Service management method, product-in-circulation to which the same is applied, service management device, service management network system, service management program, and computer readable program product with the program stored thereon

Abstract

According to a service management method to supply products-in-circulation to service receivers, a service management system is built that enables the service provider to manage whether the service receivers are using those products-in-circulation delivered from the service provider in an authorized manner. This provides a reasonable service whereby the service receiver is charged only for those products-in-circulation the service receiver has actually used. To this end, the service management device in accordance with the present invention includes: a memory section for registering data of products-in-circulation to be delivered to the service receivers; an input section for entering current status of the products-in-circulation; and an arithmetic processing section for calculating charges on the basis of the number of products-in-circulation that are regarded as having been actually used, not the total number of the delivered product-in-circulations.

1 . A service management method, executing a computer program on a computer, which comprises the steps of:
 i) making an access to a management table for storing therein data specifying a product-in-circulation delivered to a service receiver and a current state of use of the product-in-circulation by the service receiver as recorded when occasion demands, and reading out from the management table an actual amount of the product-in-circulation consumed by the service receiver, which can be considered as a purchase; and   ii) calculating an account chargeable to the service receiver based on the actual amount of the product-in-circulation consumed read out in said step i).   
     
     
         2 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the amount of the product-in-circulation consumed is a number of the product-in-circulation used.   
     
     
         3 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said management table also stores therein data indicative of remaining amount of the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver as recorded when occasion demands, and   the amount of the product-in-circulation consumed is determined, based on an amount of the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver and the data indicative of remaining amount.   
     
     
         4 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said management table also stores therein recycle data or reuse data of the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver as recorded when occasion demands, and   the account is adjusted based on the recycle data or the reuse data.   
     
     
         5 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data specifying the product-in-circulation is unique data identifying each product-in-circulation applied thereto.   
     
     
         6 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 iii) detecting the current status of use of the product-in-circulation by the service receiver via a network.   
     
     
         7 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 6 ,
 in said step iii), the current status of use of the product-in-circulation is detected by detecting the unique data identifying each product-in-circulation applied thereto in relation to unique data identifying corresponding service receiver.   
     
     
         8 . The service management method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 specifying a used product-in-circulation to be collected from the service receiver after a prescribed duration among the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver.   
     
     
         9 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A service management device, comprising:
 a first memory section for registering data on a product-in-circulation to be delivered to a service receiver;   an input section for inputting a current status of use of the product-in-circulation indicating an actual amount of product-in-circulation consumed and/or a communications section for detecting the current status of use of the product-in-circulation via a network; and   an arithmetic processing section for calculating an account based on an amount of the product-in-circulation consumed out of an amount of the product-in-circulation delivered.   
     
     
         21 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein:
 the amount of the product-in-circulation consumed is a number of the product-in-circulation used.   
     
     
         22 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein:
 the current status of use is determined based on data indicative of remaining amount of the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver; and   said arithmetic processing section calculates the amount of the product-in-circulation consumed, based on the data indicative of remaining amount.   
     
     
         23 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein:
 said first memory section also stores therein recycle data or reuse data of the product-in-circulation delivered to the service receiver; and   said arithmetic processing section adjusts the account based on the recycle data or the reuse data.   
     
     
         24 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein:
 said arithmetic processing section calculates an amount of an unused product-in-circulation in service receiver's possession, based on data verifying a replacement of the used product-in-circulation, compares the calculated amount of the unused product-in-circulation with a reference value, provides an instruction to deliver an additional product-in-circulation to said service provider when the detected unused amount is reduced to the reference value.   
     
     
         25 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein:
 said arithmetic processing section calculates the account for the product-in-circulation used by the service receiver in a predetermined accounting period, based on data indicative of current status of use of the product-in-circulation, and data indicative of date and time of replacement of the used product-in-circulation.   
     
     
         26 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a second memory section for storing therein data received from the service receiver,   wherein said arithmetic processing section updates the data stored in said second memory when verifying a receipt of new data as a result of comparison between data received and the data stored.   
     
     
         27 . The service management device as set forth in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a third memory section for registering therein a list of products in circulation which can be delivered to the service receiver,   wherein the list registered in said third memory section is accessible from an exterior via a network.   
     
     
         28 - 105 . (canceled)