Service providing system and service providing method

Abstract

To promote utilization of leasing and a specific after-sales service of home appliances.SOLUTION: A service providing system for providing services of combining leasing of home appliances and a specific after-sales service for the home appliances, the service providing system includes a billing unit that periodically charges fees for leasing the home appliances, a coupon issuing unit that issues coupons usable for the specific after-sales service on condition that the fees charged by the billing unit are paid without delay, and an after-sales service processing unit that receives applications from user terminal devices for utilizing the specific after-sales service and the coupons.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a service providing system and a service providing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, subscription services, which are used by paying a regular fee on a monthly or yearly basis, have been expanding. Subscription services are a business model in which users "use" a product for a certain period of time, rather than "own" it. However, technologies relating to home appliances as products are also known, as in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The service provision system described in Patent Document 1 is a service provision system that provides users with a service that combines the provision of home appliances and the periodic provision of coupon information that can be used when purchasing consumables corresponding to the home appliances, and is equipped with a provision means that provides users with a registration screen for registering to use the service, and a storage means that stores user information of users who have completed registration to use the service.Home appliances are delivered to users who have completed registration to use the service, and coupon information is periodically provided to users who have completed registration to use the service. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-15363 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] While home appliances are becoming increasingly sophisticated, such as being able to connect to the Internet, there is a problem that the utilization rate of these functions is low after purchase, and users are unable to fully utilize these functions.In addition, some home appliances require specific after-sales services such as periodic replacement of consumables and cleaning, but many users do not fully utilize these services.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a service provision system and a service provision method that can encourage the leasing of home appliances and the use of specific after-sales services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one aspect of the present disclosure is a service provision system that provides a service that combines leasing of home appliances and specific after-sales service for the home appliances, the service provision system comprising: a charging unit that periodically charges for leasing of the home appliances; a coupon issuing unit that issues coupons that can be used for the specific after-sales service, on the condition that the fee charged by the charging unit is paid without delay; and an after-sales service processing unit that accepts applications for the specific after-sales service and the coupons from a user terminal device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a service provision method for providing a service that combines leasing of a home appliance with specific after-sales service for the home appliance, the service provision method including the steps of: a charging unit periodically charging for leasing of the home appliance; a coupon issuing unit issuing a coupon that can be used for the specific after-sales service, on the condition that the fee charged by the charging unit is paid promptly; and an after-sales service processing unit accepting an application for use of the specific after-sales service and the coupon from a user terminal device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to encourage the use of leasing of home appliances and specific after-sales services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a service providing system 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure centered on the business management server device 100 in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram including a process of transmitting after-sales service distribution information in the second embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for generating after-sales service distribution information in the second embodiment. [Figure 5] 13 shows an example of a sequence diagram of the service providing system 1 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a coupon issuing unit 120 in the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a lease period and a coupon validity period in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the service providing system 1 according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A service providing system and a service providing method to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (First embodiment) 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a service providing system 1 according to the first embodiment. The service providing system 1 includes a plurality of information processing devices that perform information processing for providing services. The services provided by the service providing system 1 include leasing services for home appliances and specific after-sales services. The specific after-sales services are, but are not limited to, after-sales services for leased home appliances. The after-sales services for home appliances may be services related to the maintenance and repair of home appliances, such as cleaning services and consumable replacement and maintenance services for home appliances, or may be services in which housekeeping staff visit the residence of a customer (user of the housekeeping service) and perform housework and maintenance using the home appliances on behalf of the customer.

[0013] The home appliances in the embodiments are home appliances installed in a user's residence, such as kitchen appliances such as a refrigerator, a range grill (microwave oven), or a cooking heater, household appliances such as a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine, air conditioning equipment such as an air conditioner or a ventilator fan, lighting equipment, video equipment, etc. The home appliances may be home appliances that can be carried by the user, but are not limited to this, and may also be home appliances that are fixedly installed in a house by an installer, such as a built-in air conditioner or a water heater.

