Customer support system, an office system, a customer support center, a supply center and a customer support method
First Claim
1. A customer support system, comprising:
- a customer support center that supports a customer, based on apparatus management information of apparatuses installed at a premises of the customer, a plurality of office systems, a communication network, and a customer support terminal connected to one of the customer support center and the communication network, wherein the office system comprises;
a plurality of office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, an apparatus management information database that stores apparatus management information for managing the plurality of the office apparatuses, and a data acquisition and distribution unit that stores the apparatus management information by gathering usage information of the office apparatuses, and the customer support center comprises;
a data collection unit that collects the apparatus management information stored in the apparatus management information database, and a data analysis unit that analyzes the apparatus management information that the data collection unit collected for every office system, wherein the data analysis unit outputs an analysis result about the office system concerned for supporting the customer according to a request from the customer support terminal and the office system.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Resupply, recycling and exchange of consumption items of office apparatuses made by two or more manufacturers can be facilitated by a customer support center, a supply center, office systems and customer support terminals connected via a communication network, wherein an apparatus management database, a cost and supply information database, an analysis database, and a supply management database are installed at appropriate locations, each associated with functional units such as a data acquisition unit, a data analysis unit, a report generating unit and the like for issuing purchase orders, recycling orders, exchange orders and office system improvement proposals.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A customer support system, comprising:
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a customer support center that supports a customer, based on apparatus management information of apparatuses installed at a premises of the customer, a plurality of office systems, a communication network, and a customer support terminal connected to one of the customer support center and the communication network, wherein the office system comprises;
a plurality of office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, an apparatus management information database that stores apparatus management information for managing the plurality of the office apparatuses, and a data acquisition and distribution unit that stores the apparatus management information by gathering usage information of the office apparatuses, and the customer support center comprises;
a data collection unit that collects the apparatus management information stored in the apparatus management information database, and a data analysis unit that analyzes the apparatus management information that the data collection unit collected for every office system, wherein the data analysis unit outputs an analysis result about the office system concerned for supporting the customer according to a request from the customer support terminal and the office system. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An office system connected to a customer support center, which supports a customer, based on apparatus management information of apparatuses installed at a premises of the customer, comprising:
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a plurality of office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, an apparatus management information database that stores the apparatus management information for managing the office apparatuses, and a data acquisition and distribution unit that acquires usage information of the office apparatuses and stores the usage information in the apparatus management information database, wherein the apparatus management information database stores the apparatus management information that comprises usage information and relative information of the office apparatuses, which the data acquisition and distribution unit collected, and the data acquisition and distribution unit transmits the apparatus management information stored in the apparatus management information database to the customer support center at a predetermined time and when the customer support center requests. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A customer support center that supports a customer, based on apparatus management information of office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, and installed at a premises of the customer, comprising:
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a data collection unit that collects the apparatus management information, cost information, and supply information on the office apparatuses of a plurality of office systems, an analysis database that stores the apparatus management information, the cost information, and the supply information on the office apparatuses, which the data collection unit collected for each of the office systems, and a data analysis unit that analyzes the information stored in the analysis database of each of the office systems. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
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17. A supply center connected to a communication network and performs resupply, recycling and exchange of consumption items, comprising:
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a supply management database that stores information for management of consumption items, a supply request receiving unit that receives a request for resupply, recycling and exchange of the consumption items, and a supply directing unit that directs resupply, recycling and exchange of consumption items, based on a request for resupply, recycling and exchange of the consumption items, received by the supply request receiving unit, referring to the supply management database.
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- 20. A customer support method using a customer support system, comprising a customer support center that supports a customer based on apparatus management information of office apparatuses installed at a premises of the customer, a plurality of office systems, and customer support terminals connected to one of the communication network and the customer support center, wherein each of the office systems stores the apparatus management information and cost information for managing the office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, and the customer support center supports the customer by collecting and analyzing the apparatus management information and the cost information of the office system, and proposes a more desirable office system.
Specification