WO2003046787A1

WO2003046787A1 - Rental machine management system and rental machine

Info

Publication number: WO2003046787A1
Application number: PCT/JP2002/012380
Authority: WO
Inventors: Munekazu Inden; Naruki Inden
Original assignee: Chuo Sangyo Corporation
Priority date: 2001-11-29
Filing date: 2002-11-27
Publication date: 2003-06-05
Also published as: JP2003168053A; AU2002349569A1

Abstract

A system for remotely managing a rental machine that a manager has rented to a user and a rental machine are disclosed. In this rental machine management system, a rental machine rented to a user is connected to a managing device of the manager of the rental machine through a network, the rental machine has charge information transmitting means for transmitting charge information for calculating the use fee of the rental machine to the managing device, the managing device has control information transmitting means for transmitting control information for controlling the enablement of operation of the rental machine to the rental machine. Thus, a system enables a remote manager to properly manage a rental machine with security and satisfies both the user and manager of the rental machine about the payment of the rental fee (use fee), and a rental machine are provided.

Description

Specification

Lending equipment management system and lending equipment

The present invention belongs to a technical field related to a system for remotely managing a rental device lent to a user by an administrator and a rental device.

Conventionally, products of various sizes, from low-priced to high-priced products, have been lent and borrowed. Some of the products to be lent are lent and borrowed in hours or days, such as rental videos.However, even products that are originally purchased and used are treated as rental products because they are expensive. Some are used for a long period of time, in months or years. Examples of the latter include office equipment, measuring equipment, beauty equipment, and amusement equipment. The lending of such expensive products has the advantage that the user can pay a rental fee (royalties) according to the period of use, thereby reducing the financial burden compared to purchasing. . It is also difficult for sellers to sell a large number of expensive products in terms of business.However, it can be spread by lending them as rental products, and profits can be gained by selling maintenance and consumables it can. '

However, if there are a large number of management companies and maintenance companies nationwide that manage these loans, such as fax machines and copiers for office equipment, the person in charge can use the equipment at any time. You can go to the side. Therefore, maintenance can be performed at any time as needed, and even if the rental fee is not paid, the equipment can be immediately removed, for example. However, if the equipment lent to various parts of the country is managed by a small number of management companies, it would be expensive to just send the person in charge to the employer. As a result, it was not possible to immediately cope with the necessity of maintenance or the occurrence of unpaid rental fees. In addition, the rental fee for such a rental device is usually determined during the lending period, and payment is made in advance, after payment, or on a monthly basis. However, in the equipment that is used for a long time as described above, even if the same lending period is used, the usage status is liable to vary, such as when the device is used frequently or only occasionally. Therefore, if the rental fee is set during the loan period, the frequency of use is not reflected in the fee, and both managers and users are likely to feel unfair. In order to correct this unfairness, it is conceivable to have the employer declare the time and frequency of use, but in some cases the employer makes a false report, leaving room for fraud. In addition, it is conceivable that the administrator can check the rental equipment and check the exact usage time and frequency.However, as mentioned above, the administrator goes to remote users, which is costly. Not reasonable. In this way, there is a demand from managers that they want to grasp the usage status accurately without any fraud, and a demand that users want to keep the rental fee as low as possible in accordance with the frequency of use. was there.

In view of such a problem, the present invention has the following objects. An object of the present invention is to provide a system and a rental device that are highly convincing to both the user and the administrator of the rental device in paying the rental fee (royalties).

Another object of the present invention is to be able to accurately manage a rental device lent to a remote place without using personnel expenses.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a rental device to be lent to a remote place with ease.

In order to achieve the above object, a lending equipment management system according to the present invention includes a lending equipment to be lent to a user and a management device of an administrator of the lending equipment connected via a network. A charging information transmitting unit for transmitting charging information for calculating the usage fee of the device to the management device is provided, and the management device transmits control information for controlling whether or not to operate the rental device to the rental device. Control information transmitting means for transmitting the control information.

In this configuration, the information for accounting, which is obtained by operating the lent device lent to the user, is transmitted from the lent device to the management device, so that the usage fee of the lent device on the management device side is reduced. Is calculated. In addition, since the management device can transmit control information for enabling or disabling the rental device to the rental device, the administrator side can control the remote rental device even if the rental device is remote. However, the operation can be forcibly stopped at any time if necessary.

