CHARNEL HOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract: The present invention provides a charnel house management system comprising a plurality of clients, and a charnel house server having a members information database connectable by the clients through on-line for storing various information, wherein a family or relation in foreign countries or remote locations attends a funeral or an ancestor worship by connecting a charnel house server using Internet, or performs an image conversation with other relations, and periodically obtains various information on the funeral or ancestor worship.

Description: CHARNEL HOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charnel house management system and more particularly, to a charnel house management system wherein the users in remote locations can use the charnel house managed in an apartment building type, totally purchase funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship, and obtain information on the procedure of a funeral or an ancestor worship. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a charnel house management system wherein a family or relation in foreign countries or remote locations can attend a funeral or an ancestor worship by connecting a charnel house server using internet, or perform an image conversation with other relations, and periodically obtain various information on the funeral or ancestor worship. The present invention relates to a charnel house management system and more particularly, to a charnel house management system wherein the users in remote locations can use the charnel house managed in an apartment building type, totally purchase funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship, and obtain information on the procedure of a funeral or an ancestor worship. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a charnel house management system wherein a family or relation in foreign countries or remote locations can attend a funeral or an ancestor worship by connecting a charnel house server using internet, or perform an image conversation with other relations, and periodically obtain various information on the funeral or ancestor worship. Description of the Art In a country having a small area, a yearly increasing area of graveyards beyond an acceptable limit causes a nationally and socially significant problem. The exhaustion of the national land due to the graveyards deteriorates an efficiency of the use of land, destroys an environment and causes a natural disaster. Thus, it is required that the funeral and graveyard system is wholly reconsidered. In this connection, the funeral and graveyard culture reformation nation-wide committee is recently inaugurated, and a campaign for improving the funeral and graveyard culture is pan-nationally spreading. The recognition is widely spreading that there must be a new funeral and graveyard culture capable of conserving the land and environment by socially getting out of the old burial culture. This change of the social recognition of the funeral and graveyard culture is required to efficiently use the land, to correct the drawback of the conventional funeral and graveyard culture, and to provide a desired funeral and graveyard system. In accordance with the above requirements, it is being recognized that a negative prejudice on a cremation originated from the wrong recognition of the conventional geomantic theory and filial duty must be disappeared, and, a social recognition on the charnel system is positively spreading, and thus, a new concept of the charnel house is needed. In particular, it is desirable that the charnel house as a target of disgust is constructed using a pro-environmental advanced modern technology in order to minimize the destruction of the surroundings . For this purpose, the present applicant has filed Korean Patent Application No. 1999-50654 titled "An Apartment Building Type Charnel House." However, it is problematic that the charnel house of the above invention can be used only in case of directly visiting thereof or using a telephony. Moreover, the users that do not know the procedure for the funeral ceremony or ancestor worship must consume many hours for obtaining the information on the procedure and it is difficult to obtain the information. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a system for managing an apartment building type charnel house wherein the system has a charnel house server and a plurality of clients can be registered as members in order to use the charnel house . The another object of the invention is to provide a charnel house management system wherein the clients can totally purchase funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship and obtain information on the procedure of a funeral or an ancestor worship. The still another object of the invention is to provide a charnel house management system wherein a family or relation in foreign countries or remote locations attends a funeral or an ancestor worship by connecting a charnel house server using Internet, or performs an image conversation with other relations, and periodically obtains various information on the funeral or ancestor worship. In order to achieve the above object, the charnel house management system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of clients and a charnel house server having a members information database connectable by the clients through on-line for storing various information. The charnel house server comprises a charnel house allotment module for providing the clients with information on an allotment procedure, allotment cost and allotment time of the charnel house, allotting the ff house to each of the clients and storing in the members information database an allotment status for each of the clients; a family authenticating module for registering in the members information database families or relations specified by the clients to which the charnel house has been allotted and for checking whether or not the families or relations are members when they access the charnel house server; an image relay module for image relaying a funeral ceremony or an ancestor worship being performed in the charnel house allotted to the clients, connecting image conversations by telephone between the clients and providing a scene of the charnel house through which the families or relations can attend the funeral ceremony or ancestor worship in the charnel house; and a message notification module for automatically notifying certain messages to the families or relations registered in connection with the clients. The server further comprises a supplies sale module for providing list and cost information of funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship from a supplies database, receiving an order from the clients, and delivering a supplies ordered to the clients after a settlement of the order. The server further comprises a chain store registration module for registering in a chain store information database selected chain stores which provide the supplies to the clients; and a charnel house information providing module for extracting and providing information on the charnel house requested by the clients from a charnel house information database. The server can further comprise a funeral related information providing module for providing a funeral related information such as a funeral procedure or a table for an ancestor-memorial service. