JP2002015376A - Point card system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a point card system capable of executing data communication between plural card processing means and a control means at an optional timing. SOLUTION: This point card system has a formation in which the plural card processing device 11-1n for reading and writing memory information of a point card C, a host computer 2 for collecting processing data of each card processing device 11-1n, and controlling the whole system, and a mail server 3 are connected on an internet, and data transferred between each card processing device 11-1n and the host computer 2 are transmitted and received through the mail server 3 by an electronic mail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a point card system for generating points based on a commercial transaction between a customer and a member store and performing customer service in accordance with the accumulated points. Regarding the point card system utilized.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, various commercial facilities and the like generate points in accordance with a transaction price in accordance with a business transaction between a customer and a member store. A point card system that provides services such as provision of gifts and discounts has been implemented as one of customer services.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional point card system. In a conventional point card system, a card processing device (card processing means) for processing a point card issued to a customer in advance is installed in each member store, and when a commercial transaction or point exchange is performed, the point card held by the customer is stored in the point card. The stored point information is processed by the card processing device of each member store. The data processed by each card processing device is collectively managed by a host computer (management means) provided under a system administrator, and is used as operation information of the point card system.

In such a conventional point card system, communication of processing data between each card processing device and a host computer is basically performed in a one-to-one connection state. That is, for example, a modem or the like is connected to a communication interface such as RS-232C provided in the card processing device and connected to a host computer via a telephone line in a one-to-one manner. Transmission / reception of processing data has been performed by directly connecting a communication interface via a connection cable.

[0005]

However, in the conventional point card system, data communication between each card processing device and the host computer is one as described above.
Since the processing is performed on a one-to-one basis, there is a problem that the timing at which each card processing device transmits processing data to the host computer is restricted. Specifically, for example, measures are taken to prevent connection conflicts with the host computer by allocating a connection time zone for each card processing device, for example, so that each card processing device is assigned to the allocated connection time zone. You will be bound. In such a case, there is a limit in the number of card processing devices that can be accommodated in the host computer.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a point card system in which data communication between a plurality of card processing means and management means can be performed at an arbitrary timing. The purpose is to:

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a point card system according to the present invention comprises: a point card capable of storing points given to a customer based on a commercial transaction; A plurality of card processing means for reading and writing the information stored in the point card, and collect the respective processing data indicating the contents processed by each of the card processing means to manage the entire system A point card system comprising: a mail server connected to the Internet, wherein each of the card processing units creates an e-mail including the processing data and specifying the management unit as a destination. And sends them to the mail server via the Internet, respectively, and the management means The corresponding e-mail address stored in the received via the Internet, it is to collect the process data of each card processing unit.

In such a point card system, the processing data of each card processing means is sent to the management means by e-mail using a mail server on the Internet. Thereby, each card processing means can send processing data to the management means at an appropriate timing, and the management means can also collect processing data of each card processing means at an appropriate timing. Further, since the number of card processing units that can be accommodated in the management unit increases, it is possible to cope with a large scale point card system.

In the above-mentioned point card system, when the management means normally receives an e-mail from each of the card processing means, it creates a reception report mail specifying the card processing means as a destination, When the card processing means transmits to the mail server via the Internet, and the card processing means receives the reception report mail from the management means stored in the mail server via the Internet, it deletes the stored processing data. It may be performed.

[0010] In this configuration, each card processing means deletes the stored processing data by receiving the reception report mail from the management means. Data communication between them becomes more reliable.

Further, as a specific configuration of the above-mentioned point card system, each of the above-mentioned card processing device processing means comprises:
Each of the management units may include an input unit capable of inputting an e-mail address.

In addition, in the above-mentioned point card system, the mail server collectively transmits and receives e-mails between the plurality of management means and the plurality of card processing means respectively corresponding to the management means. May be managed.