Further, in the rental equipment management system, the control information transmitting means can transmit the control information according to whether or not the charging information is transmitted from the rental equipment. In this way, if the charging information for calculating the usage fee is not transmitted from the rental device, the operation of the rental device can be disabled by the control information.

Further, in the rental equipment management system, the control information transmitting means can transmit the control information according to the payment status of the rental equipment usage fee. As a result, if the usage fee calculated based on the billing information is not paid by the user to the administrator, the operation of the rental device can be disabled by the control information.

In the rental equipment management system, the rental equipment is provided with malfunction information transmitting means for transmitting malfunction information indicating a result of the malfunction of the rental equipment to the management apparatus, and the control information transmission means of the management apparatus includes the malfunction information. Control information can be transmitted according to the content of the control information. Thereby, the malfunction information of the rented device is transmitted to the management device, so that the management device can grasp the occurrence status of the malfunction of the lent device. If it is determined that the operation of the rental device should be forcibly stopped based on the content of the malfunction information, the operation of the rental device can be disabled by the control information transmitted from the management device. it can.

Further, in the rental device management system, the rental device includes an emergency information transmission for transmitting emergency information indicating an abnormal operation state of the rental device to the management device. Means is provided, and the control information transmitting means of the management device can transmit control information for stopping the operation of the lent device when the emergency information is received. Thus, the emergency information is transmitted from the rental device to the management device, so that the management device can grasp the abnormal operation state of the rental device. Then, when emergency information is received, control information for forcibly stopping the operation of the rental equipment is transmitted from the management device, so that the safety of the rental equipment at a remote location is ensured.

Further, in the rental equipment management system, the management apparatus is provided with usage fee calculating means for calculating a usage fee for each rental equipment based on the received charging information, whereby the management apparatus is provided based on the charging information. May be used to calculate the usage fee for each rental device.

In the rental equipment management system, the management device is connected via a network to a settlement institution terminal of an institution that settles the usage fee, and the management device includes a settlement request unit that transmits a request for settlement of the usage fee to the settlement institution terminal. May be provided. Accordingly, the management device may request the settlement institution terminal to settle the usage fee.

Also, the lending device of the present invention is a lending device to be lent to a user from an administrator, and charging information transmitting means for transmitting charging information for calculating a usage fee of the lending device to a management device of the administrator. A control information receiving means for receiving from the management device control information for controlling whether or not to operate the rental device according to whether or not the charging information is transmitted. As a result, the information for charging that is grasped when the user operates the rental device is transmitted to the management device in order to calculate the usage fee. When the charging information is not transmitted, control information for disabling the operation of the lent device may be received from the management device, and the use of the control information may be forcibly stopped.

Also, the lending device of the present invention is a lending device to be lent to a user from an administrator, and charging information transmitting means for transmitting charging information for calculating a usage fee of the lending device to a management device of the administrator. Receives control information from the management device to control the availability of the rental equipment according to the payment status of the rental equipment usage fee Control information receiving means. As a result, the information for charging that is grasped when the user operates the rental device is transmitted to the management device in order to calculate the usage fee. If the user does not pay the usage fee, control information for disabling the operation of the rental device may be received from the management device, and the use of the rental device may be forcibly stopped.

Also, the lending device of the present invention is a lending device that is lent to a user from an administrator and measures the amount of material used by the user, and manages the amount measured by the lending device as charging information. Means for transmitting charging information to the management device of the client, and means for receiving control information from the management device for controlling whether or not to operate the rental equipment according to the payment status of the fee calculated from the charging information. And are provided. With this, for example, to measure the usage of gas, electricity, water, etc., in the rental equipment lent to the user, the fee is calculated based on the usage of gas, electric, water, etc. measured by the rental equipment Is transmitted to the management device as charging information. If the user does not pay the fee, control information for disabling the operation of the rental equipment is received from the management device, the use is forcibly stopped, and the use of gas, electricity, and water is stopped. It may not be possible.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the embodiment (1).

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment (1).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the embodiment (1).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the embodiment (1).

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the embodiment (2).

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment (2).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the embodiment (2).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the embodiment (2).

<Best mode for carrying out the invention> Hereinafter, a lending device management system and a lending device will be described with reference to the drawings as an embodiment (1) of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the embodiment (1), FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment (1), and FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts of the embodiment (1).

