Patent Publication Number: US-2004059594-A1

Title: Method and system for sale of used electronic equipment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a method and system for sale of used electronic equipment in which the used electronic equipment purchased from a user is sold to another user.  
       [0003] 2. Background Arts  
       [0004] Electronic equipment is expensive in general, but used electronic equipment is available at a lower price than a new one. A used digital camera, for example, is sold at a lower price than at the beginning of introduction to a market, so that a user can decide which digital camera to buy, the used one or new one, according to his needs.  
       [0005] To recycle a used digital camera, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-196931 discloses a digital camera which restricts the reading and deleting of image data stored in an internal memory with a specific code. In a shop, image data is read out of the used digital camera by use of the specific code. Read image data stored on another recording medium is returned to the original user. After deleting image data stored in the internal memory, the digital camera is subject to a battery charging process and a lens cleaning process. Then, the digital camera is sold in a resale market.  
       [0006] The used digital camera is often brought into a used camera shop without a packing box or an operation manual. If there are the packing box and the operation manual, they may be badly damaged or soiled. In this case, the shop has to sell the digital camera without being packed in the packing box or without the operation manual enclosed. Therefore, a user feels uneasy about the usage and condition of the used digital camera when buying it. The operation manual usually includes a warranty. Since the warranty of the used digital camera is different from that of the new one, selling the used digital camera with the operation manual for the new one is likely to cause misunderstanding.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for sale of used electronic equipment in which the used electronic equipment sold to a user is packed in a packing box indicating the condition thereof.  
       [0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for sale of used electronic equipment in which the used electronic equipment is sold to a user with an operation manual exclusive to the used electronic equipment enclosed.  
       [0009] To achieve the above objects, a system for sale of used electronic equipment according to the present invention comprises a function check circuit provided in the electronic equipment, a data input-output device, and a model search device. The function check circuit checks whether the electronic equipment operates normally. When the electronic equipment operates normally, the data input-output device sends the product data including a model code read from the electronic equipment to a manufacturer of the electronic equipment. The model search device identifies the model of the electronic equipment by the product data. The manufacturer sends a part corresponding to the identified model to the shop.  
       [0010] The part may be a packing box for packing the electronic equipment. On the packing box, the model information of the identified model is printed. The product data includes used time information of the electronic equipment, and the used time information may be printed on the packing box.  
       [0011] The part may be an operation manual corresponding to the identified model. The product data includes the used time information of the electronic equipment, and the operation manual describes a warranty according to the used time information.  
       [0012] The product data may include the used time information of the electronic equipment. The part may include an operation manual corresponding to the identified model and a document describing a warranty according to the used time information.  
       [0013] Instead of providing a function check circuit with the electronic equipment, the data input-output device may have a function to check whether the electrical equipment works normally. The electronic equipment may be a digital camera.  
       [0014] According to the method and system for sale of used electronic equipment of the present invention, since a packing box with product information of used electronic equipment is sent from a manufacturer to a shop, the shop can sell the used electronic equipment packed in a neat packing box. The manufacturer can efficiently send only necessary parts to the shop. Selling the used electronic equipment with the operation manual, and operating time and a warranty indicating the condition thereof makes it possible for a user to buy it in a carefree manner. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0015] The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments when read in association with the accompanying drawings, which are given byway of illustration only and thus do not limit the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
     [0016]FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a used digital camera;  
     [0017]FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the used digital camera;  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of the digital camera;  
     [0019]FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the structure of a sales system of the used digital camera according to the first embodiment;  
     [0020]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the sales system; and  
     [0021]FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the structure of a sales system of the used digital camera according to the second embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
     [0022] (First Embodiment)  
     [0023]FIGS. 1A and 1B show a used digital camera  10  which is sold in a sales system of used electronic equipment. The front surface of a camera body  11  is provided with a taking lens  12 , a flash projector  13 , a view finder objective window  14 , and a flash switch  16 . The rear surface of the camera body  11  is provided with a viewfinder eyepiece window  17 , a LCD  18  and an operation panel  19 . A shutter button  21  is provided on the top surface of the camera body  11 . A communication connector  22  and a power switch  23  are provided on one and the other side surfaces, respectively. A cover  25  covers the communication connector  22  during unused period in order to protect the communication connector  22  from damage and dust.  
     [0024] Referring to FIG. 2, the digital camera  10  has a controller  31  which executes various programs stored in a ROM  32  to control each part of the digital camera  10 . A RAM  33  is used as a working memory when the controller  31  executes the various programs.  