[0014] The service providing system 1 includes, for example, a business management server device 100, a customer management server device 200 and a database unit 210, an equipment management server device 300 and a number of home appliances 310, a billing server device 400, a user terminal device 500, an insurance company terminal device 510, a leasing company terminal device 520, an installation company terminal device 530, and a cleaning company terminal device 540. Each of the business management server device 100, customer management server device 200, database unit 210, device management server device 300, multiple home appliances 310, billing server device 400, user terminal device 500, insurance company terminal device 510, leasing company terminal device 520, installation company terminal device 530, and cleaning company terminal device 540 has a communication interface (not shown) such as a network interface card (NIC) or a wireless communication module for connecting to a communication network. The communication network may include, for example, a general-purpose network such as the Internet, and a private network such as local 5G or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0015] The business management server device 100 is an information processing device such as a server device that performs information processing for providing leasing services and after-sales services via a communication network. The business management server device 100 includes, for example, a home appliance leasing processing unit 110, a coupon issuing unit 120, and an after-sales service processing unit 130. The home appliance leasing processing unit 110, the coupon issuing unit 120, and the after-sales service processing unit 130 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing programs stored in a program memory.

[0016] The home appliance leasing processing unit 110 performs various processes related to leasing of the home appliance 310. For example, the home appliance leasing processing unit 110 distributes content data related to leasing of the home appliance 310, accepts an application for leasing of the home appliance 310 from the user terminal device 500, and performs a series of processes for establishing a lease contract. The coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon that can be used for a specific after-sales service on the condition that the fee charged by the charging unit 402 is paid promptly. The coupon issuing unit 120 transmits coupon information for the specific after-sales service to the user terminal device 500. Note that the fact that the fee charged is paid promptly may include the fact that the lease fee is normally charged by the credit card company. After-sales service processing unit 130 performs various processes related to specific after-sales service for home appliance 310. For example, after-sales service processing unit 130 distributes content data related to specific after-sales service for home appliance 310, accepts an application for use of specific after-sales service for home appliance 310 from user terminal device 500, and performs a series of processes for implementing the specific after-sales service. The home appliance leasing processing unit 110 and the after-sales service processing unit 130 may be systems that can independently provide home appliance leasing services and after-sales services in cooperation with the customer management server device 200, the billing server device 400, the user terminal device 500, etc., or the coupon issuing unit 120 may link these services to form an integrated service provision system as shown in Figure 1 that combines home appliance leasing and after-sales service.

[0017] The customer management server device 200 is an information processing device such as a server device that processes information to manage customers who provide leasing services and after-sales services via a communication network. The customer management server device 200 includes, for example, a member registration unit 202 and an information management unit 204. The member registration unit 202 and the information management unit 204 are realized, for example, by a CPU processor executing a program stored in a program memory.

[0018] Member registration unit 202 acquires customer information 212 about members who are customers receiving leasing services and after-sales service, and stores the acquired information in database unit 210. Customer information 212 includes, for example, name, address, location of use of home appliance 310, and address information of user terminal device 500. Customer information 212 about customers receiving leasing services is acquired from home appliance leasing processing unit 110. Member registration unit 202 acquires customer information 212 about customers receiving after-sales service from after-sales service processing unit 130.

[0019] The information management unit 204 acquires home appliance information 214 and stores it in the database unit 210. The home appliance information 214 includes information for identifying the home appliance 310, such as the product number of the leased home appliance 310, and information for communicating with the home appliance 310. The information management unit 204 acquires lease information 216 indicating the lease contract and after-sales service information 218 indicating the after-sales service contract, and stores them in the database unit 210. The lease information 216 includes, for example, lease contract information such as the lease period, billing timing, and periodic billing amount, billing history information, insurance contract information, etc. The after-sales service information 218 includes, for example, information such as the recommended timing for after-sales service, after-sales service coupon information, and after-sales service fees.

