JP7637221B2 - Information processing device, program and electronic receipt system - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing device, a program, and an electronic receipt system .

Conventionally, there is a known system known as an electronic receipt, in which a receipt or invoice given to a consumer by a store when paying for a product is electronically transferred to the consumer's mobile terminal, etc.

By converting receipts into electronic data in this way, household accounts can be automatically recorded electronically, which is beneficial for consumers. In addition, the introduction of electronic receipts reduces the consumption of receipt paper, which is also beneficial for the stores that introduce them.

In addition, it is also known to promote and advertise products by electronically attaching coupons and other items related to purchased products to electronic receipts.

On the other hand, when a product such as an electrical appliance is purchased, a warranty that guarantees the purchased product for a certain period of time (for example, one year) is printed on the receipt and the printed warranty is handed over to the consumer along with the receipt. Warranty information such as the name of the guaranteed product, the warranty period, and the purchase date is printed on the warranty. However, even now that electronic receipt systems are being established, there is no system that processes warranties electronically.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a program, and an electronic receipt system that perform electronic processing on a warranty card.

The information processing device of the embodiment includes: an electronic receipt receiving means for receiving, from an electronic receipt management server, electronic receipt information including product information of a product sold in correspondence with a membership code of a consumer; and information for inquiring warranty information including product information of a product requiring a warranty, associated with the electronic receipt information; an electronic receipt display means for displaying, on a display unit, the electronic receipt information and the information for inquiring the warranty information received by the electronic receipt receiving means; and a warranty information display means for receiving and displaying the warranty information when an inquiry is made about the warranty information via the information for inquiring the warranty information, and the warranty information display means receives and displays information indicating that the warranty period has expired, if the date of the inquiry exceeds the warranty period of the warranty information.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic receipt system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a transition diagram showing an example of screen transition during membership registration of a consumer. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the mobile terminal. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the POS terminal. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the electronic receipt server. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram relating to electronic receipt processing in the POS terminal. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of electronic receipt processing and warranty issuing processing in the POS terminal. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram relating to the electronic receipt management process and the warranty process in the electronic receipt server. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the electronic receipt management process and the warranty process in the electronic receipt server. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram relating to the electronic receipt management process, the product information transmission process, and the warranty process in the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of electronic receipt management processing, product information transmission processing, and warranty processing in the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram relating to the electronic receipt receiving process, the electronic receipt viewing process, and the warranty information display process in the mobile terminal. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a flow of an electronic receipt receiving process, an electronic receipt viewing process, and a warranty display process in a mobile terminal. FIG. 15 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 16 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 17 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 18 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 19 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 20 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 21 is a front view showing an example of a warranty card displayed on a mobile terminal. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the flow of an electronic receipt receiving process and an electronic receipt viewing process in a mobile terminal. FIG. 23 is a front view showing an example of a display transition on a mobile terminal. FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the flow of the statistical information generation process in the mobile terminal. FIG. 25 is a front view showing a display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 26 is a front view showing another display example on a mobile terminal. FIG. 27 is a screen transition diagram showing the flow of transferring receipt information. FIG. 28 is a front view showing a display example on the mobile terminal of the delegation destination.

One embodiment of this invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic receipt system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a store 1 is equipped with a POS (Point of Sales) terminal 2 (only one terminal is shown in FIG. 1, but multiple terminals may be used) which is a product sales data processing device that processes product sales data, and a router 3. The POS terminal 2 and the router 3 are connected by an in-store LAN 4 (Local Area Network). The router 3 is a device for connecting the in-store LAN 4 with a network 5 which is the Internet or a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Although not specifically shown, the store 1 may also be equipped with a store server that manages the POS terminal 2.

An electronic receipt server 6 is connected to the network 5. A plurality of electronic receipt servers 6 are provided for each company that sells products or services and operates stores or chain stores (hereinafter referred to as stores) such as convenience stores, supermarkets, food stores, drug stores, apparel stores, home appliance stores, department stores, general merchandise stores, and restaurants, and function as a receipt management server for the company that stores and manages electronic receipt information for each company code indicating the company that operates the store. The electronic receipt server 6 also stores warranty information for each product. The electronic receipt server 6 may be a headquarters server of a POS system that has functions such as sales management, sales analysis, and inventory management for each company that operates the store.

A mobile terminal 8 is also connected to the network 5 via a base station 7 that performs wireless communication according to standards such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). The mobile terminal 8 is an information processing device that implements a web browser, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a tablet computer. Note that instead of the mobile terminal 8, an information processing device such as a personal computer such as a notebook PC may also be used.

Furthermore, the network 5 is also connected to an electronic receipt management server 9 that functions as a customer receipt management server that collectively stores and manages electronic receipt information of various companies that operate stores. A consumer who has registered as a member in advance to receive the electronic receipt service can obtain electronic receipt information from the electronic receipt management server 9 using a mobile terminal 8 via the network 5. The electronic receipt management server 9 is managed, for example, by a third party other than the company that manages the electronic receipt information in the electronic receipt server 6. The electronic receipt server 6 may also be managed by a third party or the like. The electronic receipt management server 9 may also have the function of the electronic receipt server 6 and be managed by one server. The function of collectively managing electronic receipt information for each company that indicates a company that operates a store using multiple company codes may be provided as a service (application) in the form of, for example, SaaS (Software as a Service), which is a type of cloud computing.

The consumer's membership registration to receive the electronic receipt service is performed, for example, as follows. FIG. 2 is a transition diagram showing an example of screen transitions during the consumer's membership registration. The consumer sends a blank email from the mobile terminal 8 to the member management server (not shown) through the network 5. The member management server sends a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating a page for member registration to the received email address. The consumer accesses the URL indicating the page for member registration from the mobile terminal 8 to display the input screen H (see FIG. 2(a)), and inputs the items required for member registration. After the consumer has finished inputting the necessary items, the input confirmation screen I is displayed on the mobile terminal 8 (see FIG. 2(b)). After the consumer has confirmed the input, the member registration is performed on the member master. After that, the member management server delivers a member registration completion email including a member code and a password to the mobile terminal 8. This completes the member registration. FIG. 2(c) shows the registration completion screen J displayed on the mobile terminal 8 after the registration is completed. The registration completion screen J has a "display top screen" button B10. When the consumer operates this "Display top screen" button B10, the mobile device 8 displays the top screen K shown in FIG. 2(d).

In the electronic receipt system configured as above, electronic receipt information indicating the details of the settlement generated by processing product sales data at the POS terminal 2 of the store 1 is transmitted to the electronic receipt management server 9 via the electronic receipt server 6 over the network 5, and the electronic receipt information is sent from the electronic receipt management server 9 to the member's mobile terminal 8. The member can display the electronic receipt information on the display unit of the mobile terminal 8 and check the contents. The electronic receipt management server 9 also publishes the electronic receipt information on the Web. The mobile terminal 8, which is equipped with a Web browser, can download the electronic receipt information published on the Web to the mobile terminal 8 and view it on the Web browser by specifying a URL. Note that application software for viewing the electronic receipt information may be installed on the mobile terminal 8 to view the electronic receipt information.

