Product rental method

Abstract

The product lending method promotes the cyclical use of products. [Solution] The method of lending a product includes a step of receiving usage fees, in which the lender periodically receives usage fees from the borrower in exchange for the use of the product; and an economic value determination step, in which the economic value of the product after use or during use is determined based on at least one of the period of use up to the return of the product or a predetermined time, and the degree of deterioration or usage of the product, and at the time of product return or when the usage fee is billed, the lender refunds the borrower an amount corresponding to the economic value, or deducts an amount corresponding to the economic value from the usage fee and bills the borrower.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for lending products such as electric appliances. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Literature 1 describes a facility ordering system used by a subscription user who uses facilities such as air conditioning equipment in a subscription-based usage mode (hereinafter may be referred to as "subscription" for short). In the facility ordering system, when a subscription user transmits request information for requesting a new piece of the facility using a terminal device, an operator of the facility ordering system sends the new piece of the facility to the subscription user based on the transmitted request information. When the subscription contract period expires, the subscription user returns the currently used facility and the subscription usage ends. The returned facility is brought to a reuse factory, refreshed, and placed in a standby state as inventory of reused products. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-45665 [Summary of Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Literature 1, a borrower who receives a product lent through a subscription has no motivation or advantage to cooperate in circular utilization, which is utilization that contributes to product resource circulation. Therefore, realization of a method for promoting circular utilization in society is desired.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to promote circular utilization of products in a product lending method. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure of a method of lending a product includes a fee collection step in which the lender periodically receives a usage fee from the borrower for the use of the product, and an economic value determination step in which the economic value of the product after use or during use is determined based on at least one of the period of use up to the return of the product or a predetermined time, and the degree of deterioration or use of the product, and at the time of the return of the product or when the usage fee is billed, the lender refunds the borrower an amount corresponding to the economic value or deducts an amount corresponding to the economic value from the usage fee. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to a method of lending products, which is one aspect of this disclosure, the cyclical use of products can be promoted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the product circulation route centered on the lending company that implements the product lending method of the embodiment, and the lending and return route consisting of the product lending and return routes between the lending company and the borrower. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows the method for lending the product according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows a method for lending a product in an alternative embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The product lending method according to this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a first product circulation route 10 centered on the lending company 14 that implements the product lending method of the embodiment, a second circulation route 11 consisting of a product transport route between the lending company 14 and the maintenance factory 15, and a third circulation route 12 consisting of a product lending and return route between the lending company 14 and the borrower 13.

[0010] The following explanation will primarily focus on cases where the product to be leased is an electrical product, specifically a lighting fixture. However, the product to be leased may also be an electrical product other than a lighting fixture, such as an air conditioner, wiring device, or refrigerator, or even a product other than an electrical product. Furthermore, the following explanation will focus on cases where the lending company 14 and the product manufacturer 17 are different, but the lending company 14 may also be the product manufacturer 17. In this case, the product manufacturer 17 manufactures the product and, as the lending company 14, allows the borrower 13 to use the product on a subscription basis.

[0011] The first recycling route 10 includes a product manufacturer 17, a lessor company 14, and a recycler 16. The product manufacturer 17 is a company that manufactures lighting fixtures as electrical products. The product manufacturer 17 sells lighting fixtures to the lessor company 14 and transports the lighting fixtures to the lessor company.

[0012] The lessor company 14 leases the lighting fixtures to the user, lessee 13, in accordance with the subscription terms stipulated in the subscription agreement, and lessee 13 uses the lighting fixtures on a subscription basis. Lessee 13 uses the lighting fixtures for a certain period, and after ending the subscription, returns the lighting fixtures to the lessor company 14.

[0013] In a subscription model, borrower 13 does not need to pay the purchase price for each product. Instead, borrower 13 periodically pays a usage fee to lender company 14 for the right to use the product for a certain period, and lender company 14 periodically receives the usage fee from borrower 13. This allows borrower 13, as a subscription user, to frequently replace products with new products with new features, or refurbished products that are not new but have a lower usage fee than new products, without having to purchase them, thus reducing the burden of costs. After the product is returned, its characteristics are evaluated, and a decision is made to carry out one of the following: reuse, refurbishment, or material recycling. The product is then processed according to that decision. In this case, a product that is decided to be reused may be leased to borrower 13 or another borrower at a low usage fee, or it may be sold to a prospective buyer as a refurbished product at a lower price than new.

