Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6886744?dq=6666377
Timestamp: 2014-03-08 23:53:58
Document Index: 430337081

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Patent US6886744 - Automatic vending apparatus involving contract and vending system - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAfter a contract terminates in a contract part with personal identification and the input of contract contents, a control part controls the door of a sales storing box in which a product to be purchased is stored, and vends the product by opening the door....http://www.google.com/patents/US6886744?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6886744 - Automatic vending apparatus involving contract and vending systemAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6886744 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/796,874Publication dateMay 3, 2005Filing dateFeb 28, 2001Priority dateFeb 24, 2000Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20010025883Publication number09796874, 796874, US 6886744 B2, US 6886744B2, US-B2-6886744, US6886744 B2, US6886744B2InventorsSeiji Ichihara, Kunihiro Nomura, Jirou Kino, Kazuya SeoOriginal AssigneeHitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Asahi Electronics Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (13), Referenced by (1), Classifications (11), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetAutomatic vending apparatus involving contract and vending systemUS 6886744 B2Abstract After a contract terminates in a contract part with personal identification and the input of contract contents, a control part controls the door of a sales storing box in which a product to be purchased is stored, and vends the product by opening the door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, a contract for a product is made in such a way that a user goes to a product vending store, has a driver's license and a credit card on hand, and makes communication with a salesclerk. The applicant fills out a given form according to clerk's directions, and selects a contract plan and the like. At the same time, the user is authenticated by the driver's license and the like, a copy of the driver's license and the like are sent to a credit check center or the like, and the center checks the contract.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the transition of display screens displayed in the display part 102 of the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function under control of the display control part 201. Input is made through the input part 103 controlled by the input control part 202. In the drawing, a reference numeral 400 designates an initial screen, which displays a �Portable telephone� button pressed when a user makes a contract for portable telephone and purchases the body of a portable telephone; a �Portable telephone contract change� button pressed to change the contract contents of a portable telephone; a �Music� button pressed to download music to the internal memory of a portable telephone 700 carried with the user or IC card 703; and a �Game� button pressed to download game to the internal memory or IC card 703 of a user's portable telephone 700. 401 designates an advance confirmation screen, displayed when a user presses the �Portable telephone� button, for confirming things necessary for contract, used to inquire of the user the possession of a driver's license and the like necessary for contract. A screen 402 displays a procedure for contract sale of a portable telephone to indicate the overall contract to the user. A screen 403, which is used to confirm the principal by a driver's license, prompts the user to set the driver's license on the identification card read part 105. A screen 404 is displayed to confirm the principal by comparing the face image of the driver's license and the principal's image obtained by the personal confirmation camera 104. A screen 405 is displayed to inquire of a credit check center whether there were illegal acts such as fee delinquency in a past portable telephone contract. A screen 406 tells the end of credit check and indicates that the portable telephone application work can continue. A screen 416 is displayed when it is judged that the contract is improper as a result of the inquiry to the credit check center in the screen 405. A screen 407 is a selection screen for having the user select a fee plan for portable telephone. A screen 408 is a screen for confirming a call fee plan selected by the user. A screen 409 is a screen for having the user select the model of the portable telephone body. A screen 410 is a confirmation screen displayed when the portable telephone body selected in the screen 409 by the user is out of stock and is ordered. A screen 411 is a screen for selecting a payment method at the time of contract sale of portable telephone by the user pressing one of credit card, debit card, and cash on delivery buttons. A screen 412, which is displayed when the user selects credit card as a purchase method, prompts the user to insert a credit card into the magnetic card part 107 and enter a password. A screen 413 is displayed, after the contract and a payment method have been decided, to have the user select whether to receive the portable telephone in the place or sent it by mail to a specified destination. A screen 414 is a screen for selecting a deliver destination when delivery to a specified destination is selected, and prompts the user to enter a delivery destination. The application terminates when a delivery destination is inputted. A screen 415 is displayed when the receipt of portable telephone in the place is specified in the screen 413, and prompts the user to take out the portable telephone body from the sales storing box 111 of the sales part 101. Furthermore, it prompts the user to receive a contract content bill (copy for the user) on which the contract contents are printed.
