Rental estimation method

• US 20060059002A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hiroshi, Shibata, Koichi, Sugiyama, Genroku, Adachi, Hiroyuki, Ono, Kiyoshi, Kimura, Toshinori, Miura, Shuichi, Kondou, Itsuo
• Application Number:
  US10/534,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059002A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

In a rental estimation method according to the present invention, rental information with regard to rental devices is provided to a customer through a data exchange between a terminal (9) of the customer and a management server (5) of a rental company. The rental estimation method includes a data input step for entering work content data indicating a work content through the customer terminal (9), and a necessary device reporting step for reading out a list of a plurality of necessary devices matching the work content and rental information corresponding to the necessary devices from a predefined database (2 to 4) and for providing them to the customer.

Claims

1. A rental estimation method through which rental information with regard to rental devices is provided to a customer through a data exchange between a terminal of the customer and a management server of a rental company, comprising the acts of:

entering work content data indicating a work content through the customer terminal; and

reading out a list of a plurality of necessary devices matching the work content and rental information corresponding to the necessary devices from a predefined database and for providing them to the customer.

2. A rental estimation method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

selecting a device to be rented from the list of the necessary devices provided through the necessary device report.

3. A rental estimation method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

adding a device other than the necessary devices for rental.

4. A rental estimation method according to claim 2, further comprising the acts of:

adding a device other than the necessary devices for rental;

making a rental reservation for renting the device selected through the device selection and the device added through the device addition; and

accepting the reservation thus made.

5. A rental estimation system comprising:

a data input device through which data are entered by a rental customer;

a work content management database in which a list of necessary devices each corresponding to a work content is stored;

a stock management database in which rental information with regard to the necessary devices is stored;

a rental management server that reads out a plurality of necessary devices matching a work content and rental information with regard to the necessary devices from the work content management database and the stock management database in response to input of data of a work content through the data input device; and

a reporting device that provides the information read out by the rental management server to a customer.

6. A rental estimation system according to claim 5, wherein:

the data input device further allows an entry of data indicating a rental period; and

the rental estimation system further comprises a rental period adjustment device that adjusts a rental period entered and set through the data input device individually in correspondence to each of the necessary devices.

7. A rental estimation system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a device management database in which specification information relating to specifications of the necessary devices is stored, wherein;

as a predefined detailed information display command is entered through the data input device, the rental management server reads out specification information corresponding to the necessary device from the device management database and provides the specification information to a customer.

8. A rental estimation system according to claim 7, wherein:

necessary devices used in a given application are grouped together and groups of necessary devices are stored in the device management database; and

the rental estimation system further comprises a device switching device that selectively switches the necessary device to a device in a matching group when a predefined input is made through the data input device.

9. A rental estimation system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an adding device that sets an additional necessary device selected from the device management database in response to a predefined device add command inputted through the data input device.

10. A rental information acquisition terminal comprising:

an input device that enters a work content as prompted in a screen brought up on display;

a recognition device that recognizes the work content entered via the screen brought up on display;

a transmission device that transmits the recognized work content to a server;

a reception device that receives information indicating a plurality of types of devices matching the work content and rental information related to the devices, which are searched at the server based upon the work content; and

a display device that displays a screen in which the work content are entered and that brings up a display of the information indicating the plurality of types of devices and their rental information having been received.

11. A rental information acquisition program product for exchanging information related to a rental product between a customer terminal and a server connected through a communication circuit, the program product comprising computer-executable steps of:

generating and displaying a screen in which a work content is entered;

recognizing the work content entered in the screen brought up on display;

transmitting the recognized work content to the server;

receiving information indicating a plurality of types of devices matching the work content and rental information related to the devices, which are searched based upon the transmitted work content; and

generating and displaying a screen displaying the information indicating the devices and the rental information having been received.

12. A rental information acquisition server comprising:

a database in which information indicating at least a plurality of types of devices and rental information corresponding to the devices are stored in memory in correspondence to a work content;

a recognition device that recognizes a work content transmitted from a terminal;

a search device that searches the database based upon the recognized work content to obtain information indicating a plurality of types of devices and rental information related to the devices in correspondence to the recognized work content; and

a transmission device that transmits the information indicating the devices and the rental information thus obtained to the terminal.