The mobile terminal 8 stores the membership code and password acquired by the consumer as described above in the storage unit 13 (see FIG. 3) or the like. Methods for outputting the membership code stored in this manner include displaying it as a barcode, displaying it as a two-dimensional code, and transmitting it by information communication using NFC (Near Field Communication), which is a near-field type wireless communication.

Furthermore, the membership code acquired by the consumer to receive the electronic receipt service may be associated with an existing corporate membership card for a point service or the like operated by a company such as a chain store on the POS terminal 2 of each retail store or on each individual's mobile terminal 8.

Here, we will explain an example of how to associate a membership code acquired by a consumer with an existing corporate membership card as described above.

1. Example of operation of the POS terminal 2 in the store 1 (1) First, a checker who operates the POS terminal 2 checks whether or not the electronic receipt service is to be implemented at the time of product registration (payment) and whether or not the customer has a point card. If the electronic receipt service is to be implemented, the customer presents the mobile terminal 8 and the point card.
(2) The checker reads the membership code stored in the mobile terminal 8 and the corporate membership code on the point card. Here, the reading of the membership code stored in the mobile terminal 8 depends on the I/O provided in the POS terminal 2, and the above-mentioned barcode, two-dimensional code, NFC, etc. are applied.
(3) The POS terminal 2 transmits the transaction, the membership code read in (3), and the corporate membership code on the point card to the electronic receipt management server 9.
(4) The electronic receipt management server 9 receives the information transmitted in (3), and if the electronic receipt information indicating the details of the settlement generated by the POS terminal 2 in the store 1 performing product sales data processing and the membership code and the corporate membership code of the point card are transmitted simultaneously for the first time, they are registered in the electronic receipt management server 9.

After that, consumers can receive services in the electronic receipt system and point allocation services by simply presenting the mobile terminal 8 or the point card.

2. Example of operation on mobile terminal 8 (1) First, the consumer accesses a specific URL from his/her mobile terminal 8 or logs into the point card registration menu from an application installed on the mobile terminal 8. The consumer inputs and selects the company that issues the point card to be registered. Next, the consumer inputs the corporate membership code of the point card to be registered, and after confirming the number, presses the registration button and transmits the registration details to the electronic receipt management server 9. The corporate membership code can be input manually, by taking a picture with a camera, by magnetic reading, etc.
(2) The electronic receipt management server 9 receives the registration details from the mobile terminal 8 in (1), compares them with the customer information of each company, and returns a confirmation display screen to the consumer's mobile terminal 8.
(3) The consumer checks the confirmation display screen returned from the electronic receipt management server 9 and presses the "agree" button to complete the association of the membership code on the electronic receipt with the existing corporate membership card.

In this way, by managing services in the electronic receipt system and point-granting services with a unique membership code on the electronic receipt, it becomes possible to receive services in the electronic receipt system by presenting a point card at stores that have conventional point cards, and by presenting a mobile terminal 8 at stores that do not have point cards. As a result, the membership code on the electronic receipt can act as a hub that links each corporate membership card of each company.

The following describes the configuration of each part of the electronic receipt system of this embodiment, including this point.

First, the main components of the mobile terminal 8, which is an information processing device, will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 8 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 constituting the control unit, a memory 12 for temporarily storing data, a storage unit 13 that can be read and written by commands from the CPU 11 and stores programs and data, a network interface 14 connected to various public networks including the network 5, a display unit 17 that can display various information, an input unit 18 for operating the mobile terminal 8, a clock unit 19 for measuring time, etc. The input unit 18 is a touch panel stacked on the display unit 17, or keys provided on the housing.

In addition to a web browser for viewing various information (content) published on the web, the storage unit 13 is pre-installed with an electronic receipt compatible program P11 for receiving electronic receipt information generated after settlement through product sales data processing from the electronic receipt management server 9, and an electronic receipt viewing program P12 for viewing the received electronic receipt information.

In addition, the memory unit 13 is pre-installed with a statistical information generation program P13 for generating statistical information by collating electronic receipt information received from each company's electronic receipt server 6 (described later) based on company code and industry/business type code.

In addition, a receipt information transfer program P14 for dividing electronic receipt information and transferring it to others is pre-installed in the memory unit 13.

The electronic receipt compatible program P11, the electronic receipt viewing program P12, the statistical information generating program P13, and the receipt information transfer program P14 executed on the mobile terminal 8 are provided as files in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

The electronic receipt compatible program P11, the electronic receipt viewing program P12, the statistical information generating program P13, and the receipt information delegation program P14 executed on the mobile terminal 8 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading via the network. The electronic receipt compatible program P11, the electronic receipt viewing program P12, the statistical information generating program P13, and the receipt information delegation program P14 executed on the mobile terminal 8 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

Next, the main components of the POS terminal 2, which is a product sales data processing device, will be described using the block diagram of FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the POS terminal 2 is composed of a CPU 21 constituting the control unit, a memory 22 for temporarily storing data, a storage unit 23 that can be read and written by commands from the CPU 21 and stores programs and data, a network interface 24 connected to the in-store LAN 4, a printer interface 25 to which a printer is connected, an operator display unit 28 for displaying various information to the operator, a clock unit 29 for measuring time, a customer display unit 30 for displaying various information to customers, and an input unit 31 for operating the POS terminal 2. The input unit 31 is provided with a settlement key 31a for executing the settlement process for the input product information.

In the memory unit 23, an identification code management area 23a is secured as an area for pre-storing the company code (identification code of the company operating the store), the business type/business format code, the store code indicating the store 1 in which the POS terminal 2 is installed, and the like, in addition to the POS number of the POS terminal 2. Here, the business type/business format code is a code (classification code) that distinguishes the business type/business format of the store 1, such as a convenience store, supermarket, department store, pharmacy, restaurant, or eating and drinking establishment. Note that such business type/business format can be changed at the user's discretion. Note that the company code (identification code of the company operating the store) and the business type/business format code may be registered in the electronic receipt server 6.

In addition to software for executing various POS operations including product sales data processing, the memory unit 23 is pre-installed with an electronic receipt processing program P15 for processing electronically processed electronic receipt information in place of receipts or invoices printed out during product sales data processing.

The electronic receipt processing program P15 executed by the POS terminal 2 is provided in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD.

The electronic receipt processing program P15 executed by the POS terminal 2 may also be configured to be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The electronic receipt processing program P15 executed by the POS terminal 2 may also be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

Next, the main configuration of the electronic receipt server 6 installed in each company and functioning as a receipt management server for the company will be explained using the block diagram in FIG. 5. The electronic receipt server 6 is composed of a CPU 41 that constitutes the control unit, a memory 42 for temporarily storing data, a storage unit 43 that can be read and written by commands from the CPU 41 and stores programs and data, a network interface 44 that is connected to the network 5, etc.

In the memory unit 43, an electronic receipt management area 43a is provided as an area for storing electronic receipt information for each company that operates a store. The electronic receipt information includes a company code (an identification code of the company that operates the store 1), an industry/business type code, a store code, a consumer's membership code, a POS number for the POS terminal 2, a receipt number, product sales data, etc.