When the �Portable telephone contract change� button is pressed in the screen 400 of FIG. 4, a screen 421 shown in FIG. 5 is displayed to have the user select model change reservation or fee plan change. A screen 422 is displayed when a �Model change reservation� button is pressed in the screen 421; the user specifies a portable telephone model to change to. A screen 423 is displayed when a �Fee plan change� button is pressed in the screen 421; the user specifies a fee plan to change to. A screen 424 is a screen for entering a portable telephone number for personal identification to make portable telephone contract change. A screen 425 is a screen for entering the password of portable telephone. A screen 426 is a screen for specifying a store that makes model change; actual model change is made in a manned stored. A screen 427 is a screen for having the user confirm the fee plan specified in the screen 423. A screen 428 is displayed when an application containing a model name, a receipt store, and other information is being printed. A screen 429 is displayed when a change confirmation bill containing the contents of a changed fee plan is being printed. A screen 430 is displayed after the application bill and the change confirmation bill have been printed.
When the Game button is pressed in the screen 400, a screen 431 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. The screen 431 displays categories for selecting a game. A screen 432, which is displayed when a �New product� button is pressed on the screen 431, displays game titles and advertisement images. A screen 433, which is displayed when contents to be downloaded are decided, prompts the user to connect a portable telephone connecting cable to the portable telephone to download the contents to the internal memory of the portable telephone. Although game and music may be downloaded to the internal memory of portable telephone and the IC card 703, subsequent descriptions assume that they are downloaded to the internal memory. It goes without saying that they can be downloaded to the IC card 703 by using the IC card part 110. By pressing an End button upon completion of connection, a screen 434 is displayed. The screen 434 is displayed when the capacity of memory within portable telephone is being checked. If the memory is in shortage, a screen 441 is displayed, and then the screen 433 is displayed again. Although downloading is made to the internal memory of portable telephone herein, downloading can also be made to a recording medium such as the IC card 703 that can be inserted into the portable telephone 700, through the IC card part 110. A screen 435 displays a portable telephone number obtained at the time of memory check and inquires of the user whether the number may be used to withdraw contents fee from a usual call fee withdrawal destination. A screen 436 is a screen for entering a password to prevent illegal use of portable telephone. A password is entered, and when it is judged by the store management center 31 that it is a correct password, downloading is started, and a screen 437 is displayed to indicate that downloading is in progress. At normal completion of downloading, a screen 438 is displayed to indicate the end of downloading.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing processing performed by the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function. The initial screen 400 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed in the display part 102 of the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function (S600). To purchase a product involving contract, that is, to newly subscribe to portable telephone, a user presses the �Portable telephone� button. It is judged whether a new contract for portable telephone is selected (S601). In the screen 403, an identification card is read in the identification card read part 105 and the identification card image is converted into a digital image by a digital scanner or CCD camera (S602). The image is sent to an operator of the store management center 31 over the network 36. It is determined whether the image of the identification card has been successfully read by the operator of the store management center (S603). If it cannot be read by the operator, the operator directs the image sender to correctly set the identification card by voice (S604). The operator of the store management center 31 compares the read identification card image and an applicant's face image obtained by the personal identification camera 104 controlled by the personal identification camera control part, and visually checks whether the applicant is the principal of the identification card (S605). At this time, the screen 404 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. If visual inspection by the image fails, the screen 416 telling the user to make a contract through a clerk at a window is displayed in the display part 102 of the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function (S606). Information such as a name and an address obtained from information of the identification card is sent to the credit check center 37 to check applicant's credit (S607). The screen 405 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed to the user for the duration of the check. It is checked by the operator of the store management center 31 whether information indicating that the contract is OK because of no past delinquent acts is sent from the credit check center 37 (S608). If information indicating that the user is ineligible for the contract is sent as a result of the checking of the credit check center 37, to indicate rejection for the contract with the user, the screen 416 in FIG. 4F is displayed in the display part 102 of the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function (S609). A fee plan for portable telephone is selected (S610). That is, the screens 407 and 408 in FIG. 4 are displayed in the display part 102 of the automatic vending apparatus 10 with automatic contract function, and a fee plan is selected through the input part 103. A portable telephone body is selected from the screen 409 of FIG. 4 displayed in the display part 102, through the input part 103 (S611). In S611, the stock of the selected portable telephone body is checked (S612). This is done by consulting the portable telephone body names 52 and the number of units 51 stored in the sales storing box, in the data structure shown in FIG. 7, stored in the memory part 209. If stock is 0 as a result of consulting the number of stored units, a message indicative of