POINT-BASED CUSTOMER TRACKING AND MAINTENANCE INCENTIVE SYSTEM

• US 20100145780A1
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Araki, Youichi, NISHIKAWA, Hiroshi, Hama, Kiichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.110
• 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 for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, 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 for the object apparatus and 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 due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer to the server machine upon determining that the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted,

wherein 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,

wherein the server machine generates a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal,

wherein the server machine retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit, and

wherein the server machine stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate said restart completion to obtain more points.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

2. A server machine, for providing maintenance management service for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the server machine being 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 due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer; 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 when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal,

wherein the server machine retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit, and

wherein the server machine stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate said restart completion to obtain more points.

6. The server machine of claim 2, wherein the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

3. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for providing maintenance management point service to a customer and for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the instructions causing one or more processors of a server machine to perform the following:

connect 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;

store points in a lottery point storage unit, the points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to restart information due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer;

store preset points in a lottery point setting storage unit, the preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;

generate a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal;

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

store the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate restart completion to obtain more points.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

4. A processing method of maintenance management point service system for encouraging customers of an apparatus maintenance management service to perform apparatus maintenance without using a service person from the apparatus maintenance management service, the 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, the processing method comprising;

the computer terminal monitoring whether or not the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is restarted;

the computer terminal transmitting restart information including information indicating restart completion due to maintenance performed on the apparatus by the customer to the server machine upon determining that the object apparatus as the object of maintenance management is restarted;

the server machine storing points in a lottery point storage unit, the points generated based on a result of a lottery executed in response to the restart information;

the server machine storing preset points in a lottery point setting storage unit, the preset points corresponding to numbers within a specific range employed in the lottery;

the server machine generating a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal;

the server machine retrieving points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit; and

the server machine storing the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit, whereby the customer is encouraged to performed maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate restart completion to obtain more points.

8. The processing method of claim 4, wherein the object apparatus serving as the object of maintenance management is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.