Point-service system

• US 20020087396A1
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shida, Tomohito
• Application Number:
  US09/748,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A point-service system is provided that can promote a circulation of the points so as to improve a value of using the points. The point-service system can be accessed by a customer who uses a terminal device via a network. The point-service system comprises a point database for recording an accumulated number of points for a customer, means for issuing a recognition code for the number of reserved points in accordance with a use request with the number of reserve points from the customer, and means for recording the issued recognition code 22a along with the number of reserve points.

Claims

1. A point-service system that can be accessed by a customer who uses a terminal device via a network, the system comprising:

a point database for recording the number of points accumulated for a customer;

means for issuing a recognition code for usable number of points in accordance with a use request with the usable number of points from a customer; and

means for recording the issued recognition code with the usable number of points.

2. The point-service system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a use management database for recording an identifying information of a customer, a number of reserved points and the recognition code along with information indicating whether the number of reserved points is used or not;

means for referring to the use management database so as to answer a point-usable facility about whether the number of reserved points is usable or not in accordance with a reference request along with the number of reserved points and the recognition code form the point-usable facility; and

means for recording that the number of reserved points of the reference request is used in the corresponding field of information indicating whether the number of reserved points is used or not when the number of reserved points is set to be usable.

3. The point-service system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for subtracting the number of reserved points for which the recognition code is issued from the accumulated number of points, so as to record the remaining number of points as a new accumulated number of points in the point database;

means for referring the use management database in accordance with a cancel request with the recognition code from the customer, so as to invalidate the recognition code when the information indicating whether the number of reserved points is used or not corresponding to the recognition code indicates unused; and

means for adding the number of points for the invalidated recognition code to the accumulated number of points for the customer, so as to record the added number of points as a new accumulated number of points in the point database.

4. The point-service system according to claim 3, wherein

the point database includes a customer point database provided for each customer,

the number of points for each point issuing facility that issued the points and the identifying information of the point issuing facility are recorded in the customer point database, and

the operations of subtracting the number of reserved points for which the recognition code is issued and of adding the number of points for the invalidated recognition code are executed for the number of points that is recorded in the customer point database.

5. The point-service system according to claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting a use request display for the customer to view the accumulated number of points and to input the number of reserved points to the terminal device of the customer.

6. A recording medium storing a program for a point-service system that can be accessed by a customer who uses a terminal device via a network, the program enabling a computer to execute the process comprising the steps of:

issuing a recognition code for a number of reserved points in accordance with a point use request along with the number of reserve points from the customer;

recording the issued recognition code with the number of reserved points; and

subtracting the number of reserved points from the accumulated number of points for the customer, so as to record the remaining number of points as a new accumulated number of points.