In the rental equipment management system 1 of the embodiment (1), a rental equipment 2 to be lent to a user and a management device 3 of an administrator of the rental equipment 2 are connected via a network 4.

The rental equipment 2 includes equipment of various sizes, from low-priced equipment to high-priced equipment. Here, the expensive equipment lent for a relatively long time will be described as an example. Specifically, beauty equipment is used as an example, and one manager manages beauty equipment that is lent to stores and individuals throughout the country (also referred to as users).

The rental device 2 includes an operation unit 21 operated by a user, a display unit 22 for displaying an operation status, and the like, and a control unit 23 for controlling an output state and the whole according to the rental device 2. And a transmission unit 24 for exchanging information with the management device 3. The operation unit 21 largely varies depending on the type of the rental device 2, but includes a button, a touch panel, a keyboard, a voice recognition microphone, and the like. In the case of a beauty device, a voltage for adjusting an output state for performing a treatment is provided. There are switches for setting the current and current, and switches for turning ON / OFF the output to the attached equipment. The display unit 22 is an LCD, an LED, or the like, and displays a set condition or a running state. The content of the display is arbitrarily determined according to the type of the rental equipment. Further, the control unit 23 includes a CPU, a R / M, a RAM, an input / output port, a timer, and the like, and these may be integrated into one chip. The control section 23 is generally a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 23 accumulates and manages the operation information of the rented equipment 2, passes information to be transmitted to the management device 3 to the transmission unit 24, and receives and decodes information received from the management device 3. I do. The transmission unit 24 converts the information received from the control unit 23 into a signal, transmits the signal to the management device 3, and passes the information received from the management device 3 to the control unit 23. This transmission section 2 4 May be built into the rental equipment 2 or may be externally attached. As described later, in the embodiment (1), a telephone line is used for the network 4, so that the transmission unit 24 converts the signal to a telephone line signal. The management device 3 exchanges information with an operation unit 31 operated by an administrator, a display unit 32 that displays received information, etc., a control unit 33 that controls the entire system, and a rental device 2. A transmission section 34 is provided. The operation unit 31 includes a button, a touch panel, a keyboard, a voice recognition microphone, etc., and performs operations necessary for management and aggregation of information. The display unit 32 includes an LCD, a CRT, and the like, and displays received information and the like. The display unit 32 may be connected to a printer. The contents of display and printing can be determined arbitrarily. The control unit 33 includes a CPU, a R / M, a RAM, an input / output port, a timer, and the like, and these may be integrated into one chip. The control unit 33 is generally a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 33 decodes the information received from the rental device 2, controls each unit, and receives a signal from each unit. The transmission unit 34 converts the information received from the control unit 33 into a signal and transmits the signal to the lending device 2, and passes the information received from the lending device 2 to the control unit 33. As described later, in the embodiment (1), since a telephone line is used for the network 4, the transmission unit 34 converts the signal into a telephone line signal. The management device 3 may be a general computer, or may be configured as a device having only the functions of the respective units described above.

Network 4 is a network including commercial lines such as telephone lines, dedicated lines, wireless and other communication lines, and communication satellites. In the embodiment (1), a description will be given of a telephone line.

The rental equipment 2 will be further described. The control unit 23 of the lending device 2 is provided with storage means 2 31 for accumulating and storing operation information of the lending device 2. The storage means 2 31 also stores identification information (such as an ID number) assigned in advance to identify the rental device 2. The operation information includes charging information for calculating the usage fee and malfunction information indicating a result of malfunction of the rental device 2. The billing information is the operating time and the number of times the rental device 2 is operated. Here, it is stored as the cumulative operation time and the cumulative number of operations. This storage means 2 31 is set so that it cannot be initialized after shipment, so that the user is prevented from initializing and making unauthorized use of the operation information. In the case of beauty equipment, the operating time is the time that the equipment was used after the power was turned on, and the number of times that the power was turned on is the number of operations. How to set the operation information can be changed according to the type and purpose of the rental equipment 2.

On the other hand, the malfunction information is information indicating a result of the malfunction of the control unit 23. In the control unit 23 of the embodiment (1), various states such as runaway, hangup (stop state), and infinite loop (stop) can be considered as malfunctions, but if an instruction is not executed within a certain time, The control unit 23 is set to perform a reset operation (self-recovery operation) automatically, judging that it is stopped. Therefore, by storing the number of times of this reset operation as malfunction information, it is possible to transmit to the management device 3 how much malfunction the rental device 2 has performed. This malfunction information (the number of reset operations) is also stored in the storage means 231 as the cumulative number.

