Information processing system, information processing apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, and a program for proposing an offering model that solves a customer's problem.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes: a printing information management unit 304 that manages first information relating to an offer target and acquired from the offer target; an inquiry data management unit 303 that manages second information relating to the offer target and acquired from a source other than the offer target; and an offering model specification unit 306 that specifies an offering model related to the offer target on the basis of the first information and second information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing device, and a program that propose an offering model. [Background technology]

[0002] Salespeople are expected to make proposals that meet the needs of their customers.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2018-22464 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration in which a recommended application is provided to recommend use to a device. According to Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide an information processing system and an information processing method capable of introducing applications that can be appropriately used by a device.

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not provide a service that identifies and solves the customer's problems, and there is a demand for technology that further improves convenience. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology, and aims to provide an information processing system, an information processing device, and a program that propose an offering model that solves the problems of customers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] That is, according to the present invention, a first management means for managing first information relating to the offeree object, the first information being acquired from the offeree object; a second management means for managing second information relating to the offeree object, the second information being acquired from a source other than the offeree object; a specifying means for specifying an offering model related to the offeree based on the first information and the second information; An information processing system is provided, including: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system, an information processing device, and a program that propose an offering model that solves a customer's problem. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of an entire information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration included in each device constituting the information processing system of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of software included in the server device of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of customer information according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of inquiry history information according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of offering model information according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a proposal history in the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for processing to propose a solution according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which an offering model is presented to a sales representative in this embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing an operation status according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which an offering model is presented to a customer in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In the drawings referred to below, the same reference numerals will be used for common elements, and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the overall hardware of an information processing system 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 illustrates, as an example, an environment in which a server device 110, a terminal device 120, and image forming devices 130a and 130b are connected via a network 140 such as the Internet or a LAN. Note that the number of image forming devices 130 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1, and there is no limit to the number of devices included in the information processing system 100. Furthermore, each device may be connected to the network 140 either by wire or wirelessly.

[0011] The server device 110 is, for example, an information processing device such as a server computer, and provides various services in this embodiment. The server device 110 in this embodiment can propose an offering model that meets the needs of the customer by, for example, analyzing the operating status of the image forming device 130 used by the customer and inquiries from the customer. Here, the "offering model" in the described embodiment refers to additional functions proposed to solve problems faced by customers who use the image forming device 130, but is not intended to limit the embodiment. Therefore, the offering model may be, for example, a set value such as a price, a service, a solution, or the like.

[0012] The terminal device 120 is, for example, an information processing device such as a personal computer. The terminal device 120 of this embodiment is used, for example, by a sales representative (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a "sales representative") of a business that provides an offering model, and can propose the offering model to a customer who uses the image forming device 130 based on the analysis results by the server device 110.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 130 is an apparatus that forms an image by executing a print job received from various information processing apparatuses. The image forming apparatus 130 of this embodiment can, for example, receive an offering model proposal and can add functions related to the offering model in the form of hardware or software. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 130 may propose an offering model to a customer, and when the customer applies for the purchase of the offering model, functions related to the offering model may be added. Note that in the described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 130 is cited as an example of a target that receives an offering model proposal (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an "offeree"), but this is not intended to limit the embodiment, and an offering model proposal may be received or an offering model may be added to a target other than the image forming apparatus 130.

[0014] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of each device in the information processing system 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration included in each device constituting the information processing system 100 of this embodiment. Fig. 2(a) shows the hardware configuration of the server device 110 and the terminal device 120, and Fig. 2(b) shows the hardware configuration of the image forming device 130.

[0015] First, Fig. 2(a) will be described. The server device 110 and the terminal device 120 of this embodiment are configured to include a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, a storage device 204, a communication I / F 205, a display 206, and an input device 207, and each piece of hardware is connected via a bus.

[0016] The CPU 201 is a device that executes programs that control the operation of the server device 110 or the terminal device 120 and performs predetermined processing. The RAM 202 is a volatile storage device that provides an execution space for the programs executed by the CPU 201, and is used for storing and extracting programs and data. The ROM 203 is a non-volatile storage device that stores the programs executed by the CPU 201, firmware, etc.

[0017] The storage device 204 is a readable / writable nonvolatile storage device that stores an OS, various software, setting information, various data, etc. that operate the server device 110 or the terminal device 120. Examples of the storage device 204 include a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD).

[0018] The communication I / F 205 connects the server device 110 or the terminal device 120 to the network 140, enabling communication with other devices via the network 140. The communication via the network 140 may be either wired communication or wireless communication, and various types of data can be sent and received using a predetermined communication protocol such as TCP / IP.

