Customer management terminal equipment, customer managing method, and media for customer management

• US 5,962,829 A
• Filed: 11/01/1996
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yoshinaga, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Douglas X.
• Application Number:
  US08/742,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/384, 235/462.1, 335/472, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Customer management terminal equipment manages information on customers at multiservice stations including retail shops such as department houses, financial institutions such as banks, and gas stations. The terminal equipment includes a first converter which converts customer information including customer identification information and transaction information into two-dimensional bar-code information. A two-dimensional bar-code issuing means then issues a two-dimensional bar-code based on two-dimensional information from the first converting means. Customer interaction based on the customer identification information and the transaction information is then commenced.

Claims

1. Automobile service station terminal equipment which interacts with a customer, based on customer identification information inherent to a customer and transaction information relating to a transaction with the customer and corresponding to the customer identification information, comprising:

bar-code reading means for reading a first two-dimensional bar-code having first two-dimensional bar-code information including first customer identification information and first customer transaction information, wherein the first two-dimensional bar-code is stuck on a motor vehicle in a manner so as to be recognized from outside thereof;

means for receiving non-encrypted second customer transaction information consisting of an amount of gasoline purchased, running distance information, a date of a previous oil-exchange, and a date of a previous car wash;

first converting means for converting said first customer identification information, said first transaction information, and said second transaction information into second two-dimensional bar-code information such that a host computer containing a customer master file is not used; and

two-dimensional bar-code issuing means for issuing a second two-dimensional bar-code based on the second two-dimensional bar-code information, wherein said second two-dimensional bar-code is stuck on the motor vehicle in place of said first two-dimensional bar code such that it is unnecessary to connect said automobile service station terminal equipment to a host computer to re-retrieve said second two-dimensional bar-code information relating to said customer.

2. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

second converting means for converting the first two-dimensional bar-code read by said bar-code reading means into said first customer identification information.

3. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, wherein said first transaction information comprises a date of a previous oil change.

4. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, wherein said first transaction information comprises a date of a previous car wash.

5. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, wherein said first transaction information comprises a date of a previous gasoline purchase.

6. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, wherein said second transaction information comprises information on services for a customer at a multiservice station.

7. The automobile service station terminal equipment according to claim 1, wherein said second transaction information is displayed to the customer during interaction with the customer.

8. An automobile services station method which manages transaction information for each of a plurality of customers according to customer identification information inherent to each of said plurality of customers, comprising the steps of:

reading a first two-dimensional bar-code having first non-encrypted two-dimensional bar-code information including non-encrypted customer identification information and first non-encrypted customer transaction information, wherein the first two-dimensional bar-code is stuck on a motor vehicle in a manner so as to be recognized from outside thereof;

receiving new customer transaction information from a new customer interaction consisting of an amount of gasoline purchased, running distance information, a date of a previous oil-exchange, and a date of a previous car wash;

combining said first customer transaction information and said new customer transaction information into second customer transaction information with customer management terminal equipment;

converting said customer identification information and said second customer transaction information into second non-encrypted two-dimensional bar-code information such that a host computer containing a customer master file is not used; and

issuing said second two-dimensional bar-code information as a second two-dimensional bar-code, wherein said second two-dimensional bar-code is stuck on the motor vehicle in place of said first two-dimensional bar code such that it is unnecessary to connect said customer management terminal equipment to a host computer to retrieve said second two-dimensional bar-code information relating to said customer.

9. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

reading said second non-encrypted two-dimensional bar-code stuck on the motor vehicle including the second two-dimensional bar-code information with said customer management terminal equipment;

converting the second non-encrypted two-dimensional bar-code information into said customer identification information and said second customer transaction information; and

receiving second new customer transaction information from a second customer interaction.

10. The automobile service station method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

combining said second customer transaction information and said second new customer transaction information into third customer transaction information with said customer terminal management equipment;

converting said customer identification information and said third customer transaction information into third non-encrypted two-dimensional bar-code information; and

issuing said non-encrypted third two-dimensional bar-code information as a third two-dimensional bar-code, wherein said third two-dimensional bar-code is stuck on the motor vehicle in place of said second two-dimensional bar code.

11. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, wherein said first customer transaction information comprises a date of a previous oil change.

12. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, wherein first customer transaction information comprises a date of a previous carwash.

13. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, wherein said second customer transaction information comprises fuel consumption data based upon running distance information.

14. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, wherein said first customer transaction information comprises a date of a previous gasoline purchase.

15. The automobile service station method according to claim 8, wherein said second customer transaction information is displayed to the customer during interaction with the customer.

16. The customer managing method according to claim 8, wherein said second customer transaction information comprises service information for the customer at a multiservice station.