[0014] The lessor company 14 then leases the lighting fixtures on a subscription basis to the lessee, or to another user who is also a lessee, in accordance with the subscription terms set forth in the subscription agreement, and this is repeated.

[0015] Furthermore, the borrower 13 and the other borrower to whom the lighting fixtures are leased are not limited to natural persons, but may also be corporations or other entities.

[0016] When the lessor company 14 receives notification from the lessee 13 that they have terminated their subscription, and is processing the rental lighting fixtures before their return, the lessor company 14 performs an economic value determination step before returning the lighting fixtures, determining the economic value of the lighting fixtures after use based on at least one of the period of use until the return of the lighting fixtures and the degree of deterioration or usage of the lighting fixtures.

[0017] The economic value determination step may, for example, be performed on a computer 30 owned by the lending company 14. Upon return of the lighting fixture, the lending company 14 refunds the borrower 13 an amount corresponding to the economic value determined in this economic value determination step. The refund is made in exchange for the return of the lighting fixture from the borrower 13. This makes it easier for the borrower 13 to cooperate in cyclical use, which contributes to the resource recycling of lighting fixtures, by avoiding use that burdens the lighting fixtures after use in order to maximize the economic value when using the subscription service. For this reason, cyclical use of lighting fixtures is promoted in society.

[0018] Furthermore, the lessor company 14 performs a recycling route determination step in which it evaluates the characteristics of the lighting fixtures after use and decides whether to implement one of the following: reuse, refurbishment, material recycling, or disposal. The lighting fixtures are then handled in accordance with that decision.

[0019] Here, the lighting fixture includes, for example, a light source, a case, a power supply circuit, and a substrate. The light source is a fluorescent tube of a fluorescent lamp, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), or the like. The type of the lighting fixture can be a base light, a ceiling light, a downlight, a spotlight, or the like. The light source may be an electric bulb. The case of the lighting fixture forms an outer shell of the lighting fixture and accommodates a substrate on which the power supply circuit is mounted. The power supply circuit is a circuit that supplies electric power to the light source. For example, when the lighting fixture includes a fluorescent lamp, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source that outputs commercial AC power, includes a glow lamp or an inverter, and a capacitor, supplies a high voltage to the fluorescent tube, and lights the fluorescent tube. When the lighting fixture includes an LED, the power supply circuit is connected to an AC power source, converts a commercial AC voltage to a DC voltage and supplies the DC voltage to the light source, thereby lighting the light source.

[0020] In addition, "reuse" refers to using post-use products such as lighting fixtures as they are for subscription-based lending or sales.

[0021] In addition, "refurbishing" means that when some parts of a product such as a lighting fixture need to be replaced, only some parts are replaced with new parts to make a serviced product that can be reused for subscription-based lending, sales, or the like. "Material recycling" means that by disassembling products such as lighting fixtures, materials such as metal and resin are extracted as recovered materials, and the recovered materials can be used for manufacturing future products such as lighting fixtures. When it is determined that material recycling of the lighting fixture is to be performed, the lighting fixture is transported from the lessor company 14 to the recycler 16.

[0022] At the recycler 16, a worker extracts recovered materials such as metal and resin obtained by disassembling the transported lighting fixture, and performs a recycling procedure to reuse the recovered materials. The extracted recovered materials may be transported to the product manufacturer 17 and reused for manufacturing future products such as lighting fixtures. Among the components of the lighting fixture that cannot be used as recovered materials at the recycler 16 may be discarded. The recycler 16 may be a demolition plant that mainly performs disposal.

[0023] When "refurbishment" of a lighting fixture is decided at the lessor company 14, a maintained product is configured by the lessor company 14, a maintenance factory, or the like, by replacing components of the lighting fixture that cannot be used continuously as they are with new components.