The electronic receipt management area 43a also includes a warranty management area 43a1 (warranty information storage unit) that stores warranty information for products that require a warranty. The warranty management area 43a1 stores, for each product to be guaranteed, product information for the product for which a warranty is issued, warranty period information, warranty policy information, manufacturer contact information, and the like.

The memory unit 43 also has pre-installed therein an electronic receipt management program P1 for managing electronic receipt information received from the POS terminal 2 of each store 1 in the electronic receipt management area 43a.

The memory unit 43 also has pre-installed therein an information transmission program P2 for transmitting electronic receipt information managed in the electronic receipt management area 43a to the electronic receipt management server 9, and a warranty management program P16 for searching the warranty management area 43a1 based on electronic receipt information received from the POS terminal 2, determining whether warranty information is stored in the warranty management area 43a1, and transmitting the warranty information determined to be stored therein to the electronic receipt management server 9.

The memory unit 43 further includes an information management area 43b for storing various additional information associated with desired products, members, companies, and stores. Here, the additional information is access information such as a URL that links to a homepage associated with a company's campaign, a URL that links to a homepage associated with a company's commercial, and a URL that links to a company's coupon.

The electronic receipt management program P1 and the information transmission program P2 executed by the electronic receipt server 6 are provided as files in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD.

The electronic receipt management program P1 and the information transmission program P2 executed by the electronic receipt server 6 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading them via the network. The electronic receipt management program P1 and the information transmission program P2 executed by the electronic receipt server 6 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

Next, the main configuration of the electronic receipt management server 9 that functions as a customer receipt management server will be described using the block diagram in FIG. 6. The electronic receipt management server 9 is composed of a CPU 51 that constitutes the control unit, a memory 52 for temporarily storing data, a storage unit 53 that can be read and written by commands from the CPU 51 and stores programs and data, a network interface 54 that is connected to the network 5, etc.

In the memory unit 53, an electronic receipt management area 53a is provided as an area for collectively storing electronic receipt information of various companies that operate the store 1. More specifically, the electronic receipt management area 53a manages the electronic receipt information and additional information of various companies that operate the store 1 for each member. The electronic receipt information includes a member code, a company code (an identification code of the company that operates the store 1), a store code, the POS number of the POS terminal 2, a receipt number, product sales data, additional information, etc.

The memory unit 53 also has a warranty information memory unit 53b. The warranty information memory unit 53b stores warranty information sent from the electronic receipt server 6 in association with product information to be guaranteed. The warranty information memory unit 53b stores, for each product, product information for the product for which a warranty is issued, warranty period information, warranty provision information, manufacturer contact information, etc. The warranty information memory unit 53b also stores the date on which the warranty information was received from the electronic receipt server 6. Based on the reception date and warranty period information, it is determined whether or not the product is within the warranty period described below.

The storage unit 53 also has pre-installed therein an electronic receipt management program P3 for managing additional information and electronic receipt information received from each company's electronic receipt server 6 in the electronic receipt management area 53a.

In addition, the memory unit 53 is pre-installed with an information transmission program P4 for transmitting electronic receipt information and additional information of the desired product to the mobile terminal 8, and a warranty management program P17 for managing warranty information transmitted from the electronic receipt server 6, determining whether the requested warranty information is within the warranty period, and transmitting the warranty information to the mobile terminal 8.

The electronic receipt management program P3 and the information transmission program P4 executed by the electronic receipt management server 9 are provided as files in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD.

The electronic receipt management program P3 and the information transmission program P4 executed by the electronic receipt management server 9 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading them via the network. The electronic receipt management program P3 and the information transmission program P4 executed by the electronic receipt management server 9 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

Next, we will explain the operation of each part that makes up the system of this embodiment.

First, the electronic receipt processing executed by the CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 operating according to the electronic receipt processing program P15 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 7 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electronic receipt processing program P15 executed by the POS terminal 2 has a modular configuration including an electronic receipt generation unit 26 that functions as an electronic receipt generation means, and a transmission unit 27 that functions as a transmission means. In terms of actual hardware, the CPU 21 reads out the electronic receipt processing program P15 from the storage unit 23 and executes it, whereby the above-mentioned units are loaded onto the memory 22, and the electronic receipt generation unit 26 and transmission unit 27 are generated on the memory 22.

The electronic receipt generation unit 26 generates electronically processed electronic receipt information that includes a company code indicating the company that operates the store 1 and corresponds it to the consumer's membership code in place of a receipt or invoice that is printed when processing product sales data.

The transmission unit 27 transmits the electronic receipt information generated by the electronic receipt generation unit 26 to the electronic receipt server 6 that manages the information on a company basis according to the company code.

Next, the product information processing and settlement processing in the POS terminal 2 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8. Product information processing involves reading the product name, price, etc. from the product master based on the input product information about the product to be purchased and displaying, storing, etc. the product name, price, etc. based on the input product information. Settlement processing involves calculating the total amount based on the input product information, inputting the deposit, calculating the change amount, printing and issuing receipts, etc. The settlement processing is executed by the CPU 21 when the settlement key 31a on the input unit 31 is operated.

The CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 determines whether the settlement key 31a has been operated (step S11). If it is determined that the settlement key 31a has been operated (Yes in step S11), the CPU 21 determines whether an instruction to issue an electronic receipt has been issued (step S12).

A member may instruct the issuance of an electronic receipt in the following manner, for example.
1. The store clerk operates the “issue electronic receipt” button provided on the input unit 31 (e.g., a keyboard) of the POS terminal 2.
2. A consumer who is a member displays a barcode including a trigger code on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8, and a store clerk reads it using the input unit 31 (e.g., a barcode scanner) of the POS terminal 2.
3. The member consumer operates the “Issue electronic receipt” button displayed in a pressable manner on the customer display unit 30.
4. The member consumer displays a barcode including a trigger code on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8, and the member consumer himself/herself reads it with the input unit 31 of the POS terminal 2 (for example, a barcode scanner (preferably a scanner different from the scanner used for product registration)).
5. When a consumer who is a member presents a corporate membership card to receive a point service, the member code on the corporate membership card is read by the input unit 31 of the POS terminal 2 (e.g., a barcode scanner, a magnetic card reader, or NFC), and if the member code on the electronic receipt is associated with the read member code, it is determined that an instruction to issue an electronic receipt has been made.

If it is determined that an instruction to issue an electronic receipt has been issued (Yes in step S12), the CPU 21 (electronic receipt generation unit 26) generates electronic receipt information based on the product information and payment information (step S13). In addition to the product information, the CPU 21 extracts the company code (identification code of the company operating the store 1), industry/business type code, store code, consumer's membership code, POS number of the POS terminal 2, receipt number, etc. from the product sales data management area provided in the memory 22, and generates electronic receipt information based on this information. The CPU 21 (transmission unit 27) then associates the generated electronic receipt information with the consumer's membership code and transmits it to the electronic receipt server 6 (step S14).

If the CPU 21 determines in step S12 that issuing an electronic receipt has not been instructed (No in step S12), the CPU 21 generates receipt information based on the product information and payment information, sends it to the printer interface 25, and instructs the printer to issue a receipt (step S21). The printer connected to the printer interface 25 prints the receipt information and issues a receipt.

