JP2009140015A - Point card system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a point card system for validly using an IC card. <P>SOLUTION: In a point card system for managing the points of a point card issued by a store to a user, a client computer reads an identifier unique to the user described in the point card, and the client computer reads the identifier unique to the user stored in the IC card of the user, and the client computer transmits the identifier unique to the user described in the point card and the identifier unique to the user stored in the IC card of the user to a server computer, and the server computer creates membership data by using the identifier unique to the user described in the point card and the identifier unique to the user stored in the IC card of the user, and the server computer manages the points issued to the user by the store on the basis of the membership data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a point card system that connects a server computer of an operator and a client computer of a store via an electronic communication network and manages points of a point card issued by the store to a user.

  Conventionally, in order to increase customer attraction of stores, point cards are issued to each store and handed to users, points are given at the time of product purchase or visit, and various services are provided based on the accumulated points Point card systems are widely used.

  As this point card system, a method using a rewritable point card (for example, see Patent Document 1) is widely used in addition to a method using a paper medium.

  On the other hand, in recent years, with the spread of electronic money, contactless IC cards to which an electronic money function has been added have been widely used. In particular, mobile phones with built-in IC cards have become widespread due to their convenience.

JP 2005-208794 A

  However, in the conventional point card system, since the point card that can be used for each store is different, it is necessary for the user to carry a plurality of point cards, and the point card to be carried is bulky. It is necessary to find a point card suitable for the store to be used from among a plurality of point cards, which is inconvenient, and for stores adopting the point card system, the paper-based point card takes time and rewrite. With the point card of the type, the initial introduction cost was high, and it was difficult to easily adopt the point card system.

  On the other hand, an IC card with an electronic money function can be used as electronic money and the user is likely to carry it, but the points stored with the point card cannot be used. The point card had to be carried separately, and its effective use was not intended.

  Accordingly, the present inventor performs unified management of the point card and the IC card in order to solve the problems of the above-described conventional point card system and to further effectively use the IC card carried by the user. Therefore, it was decided to be able to use points with IC cards.

  That is, in the present invention according to claim 1, in the point card system that connects the server computer of the operator and the client computer of the store through the electronic communication network, and manages the points of the point card issued to the user by the store. From the client computer, a point card reading step in which the client computer reads the user-specific identifier written on the point card, an IC card reading step in which the client computer reads the user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card, An identifier transmission step of transmitting a user-specific identifier described on the point card to the server computer and a user-specific identifier stored on the user's IC card; A member data creating step for creating member data using the unique identifier and the user unique identifier stored in the user's IC card, and the server computer issues to the user based on the member data Decided to manage the points.

  Also, in the present invention according to claim 2, in the present invention according to claim 1, the identifier unique to the user described in the point card is in the form of a mail address that can be received by the server computer. did.

  And in this invention, there exists an effect described below.

  In other words, in the present invention, the server computer creates member data from the user-specific identifier recorded on the point card and the user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card, and the store stores the user based on the member data. Since it is decided to manage the points issued to it, it is possible to perform centralized management of point cards and IC cards, and benefits such as the addition and use of points at stores using only IC cards carried by users Can receive.

  In particular, by making the identifier unique to the user written on the point card in the form of an email address that can be received by the server computer, it is possible to easily send an email from the user to the server computer using the identifier. It is possible to easily determine from which user the mail is transmitted by the computer.

  The specific contents of the point card system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration of a point card system according to the present invention. In the point card system according to the present invention, a server computer 1 of an operator who operates the point card system is installed in a store. The client computers 2 and 3 are connected to each other through the electronic communication network 4 such as the Internet, and the reading devices 5 and 6 are connected to the client computers 2 and 3, respectively.

  The readers 5 and 6 are non-contact type IC cards (here, IC cards) having user-specific identifiers and electronic money functions owned by the users described in the point cards 7 and 8 issued by the store to the users. This is a device for reading a user-specific identifier stored in a mobile phone 9, 10) having a built-in function.

  In the point card system according to the present invention, the server computer 1 and the user's mobile phones 9 and 10 are connected via the electronic communication network 4.

  In this point card system, first, the store issues point cards 7 and 8 to the user. In the point cards 7 and 8, different identifiers are described for the point cards 7 and 8, respectively. Since this identifier is different for each point card 7, 8, it is a unique identifier for the user who issued the point card 7, 8.

  Here, the identifier unique to the user described on the point cards 7 and 8 is in the form of an e-mail address such as “U0001-00001@url.com”, which differs from the number for identifying the store (U0001) for each issue. The serial number (00001) is arranged through a hyphen to form a local part of the mail address, and the domain name of the server computer 1 (url.com) is used to form the domain part of the mail address. Receivable email address format. In this point card system, the user-specific identifier is written on the point cards 7 and 8 in a matrix type two-dimensional code that can be directly read by the mobile phones 9 and 10.

  In this point card system, as described below, the user's point cards 7 and 8 and the IC card (mobile phone 9, 10) are managed in an integrated manner, so that the IC card (mobile phone 9, The point according to 10) can be used (see Fig. 2).

  That is, in the present point card system, first, the client computer 2, 3 reads the matrix type two-dimensional code written on the user point card 7, 8 using the reading device 5, 6. , 8 are read as data (point card reading step).