[0024] When "disposal" of a lighting fixture is decided at the lessor company 14, the lighting fixture may be transported to a waste treatment facility or the like of a disposal company 19, subjected to predetermined processing such as crushing at the disposal company 19, and then disposed of at a predetermined location.

[0025] Further, when either one of refurbishment or material recycling is implemented for a returned lighting fixture, a recycling certificate is issued. For example, when refurbishment is implemented, the maintenance factory 15 transports the maintained product to the lessor company 14, and at the same time issues a recycling certificate proving that the refurbishment has been performed, and the lessor company 14 receives the recycling certificate and the maintained product.

[0026] Further, when material recycling is implemented, the recycler 16 issues a recycling certificate proving that material recycling has been performed to the lessor company 14, and the lessor company 14 receives the recycling certificate.

[0027] For example, when the recycling certificate is for proving that material recycling has been performed, collecting certificates specifying the transaction volume of recovered materials obtained through material recycling and providing them to the product manufacturer 17 that manufactures lighting fixtures makes it easy to assert the contributions of the product manufacturer 17 and the lessor company 14 to resource conservation by showing that the recycling rate of the lighting fixture is high. Further, when the recycling certificate is for proving that refurbishment has been performed and the number of lighting fixtures that have undergone the refurbishment, collecting the recycling certificates also allows to assert the contribution of the lessor company 14 to resource conservation.

[0028] Furthermore, if it is decided to implement material recycling for the lighting fixtures after use, a step may be taken to select an appropriate recycling company. For example, instead of recycling company 16, another recycling company 18 may be selected, and recycling company 18 may carry out material recycling using the lighting fixtures transported from the lessor company 14. If recycling company 18 carries out material recycling, it will issue a certificate of recycling to the lessor company 14, similar to recycling company 16.

[0029] For example, in selecting a recycling company, the most suitable recycling company may be selected from among several recycling companies 16,18 that have been pre-registered in a computer 30, etc., depending on their recycling track record and the type of product or material to be recycled, or both. The number of registered recycling companies can be more than two.

[0030] Next, Figure 2 will be used to explain the method of lending lighting fixtures implemented by the lending company 14. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the method of lending lighting fixtures according to the embodiment. The lending method is implemented to promote the cyclical use of lighting fixtures for which subscription usage rights have been established. The processes in steps S20 to S27 shown in Figure 2 are the method for determining and handling the lighting fixtures after subscription use, and are implemented by the lending company 14. The processes in steps S12 and S20 to S22 may be implemented on a computer 30 owned by the lending company 14.

[0031] The computer 30 is installed, for example, at a location managed by the lessor company 14. The computer 30 consists of an input device, a storage unit, an arithmetic unit, and an output device. The input device includes a keyboard and a mouse. The storage unit may be RAM, ROM, etc. The storage unit has the function of temporarily storing read programs and processing data, and the function of pre-storing control programs, etc. The arithmetic unit consists of, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The arithmetic unit has the function of reading and executing programs, etc., pre-stored in the storage unit. The output device consists of a display and a printer.

[0032] The arithmetic unit executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the apparatus, system, or method described herein. The arithmetic unit may be of any type as long as it can realize the functions by executing a program. For example, the arithmetic unit may be a CPU. The arithmetic unit may consist of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integrations (LSIs). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be aggregated in one device or provided in multiple devices. Non-temporary recording media such as optical discs and hard disk drives may be used as storage. An external storage device may be connected to the arithmetic unit as storage.

[0033] In the lending method shown in Figure 2, first, in step S10, the lending company 14 lends the lighting fixtures, which are the product, to the borrower 13 for subscription use, and a usage fee receiving step is performed in which the lending company 14 periodically receives usage fees from the borrower 13. The usage fees are paid by the borrower 13 to the lending company 14, for example, monthly or annually.