[0019] The display 206 is a device that displays various data and the status of the server device 110 or the terminal device 120 to the user, and examples thereof include an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The input device 207 is a device that allows the user to operate various devices, and examples thereof include a keyboard and a mouse. The display 206 and the input device 207 may be separate devices, or may have both functions, such as a touch panel display. The server device 110 may be configured without the display 206 or the input device 207.

[0020] Next, Fig. 2(b) will be described. The image forming apparatus 130 is configured to include a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, a storage device 204, a communication I / F 205, a display 206, an input device 207, a printer device 208, and a scanner device 209, and each piece of hardware is connected via a bus. Note that the CPU 201, RAM 202, ROM 203, storage device 204, communication I / F 205, display 206, and input device 207 are the same as those described in Fig. 2(a), so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] The printer device 208 is a device configured to form an image on paper using a laser method, an inkjet method, or the like. The scanner device 209 is a device configured to read an image of a printed matter and convert it into data. For example, the image forming device 130 can copy a printed matter by using the scanner device 209 and the printer device 208 in cooperation with each other.

[0022] The hardware configuration included in each device of the information processing system 100 of this embodiment has been described above. Next, the functional means executed by each hardware in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a software block diagram included in the server device 110 of this embodiment.

[0023] The server device 110 includes the following modules: a communication unit 301, a customer management unit 302, an inquiry data management unit 303, a print information management unit 304, an offering model management unit 305, an offering model identification unit 306, an availability determination unit 307, a UI generation unit 308, a setting unit 309, a proposal candidate management unit 310, and a proposal history management unit 311. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0024] The communication unit 301 is a means for communicating with each device in the information processing system 100 via the network 140 by controlling the operation of the communication I / F 205, and constitutes the communication means of this embodiment. The communication unit 301 of this embodiment can, for example, receive the operating status of the image forming device 130 and transmit a UI that proposes an offering model to the terminal device 120 or the image forming device 130.

[0025] The customer management unit 302 is a management unit that manages information about customers who use the image forming apparatus 130 by controlling the operation of the storage device 204. The customer management unit 302 can manage customers by storing, for example, a table in the format shown in Fig. 4 in the storage device 204. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of customer information in this embodiment.

[0026] 4, the customer management unit 302 can manage an ID that identifies a customer, an ID that identifies a device owned by the customer, and the model name of the device in association with each other. The table managed by the customer management unit 302 can also store IDs that identify candidate offering models to be proposed for each device. The table managed by the customer management unit 302 can also store IDs that identify the proposed offering model from among the candidate offering models to be proposed.

[0027] Returning to Fig. 3 for the explanation, the inquiry data management unit 303 is a management means for managing the content of inquiries about devices from customers by controlling the operation of the storage device 204. The inquiry data management unit 303 can manage inquiry data by storing, for example, a table in the format shown in Fig. 5 in the storage device 204. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of inquiry history information in this embodiment.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, the inquiry data management unit 303 can manage a table that associates an ID identifying a customer who made an inquiry about a device, an ID identifying the device related to the inquiry, the model name, and the inquiry content. The table shown in FIG. 5 may be manually compiled by an operator. The table shown in FIG. 5 may also be created by automatically transcribing the content of an inquiry call using voice recognition, automatically creating it based on an inquiry email, or by converting handwritten notes into text. While the embodiment described herein is configured such that the inquiry data management unit 303 acquires and manages the inquiry content, this is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiment. Therefore, for example, in another embodiment, a functional unit corresponding to the inquiry data management unit 303 may be configured to manage information related to an offered target (in the embodiment described herein, the image forming device 130) to which an offering model is provided (hereinafter, "acquired information other than the offered target") acquired from sources other than the offered target.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 3 for the explanation, the print information management unit 304 is a management unit that acquires and manages the status and operation history of the image forming device 130 via the communication unit 301. Note that in the embodiment described below, the information processing system 100 including the image forming device 130 is exemplified, and therefore the print information management unit 304 is configured to acquire and manage the operation history, etc., but this is not intended to limit the embodiment. Therefore, in examples of other embodiments, a functional unit equivalent to the print information management unit 304 may be configured to manage information related to the offered target that is acquired from the offered target (hereinafter referred to as "offered target acquired information").