In addition, it is set so that two or more sets of the above-mentioned billing information are stored in the storage means 231, in case of data corruption. If the information held in the two sets does not match, the smaller value is adopted as the correct information. If three or more sets are stored and the stored information does not match, the correct information is adopted by majority vote (if all are different, the minimum value is used). In this way, consideration is given to avoiding excessive charges due to garbled data. In addition, malfunction information is set so as to hold two or more sets.

Further, the control unit 23 transmits charging information to the management device 3 via the transmission unit 24 via the transmission unit 24, and transmits malfunction information to the management device 3 via the transmission unit 24. Malfunction information transmission means 2 3 3 is provided. In the embodiment (1), the charging information and the malfunction information are collectively referred to as operating information, and the charging information transmitting means 2 32 and the malfunction information transmitting means 2 3 3 are referred to as operating information transmitting means 2 3 4. Shall be executed simultaneously. Of course you need May be performed individually according to

Further, the control section 23 is provided with control information receiving means 2 35 for receiving control information for controlling whether or not the rental device 2 can be operated from the management apparatus 3 via the transmission section 24. The control information is information transmitted from the management device 3 to set the rental device 2 to a usable state or an unusable state. If the control information is permission information that allows use, the rental device 2 can be operated only when the permission information is received most recently or periodically. If the control information is stop information that disables use, the rental device 2 cannot be operated if the stop information has been received immediately. This control information may be constituted by either one or both of the permission information and the stop information.

The transmission unit 24 dials the telephone number of the management device 3 and transmits and receives information when a line is established. The dial at the time of transmission may be automatic, manual, or either.

Next, the management device 3 will be further described. The control unit 33 of the management device 3 includes operating information receiving means 331, which receives operating information (charging information and malfunction information) via the transmitting unit 34, decodes it, and displays it on the display unit 32. Control information transmitting means 332 for transmitting information to the rental equipment 2 via the transmission section 34 is provided.

When the charge information included in the operation information is displayed on the display unit 32 by the operation information receiving means 3 32, it is read in order to calculate the usage fee for each rental device 2. The calculated usage fee is charged to the user corresponding to each rental device 2. The settlement of this usage fee is selected as appropriate, such as settlement by credit card or settlement by bank transfer (transfer or automatic debit). The operating information receiving means 3 32 may be configured so that the management device 3 can read the operating information of the rental device 2 at an arbitrary timing.

In the control information transmission means 3 32, for example, if the setting is made (contracted) to manually and periodically transmit the billing information from the rental device 2 to the management device 3, the management device 3 performs the billing. After confirming receipt of information, permission information is sent. If the management device 3 cannot confirm the receipt of the charging information (there is no transmission of the charging information from the rental device 2), it is set to transmit the stop information. Also, if it is set up to automatically and periodically transmit billing information (contract), permission information will be sent when payment is confirmed, and stop information will be sent if payment is delayed. Is set. As described above, the configuration is such that either or both of the permission information for permitting (enabling) the use of the rental device 2 and the stop information for stopping (disabling) the use of the rental device 2 are transmitted. May do it.

The transmission unit 34 dials the telephone number of the rental device 2 and transmits and receives information when a line is established. The dialing at the time of transmission may be automatic, manual, or either.

The operation of the thus configured embodiment (1) will be described with reference to FIG. First, a user who wishes to use the rental equipment 2 makes a contract for lending with the administrator of the rental equipment 2 and receives the rental equipment 2. At the time of the contract, it is promised that the operating information will be sent to the administrator on the designated day of each month. At this time, a deposit or the like may be paid to the administrator. Then, the rental device 2 is shipped (lent) to the user. The control unit 23 of the rental device 2 stores identification information (such as an ID number) assigned in advance. At the time of shipment, the cumulative operation time and the cumulative number of operations, which are the charging information in the operation information, have been initialized, or their values have been confirmed by the administrator in advance.