In this configuration, the point card system independently managed by a plurality of management means is networked by sharing a mail server on the Internet.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a point card system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the present point card system
Is a card processing device as a plurality of card processing means
1₁, 1_Two, ... 1_nAnd host computer as management
Data 2 and mail server 3 are Internet
And each card processing device 1 ₁~ 1_nAnd host co
Data transmitted between computers 2 is sent by e-mail.
That are sent and received via the mail server 3
It is.

[0016] Each card processing device ₁ 1 to 1 _n, for example 2
As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 10, the data storage unit 11,
It has a card processing unit 12, an input unit 13, and a communication control unit 14. The controller 10 executes various processes in the present apparatus according to a predetermined program. Here, an e-mail indicating the processing data relating to the point information and specifying the e-mail address of the host computer 2 as the destination is created, and the T
The main feature is that it has a processing function of transmitting data over the Internet using the CP / IP protocol. Data storage unit 1
Reference numeral 1 stores execution results of various processes in the present apparatus, point information read by the card processing unit 12, electronic mail transmitted / received to / from the mail server 3, and the like. Card processing unit 12
Reads the point information stored in the point card C inserted into the apparatus and writes the point information to the point card C in accordance with an instruction from the controller 10 or rewrites the stored point information. The input unit 13 receives various instructions for performing the point service according to the transaction, as well as setting information of the own device, an e-mail address of the host computer 2, and the like. The communication control unit 14 controls communication between each device connected to the Internet and the controller 10. Specifically, the communication control unit 14
However, for example, it is assumed that a user connects to the Internet via a local area network (LAN) or through a dial-up connection, and transmits and receives data such as electronic mail according to the TCP / IP protocol.

Each of the card processing devices 1 ₁ to 1 _n includes a display for displaying the input contents of the input unit 13 and the execution results of various processes, a printer for printing point information after the process, and the like.
Alternatively, a peripheral device such as a terminal device of a POS system can be connected, which is the same as the case of the existing card processing device. When a terminal device of the POS system is connected, the input unit 13 can be omitted.

[0018] The host computer 2 receives the incoming process data sent by e-mail from the card processing device 1 ₁ to 1 _n via the mail server 3, the management of point card system performs the process of the aggregation and the like I do. Further, here, the host computer 2 has a function of returning an e-mail indicating that the e-mail is normally received from the card processing device to the corresponding card processing device via the mail server 3 when the e-mail is normally received. . When the card processing device receives the e-mail returned from the host computer 2, the processing data stored and accumulated in the card processing device is deleted as described later.

The mail server 3 is provided with each card processing device 1 ₁
The e-mail sent from to 1 _n and the host computer 2 and stores the built-in storage device. Further, when the respective card processor 1 ₁ to 1 _n and the host computer 2 has received a request for e-mail, send an e-mail address corresponds among the accumulated mail.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
You. In this reward card system, point
Code C is issued and commerce, such as purchasing goods at a member store
When a discount is made, a point conversion rate set in advance is used.
As a result, points are generated according to the transaction price. This occurs
Points are the cards installed at the participating merchants.
Processing device (here, for example, the card processing device 1 ₁And
Is stored in the loyalty card C of the customer using
You.

[0021] Specifically, the point card C customers is inserted into the card processing device 1 _1, in the card processing device 1 _1, first, the customer information and the point information stored in the point card C is a card processing unit The data is read by the storage unit 12 and stored in the data storage unit 11. When the contents of the current transaction are input by the clerk or the like via the input unit 13, points corresponding to the transaction price are obtained by the controller 10 and stored in the data storage unit 11 as additional points. Next, the controller 10 calculates a value obtained by adding the addition point to the current point (total point) read from the point card C, and rewrites the stored information of the point card C as the current point after the addition of the calculation result. .

Also, as described above, the point card C
The accumulated points can be exchanged for services such as provision of prizes and discounts. Also in the case of exchanging points, similarly to the above case, the customer's point card C is inserted into the card processing device ₁₁ , the customer information and the point information stored in the point card C are read, and the data is read. It is stored in the storage unit 11. For example, when a prize is provided, a collection point set for the prize is input by a clerk or the like via the input unit 13, and the collection point is subtracted from the current point read from the point card C, The stored information of the point card C is rewritten as the current point after collecting the remaining points.