[0020] The device management server device 300 is an information processing device such as a server device that performs information processing for managing home appliances 310 leased via a communication network. The device management server device 300 includes, for example, a home appliance registration unit 302 and a home appliance management unit 304. The home appliance registration unit 302 and the home appliance management unit 304 are realized, for example, by a processor in a CPU executing a program stored in a program memory. Home appliance registration unit 302 performs processing for registering home appliance information of leased home appliance 310. For example, when a leasing company purchases home appliance 310, home appliance registration unit 302 provides content for product registration to leasing company terminal device 520, and registers home appliance information 214 transmitted from leasing company terminal device 520. In addition, home appliance registration unit 302 acquires home appliance information 214 of leased home appliance 310 when home appliance 310 is leased. This allows device management server device 300 to communicate with each of leased home appliances 310. The home appliance management unit 304 manages the leased home appliances 310. The home appliance management unit 304 communicates with each of the home appliances 310 to manage, for example, malfunctions of the home appliances 310, the usage history of the home appliances 310, and the installation locations of the home appliances 310.

[0021] Billing server device 400 is a server device that performs billing for leases and after-sales services. Billing server device 400 includes, for example, a billing unit 402. Billing unit 402 is realized, for example, by a CPU processor executing a program stored in a program memory. The charging unit 402 periodically charges for leasing the home appliance 310. The charging unit 402 may perform charging processing for an after-sales service fee when after-sales service is provided to the home appliance 310.

[0022] The user terminal device 500 is an information processing terminal such as a smartphone operated by a user. The user in this embodiment is a customer of a leasing service and a specific after-sales service. The insurance company terminal device 510 is an information processing terminal operated by a person in charge of the insurance company. The insurance company terminal device 510 transmits insurance contract information for the leased home appliance 310 to the business management server device 100. The business management server device 100 transmits the insurance contract information to the customer management server device 200, and stores it in the database unit 210 as part of the lease information 216.

[0023] The leasing company terminal device 520 is an information processing terminal operated by a person in charge of the leasing company. The leasing company terminal device 520 transmits lease contract information for the leased home appliance 310 to the business management server device 100. The business management server device 100 transmits the lease contract information to the customer management server device 200, and stores it in the database unit 210 as part of the lease information 216.

[0024] The installation company terminal device 530 is an information processing terminal operated by a person in charge of the installation company. The installation company terminal device 530 transmits information including home appliance information, an installation completion report, an operation check report, etc. about the leased home appliance 310 to the business management server device 100. The business management server device 100 transmits the home appliance information to the customer management server device 200, and stores the home appliance information in the database unit 210 as part of the home appliance information 214.

[0025] The cleaning company terminal device 540 is an information processing terminal operated by a cleaning company employee. The cleaning company terminal device 540 acquires information such as home appliance information 214 and the date and time of cleaning work to be performed as after-sales service. The cleaning company terminal device 540 transmits information including home appliance information, a cleaning completion report, and an operation check report as a result of the after-sales service to the business management server device 100. The business management server device 100 transmits the information acquired from the cleaning company terminal device 540 to the customer management server device 200 and stores it in the database unit 210 as part of after-sales service information 218.

[0026] Note that the multiple devices and multiple functional units of the service providing system 1 shown in Figure 1 are not limited to the form shown in Figure 1, and the multiple devices and multiple functional units may be aggregated or distributed in another form.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure centered on the business management server device 100 in the first embodiment. First, the home appliance leasing processing unit 110 accepts a lease application S10 from the user terminal device 500, which specifies the type of home appliance 310. The lease application S10 includes user information. In response to accepting the lease application S10, the home appliance leasing processing unit 110 transmits lease contract information S12 to the user terminal device 500. In response to receiving information indicating acceptance from the user terminal device 500, the home appliance leasing processing unit 110 concludes a lease contract for the home appliance 310. The home appliance leasing processing unit 110 transmits the concluded lease contract information S12 and user information to the customer management server device 200, and stores them in the database unit 210 as customer information 212, home appliance information 214, and lease information 216.

