Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-14
2001-03-13
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
C235S379000, C235S437000, C902S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199755
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method which provide services such as repair charge estimation and software upgrading with the use of an IC card containing data on electronic money and on the internal status of machines including PCs and household electrical appliances.
2. Description of Related Art
When a personal computer or a household electrical appliance fails, the user normally takes it to an electrical appliances store or a manufacturer's service center to ask for an estimate of repair charges. In this case, the user must bring the failed computer or appliance to the store or the center himself, or ask a transportation company to transport it. This is very troublesome. In addition, as electrical appliances have become more and more sophisticated recently, it sometimes takes a long time to find the cause of a failure or to make an estimate of repair charges.
On the other hand, the introduction of an electronic purse system using an IC card, as described in Japanese Patent Publication Kokai JP-A No. Hei 3-92966, is now under study. This system utilizes an IC card which contains memory, into which information on a specified amount of money is stored. At the time of payment, the required amount data read from the IC card is transmitted, to complete a transaction without using money. The IC card used with this system can store not only electronic money data but various other types of data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a labor-saving and time-saving system which uses an IC card containing sum (cash value) information for use in services such as an estimate of repair charges.
A machine data acquisition system according to the present invention is connected to a machine, is used to acquire data on the internal status of the machine, and is used with an IC card having storage. This machine data acquisition system comprises an IC card accepting module for accepting the IC card; a machine data acquisition module for acquiring data on the internal status of the connected machine; and an IC card writing module for writing the data on the internal status of the machine acquired by the machine data acquisition module into the storage in the IC card.
A machine according to the present invention is used with an IC card having storage. This machine comprises an IC card accepting module for accepting the IC card; a machine data acquisition module for acquiring data on the internal status of the machine; a writing module for writing the machine data acquired by the machine data acquisition module into the storage in the IC card; and a data sending module for sending data stored in the storage in the IC card over a communication line.
In the data acquisition system and the machine described above, machine-specific data may be stored previously in the storage in the IC card. This machine-specific data, as well as the acquired machine data, is sent over the communication line. Alternatively, only the machine-specific data may be sent. For example, the machine-specific data can be machine guarantee data (i.e., machine warranty data) or machine disposal information (e.g. disposal method, parts materials).
A machine data collection method of collecting data on the internal status of a machine according to the present invention comprises the steps of acquiring data on the internal status of the machine; recording the acquired data in an IC card; sending the machine status data over a communication line; and receiving the sent data.
A terminal according to the present invention is used with an IC card containing sum information and machine data. This terminal comprises an IC card accepting module for accepting the IC card; a data reading module for reading data stored on the IC card; and a data sending module for sending, over a communication line, data read by the data reading module.
An IC card according to the present invention is used with a machine whose internal status data is to be acquired. This IC card comprises sum information storage for storing sum information; and machine data storage for storing internal data on the machine. Another form of IC card according to the present invention comprises sum information storage for storing sum information; and disposal data storage for storing disposal data required when a machine is disposed of
A data processing system according to the present invention is used with an IC card on which sum information and software information are recorded. This data processing system comprises a storage module for storing a software; an IC card accepting module for accepting the IC card; a data reading module for reading data from the IC card; a sending module for sending, over a communication line, the software information read by the data reading module; a receiving module for receiving charge information required for upgrading the software, the charge information being sent in response to the sent software information; and a sum information sending module for sending sum information from the IC card, the sum information corresponding to the received charge information.
A software upgrading method according to the present invention uses an IC card on which sum information and software information are recorded. This method first reads the software information and sends the read information over a communication line. Next, the method receives the information that was sent over a communication line and calculates a charge required for upgrading the software based on the received information. Next, the method sends the calculated charge information. Then, the method receives the charge information required for upgrading the software; and sends sum information from the IC card, the sum information corresponding to the received charge information.
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Inamitsu Tetsuharu
Inoue Masayuki
Itoh Shigeyuki
Matsumoto Kenji
Takami Yutaka
Cyr Daniel St.
Hitachi , Ltd.
Le Thien M.
Mattingly Stanger & Malur, P.C.
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