According to the above processing contents, the controller 10 creates a file in which the processing data is put together. This file is updated each time points are generated and exchanged, and becomes a data file storing processing results in one card processing apparatus. Table 1 shows an example of a data file in which processing data is put together.

[0024]

[Table 1] In Table 1, the device code is an identification code unique to each card processing device, and the customer number is a number for identifying the customer, and may be the card number of the point card C or the like. The number of times of processing indicates the number of times point processing has been performed by the own apparatus. The data summarized in the above items and the like are added to the file and accumulated every time the point processing is performed.

Then, at a preset processing data transmission timing, the controller 10 automatically creates an e-mail with the processing data file attached as described above and the destination addressed to the host computer 2. The above-mentioned processing data transmission timing can be arbitrarily set, and can be, for example, a determined time, a required time interval, a required number of times of processing, and the like. Also, an e-mail may be created each time the point processing is performed. The created e-mail is transmitted to the Internet via the communication control unit 14 and sent to the mail server 3.

As described above, each card processing device ₁₁
Each electronic mail transmitted from 〜1 _{n at an} arbitrary timing is temporarily stored in the mail server 3. Then, when the host computer 2 sends a reception request to the mail server 3, the mail server 3 sends an e-mail addressed to the host computer 2 among the stored e-mails to the host computer 2 via the Internet.

The host computer 2 that has received the e-mail from each of the card processors 11 ₁ to 1 _n opens the processing data file attached to each e-mail, and processes each of the card processors 11 ₁ to 1 _n . Recognize data. Then, the host computer 2 returns an e-mail indicating that the reception of the e-mail was normal to the card processing device that has successfully recognized the processing data. The reply e-mail is also temporarily stored in the mail server 3, when there is a reception request from the card processing device 1 ₁ to 1 _n, the corresponding e-mail reply destination is the card processor via the Internet 1 ₁ to 1 _n .

In the card processing devices 1 ₁ to 1 _n that have received the reply mail from the host computer 2, the data storage unit 1
The deletion of the processing data file stored in No. 1 is executed.
Each card processing device 1 ₁ to 1 _n is the If after a preset time does not reach the reply from the host computer 2 retransmits the e-mail sent earlier to the host computer 2 destined Thus, the processing data is transmitted to the host computer 2 without fail.

As described above, according to the point card system of the first embodiment, data communication between each of the card processing devices 1 ₁ to 1 _n and the host computer 2 is performed by e-mail using the mail server 3 via the Internet. by the to be performed Te, the card processing device 1 ₁ to 1 _n processing data host computer at an appropriate timing 2
The host computer 2 can also collect the processing data of each of the card processing devices ₁₁ to 1 _n at appropriate timing. This eliminates the necessity of taking measures such as allocating a connection time zone as in the case of the conventional one-to-one connection system.
Since the number of card processing devices that can be accommodated in the point card system increases, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the scale of the point card system.

Further, each of the card processing devices 1 ₁ to 1 _n deletes the stored processing data by receiving the reply mail from the host computer 2. Data communication between ₁ to 1 _n and the host computer 2 becomes more reliable, and the data storage capacity of each card processing device ₁₁ to 1 _n can be made relatively small, thereby reducing the cost of the device. Is possible.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a point card system according to the second embodiment. However, the same parts as those in the configuration of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 3, the configuration of the second embodiment differs from the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that two different point card systems A and B conventionally constructed independently. However, it is networked by using the mail server 3 in common via the Internet. Specifically, a configuration corresponding to the system A, a plurality of card processing device 1A ₁ to 1A _n and the host computer 2A is connected to the Internet, also, a configuration corresponding to the system B, a plurality of card processing device 1B ₁ ～1B _n and the host computer 2B are connected to the Internet, further mail server 3 is connected to the Internet as a configuration common each system a, the B.

