Warranty information processing system and program

Abstract

This system provides a mechanism for registering and managing warranty information, as well as supporting integration with other systems. [Solution] A warranty information processing system for managing products purchased by multiple customers for each customer, presenting the purchase history of the purchased products via multiple user terminals, and managing warranty information for each product, wherein the application process for managing the warranty information for each product is performed via the multiple user terminals and includes an interface that is performed from a screen that presents the purchase history of the purchased products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for widely registering and managing warranties, etc. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for registering and managing electronic information of warranties and assisting in cooperation processing with other systems, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, systems for electronically issuing and managing warranties for repairing, replacing, etc. products, etc. at the time of or after purchase of products, etc. have been provided, and various improvements have been proposed in recent years.

[0003] For example, an electronic warranty system that electronically performs processing in place of a warranty has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

[0004] That is, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic warranty issuance system characterized by including a warranty database for storing warranty data, a product information acquisition means for acquiring an individual number capable of uniquely identifying a product via communication means, and a warranty issuance means for issuing warranty data generated by associating the individual number, a warranty start date, a predetermined warranty period, and a predetermined warranty content, and writing the warranty data into the warranty database.

[0005] In addition, systems, etc. have also been proposed that reduce the burden related to entering information into warranties, storing and managing warranties, and viewing warranties at the user level, and enable easy and reliable management of warranties (Patent Document 2).

[0006] Specifically, Patent Document 2 discloses an electronic warranty management system for managing product warranty information, comprising: a manufacturer information processing terminal that transmits warranty information for each product; a retailer information processing terminal that transmits the date of sale, retailer information, product information, and user information relating to the consumer when a product is sold to a consumer at a retailer; a portable information terminal that requests warranty information for a purchased product according to the instructions of the consumer; and an electronic warranty management server that registers the warranty information for each product from the manufacturer information processing terminal, and adds the date of sale, retailer information, product information, and user information relating to the consumer from the retailer information processing terminal to the warranty information and stores it as available warranty data, and transmits the available warranty data for the product purchased by the consumer to the portable information terminal in response to a request from the portable information terminal.

[0007] Furthermore, product management systems have been proposed that can manage information about products, reliably associate the true owner with the product, and manage the product throughout its entire lifecycle, from purchase to disposal (Patent Document 3).

[0008] In other words, Patent Document 3 describes a product management system for managing products purchased at a retail store, the product management system comprising: a receiving unit for receiving information related to product management; a creation processing unit for creating information related to product purchase; a display processing unit for displaying the information created by the creation processing unit; and a storage unit for storing information necessary for product management, wherein the receiving unit receives an image of a product warranty and an image of a purchase certificate proving that the product has been purchased, obtained from a sales terminal used at the retail store, as a purchased product record image, and associates the purchased product record image with sales terminal information that identifies the sales terminal. A product management system is disclosed, which includes storing the retailer of the purchased product in the storage unit as additional management product information that identifies the retailer of the purchased product; creating a processing unit that creates an authentication code containing a string for registering the additional management product information and purchaser information that identifies the purchaser in association; displaying the authentication code in a way that it can be read by the purchaser's terminal and transmitting the display processing result to the sales terminal; and receiving a unit that receives the purchaser information from the purchaser's terminal that has read the authentication code and stores the purchaser information and the additional management product information in association in the storage unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-213617 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5679291 Specification [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7093487 specification [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] Certainly, conventional technologies have reduced the risk of users losing their warranty certificates after purchasing products, and have also reduced the cost of managing the numerous warranty certificates that users may have for each product. In particular, the technology described in Patent Document 3 assumes a scenario where a purchaser sells a product purchased on the secondhand market to a third party. The system is configured to receive a request from the purchaser's terminal for the issuance of a unique verification code at the time the sale is completed. The third party then receives this verification code and requests approval from the original owner to acknowledge that they have become the new owner of the product. The system functions to register the transfer of ownership when the original owner approves this request.

[0011] However, the forms of warranties for products, including home appliances, are becoming increasingly diverse, with extended warranties and optional warranties offered by retailers in addition to manufacturer warranties. Furthermore, in addition to traditional purchases at physical stores, online purchases, repair requests, and sales (listings) of products are increasing. This presents further opportunities to utilize warranty information when repairing products or selling them on the used market.