[0028] Home appliance leasing processing unit 110 transmits periodic billing information S14 to user terminal device 500 when the billing timing arrives from billing unit 402. Periodic billing information S14 is information notifying the user of the fee to be periodically charged for leasing home appliance 310. Billing unit 402 performs billing processing to collect the lease fee paid by the user. Home appliance leasing processing unit 110 outputs periodic billing information S16 to coupon issuing unit 120 upon completion of billing processing. The lease fee may be paid by the user to the leasing company, or may be paid by the user to a third party and then passed on to the leasing company.

[0029] Upon receiving periodic billing information S16, coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon that can be used for a specific after-sales service, on the condition that billing has been performed by billing unit 402. Coupon issuing unit 120 transmits coupon information S18 to user terminal device 500. Coupon information S18 is information that includes, for example, the content of the specific after-sales service, the deadline for applying for the coupon, and the content of a free or discount coupon for the specific after-sales service, and a free or discount coupon for an optional service related to the specific after-sales service.

[0030] The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts a specific after-sales service application S20 from the user terminal device 500. The after-sales service application S20 includes user information. The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts a coupon use application S22. The after-sales service processing unit 130 outputs a coupon use notification S24 to the coupon issuing unit 120.

[0031] The coupon issuing unit 120 checks the coupon usage authority and the application deadline, and outputs a coupon usage permission notice S26 to the after-sales service processing unit 130. The coupon issuing unit 120 permits the use of the coupon on the condition that the user is currently leasing the home appliance 310, the leasing fee has been charged promptly by the charging unit 402, and the coupon application deadline has not yet expired.

[0032] In response to receiving the usage permission notification S26, the after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits a coupon usage acceptance notification S28 to the user terminal device 500. At this time, the after-sales service processing unit 130 reduces or changes the usage fee for the specific after-sales service based on the coupon information, and transmits the changed usage fee together with the coupon usage acceptance notification S28.

[0033] According to the service providing system 1 of the first embodiment, a charge is periodically made for the lease of the home appliance 310, a coupon that can be used for a specific after-sales service is issued on the condition that the charge is made, and an application for the specific after-sales service and the coupon is accepted from the user terminal device 500. In this way, the service providing system 1 can encourage the use of the lease of the home appliance 310 and the specific after-sales service. For example, in a monthly service that combines the lease of an air conditioner as the home appliance 310 with after-sales service (air conditioner cleaning and maintenance), a coupon for air conditioner cleaning can be distributed to the subscriber once every few years, and air conditioner cleaning can be provided free of charge or within the monthly fee. This allows users to use the coupon to receive after-sales service at any time during the usage period, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, leasing companies can expect to maintain the quality of the home appliance 310 by improving the after-sales service for the leased home appliance 310. Furthermore, after-sales service providers, such as cleaning companies, can expect increased use of their after-sales services. The specific after-sales service may be a service provided independently of the lease of home appliance 310, or may be provided as an integrated service as shown in the first embodiment by linking with the lease of home appliance 310 through the issuance of a coupon. For example, an after-sales service processing unit described later may accept an application for use of the after-sales service independently of the lease of home appliance 310, and the specific after-sales service may be provided independently of the lease of home appliance 310.

[0034] According to the service providing system 1 of the first embodiment, the use of a coupon can be permitted on the condition that the user is currently leasing the home appliance 310, the lease fee has been charged without delay, and the coupon application period is within the period. As a result, according to the service providing system 1, it is possible to provide specific after-sales service to a user who is properly using the home appliance 310 leasing service.

[0035] (Second embodiment) The service providing system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram including a process for transmitting after-sales service distribution information in the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for generating after-sales service distribution information in the second embodiment.

