Patent Publication Number: US-2018032952-A1

Title: Customer management system and customer management method

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a system and method for managing customer data. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     LP gas is known to be supplied by gas imported from industrial gas producing countries, and gas domestically generated as a secondary product when petrochemical products are produced. Import stations that store the LP gas transported by tankers from the industrial gas producing countries and oil refinery stations are called primary terminals. The LP gas in the primary terminals is loaded into coastal vessels and tank trucks, and shipped to secondary terminals, which are transit stations located along or away from the coasts. Further, the LP gas carried to the secondary terminals is transported to LP gas filling stations in various places, which are delivery bases, and is employed to fill gas cylinders in the delivery bases. 
     The gas cylinders filled with the LP gas in the filling stations are delivered by deliverymen to customers&#39; homes, such as general horses, apartment buildings and offices. The empty gas cylinders at the customers&#39; houses are replaced with filled gas cylinders, and the empty gas cylinders are collected at the filling stations. The individual filling stations have fixed delivery areas to be assigned for deliverymen. Delivery slips for two to ten days, indicating the houses of customers in the delivery areas to deliver the gas cylinders, are handed over to the deliverymen. 
     The delivery slip is prepared by a delivery manager. First, for each customer, the remaining amount of the LP gas in the gas cylinder is predicted based on the gas usage history, the indication of a gas meter (hereinafter “meter indication”) installed at the customer&#39;s home, a delivery history, etc., and the next delivery due date for a gas cylinder is determined. The remaining amounts of the LP gas in the gas cylinders, thus predicted for all of the customers in the delivery areas allocated to the deliverymen, are added together to determine the amount of delivery of gas cylinders for two to ten days. 
     When the deliveryman has exchanged the gas cylinders in accordance with the delivery slip, he or she enters, to the delivery slip, the date of replacement, the meter indication on the date of replacement, the cylinder number and the individual safety inspection items. At the end of the daily delivery operation, the delivery slip is submitted to the delivery manager. The delivery manager examines the delivery slip thus returned to the delivery manager to determine whether there are omissions in entry, and thereafter, stores the slip as data used to calculate the next delivery due date. For such a system, various methods for increasing the efficiency for delivery of gas cylinders have been proposed (see patent literature 1). 
     Also, there is an automation, meter reading (AMR) system for automatically reading the meter reading value of the gas meter or the like (for example, see patent literature 2). However, as shown in patent literature 1, we still need a manual meter reading by human work for obtaining the meter reading value from the gas meter by visiting the customer&#39;s home by a meter reader. For example, by the above manual meter reading, the meter reader can check a gas leak or the like due to a trouble of a gas facility, by visiting the customer&#39;s home. Therefore, the manual meter reading has advantages compared to the AMR. 
     Furthermore, the AMR requires to send a notification indicating that the meter reading is performed to the customer&#39;s home. The cost for sending the notification is higher than the cost for visiting the customer&#39;s home by the meter reader in the manual meter reading. Therefore, the AMR has a cost disadvantage compared to the manual meter reading. Accordingly, the above manual meter reading by human work has advantages, which cannot be accomplished by the AMR. 
     As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, there has been a conventional system that is able to improve the efficiency of deliveries of gas cylinders, and when there was a cancellation of a gas contract, it took a long tine to delete that customer data from among multiple customer data targeted for meter reading of a gas meter to be reflected in the system. Therefore, there was a possibility that the gas meter of the cancelled customer would be read. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent literature 
     PTL 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-329159(1596) 
     PTL 2: US Patent Application Publication No. US2008/0187116 A1 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     As described above, in the conventional system for the manual meter reading by the meter reader, if the customer cancels a gas contract, the cancelation was not immediately reflected in the system. Therefore, it possibly takes unnecessary costs that the meter reader visits the customer&#39;s home which has canceled the gas contract. 
     In consideration of the condition described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a customer management system and customer management method that is able to obtain a list of customers targeted for meter reading by more quickly reflecting the cancellation status of gas contracts. 
     Solution to Problem 
     In order to solve the problem above, the present invention is a customer management system, that includes: a management unit that manages a list that includes multiple customer data targeted for meter reading; a receiver that receives cancellation data for a customer&#39;s gas contract; an update unit that, based on the cancellation data, deletes data for a cancelled customer from the multiple customer data included in the list to update the list; and a transmitter that transmits the updated list to a communication terminal. 