Then, the lent user starts using the rented device 2. In the case of a beauty device, the operation unit 21 is operated in order for the user to perform a treatment. The display section 22 at the time of operation displays the output state of the device and the billing information at that time for user confirmation. Each time the rental device 2 is used, the storage unit 23 1 of the control unit 23 stores charging information (operating time and number of operations) and malfunction information in the storage unit 23 1 of the control unit 23 as operating information. It is stored and stored (S101). Then, on the designated day of each month, the user dials the administrator using the transmission unit 24 and, when the line is established, operates the operation unit 21. The operation information is transmitted by the operation information transmitting means 234 according to the operation (S102, S103). In the operation information transmitting means 234, the charging information transmitting means 232 and the malfunction information transmitting means 233 are simultaneously executed. Both the billing information and the malfunction information are set to be transmitted even if the cumulative number has not increased. When transmitting the operation information, the identification information held by the rental device 2 is also transmitted.

In the management device 3, when receiving a call from the rental device 2, the administrator operates the operation unit 31 to execute the operation information receiving unit 331 of the control unit 33, and receives the operation information. (S104). Since the billing information is transmitted as a value obtained by accumulating the operating time and the number of times of operation, the usage fee for each of the rental equipment 2 is calculated from the difference between the accumulated value and the last month (S105). , Bill the employer. The calculation of the fee for use is arbitrarily determined. As an example, it is calculated by a calculation formula such as “Number of operation times XA yen + (Operating time / Number of operation times XB seconds) XC yen”. Also, only the excess time may be added to the fixed amount determined as the basic fee. Then, permission information is transmitted as control information to the rental device 2 that has transmitted the operation information (S106).

On the other hand, if the operation information is not received by the management device 3 even after the specified date (including some grace period), the stop information is transmitted from the management device 3 to the corresponding rental device 2 as control information ( S 1 07).

If the rental device 2 has received the permission information, the next operation becomes possible, so that the rental device 2 can be used continuously (S108, S109). If the permission information is not received and the stop information is received, the next operation becomes impossible (S108, SI10).

The operation described above is suitable when the operating information is manually transmitted from the rental device 2. On the other hand, if the transmission of the operation information from the rental device 2 is periodically performed by an automatic dial, the operation is performed as shown in FIG. The same reference numerals are given to the same operations as those in FIG. 3, and the description will be omitted. Here, the operating information is received (S122), the usage fee is calculated (S122), the user's payment for the requested usage fee is confirmed (S122), and the license is granted. Information Alternatively, stop information is transmitted (S106, S107). In this case, if for some reason payment of the usage fee is delayed or it becomes impossible to withdraw the usage fee, the stop information of the control information is transmitted to the rental device 2. If payment is confirmed, permission information is sent to enable operation. In the description of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the management device 3 is configured to select and transmit either the permission information or the stop information in the control information according to the situation. It may be configured such that only one of the information and the stop information is transmitted. When only the permission information is transmitted, the rental device 2 is set in advance so that the operation cannot be performed unless the rental device 2 receives the permission information periodically. When only the stop information is transmitted, if the stop information is received immediately before the operation, the rental device 2 is set in advance so that the operation is disabled.

If the administrator determines that repair is necessary based on the value of the malfunction information in the operation information, a repair person may be dispatched to the user. Alternatively, it is possible to send a replacement rental device 2 and take measures without dispatching a person in charge. Alternatively, information for rewriting the program of the control unit 23 may be transmitted from the management device 3 to the rental device 2, and repair may be performed remotely.

In the case where the transmission unit 24 of the rented device 2 is used externally, a plurality of lent devices 2 lent to the same user are connected to the management device 3 by one transmission unit 24. May be.

By using the rental equipment management system 1 as described above, the equipment user can easily use the equipment even if the equipment is expensive, because the equipment is loaned, and the usage fee of the loan can accurately determine the usage status. Because it is reflected, the sense of consent for the usage fee is raised. In addition, for the administrator side, it is possible to spread the expensive equipment and gain profits by selling accessories, etc., and even if the rental equipment 2 lent to a remote user, I can grasp it. As a result, there is no need to visit for meter reading or regular maintenance, and management costs can be greatly reduced. In addition, if a situation occurs in which payment of usage fees from the user is delayed, control information By sending a message, it is possible to make operation impossible even in a remote place, so it can be lent with confidence. In addition, since the consumption status of accessories and the like can be grasped from the cumulative number of operations and the cumulative operation time of the billing information, it is possible to promote accessories sales well in the evening.

Next, a lending device management system and a lending device will be described as an embodiment (2) of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the embodiment (2), FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the embodiment (2), and FIGS. 7 and 8 are front charts of the embodiment (2).