[0036] 3, when the conditions for issuing coupon information S18 by coupon issuing unit 120 are satisfied, after-sales service processing unit 130 may transmit after-sales service distribution information S30 to user terminal device 500 of the user leasing home appliance 310. After-sales service distribution information S30 is information for recommending the use of a specific after-sales service.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, coupon issuing section 120 acquires regular billing information (step ST100). Coupon issuing unit 120 determines, based on the periodic billing information, whether the period since the start of the lease of home appliance 310 as a periodic billing service has exceeded a reference value (step ST102). If the period since the start of the lease of home appliance 310 has exceeded the reference value (step ST102: YES), coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon at that time (step ST108). Furthermore, after-sales service processing unit 130 generates after-sales service distribution information on the condition that coupon issuing unit 120 has issued a coupon (step ST108). This allows service providing system 1 to transmit coupon information S18 and after-sales service distribution information S30 to user terminal device 500 of the user leasing home appliance 310 when the period since the start of the lease of home appliance 310 has exceeded the reference value.

[0038] Note that, in the embodiment, the distribution process of the after-sales service distribution information S30 is a process of transmitting the information to the user terminal device 500 via a network, but is not limited to this. The distribution process of the after-sales service distribution information S30 may be performed by any means, and may be performed using common media such as postcards, emails, or social networking sites. Furthermore, the process of transmitting the information to the user terminal device 500 via a network may be a message notification process in an application installed in the user terminal device 500 that communicates with the home appliance 310, or a process of setting a coupon on a web page linked to the customer information 212. Setting a coupon on a web page linked to the customer information 212 makes it possible to easily invalidate the coupon in response to, for example, the suspension of use of a user's lease, or to easily update the information.

[0039] If the operating time of the leased home appliance 310 exceeds the reference time (step ST104: YES), the coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon at that timing (step ST108). The coupon issuing unit 120 determines whether the operating time of the leased home appliance 310 exceeds the reference time by acquiring information indicating the operating time of the home appliance 310 detected by the home appliance management unit 304. The reference time to be compared with the operating time is the operating time at which cleaning or maintenance of the home appliance 310 is recommended, but is not limited to this, and may be any operating time, such as a time specified by the leasing company, or a time at which replacement of the home appliance 310 is recommended. The after-sales service processing unit 130 generates after-sales service distribution information on the condition that a coupon has been issued by the coupon issuing unit 120 (step ST108). As a result, the after-sales service processing unit 130 can transmit coupon information S18 and after-sales service distribution information S30 to the user terminal device 500 of the user leasing the home appliance 310 when the operating time of the leased home appliance 310 exceeds the reference time.

[0040] If home appliance 310 is an air conditioner and the air conditioning capacity of the leased air conditioner drops below a standard (step ST106: YES), coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon at that time (step ST108). Coupon issuing unit 120 may issue a coupon when the capacity of leased home appliance 310 drops below a standard, not limited to air conditioners. The drop in capacity of home appliance 310 is, for example, a drop in capacity due to a clogged filter in a dehumidifier, range hood, or the like. The after-sales service processing unit 130 generates after-sales service distribution information on the condition that a coupon has been issued by the coupon issuing unit 120 (step ST108). As a result, the after-sales service processing unit 130 can transmit the coupon information S18 and the after-sales service distribution information S30 to the user terminal device 500 of the user who is leasing the air conditioner when the capacity of the air conditioner as the home appliance 310 decreases.

[0041] According to the service providing system 1 of the second embodiment, a coupon is issued when the period since the start of lease of the home appliance 310 exceeds a certain threshold. Therefore, by encouraging the user to receive specific after-sales service according to the period of use of the home appliance 310, it is possible to expect the quality of the home appliance 310 to be maintained. According to the service providing system 1 of the second embodiment, a coupon is issued when the operating time of the leased home appliance 310 exceeds a reference time, and thus the user is encouraged to receive specific after-sales service at an appropriate time according to the actual usage situation of the user, thereby maintaining the quality of the home appliance 310. Furthermore, convenience can be improved for the user by receiving specific after-sales service before the home appliance 310 breaks down. According to the service providing system 1 of the second embodiment, a coupon is issued when the air conditioning capacity of a leased air conditioner falls below a standard, so that the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner can be maintained by receiving specific after-sales service.