[0012] On the other hand, online purchases of goods and products through online purchasing systems have been common practice for a long time. These online purchasing sites allow individual users to view their purchase history or order history of goods and products (hereinafter referred to as "order history" for convenience).

[0013] Figure 9 shows an example of an order history screen on a conventional online shopping site. On screen 910 in the figure, the history information 911-913 of products that the user has ordered (or purchased) so far is displayed.

[0014] Since the history information 911 to 913 have a similar structure, let's take history information 911 as an example. On screen 910, there is a display field 9112 that shows the order date, order number, and amount of the product, and a detail display field 9113 that shows the details of the product.

[0015] The details section 9113 displays a thumbnail image of the product, information such as the product name, and clicking on the product name will take you to the section for currently available products.

[0016] To the right of the details display area 9113, various buttons are displayed, such as the "Confirm Order Details" button, the "Return Item" button, the "Receipt" button, and the "Write a Product Review" button. For example, pressing the "Confirm Order Details" button will take you to the order details screen shown in Figure 10. The "Return Item" button will take you to a return request form (not shown) if you wish to return the item, the "Receipt" button will display the receipt screen for the item, and the "Write a Product Review" button will take you to the review writing screen for the item.

[0017] The order details screen 1010 shown in Figure 10 displays a display field 10101 that shows information such as the order date of the ordered items, a transaction details field 10102 that shows the sender and delivery address of the items, an item display field 10103 that shows information about the items (thumbnail, currently available items field), and a delivery receipt history display field 10104 that shows the history from the order date and time to the completion of delivery of the items.

[0018] Button 10105 is used to return to the order history screen 910 shown in Figure 9.

[0019] Further potential for utilizing product warranty information lies in its integration with online purchasing systems and other systems that incorporate such configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] Therefore, a warranty information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention manages products purchased by a plurality of customers for each customer, presents the purchase history of the purchased products via a plurality of user terminals, and is a warranty information processing system for managing warranty information for each product. The application process for managing the warranty information for each product is performed via the plurality of user terminals and includes an interface that is performed from a screen on which the purchase history of the purchased products is presented.

[0021] Further, the application process for managing the warranty information for each product further includes accepting extended warranty registration.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to a warranty information processing system and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention, the flexibility of registering and managing warranty information for products and the like can be further improved.

[0023] Further, according to a warranty information processing system and the like according to another embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly perform post-purchase management, repair and maintenance, etc. of products and the like, and further, it is possible to expect an effect of further promoting the distribution to the used market and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overall configuration example of a warranty information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a functional block configuration of a server in a warranty information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a functional block configuration of an information processing terminal in a warranty information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a basic configuration example and a system cooperation example of a warranty information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detailed processing flow example in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detailed processing flow example in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen display on an information processing terminal in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen display on an information processing terminal in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen display on an information processing terminal in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8C] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen display on an information processing terminal in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of information display on the user terminal side in a conventional e-commerce system. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of information display on the user terminal side in a conventional e-commerce system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] The following describes in detail a warranty information processing system, etc., according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the warranty information processing system 10, in one embodiment, consists of a service server(s) 11 for processing information and various information processing terminals owned and used by customers, etc. (In the figure, PCs 14a to 14c, as well as mobile information terminals and tablet terminals 15a to 15e are shown as examples. Hereinafter, they will be collectively referred to as "various terminals," and each terminal will be referred to as an "information processing terminal," "mobile information terminal," "customer terminal," "user terminal," or simply "terminal.")

[0027] The service server(s) 11 may include, as needed, a user management server on the sales store side, as well as a user support management server from the manufacturer, an authentication server, a payment server, and other servers that perform various information processing. The minimum server configuration in the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is the user management server on the sales store side. In Figure 1, a group of n service servers, numbered 11-1 to 11-n, is assumed as an example (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1). The number of each type of terminal is not limited to those shown in the diagram and is arbitrary. For example, the number of customer terminals can be set according to the number of customers. Also, if terminals are placed at locations such as stores, one or more terminals may be placed at each location.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the service servers (group) 11 and various terminals are connected to each other in a manner that allows for communication via dedicated lines or public lines such as the Internet (wired lines, 17, 18-1 to 18-n, 19), as shown in Figure 1.

