Maintenance management point service system, server machine, computer terminal, program, recording medium, and maintenance management point service system processing method

• US 20050044204A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Hiroshi, Araki, Youichi, Hama, Kiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives

Abstract

A computer terminal 110 connected to a manufacturing apparatus 120 as an object of the maintenance management is connected to a server machine 210 providing a maintenance management service by a network 500, enabling bi-directional communication. The computer terminal transmits status information on an apparatus as an object of the maintenance management to the server machine in response to a status information transmission request received from a server at every predetermined interval. The server machine includes a status point information management database for storing status points generated according to status information and determines whether status information has been received at every predetermined interval. Each time it is determined that status information is received, a predetermined point is added so as to update the status points of the status point information management database. This can encourage a customer to perform maintenance by him/herself and reduce workload of a serviceman.

Claims

1. A maintenance management point service 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 a bi-directional communication,

wherein the computer terminal collects status information from the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management, the status information at least including information regarding whether or not the object apparatus is powered on, and transmits the collected status information via the network in response to a request of the server machine, and

the server machine includes a status point storage unit for storing points generated based on the status information;

receives the status information from the computer terminal at every specific interval;

determines whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is powered on based on the status information;

renews points of the status point storage unit by adding specific number of points in case of determining that the object apparatus is powered on; and

does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus is not powered on.

2. The maintenance management point service system of claim 1, wherein the server machine further includes a maintenance request storage unit for storing information regarding whether or not a customer request for maintenance and does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that there was a request for maintenance based on the information stored in the maintenance request storage unit.

3. The maintenance management point service system of claim 1, wherein the status information further includes information regarding whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is in a state of malfunction, and

the server machine does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus serving as the object of the maintenance management is in the state of malfunction based on the status information received from the computer terminal.

4. A maintenance management point service 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,

wherein the computer terminal transmits maintenance information including a kind of a maintenance method executed at the customer side to the server machine, and

the server machine includes a maintenance point storage unit for storing points generated based on the maintenance information and a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing points set according to kinds of maintenance methods;

acquires the kind of the maintenance method from the maintenance information received from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the kind of the maintenance method based on the maintenance point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the maintenance point storage unit.

5. The maintenance management point service system of claim 4, wherein the maintenance point storage unit sets more points for more time consuming maintenance.

6. A maintenance management point service 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,

wherein the computer terminal monitors whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted and transmits restart information including information indicating restart completion to the server machine in case of determining that the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted, and

the server machine includes a lottery point storage unit for storing points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information and a lottery point setting storage unit for storing preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;

generates a random number within the specific range upon reception of the restart information from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit.

7. A server machine, for providing maintenance management service, 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 status point storage unit for storing points generated based on status information, which at least includes information collected by the computer terminal from the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management and indicates whether or not the object apparatus is powered on,

wherein the server machine receives the status information through the network from the computer terminal at every specified interval;

determines whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is powered on based on the status information;

renews points of the status point storage unit by adding specific number of points in a case of determining that the object apparatus is powered on; and

does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in a case of determining that the object apparatus is not powered on.

8. The server machine of claim 7, further comprising a maintenance request storage unit for storing information regarding whether or not a customer requests for maintenance, wherein the server machine does not renew points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that there was a request for maintenance based on the information stored in the maintenance request storage unit.

9. The server machine of claim 7, wherein the status information further includes information regarding whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is in a state of malfunction, and

the server machine does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus serving as the object of the maintenance management is in the state of malfunction based on the status information received from the computer terminal.

10. A server machine, for providing maintenance management service, 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 maintenance point storage unit for storing points generated based on maintenance information including a kind of a maintenance method executed at the customer side; and

a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing points set according to kinds of maintenance methods,

wherein the server machine acquires the kind of the maintenance method from the maintenance information received from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the kind of the maintenance method based on the maintenance point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the maintenance point storage unit.

11. The server machine of claim 10, wherein the maintenance point storage unit sets more points for more time consuming maintenance.