[0034] Next, in step S12, an economic value determination step is performed to determine the economic value of the lighting fixture after the subscription period. In step S12, before the lighting fixture is returned, the economic value of the lighting fixture after use is determined based on at least one of the usage period until the return of the lighting fixture and the degree of deterioration or usage of the lighting fixture. The shorter the usage period, the higher the economic value. Regarding usage, for example, a power monitor is connected to the lighting fixture, and the measured power of the power monitor is recorded to the power monitor and a computer 30 located remotely via a wireless communication unit and a network line, and the actual operating time of the lighting fixture is calculated from the recorded measured power to obtain the usage status of the lighting fixture. For the same usage period, the less the lighting fixture is used, the higher the economic value of the lighting fixture after use.

[0035] Determining the degree of deterioration of a lighting fixture includes, for example, at least one of an optical characteristics evaluation that assesses the degree of deterioration of the lighting fixture's optical characteristics and a power characteristics evaluation that assesses the degree of deterioration of the power characteristics of the lighting fixture's power circuit components. The degree of deterioration may be evaluated in two stages, good and bad, or in three stages, good, medium and bad, or in four or more stages. In evaluations of three or more stages, the evaluation may be either a bad evaluation or an evaluation of multiple stages of good.

[0036] The optical characteristics evaluation includes, for example, the evaluation of the luminous flux maintenance rate and / or chromaticity shift of returned lighting fixtures. The luminous flux maintenance rate is the percentage of the luminous flux relative to the luminous flux at the start of use of the lighting fixture, with the luminous flux at the start of use being set to 100%. The luminous flux maintenance rate gradually decreases with the usage time of the lighting fixture. The luminous flux maintenance rate may be calculated, for example, using an illuminance sensor, from the measured illuminance at the start of use and the measured illuminance of the lighting fixture at the present time, measured under the same conditions as at the start of use. If the luminous flux maintenance rate is above a predetermined value as a percentage of the initial usage, it may be evaluated as good, and if it is below the predetermined value, it may be evaluated as poor. The illuminance sensor may be a portable illuminance sensor. Furthermore, within the good category, the higher the luminous flux maintenance rate, the higher the evaluation level in multiple stages.

[0037] In this case, instead of calculating the luminous flux maintenance rate for all returned lighting fixtures, if there is a group of lighting fixtures that were installed at the same time and used in the same room or similar environment, one or a predetermined number of lighting fixtures may be randomly selected from the group. In this case, the luminous flux maintenance rate of the selected lighting fixtures may be evaluated, and the evaluation of the optical characteristics of all lighting fixtures in the group may be combined with the evaluation of the selected lighting fixtures.

[0038] Furthermore, an optical characteristics evaluation system having a temperature sensor and a control device may be provided, where the room temperature of the room in which the lighting fixture is installed is detected by the temperature sensor, and a signal representing the detected value of the temperature sensor is input to the control device. The control device transmits data representing the measured value of the room temperature from the communication unit to the computer 30 periodically or at predetermined timings via a communication network such as the Internet. In this specification, "predetermined timing" refers to, for example, when the continuous on time or continuous off time of the power switch connected to the lighting fixture is longer than a predetermined time, or when the on and off cycles of the power switch are repeated a predetermined number of times.

[0039] Computer 30 records the measured room temperature of each room where a lighting fixture is installed. This allows the landlord company 14 to remotely obtain data from the lighting fixtures used by the tenant 13, significantly reducing the effort required compared to having workers travel to the installation locations of the lighting fixtures. Alternatively, data representing the operating time, which is the time the lighting fixtures are lit, may be transmitted from a power monitor installed in the building where each lighting fixture is installed to the computer 30 via a control device and recorded in the computer 30. This operating time may also be considered the usage time of the lighting fixtures.

[0040] The lessor company 14 or the computer 30 obtains the temporal change in average room temperature from the room temperature data recorded in the computer 30, and estimates the current and future luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture using a predetermined relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture at a predetermined average room temperature and the usage time. This predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be based on the simulation results from the design of the lighting fixture. Alternatively, the relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time may be determined by measuring the room temperature and luminous flux maintenance rate in relation to the usage time using lighting fixtures of the same type as the rental lighting fixture over a predetermined period, and then obtaining the above predetermined relationship between luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time from the results.