[0029] Furthermore, the connection may be wired or wireless. If the connection is wireless, the various terminals 14a-14b, 15a-15e connect to the internet 19 wirelessly via base stations, access points, etc. (not shown), and are further connected to the service server(s) 11 via lines 18-1-18-n that connect to servers 11-1-11-n, enabling them to communicate with each other.

[0030] Here, an access point is a wireless device used to connect wireless terminals such as PCs and smartphones to each other, or to connect them to other networks. Typically, it is a device that operates using communication protocols at Layer 1 (physical layer) and Layer 2 (data link layer) of the OSI reference model.

[0031] Furthermore, many of the portable information terminals and tablets available at the time of filing this application possess processing capabilities (such as communication processing speed and image processing capabilities) equivalent to or exceeding those of personal computers (PCs), and can be described as small, high-performance computers.

[0032] Furthermore, the programs or software necessary for implementing the present invention are typically installed or stored in the HDD, SSD, or the like in the storage unit of a PC or portable information terminal. When the programs or software are executed, they are read out as software modules, either in whole or in part, into the memory of the storage unit as needed, and then executed by the CPU.

[0033] Alternatively, a browser-based computer or mobile device could be used. In this case, programs would be delivered to the device from other servers or computers as needed, and then executed by the browser on the device.

[0034] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the service server(s) 11 can basically be a PC (see Figure 2 for further details). While the present invention is not limited to this, the service server(s) 11 can also be configured to handle large-scale data by operating multiple PCs (for example, tens to tens of thousands) in parallel, as needed to increase its hardware specifications.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a functional block diagram of a server (corresponding to one server in the service server(s) 11; hereinafter also referred to as the "information processing server" or simply the "server") in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Exemplarily, the operation of the server is realized by the individual operations of the hardware described below, and the coordinated operation of the software and this hardware.

[0036] In Figure 2, the server 200 as a whole hardware block consists of a CPU 201 for performing various comparison and calculation processes, a storage unit 202 such as RAM, ROM, and flash memory, an input unit 203 such as a keyboard and pointing device, an output unit 204 such as a display and speaker, a control unit 205 for controlling various signals, a communication (interface) unit 206 (whether wireless or wired), a timing unit 207 for timing the time, and a power supply unit 208.

[0037] These modules are connected as needed by communication buses and power lines (represented in Figure 2 as connection 299, which includes these communication buses and power lines).

[0038] Furthermore, programs or software that are necessary for implementing the present invention and run on the server 200 are typically installed or stored on a hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc., which constitute the storage unit 202. When the program or software is executed, all or part of it is read into the memory of the storage unit 202 as a software module as needed, and calculations are performed by the CPU 201.

[0039] Furthermore, calculations do not necessarily have to be performed by a central processing unit such as the CPU201; auxiliary processing units such as digital signal processors (DSPs), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), and TPUs (Tensor Processing Units), which are not shown in the diagram, can also be used.

[0040] Figure 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of the hardware constituting a tablet terminal 15a, which serves as a customer terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the tablet terminal 15a is realized through the individual operations of the hardware described below, as well as the coordinated operation of the software and this hardware.

[0041] In Figure 3, the tablet terminal 300 as a whole hardware block consists of an input unit 301 comprising hardware buttons, a multi-touch input panel on the display, a microphone, etc.; a storage unit 302 comprising a hard disk, RAM and / or ROM, etc., for storing programs and data, etc.; a central processing unit 303 comprising a CPU that performs various numerical calculations and logical operations according to the program; a display unit 304 comprising a display, etc.; a control unit 305 for controlling chips and electrical systems, etc.; a communication interface unit 306 comprising a slot for accessing the internet, a port for optical communication, and a communication interface; an output unit 307 comprising a speaker, vibration, infrared projector, etc.; a timing unit 308 for timing the time, etc.; a sensor unit 309 comprising an image sensor such as a CMOS, an infrared sensor, an inertial sensor, etc.; and a power supply unit 310 for supplying power to each module in the device. These modules are connected as needed by communication buses and power supply lines (represented in Figure 3 as a connection 399 including these communication buses and power supply lines). The sensor unit 309 may also include a GPS sensor module for determining the location of the tablet terminal 300 (15a). Signals detected by the image sensor such as a CMOS or infrared sensor that constitute the sensor unit 309 can be processed as input information in the input unit 301.