     [0025] A photographing mechanism  36  comprises the taking lens  12 , a CCD (Charge Coupled Device)  37 , and an analog-to-digital converter  38 . The CCD  37  converts subject light passing through the taking lens  12  into analog photographic signals. Then, the analog-to-digital converter  38  converts the analog photographic signals into digital photographic signals that are inputted into an image processing circuit  39  as image data. Instead of the CCD, a CMOS type of imaging device may be used.  
     [0026] Image data is subject to well-known corrective processes such as a white balance process and the like in the image processing circuit  39 . Then, image data is recorded on an image memory  41  contained in the camera body  11  in a predetermined file format such as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format. In converting image data to the JPEG format, image data is irreversibly compressed. The compression rate of the JPEG format is changeable. The higher the compression rate, the more the image quality is degraded. Image data may be compressed in various compression formats except for the JPEG format.  
     [0027] Image data in the image memory  41  can be sent to an external device (for example, a personal computer  54  of FIG. 3) via the communication connector  22 . When a self-check circuit  43  for checking the functions of the digital camera  10  judges that the digital camera  10  operates normally, image data is sent to the personal computer  54  through the communication connector  22  and a connection cable (not-illustrated). At this time, product data stored in the image memory  41  including a model code, a serial number, used time and the like of the digital camera  10  is also sent to the personal computer  54 . The self-check circuit  43  functions as a function check circuit, and the personal computer  54  functions as a data input-output device for sending and receiving product data. The model code and serial number of the digital camera  10  may be stored in the ROM  32 .  
     [0028] A flash mechanism  42  comprises the flash projector  13  and a flash circuit. Upon turning on the flash switch  16 , the flash circuit is activated to charge a main capacitor (not-illustrated). Then, since the main capacitor is discharged in synchronization with a push of the shutter button  21 , a flashlight radiates from the flash projector  13  toward a subject.  
     [0029] The LCD  18  is used for replaying a photographed image, and displaying an operation window. The operation window includes a selection window for selecting each photographic mode. A user can change the display of LCD  18  by operating the operation panel  19  while following the guidance displayed in the operation window. In taking an image, it is possible to use the LCD  18  as an electronic viewfinder.  
     [0030] Referring to FIG. 3, a shop  53  purchases the used digital camera  10  from a user  60 . The digital camera  10  is connected to the personal computer  54  with the connection cable. When the digital camera  10  normally operates, as described above, product data of the digital camera  10  is sent to the personal computer  54 .  
     [0031] Product data sent to the personal computer  54  is also sent to a sales management server  55  in a manufacturer  51  through the Internet  52 . The sales management server  55  refers to data of various products stored in storage  56  for obtained product data, in order to identify the model of the digital camera  10  and extract the model information corresponding to identified model. The sales management server  55  functions as a model search device for identifying the model of the digital camera  10 .  
     [0032] The manufacturer  51  prepares a packing box  59  corresponding to the model of the digital camera  10 , and prints the product information onto a label  58  by use of a printer  57  connected to the sales management server  55 . On the label  58 , a model name, used time, a warranty period and the serial number are printed in addition to indication that the digital camera is a used article. The label  58  is glued on the top surface of the packing box  59 . The packing box  59  with the label  58  is sent to each used camera shop  53 .  
     [0033] The shop  53  charges the battery and cleans the lens of the used digital camera  10 . Then, the used digital camera  10  is sold to another user  60  after being packed in the packing box  59 .  
     [0034] A flow of the sales system will be hereinafter described by referring to FIG. 4. The shop  53  sells the digital camera  10  to a user  60 . After having photography with the digital camera  10 , the user  60  brings the digital camera  10  into the shop  53  for trade-in.  
     [0035] The digital camera  10  is connected to the personal computer  54  in the shop  53 . The self-check circuit  43  checks whether each function of the used digital camera  10  works normally or not.  
     [0036] If all the functions do not operate normally, product data of the digital camera  10  is not sent to the personal computer  54 . The digital camera  10  is sent to a service center of the manufacturer  51  for repair. The repaired digital camera  10  is returned to the shop  53 . At this time, it is preferable that the self-check circuit  43  detects a malfunctioning part to send the information thereof to the personal computer  54 . Thus, the manufacturer  51  can efficiently repair the digital camera  10 .  
     [0037] When all functions operate normally, product data of the digital camera  10  is sent to the personal computer  54 . Product data is also sent to the sales management server  55  of the manufacturer  51  through the Internet  52 .  