[0041] As the usage time of the lighting fixture increases, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases linearly, and at a certain usage time, the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches below the permissible limit, reaching the light source life, which is the lifespan in terms of optical characteristics. Furthermore, the slope of the decrease in the light source maintenance rate becomes gentler as the room temperature decreases within a predetermined temperature range. For this reason, if the average measured value of the room temperature is lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned predetermined relationship, the luminous flux maintenance rate decreases more gently in relation to the usage time than in the above-mentioned relationship, and reaches the permissible limit of the luminous flux maintenance rate. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate whether the current luminous flux maintenance rate is below the permissible limit from the measured average room temperature and usage time, and if it is above the permissible limit, the optical characteristics are evaluated as good, and if it is below the permissible limit, the optical characteristics are evaluated as poor. Alternatively, if the remaining time until the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches the permissible limit is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, the optical characteristics may be evaluated as good, and if it is less than the predetermined time, the optical characteristics may be evaluated as poor. Also, the longer the remaining time until the luminous flux maintenance rate reaches the permissible limit, the higher the evaluation in the multi-stage good evaluation.

[0042] Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the surrounding environment of the lighting fixture are used to calculate the current luminous flux maintenance rate of the lighting fixture based on the measured values ​​of room temperature and humidity. For example, even if the average room temperature based on the temperature sensor's measurement is the same as or lower than the average room temperature used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, if the average humidity based on the humidity sensor's measurement is higher than the humidity used in the above-mentioned preset relationship, the current luminous flux maintenance rate is calculated using a relationship between the luminous flux maintenance rate and usage time in which the slope of decrease in the luminous flux maintenance rate changes in the direction of increasing.

[0043] Furthermore, as part of the optical characteristics evaluation, for example, the chromaticity shift caused by the light from the luminaire may be evaluated. In this case, for example, the chromaticity point (X,Y) can be evaluated using a method specified in JIS, and the evaluation can be based on its relationship with the chromaticity range specified in JIS. Alternatively, the correlated color temperature or the duv value, which is the deviation from blackbody radiation, may be considered. For example, whether the light falls within the range of each light color (incandescent, warm white, white, neutral white, daylight) specified in JIS can be used as a criterion. In addition, for example, the color rendering index, which represents the color difference of the luminaire to the color illuminated by a standard illumination light, can be evaluated using a light source color rendering evaluation method specified in JIS. In this case, the evaluation is based on whether the decrease in the color rendering index from a predetermined value is within a specified value. Specifically, if the decrease in the color rendering index is within a specified value, the optical characteristics are evaluated as good, and if it exceeds the specified value, the optical characteristics are evaluated as poor. Furthermore, the smaller the decrease in the color rendering index, the higher the evaluation in the multiple-level good evaluation. In addition, the light output may also be considered. Specifically, the luminous flux can be evaluated and judged by comparing it with the rated value, initial value, or other required standard values. Furthermore, if evaluating the luminous flux is difficult, it is also possible to evaluate it by focusing on the illuminance at the treatment location or the luminance value of the light source. For evaluating the optical characteristics, one of the judgment criteria described above, or a combination thereof, may be used.

[0044] On the other hand, power supply characteristics evaluation assesses the characteristics of the power supply circuit components of a lighting fixture, for example. For instance, power supply characteristics evaluation determines whether the power supply has reached its end of life by checking whether all of the returned lighting fixtures operate and light up when connected to a power source. If the lighting fixture lights up, the power supply has not yet reached its end of life, and the characteristics of the power supply circuit components are evaluated as being fine. If the lighting fixture does not light up when connected to a power source, the power supply has already reached its end of life, and the characteristics of the power supply circuit components are evaluated as being problematic.

[0045] Furthermore, when a group of lighting fixtures, consisting of multiple fixtures installed at the same time and used in the same room or similar environment, is returned, one or a predetermined number of lighting fixtures may be randomly selected, and the group of lighting fixtures may be evaluated as good or bad based on whether the selected fixtures operate and light up when connected to a power source. For example, if the selected lighting fixtures are evaluated as good, the entire group of lighting fixtures may be evaluated as good; otherwise, the entire group may be evaluated as bad. Alternatively, the percentage of the selected lighting fixtures that receive a good evaluation may be used as the evaluation of the entire group of lighting fixtures.