later delivery by mail is displayed (S613). A payment method is selected (S614). In the screen example 411 shown in FIG. 4, three methods are shown as payment methods: credit card, debit card, and cash on delivery. Herein, cash on delivery is selected as a payment method, and the user pays cash when the portable telephone body arrives at a later date. If a specified portable telephone body is out of stock (S612), similarly, the user pays cash on delivery (S615). The user is prompted to enter a password for card settlement (screen example 412 of FIG. 4). In the screen example 413 shown in FIG. 4, the user selects whether to receive the portable telephone body from the sales part 101 after the contract (S617). If the user does not wish to receive it or the specified portable telephone is out of stock (S612), the user enters a delivery destination on the screen 414 (S618). If the user receives the portable telephone body in that place, the lid 113 of a sales storing box is unlocked through the lid control part 211 according to directions from the CPU 200 (S619). The user manually opens a sales storing box of a number displayed on the screen 415 of FIG. 4, and receives a set of portable telephone body as a sales product 112. The telephone number of the set of portable telephone body is already registered in the internal memory of the portable telephone. It is detected by the product existence detection part 212 whether the user has received the set 112 of portable telephone body (S620). It is determined from the detection result in S620 whether the set 112 of portable telephone body is left behind within the sales storing box (S621), and if not left behind, the contract sale terminates (S622). If takeout failure is detected as a result of detection in S621, the sales storing box is locked according to directions from the operator of the store management center (S623). Information (the number of sold units, sold model names, dates, store names, etc.) about completed contract sale transactions is sent to the sales management center 32 over the network 36 (S624), and the initial screen shown in FIG. 4 is displayed again (S625). Herein, after the contract, although the password of the purchased portable telephone is already set, if desired, in that place, the password can be changed by connecting the portable telephone connecting cable 109.
A second embodiment at the time of contract content change is described below with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. On the initial screen 400, �Portable telephone contract change� is selected. To change contract contents recorded in an IC card, the user is prompted to insert the IC card 703 on a screen 1200. On a change content selection screen 1201, fee plan change or disuse is selected. On the fee plan change screen 423, a fee plan is changed. In this example, �Fair plan� is selected. To prevent meaningless changes by third parties, the user is prompted to enter a telephone number and a password on the screens 424 and 425. Where the input results are correct, the change confirmation screen 427 is displayed, and if the change contents are correct, the user presses the OK button. Upon completion of the change, a screen 1202 is displayed, and a copy of the change contents and the IC card are returned to the user. At termination of all processing, the screen 430 is displayed and control is returned to the initial screen 400.
A description will be made of a flowchart for portable telephone contract change shown in FIG. 17. When present invention contract change is selected on the initial screen 400 (S634), since contract change involves a change of IC card recording, on a screen 1200, the user is prompted to insert an IC card (S1300). Where �Disuse� is selected on the change menu selection screen 423 (S1301), to authenticate the user, the user enters the telephone number of a portable telephone to be disused (S1302) and a password (S1303). When the entered numbers are correct, the recording of the IC card is changed to disuse and the contract is terminated (S1304). Contract termination information is sent to the sales management center (S624), the initial screen is displayed, and the processing terminates.
Where �Fee plan� is selected on the change menu selection screen 423 (S1301), a fee plan is selected on the fee plan change screen 423 (S630). As at the disuse processing, to authenticate the user, the user enters a portable telephone number and a password (S631). If the input results are correct, a changed free plan is displayed on the screen 427 and the change contents are confirmed (S632). If the change contents are correct, the user presses the OK button on the screen 427, the recording of the IC card is changed, and a change confirmation bill is printed in the certificate issuance part 106 (S1305). The change contents are sent to the sales management center (S624), the initial screen is displayed, and the processing terminates.
When game is selected on the initial screen 400, a initial screen 431 of FIG. 18 for game downloading is displayed. Herein, �New product� is selected. The user selects a desired one of games displayed on the screen 432. For music, the screens 439 and 440 are used to select and download a desired music product; since, after a desired music product is selected, the same display screens as for game downloading are used, an example of game downloading is described below. To download game to an IC card, on a screen 1400, the user is prompted to insert the IC card to the IC card part 110. After the IC card has been inserted, a screen 1401 is displayed to check a free memory of the IC card. If the memory is in shortage, the screen 441 is displayed to tell the user that the memory is in shortage, and prompts the user to erase memory contents, and control returns to the screen 1400. If the memory capacity is sufficient, to confirm that the fee may be withdrawn from the same account for portable telephone call fees, the portable telephone number is displayed for confirmation on the screen 435. When the OK button is pressed, to authenticate the user, the user is prompted to enter a password on the screen 436. If the password is correct, the game is downloaded to the IC card. A screen 1402 is displayed for the duration of downloading and the user can check the status of downloading. Upon completion of downloading, a screen 1403 is displayed, the IC card is ejected, and the user is prompted to receive the IC card. After the downloading is completed and the user takes out the IC card, the initial screen 400 is displayed.