     Moreover, in order to solve the problem above, the present invention is a customer management method by a computer for deleting data for a cancelled customer from a list that includes multiple customer data targeted for meter reading, wherein the computer comprises a management unit that manages the list; and the method includes: receiving cancellation data for a customer&#39;s gas contract; deleting data for a cancelled customer from the multiple customer data included in the list to update the list based on the cancellation data; and transmitting the updated list to a communication terminal. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     With the present invention, it is possible obtain a list, of customers targeted for meter reading by more quickly reflecting cancellation status of gas contracts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a drawing illustrating an example of network configuration of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the delivery server in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an example of the overall operation of a delivery server of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a drawing of an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates an example of a list that includes multiple customer data targeted for meter reading; and 
         FIG. 5  is a drawing of an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates an example of an operation screen, on a mobile terminal to which an updated list has been transmitted 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, a summary of a configuration of a system of an embodiment will be explained. This system, for example, is based on cancellation data for a customer&#39;s gas contract obtained from a mobile terminal, for example, deletes data for a cancelled customer from a list that includes multiple customer data targeted for meter reading. 
       FIG. 1  is a drawing that illustrates the network configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , a delivery server (customer management system)  101  is configured to be able to communicate with multiple client computers  103   a ,  103   b , . . . ,  103   n  via a network  102 . Furthermore, this delivery server  101  is configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of mobile terminals (communication terminals)  105   a ,  105   b , . . . ,  105   n . In a common explanation for each of the multiple client computers  103   a  to  103   n , each client computer will be referred to as simply client computer  103 , and in a common explanation for each of the mobile terminals  105   a  to  105   n , each mobile terminal will be referred to as simply mobile terminal  105 . 
     A client computer  101  is a terminal that is located at a delivery center that centrally manages deliveries at each delivery base, and is used by a user at the delivery center. The user connects to the delivery server  101  via the client computer  103  to perform work specific to delivery services, such as checking delivery status and transmitting a delivery data creation instruction. The installation location of the client computer  103  can also be at a delivery base, for example. A mobile terminal  105  is carried and used by a worker (for example, this includes a meter reader, a deliveryman, a safety inspector and the like) that checks the meter reading of a gas meter that is attached to a supply facility that comprises a gas cylinder, and comprises a CPU, memory, input device, code reader unit, meter indication data transmitter and display device. The gas meter is provided with a two-dimensional code (for example, a QR code or barcode), which is configured to be able to be read by the code reader unit of the mobile terminal  105 . The worker visits the customers&#39; houses for the meter reading during a meter reading period. The worker, by way of the code reader unit of the mobile terminal  105 , collects meter indication data that includes the meter reading of a gas meter by reading the two-dimensional code affixed to the gas meter. The meter indication data includes a meter indication value indicated by the meter indication of the gas meter and a customer ID indicating the customer having the supply facility provided with the gas meter. The mobile terminal  105  transmits the meter indication data collected by reading the two-dimensional code to a delivery server  101  via the meter indication data transmitter. The meter indication data is transmitted to the delivery server  101 , for example, when reading a meter, when opening or closing a gas cock, when performing a safety inspection, when delivering a gas cylinder, when replacing a gas meter and the like. 
     [Configuration of a Delivery Server] 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a delivery server  101 . In  FIG. 2 , a case in which, a single computer system is employed is explained, however the delivery server  101  may also be configured as part of a multi-functional distributed system made up of multiple computer systems. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the delivery server  101  has a CPU  301 , a system bus  302 , RAM  303 , an input device  304 , an output device  305 , a communication control device  306  and a storage device (management unit)  307 . 
     The CPU  301  is connected to ail of the components via the system bus  302 , and together with performing processing for transferring control signals and data, executes various software programs for achieving the overall operation of the delivery server  101 , performs arithmetic processing and the like. 
     The RAM  303  is provided with a work area for temporarily storing data and software programs. 
     The storage device  307  comprises a non-volatile storage medium such as ROM, HDD or the like, and comprises a program storage area that stores software programs, and a data storage area that stores data obtained as needed and data as a result of processing. For example, by reading a software program from the program storage area of the storage device  307  into the work area of the RAM  303 , and executing that software program by the CPU  301 , the CPU  301  of this embodiment achieves functions of the units  31  to  33  that will be described later. 
     The CPU  301 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , comprises a receiver  31 , an update unit  32  and a transmitter  33 . 