[0042] (Third embodiment) The service providing system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described below. The after-sales service in the third embodiment is a service provision service in which a staff member visits a residence or facility where home appliance 310 is located. The service provision service is, for example, cleaning or maintenance of home appliance 310, but is not limited thereto, and may be a service in which a staff member visits to provide general housework, such as a housekeeping service.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows an example of a sequence diagram of the service providing system 1 according to the third embodiment. The coupon issuing unit 120 in the third embodiment sets the application deadline and the work deadline of the service provision service as the validity period of the coupon. The after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits to the user terminal device 500 specific after-sales service distribution information indicating a candidate work date for receiving the service provision service before the work deadline of the service provision service.

[0044] 5, when coupon issuing unit 120 issues a coupon, it sets an application deadline and a work deadline for the service providing service as the validity period of the coupon, and transmits coupon information S18# to user terminal device 500. User terminal device 500 displays the application deadline and the work deadline for the service providing service based on coupon information S18#. The coupon issuing unit 120 outputs coupon information S18# to the after-sales service processing unit 130. The after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits after-sales service distribution information S30# indicating candidate work dates for receiving the service provision service before the work deadline to the user terminal device 500. The after-sales service processing unit 130, for example, inquires of the cleaning company terminal device 540 about candidate work dates for receiving the specific after-sales service, and sets candidate work dates for receiving the service provision service based on the response obtained from the cleaning company terminal device 540. As a result, the user terminal device 500 displays candidate work dates for receiving the service provision service based on the after-sales service distribution information S30#.

[0045] The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts a specific after-sales service application S20 from the user terminal device 500. The after-sales service application S20# includes user information and a desired date for work. The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts a coupon use application S22. The after-sales service processing unit 130 outputs a coupon use notification S24 to the coupon issuing unit 120. The coupon issuing unit 120 checks the coupon usage authority, the desired work date, and the application deadline, and determines whether to permit or deny the coupon usage. If the coupon usage is permitted, the coupon issuing unit 120 outputs a coupon usage permission notification S26 to the after-sales service processing unit 130. In response to receiving the usage permission notification S26, the after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits a coupon usage acceptance notification S28 to the user terminal device 500. If the coupon usage is denied, the coupon issuing unit 120 outputs a coupon usage rejection notification S40 to the after-sales service processing unit 130. In response to receiving the usage rejection notification S40, the after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits a coupon usage non-acceptance notification S42 to the user terminal device 500.

[0046] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the coupon issuing unit 120 in the third embodiment. When the coupon issuing unit 120 receives the coupon usage notification S24 from the after-sales service processing unit 130 (step ST200), it determines whether the user is currently leasing the home appliance 310 (step ST202), whether the lease fee has been charged promptly by the charging unit 402 (step ST204), and whether the user has accepted the candidate work date for receiving the service provision service based on the desired work date (step ST206). The coupon issuing unit 120 may also determine whether the desired work date is within an allowable range from the candidate work date for receiving the service provision service. If any of the conditions in steps ST202, ST204, and ST206 are not met, the coupon issuing unit 120 denies the coupon usage (step ST210), and if the conditions in steps ST202, ST204, and ST206 are met, it permits the coupon usage (step ST208).

[0047] According to the service provision system 1 of the third embodiment, the validity period of the coupon is set to the application deadline and the work deadline for the service provision service, and information indicating the possible work date for receiving the service provision service before the work deadline is transmitted to the user terminal device 500, thereby encouraging the user to use a specific after-sales service.