In the rental equipment management system 1 of the embodiment (2), the rental equipment 2 to be lent to the user and the management device 3 of the administrator of the rental equipment 2 are connected via the network 4. In addition, a payment institution terminal 5 of the institution that settles the usage fee is connected to the management device 3 via the network 4. Settlement institutions include financial institutions such as banks and credit card credit companies.

The configuration of the lending device 2 of the embodiment (2) includes an operation unit 21, a display unit 22, a control unit 23, and a transmission unit 24, as in the case of the embodiment (1). In addition to the configuration in which the microcomputer and the like are built in the rental device 2 as in Embodiment (1), a small computer may be attached to the main body of the rental device 2. If the rental device 2 is a mobile device, the transmission unit 24 may have a mobile communication function. Further, e-mail and the Internet may be used for exchanging information with the management device 3. In the configuration of each unit of the rental device 2, first, the transmission unit 24 is set in advance to automatically transmit operation information on a specified date. In addition to transmitting the charging information and the malfunction information as the operation information to the management device 3, the control unit 23 includes an emergency information transmitting means 23 36 for transmitting the emergency information of the rental device 2. The emergency information is information indicating a result of occurrence of an abnormal situation that requires the rental device 2 to be stopped urgently, and is arbitrarily set depending on the type of the rental device 2. For example, if the rental device 2 is a beauty device, the device may be operated continuously for a long time, an abnormal high voltage may be set in the output setting, or the like. Or when an abnormal discharge occurs, it is transmitted as emergency information. Therefore, the emergency information is set to be automatically transmitted to the management device 3 immediately when it occurs without waiting for the designated date.

The management device 3 is composed of a personal computer or the like and functions as a terminal device / server. The control unit 33 of the management device 3 includes, in addition to the operation information receiving means 3 3 1 and the control information transmitting means 3 32, a usage fee calculating means 33 33, a settlement request means 33 34, and a settlement Report receiving means 3 35 is provided. The usage fee calculation means 3 3 3 is a means for automatically calculating the usage fee from the operation information received from the rental device 2. The settlement request means 3 3 4 is a means for requesting the settlement institution terminal 5 of the settlement institution to settle the calculated usage fee. The settlement report receiving means 3 35 is a means for receiving, from the settlement institution terminal 5, a report as to whether or not the requested usage fee has been settled. In the control information transmission means 3 32, control information for immediately forcibly stopping the operation of the rental device 2 is transmitted in response to the emergency information transmitted from the rental device 2. Here, control information transmitted immediately upon receipt of emergency information, distinguished from other control information (permission information and stop information), is referred to as emergency stop information. The emergency stop information transmitting means 336 for transmitting the emergency stop information to the rental device 2 is included in the control information transmitting means 332.

Network 4 is a network including commercial lines such as telephone lines, dedicated lines, wireless and other communication lines, and communication satellites.

The operation of the embodiment (2) thus configured will be described with reference to FIG. First, the rented device 2 is operated by the user who has lent the lent device 2, and the charging information (operating time and number of times of operation) and the malfunction information are accumulated and stored in the storage means 2 31 of the control unit 23 as operating information. (S201). Then, on the designated day of each month, the operation information is automatically transmitted to the management device 3 via the transmission section 24 by the operation information transmission means 23 (S202, S203). Here, the operation information is transmitted every month, but it may be set to be transmitted every operation or every arbitrary number of days. Therefore, operating information may not always be transmitted in the cumulative number of times. In the management device 3, the operation information is received by the operation information receiving means 3 31 via the transmission section 24 (S204), and the usage fee calculation means 33 33 rents from the charging information included in the operation information. The usage fee for each device 2 is calculated (S205). Then, the settlement request means 3 3 4 requests the settlement institution terminal 5 to pay the usage fee (S 206). If the settlement institution is a financial institution, a request is made to deduct the usage fee from the account of the user of the rental equipment 2 prepared for the settlement in advance. If the clearing house is a credit company, request payment by credit card.

When the management device 3 receives a report from the settlement institution terminal 5 that the usage fee has been deducted or the payment by the credit card has been completed (S207) by the settlement report receiving means 3 35, the control information transmitting means 3 32 Then, the permission information is transmitted to the corresponding rental device 2 (S208). If the rental device 2 receives the permission information within a predetermined period (for example, within a certain period from a designated date for transmitting the operation information), the rental device 2 can be used continuously (S 209, S210).