[0046] Alternatively, as an alternative method, the remaining power supply lifespan can be calculated based on statistical results showing the relationship between operating time (or service period) and failure rate for lighting fixtures of the same type and used in the same region as the lighting fixtures being evaluated, and the operating time of the group of lighting fixtures being evaluated, or the service period estimated from the date of manufacture or sale. This calculation can then be used to determine the remaining power supply lifespan until the failure rate of the group of lighting fixtures being evaluated exceeds a predetermined value. Power supply characteristics are evaluated as "no problem" if there is remaining power supply lifespan at the current time, and as "problematic" if there is no remaining power supply lifespan. Power supply characteristics may be evaluated as "good" if the remaining time until the power supply lifespan is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and as "poor" if it is less than the predetermined time. When power supply characteristics are evaluated as "good," the longer the remaining time until the power supply lifespan is reached, the higher the evaluation may be.

[0047] In this case, the remaining power supply life may be calculated by, for example, the computer 30. Alternatively, statistical data may be stored in the computer 30 beforehand, and when an operator inputs the type of lighting fixture to be evaluated and the manufacturing or sales date into the computer 30, the computer 30 calculates the remaining power supply life of the lighting fixture to be evaluated based on the input data and the statistical data. In this case, data representing the operating time of the lighting fixture may be automatically and periodically transmitted from the distribution board connected to the lighting fixture being used by the lessee 13 to the computer 30 via a communication device. In this case, the computer 30 may automatically calculate the remaining power supply life from the operating time of the lighting fixture and statistical results representing the relationship between operating time and failure rate, and output this information to an output unit such as a display periodically or in response to operator input.

[0048] Furthermore, in the power supply characteristics evaluation, the measured value of the capacitor voltage across a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor connected to a glow lamp or inverter in the power supply circuit incorporated into the power supply unit of the lighting fixture being used by the lessee 13 may be transmitted periodically or at predetermined intervals from the communication unit of the control device of the power supply characteristics evaluation system to the computer 30 via a communication network such as the Internet, similar to the optical characteristics evaluation system described above. The computer 30 may evaluate the power supply characteristics as good if the current ripple voltage is within an acceptable range and there is remaining power supply life, based on the relationship between the ripple voltage and usage time of the capacitor voltage obtained in advance and the relationship between the ripple voltage and usage time obtained from the measured value of the capacitor voltage, and if there is remaining power supply life. If there is no remaining power supply life, the power supply characteristics may be evaluated as poor. In this case as well, the power supply characteristics may be evaluated as good if the remaining time until the power supply reaches its life is longer than a predetermined time, and as poor if it is less than the predetermined time. In addition, multiple levels of good evaluation may be set for the power supply characteristics, and the longer the remaining time until the power supply reaches its life, the higher the evaluation.

[0049] In the evaluation in step S12 of Figure 2, for example, the evaluation is performed using a combination of optical characteristics evaluation and power supply characteristics evaluation. If at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation or power supply characteristics evaluation is evaluated as poor, the economic value is uniformly given the lowest evaluation, and a combination of good values ​​can be used, with the higher the good value combination, the higher the overall evaluation. In this way, the economic value may be evaluated in multiple stages.

[0050] Furthermore, while the above evaluation described a case where both the optical characteristics and power supply characteristics of the lighting fixture are evaluated, it is also possible to configure the system to perform only one of these evaluations. For example, if the product is not a lighting fixture, the system may be configured to perform only the power supply characteristics evaluation for status determination.

[0051] After step S12 in Figure 2, the process moves to step S14. In step S14, a refund corresponding to the economic value in step S12 is made in exchange for the return of the lighting fixture from the borrower 13. For example, the refund amount may be higher as the economic value is assessed.

[0052] Next, in step S20, a recycling route determination step is performed. In the recycling route determination step, the characteristics of the lighting fixture after use are evaluated to determine whether to implement one of the following: reuse, refurbishment, material recycling, or disposal.