12. A server machine, for providing maintenance management service, 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; 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 upon reception of the restart information from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit.

13. A program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the server machine is 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, and includes a status point storage unit for storing points generated based on status information, which at least includes information collected by the computer terminal from the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management and indicates whether or not the object apparatus is powered on, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to receive the status information from the computer terminal through the network at every specific interval;

to determine whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is powered on based on the status information;

to renew points of the status point storage unit by adding specific number of points in case of determining that the object apparatus is powered on; and

not to renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus is not powered on.

14. A program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the a server machine is 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, and includes a maintenance point storage unit for storing points generated based on the maintenance information including a kind of a maintenance method executed at the customer side and a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing points set according to kinds of maintenance methods, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to acquire the kind of the maintenance method from the maintenance information received from the computer terminal;

to retrieve points corresponding to the kind of the maintenance method based on the maintenance point setting storage unit; and

to store the retrieved points in the maintenance point storage unit.

15. A program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the server machine is 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, and includes a lottery point storage unit for storing points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information and a lottery point setting storage unit for storing preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to generate a random number within the specific range upon reception of the restart information from the computer terminal;

to retrieve points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

to store the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit.

16. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the server machine is connected with a computer terminal of a customer side through a network for bi-diectional communication, the computer terminal being connected to an object apparatus serving as an object of maintenance management, and includes a status point storage unit for storing points generated based on status information, which at least includes information collected by the computer terminal from the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management and indicates whether or not the object apparatus is powered on, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to receive the status information from the computer terminal through the network at every specific interval;

to determine whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is powered on based on the status information;

to renew points of the status point storage unit by adding specific number of points in case of determining that the object apparatus is powered on; and

not to renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus is not powered on.

17. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the a server machine is 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, and includes a maintenance point storage unit for storing points generated based on the maintenance information including a kind of a maintenance method executed at the customer side and a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing points set according to kinds of maintenance methods, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to acquire the kind of the maintenance method from the maintenance information received from the computer terminal;

to retrieve points corresponding to the kind of the maintenance method based on the maintenance point setting storage unit; and

to store the retrieved points in the maintenance point storage unit.

18. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for providing maintenance management point service to a customer,

wherein the program runs on a computer and works with a server machine,

wherein the server machine is 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, and includes a lottery point storage unit for storing points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information and a lottery point setting storage unit for storing preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery, and

wherein the program allows the server machine to generate a random number within the specific range upon reception of the restart information from the computer terminal;

to retrieve points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

to store the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit.

19. A processing method of a maintenance management point service 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,

wherein the computer terminal collects status information from the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management, the status information at least including information regarding whether or not the object apparatus is powered on; and

transmits the collected status information via the network in response to a request of the server machine, and

the server machine includes a status point storage unit for storing points generated based on the status information;

receives the status information from the computer terminal at every specific interval;

determines whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is powered on based on the status information;

renews points of the status point storage unit by adding specific number of points in case of determining that the object apparatus is powered on; and

does not renew the points of the status point storage unit in case of determining that the object apparatus is not powered on.

20. A processing method of a maintenance management point service 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,

wherein the computer terminal transmits maintenance information including a kind of a maintenance method executed at the customer side to the server machine, and

the server machine includes a maintenance point storage unit for storing points generated based on the maintenance information and a maintenance point setting storage unit for storing points set according to kinds of maintenance methods;

acquires the kind of the maintenance method from the maintenance information received from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the kind of the maintenance method based on the maintenance point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the maintenance point storage unit.

21. A processing method of maintenance management point service 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,

wherein the computer terminal monitors whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted and transmits restart information including information indicating restart completion to the server machine in case of determining that the object apparatus as the object of maintenance management is restarted, and

the server machine including a lottery point storage unit for storing points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information and a lottery point setting storage unit for storing preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;

generates a random number within the specific range upon reception of the restart information from the computer terminal;

retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit.