Customer data processing system provided in a showroom

• US 6,105,003 A
• Filed: 07/27/1995
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sakai, Satomi, Kobara, Akiyo, Morohashi, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US08/508,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 395/226-228, 395/201, 283/56, 340/825.33-825.35, 705/26-28, 364/424.03
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A customer data processing system for quick sales of desired goods, for example, a car, based on a questionnaire obtained from a customer. A salesman estimates desired goods based on the questionnaire, and a serviceman estimates service of the goods. The questionnaire, the estimation and decision of the goods are displayed on a screen and performed through the display. The system includes: a sales terminal having an input unit for inputting customer data, such as a name, an address, desired goods, etc., which are obtained from answers from a customer, in accordance with messages displayed on a screen; and an office terminal connected to the sales terminal through a transmission line and having a data registering unit and a customer data storage unit to sort the answers for each customer and to register the sorted answers into the data registering unit.

Claims

1. A customer data processing system provided in a shop for use during a process of purchasing a new vehicle, said system comprising:

a factory terminal means;

an office terminal means connected to said factory terminal means through a transmission line; and

a host computer connected to said office terminal,

wherein said factory terminal means comprises;

a parts image data storage unit for registering service parts data for goods in the form of image data;

an image display unit for reading images of service parts from said parts image data storage unit and displaying the images of goods on a screen; and

a parts input unit for detecting selection of the images of goods designated in the displayed image of goods, and applying service parts code which corresponds to the selected service parts, and

wherein said office terminal means comprises;

a parts data storage unit for registering service parts prices for goods; and

a service estimating unit connected to said parts data storage unit for preparing a service estimating sheet for the desired goods during the process of purchasing a new vehicle based on the service parts prices.

2. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said office terminal means further comprises:

a stock managing unit for managing stock of service parts; and

an order unit for ordering the desired service parts to said host computer when there is no stock of service parts,

wherein said service estimating unit prepares the service estimation sheet by filling a completion day of service in the service estimating sheet based on the delivery date of the service parts as provided by said host computer.

3. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said office terminal means further comprises:

another parts image data storage unit which is the same unit as provided in the factory terminal, and

wherein, when displaying the service parts images on said factory terminal means, said image display unit displays the service parts image which are read from said another parts image data storage unit in the office terminal means.

4. A customer data processing system, comprising:

a sales shop connected to an office of a car maker through a network, and separated into three areas consisting of a new vehicle showroom, a shop office and a service station,

said new vehicle showroom including a customer terminal handled by a customer and a printer during a process of purchasing a new vehicle,

said service station including a portable terminal for communicating with a host terminal to check service parts,

said shop office including said host terminal and a printer, said host terminal being connected to a host computer provided in said office of the car maker through said network,

said host terminal and said customer terminal being connected to each other through a wire or wireless method, and

said host terminal and said portable terminal being connected to each other through the wireless or wire method.

5. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 4, wherein said customer terminal comprises:

a display unit for displaying the contents of a questionnaire which is answered by the customer;

an input unit for inputting the contents of the questionnaire by using a light pen;

a new vehicle estimating unit for preparing an estimation sheet of the new vehicle;

a new vehicle file for storing price data and option data for new vehicles;

an assessment file for defming a trade-in price based on a type and a manufactured year;

a catalog file for storing catalog data for the new vehicle; and

a kind of vehicle selecting unit for selecting the kind of vehicle in a range of an estimated cost provided by the customer.

6. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 4, wherein said host terminal comprises:

an input unit;

a display unit;

a service estimating unit for preparing the service estimating sheet as to service expense for the new vehicle to be serviced during the process of purchasing the new vehicle;

a stock managing unit for processing stock data of the service parts; and

an order unit for ordering the service parts to said host computer.

7. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 6, wherein said host terminal further comprises:

a customer file for storing customer data and questionnaire data;

a parts image file for storing parts code data and image data;

a parts file for storing price data for each service parts;

an estimating file for storing the estimating data to be filled in the service estimating sheet;

a stock file for storing stock data of service parts; and

an order file for storing service parts names to be ordered and the number thereof.

8. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 4, wherein said portable terminal comprises:

a service parts input unit for inputting necessary service parts; and

a liquid crystal display for displaying the images of the parts.

9. A customer data processing system as recited in claim 4, wherein said portable terminal is connected to a parts image file in order to directly read the contents of said parts image file.