[0053] In the recycling route determination step, the evaluation used in determining the economic value in step S12 may be used to evaluate the characteristics of the lighting fixture after use. For example, if all evaluations are good, the decision to reuse may be made. If there is a defect in the evaluation, it may be decided in order whether refurbishment is possible and whether material recycling is possible, and if neither is possible, disposal may be decided. Whether or not it is determined that refurbishment is possible is determined by whether or not the defect can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts. Specifically, if it is determined that the defect can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts, it is determined that it is refurbishable, and if it is determined that the defect cannot be resolved even by replacing some parts with new parts, it is determined that it is not refurbishable.

[0054] If a defect is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation and the power characteristics evaluation, whether the defect can be resolved by replacing some parts with new parts may be determined by whether the predetermined problem resolution conditions are met. The problem resolution conditions may be, for example, whether the cost required for replacement with new parts is less than or equal to a predetermined cost, or less than or equal to a predetermined percentage of the cost required to replace the lighting fixture itself with a new one. For example, if a defect is found in the optical characteristics evaluation, the cost required to replace the light source and electrical circuit components other than the light source that are related to the deterioration of optical characteristics may be calculated in advance. Similarly, if a defect is found in the power characteristics evaluation, the cost required to replace the power circuit components and electrical circuit components other than the power circuit components that are related to the deterioration of power characteristics may be calculated in advance. Furthermore, if a defect is found in at least one of the optical characteristics evaluation and the power characteristics evaluation, it may be determined that the defect cannot be resolved even by replacing parts with new parts, and thus the fixture may be deemed unsuitable for refurbishment.

[0055] Whether or not material recycling is possible when refurbishment is not feasible may be predetermined for each type of lighting fixture.

[0056] After step S20, the process moves to step S21, where it is determined whether or not the lighting fixtures should be disposed of. If the result of step S21 is affirmative (YES), the lighting fixtures used under the subscription service are transported to a disposal company, where they are disposed of. At this point, the lessor company 14 may also dispose of the lighting fixtures themselves.

[0057] If the result of step S21 is negative (NO), step S22 determines whether or not material recycling has been decided. If the result of step S22 is positive (YES), step S26 selects an appropriate recycling company from among several recycling companies. The lighting fixtures used under the subscription service are then transported to the selected recycling company. The waste disposal company processes the lighting fixtures for recycling and issues a certificate of circular use to the lessor company indicating that the recycling process has been completed.

[0058] If the result of the determination in step S22 is negative (NO), in step S24, the lighting fixtures used under the subscription service are transported to a maintenance factory for refurbishment, or they are leased to another or the same borrower as reusable items under a subscription service and reused as is. If refurbishment is performed at a maintenance factory, the workers at the maintenance factory refurbish the lighting fixtures, and the person in charge at the maintenance factory issues a certificate of reuse to the lending company indicating that the refurbishment has been performed. The lending method of this embodiment is completed upon completion of the processes in steps S24, S26, and S27.

[0059] According to the above method of lending lighting fixtures, borrower 13 will be reimbursed upon return of the lighting fixtures in proportion to their economic value after use, thus creating an incentive and benefit for borrower 13 to cooperate in the circular use of lighting fixtures. This increases opportunities to transition to reuse, refurbishment, or material recycling, making it easier to prevent lighting fixtures from being discarded after short-term use, and thus promoting the circular use of lighting fixtures in society.

[0060] In this example, the lessor company 14 may periodically perform a renewal confirmation step to check whether or not to renew the contract. For example, the decision on whether or not to renew the contract may be made annually during the subscription period. In this case, the longer the contract period, the lower the subsequent usage fee may be reduced according to the prescribed contract terms. Also, at the time of renewal, the lessee 13 may request that the lighting fixtures be replaced with new ones. In this case, the subsequent usage fee may be increased according to the prescribed contract terms.