[0042] Furthermore, programs or software that are executed on the tablet terminal 300 necessary for implementing the present invention are usually installed or stored on a hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc., which constitute the storage unit 302. When the program or software is executed, all or part of it is read into the memory of the storage unit 302 as a software module as needed, and calculations are performed by the central processing unit 303, such as the CPU.

[0043] Furthermore, the calculations do not necessarily have to be performed by the central processing unit 303 such as the CPU; auxiliary processing units such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), which are not shown in the diagram, can also be used.

[0044] (Basic concepts of the present invention, etc.) This invention has the following basic concepts. (1) Product and product warranty registration (1A) A user can register the warranty for products or goods they have purchased through a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. (1B) The purchase history of products and goods is not limited to purchases made through e-commerce (EC) via the internet, etc. For example, it can include products purchased in stores. In this case, for example, by adding information about the purchased products (e.g., product code) to the customer's purchase history managed in the system, such as when a customer uses a point card during payment at a store, the purchase information of the products can be linked to the customer and imported into the system. After that, warranty registration can be made, for example, through user operations on the system. (2) Typical examples of processing operations (2A) The present invention is not limited thereto, but a user can register a warranty for a desired product or item using their own order history (purchase history) managed by a system according to one embodiment of the present invention as a starting point. The purchase history of products etc. that appear in the order history (purchase history) is not limited to purchases made through e-commerce (EC), as described above. For example, it may include products etc. purchased at a store. (2B) On the other hand, according to another embodiment of the present invention, with respect to goods purchased at a store, the warranty for the goods can be registered via a terminal installed at the store at the time of payment at the store. (2C) After a user completes the registration of the warranty for a product or item they have purchased through a system according to one embodiment of the present invention, they can then apply for an extended warranty or receive assistance in applying for manufacturer repairs for the product through this system.

[0045] Hereinafter, "products or goods" will also be referred to as "goods, etc." In this invention, there is no technical distinction between "products" and "goods," and there is no intention to exclude "products" when referring to "goods," nor is there any intention to exclude "goods" when referring to "products."

[0046] Figure 4 shows an example of the basic configuration and system integration of a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] (Example of a basic system configuration) In Figure 4, the warranty information processing system 400, as a basic configuration example representing its minimum configuration, includes an information processing terminal 401 which is a user terminal, a front-end 402 which is a software function responsible for the user interface, and a dealer management server 403. The name "dealer management server" is merely a name for understanding the present invention, and this name itself does not limit the functions or roles of the server. In other words, the "dealer management server" is simply positioned as the "first management server."

[0048] (Example of system integration) Furthermore, as an extended configuration example in Figure 4, the warranty information processing system 400 includes a manufacturer server 404 and a used market server 405. The names "manufacturer server" and "used market server" are merely names for understanding the present invention, and these names themselves do not limit the functions or roles of the servers. In other words, the "manufacturer server" and "used market server" are merely positioned as "second management servers" and "third management servers." The following describes an example of the processing operation of the warranty information processing system 400 in a basic configuration with minimal components, as well as an example of system integration of the warranty information processing system 400 in an expanded configuration.

[0049] (Example of processing operation in a basic system configuration example) In the basic configuration example, the user registers the warranty for the purchased goods, etc., with the dealer management server 403 via the information processing terminal 401 and the front end 402. In one embodiment of the present invention, the warranty registration details managed by the dealer management server 403 are as shown in the table below. [Table 1]

[0050] In the table above, "Product ID" is an identifier that uniquely identifies the purchased product, and in one embodiment, a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code may be used. Alternatively, if a store has its own code managed for each product, that code may also be used. "Product Name" is the name of the purchased product. "Product Name" is also acceptable. Additionally, although not shown in the table above, it is also possible to register and manage the product model number and serial number (individual identification number) along with the product name.