FIGS. 25 to 27 are drawings showing the transition of display screens controlled and displayed on the display part 2003 by the display control part 2101. Hereinafter, input is made to screens through the input part 2004 controlled by the input control part 2102. In FIGS. 25 to 27, 2500 designates an initial screen, which displays the message of �Touch the screen for model change�. 2501 designates an advance confirmation screen, displayed when the user presses the input part 2004, for confirming things necessary for model change, which has the user check whether he has on hand things necessary for model change, such as a portable telephone currently used and seal of approval. When �Next� is pressed on the screen 2501, a screen 2502 is displayed to have the user select a model to change to. In this screen, models in stock are circled. For the numbers of models to be judged to be in stock in the storing part 2002 from the table of FIG. 24, which indicates the status of stock in the storing part 2002, product numbers displayed in the display part by the display control part 2101 are circled so that the user can select one of models in stock. A screen 2503, displayed when a model to change to is selected on the screen 2502, describes in detail the selected model. A screen 2504, displayed when a model to change to is decided by pressing a �This� button on the screen 2503, prompts the user to fill out a model change application issued from the papers issuance part 2007 controlled by the papers issuance control part 2106 and set the written application in a specified position. A screen 2505 is displayed when it is confirmed by the service center 2300 that the application is correctly filled out. That is, the model application is filled out and set in the paper set part 2011, and the image of the application is obtained using the shooting part 2012 controlled by the shooting control part 2104. The obtained image is sent to the service center 2300 over the network 2301 by the communication control part (2302). The screen 2505 is displayed when the service center 2300 checks the application for entry omissions and confirms that it is correctly filled out. A screen 2506 displays details of a cost required for the model change. A screen 2600 is displayed to have the user select cash or a credit card as a payment method. A screen 2601 is displayed when the user selects cash as a payment method and pays cash through the cash part 2005 controlled by the cash mechanism control part 2105. A screen 2602 prompts the user to enter the password of a credit card after the user selects a credit card as a payment method and inserts the credit card to the magnetic card read part 2006 controlled by the magnetic card control part 2103. A screen 2603 indicates the end of payment, and prompts the user to take a box storing a product 2015 (portable telephone) out of the product storing box 2013 of the storing part 2002 by opening the door 2014 of the product storing box for which an electronic lock 2016 controlled by the lid control part 2110 is unlocked. A screen 2604 is displayed when a portable telephone has been taken out of the product storing box 2013 and the Received button has been pressed, indicating that ID work for model change will be started. A screen 2605 shows the procedure for the ID work and prompts the user to connect a connecting cable B 2010 to the connecting cable 2018 of the portable telephone taken out of the box. A screen 2606 shows the procedure for the ID work and prompts the user to connect the connecting cable A 2009 to the connecting terminal 2018 of a portable telephone having been so far used. A screen 2607 is displayed when the connecting cable control part 2107 is checking whether the connecting cable A 2009 and the connecting cable B 2010 are correctly connected. A screen 2608 is displayed when the ID work is in progress. A screen 2609 indicates that the ID work has been normally terminated, displaying that, although the model change has terminated, the service of copying of phone book data can be provided. A screen 2700 is displayed when phone book data is being retrieved from the internal memory 2200 of the portable telephone having been so far used when the Copy button is pressed on the screen 2609. A screen 2701 is displayed when the phone book data obtained on the screen 2700 is being copied to the internal memory 2200 of the portable telephone to which to change a model. A screen 2702 indicates that the phone book data has been copied. A screen 2703 describes that, after termination of the ID work, a call will be made to the portable telephone having been subjected to the ID work to check whether the model change has been normally terminated. A screen 2704 requests the user to press �Connected� or �Not connected� button to determine whether a call from the service center has been normally received by the model-changed portable telephone. A screen 2705, displayed when the �Not connected� button is pressed on the screen 2704, describes failure in the model change and guides the user to a user's nearest manned store. At this time, information about a user's nearest manned store can be obtained by pressing a �Print� button. A screen 2706 is displayed when the �Connected� button is pressed on the screen 2704, and prompts the user to recycle the portable telephone having been so far used. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the initial screen 2500 is displayed.