[0061] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for leasing lighting fixtures, which is an example of another embodiment of the product. In this example of a lighting fixture leasing method, an economic value determination step is performed during the subscription use of the lighting fixture, determining the economic value of the lighting fixture being used based on at least one of the usage period up to a predetermined point in time and the degree of deterioration or usage status of the lighting fixture. Furthermore, in this example of a leasing method, when billing for usage fees, the lending company 14 deducts an amount corresponding to the economic value from the usage fee and bills the borrower 13 accordingly.

[0062] In step S40 of Figure 3, the landlord company 14 leases lighting fixtures to the tenant 13 on a subscription basis, and the landlord company 14 periodically receives usage fees from the tenant 13. Next, in step S42, the landlord company 14 determines the economic value of the lighting fixtures currently in use. At this time, for example, regarding the usage status of the lighting fixtures, a power monitor is connected to the lighting fixtures, similar to the methods in Figures 1 and 2. The power measured by the power monitor is recorded to a computer 30 located remotely from the power monitor via a wireless communication unit and network line. By calculating the actual operating time of the lighting fixtures from the recorded measured power, the usage status of the lighting fixtures during the usage period up to a predetermined point in time can be obtained. At this time, regarding the evaluation of economic value, the operating time of the lighting fixtures per predetermined period may be calculated from the operating time of the lighting fixtures during the usage period, and a shorter operating time may result in a higher evaluation. For example, this evaluation may be performed at predetermined intervals of a predetermined number of months or years during the subscription period.

[0063] Following step S42, in step S44, the lender company 14 changes the current usage fee to a fee that is reduced by an amount corresponding to the economic value, and charges the next usage fee at the time of billing. Specifically, the higher the economic value assessment, the larger the reduction in the revised usage fee from the current usage fee.

[0064] Next, in step S50, it is determined whether or not the lighting fixture has been returned. If the result of the determination in step S50 is negative (NO), the process returns to step S42 and is repeated. If the result of the determination in step S50 is positive (YES), the cyclic route determination step (S52) is performed. The process in step S52 is the same as the process in step S20 in Figure 2. After step S52, the process is the same as the process from step S21 onwards in Figure 2.

[0065] According to the lighting fixture lending method in this example, while borrower 13 is using the lighting fixture, the next usage fee will be billed by deducting an amount corresponding to the economic value of the lighting fixture being used from the current usage fee. In this example as well, this creates an incentive and benefit for borrower 13 to cooperate in the cyclical use of lighting fixtures, thereby promoting the cyclical use of lighting fixtures in society. In this example, the other configurations and operations are the same as those in Figures 1 and 2. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 10 First circulation route, 11 Second circulation route, 12 Third circulation route, 13 Tenant, 14 Landlord company, 15 Repair shop, 16, 18 Recycling company, 17 Product manufacturer, 19 Disposal company, 30 Computer.

Claims

1. The method of lending out the product, The fee payment step involves the lessor receiving a usage fee from the lessee on a regular basis, corresponding to the use of the product. The process includes an economic value determination step, which determines the economic value of the product after use or during use, based on at least one of the period of use up to the return of the product or a predetermined time, and the degree of deterioration or usage of the product, before the return of the product or during use. When the product is returned or when the usage fee is billed, the lessor shall refund the borrower an amount corresponding to the economic value, or deduct an amount corresponding to the economic value from the usage fee and bill the borrower accordingly. Product lending method.

2. The aforementioned lessor periodically checks whether the lease will be renewed, including a renewal confirmation step. A method for lending the product described in claim 1.

3. The process includes a recycling route determination step, in which the characteristics of the product after use are evaluated to determine whether to implement one of the following: reuse, refurbishment, material recycling, or disposal. A method for lending the product described in claim 1.

4. A certificate of circular use will be issued when either refurbishment or material recycling is carried out on the aforementioned product after its return. A method for lending the product described in claim 1.

5. If a decision is made to implement material recycling for the aforementioned product after use, It includes a step to select an appropriate recycling company. A method for lending the product described in claim 1.

6. In claim 5, From among the multiple recycling companies that have been registered in advance, the most suitable recycling company is selected according to either or both of the recycling track record and the types of items to be recycled. A method for lending the product described in claim 5.

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