[0048] (Fourth embodiment) The service providing system 1 according to the fourth embodiment will be described below. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the lease period and the coupon validity period in the fourth embodiment. In the service providing system 1 according to the fourth embodiment, when there are multiple leased home appliances 310, the periods from the transmission date of coupon information to the work deadline may overlap among multiple coupons. For example, when there is a time difference between the lease start date (t1) of home appliance A and the lease start date (t2) of home appliance B, there may be an overlapping period (T1) between the coupon validity period for home appliance A from the transmission date of the coupon to the work deadline and the coupon validity period for home appliance B from the transmission date of the coupon to the work deadline. In this case, the after-sales service processing unit 130 according to the fourth embodiment accepts applications to simultaneously use multiple coupons corresponding to multiple pieces of coupon information whose coupon validity periods overlap.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of the service providing system 1 according to the fourth embodiment. Coupon issuer 120 transmits coupon information S18A about home appliance A to user terminal device 500 at a certain point in time, and after-sales service processor 130 transmits after-sales service distribution information S30A about home appliance A to user terminal device 500. This marks the start of the coupon validity period for home appliance A. Before the coupon validity period for home appliance A expires, coupon issuer 120 transmits coupon information S18B for home appliance B to user terminal device 500, and after-sales service processor 130 transmits after-sales service distribution information S30B for home appliance B to user terminal device 500. This causes the coupon validity period for home appliance B to start, and an overlapping period (T1) of the coupon validity periods occurs.

[0050] During the overlapping period (T1) of the coupon validity periods, the user terminal device 500 transmits a specific after-sales service application S20#. The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts the specific after-sales service application S20# from the user terminal device 500. The after-sales service processing unit 130 accepts a coupon use application S22# to simultaneously use a coupon for home appliance A and a coupon for home appliance B. The after-sales service processing unit 130 outputs a coupon use notification S24 to the coupon issuing unit 120. The coupon issuing unit 120 checks the coupon use authorization and application deadline, and outputs a coupon use permission notification S26 to the after-sales service processing unit 130. In response to accepting the use permission notification S26, the after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits a coupon use acceptance notification S28 to the user terminal device 500. At this time, the after-sales service processing unit 130 reduces or changes to free the usage fee for the specific after-sales service to which the coupon for home appliance A and the coupon for home appliance B have been applied in an overlapping manner, and transmits the changed usage fee together with the coupon use acceptance notification S28.

[0051] In a case where there are multiple leased home appliances 310, if the user has a coupon that has not yet expired, coupon issuing unit 120 may extend the application deadline and operation deadline of the coupon when issuing a coupon for a new home appliance 310. An unexpired coupon is a coupon whose application deadline has not yet arrived and whose operation deadline has not yet arrived. For example, if the validity period of home appliance A has not yet expired when issuing a coupon for home appliance B, coupon issuing unit 120 may extend the application deadline for the coupon for home appliance A by the validity period of home appliance B or a certain period. Coupon issuing unit 120 transmits coupon information in which the application deadline for the coupon for home appliance A has been extended to user terminal device 500, and after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits after-sales service distribution information in which the application deadline for the coupon for home appliance A has been extended to user terminal device 500. This improves the convenience of the coupon issued for home appliance A. For example, the overlapping period (T1) of the coupon validity periods may be very short, such as one day, which may result in poor convenience, but this can be avoided.

[0052] In a case where there are multiple leased home appliances 310, when issuing a coupon for a new home appliance 310, if the user has a coupon that has not yet expired, the coupon issuing unit 120 may invalidate the unexpired coupon and issue a new coupon for the home appliance 310 linked to the unexpired coupon and the new home appliance 310. For example, when issuing a coupon for home appliance B, if the validity period of home appliance A has not yet expired, the coupon issuing unit 120 may invalidate the coupon for home appliance A and issue a new coupon for home appliance A and home appliance B. The new coupon for home appliance A and home appliance B is, for example, a coupon that allows the user to simultaneously receive after-sales service for home appliance A and after-sales service for home appliance B. The coupon issuing unit 120 transmits coupon information for home appliance A and home appliance B to the user terminal device 500, and the after-sales service processing unit 130 transmits after-sales service distribution information for home appliance A and home appliance B to the user terminal device 500. This improves the convenience of the coupons.

