for a member registration;

upon receipt of the personal information for a customer from said customer computer, issuing member identification information, and storing, in a storage device, said personal information for the customer and said member identification information; and

transmitting said member identification information to said customer computer.

19. The member registration method according to claim 18, wherein said transmitting step includes a step of transmitting member identification information, information concerning a product or service provider that has issued said member identification information, and an icon of said product or service provider to said customer computer.