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a conceptional view showing a charnel house management system according to the present invention . Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of clients according to the invention. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of a charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using an information service for use of a charnel house provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using an information service for allotment of a charnel house provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for members of the charnel house system provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for electronic business of the funeral supplies provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Figs. 8a and 8b are flow charts showing a procedure for using a service for registration of chain stores provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for order of things needed in an ancestor worship provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for procedure of a funeral ceremony provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for attendance to a funeral ceremony via internet provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 12 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for image conversation provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 13 is a flow chart showing a procedure for using a service for use of family information provided in the charnel house server according to the invention. Fig. 14 is a flow chart showing an general operation of the charnel house management system according to the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be described in more detail through a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a conceptional view showing a charnel house management system according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of clients according to the invention, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of a charnel house server according to the invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the charnel house management system comprises a plurality of clients 100 and a charnel house server 300 having a members information database connectable by the clients through on-line, for example, internet 200 for storing various information. Also, as will be explained below, the supplies sold through the charnel house server 300 are delivered via a distribution network 400 to the clients 100. Referring to Fig. 3, the charnel house server 300 comprises a charnel house information providing module 315, a charnel house allotment module 320, a supplies sale module 325, an image relay module 330, a chain store registration module 335, a message notification module 340, a funeral related information providing module 345, a family authenticating module 350, and a control module 310 for controlling each of the modules and data flow between the modules. The charnel house server 300 has a supplies DB 355, a charnel house information DB 360, an allotment information DB 365, a funeral related information DB 370, a members information DB 375 and a chain store information DB 380. The charnel house allotment module 320 provides the clients with information on an allotment procedure, allotment cost and allotment time of the charnel house, allots the charnel house to each of the clients and stores in the allotment information database 365 an allotment status for each of the clients. The family authenticating module 350 registers in the members information database 375 families or relations specified by the clients to which the charnel house has been allotted and checks whether or not the families or relations are members when they access the charnel house server 300. The image relay module 330 relays in an image display manner a funeral ceremony or an ancestor worship being performed in the charnel house allotted to the clients, connects image conversations by telephone between the clients and provides a scene of the charnel house through which the families or relations can attend the funeral ceremony or ancestor worship in the charnel house. For this purpose, the charnel house for each of the clients is provided with a camera connected to the charnel house server 300. This is a conventional technology, and thus the detailed description is omitted. The message notification module 340 automatically notifies certain messages to the families or relations registered in connection with the clients. For example, if any of the families or relations is dead, the module 340 notifies an obituary message, or periodically notifies a message indicating a schedule about various ancestor worships. The supplies sale module 325 provides list and cost information of funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship from a supplies database in accordance with the clients, receives an order from the clients, and delivers a supplies ordered to the clients after a settlement of the order. The charnel house information providing module 315 extracts and provides information on the charnel house, including the gist and object of foundation, size or scene and location of the charnel house, requested by the clients from a charnel house information database 360. The chain store registration module 335 selects and registers in a chain store information database 380 the chain stores which provide the supplies to the clients according to the order from the supplies sales module 325. The funeral related information providing module 345 provides a funeral related information such as a funeral procedure, supplies needed, or a table for an ancestor-memorial service. A preferred embodiment of the method for managing the charnel house according to the present invention is explained below with the drawings. Referring to Fig. 14, a client 100 accesses via internet 200 the charnel house server 300 (step SI) . The charnel house is preferably an apartment building type, and must be provided with a high speed communication line for transferring moving pictures via internet. If the client 100 is connected to the server 200, the family authenticating module 350 checks whether or not the client is registered and requests a service required by the client 100 to the server 300 (step S2). Each of the modules in the server 300 processes and provides the requested service to the client 100, and this process will be repeated until the requested service is completed (step S3) . The server 300 can totally provide the clients 100 with various services in connection with the funeral ceremony and ancestor worship. This is a feature of the present invention and the types of services available in the invention will be explained below in detail. 