Next, the CPU 21 queries the electronic receipt server 6 for warranty information (step S22). The CPU 21 then determines whether warranty information in response to the query has been received from the electronic receipt server 6 (step S23). If it is determined that the warranty information has been received (Yes in step S23), the CPU 21 sends the received warranty information to the printer interface 25 and instructs the issuance of a warranty (step S24). The printer connected to the printer interface 25 prints the warranty information and issues the warranty. Note that if the CPU 21 determines that warranty information is not available as a result of the query for warranty information and therefore will not receive warranty information (No in step S23), the CPU 21 ends the process.

In addition, if it is determined in step S11 that the checkout key 31a has not been operated (No in step S11), the CPU 21 determines whether product information has been input (step S31). If it is determined that product information has been input (Yes in step S31), the CPU 21 executes product information processing (step S32). If it is determined that product information has not been input (No in step S31), the CPU 21 ends the process.

If the CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 goes offline when transmitting product information (transaction data) to the head office server, the CPU 21 takes the following measures to avoid the failure.
1. Automatic retry transmission 2. If 1. is not possible, store the transaction data until online recovery and then transmit it to the head office server. In this case, the CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 displays on the operator display unit 28 a message such as "The transaction data will be sent later."

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt management process executed by the CPU 41 of the electronic receipt server 6 operating according to the electronic receipt management program P1 and the information transmission process executed by the CPU 41 operating according to the information transmission program P2 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 9 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 9, the electronic receipt management program P1 executed by the electronic receipt server 6 includes a receiving unit 61 that functions as a receiving means. In addition, the warranty management program P16 executed by the electronic receipt server 6 includes a warranty presence/absence determination unit 62 that functions as a warranty presence/absence determination means, and a transmission unit 63 that functions as a transmission means. In terms of actual hardware, the CPU 41 reads out the electronic receipt management program P1 and the warranty management program P16 from the storage unit 43 and executes them, whereby the above-mentioned units are loaded onto the memory 42, and the receiving unit 61, warranty presence/absence determination unit 62, and transmission unit 63 are generated on the memory 42.

The receiving unit 61 receives electronic receipt information related to product sales data.

The warranty presence/absence determination unit 62 determines whether warranty information is stored in the warranty information storage unit corresponding to the electronic receipt information received by the receiving unit 61.

If the warranty presence/absence determination unit 62 determines that warranty information is not stored, the transmission unit 63 transmits the electronic receipt information received by the reception unit 61 to the electronic receipt management server 9 that collectively manages electronic receipt information, and if the warranty presence/absence determination unit 62 determines that warranty information is stored, the transmission unit 63 associates the warranty information with the electronic receipt information and transmits it to the electronic receipt management server 9.

In the flowchart of FIG. 10, the CPU 41 (receiving unit 61) of the electronic receipt server 6 determines whether the electronic receipt information transmitted from the POS terminal 2 has been received via the network interface 44 (step S41). If it is determined that the electronic receipt information has been received (Yes in step S41), the CPU 41 stores the electronic receipt information for each company in the electronic receipt management area 43a of the storage unit 43 (step S42).

Next, the CPU 41 searches the product information included in the received electronic receipt information to see if there is any product information for which a warranty should be issued (step S43). In step S43, the CPU 41 searches to see if warranty information for the product information included in the received electronic receipt information is stored in the warranty management area 43a1. If stored, the CPU 41 reads the warranty information from the warranty management area 43a1.

Next, the CPU 41 (warranty presence/absence determination unit 62) determines whether or not warranty information is present based on the search results (step S44). If it is determined that there is warranty information (Yes in step S44), the CPU 41 associates the read warranty information with the stored electronic receipt information and stores it in the electronic receipt management area 43a of the storage unit 43 (step S45). If it is determined that there is no warranty information (No in step S44), the CPU 41 ends the process.

When the CPU 41 determines that electronic receipt information has not been received (No in step S41), the CPU 41 determines whether it is time to send the electronic receipt information and warranty information stored in the electronic receipt management area 43a to the electronic receipt management server 9 (step S51). The CPU 41 determines that it is time to send when a predetermined time arrives or at predetermined time intervals. When it determines that it is time to send (Yes in step S51), the CPU 41 (transmission unit 63) sends the electronic receipt information and warranty information stored in the electronic receipt management area 43a to the electronic receipt management server 9 (step S52).

If it is determined in step S51 that it is not the timing to send the electronic receipt information or warranty information to the electronic receipt management server 9 (No in step S51), the CPU 41 determines whether or not an inquiry about warranty information has been made from the POS terminal 2 in step S22 (step S61). The determination as to whether or not an inquiry has been made is made based on whether or not an inquiry command and product information of the purchased product have been received from the POS terminal 2. If it is determined that an inquiry has been made (Yes in step S61), the CPU 41 searches whether or not the warranty information is stored in the warranty management area 43a1 (step S62). If it is stored, the CPU 41 reads the warranty information from the warranty management area 43a1.

Next, the CPU 41 determines whether or not there is warranty information based on the search results (step S63). If it determines that there is warranty information (Yes in step S63), the CPU 41 transmits the read warranty information to the POS terminal 2 that made the inquiry (step S64). If it determines that there was no inquiry about warranty information (No in step S61) or that there was no warranty information (No in step S63), the CPU 41 ends the process.

Note that the CPU 21 (electronic receipt generation unit 26) of the POS terminal 2 generates electronic receipt information and sends it to the electronic receipt server 6, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 may send the store code, the consumer's membership code, the POS number of the POS terminal 2, the receipt number, product sales data, etc. to the electronic receipt server 6 based on the product information and payment information registered at the time of payment through product sales data processing, and the CPU 41 of the electronic receipt server 6 may add the company code, industry/business type code, etc. to generate electronic receipt information.

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt management process executed by the CPU 51 of the electronic receipt management server 9 operating according to the electronic receipt management program P3, the product information transmission process executed by the CPU 51 operating according to the information transmission program P4, and the warranty management process executed by the CPU 51 operating according to the warranty management program P17 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 11 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 12.

11, the electronic receipt management program P3, the information transmission program P4, and the warranty management program P17 executed by the electronic receipt management server 9 are configured as modules including a receiving unit 91 functioning as a receiving means, an electronic receipt collective management unit 92 functioning as an electronic receipt collective management unit, a warranty information management unit 93 functioning as a warranty information management unit, an electronic receipt transmission unit 94 functioning as an electronic receipt transmission unit, a warranty information transmission unit 95 functioning as a warranty information transmission unit, a warranty existence information transmission unit 96 functioning as a warranty existence information transmission unit, and a warranty period determination unit 97 functioning as a warranty period determination unit. As actual hardware, the CPU 51 reads out the electronic receipt management program P3, the information transmission program P4, and the warranty management program P17 from the storage unit 53 and executes them, whereby the above-mentioned units are loaded onto the memory 52, and the receiving unit 91, the electronic receipt collective management unit 92, the warranty information management unit 93, the electronic receipt transmission unit 94, the warranty information transmission unit 95, the warranty existence information transmission unit 96, and the warranty period determination unit 97 are generated on the memory 52.

The receiving unit 91 receives electronic receipt information related to product sales data.