[0030] The offering model management unit 305 is a management unit that manages data related to offering models by controlling the operation of the storage device 204. The offering model management unit 305 can manage offering models by storing, for example, a table in the format shown in Fig. 6 in the storage device 204. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of offering model information in this embodiment.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , the offering model management unit 305 can manage a table that associates inquiry keywords, conditions for proposing an offering model, and offering models. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6 , if the content of a customer inquiry includes the word “envelop” and the jam occurrence rate for each paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus 130 used by the customer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, an offering model with an envelope option is proposed to the customer. This allows an offering model to be proposed that takes into account the content of the customer's inquiry and the operating status of the image forming apparatus 130, thereby enabling a proposal that addresses the challenges and needs of the customer. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 , multiple proposal conditions may be set for one inquiry keyword. This allows the priority and recommendation level of the proposed offering model to be changed, allowing for more flexible offering model proposals.

[0032] Returning to the explanation in FIG. 3, the offering model identification unit 306 is an identification unit that analyzes the operation history and the inquiry content to identify an offering model to propose to the customer. In this embodiment, the offering model identification unit 306 analyzes the inquiry content managed by the inquiry data management unit 303, the operation status managed by the print information management unit 304, and the like. Then, based on the analysis results, the offering model identification unit 306 refers to the table in FIG. 6 to identify an offering model to propose.

[0033] The operation rate determining unit 307 is a determining unit that determines whether the operation rate of the operation status managed by the print information managing unit 304 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0034] The UI generation unit 308 is a generation unit that generates a UI to be displayed on the display 206 of the terminal device 120 or the image forming device 130. The UI generation unit 308 of this embodiment can generate, for example, a UI for a screen to be displayed to propose an offering model identified by the offering model identification unit 306. The generated UI is transmitted to the terminal device 120 or the image forming device 130 via the communication unit 301 and displayed on the display 206. This allows, for example, a sales representative of a business providing an offering model to recognize a preferable offering model to propose to a customer by viewing the UI displayed on the terminal device 120, and can make an appropriate proposal to the customer. Furthermore, for example, a customer using the image forming device 130 can recognize the proposed offering model by viewing the UI displayed on the display 206 of the image forming device 130, and can thereby determine whether or not to introduce a function that will lead to solving the customer's problem.

[0035] The setting unit 309 is a setting unit for setting various settings of the server device 110. The setting unit 309 of this embodiment can set, for example, various thresholds that are conditions for proposing an offering model. The setting unit 309 of this embodiment can also set, for example, the display period (target period) of a graph showing the print volume, and can store setting information for the set display period in the storage device 204. In this case, the UI generation unit 308 generates screen information for a print volume tally screen based on the setting information for the display period set by the setting unit 309.

[0036] The proposal candidate management unit 310 is a management unit that manages candidates for offering models to be proposed. The proposal candidate management unit 310 of this embodiment can manage the offering models identified by the offering model identification unit 306 as proposal candidates for the customer. Specifically, when the offering model identification unit 306 identifies an offering model for a specific image forming apparatus 130, the proposal candidate management unit 310 can issue a proposal candidate ID for the offering model and create a new table of proposal candidate information shown in FIG. 4.

[0037] The proposal history management unit 311 is a management unit that manages the history of proposed offering models. The proposal candidate management unit 310 and the proposal history management unit 311 in this embodiment can manage, for example, the proposal publication ID and proposal history ID in the table shown in FIG. 4. The proposal history management unit 311 in this embodiment can manage the history of proposals made by sales representatives to customers for the offering model identified by the offering model identification unit 306. Specifically, when the offering model identification unit 306 identifies an offering model for a specific image forming apparatus 130, the sales representative proposes the offering model to a customer, and the customer responds to the proposal, the proposal history management unit 311 can issue a proposal history ID for the offering model and create a new record of the proposal history information shown in FIG. 7.

[0038] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a proposal history in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the proposal history table stores an ID for identifying the proposal history, a specified and proposed offering model, the date and time of the proposal, the status of the customer's response to the proposal, and the date and time of the status update in association with each other.

[0039] The software blocks described above correspond to functional means realized by causing each piece of hardware to function as a result of the CPU 201 executing the program of this embodiment. The functional means shown in each embodiment may be realized entirely by software, or some or all of them may be implemented as hardware that provides equivalent functions.

[0040] Furthermore, all of the above-described functional means do not necessarily have to be included in server device 110 in the configuration shown in Fig. 3. Therefore, for example, in another preferred embodiment, each functional means may be realized by cooperation between server device 110 and terminal device 120.

[0041] Next, the processing executed by each of the above-mentioned functional means will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in this embodiment.

[0042] Each process in the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is executed mainly by the functional means of the server device 110. The server device 110 starts the process from step S1000. The process shown in Fig. 8 may be started, for example, when a new offering model is additionally registered. The process shown in Fig. 8 may also be started, for example, by an operation by a sales representative of a business providing the offering model or an operation by a customer using the image forming device 130.