  Next, in this point card system, the client computers 2 and 3 communicate with the IC card built in the user's mobile phone 9 or 10 by using the readers 5 and 6, so that the user-specific information stored in the IC card is stored. Is read as data (IC card reading step).

  Next, in this point card system, the data read by the client computers 2 and 3 in the above point card reading step and IC card reading step, that is, the data of the identifier unique to the user described in the user's point cards 7 and 8 The identifier data stored in the user's IC card is transmitted to the server computer 1 via the electronic communication network 4 (identifier transmission step), and the server computer 1 receives these data.

  In this point card system, the server computer 1 receives from the client computers 2, 3 the user-specific identifier data described in the user point cards 7, 8 and the identifier data stored in the user IC card; Is used to create member data (member data creation step) and to construct a member database composed of a plurality of member data.

  Thereby, in this point card system, the user-specific identifier described in the user's point card 7 and 8 and the identifier stored in the user's IC card are made one-to-one based on the member data created by the server computer 1. Can be matched.

  For this reason, in the present point card system, after the server computer 1 creates member data in the member data creation step, the user is identified by the user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card, and the identified user is identified. The given points can be managed as points of the user's point cards 7 and 8. That is, when viewed from the user side, without using the point cards 7 and 8, a privilege using points such as addition or use of points using the IC card or the mobile phone 9 or 10 incorporating the IC card function is provided. Can receive.

  For example, when receiving points, the user only has to hold the mobile phones 9 and 10 over the readers 5 and 6 of the client computers 2 and 3 at the store, and as shown in FIG. 2 and 3 read the user's unique identifier stored in the IC card built in the mobile phone 9 and 10, and the client computers 2 and 3 issue points according to the purchase price of the product, points when visiting the store, etc. The point data together with the user-specific identifier data is transmitted to the server computer 1 via the electronic communication network 4, and the server computer 1 that has received the data specifies the user-specific identifier stored in the IC card. Update points.

  In this way, in this point card system, the server computer 1 is a member based on the user-specific identifier recorded on the point card 7, 8 and the user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card (mobile phone 9, 10). Since data is created and the points issued by the store to the user are managed based on this member data, the point card 7, 8 and the IC card (mobile phone 9, 10) are unified. Management can be performed, and benefits such as the addition and use of points can be received at the store using only the IC card (mobile phone 9, 10) carried by the user.

  As a result, the present point card system can solve the problems of the conventional point card system and can further effectively use the IC card (mobile telephones 9 and 10).

  In particular, in this point card system, since the identifier unique to the user described in the point cards 7 and 8 is in the form of an e-mail address that can be received by the server computer 1, it is easy for the server computer 1 from the user using the identifier. The mail can be transmitted and the server computer 1 can easily determine from which user the mail has been transmitted.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a user reads a user-specific identifier written in a matrix type two-dimensional code on a point card 7 or 8 as data using a mobile phone 9 or 10 and sends the data to a mail destination. By sending an e-mail with this setting, it is possible to send an e-mail from the cellular phones 9 and 10 to the server computer 1.

  Then, the server computer 1 that has received the mail from the mobile phones 9 and 10 can determine the user-specific identifier from the address of the mail transmission destination by receiving the mail, and can determine the user's address from the address of the mail transmission source. E-mail address can be determined. Thus, the server computer 1 adds the user's e-mail address determined from the received e-mail to the user member data specified by the user-specific identifier determined from the received e-mail, whereby the user's point card 7, 8 The user-specific identifier and the user's mail address described in the above can be made to correspond one-to-one.

  Further, the server computer 1 that has received the mail from the user transmits a mail in which the URL of the member registration site is described in the user's mail address, and the user registers the member registration site of the server computer 1 from the cellular phone 9 or 10 based on the mail. You can also access the nickname and register the user's gender and preferences, etc., so that it is possible to provide services narrowed down by the user's gender and preferences .

  As described above, the point card system according to the present invention has a one-to-one correspondence between the user-specific identifier described in the user's point card 7 and 8 and the identifier stored in the user's IC card. It manages points and allows users to receive benefits using points such as point addition and use using only IC cards and mobile phones with built-in IC card functions. Is. The hardware configuration and processing flow described above are specific examples of the point card system according to the present invention, and the hardware configuration and processing flow are changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. You can also

Explanatory drawing which shows the hardware constitutions of a point card system. Explanatory drawing which shows the processing flow of a point card system.

Explanation of symbols

1 Server computer
2,3 Client computer 4 Electronic communication network
5,6 Reader
7,8 point card
9,10 mobile phone

Claims (2)

In the point card system that connects the server computer of the operator and the client computer of the store via an electronic communication network and manages the points of the point card issued by the store to the user,
A point card reading step in which the client computer reads a user-specific identifier written on the point card;
An IC card reading step in which a client computer reads a user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card;
An identifier transmission step of transmitting a user-specific identifier written on the point card and a user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card from the client computer to the server computer;
A member data creation step in which the server computer creates member data using a user-specific identifier recorded on the point card and a user-specific identifier stored in the user's IC card;
Have
A point card system in which a server computer manages points issued to a user by a store based on member data.   The point card system according to claim 1, wherein the user-specific identifier written on the point card is in the form of a mail address that can be received by a server computer.

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