Repair request handling method and repair request handling apparatus

• US 20020072948A1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Toda, Kazuo, Oshima, Ikuo, Iguti, Akio, Nonaka, Tetuo
• Application Number:
  US09/998,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

There is disclosed a repair request handling apparatus for using a home page and allowing a client terminal to provide a display for urging a selection input of information for identifying each type of product as a repair object, subsequently allowing the client terminal to display a question for checking a trouble state of an identified repair object product, when there is the selection input of the information for identifying the repair object product, identifying a trouble based on trouble information stored in a trouble information database, when there is the answer to the question from the client terminal, and calculating an estimate of a cost required for a repair of the trouble and a date of delivery by identification of the trouble, and allowing the client terminal to display the calculated estimate and the date of delivery and to provide a display for allowing a client to select presence/absence of a repair request or purchase of a new product.

Claims

1. A repair request handling method comprising:

allowing a client terminal to provide a display for urging a selection input of information for identifying each type of product as a repair object;

subsequently allowing said client terminal to display a question for checking a trouble state of an identified repair object product, when there is the selection input of the information for identifying the repair object product;

identifying a trouble based on an answer and trouble information stored in a trouble information database, when there is the answer to the question from said client terminal;

calculating an estimate of a cost required for a repair of the trouble and a date of delivery by identification of the trouble; and

allowing said client terminal to display the calculated estimate and the date of delivery and to provide a display for allowing a client to select presence/absence of a repair request or purchase of a new product.

2. The repair request handling method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

3. The repair request handling method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the client terminal to provide a display for urging an input of client information such as a client name, when there is a selection input of the repair request from the client terminal; and

defining acceptance of the repair request, when there is the input of the predetermined client information from said client terminal.

4. The repair request handling method according to claim 3, further comprising instructing collection of the repair object product from the client, when the acceptance of the repair request is defined.

5. The repair request handling method according to claim 4, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

6. The repair request handling method according to claim 3, further comprising instructing collection of the repair object product from the client and radio-transmitting money collection information to a radio mobile terminal, when the acceptance of the repair request is defined.

7. The repair request handling method according to claim 6, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

8. The repair request handling method according to claim 3, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

27. The repair request handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 26, further comprising:

displaying questionnaires of a question selection system having different contents in the client terminal based on the selection input of the repair request, the selection input of unnecessary repair, or the selection input of the new product purchase; and

taking answers to the questionnaires from said client terminal.

9. A repair request handling method comprising:

allowing a client terminal to provide a display for urging a selection input of information for identifying each type of product as a repair object;

subsequently allowing said client terminal to display a question for checking a trouble state of an identified repair object product, when there is the selection input of the information for identifying the repair object product;

identifying a trouble based on an answer and trouble information stored in a trouble information database, when there is the answer to the question from said client terminal;

calculating an estimate of a cost required for a repair of the trouble and a date of delivery by identification of the trouble;

allowing said client terminal to display the calculated estimate and the date of delivery and to provide a display for allowing a client to select presence/absence of a repair request or purchase of a new product; and

reading and displaying new product information of the same product type as that of the repair object product from a new product information database.

10. The repair request handling method according to claim 9, further comprising prohibiting the new product information from being displayed in the client terminal, when a purchase date of the repair object product is within a predetermined period.

11. The repair request handling method according to claim 10, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

12. The repair request handling method according to claim 9, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

13. The repair request handling method according to claim 9, further comprising reading the new product information of the same price group and the same product type as those of the repair object product from the new product information database and displaying the new product information in said client terminal.

14. The repair request handling method according to claim 13, further comprising prohibiting the new product information from being displayed in the client terminal, when a purchase date of the repair object product is within a predetermined period.

15. The repair request handling method according to claim 14, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

16. The repair request handling method according to claim 13, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

17. The repair request handling method according to claim 9, further comprising reading the new product information of the same price group of an estimated amount and the same product type as those of the repair object product from the new product information database and displaying the new product information in said client terminal.

18. The repair request handling method according to claim 17, further comprising prohibiting the new product information from being displayed in the client terminal, when a purchase date of the repair object product is within a predetermined period.

19. The repair request handling method according to claim 18, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

20. The repair request handling method according to claim 17, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

21. A repair request handling method comprising:

allowing a client terminal to provide a display for urging a selection input of information for identifying each type of product as a repair object;

subsequently allowing said client terminal to display a question for checking a trouble state of an identified repair object product, when there is the selection input of the information for identifying the repair object product;

identifying a trouble based on an answer and trouble information stored in a trouble information database, when there is the answer to the question from said client terminal;

calculating an estimate of a cost required for a repair of the trouble and a date of delivery by identification of the trouble;

allowing said client terminal to display the calculated estimate and the date of delivery and to provide a display for allowing a client to select presence/absence of a repair request or purchase of a new product;

allowing the client terminal to provide a display for urging an input of client information such as a client name, when there is the selection input of the repair request from said client terminal;

defining acceptance of the repair request, when there is the input of the predetermined client information from said client terminal;

or allowing the client terminal to provide the display for urging the input of the client information such as the client name, when there is the selection input of the purchase of the new product from said client terminal; and

defining the acceptance of the purchase of the new product, when there is the input of the predetermined client information from said client terminal.

22. The repair request handling method according to claim 21, further comprising instructing collection of the repair object product from the client, when the acceptance of the repair request is defined.

23. The repair request handling method according to claim 22, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

24. The repair request handling method according to claim 21, further comprising instructing collection of the repair object product from the client and radio-transmitting money collection information to a radio mobile terminal, when the acceptance of the repair request is defined.

25. The repair request handling method according to claim 24, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

26. The repair request handling method according to claim 21, further comprising updating the trouble information of the trouble information database based on the identified trouble, when the trouble is identified.

28. A repair request handling apparatus comprising:

first display control means for allowing a client terminal to provide a display for urging a selection input of information for identifying each type of product as a repair object;

second display control means for allowing the client terminal to display a question for checking a trouble state of an identified repair object product, when there is the selection input of the information for identifying the repair object product from said client terminal;

a trouble information database in which respective types of trouble information are stored;

trouble identification means for identifying a trouble based on an answer and the trouble information stored in the trouble information database, when there is the answer to the question for checking the trouble state from said client terminal;

means for calculating an estimate of a cost required for a repair of the trouble and a date of delivery based on the trouble identified by the trouble identification means;

a new product information database in which respective types of new product information are stored; and

third display control means for allowing said client terminal to display the calculated estimate and the date of delivery and to provide a display for allowing a client to select presence/absence of a repair request or purchase of a new product, and reading and displaying new product information of the same product type as that of the repair object product from said new product information database.