[0033] Each card processing device 1A ₁ to 1A _n and 1B
Each of _{1 to} 1B _n has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. Here, the e-mail indicating the processing data created by the controller 10 of each card processing device is:
Basically, a host computer corresponding to the system to which the apparatus belongs is specified as the destination.

Each of the host computers 2A and 2B has a first
It is the same as the host computer 2 used in the embodiment, and the corresponding card processing devices 1A ₁ to 1A ₁
A _n, from 1B ₁ ~1B _n via the mail server 3 receives processing data transmitted by e-mail, each of the systems A, the management of B performed by executing the processes of aggregation and the like.

[0035] In point card system as described above, as in the case of the first embodiment, data communication between the card processing device 1A ₁ to 1A _n and the host computer 2A, and, the card processing device 1B ₁ ～1B Data communication between the _n and the host computer 2B becomes to be performed by utilizing an e-mail a common mail server 3 via the Internet.

Thus, the point card systems A and B conventionally operated independently by different managers
Can be easily networked. This is particularly effective, for example, when the systems A and B share processing data with each other for effective management and operation of the point service. In this case, the host computers 2 of both systems A and B serve as destinations of the e-mails created by the card processing devices of the two systems.
The host computers 2A and 2B can collect mutual processing data only by making a software change so as to designate A and 2B.

In the above-described second embodiment, a case is shown in which two point card systems are networked, but it is also possible to easily network three or more point card systems in the same manner. It is.

[0038]

As described above, in the point card system of the present invention, data communication between each card processing means and the management means is performed by e-mail using the mail server via the Internet. Therefore, each card processing unit and the management unit can transmit and receive processing data at appropriate timing, and the number of card processing units that can be accommodated in the management unit increases, so that a large scale point card system can be handled. become.

Further, since each card processing means deletes the processing data when receiving the reception report mail from the management means, the data communication between each card processing means and the management means becomes more reliable. At the same time, the data storage capacity of each card processing means becomes relatively small, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

Further, since the point card system independently managed by the plurality of management means commonly uses the mail server on the Internet, networking of different systems can be easily performed. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a point card system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of each card processing device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a point card system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional point card system.

[Explanation of symbols]

_{1 1 ~1 n, 1A 1 ~1A} n, 1B 1 ~1B n card processing apparatus 2, 2A, 2B host computer 3 mail server 10 controller 11 data storage unit 12 the card processing unit 13 input unit 14 communication control unit C point card

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 410 G06F 17/60 410A 420 420 502 502 G06K 17/00 G06K 17/00 L G07G 1/14 G07G 1/14

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A point card capable of storing points given to a customer based on a commercial transaction, and a plurality of cards for reading and writing information stored in the point card in accordance with the point generation processing and the exchange processing. In a point card system including a processing unit and a management unit that collects each processing data indicating the contents processed by each of the card processing units and manages the entire system, a mail server connected to the Internet is provided. Wherein each of the card processing means generates an e-mail including the processing data and specifying the management means as a destination, and transmits the e-mail to the mail server via the Internet, respectively, wherein the management means Receives the e-mail of the corresponding destination stored in the server via the Internet, and Point card system characterized by collecting the processed data over de processing means. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the managing means creates a reception report mail specifying the card processing means as a destination when the e-mail is normally received from each of the card processing means, and transmits the mail to the mail server via the Internet. When each of the card processing means receives a reception report mail from the management means stored in the mail server via the Internet, the card processing means deletes the stored processing data. 2. The point card system according to 1. 3. The point card according to claim 1, wherein each of the card processing device processing units has an input unit capable of inputting an e-mail address of the management unit. system. 4. The mail server according to claim 1, wherein said mail server collectively manages electronic mail transmitted and received between said plurality of management means and said plurality of card processing means respectively corresponding to said management means. Item 5. The point card system according to any one of Items 1 to 3.