The initial screen 2500 stored in the memory part 2108 is displayed in the display part 2003 of the mode change part 2001 under control of the CPU 2100 (S900). Hereinafter, screens will be displayed in the display part 2003 of the model change part 2001. The user touches the input part 2004 to make a contract change of a product, that is, to change the model of portable telephone. The model change part 2001 judges whether the input part 2004 was touched (S901). The initial screen 2500 stays displayed as long as the input part 2004 is not touched. To check things necessary for the change, the screen 2501 of FIG. 25 is displayed (S902). The stock status of portable telephones stored in the product storing boxes 2013 of the storing part 2002 is obtained by consulting the stock information 2401 and the model names 2402 of portable telephone bodies in the table shown in FIG. 24 (S903), which are stored in the memory part 2108. A model to change to is selected by the user pressing the image of a desired model on the screen 2502. At this time, for models in stock, model numbers associated with the models, displayed on the display screen, are circled using the stock status obtained from the result of S903 (S904). After the user decides a model to change to by seeing detailed information about the model displayed on the screen 2503, a model change application to be filled out for model change is printed by the papers issuance part 2007 controlled by the papers issuance control part 2106 (S905), and the user fills out the printed application. The model change application is filled in according to directions displayed on the screen 2504, a seal of approval is pressed, the paper is set on the paper set part 2011, and the shooting part 2012 obtains the image of the model change application when �End� is pressed. The image is sent to an operator of the service center 2300 through the communication control part 2109 and the network 2301. The operator visually checks the sent image on the screen of a personal computer or the like (S906). If the model change application is imperfect because of entry omissions, failed image, or the like, the operator of the service center sends modification directions (voice information 2303) to the automatic contract change apparatus over the speaker 2019 or the like via the network 2301 (S908). As shown in the screen 2505, if it is confirmed that the model change application has been correctly filled out, the user is instructed to put the application in the papers collection box 2008. After �Purchase� button is pressed for details of purchase amounts displayed on the screen 2506, a payment method is selected on the screen 2600 (S907). Where cash is specified as a payment method, as shown in the screen 2601, payment is accepted until specified amounts are entered from the cash part 2005 (S909). Where a payment method is a credit card, the credit card is read by the magnetic card read part 2006 to obtain its magnetic information, and the magnetic information is sent to a credit card company over the network to check whether usable limit amounts are not exceeded. If there is no problem, input of a password is accepted as shown in the screen 2602, the password is sent to the credit card company, and payment by the credit card terminates at the time when a match is found (S910). Upon completion of payment, the screen 2603 is displayed to indicate the end of payment. At the completion of payment, the box of a product storing box 2013 in which the model selected by the user is stored is located based on the data structure as shown in FIG. 24. According to the information, the CPU 2100 of the model change part 2001 controls the lid control part 2110 of the storing part 2002, and unlocks the electronic lock 2016 of the located product storing box so that the user can open the door 2014 of the product storing box. As shown in the screen 2603, the user takes a product 2015 as the purchased portable telephone out of the specified product storing box 2013 in the storing part 2002 by opening the door 2014 of the product storing box (S911). After taking the portable telephone out of the box, the user presses the Received button on the screen 2603. At this time, the electronic lock 2016 of the box is locked. The screen 2604 is displayed to describe ID work for model change, and as shown in the screens 2605 and 2606, the connecting cable A 2009 is connected to the connecting terminal of the portable telephone having been so far used, the purchased portable telephone is taken out of the box, and the connecting cable B 2010 is connected to the connecting terminal of the new portable telephone (S912). As shown in the screen 2607, to determine whether the connecting cables A 2009 and B 2010 are correctly connected, the connecting cable control part 2107 checks whether it can see the internal memory 2200 through the cables from both the portable telephones. Herein, the shape of the connecting terminal may differ depending on manufacturers, and cables different in shape may not be connected. In this case, connecting cables A and B different for each shape and manufacturer are provided in advance in the model change part. That is, cables different for each of company A (connecting cable A, connecting cable B), company B (connecting cable C, connecting cable D), and company C (connecting cable E, connecting cable F) are provided in the model change part. Thereby, cables can be connected to portable telephones of different companies and types. A method of achieving this will be described later using FIGS. 35, 17, and 18 as a fifth embodiment example.
