Server, management system, and management control method

• US 7,313,602 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ono, Yasuhiko, Shiba, Rikio, Sato, Kazuma, Takada, Kotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/278,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 705/1, 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2219/10 Environmental application, e.g. waste reduction, pollution control, compliance with environmental legislation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A requester accesses a collection center system (4) and requests collection of expendables (S302). The collection center system (4) confirms actually collected expendables (S312) and gives a point to the user as the requester. For lump-sum collection using a predetermined container, a bonus point is also given. The point is also given for purchase. For the next purchase, the requester can receive an incentive in accordance with the point and enjoy a special service such as a discount.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing collection information of waste expendables used in an office device, comprising:

a providing unit for providing collection request window information which causes a terminal apparatus that communicates with the providing unit through a predetermined communication line to display a collection request window for designating waste expendables to be collected and for designating a collection method for collecting the waste expendables from among a plurality of collection methods, including a lump-sum collection of the waste expendables and an individual collection of the waste expendables;

an issue unit for issuing identification information based on collection request information indicative of a user and a collection method input indicative of a collection method as the lump-sum collection or the individual collection through the collection request window provided by said providing unit;

an input unit for inputting identification information read from an identification attached to collected articles or a container which is capable of storing a predetermined number of the waste expendables, the identification information read being based on the identification information issued by the issuing unit;

an incentive determination unit for determining an incentive in accordance with the identification information input by said input unit, wherein an incentive corresponding to the lump-sum collection and an incentive corresponding to the individual collection are different from each other even if the same quantities of the waste expendables are entered by the user through the collection request window for the collection method and collected; and

a storing unit for storing the incentive determined in a collection history in a database associated with the user.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specifying unit for specifying the user who has logged into said system, and

a control unit for causing the terminal apparatus to display with a priority a lump-sum collection request window to request lump-sum collection of the waste expendables, on the basis of the user specified by said specifying unit.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said incentive determination unit further determines the incentive in accordance with whether a type of the collected waste expendables is a type to be recycled, which is stored in the database in advance, or a type not to be recycled.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a writing unit for writing the collection history in the database in association with the user in accordance with the identification information input by the input unit, said collection history being indicative of the collection method corresponding to the identification information input by the input unit.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising an output control unit for controlling output of the incentive determined by said incentive determination unit.

6. A method of managing a computer system for collection information of waste expendables used in an office device, comprising:

a providing step of a providing unit providing collection request window information which causes a terminal apparatus that communicates through a predetermined communication line with the providing unit to display a collection request window for designating waste expendables to be collected and for designating a collection method for collecting the waste expendables from among a plurality of collection methods, including a lump-sum collection of the waste expendables and an individual collection of the waste expendables;

an issue step of issuing identification information based on collection request information indicative of a user and a collection method input indicative of a collection method as the lump-sum collection or the individual collection through the collection request window provided by said providing step;

an input step of inputting identification information read from an identification attached to collected articles or a container which is capable of storing a predetermined number of the waste expendables, the identification information read being based on the identification information issued in the issue step;

an incentive determination step of determining an incentive in accordance with the information input by said input step, wherein an incentive corresponding to the lump-sum collection and an incentive corresponding to the individual collection are different from each other even if the same quantities of the waste expendables are entered by the user through the collection request window for the collection method and collected; and

a storing step of storing the incentive determined in a collection history in a database associated with the user.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a specifying step of specifying the user who has logged into said system, and

a control step of causing the terminal apparatus to display with a priority a lump-sum collection request window to request lump-sum collection of the waste expendables, on the basis of the user specified in the specifying step.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the incentive determination step, the incentive is further determined in accordance with whether a type of the collected waste expendables is a type to be recycled, which is stored in the database in advance, or a type not to be recycled.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a writing unit for writing the collection history in the database in association with the user in accordance with the identification information input by the input unit, said collection history being indicative of the collection method corresponding to the identification information input by the input step.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising an output control step for controlling to output of the incentive determined by said incentive determination step.

11. A computer-executable program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the program for causing a computer to manage a computer system for collection of waste expendables used in an office device, the program comprising the steps of:

a providing step of a providing unit providing collection request window information which causes a terminal apparatus that communicates through a predetermined communication line with the providing unit to display a collection request window for designating waste expendables to be collected and for designating a collection method for collecting the waste expendables from among a plurality of collection methods, including a lump-sum collection of the waste expendables and an individual collection of the waste expendables;

an issue step of issuing identification information based on collection request information indicative of a user and a collection method input indicative of a collection method as the lump-sum collection or the individual collection through the collection request window provided by said providing step;

an input step of inputting identification information read from an identification attached to collected articles or a container which is capable of storing a predetermined number of the waste expendables, the identification information read being based on the identification information issued in the issue step;

an incentive determination step of determining an incentive in accordance with the information input by said input step, wherein an incentive corresponding to the lump-sum collection and an incentive corresponding to the individual collection are different from each other even if the same quantities of the waste expendables are entered by the user through the collection request window for the collection method and collected; and

a storing step of storing the incentive determined in a collection history in a database associated with the user.

12. The computer-executable program according to claim 11, further comprising a writing unit for writing the collection history in the database in association with the user in accordance with the identification information input by the input unit, said collection history being indicative of the collection method corresponding to the identification information input by the input step.

13. The computer-executable program according to claim 11, further comprising an output control step for controlling to output of the incentive determined by said incentive determination step.