1. A service for providing charnel house information (See Fig. 4) Firstly, the client 100 accesses the home page of the house established in the server 300 via internet 200 by using a general or dedicated web browser (step S500), and selects a service for providing the charnel house information (step S510) . The charnel house information providing module 315 in the charnel house server 300 opens the charnel house information DB 360 according to the selection of the client 100 and provides information on the gist and object of foundation of the charnel house to the client 100 (step S520), or provides information on a method of managing the charnel house to the client 100 (step S530), or provides information on the scene or location of the charnel house to the client 100 (step S540) , or introduces an additional service related to the charnel house (step S550) . 2. A service for providing charnel house allotment information (See Fig. 5) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S600) and selects a service for providing the charnel house information (step S610). The charnel house allotment module 320 in the charnel house server provides to the client 100 information on the allotment procedure, cost and time of the charnel house, a right obtained by the allotment, and the allotment agreement or contract (step S620). If the client 100 reviews the allotment information and then requests the allotment of the charnel house, the charnel house allotment module 320 transmits a document for registration to the client. Then, the client 100 writes information on him or her to the document and transmits the document to the module 320 (step S630). The charnel house allotment module 320 receives the document for registration from the client 100 and stores the information in the allotment information DB 365 (step S640) . The information on the associated families or relations are written to the document for registration and are stored as the associated families in the members information DB 375. 3. A service for managing the charnel house or notifying a message (See Fig. 6) If the client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S700), the family authentication module 350 in the charnel house server 300 requests the members information to the client 100 (step S720) . If the client 100 is not a member, a notice that the client 100 cannot be served is provided to the client 100 (step S721) . If it is confirmed that the client 100 is a member, the client 100 can select a desired service item. If there is no desired service item, the client 100 can use other services (step S730 and S731). If the client 100 want to check the management status of the allotted charnel house, the image relay module 330 transmits the scene of the charnel house to the client 100 and shows the current management status by displaying the information concerning the allotted charnel house (step S740). The client 100 can also transmit some inconveniences in using the charnel house (step S742). If the client 100 selects the message notifying service (step S741), the message notifying module 340 determines whether the message has been selected by the client 100 (step S750) . If the message has not been selected by the client 100, other services are provided to the client 100 (step S751) . The client 100 can select a general message specified by himself or herself (step S760) , or select an obituary message specified by the system (step S761). The message notifying module 340 includes an auto calling system (ACS) and transmits the selected message to a computer telephony integration (CTI) server in order to transmit the message to the families or relations registered in the members information DB 375 (step S770). The transmission of the message can be achieved by automatically dialing to the telephone member of the families or relations or by using an electronic mail. For reference, the CTI is an integration of the computer and telephone system, and can provide a redialing function, an image conference function, a data transmission and voice call box function, an automatic information providing function for an outgoing call, etc. by allowing the client to efficiently use the telephone through the computer. 4. A service for ordering the funeral supplies (See Fig. 7) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S800) and selects a service for ordering the funeral supplies (step S810) . The client 100 can request the list and cost information on the funeral supplies (step S820), or can request the information on the funeral procedure and essential supplies (step S830) . If the client selects the intended supplies of the supplies determined through the above step and the supplies prepared (step S840), the supplies sales module 325 produces the cost of the selected funeral supplies (step S841) . Then, the personal information on the buyer is inputted (step S842) and the order is transmitted to a chain store for the funeral supplies requested through the approval procedure such as an authentication of a credit card (step S843) . Then, the point of time for delivery is notified to the client (step S844) and then the associated data are transmitted to a delivery company (step S845) . 5. A service for registering the chain store (See Figs. 8a and 8b) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S890) and selects a service for registering the chain store (step S910) or can select other services if necessary (step S911). In case of registering a new chain network, the information on the new chain network including a vision, an agreement or a supported service of the new chain network should be provided (step S920). For registration of the chain store (step S922), a document for registration is prepared (step S923), and if necessary, other services can be used (step S921). On the other hand, in case of the existing chain network, it is determined whether the client is the owner of the chain network (step S930) . If not, other services are provided to the client (step S931) and the client can select any of the provided chain store services (step S932) . Here, the client can select the provision of the known items for the chain store as a chain store service (step S933) or register the items to be improved (step S934) or order the desired supplies in the chain store (step S935) . If the client selects the order of the supplies, the client prepares the order form (step S937) and is guided for the schedule of processing the order (step S940) . 