Through the cable A 2009 connected with the connecting terminal of the portable telephone having been so far used, ID information such as a portable telephone number is recorded in the memory part 2108, and then the contents of the internal memory of the portable telephone having been so far used are erased. The recorded portable telephone number and other information are copied to the internal memory 2200 of the new portable telephone through the connecting cable B 2010 connected to the connecting terminal of the portable telephone (S913). The screen 2608 is displayed in the display part. After the ID work has terminated normally, the screen 2609 is displayed to have the user select whether to terminate the processing or copy phone book data (S914). As shown in the screens 2700, 2701, and 2702, the phone book data is copied in the same procedure as that for the ID work in a manner that copies the internal memory of the portable telephone having been so far used to the internal memory of the new portable telephone (S915). It is to be understood that information important to the user such as phone book data should be copied to the service center as well via the memory part 2108 of the model change part and the network to provide for dropout of information during copy operation. Later claims to dropout of important information from users can be solved by keeping records, with increased usability. The screen 2703 is displayed to determine whether the ID work has terminated normally, that is, to check whether the model change has succeeded, by making a call to the model-changed portable telephone from the service center. If the new portable telephone is called, the model change is considered to terminate (S916). As shown in the screen 2704, if the portable telephone is called, the �Connected� button is pressed. If it is not called, the �Not connected� button is pressed (S100). If connected, a model change transaction statement for model change is printed in the papers issuance part 2007 controlled by the papers issuance control part 2106 and is used as a copy for the user. Further, an advertisement screen as shown by the screen 2706 is displayed and control returns to the initial screen 2500 (S101). Further, information (the number of sold units, sold model names, dates, store names, etc.) about completed model change transactions is sent to the service center 2300 over the network 2301. However, if not connected, the screen 2705 is displayed to output a message indicating that model change should be made again in a user s nearest manned store, and store information is printed in the papers issuance part 2007 controlled by the papers issuance control part 2106 (S102).
A screen 1301 displays the process of recording to the recording part 2108 of the model change part 2001. A screen 1302 indicates that the phone book data has been copied. A screen 1303 is displayed when a memory card 2023 in which ID information and other information have been recorded is issued from the memory card issuance part 2020 under control of the memory card issuance control part 2111. A screen 1304 is one of screens for checking whether the memory card 2023 operates normally, and has the user select whether he has a portable telephone supporting a memory card, for the purpose of checking. A screen 1305 is displayed when a �Yes� button indicating that the user has a portable telephone supporting a memory card is pressed in the screen 1304, and describes that the user has to insert the memory card 2023 issued in the screen 1303 to the memory card insertion port 2022 of a portable telephone 2021 supporting a memory card the user provides, and a call will be made to the portable telephone from the service center. A screen 1306 inquires of the user whether a call has arrived from the service center as described on the screen 1305. That is, the user is instructed to select between the �Connected� and �Not connected� buttons on the screen. A screen 1307 is displayed when the �Connected� button was pressed on the screen 1306, and instructs the user to receive a memory card issuance end receipt. A screen 1308 is displayed when a call from the service center for checking the operation of the memory card 2023 on the screen 1306 was not connected. It indicates failure in the creation of the memory card 2023 and guides the user to other manned stores. Information about the nearest manned store can be obtained by printed matter from the papers issuance part 2007. After the store information is printed, the initial screen 1100 is displayed. A screen 1309 is displayed when the user does not have a portable telephone supporting a memory card for checking the operation of the memory card 2023. The screen asks the user to purchase a portable telephone supporting a memory card, and then make a call to a toll-free phone for operation checking. After an �End� button is pressed, the initial screen 1100 is displayed.