[0051] The "Order Date" is the date (year, month, day) on which the user (customer) placed an order for goods on the e-commerce site. For purchases made in a physical store, the "Purchase Date" can also be used. Alternatively, goods ordered on the e-commerce site and goods purchased in a physical store can be managed as separate items, or a flag can be used to distinguish between them. The "Orderer ID" is an identifier used to identify the user (purchaser) who purchased the goods, and may also be called the "Purchaser ID." Customer No., Member ID, User ID, etc., can be used. "Retailer information" refers to information about the retailer that sold the product (such as the store name and store number). The "Warranty Number" is a management number used to guarantee the product. Typically, it is a unique number printed on the warranty certificate that comes with the product. The "Warranty Provisions" section describes the provisions regarding warranty repairs for the product. If a warranty form is provided for each product, the form number may be stored here. Alternatively, if a number is assigned to each warranty repair provision, the numbers applicable to this product may be listed. The warranty period for free repair or replacement is also included in these warranty provisions.

[0052] Furthermore, although not shown in the table above, it is possible to link the "Product ID" to another table containing information about that product, and to link the "Orderer ID" to another table containing the personal information of that orderer (customer).

[0053] (Example of system integration in an extended configuration) In the extended configuration example, the dealer management server 403 cooperates with the manufacturer server 404 and the used market server 405. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, a user can request repairs for purchased products from the manufacturer server 404 or receive repair support services via the user terminal 401, front end 402, and dealer management server 403. As another example, a user can receive support for requesting the sale of purchased products (so-called listing processing) from the used market server 405 via the user terminal 401, front end 402, and dealer management server 403.

[0054] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, assuming that a user requests repair of a purchased product, etc., from the manufacturer server 404, the items in the table below can be added to the warranty registration details managed by the dealer management server 403. [Table 2]

[0055] In the table above, "Repair History No." stores an identification number used to organize the past repair history of the purchased product. This identification number may be a serial number, or it may be an identification number that uniquely identifies each repair. "Repair Date" stores the date (year, month, day) when the repair was performed. "Repair Cause" stores information such as the cause of the malfunction. "Repair Details" stores the specific details of the repair (what parts were replaced, what repair work was done, etc.).

[0056] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, assuming that a user submits a request to sell a purchased product to the used market server 405 (so-called listing process), the items in the table below can be added to the warranty registration details managed by the dealer management server 403. [Table 3]

[0057] In the table above, the "Repair History" column stores information regarding whether or not the purchased item has a past repair history. If there is no repair history, only the symbol "N" or a flag may be recorded. If there is a repair history, the system can be configured to allow further retrieval of the repair history for that item based on its ID, purchaser, order date (purchase date), etc. The "New / Used" field stores whether the product was purchased new or used by the user at the time of purchase. Examples of products purchased as used include, but are not limited to, bicycles, golf clubs, and cameras (including related products such as lenses). The "Used Information" section stores detailed information about the product if it were purchased as a used item. For example, it may include whether it is a one-owner or second-owner item, or historical information about past sales (such as past owner information and sales dates). It may also include subjective information about the product's appearance, such as scratches and dents.

[0058] Please note that the warranty information processing system shown in Figure 4 is merely an example for understanding the invention, and in one embodiment of the present invention, it may consist of two or more user terminals and a group of service servers.

[0059] Figure 5 shows an example of operation in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that the system configuration described based on Figures 5 and 6 does not exactly match the system configuration described with reference to Figure 4. However, these differences are merely differences in implementation methods, and functionally, both describe one embodiment of the present invention and fall within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0060] In Figure 5, "user terminals" correspond to terminals 15a to 15e in Figure 1, for example, and "information processing servers" correspond to at least one of the service servers (group) 11 in Figure 1. Also, in Figure 5, t1 to t10 show the timeline, and the operations and processes described later occur over time.

[0061] The actions or processing times (t1, etc.) exemplified in the embodiments are provided for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the individual time-series relationships exemplified in the embodiments.

[0062] First, at time t1, the user (customer) downloads application software from the information processing server via the user terminal to operate their user terminal as an information processing terminal according to the present invention (step S501). This application software is client software or application software for processing part or all of the program according to the present invention. Then, the downloaded application software is installed on the user terminal (step S502). At this time, at time t2, the user terminal can, if necessary, upload the user's own email address (and other contact information) as well as profile information as shown in the following table to the information processing server as user registration (step S503) for registration management (step S504). [Table 4] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the profile information listed in the table above, other information about the user (including payment information such as credit card numbers) can also be registered and managed.