     The receiver  31  receives cancellation data for a customer&#39;s gas contract. Also, the receiver  31  receives the meter indication data sent from, the mobile terminal  105 . 
     The update unit  32 , based on the cancellation data, deletes the data for a cancelled customer from, among the multiple customer data included in the list targeted for meter reading to update the list. Also, if a customer ID included in the received meter in the list are matched, the update unit  32  adds the meter indication value included in the received meter indication data to the customer data relating to the matched customer ID in the list 
     The transmitter  33  transmits the updated list to the mobile terminals  105 , in response to update of the list by deleting the customer data. 
     [Operation of a Delivery Server] 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an example of the overall operation of a delivery server  101 . 
     For example, a mobile terminal  105  transmits cancellation, data that indicates a cancellation when a customer cancels a gas contract to the delivery server  101 , and the GPU  301  (receiver  31 ) of the delivery server  101  receives the cancellation data (S 101 ). 
     The cancellation data includes the “customer ID”, the “meter identity number” and the “cancellation date”. The CPU  301  (update unit  32 ) of the delivery server  101  compares this cancellation data with the multiple customer data targeted for meter reading that are in the list stored in the storage device  307 , and as a result of the comparison, deletes the data for matching customer from the list to update the list (S 102 ).  FIG. 4  illustrates an example of this list.  FIG. 4  is a figure for explaining an example of a list. The list d 40  that is illustrated in  FIG. 4  includes the “customer ID” d 41 , the “meter identity number” d 42 , the “scheduled meter reading date” and “monthly meter indication data” d 45  mentioned above, and is stored in the storage device  307 . In step S 102 , the update unit  32  determines the customer having customer ID “A0003” is matching as the result of the above comparison, and deletes the record related to that customer (indicated by the bold frame d 44  in  FIG. 4 ). 
     Then the CPU  301  (transmitter  33 ) of the delivery server  101  transmits the updated list described above to the mobile terminal  105  (S 103 ). The mobile terminal  105  is used by a meter reader. The mobile terminal  105  reflects the updated content in the received first list on the meter reading list, in response to reception of the updated first list from the delivery server  101 . The meter reader can confirm the meter reading list reflecting the content after the updating. The list that a meter reader confirms on a mobile terminal  105  is displayed on a display screen such as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , during the meter reading period.  FIG. 5  is a figure illustrating an example of a display screen d 50  of a mobile terminal  105  after an updated list has been transmitted. In the list d 51  that is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the addresses of customers targeted for meter reading are arranged and displayed. Here, for example, when the customer whose address is “Inzai City, Hiraga ◯◯◯◯-3” has cancelled, the above update unit  32  updates the list by deleing the customer corresponding to the customer ID in the cancellation data from the list based on the cancellation data, and transmits the updated list to the mobile terminal  105 . After that, the mobile terminal  105  deletes the customer data targeted for cancelation from the meter reading list based on the received updated list, and displays the deleted meter reading list on the display screen of the mobile terminal  105 . In the deleted meter reading list, the data on the display screen of the cancelled customer whose address is “Inzai City, Hiraga ◯◯◯◯-3” is to be deleted (indicated by the bold frame d 52  in  FIG. 5 ). Here, the mobile terminal  105  may display a notification indicating the deletion of the customer data targeted for cancelation from the meter reading list to the display screen, before displaying the deleted meter reading list. Because meter reading is performed by viewing the data for only contracted customers, and meter reading is not performed for customers that have cancelled. In this way it is possible to obtain a list of customers targeted for meter reading by more quickly reflecting the cancellation status of gas a contracts. 
     In step S 101 , transmission of the cancellation data can also be performed by a client computer  103  instead of a mobile terminal  105 . 
     All of the meter indication data described above is stored in the storage device  307 , and during processing in step S 103 , corresponding meter indication data is read from the storage device  307 . 
     As was explained above, when a customer cancels a gas contract, the delivery server  101  of this embodiment manages a list that includes multiple customer data targeted for meter reading, and receives cancellation data for the customer&#39;s gas contract. The delivery server  101 , based on the received cancellation data, deletes the data for the cancelled customer from the multiple customer data included in the list, and updates the list, then transmits the updated list to the mobile terminal  105 . Therefore, it is possible to obtain a list of customers targeted for meter reading by more quickly reflecting the cancellation status of gas contracts. 
     An embodiment was explained above, however, the specific data structure is not limited by the embodiment, and can be changed.