On the other hand, if the management device 3 does not receive a report from the settlement institution terminal 5 that the usage fee has been deducted or the payment has been completed within a predetermined period, it does not transmit the permission information to the rental device 2. Therefore, if the rental device 2 does not receive the permission information after a predetermined period, the operation becomes impossible (S211) ₀

Note that a configuration may be adopted in which stop information is transmitted instead of transmission of permission information. In this case, if payment of the usage fee cannot be confirmed from the settlement institution terminal 5, stop information is transmitted by the control information transmitting means 3 32 so that the rental equipment 2 cannot be operated. Further, as in the embodiment (1), both the permission information and the stop information may be transmitted.

In the above operation, similarly to the embodiment (1), the malfunction information is transmitted from the rental device 2 to the management device 3, and it is determined whether or not the rental device 2 needs repair, and an appropriate action is taken.

Next, the operation regarding emergency information will be described with reference to FIG. First, lending machine The rental device 2 is operated by the user who has lent the device 2, and the charging information (operating time and number of times of operation) and the malfunction information are accumulated and stored as operation information in the storage means 2 31 of the control unit 23. (S201). Then, if any abnormal situation occurs during the operation of the rental equipment 2 (S221), emergency information is transmitted to the management device 3 by the emergency information transmission means 236 (S222). For example, assuming that a voltage exceeding the normally used range is set in the rental device 2, this emergency information is transmitted to the management device 3 when it occurs. When the emergency information is received by the operation information receiving means 3 3 1 of the management device 3 (S2 2 3), the emergency stop information is immediately transmitted to the corresponding rental equipment 2 by the emergency stop information transmitting means 3 36 ( S 2 2 4), operation is forcibly stopped at the rental equipment 2 that has been received (S 2 5 5, S 2 2 6) o Depending on the content of the emergency information, the operation stop state It is set so that it will not be released unless you receive the permission information of, or it will not be released until the person in charge of the administrator repairs or visits.

Note that, depending on the type of the rented equipment 2, there may be no abnormal situations that require an emergency stop of operation. Therefore, in such a rented equipment 2, means relating to emergency information (emergency information transmission means 226, The emergency stop information transmitting means 3 3 6) and the operation may be omitted.

As described above, in the embodiment (2), by connecting to the settlement institution terminal 5, the procedure for settlement of the fee for use can be executed promptly, and it can be immediately reflected in the availability of the rental equipment 2. In addition, if an abnormal operating condition occurs in the rental equipment 2, it can be stopped immediately, so that even the rental equipment 2 remotely lent can be safely managed. Other operations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment (1).

The rental equipment 2 in the above-described embodiments (1) and (2) includes office equipment such as a fax machine and a copier, game equipment installed in a game center such as a game console, amusement equipment such as a karaoke apparatus, and aesthetic equipment. It can be applied to all types of rental equipment, such as beauty equipment installed in rons, beauty salons, and private homes, and measurement equipment such as ammeters and voltmeters. In the embodiments (1) and (2), the form in which the user pays the usage fee of the rental device 2 itself has been described. However, the rental device 2 measures the amount of material used by the user. In other words, the present invention can be applied to gas meters, electric meters, and water meters lent to users to measure the amount of gas, electricity, waterways, etc. used by users. it can. In that case, the usage (consumption) of gas, electricity, water, etc., measured by the rental equipment 2 as charging information is transmitted to the management device 3 by the charging information transmission means 2 32 of the rental equipment 2. You. In the management device 3, the control information for controlling whether or not the rental equipment 2 can be operated according to the payment status calculated from the charging information, that is, the gas rate, the electricity rate, the water rate, etc., is controlled by the management apparatus 3. The information is transmitted from the information transmission means 3 3 2. If the payment is delayed, the control information receiving means 2 35 of the rental equipment 2 receives the control information that becomes inoperable, and the use of gas, electricity, and water becomes impossible. As a result, labor costs conventionally required for meter reading of gas, electricity, and water can be greatly reduced.The loan described in the present invention includes the meaning of consignment, deposit, and rental. I do.

As described in detail above, the rental equipment management system and the rental equipment of the present invention allow the administrator to grasp the operating status of the rental equipment through the network using the management device, and thus the rental equipment lent to a remote place. Even equipment can be managed accurately without using labor costs.