[0063] The above data items are stored as user data in the storage device on the information processing server (step S505). From time t3 onward, the user (customer) can use the application by operating the user terminal. The server then provides services to the user terminal.

[0064] Next, the user who has downloaded and installed the application on their terminal starts the application software at time t4 (step S506). In one embodiment, the user receives services provided to the user terminal from the information processing server from time t4 to time t5.

[0065] At time t5, the user operates application software according to one embodiment of the present invention to issue requests and instructions. At this time, if necessary, information regarding the request or instruction is sent to the information processing server (step S507), the server receives it, performs processing (step S508), and saves its contents (step S509). In Figure 5, these processes are completed by time t6. Although not shown in Figure 5, the processing result in step S508 is sent to the user terminal if necessary and displayed on the user terminal screen.

[0066] In another embodiment of the present invention, the application software may be installed on the user terminal, and after registering user information, it may be possible to make it possible to execute at least a portion of the software in a closed manner on the user terminal. In this case, for example, steps S508 to S509 are processed on the user terminal, and the necessary information is stored and managed in the memory of the user terminal as appropriate. This information may then be shared when communication with the information processing server becomes possible.

[0067] Next, in Figure 5, the processing operations from time t7 to time t10 show an embodiment in which at least a part of the application software according to one embodiment of the present invention is implemented on an information processing server. In this case, the user (customer) performs two typical user terminal operations, a login operation and a command transmission, and receives necessary data transmission or service provision from the information processing server.

[0068] For example, at time t7 in Figure 5, the user logs in to the server via their user terminal (step S510), and the information processing server performs the necessary authentication process as appropriate (step S511). At time t8, the server sends data to enable the user to receive the service (step S512). This data could be, for example, a menu screen configured to receive commands from the user terminal.

[0069] At time t9, the user sends a command via the user terminal (step S513). This command may be a selection of a menu item displayed on the menu screen, or it may be an execution command to perform a function displayed on the screen. The server receives this command and starts processing the service (step S514). Then, at time t10, the service requested by the user terminal is provided from the server to the user terminal (step S515).

[0070] Although not shown in Figure 5, terminals can send commands at any time after time t10 (for example, message sending commands or menu selection commands), and the server can receive commands from terminals and provide services accordingly (for example, forwarding received messages to other terminals, analyzing messages and returning the results, etc.).

[0071] Figure 6 shows a detailed example of operation in a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6, "user terminal" corresponds, for example, to terminals 14a-14c, 15a-15e, etc. in Figure 1. Furthermore, "Management Server 1" and "Management Server 2" correspond, for example, to at least one of the service servers (group) 11 in Figure 1. Alternatively, as another example, "Management Server 1" corresponds to the dealer management server 403 (and front-end 402) in Figure 4, and "Management Server 2" corresponds to the manufacturer server 404 or the used market server 405 in Figure 4. Furthermore, in Figure 6, t21 to t28 show the time series, and the actions and processes described later occur over time.

[0072] In particular, Figure 6 illustrates how a user launches application software installed on their user terminal, refers to the order history (purchase history) of products purchased at a store displayed on the user terminal, and registers a warranty for a desired product from this screen. In one embodiment, warranty registration is performed on management server 1. The figure also illustrates how, after the warranty registration process for the products is completed, the warranty information registered on management server 1 is shared with other management servers 2.

[0073] In Figure 6, step S601 involves the user launching an application software installed on their user terminal (the application described with reference to Figure 5).

[0074] Next, at time t21, the user terminal requests the management server 1 to display the user's order or purchase history (step S602). This request is processed by the management server 1, and the user's order or purchase history is extracted (step S603). At time t22, the extraction results are displayed on the user terminal (step S604).