[0053] According to the service providing system 1 of the fourth embodiment, when there are multiple leased home electric appliances 310 and the validity periods of the coupon information for the multiple coupons overlap, it is possible to accept an application to simultaneously use multiple coupons corresponding to the multiple coupon information with overlapping validity periods. This allows the user to use a specific after-sales service on the same date when leasing multiple home electric appliances 310, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0054] Although each embodiment and variant has been described, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, one aspect of the present invention may be realized by combining any of the embodiments or variants, or a part of each embodiment or a part of each variant, with one or more other embodiments or one or more other variants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...service providing system, 100...business management server device, 110...home appliance leasing processing unit, 120...coupon issuing unit, 130...after-sales service processing unit, 200...customer management server device, 200...customer management server device, 202...member registration unit, 204...information management unit, 210...database unit, 212...customer information, 214...home appliance information, 216...lease information, 218...after-sales service information, 300...device management server device, 302...home appliance registration unit, 304...home appliance management unit, 310...home appliance, 400...billing server device, 402...billing unit, 500...user terminal device, 510...insurance company terminal device, 520...leasing company terminal device, 530...installation company terminal device, 540...cleaning company terminal device

Claims

1. A service providing system that provides a service that combines leasing of a home appliance and specific after-sales service for the home appliance, a billing unit that periodically bills for the lease of the home appliance; a coupon issuing unit that issues a coupon that can be used for the specific after-sales service on the condition that the fee charged by the charging unit is paid without delay; an after-sales service processing unit that accepts an application for the specific after-sales service and the coupon from a user terminal device; A service providing system comprising:

2. the coupon issuing unit is configured to issue a coupon to a user when the user is currently leasing the home appliance; The lease fee has been paid promptly by the billing department, Allowing the use of the coupon on the condition that the coupon application period is within the application period. The service providing system according to claim 1 .

3. The coupon issuing unit issuing the coupon when the period from the start of the lease of the home appliance exceeds a certain threshold; Distributing coupon information indicating the issued coupon to the user terminal device; The service providing system according to claim 1 .

4. The coupon issuing unit issuing the coupon when the operating time of the leased home appliance exceeds a standard; Distributing coupon information indicating the issued coupon to the user terminal device; The service providing system according to claim 1 .

5. the coupon issuing unit issues the coupon when the capacity of the leased home appliance drops below a standard level, and issues coupon information indicating the issued coupon. The service providing system according to claim 1 .

6. the after-sales service is a service in which a staff member visits the residence or facility where the home appliance is installed, the coupon issuing unit sets an application deadline and a work deadline for the service providing service as a validity period of the coupon; the after-sales service processing unit transmits information indicating a candidate date for receiving the service provision service before the work deadline to the user terminal device; The service providing system according to claim 1 .

7. If there are multiple leased home appliances and the validity periods of multiple coupons overlap, The service providing system according to claim 6 , wherein the after-sales service processing unit accepts applications for simultaneous use of a plurality of coupons corresponding to a plurality of coupon information items whose validity periods overlap.

8. In cases where there are multiple leased home appliances, The coupon issuing unit When issuing the coupon for a new home appliance, if the user has the coupon before its expiration date, Extending the application deadline and the work deadline for the coupon before its validity period expires; The service providing system according to claim 6 .

9. In cases where there are multiple leased home appliances, The coupon issuing unit When issuing the coupon for a new home appliance, if the user has an unexpired coupon, invalidate the unexpired coupon; issuing a new coupon for the home appliance linked to the coupon that has not yet expired and the new home appliance; The service providing system according to claim 6 .

10. The service providing system according to claim 1 , wherein the after-sales service processing unit accepts an application for the after-sales service independently of leasing the home electric appliance.

11. A service providing method for providing a service that combines leasing of a home appliance and specific after-sales service for the home appliance, a charging unit periodically charging for the lease of the home appliance; a step of a coupon issuing unit issuing a coupon that can be used for the specific after-sales service on the condition that the fee charged by the charging unit is paid without delay; an after-sales service processing unit receiving an application for the specific after-sales service and the coupon from a user terminal device; and how the service is provided.

12. 12. The service providing method according to claim 11, further comprising a step in which the after-sales service processing unit accepts an application for the after-sales service independently of the lease of the home appliance, and the specific after-sales service is provided independently of the lease of the home appliance.

Images