6. A service for ordering the funeral supplies (See Fig. 9) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S100) and selects a service for ordering the funeral supplies (step S110). The client can select a service item of providing information associated with the preparation of a table of an ancestor worship or ancestor memorial service (steps S120 and S137) or select a service item of ordering the supplies for the ancestor worship. If the client selects the list of the supplies for the ancestor worship (step S130), the supplies sales module 325 produces the sum of the selected supplies (step S131), and after the confirmation thereof, the client 100 prepares the order form (step S132) and is guided (step S134) for the delivery information after the authentication of the credit card (step S133) . Also, the list of the ordered supplies is stored in the charnel house server (step S137). 7. A service for guiding the funeral procedure (See Fig. 10) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S200) and selects a service for guiding the funeral procedure (step S210). The funeral related information providing module 345 provides to the client 100 the guide information on the funeral procedure by voice or character (step S220) . 8. A service for internet worship (See Fig. 11) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S300) and selects a service for internet worship (step S310) . The image relay module 330 provides the internal scene of the charnel house allotted to the client 100 using a camera in real time (step S320) . 9. A service for image conversation (See Fig. 12) The client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S400) and selects a service for image conversation (step S410) . If the client selects the room number of the allotted charnel house (step 420) , the image relay module 330 provides a space for image conversation so that the client 100, families or relations can converse one another by screen (step S430) . 10. A service for providing information on a family (See Fig. 13) If the client 100 accesses via internet 200 the home page of the charnel house established in the charnel house server 300 (step S10), the family authentication module 350 determines whether the client is registered as a family (step S20) . If the client selects a service for providing information on the dead (step S50), the family authentication module provides a brief personal record, appearance, live voice or will of the dead to the client using a moving picture and sound data. Further, if the client selects a service for providing a genealogical table information (step S60), the family authentication module provides the genealogical table, family tree or ceremony as an image to the client. After the client 100 confirmed the list of the attendant to the funeral (step S70), the client can transmit an E-mail to the attendant (step S72) or download the list of the attendant (step S73) . Furthermore, the client can notify the schedule of the family's ancestor worship (step S80), or register the schedule into the family authentication module (steps S81 and S82) . As described above, the present invention can provide a system for managing an apartment building type charnel house wherein the system has a charnel house server and a plurality of clients can be registered as members in order to use the charnel house in remote location. Further, the invention can provide a charnel house management system wherein the clients can totally purchase funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship and obtain information on the procedure of a funeral or an ancestor worship. Furthermore, the invention can provide a charnel house management system wherein a family or relation in foreign countries or remote locations attends a funeral or an ancestor worship by connecting a charnel house server using Internet, or performs an image conversation with other relations, and periodically obtains various information on the funeral or ancestor worship. Although the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this description is by way of example only, and is not to be construed in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood that numerous changes in the details of the embodiments of the invention, and additional embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to, and may be made by, persons of ordinary skill in the art having reference to this description. It is contemplated that all such changes and additional embodiments are within the spirit and true scope of the invention as claimed below.

Claims: What is claimed is : 1. A charnel house management system comprising: a plurality of clients; and a charnel house server having a members information database connectable by the clients through on-line for storing various information; the charnel house server comprising a charnel house allotment module for providing the clients with information on an allotment procedure, allotment cost and allotment time of the charnel house, allotting the charnel house to each of the clients and storing in the members information database an allotment status for each of the clients; a family authenticating module for registering in the members information database families or relations specified by the clients to which the charnel house has been allotted and for checking whether or not the families or relations are members when they access the charnel house server; an image relay module for image relaying a funeral ceremony or an ancestor worship being performed in the charnel house allotted to the clients, connecting image conversations by telephone between the clients and providing a scene of the charnel house through which the families or relations can attend the funeral ceremony or ancestor worship in the charnel house; a message notification module for automatically notifying certain messages to the families or relations registered in connection with the clients; and a control module for controlling each of the modules and data flow between the modules. 2. The charnel house management system according to Claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a supplies sale module for providing list and cost information of funeral supplies or things needed in an ancestor worship from a supplies database, receiving an order from the clients, and delivering a supplies ordered to the clients after a settlement of the order. 3. The charnel house management system according to Claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a chain store registration module for registering in a chain store information database selected chain stores which provide the supplies to the clients. 4. The charnel house management system according to Claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a charnel house information providing module for extracting and providing information on the charnel house requested by the clients from a charnel house information database. 5. The charnel house management system according to Claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a funeral related information providing module for providing a funeral related information such as a funeral procedure or a table for an ancestor-memorial service.

Inventors: YOO GWANG-JIN, YOO, GWANG-JIN
Applicants: YOO GWANG JIN, YOO, GWANG-JIN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G06F19
IPC codes: A47G33, G06F19, G06Q10, G06Q30, G06Q50