The electronic receipt centralized management unit 92 manages company codes indicating companies and electronic receipt information associated with multiple company codes received by the receiving unit 91.

The warranty information management unit 93 manages product warranty information along with the managed electronic receipt information.

The electronic receipt transmission unit 94 transmits electronic receipt information, which is associated with the consumer's membership code and includes at least one company code, to an information processing device associated with the membership code.

If the received electronic receipt information contains product information for a product for which a warranty is issued, the warranty information transmission unit 95 associates the managed warranty information with the consumer's membership code and transmits it to the information processing device.

The warranty existence information transmission unit 96 transmits information indicating the existence of a warranty to the information processing device.

The warranty period determination unit 97 determines whether the product warranty is within the warranty period based on the warranty information (information on the date the warranty information was sent from the electronic receipt server 6 and warranty period information) managed by the warranty information management unit 93.

As shown in FIG. 12, the CPU 51 (receiving unit 91) of the electronic receipt management server 9 determines whether or not the electronic receipt information and additional information transmitted from each company's electronic receipt server 6 have been received via the network interface 54 (step S71).

If it is determined that the electronic receipt information and additional information have been received (Yes in step S71), the CPU 51 of the electronic receipt management server 9 determines whether or not warranty information is associated (step S72). The warranty information is associated in step S45 as a process of the electronic receipt server 6.

If it is determined that the electronic receipt information is associated (Yes in step S72), the CPU 51 (electronic receipt collective management unit 92, warranty information management unit 93) stores the electronic receipt information in the electronic receipt management area 53a and stores the warranty information in the warranty information storage unit 53b (step S73). The CPU 51 associates the electronic receipt information stored in the electronic receipt management area 53a with the warranty information stored in the warranty information storage unit 53b. The CPU 51 associates and stores the electronic receipt information, a flag indicating that the warranty information exists, and the address of the warranty information storage unit 53b where the warranty information is stored in the electronic receipt management area 53a. The CPU 51 also stores the warranty information and the address of the electronic receipt management area 53a where the electronic receipt information is stored in the warranty information storage unit 53b.

Then, the CPU 51 (electronic receipt transmission unit 94, warranty existence information transmission unit 96) transmits the received electronic receipt information and information indicating the existence of warranty information to the mobile terminal 8 identified by the membership code received at the same time in step S71 (step S74). The information indicating the existence of warranty information is, for example, image information of an operation key on which the text information "warranty" is displayed, or image information of an operation key on which a mark indicating the existence of a warranty is displayed. Note that the information indicating the existence of warranty information may be any information that allows a person viewing the display on the mobile terminal 8 to recognize that a warranty exists for the product.

If it is determined in step S72 that the warranty information is not associated (No in step S72), the CPU 51 (electronic receipt collective management unit 92) stores the received electronic receipt information in the electronic receipt management area 53a (step S75). Then, the CPU 51 (electronic receipt transmission unit 94) transmits the stored electronic receipt information to the mobile terminal 8 identified by the membership code received at the same time in step S71 (step S76).

In addition, in step S71, if the CPU 51 determines that the electronic receipt information and the additional information have not been received (No in step S71), the CPU 51 determines whether or not there has been an inquiry about the electronic receipt information from the mobile terminal 8 (step S81). If it determines that there has been an inquiry about the electronic receipt information from the mobile terminal 8 (Yes in step S81), the CPU 51 searches the electronic receipt management area 53a and extracts the inquired electronic receipt information from the electronic receipt management area 53a (step S82).

Then, the CPU 51 judges whether the extracted electronic receipt information is associated with warranty information (step S83). This judgment is made based on whether a flag indicating the existence of warranty information is associated and stored with the extracted electronic receipt information, or whether an address of the warranty information storage unit 53b in which the warranty information is stored is associated and stored with the extracted electronic receipt information. If a flag indicating the existence of warranty information is associated and stored with the extracted electronic receipt information, or an address of the warranty information storage unit 53b in which the warranty information is stored is associated and stored with the extracted electronic receipt information, it is judged that warranty information is associated.

If the CPU 51 determines that warranty information is associated with the extracted electronic receipt information (Yes in step S83), the CPU 51 executes the process of step S74. If the CPU 51 determines that warranty information is not associated with the extracted electronic receipt information (No in step S83), the CPU 51 executes the process of step S76.

If it is determined that the mobile terminal 8 has not inquired about electronic receipt information (No in step S81), the CPU 51 determines whether or not there has been an inquiry about warranty information from the mobile terminal 8 (step S91). If the CPU 51 determines that there has been no inquiry about warranty information from the mobile terminal 8 (No in step S91), the CPU 51 ends the process. If the CPU 51 determines that there has been an inquiry about warranty information from the mobile terminal 8 (Yes in step S91), the CPU 51 (warranty period determination unit 97) checks the warranty information storage unit 53b (step S92) and determines whether the warranty information that has been inquired about is within the warranty period (step S93).

Whether or not the product is within the warranty period is determined based on the date and time the warranty information was sent from the electronic receipt server 6 and the warranty period stored in the warranty information storage unit 53b. In other words, if the date on which the warranty information was queried does not exceed the date on which the warranty information was sent from the electronic receipt server 6 plus the warranty period, the CPU 51 determines that the product specified by the warranty information is within the warranty period. Also, if the date on which the warranty information was queried exceeds the date on which the warranty information was sent from the electronic receipt server 6 plus the warranty period, the CPU 51 determines that the product specified by the warranty information has expired.

If the CPU 51 determines that the warranty information about which an inquiry was made is within the warranty period (Yes in step S93), the CPU 51 (warranty information transmission unit 95) transmits the extracted warranty information to the mobile device 8 about which an inquiry was made (step S94). In addition, if the CPU 51 determines that the warranty information about which an inquiry was made is beyond the warranty period (No in step S93), the CPU 51 transmits a message to the mobile device 8 about which an inquiry was made indicating that the warranty information cannot be transmitted because the warranty period has expired (step S95).

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt receiving process executed by the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 operating according to the electronic receipt compatible program P11 and the electronic receipt viewing process executed by the CPU 11 operating according to the electronic receipt viewing program P12 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 13 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 14.

As shown in FIG. 13, the electronic receipt corresponding program P11 and the electronic receipt viewing program P12 executed on the mobile terminal 8 are modularized to include a member matching unit 81 functioning as a member matching means, an electronic receipt receiving unit 82 functioning as an electronic receipt receiving unit, a warranty information receiving unit 83 functioning as a warranty information receiving unit, an electronic receipt display unit 84 functioning as an electronic receipt display unit, and a warranty information display unit 85 functioning as a warranty information display unit. As for actual hardware, the CPU 11 reads out the electronic receipt corresponding program P11 and the electronic receipt viewing program P12 from the storage unit 13 and executes them, whereby the above-mentioned units are loaded onto the memory 12, and the member matching unit 81, the electronic receipt receiving unit 82, the warranty information receiving unit 83, the electronic receipt display unit 84, and the warranty information display unit 85 are generated on the memory 12.

The member matching unit 81 matches the membership code of a specific consumer.

The electronic receipt receiving unit 82 receives electronic receipt information that is associated with a membership code and includes at least one company code from an electronic receipt management server 9 that centrally manages the electronic receipt information.

