Method for maintaining product and maintenance business system for product

• US 7,487,098 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Takagi, Tadao
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/941,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,714 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A product maintenance method according to the present invention includes: receiving access regarding a repair request for a product from a terminal of a user who uses the product via the Internet; transmitting screen information with regard to repair conditions set for repairing the product to the terminal of the user via the Internet; and receiving an agreement to the repair conditions and a repair request for the product from the terminal of the user via the Internet.

Claims

1. A product maintenance method for processing a maintenance of a product, comprising:

storing data regarding various types of packing boxes that are suitable for different products in a database;

receiving information regarding a repair request for a product from a terminal of a user who uses the product via the Internet;

automatically selecting a type of packing box that corresponds to the product for which the repair request has been received, based upon product information and the data stored in the database;

transmitting information that instructs delivery of a packing box corresponding to the selected type of packing box to the user to a server of a transport operator via the Internet;

transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

2. A product maintenance method for processing maintenance of a product, comprising:

receiving information regarding a repair request for a product from a terminal of a user who uses the product via the Internet;

transmitting information regarding the product that enables a server of a transport operator to automatically select a packing box corresponding to the product for which the repair request has been received from a database of the server of the transport operator that stores data representing the different packing boxes, and information instructing delivery of the selected packing box to the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet;

transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

3. The product maintenance method according to claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting information regarding a repair cost estimate for the product for which the repair request has been received to the terminal of the user via the Internet prior to starting a repair work; and

obtaining information regarding a repair approval based upon the estimate from the user via the Internet,

the repair cost estimate including a price of the packing box and a price of picking up and delivering the product.

4. A product maintenance method for processing maintenance of a product, comprising:

receiving information regarding a repair request for a product from a terminal of a user who uses the product via the Internet;

transmitting information regarding repair conditions set for repairing the product to the terminal of the user via the Internet;

transmitting screen information for displaying an input screen that enables entry of user information with regard to the product to be repaired to the terminal of the user via Internet;

receiving information regarding an agreement of the repair conditions and the user information from the terminal of the user via the Internet;

determining to receive the repair request for the product;

assigning a repair order ID corresponding to the repair request;

storing the user information in a storage device together with the repair order ID;

transmitting information indicating the repair order ID to the terminal of the user via the Internet;

storing data regarding various types of packing boxes that are suitable for different products in a database;

automatically selecting a type of packing box that corresponds to the product for which the repair request has been received based upon product information and the data stored in the database;

transmitting information that instructs delivery of a packing box corresponding to the selected type of packing box to the user to a server of a transport operator via the Internet;

transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet;

transmitting information regarding a repair cost estimate for the product for which the repair request has been received to the terminal of the user via the Internet prior to starting a repair work;

obtaining information regarding a repair approval based upon the estimate from the terminal of the user via the Internet;

storing a repair progress status for the product at each stage in a storage device in correspondence to the repair order ID, the repair progress status including a delivery preparation status;

when an inquiry on the repair progress status is made from the terminal of the user by indicating the repair order ID via the Internet, obtaining the repair progress status corresponding to the repair order ID from the storage device and transmitting information regarding the repair progress status obtained to the terminal of the user via the Internet;

transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product; and

transmitting information instructing that a repair fee be collected to a server of a repair fee collector via the Internet upon completion of the repair on the product.

5. A product maintenance business system for offering product repair services, comprising:

a server of a product maintenance business operator that is connected with a terminal of a product user, a server of a transport operator and a server of a repair fee collector via the Internet,

wherein the server of the product maintenance business operator executes;

processing for storing data of different types of packing boxes corresponding to various types of products in a database;

processing for automatically searching a type of packing box that corresponds to a product for which a repair request has been issued by the product user from the database that stores the data of the different types of packing boxes;

processing for issuing a request to the transport operator for delivery of a packing box that corresponds to the type of packing box that has been selected through a search to the product user via the Internet;

processing for transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the product user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

processing for transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the product user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

6. A product maintenance business system for offering product repair services, comprising:

a server of a product maintenance business operator; and

a server of a transport operator, wherein;

the server of the product maintenance business operator and the server of the transport operator are connected with each other and are also connected with a terminal of a product user and a server of a repair fee collector, via the Internet;

the server of the product maintenance business operator transmits information indicating a type of product for which a repair request has been issued by the product user, a request for packing box delivery, information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the product user, and information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the product user upon completion of repair of the product to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

the server of the transport operator stores data representing different types of packing boxes that correspond to various types of products in a database, and automatically searches a type of packing box corresponding to the product for which the repair request has been issued by the product user from the database that stores the data representing the different packing boxes.

7. A product maintenance business system for offering product repair services, comprising:

a server of a product maintenance business administrator that is connected with a terminal of a product user, a server of a product repair service operator, a server of a transport operator, and a server of a repair fee collector, wherein;

the server of the product maintenance business administrator, the server of the product repair service operator, the server of the transport operator, and the server of the repair fee collector are connected via the Internet; and

the product maintenance business administrator server executes;

processing for storing data of different types of packing boxes that correspond to various types of products in a database;

processing for automatically searching a type of packing box corresponding to a product for which a repair request has been issued by the product user from the database having stored therein the data of the different packing boxes;

processing for issuing a request to the transport operator for delivery of a packing box corresponding to the type of packing box that has been selected through a search to the product user via the Internet;

processing for transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the product user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

processing for transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the product user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

8. A product maintenance business system for offering product repair services, comprising:

a server of a product maintenance business administrator; and

a server of a transport operator, wherein;

the server of the product maintenance business administrator and the server of the transport operator are connected with each other and are also connected with a terminal of a product user, a server of a product repair service operator and a server of a repair fee collector via the Internet;

the server of the product maintenance business administrator transmits information indicating a type of a product for which a repair request has been issued by the product user, a request for packing box delivery, information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the product user, and information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the product user upon completion of repair of the product to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

the transport operator server stores data representing different types of packing boxes that correspond to various types of products in a database, and automatically searches a type of packing box corresponding to the product for which the repair request has been issued by the product user from the database that stores the data representing the different packing boxes.

9. A computer-readable computer program product to be used on a computer containing a program for product maintenance processing, the program comprising:

an instruction for storing data with regard to various types of packing boxes suitable for different products in a database;

an instruction for receiving a repair request for a product from a terminal of a user who uses the program via the Internet;

an instruction for automatically selecting a type of packing box corresponding to the product for which the repair request has been received based upon product information and the data stored in the database;

an instruction for transmitting information instructing delivery of a packing box that corresponds to the type of packing box that has been selected to the user to a server of a transport operator via the Internet;

an instruction for transmitting information instructing pick up of the product packed in the packing box from the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

an instruction for transmitting information instructing delivery of the product that has been repaired to the user to the server of the transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

10. The computer-readable computer program product according to claim 9, wherein

the computer-readable computer program product is a recording medium on which the program is recorded.