[0075] Figure 7 illustrates the order history (purchase history) displayed on the user terminal in step S604. In Figure 7, the screen 710 of the user terminal 700 displays the history information 711 and 712 of products that the user has ordered (or purchased) so far. The display content is in accordance with the display example described in Figure 9, but on the screen 710, "warranty registration" buttons 7111 and 7121 are displayed as characteristic functions of one embodiment of the present invention. Button 7111 is a button to request warranty registration for products displayed in the history information 711, and button 7121 is a button to request warranty registration for products displayed in the history information 712. The user can request the management server 1 to register a warranty for a desired product by pressing buttons 7111 and 7121. This warranty registration request corresponds to step S605 in Figure 6.

[0076] Returning to Figure 6, at time t23, when a warranty registration request is sent from the user terminal to the management server 1 (step S605), the management server 1 receives this request and extracts a form for warranty registration (step S606). The extracted form is sent from the management server 1 to the user terminal and displayed on the user terminal at time t24 (step S607).

[0077] Figure 8A illustrates the warranty registration request form displayed on the user terminal in step S607. In Figure 8A, the screen 810 of the user terminal 800 displays information 812 about the product(s) that the user has selected for warranty registration, along with a comment 811. The user can confirm the product(s) for which they wish to register the warranty by looking at the information 812 displayed on the screen 810.

[0078] Then, following comment 813, the user enters the warranty number attached to the product they wish to register in the input box 814 and presses the register button 815. If they wish to cancel the warranty registration itself, they press the close button 816. The input of the warranty number and the registration instructions here correspond to step S608 in Figure 6.

[0079] Returning to Figure 6, at time t25, when a warranty registration instruction is sent from the user terminal to the management server 1 (step S609), the management server 1 receives the warranty number included in the instruction and performs warranty registration processing by linking it with information about the target product and information about the user (step S610).

[0080] In step S610, when the warranty information registration process is performed, some or all of its contents are notified to the management server 2 of the manufacturer (producer) of the product in question (time t26, step S611).

[0081] In step S612, the management server 2 registers or updates some or all of the warranty information for its own products, etc., that has been notified by the management server 1. Then, it notifies the management server 1 of the result of the registration or update (time t27, step S613).

[0082] At time t28, the management server 1 notifies the user terminal that the registration of the warranty information has been completed (step S614).

[0083] (The role of management server 1 and its advantages and benefits) One of the features of the present invention, as revealed in the description of the embodiments so far, is that, for example, if management server 1 is one of the e-commerce servers of a mass retailer and management server 2 is the customer management server of a manufacturer supplying products, management server 1 can take over the role of registering the warranty certificates for products supplied to the user from management server 2. As a result, users have the advantage of being able to register the warranty certificates for a wide range of products from various manufacturers purchased at a mass retailer at any time via the common management server 1, rather than individually on each manufacturer's website.

[0084] Figure 8B shows an example of the display of the content notified to the user terminal in step S614. In Figure 8B, a pop-up screen 850 notifying that the warranty registration has been completed is displayed on the screen 810 of the user terminal 800. In one embodiment of the present invention, only a message notifying the completion of registration may be displayed, but here, in addition to the normal warranty described in the warranty certificate, information on one or more optional extended registration plans and an interface to ask whether to apply for them are provided.

[0085] In the pop-up screen 850, the display area 851 shows information about optional extended warranty plans (3-year extended warranty plan, 5-year extended warranty plan). Further details may be displayed as needed (not shown in the figure).

[0086] If the user wishes to extend their subscription as an option, they can press button 852 to proceed to the subscription application screen (the details of the application process are not shown). On the other hand, if the user does not wish to extend their subscription as an option, they can press button 853 to close the pop-up screen 850.

[0087] (Examples of integration with other systems, etc.) Figure 8C shows an example of a warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention and its integration with other systems. Here, the order history screen of the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown to be linked to the manufacturer's support system for repairing individual products, and to other sites for selling individual products (such as listing them on auction sites or flea market sites).

[0088] In Figure 8C, the screen 810 of the user terminal 800 displays history information 861 of products that the user has ordered (or purchased) so far. The displayed content is the same as the display example described in Figure 7, but here, since the return period for the product and the warranty registration period have expired, buttons related to these are not displayed. Instead, a repair request button 8611 and a sell button 8612 are displayed.