The warranty information receiving unit 83 receives warranty information associated with the electronic receipt information.

The electronic receipt display unit 84 sorts the electronic receipt information received by the electronic receipt receiving unit 82 by company code and displays it on the display unit 17. If information indicating the presence of warranty information is received, it displays image information of the warranty key 80 (see FIG. 20).

When warranty information is received by the warranty information receiving unit 83, the warranty information display unit 85 displays the warranty information together with the electronic receipt information.

As shown in FIG. 14, first, the CPU 11 (membership association unit 81) of the mobile terminal 8 accesses the electronic receipt management server 9 and executes authentication processing by inputting a membership code and a password (step S101). This associates the mobile terminal 8 with the membership code of a specific consumer.

After authentication, the CPU 11 (electronic receipt receiving unit 82) of the mobile terminal 8 receives the additional information and electronic receipt information managed in the electronic receipt management area 53a corresponding to the input membership code (step S102). The additional information and electronic receipt information may be received by email. The CPU 11 also receives information indicating the existence of a warranty.

Next, the CPU 11 (electronic receipt display unit 84) of the mobile terminal 8 displays a list of purchase dates included in the electronic receipt information on the display unit 17 (step S103). By displaying a list of purchase dates on the display unit 17 in this manner, the mobile terminal 8 prompts the user, who is a consumer, to select information.

Figure 15 is a front view showing a display example X on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8. As shown in Figure 15, display example X shows a list of days in a calendar format in which the user who owns the mobile terminal 8 that has accessed the electronic receipt management server 9 has shopped at various companies' stores, with the days displayed in different colors. The CPU 11 (electronic receipt display unit 84) of the mobile terminal 8 also displays the days in different colors so that the user can select the desired day from the list of days displayed in different colors with a cursor that follows the input on the input unit 18.

As shown in FIG. 15, display example X includes a search window A for specifying a language or keyword to be used as a search key. The CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 may narrow down the search to electronic receipt information that includes the language or keyword specified in search window A.

As shown in FIG. 15, display example X also has a "See receipt" button B1 for confirming the desired day after selecting it with the cursor. The CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 may determine that the desired day has been selected when the user simply taps on it, or may determine that the desired day has been selected when the user taps on the desired day and then operates the "See receipt" button B1.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, display example X has a "Campaign" button B2 for transitioning to an entry-type campaign page.

Note that FIG. 16 is a modified example of display example X. In display example X shown in FIG. 16, a user who owns a mobile terminal 8 that has accessed the electronic receipt management server 9 can intuitively grasp the stores where the user shopped by attaching a mark M or the like of the company's store to the days on which the user shopped at the stores of the company. In other words, according to display example X shown in FIG. 16, it is easy to know information about which company's store the user frequently shops at. Note that in order to display the store mark M, a table is prepared in which the mark is previously associated with the company code included in the electronic receipt information.

The CPU 11 (electronic receipt display unit 84) of the mobile terminal 8 determines whether the user has tapped to select the desired date (step S104). It waits until a selection is made (No in step S104), and when it determines that a selection has been made (Yes in step S104), it displays electronic receipt information corresponding to the selected date on the display unit 17 (step S105). The CPU 11 displays image information of the warranty key 80, which is information indicating the presence of a warranty, to the right of the product price of the corresponding product.

Figure 17 is a front view showing display example Y on a mobile terminal. As shown in Figure 17, display example Y is a list of stores of various companies where a user who owns a mobile terminal 8 that has accessed the electronic receipt management server 9 has shopped, displayed by date. More specifically, display example Y is a chronological display in the order in which the electronic receipt information was received, and displays the company mark, transaction time, company name, and store name. In addition, the CPU 11 (electronic receipt display unit 84) of the mobile terminal 8 displays the store information by day in a way that allows the user to select the desired store by day from the list of store information by day with a cursor that follows the input by the input unit 18.

Note that FIG. 18 is a modified example of display example Y. In display example Y of FIG. 18, a "time bar" is arranged in which the time is displayed at regular time intervals. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the intervals are one hour. Since electronic receipt information is displayed at regular time intervals in this way, it is easy to grasp the situation of the blank time when no electronic receipt information is displayed and to imagine the time when there is no electronic receipt information, i.e., when no shopping is done at the store.

Figure 19 is also a modified example of display example Y. Display example Y in Figure 19 displays only the usage history at a specific company's stores sorted in chronological order by touching the company mark in display example Y. By displaying a list of only the stores of companies that are frequently used in this way, it becomes easy to understand the usage situation.

The CPU 11 (electronic receipt display unit 84) of the mobile terminal 8 determines whether the user has selected the desired store for that day (step S106). The CPU 11 waits until a selection is made (No in step S106), and when it determines that a selection has been made (Yes in step S106), the CPU 11 displays electronic receipt information corresponding to the selected store for that day on the display unit 17 (step S107). The CPU 11 displays image information of the warranty key 80, which is information indicating the presence of a warranty, positioned to the right of the product price of the corresponding product.

Figure 20 is a front view showing display example Z on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8. As shown in Figure 20, display example Z displays electronic receipt information of a desired store on a desired day when the user who owns the mobile terminal 8 accessed the electronic receipt management server 9 made a purchase. Display example Z analyzes the electronic receipt information and has the same layout as a paper receipt, and the cursor that follows the input on the input unit 18 can be used to focus on product a or icon b (a button-shaped icon labeled "Apply" in Figure 20) that represents various additional information associated with the product.

The screen display image does not necessarily have to be a receipt image. However, the electronic receipt information is a substitute for paper receipt information, and is electronic product purchase proof information that proves that a product has been purchased. In display example Z, the following information is displayed in order to be used as product purchase proof information to be presented to a store in the event of a return.
・Store name ・Purchase date and time ・Purchase details ・Total sales amount ・Deposit amount ・Change amount ・Cash register number ・Transaction number ・Warranty key

As shown in FIG. 20, the warranty key 80, which is a type of icon, is displayed on the display unit 17 in response to the associated product information when information is received indicating that a warranty exists for a product displayed in the purchase product details. The warranty key 80 is displayed to the right of the product price. The warranty key 80 is image information of an operation key. The warranty key 80 is displayed together with the characters "warranty", for example. In FIG. 20, it indicates that a warranty exists for "product A". It indicates that no warranty exists for "product B", "product C", and "product D". The displayed warranty key 80 can be operated by a person by touching the display screen. When the warranty key 80 is operated, inquiry information for warranty information related to the product information is sent to the electronic receipt management server 9.

Figure 21 shows an example of warranty information 80a received from the electronic receipt management server 9 and displayed on the display unit 17 when the warranty key 80 is operated and warranty information is queried from the mobile terminal 8. The warranty information 80a includes an indication that the displayed information is a warranty, as well as customer information, product information of the purchased product 80b, warranty period 80c, warranty regulations 80d that set out the warranty conditions and agreements, and contact information (email address, etc.) 80e of the manufacturer that issued the warranty. The contact information is displayed in an operable manner, and the manufacturer's homepage can be accessed by operating it. The displayed warranty information can also be downloaded to the mobile terminal 8 for storage.