     [0038] The sales management server  55  searches for the model and model information of the digital camera  10  on the basis of product data. The printer  57  prints the product information including the model name, used time, warranty period, serial number and the like on the label  58 . The manufacturer  51  glues the label  58  on the packing box  59  corresponding to the model of the digital camera  10 , and sends them to the shop  53 . The product information may be directly printed on the packing box  59 .  
     [0039] The shop  53  sells the used digital camera  10  to another user  60  after packing it in the packing box  59  sent from the manufacturer  51 . The shop  53  and the user  60  can easily distinguish the used digital camera  10  from new ones, because the label  58  indicating used article is glued on the top surface of the packing box  59 .  
     [0040] In the above embodiment, the label  58  is glued on the packing box  59  in the manufacturer  51 , but the label  58  may be glued in the shop  53 . The product information of the digital camera  10  may be sent to the personal computer  54  of the shop  53  through the Internet  52 , instead of being printed on the label  58  by the manufacturer  51 .  
     [0041] According to the sales system  50  of the first embodiment, the shop  53  can sell the used digital camera  10  by packing it in the packing box  59  on which the product information corresponding to each digital camera  10  is indicated. The manufacturer  51  can efficiently send only the necessary packing box  59 . The user  60  can buy the used digital camera  10  in a carefree manner because the used time, warranty period and the like as an index of quality are indicated on the packing box  59 .  
     [0042] In the sales system  50  of the first embodiment, the corresponding packing box  59  and label  58  are sent to the shop  53 , on the basis of product data of the digital camera  10  sent to the sales management server  55 . In addition to the packing box  59  and label  58 , an operation manual or a document describing changes in a warranty may be sent to the shop  53 . According to a sales system of the used digital camera hereinafter described as a second embodiment, the operation manual or the document is sent to the shop  53 . In the second embodiment, the same reference numbers as the first embodiment refer to identical parts, and the detailed explanation thereof is omitted.  
     [0043] (Second Embodiment)  
     [0044] In a sales system  70  shown in FIG. 5, the user  60  brings the used digital camera  10  into the used digital camera shop  53 . The digital camera  10  is connected to the personal computer  54 , and the self-check circuit  43  checks the various functions thereof. When each function operates normally, product data including a model code, a serial number, used time and the like is sent to the personal computer  54 .  
     [0045] Product data of the digital camera  10  is also sent to the sales management server  55  of the manufacturer  51  through the Internet  52 . The sales management server  55  searches the storage  56  for the information of an operation manual and a warranty corresponding to the digital camera  10 , on the basis of obtained product data. Then, the manufacturer  51  sends an operation manual  78  to the shop  53 . The operation manual  78  describes the provisions of the warranty which are decided in accordance with the used time and the like.  
     [0046] The operation manual  78  including changes in the warranty is exclusive to the used digital camera  10 . Instead of the operation manual  78  for the used digital camera  10 , a document  79  describing changes in the warranty may be interposed into an operation manual for anew article. Costs are reduced in this case, because it is unnecessary to prepare the operation manual  78  only for the used digital camera  10 .  
     [0047] Data of the operation manual  78  or the document  79  may be sent to the personal computer  54  of each shop  53  through the Internet. Thus, the operation manual  78  or the document  79  is printed in each shop  53 .  
     [0048] The shop  53  sells the used digital camera  10  with the operation manual  78  to another user  60  after packing them in the packing box. Accordingly, the user can buy the used digital camera  10  without worrying about the usage and warranty thereof.  
     [0049] In the above embodiments, the self-check circuit  43  for checking various functions of the digital camera  10  is provided inside the camera body  11  as check means. Instead of the self-check circuit  43 , a function check software may be installed in the personal computer  54  of the shop  53 . In this case, the manufacturing cost of the digital camera  10  is reduced because it is unnecessary to provide the self-check circuit  43  in the individual digital camera  10 .  
     [0050] In the above embodiments, the sales systems  50  and  70  are applicable to the digital camera  10 , but the present invention is also applicable to other electronic equipment, such as a personal computer, a facsimile, a scanner, a printer, and a camera with a photo film.  
     [0051] In the above embodiments, the used digital camera  10  is brought into the used digital camera shop  53 . A photo shop for developing a photo film, however, may purchase the used digital camera  10 .  
     [0052] Although the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not to be limited to the above embodiments but, on the contrary, various modifications will be possible to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of claims appended hereto.