[0043] In step S1001, the offering model identification unit 306 references a table managed by the inquiry data management unit 303 and acquires inquiry data. In the following step S1002, the process branches depending on whether or not there is inquiry data containing a specific keyword. Here, the specific keyword may be, for example, an inquiry keyword in the table of FIG. 6, and may be a keyword related to the offering model. If there is no inquiry data containing the specific keyword (NO), the process proceeds to step S1007, where the process ends. If there is inquiry data containing the specific keyword (YES), the process proceeds to step S1003.

[0044] In step S1003, the offering model identification unit 306 acquires the operation history of the image forming device 130 from the printing information managed by the printing information management unit 304. In the following step S1004, the process branches depending on whether the acquired operation history satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition that serves as the determination criterion in step S1004 may be, for example, the proposal condition in the table of FIG. 6. If the condition is not satisfied in step S1004 (NO), the process proceeds to step S1007, where the process ends. On the other hand, if the condition is satisfied (YES), the process proceeds to step S1005.

[0045] In step S1005, the offering model identification unit 306 identifies an offering model to be proposed based on the inquiry data and the operation history. Consider a specific example of identifying an offering model based on the tables of FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, if a "static charge removal option" is added as an offering model to the table of FIG. 6, the offering model identification unit 306 references the table of FIG. 5 in step S1002 to determine whether there is inquiry data containing an inquiry keyword corresponding to the "static charge removal option." In this case, the table of FIG. 5 contains inquiry data containing "static electricity," which is the keyword corresponding to the "static charge removal option," and corresponds to a model with a device ID of "B01" used by a customer with a customer ID of "BBB." Therefore, the offering model identification unit 306 acquires the operation history of the device ID "B01" (step S1003) and determines whether the operation history satisfies a condition (step S1004). The condition to be determined here is "print volume by paper type is less than a predetermined amount," which is a proposal condition corresponding to the "static charge removal option" in the table of FIG. 6. If the print volume for "B01" by paper type is equal to or less than a predetermined value (YES in step S1004), the offering model identification unit 306 identifies the "static discharge option" as the offering model to propose to the customer using "B01." In this way, the offering model identification unit 306 of this embodiment can identify an offering model based on the inquiry data and operation history. The offering model proposed in step S1005 is notified to, for example, the UI generation unit 308.

[0046] Thereafter, in step S1006, UI generation unit 308 generates a UI for a screen proposing the offering model. The UI generated in step S1006 may be intended for, for example, a sales representative of the business providing the offering model, or may be intended for a customer who uses image forming device 130. The generated UI is transmitted to terminal device 120 or image forming device 130 via communication unit 301, and can be viewed by the sales representative or customer.

[0047] Thereafter, in step S1007, server device 110 ends the process.

[0048] The process shown in FIG. 8 makes it possible to propose an offering model suited to the customer, taking into consideration not only the operation history of the image forming apparatus 130 but also the content of inquiries made by the customer to the support desk or the like.

[0049] Examples of various UIs in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0050] First, FIG. 9 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for processing to propose a solution according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is an example of a UI displayed on the terminal device 120 operated by a sales representative, and is a screen displayed when processing to propose an offering model suitable for a customer is performed. The sales representative can operate the screen of FIG. 9 to select a customer and press the display button to request processing to identify an offering model from the server device 110. In other words, pressing the display button on the screen of FIG. 9 causes the server device 110 to start processing of the flowchart of FIG. 8.

[0051] Next, FIG. 10 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that presents an offering model to a sales representative in this embodiment. The screen shown in FIG. 10 is an example of a UI that is displayed on the terminal device 120 operated by the sales representative. The UI of FIG. 10 is generated by the UI generation unit 308 in step S1006 in FIG. 8. The UI of FIG. 10 displays information about the proposed offering model, as well as the details of the customer's inquiry history and the operation history of the devices owned by the customer. The operation history displays, for example, the print volume of the image forming device 130 and the jam occurrence rate for each tray. By viewing the screen shown in FIG. 10, the sales representative can understand the offering model that is suitable for the customer and can use this information in their sales activities.

[0052] Next, FIG. 11 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing the operation status of the present embodiment. The screen shown in FIG. 11 is an example of a UI displayed on the image forming device 130 owned by a customer, and as an example, a graph showing the print volume by time period is displayed. By viewing the screen shown in FIG. 11, the customer can understand the operation history of the image forming device 130 owned by the customer. Here, by pressing the operation rate improvement button on the screen of FIG. 11, the customer can request the server device 110 to identify an offering model and receive a proposal for an offering model that will enable the image forming device 130 owned by the customer to be operated more efficiently. In other words, by pressing the operation rate improvement button on the screen of FIG. 10, the server device 110 can start the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 8.