Here, we will provide an overview of the return process. As mentioned above, consumers can refer to past electronic receipt information using their membership code as a key.

In this embodiment, the return process is similar to the return process using a paper receipt, in that when returning an item, the user confirms the electronic receipt information displayed on the display unit 17 of the mobile device 8, or confirms the pre-printed receipt information before returning the item.

1. The consumer displays the electronic receipt information on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8 together with the product to be returned, and presents the electronic receipt information to the store.
2. The store clerk performs a journal search based on the sales date and time, register number, and transaction number from the electronic receipt information provided, and confirms the transaction details.
3. The store clerk operates the POS terminal 2 to carry out the return process.
4. After executing the return processing, the CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 needs to invalidate the original electronic receipt information, and therefore updates the electronic receipt information managed in the electronic receipt management area 43 a of the electronic receipt server 6.
5. The CPU 21 of the POS terminal 2 issues electronic receipt information at the time of return.
6. At the same time, the electronic receipt server 6 updates the electronic receipt information managed in the electronic receipt management area 53a of the electronic receipt management server 9 functioning as a customer receipt management server, and invalidates the original electronic receipt information. After that, the electronic receipt server 6 updates the electronic receipt management area 53a of the electronic receipt management server 9 with the electronic receipt information at the time of return, and stores it.

Here, the CPU 11 judges whether the user has selected an appropriate product or an icon associated with the product (step S108). If it is judged that the user has selected the product (Yes in step S108), the CPU 11 judges whether the selected icon is the warranty key 80 (step S109). If it is judged that the selected icon is the warranty key 80 (Yes in step S109), the CPU 11 (warranty information receiving unit 83) judges whether warranty information has been received from the electronic receipt management server 9 (step S110). The CPU 11 waits until the warranty information is received (No in step S110), and if it is judged that the warranty information has been received (Yes in step S110), the CPU 11 (warranty information display unit 85) displays the received warranty information on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8 (step S111). Details of the warranty information displayed on the display unit 17 will be described later with reference to FIG. 21. Note that, if the warranty period has expired for the queried warranty information, the CPU 11 displays a message indicating that the warranty period has expired.

If it is determined that the warranty key 80 has not been selected (No in step S109), the CPU 11 determines whether information about the selected icon has been received (step S112). The CPU 11 waits until the information has been received (No in step S112), and if it determines that the information has been received (Yes in step S112), the CPU 11 displays the received information on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8 (step S113).

For example, if a homepage associated with product A is set as a product information link as the access information for the product A, when a desired product is selected, the homepage associated with the product is displayed on the display unit 17.

In addition, if a homepage associated with an application campaign is set as access information for the button-shaped icon b labeled "Apply," when the "Apply" button is selected, the application campaign page associated with the "Apply" button is displayed on the display unit 17.

In addition, if a homepage associated with a commercial is set as access information for a banner c, which is a type of icon, when the banner c is selected, the commercial associated with the banner c is displayed on the display unit 17.

After displaying the warranty information and other information on the display unit 17, or if it is determined in step S108 that no product or icon has been selected (No in step S108), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the processing of the mobile terminal 8 has ended (step S114). If it is determined that the processing has ended (Yes in step S114), the CPU 11 ends the processing. If it is determined that the processing has not ended (No in step S114), the CPU 11 returns to the processing of step S108.

As described above in step S102 of FIG. 14, a case where the mobile terminal 8 receives electronic receipt information and additional information from the electronic receipt management server 9, rather than accessing the electronic receipt management server 9 from the mobile terminal 8, will also be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 22.

The CPU 11 (electronic receipt receiving unit 82) of the mobile terminal 8 receives the electronic receipt information and additional information from the electronic receipt management server 9 (step S121).

Then, the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 judges whether the electronic receipt viewing program P12 has been started (step S122). It waits until it has been started (No in step S122), and if it is determined that it has been started (Yes in step S122), the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 (electronic receipt display unit 84) displays the received electronic receipt information and additional information in association with the company code (step S123).

Fig. 23 is a front view showing an example of display transition on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8. Display example O shown in Fig. 23 displays electronic receipt information arranged by company code in the order received from the electronic receipt management server 9. In display example O shown in Fig. 23, it is possible to select one piece of electronic receipt information by a flick operation (sliding a finger left and right) or touch on the input unit 18 (touch panel layered on the display unit 17). In addition, on an electronic receipt to which coupon information has been added, a message saying "Coupon available" is displayed as additional information, as shown in display example O in Fig. 23.

When one piece of electronic receipt information is selected, the selected electronic receipt information is displayed on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8, as shown in display example P in FIG. 23. Display example P analyzes the electronic receipt information and has the same layout as a paper receipt, and allows scrolling on the input unit 18 (a touch panel layered on the display unit 17). In addition, it is possible to operate the icon b (a button-shaped icon called "Coupon Information" in FIG. 23) that represents various additional information associated with the product via the input unit 18 (a touch panel layered on the display unit 17).

Next, the flow of the statistical information generation process executed by the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 operating according to the statistical information generation program P13 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 24.

The CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 accesses the electronic receipt management server 9 and executes authentication processing by inputting a membership code and password (step S131).

After authentication, the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 determines whether information necessary for generating statistical information, such as the period for generating statistical information and the type of statistical information, has been input (step S132). The CPU 11 waits until information has been input (No in step S132), and if it determines that information has been input (Yes in step S132), it receives electronic receipt information managed in the electronic receipt management area 53a corresponding to the input membership code and the information necessary for generating statistical information (step S133).

Next, the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 generates statistical information based on the information required to generate the statistical information from the acquired electronic receipt information (e.g., company code and industry/business type code) (step S134), and displays the generated statistical information on the display unit 17 (step S135).

Figure 25 is a front view showing a display example C1 on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8. As shown in Figure 25, display example C1 displays, in the form of a pie chart, the results of statistical analysis by industry and business type for the total sales amount in the product sales data contained in the electronic receipt information for a specified period. Display example C1 makes it easy to know the amount of consumption by industry and business type, and information such as which industry and business type of store the user frequently shops at.

The pie chart shown in FIG. 25 is a statistic broken down by industry and business type codes included in the electronic receipt information, but members may be allowed to set their own industry and business type codes and use them as classification codes to arbitrarily classify companies.

Figure 26 is a front view showing another display example C2 on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8. As shown in Figure 26, display example C2 displays, in the form of a bar graph, the results of statistical analysis by category on the total sales amount in the product sales data contained in the monthly electronic receipt information. With display example C2, it is easy to know the consumption amount and ratio by category.

Next, the flow of receipt information transfer executed by the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 operating according to the receipt information transfer program P14 will be described with reference to the screen transition diagram shown in FIG. 27.

Traditionally, when a consumer purchases goods on behalf of a family member or friend at a supermarket or other grocery store, they would either ask the store clerk to print out multiple receipts as proof at checkout and then hand them over to the person on their behalf, or they would present the contents of a single receipt to the person on their behalf and receive payment from the person on their behalf.

In this regard, in this embodiment, the electronic receipt information, which is the purchase data for items purchased on your behalf, can be divided and transferred to family and friends who are registered as members of the electronic receipt system, allowing accurate proof of purchase.

