Method and apparatus for processing reward point, and computer product therefor

• US 20050091138A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited), Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited), Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Awatsu, Kiyotaka
• Application Number:
  US10/995,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a point that is given to a customer as a reward includes an investment executing unit that executes an investment with an amount of investment calculated based on the point of the customer; and a investment returning unit that converts an amount of money obtained as a result of the investment into the point, and that returns the point converted to the customer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a point, the point given to a customer as a reward, the apparatus comprising:

an investment executing unit that executes an investment with an amount of investment calculated based on the point of the customer; and

an investment returning unit that converts an amount of money obtained as a result of the investment into a return point, and that returns the return point to the customer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the amount of investment is a total amount calculated based on the points of a plurality of the customers, and

the investment returning unit distributes and returns the return point to each of the customers.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an investment accepting unit that accepts, from the customer, an investment point with which the customer wishes to invest, and an investment item in which the customer wishes to invest, wherein

the amount of investment is calculated based on the investment point accepted.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the investment accepting unit accepts the investment point and the investment item from the customer until an execution date for the investment,

the amount of investment is calculated by accepting a plurality of investment points and a plurality of investment items from a plurality of the customers, converting the investment points into a money value for each of the investment items, and summing up the money value converted, and

the investment returning unit converts the amount of money obtained as the result of the investment for each of the investment items into the return point, and distributes and returns the return point converted to each of the customers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first storage unit that stores a returned point that has been returned to the customer according to the investment item, associating with the investment point and the investment item; and

a second storage unit that stores a total return point indicating a total amount of the points converted from the amount of money obtained as the result of the investment, associating with the amount of investment summed up.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a change accepting unit that accepts, from the customer, an instruction for a change in at least one of the investment point and the investment item, wherein

the investment executing unit executes the investment reflecting the change accepted.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when accepting the instruction, the change accepting unit outputs, in response to a request from the customer, the investment point and the investment item stored in the first storage unit and the amount of investment stored in the second storage unit to the customer.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the amount of investment is calculated based on a different conversion rate for each of the customers.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the investment item includes savings, a purchase of exchange, a purchase of stocks, a purchase of a betting ticket, and a purchase of lottery.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the investment item is an item for which a specific investment target can be arbitrarily selected, the investment accepting unit accepts the specific investment target that is specified in advance.

11. A method for processing a point, the point given to a customer as a reward, the method comprising:

executing an investment with an amount of investment calculated based on the point of the customer;

converting an amount of money obtained as a result of the investment into a return point; and

returning the return point to the customer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the amount of investment is a total amount calculated based on the points of a plurality of the customers, and

the returning includes distributing and returning the return point to each of the customers.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising accepting, from the customer, an investment point with which the customer wishes to invest, and an investment item in which the customer wishes to invest, wherein

the amount of investment is calculated based on the investment point accepted.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the accepting includes accepting the investment point and the investment item from the customer until an execution date for the investment,

the amount of investment is calculated by accepting a plurality of investment points and a plurality of investment items from a plurality of the customers, converting the investment points into a money value for each of the investment items, and summing up the money value converted, and

the returning includes converting the amount of money obtained as the result of the investment for each of the investment items into the return point, and distributing and returning the point converted to each of the customers.

15. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a computer program for processing a point, the point given to a customer as a reward, the computer program making a computer execute:

executing an investment with an amount of investment calculated based on the point of the customer;

converting an amount of money obtained as a result of the investment into a return point; and

returning the return point to the customer.

16. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein

the amount of investment is a total amount calculated based on the points of a plurality of the customers, and

the returning includes distributing and returning the return point to each of the customers.

17. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein

the computer program further makes the computer execute accepting, from the customer, an investment point with which the customer wishes to invest, and an investment item in which the customer wishes to invest, wherein

the amount of investment is calculated based on the investment point accepted.

18. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein

the accepting includes accepting the investment point and the investment item from the customer until an execution date for the investment,

the amount of investment is calculated by accepting a plurality of investment points and a plurality of investment items from a plurality of the customers, converting the investment points into a money value for each of the investment items, and summing up the money value converted, and

the returning includes converting the amount of money obtained as the result of the investment for each of the investment items into the return point, and distributing and returning the point converted to each of the customers.