Customer service apparatus, method and card, and computer readable record medium having customer service processing program recorded thereon

• US 6,142,371 A
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Oneda, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/163,435
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/379, 235/383, 235/381, 235/382, 235/492, 705/43, 705/44, 705/42
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00

Abstract

An IC card has a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory. The memory stores therein purchase history information having purchase results recorded on a genre-to-genre basis and premium information having premium values defined in accordance with the purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis. A service processing unit refers to the purchase history information of the IC card on the basis of the genre of a purchased commodity to acquire purchase results. The service processing unit further refers to the premium information of the IC card on the basis of the acquired purchase results to acquire corresponding premium values, thereby providing discount services or points in conformity with the acquired premium values.

Claims

1. A customer service apparatus comprising:

a carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory, said memory storing therein purchase history information having purchase results recorded on a genre-to-genre basis and premium information having premium values defined in accordance with said purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis, and further conversion information defining conversion rates upon a transfer of premium values to another IC card;

a service processing unit which refers to said purchase history information of said card on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity to acquire purchase results and which refers to said premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase results to acquire corresponding premium values, thereby providing discount services or points in conformity with said acquired premium values; and

a premium transfer processing unit which multiplies the premium value of a transferor IC card by a conversion rate of said conversion information for executing a transfer of premium values to a transferee IC card.

2. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said genre is defined by commodities or areas.

3. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said purchase history information of said card includes the lifelong cumulative total, the previous year cumulative total, the current year monthly cumulative total and the current year cumulative total of the purchase amount recorded on a genre-to-genre basis.

4. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said purchase history information of said card includes the lifelong cumulative number of times, the previous year cumulative number of times, the current year monthly cumulative number of times and the current year cumulative number of times of the visit number of times recorded on a genre-to-genre basis.

5. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said premium information of said card has discount rates defined in accordance with said purchase results, and wherein

said service processing unit multiplies the purchase amount with a discount rate acquired from said premium information upon the purchase to determine the amount billed, said service processing unit further updating purchase result information of said card.

6. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said purchase history information of said card has points recorded in accordance with said purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis, said premium information having point-up rates defined in accordance with said purchase results, and wherein

said service processing unit multiplies a point obtained from the purchase amount by a point-up rate acquired from said premium information to determine a point, said service processing unit further adding said determined point to the existing point of purchase result information of said card.

7. A customer service apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said service processing unit includes an item table having thereon defined commodity item codes, items and genres and includes a price look-up table having thereon defined price look-up codes, prices and genres, said service processing unit acquiring a genre of a purchased commodity from said item table or said price look-up table.

8. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory of said card further stores most recent visit month information therein, and wherein

said service processing unit recognizes a most recent visit month from said card and refers to said premium information based on the previous month cumulative total of said purchase history information to determine a premium value.

9. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said service processing unit updates said premium information on the basis of said purchase history information of said card.

10. A customer service apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

upon a first purchase within a predetermined period, said service processing unit updates said premium information on the basis of said purchase result information of said card.

11. A customer service apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

upon a first purchase in a year, said service processing unit updates said premium information on the basis of said purchase result information of said card.

12. A customer service apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said service processing unit updates said premium information on the basis of lifelong results recorded in said purchase result information of said card.

13. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said conversion information of said card includes conversion rates defined in accordance with the relations between the possessors of a transferor IC card and a transferee IC card.

14. A customer service apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said conversion information of said card includes conversion rates defined in accordance with the relations such as conjugal, parent and child, relatives and others.

15. A customer service apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said conversion information of said card includes conversion rates defined in a manner separating a transfer within the same genre from a transfer between different genres.

16. A customer service apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said service processing unit comprises a premium transfer processing unit which includes conversion information defining conversion rates for converting premium values of each genre into premium values of the other genres and which multiplies a premium value determined upon the purchase of a commodity by said conversion rate for the conversion into a premium value of the other genre to thereby update said premium information.

17. A customer service apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

said premium transfer processing unit defines said conversion information in the form of conversion information for a premium transfer within the same company or within the same company group.

18. A customer service apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

said premium transfer processing unit defines said conversion information in the form of conversion information for a premium transfer between the different companies or between the different company groups.

19. A customer service method using a carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory, said method comprising the steps of:

referring to purchase history information of said card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity, to acquire a purchase result;

referring to premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase result, to acquire a corresponding premium value;

providing a service as a function of said acquired premium value; and

when the premium values of said card are transferred to another card, multiplying a premium value of a transferor IC card by a conversion rate of conversion information acquired from said card to thereby execute a transfer of said premium value to a transferee IC card.

20. A customer service method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

preparing conversion information defining conversion rates for the conversion of premium values of each genre into premium values of another genre; and

multiplying a premium value determined upon the purchase of a commodity by said conversion rate for the conversion into a premium value of another genre to thereby update premium information of said card.

21. A carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory, wherein

said memory stores therein purchase history information having purchase results recorded on a genre-to-genre basis and premium information having premium values defined in accordance with purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis.

22. A carriable card according to claim 21, wherein

said purchase history information includes the lifelong cumulative total, the previous year cumulative total, the current year monthly cumulative total and the current year cumulative total of the purchase amount or the visit number of times recorded on a genre-to-genre basis.

23. A carriable card according to claim 21, wherein said memory stores therein conversion information defining conversion rates for the transfer of premium values of said premium information into another IC card.

24. A computer readable record medium having a customer service processing program recorded therein, wherein

said customer service processing program comprises:

referring to purchase history information of a card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity to acquire a purchase result;

referring to premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase result to acquire a corresponding premium value;

providing a service as a function of said acquired premium value, and

upon the transfer of a premium value of a card to another card, multiplying a premium value of a transferor card by a conversion rate of conversion information acquired from said card to execute a transfer of said premium value to a transferee card.

25. A computer readable record medium according to claim 24, wherein

said customer service processing program prepares conversion information defining conversion rates for the conversion of premium values of each genre into premium values of another genre, said customer service processing program multiplying a premium value determined upon the purchase of a commodity by said conversion rate for the conversion into a premium value of another genre to thereby update said premium information.

26. A customer service apparatus comprising:

a carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory, said memory storing therein purchase history information having purchase results recorded on a genre-to-genre basis, premium information having premium values defined in accordance with said purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis, and further conversion information defining conversion rates upon a transfer of said premium values to another IC card;

a service processing unit which refers to said purchase history information of said card on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity to acquire purchase results and which refers to said premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase results to acquire corresponding premium values, thereby providing discount services or points in conformity with said acquired premium values; and

a premium transfer processing unit for transferring a premium value of an IC card to another IC card.

27. A customer service method using a carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory, said method comprising:

referring to purchase history information of said card with a built-in integrated circuit including a processor and a memory on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity, to acquire a purchase result;

referring to premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase result, to acquire a corresponding premium value;

providing a service as a function of said acquired premium value; and

transferring a premium value of a card into another card.

28. A computer readable record medium having a customer service processing program recorded therein, wherein

said customer service processing program comprises:

referring to purchase history information of a card on the basis of a genre of a purchased commodity to acquire a purchase result;

referring to premium information of said card on the basis of said acquired purchase result to acquire a corresponding premium value;

providing a service as a function of said acquired premium value; and

transferring a premium value of a card to another card.

29. A customer service method using a carriable card with a built-in integrated circuit including a memory, comprising:

storing in the memory purchase history information having purchase results recorded on a genre-to-genre basis and premium information having premium values defined in accordance with purchase results on a genre-to-genre basis.