Figure 27 is a screen transition diagram showing the flow of receipt information transfer. Display example Z shown in Figure 27(a) displays electronic receipt information of a desired store on a desired day when a user who owns a mobile terminal 8 that has accessed the electronic receipt management server 9 made a purchase, as described in Figure 20. Display example Z shown in Figure 27(a) also displays a "Split receipt" button d, which declares that the electronic receipt information will be split and transferred.

When the "Split Receipt" button d is operated as shown in FIG. 27(a), the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 displays a display example D (see FIG. 27(b)) that allows the user to select a person to whom the electronic receipt information is to be transferred from among family members or friends who are registered as members of the electronic receipt system.

As shown in FIG. 27(b), when one of the family members or friends who are registered as members of the electronic receipt system is selected, the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 returns to the display example Z of the electronic receipt information (FIG. 27(c)), and allows the user to select the purchased item to be transferred. In addition, the display example Z shown in FIG. 27(c) displays a "Deliver to friend" button e, which declares that the divided delivery of the electronic receipt information has been confirmed.

As shown in FIG. 27(c), when the purchased item to be transferred is selected from the electronic receipt information and the "Send to friend" button e is operated, the divided electronic receipt information is sent to the transfer recipient selected in display example D.

Figure 28 is a front view showing a display example on the display unit 17 of the mobile terminal 8 of the transfer destination. Display example F shown in Figure 28 displays the delegated electronic receipt information. Also, display example F shown in Figure 28 displays a "Receive receipt" button f that declares that the electronic receipt information has been received.

When the "Receive Receipt" button f shown in Figure 28 is operated, information indicating that the electronic receipt information has been received is sent to the party from which the transfer originated.

Then, as shown in FIG. 27(d), when the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 receives information indicating that electronic receipt information has been received from the transferee mobile terminal 8, the CPU 11 of the mobile terminal 8 adds a message indicating the transfer (for example, "The receipt has been sent to AAA") to the transferred purchased item in the display example Z.

By applying this system, restaurants, amusement parks, etc. will be able to use electronic receipts for discounted billing. In addition, when using discounted billing, it will be possible to divide the bill equally, multiply the bill by a specific weight, or round up any fractional amounts.

It is also possible for electronic receipt information to be shared between electronic receipt members. By associating multiple membership codes, for example, it becomes possible for a family, group, or company department to share sales data for products purchased by each individual.

In this way, according to this embodiment, unlike the conventional company-based electronic receipt system, it is possible to introduce an electronic receipt system beyond the boundaries of a company, which can promote the introduction of electronic receipts.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the warranty information is managed in association with the electronic receipt information, so the warranty information can be sent to the mobile terminal 8 and displayed.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the existence of warranty information can be displayed on the mobile terminal 8, and the warranty information can be displayed on the mobile terminal 8 by operating the mobile terminal 8.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

For example, when a product with a warranty is purchased, the warranty information may be sent directly to the mobile terminal 8 together with the electronic receipt information, without sending information indicating the existence of the warranty to the mobile terminal 8. In this case, the mobile terminal 8 displays the warranty information together with the received electronic receipt information.

In addition, the warranty information may be stored in the electronic receipt management server 9 instead of the electronic receipt server 6.

In addition, warranty information for which the warranty period has expired may be sent to the mobile terminal 8 together with information indicating that the warranty period has expired, and the mobile terminal 8 may display the warranty information together with a message indicating that the warranty period has expired.

2 POS terminal 6 Electronic receipt server 8 Mobile terminal 9 Electronic receipt management server 26 Electronic receipt generation unit 27 Transmission unit 61 Reception unit 62 Warranty presence/absence determination unit 63 Transmission unit 81 Member association unit 82 Electronic receipt reception unit 83 Warranty information reception unit 84 Electronic receipt display unit 85 Warranty information display unit 91 Reception unit 92 Electronic receipt collective management unit 93 Warranty information management unit 94 Electronic receipt transmission unit 95 Warranty information transmission unit 96 Warranty presence information transmission unit 97 Warranty period determination unit

JP 2003-123144 A JP 2007-316750 A

Claims (4)

an electronic receipt receiving means for receiving, from an electronic receipt management server, electronic receipt information including product information of a product sold in correspondence with a membership code of a consumer, and information for inquiring about warranty information including product information of a product requiring a warranty, which is associated with the electronic receipt information;
an electronic receipt display means for displaying the electronic receipt information received by the electronic receipt receiving means and information for checking the warranty information on a display unit;
a warranty information display means for receiving and displaying the warranty information when the warranty information is inquired via information for inquiring about the warranty information;
Equipped with
The warranty information display means receives and displays information indicating that the warranty period has expired if the inquiry date is beyond the warranty period of the warranty information . the warranty information display means, when making an inquiry about the warranty information via the information for inquiring about the warranty information, receives and displays the warranty information including at least the purchase date and the product name;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The computer of the information processing device ,
an electronic receipt receiving means for receiving, from an electronic receipt management server, electronic receipt information including product information of a product sold in correspondence with a membership code of a consumer, and information for inquiring about warranty information including product information of a product requiring a warranty, which is associated with the electronic receipt information;
an electronic receipt display means for displaying the electronic receipt information received by the electronic receipt receiving means and information for checking the warranty information on a display unit;
a warranty information display means for receiving and displaying the warranty information when the warranty information is inquired via information for inquiring about the warranty information;
and make it work.
The warranty information display means is a program for receiving and displaying information indicating that the warranty period has expired if the inquiry date is beyond the warranty period of the warranty information . An electronic receipt system having an information processing device and an electronic receipt management server,
The electronic receipt management server includes:
an electronic receipt information storage means for storing electronic receipt information including product information of a product sold in association with a membership code of a consumer;
a warranty information storage means for storing warranty information including product information of a product requiring a warranty;
an electronic receipt management means for storing, when the electronic receipt information stored in the electronic receipt information storage means includes product information related to the warranty information stored in the warranty information storage means, the electronic receipt information being associated with the warranty information corresponding to the product information;
an electronic receipt transmitting means for transmitting the electronic receipt information and information for inquiring about warranty information associated with the electronic receipt information to an information processing device associated with a membership code of the consumer;
a warranty information transmitting means for transmitting the warranty information to the information processing device when the warranty information is inquired via information for inquiring about the warranty information;
Equipped with
The information processing device includes:
an electronic receipt receiving means for receiving, from the electronic receipt management server, electronic receipt information including product information of a product sold in association with a membership code of a consumer, and information for inquiring about warranty information including product information of a product requiring a warranty, which is associated with the electronic receipt information;
an electronic receipt display means for displaying the electronic receipt information received by the electronic receipt receiving means and information for checking the warranty information on a display unit;
a warranty information display means for receiving and displaying the warranty information when the warranty information is inquired via information for inquiring about the warranty information;
Equipped with
the warranty information transmitting means transmits information indicating that the warranty period has expired to the information processing device when the date of receipt of the inquiry is beyond the warranty period of the warranty information;
The warranty information display means receives and displays information indicating that the warranty period has expired if the inquiry date is beyond the warranty period of the warranty information.

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