[0089] The repair request button 8611 is used to request repairs for the product, for example, from the manufacturer's support center (a separate site or system, for example, operated by server 404 in Figure 4). When this button is pressed, the user is connected to the manufacturer's support center and can complete the repair request process using a form not shown. In this case, information such as past repair history related to the product held by the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided to a system operated by the support center of the manufacturer to which the repair request was made, thereby facilitating information sharing.

[0090] Furthermore, upon completion of the repair, information regarding the repair details (product condition at the time of repair request, location of the defect, repair details, repair cost, repair completion date, etc.) filled out by the manufacturer's support center is shared with the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In other words, information regarding the repair details is recorded and managed on the server 11 of the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] Next, the sell button 8612 is pressed when the user wants to sell the item by listing it on an auction site or flea market site. When this button is pressed, the user is connected to the listing page of an auction site or flea market site (not shown), and the user can proceed with the listing procedure according to a form (not shown). At this time, information regarding the product's past repair history, sales history, etc., held by the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is read and reflected in the product information on the listing page (not shown). Furthermore, the processing related to listing and transactions is handled, for example, by the used market server 405 shown in Figure 4.

[0092] Furthermore, if a transaction is completed, the information regarding that product may be deleted from the user's order history information managed by the warranty information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention, or a "sold" flag may be set for that product, and it may continue to be managed as a product owned by the user.

[0093] The embodiments of the warranty information processing system and the like have been described above based on specific examples. However, embodiments of the present invention can also include methods or programs for implementing the system or device, as well as storage media on which the program is recorded (for example, optical discs, magneto-optical discs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes, hard disks, memory cards, etc.).

[0094] Furthermore, the implementation form of the program is not limited to application programs such as object code compiled by a compiler or program code executed by an interpreter; it may also take the form of a program module embedded in an operating system.

[0095] Furthermore, the program does not necessarily have to perform all processing solely on the CPU on the control board; it can be configured so that some or all of the processing is carried out by other processing units (DSP, GPU, etc.) implemented on expansion boards or expansion units attached to the board, as needed.

[0096] All of the constituent elements described herein (including the claims, abstract, and drawings) and / or all steps of all disclosed methods or processes may be combined in any combination, except for any combination in which these features are mutually exclusive.

[0097] Furthermore, each of the features described herein (including the claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose unless expressly disregarded. Thus, unless expressly disregarded, each of the disclosed features is merely an example of a comprehensive set of identical or equivalent features.

[0098] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to any specific configuration of the embodiments described above. The present invention can be extended to all novel features or combinations thereof, or all novel methods or processing steps or combinations thereof, described herein (including the claims, abstract, and drawings). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 10. Warranty Information Processing System 11 (11-1 to 11-n) Service Servers (Group) 14a~14c PC (a form of user terminal or store terminal) 15a~15e Tablet devices (a form of user terminal or store terminal) 17, 18 (18-1 to 18-n) Communication lines 19. Public networks (Internet, public communication networks, dedicated lines, etc.)

Claims

1. A warranty information processing system for managing products purchased by multiple customers, presenting the purchase history of the purchased products via multiple user terminals, and managing warranty information for each product, The application process for managing warranty information for each of the aforementioned products is performed via the multiple user terminals and includes an interface that is accessed from a screen displaying the purchase history of the purchased products. A system characterized by accepting further repair requests for the aforementioned purchased products from a screen that displays the purchase history of the aforementioned purchased products.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the application process for managing warranty information for each product further includes accepting registrations for extended warranties.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further receiving requests to list the purchased items from a screen displaying the purchase history of the purchased items.

4. A program executed on a warranty information processing system for managing products purchased by multiple customers for each customer, presenting the purchase history of the purchased products via multiple user terminals, and managing warranty information for each product, wherein when executed on the system, To the aforementioned multiple user terminals, The steps include: a step of having the application process performed for managing warranty information for each of the aforementioned products; The steps include:

1. Having the user perform the application process from a screen displaying the purchase history of the purchased items; and 2. It is something that does the following: A program characterized by further accepting repair requests for the aforementioned purchased product from a screen that displays the purchase history of the aforementioned purchased product.

5. The program according to claim 4, wherein the application process for managing warranty information for each product further includes accepting registrations for extended warranties.

6. The program according to claim 4 or 5, further receiving requests to list the purchased items from a screen displaying the purchase history of the purchased items.

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