The initial screen 1100 stored in the memory part 2108 is displayed in the display part 2003 of the mode change part 2001 under control of the CPU 2100 (S1400). Hereinafter, screens will be displayed in the display part 2003 of the model change part 2001. The user touches the input part 2004 to make a contract change of a product, that is, to change the model of portable telephone. The model change part 2001 judges whether the input part 2004 was touched (S1401). The initial screen 1100 stays displayed as long as the input part 2004 is not touched. To check things necessary for the change, the screen 1101 of FIG. 30 is displayed (S1402). The stock status of portable telephones stored in the product storing boxes 2013 of the storing part 2002 is obtained by consulting the stock information 2401 and the model names 2402 of portable telephone bodies in the table shown in FIG. 24 (S1403), which are stored in the memory part 2108. A model to change to is selected by the user pressing the image of a desired model on the screen 1102. At this time, for models in stock, model numbers associated with the models, displayed on the display screen, are circled using the stock status obtained from the result of S1403 (S1404). After detailed information about memory card issuance is displayed on the screen 1103, a memory card issuance application to be filled out for memory card issuance is printed by the papers issuance part 2007 (S1405), and the user fills out the printed application. The model change application is filled in according to directions displayed on the screen 1104, a seal of approval is pressed, the paper is set on the paper set part 2011, and the shooting part 2012 obtains the image of the model change application when �End� is pressed. The image is sent to an operator of the service center 2300 through the communication control part 2109 and the network 2301. The operator visually checks the sent image on the screen of a personal computer or the like (S1406).
If the model change application is imperfect because of entry omissions, failed image, or the like, the operator of the service center sends modification directions (voice information 2303) to the automatic contract change apparatus over the speaker 2019 or the like via the network 2301 (S1408). As shown in the screen 1105, if it is confirmed that the model change application has been correctly filled out, the user is instructed to put the application in the papers collection box 2008. After �OK� button is pressed for details of purchase amounts displayed on the screen 1106, a payment method is selected on the screen 3100 (S1407). Where cash is specified as a payment method, as shown in the screen 3101, payment is accepted until specified amounts are entered from the cash part 2005 (S1409). Where a payment method is a credit card, the credit card is read by the magnetic card read part 2006 to obtain its magnetic information, and the magnetic information is sent to a credit card company over the network to check whether usable limit amounts are not exceeded. If there is no problem, input of a password is accepted as shown in the screen 3102, the password is sent to the credit card company, and payment by the credit card terminates at the time when a match is found (S1410). Upon completion of payment, the screen 3103 is displayed to indicate the end of payment. At the completion of payment, the screen 3104 is displayed to describe ID copy work, and as shown in the screen 3105, and the connecting cable A 2009 is connected to the connecting terminal of the portable telephone having been so far used (S1411). As shown in the screen 3106, to determine whether the connecting cable A 2009 is correctly connected, the connecting cable control part 2107 checks whether it can see the internal memory 2200 through the cable from the portable telephone. If it is correctly connected, the screen 3107 is displayed in the display part, and after the ID copy work (S1412) has terminated normally, the screen 3108 is displayed to have the user select whether to terminate the processing or copy phone book data (S1413). As shown in the screens 1300, 1301, and 1302, the phone book data is copied in the same procedure as that for the ID copy work in a manner that copies the internal memory of the portable telephone having been so far used to the memory card 2023 (S1414). It is to be understood that information important to the user such as phone book data should be copied to the service center as well via the memory part 2108 of the model change part and the network to provide for dropout of information during copy operation. Later claims to dropout of important information from users can be solved by keeping records, with increased usability.
As shown in the screen 1303, the memory card 2033 is issued (S1415). If �Yes� button is pressed in the screen 1304, as shown in the screen 1305, there is displayed a method of checking the operation of the memory card 2023 by using a portable telephone supporting a memory card (S3400). Since the user does not have a portable telephone supporting a memory card as shown in the screen 1309, there are displayed measures to be taken when the operation of the memory card 2023 cannot be checked (S3402). Or, as described in the screen transition drawing of FIG. 26 for the apparatus of FIG. 20 in the third embodiment example, in order that the user receives a portable telephone in that place, portable telephones may be stored in the storing part 2002.
In the screen 1305, to check whether the ID copy work has terminated normally, that is, whether the memory card 2023 has been normally created, a call is made to the remodeled portable telephone from the service center. If a call is made to the new portable telephone, it is determined that the model change is completed. As shown in the screen 1306, if a call is made to the portable telephone, �Connected� button is pressed. If a call is not made, �Not connected� button is pressed (S3401). If connected, a model change transaction statement for model change is printed in the papers issuance part 2007 and is used as a copy for the user. Further, an advertisement screen as shown by the screen 1307 is displayed and control returns to the initial screen 1100 (S1400). Further, information (the number of sold units, sold model names, dates, store names, etc.) about completed model change transactions is sent to the service center 2300 over the network 2301. However, if not connected, the screen 1308 is displayed to output a message indicating that model change should be made again in a user's nearest manned store, and store information is printed in the papers issuance part 2007 (S3403).
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