Method for maintaining product and maintenance business system for product

• US 20020059109A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Takagi, Tadao
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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, comprising:

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.

2. A product maintenance method according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

receiving the user information from the terminal of the user via the Internet;

assigning a repair order ID corresponding to the repair request is assigned;

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

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

3. A product maintenance method, comprising:

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

selecting a packing box corresponding to the product, the repair request for which has been received, based upon product information stored in a database; and

transmitting information instructing delivery of the selected packing box to the user, to a server of a transport operator via the Internet.

4. A product maintenance method according to claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting information instructing that the product packed in the packing box be picked up 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 transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

5. A product maintenance method, comprising:

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

transmitting information regarding the product which enables a transport operator to select a packing box corresponding to the product the repair request for which has been received, and information instructing delivery of the selected packing box to the user, to a server of the transport operator via the Internet.

6. A product maintenance method according to claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting information instructing that the product packed in the packing box be picked up from the user transmitted 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 transport operator via the Internet upon completion of repair of the product.

7. A product maintenance method according to claim 6, further comprising:

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

obtaining a repair approval based upon said estimate from the user via the Internet; and

said repair cost estimate including a price of the packing box and a price of collecting and delivering the product.

8. A product maintenance method comprising:

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

transmitting a repair cost estimate for the product, the repair request for which has been received, to the terminal of the user via the Internet; and

obtaining a repair approval based upon said estimate from the user via the Internet.

9. A product maintenance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting an estimate of a repair completion date to the terminal of the user together with said estimate for the repair cost.

10. A product maintenance method, comprising:

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

assigning a repair order ID corresponding to the repair request; and

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

11. A product maintenance method according to claim 10, further comprising:

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

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

18. A product maintenance business system according to claim 17, wherein

said server of the product maintenance business operator estimates a delivery completion date in addition to estimating a repair cost for the product and transmits said repair cost estimate with said repair completion date entered therein.

19. A product maintenance business system according to claim 17, wherein

said repair cost includes fees for a price of a packing box delivered to the product user and fees for delivering the packing box and delivering the product to be repaired.

12. A product maintenance method, comprising:

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;

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

receiving an agreement to 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 said repair order ID;

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

selecting a packing box corresponding to the product, the repair request for which has been received, based upon product information stored in a database;

transmitting information instructing delivery of the selected packing box to the user, to a server of a transport operator via the Internet;

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

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

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

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

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

13. A product maintenance business system, comprising a product user, a product maintenance business operator, a transport operator, and a repair fee collector which are connected via the Internet, wherein:

said product maintenance business operator receives a repair request for a product from the product user, selects apacking box corresponding to the product, estimates a repair cost and repairs the product;

said transport operator delivers said packing box to the product user, picks up the product to be repaired from the product user and delivers the product having been repaired to the product user; and

said repair fee collector collects a repair fee.

14. 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

said server of the product maintenance business operator executes;

processing for displaying repair conditions set for a product on a homepage on the Internet;

processing for inputting information from the product user indicating an agreement to the repair conditions and storing said information in a storage device; and

processing for assigning a repair order number and notifying the product user of the repair order number via the Internet.

15. 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

said server of the product maintenance business operator executes;

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

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

16. 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;

said server of the product maintenance business operator and said 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;

said server of the product maintenance business operator transmits information indicating a type of product, a repair request for which has been issued by the product user, and a request for packing box delivery, to said server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

said server of the transport operator server searches a packing box corresponding to the product, the repair request for which has been issued by the product user, from a database having stored therein data representing different packing boxes corresponding to various types of products.

17. 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

said server of the product maintenance business operator executes;

processing for transmitting a repair cost estimate for the product, the repair request for which has been issued by the product user, to the product user in an electronic mail via the Internet; and

processing for receiving an approval of contents of said repair cost estimate and the repair request from the product user via the Internet.

20. 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;

said server of the product maintenance business operator assigns a repair order number and notifies the product user of said repair order number via the Internet upon receiving a repair order for a product from the product user via the Internet, and identifies the product under repair in correspondence to said repair order number when there is an inquiry from the product user.

21. A product maintenance business system, comprising:

a product user, a product maintenance business administrator, aproduct repair service operator, a transport operator and a repair fee collector which are connected via the Internet, wherein;

said product maintenance business administrator receives a repair request for a product from the product user and selects a packing box corresponding to the product;

said product repair service operator estimates a repair cost and repairs the product;

said transport operator delivers the packing box to the product user, picks up the product to be repaired from the product user and delivers the product having been repaired to the product user; and

said repair fee collector collects a repair fee.

22. 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 via the Internet, wherein

said server of the product maintenance business administrator executes;

processing for displaying repair conditions set for a product on a homepage on the Internet;

processing for inputting information from the product user indicating an agreement to the repair conditions and storing said information in a storage device; and

processing for assigning a repair order number and notifying the product user of the repair order number via the Internet.

26. A product maintenance business system according to claim 25, wherein

said server of the product maintenance business administrator estimates a delivery completion date in addition to estimating a repair cost for repairing the product and transmits said repair cost estimate with said repair completion date entered therein.

27. A product maintenance business system according to claim 25, wherein:

said repair cost includes fees for a price of a packing box delivered to the product user and fees for delivering the packing box and delivering the product to be repaired.

30. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 29, wherein

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

31. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 29, wherein:

the computer-readable computer program product is a carrier wave in which the program is embodied as a data signal.

23. 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 via the Internet, wherein

said product maintenance business administrator server executes;

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

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

24. 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;

said server of the product maintenance business administrator and said 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;

said server of the product maintenance business administrator transmits information indicating a type of a product, a repair request for which has been issued by the product user, and a request for packing box delivery to said server of the transport operator via the Internet; and

said transport operator server searches a packing box corresponding to the product, the repair request for which has been issued by the product user, from a database having stored therein data representing different packing boxes corresponding to various types of products.

25. 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 via the Internet, wherein;

said server of the product maintenance business administrator executes;

processing for transmitting a repair cost estimate for the product, a repair request for which has been issued by the product user, to the product user in an electronic mail via the Internet; and

processing for receiving an approval of contents of said repair cost estimate and said repair request from said product user via the Internet.

28. 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 via the Internet, wherein;

said server of the product maintenance business administrator assigns a repair order number and notifies the product user of said repair order number via the Internet upon receiving a repair order for a product from the product user via the Internet, and identifies the product under repair in correspondence to said repair order number when there is an inquiry from the product user.

29. A computer-readable computer program product containing a program for product maintenance processing, the program comprising:

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

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

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