In the event of a problem with the payment of the rental equipment rental fee, even if the rental equipment is rented to a remote location, the management device can make it impossible to operate the equipment. Can be. In addition, by collecting the rental fee for the rental equipment as a usage fee that accurately reflects the operating status, both the administrator who lends the rental equipment and the user who uses the rental equipment can be assured of the fee. Enhanced.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. The equipment to be lent to the user and the management device of the administrator of the equipment to be lent are connected via a network, and the equipment to be rented has accounting information for calculating the usage fee of the equipment to be lent. A rental equipment management system, comprising: charging information transmission means for transmitting to the rental equipment; and the management device comprising control information transmission means for transmitting control information for controlling whether the rental equipment can be operated to the rental equipment.

2. The rental equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein the control information transmitting means transmits control information according to whether or not charging information is transmitted from the rental equipment.

3. The rental equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein the control information transmitting means transmits the control information in accordance with the payment status of the rental equipment usage fee.

4. In the rental equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the rental equipment includes a malfunction information transmission unit that transmits malfunction information indicating a result of the malfunction of the rental equipment to the management apparatus. A rental equipment management system, wherein the control information transmission means of the management apparatus transmits control information in accordance with the content of the malfunction information.

5. In the rental equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the rental equipment includes an emergency information transmission means for transmitting emergency information indicating an abnormal operation state of the rental equipment to the management apparatus. And a control information transmission means of the management device, wherein when the emergency information is received, the control information for stopping the operation of the rental device is transmitted.

6. The rental equipment management system according to claim 4, wherein the rental equipment is provided with an emergency information transmitting means for transmitting emergency information indicating an abnormal operation status of the rental equipment to the management apparatus, and transmitting control information of the management apparatus. Means for transmitting control information for stopping the operation of the rental equipment upon receipt of the emergency information, the rental equipment management:

7. In the rental device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the management device includes a usage fee calculation unit that calculates a usage fee for each rental device based on the received billing information. Rental machine characterized by being provided

8. The rental equipment management system according to claim 4, wherein the management device is provided with usage fee calculation means for calculating a usage fee for each rental equipment based on the received billing information. Management device.

9. The rental device management system according to claim 6, wherein the management device includes a fee calculation means for calculating a fee for each rental device based on the received billing information. Management device.

10. In the rental equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the management device is connected via a network to a payment institution terminal of an institution that settles the usage fee, and is connected to the management device. (1) A rental equipment management system, comprising: a settlement request unit for transmitting a request for settlement of usage fees to a settlement institution terminal.

1 1. In the rental equipment management system described in claim 4, the management device is connected via a network to a settlement institution terminal of an institution that settles the usage fee, and the management device has a settlement of the usage fee. A rental equipment management system, comprising: a settlement request means for transmitting a request to a settlement institution terminal.

1 2. In the rental equipment management system according to claim 6, the management device is connected via a network to a payment institution terminal of an institution that settles the usage fee, and the management device requests the management device to settle the usage fee. A rental equipment management system, comprising: a settlement request means for transmitting to a settlement institution terminal.

1 3. In the rental equipment management system described in claim 9, the management device is connected via a network to a clearing house terminal of an institution that settles the usage fee, and the management device requests the management device to settle the usage fee. A rental equipment management system, comprising: a settlement request means for transmitting to a settlement institution terminal.

1 4. Charging information that is lent to the user by the administrator and that transmits charging information for calculating the usage fee of the lent device to the management device of the administrator. A rental device comprising: an information transmission unit; and a control information receiving unit that receives, from a management device, control information for controlling whether or not to operate the rental device according to whether or not charging information is transmitted.

15. A lending device to be lent to a user by an administrator, a charging information transmitting means for transmitting charging information for calculating a usage fee of the lending device to a management device of the administrator, A lending device provided with a control information receiving means for receiving, from a management device, control information for controlling whether or not the lending device can operate according to the payment status of the usage fee.

1 6. A lending device that is lent to the user by the administrator and that measures the amount of material used by the user, and that transmits the amount measured by the lent device to the administrator's management device as charging information. A lending machine comprising: information transmission means; and control information receiving means for receiving, from the management device, control information for controlling whether or not the lending equipment can be operated according to the payment status of the fee calculated from the billing information.