[0053] Next, FIG. 12 will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that presents an offering model to a customer in this embodiment. The screen shown in FIG. 12 is displayed, for example, on the image forming device 130 owned by the customer. The UI of FIG. 12 is generated by the UI generation unit 308 in step S1006 in FIG. 8. The UI of FIG. 12 displays information such as the detailed configuration and use of the proposed offering model. By viewing the UI of FIG. 12, the customer can recognize optional functions that are suitable for the image forming device 130 that they own. Note that the UI for the customer may include information such as the operation history as shown in the UI of FIG. 10 in addition to the information shown in FIG. 12.

[0054] According to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system, an information processing device, and a program that propose an offering model that solves a customer's problem.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which an offering model is proposed with the image forming apparatus 130 as the offered target in the information processing system 100 including the image forming apparatus 130, but this is not a limitation of the embodiment. Therefore, the information processing system 100 configured according to the described embodiment may be a system that acquires the sales quantity of a product through a POS (Point of Sale) system as the offered target acquisition information, acquires the inventory status of the product as the non-offer target acquisition information, and provides an appropriate price as an offering model. Furthermore, the information processing system 100 configured according to the described embodiment can also be applied in fields such as finance, human resources, sales, digital marketing, insurance, and construction management and maintenance.

[0056] For example, when applied to the field of finance, account information can be the information to be offered, and consultation information at the counter can be the information not to be offered. Also, when applied to the field of human resources, job offer data can be the information to be offered, and information at the time of the interview can be the information not to be offered.

[0057] Each function of the above-described embodiments of the present invention can be realized by a device-executable program written in C, C++, C#, Java (registered trademark), etc., and the program of this embodiment can be stored and distributed on a device-readable recording medium such as a hard disk drive, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, flexible disk, EEPROM (registered trademark), EPROM, etc., and can also be transmitted over a network in a format that can be used by other devices.

[0058] The various tables and proposed offering models described in each embodiment may be generated by the learning effect of machine learning. Also, by classifying keywords that may be included in each item in the table by machine learning, it is possible to eliminate the need for a correspondence table.

[0059] Here, machine learning is a technology that allows a computer to acquire human-like learning capabilities, where the computer autonomously generates the algorithms necessary for making judgments such as data classification from training data that is input in advance, and applies these to new data to make predictions. The learning method for machine learning may be any of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, or deep learning, or may be a combination of these learning methods; the learning method for machine learning is not important.

[0060] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a conventional circuit module designed to perform each of the above-described functions.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and any embodiment that can be conceived by a person skilled in the art is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it exhibits the functions and effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 100...system, 110...server device, 120...terminal device, 130...image forming device, 140...network, 201...CPU, 202...RAM, 203...ROM, 204...storage device, 205...communication I / F, 206...display, 207...input device, 208...printer device, 209...scanner device, 301...communication unit, 302...customer management unit, 303...inquiry data management unit, 304...printing information management unit, 305...offering model management unit, 306...offering model identification unit, 307...operation rate determination unit, 308...UI generation unit, 309...setting unit, 310...proposal candidate management unit, 311...proposal history management unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0063] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4388081

Claims

1. a first management means for managing first information relating to the offeree object, the first information being acquired from the offeree object; a second management means for managing second information relating to the offeree object, the second information being acquired from a source other than the offeree object; a specifying means for specifying an offering model related to the offeree based on the first information and the second information; An information processing system comprising:

2. a third management means for managing the offering model by associating the first information with the second information; The information processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:

3. a generating means for generating a screen that proposes the offering model identified by the identifying means; The information processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:

4. A communication means for transmitting the screen information generated by the generation means to the offeree. The information processing system of claim 3 further comprising:

5. a communication means for transmitting the screen information generated by the generation means to an information processing device of a business providing the offering model; The information processing system of claim 3 further comprising:

6. the offered object is an image forming device; The information processing system according to claim 1 .

7. the first information is history information of use of the image forming apparatus, the second information is inquiry data regarding the image forming device; The information processing system according to claim 6.

8. a first management means for acquiring and managing first information relating to an offeree object connected via a network from the offeree object; a second management means for managing second information relating to the offeree object, the second information being acquired from a source other than the offeree object; a specifying means for specifying an offering model related to the offeree based on the first information and the second information; An information processing device comprising:

9. A program executed by an information processing device, the information processing device a first management means for acquiring and managing first information relating to an offeree object connected via a network; a second management means for managing second information relating to the offeree object, the second information being acquired from a source other than the offeree object; A specifying means for specifying an offering model related to the offeree based on the first information and the second information. A program that functions as a

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