Product comparison method and system thereof

Abstract

A product comparison method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by a computing device and may include the following steps: in response to a user inputting a search term, rendering a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term; receiving the user's selection of a target product to be compared from the products displayed on the search results page; rendering a widget on the search results page for displaying a thumbnail of the target product; in response to the user selecting the target product, displaying a thumbnail of the target product on the widget; and in response to the user's comparison decision, rendering a comparison page for comparing the target products.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a product comparison method and system, and more specifically, to a method for providing a user interface for enabling a user to directly select multiple products to be compared on a search results page and compare the attributes of the selected multiple products. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Nowadays, with the development of logistics services and communication infrastructure, online goods transactions are becoming increasingly active. These online goods transactions are mainly conducted through online shopping malls. Online shopping malls list detailed information about the products they sell on their webpages, and users decide whether to purchase the products based on this information. On the other hand, when users purchase products, they sometimes need to select options for the corresponding products. In other words, the product webpage lists descriptions of various options for the corresponding products, and also includes an interface for selecting options. Especially when a product has multiple attributes, it is necessary to select an option for each attribute. Therefore, there is a need for a method that can more conveniently compare the options for products with multiple attributes.

[0003] Advanced Technology Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] (Patent Document 0001) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1835129 (Published on April 19, 2018) [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] Solution to the problem:

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a method that allows users to directly select products they wish to compare on a search results page.

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a method that allows users to compare multiple attributes of different products of the same type on a single page.

[0009] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0010] A product comparison method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by a computing device and may include the following steps: in response to a user inputting a search term, rendering a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term; receiving the user's selection of a target product to be compared from the products displayed on the search results page; rendering a widget on the search results page for displaying a thumbnail of the target product; in response to the user selecting the target product, displaying a thumbnail of the target product on the widget; and in response to the user's comparison decision, rendering a comparison page for comparing the target products.

[0011] In one embodiment, the step of rendering the search results page may include the step of rendering the product comparison button, and the step of receiving the selection of the comparison target product may include the following steps: in response to the user selecting the product comparison button, displaying a check box corresponding to the product displayed on the search results page; and receiving the product corresponding to the selected check box as the selection of the comparison target product.

[0012] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the selection of the comparison target product includes the following steps: when the user selects more than a preset threshold as the comparison target product, a prompt indicating that no further selection is possible is provided.

[0013] In one embodiment, the preset threshold is characterized in that the preset threshold varies depending on the display specifications of the user's terminal, which include the screen size and resolution of the user terminal.

[0014] In one embodiment, the step of rendering the comparison page may include the following steps: when the number of the comparison target products is two or more, rendering the comparison page in response to the comparison decision; when the number of the comparison target products is one, providing the user with a prompt indicating to continue selecting comparison target products.

[0015] In one embodiment, the step of rendering the comparison page includes the following steps: displaying multiple attributes of the target product in a table format; receiving the user's selection of an attribute of interest among the multiple attributes; and displaying the selected attribute of interest at the top of the table.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of rendering the comparison page may include the following steps: displaying the "Add to Cart" button corresponding to the comparison target product.

[0017] A product comparison system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: in response to a user inputting a search term, rendering a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term; receiving the user's selection of a target product for comparison from the products displayed on the search results page; rendering a widget on the search results page for displaying a thumbnail of the target product; in response to the user selecting the target product, displaying a thumbnail of the target product on the widget; and in response to the user's comparison decision, rendering a comparison page for comparing the target products.

[0018] In one embodiment, the operation of rendering the search results page may include the operation of rendering the product comparison button, and the operation of receiving the selection of the comparison target product may include the following operations: in response to the user selecting the product comparison button, displaying a check box corresponding to the product displayed on the search results page; and receiving the product corresponding to the selected check box as the selection of the comparison target product.

[0019] In one embodiment, the operation of rendering the comparison page may include the following operations: when the number of the comparison target products is two or more, rendering the comparison page in response to the comparison decision; when the number of the comparison target products is one, providing the user with a prompt indicating to continue selecting comparison target products.

[0020] In one embodiment, the operation of rendering the comparison page includes the following operations: displaying multiple attributes of the target product in a table format; receiving the user's selection of the attribute of interest among the multiple attributes; and displaying the selected attribute of interest at the top of the table.

[0021] In one embodiment, the operation of rendering the comparison page may include the following operation: displaying the "Add to Cart" button corresponding to the comparison target product.

Implementation Method

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, as well as the methods for achieving these advantages and features, will be clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described below. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below, but can be implemented in various forms. These embodiments are intended only to make the disclosure more complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, which is defined only within the scope of the claims.

[0040] When assigning element symbols to the technical features in the various figures, it should be noted that for the same technical feature, even if it is indicated in different figures, the same technical feature should have the same element symbol as much as possible. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments of this disclosure, detailed descriptions of related well-known structures or functions will be omitted if they are deemed to obscure the essence of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used in the sense commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly defined otherwise. The terminology used in this specification is for describing embodiments and not for limiting the invention. In this specification, unless specifically mentioned otherwise, the singular includes the plural.

[0042] Furthermore, when describing the technical features of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are only used to distinguish technical features from other technical features, and the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding technical features are not limited by such terms. When a technical feature is described as "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another element, the technical feature may be directly connected or linked to that other technical feature, and another technical feature may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each technical feature.

[0043] The use of “comprises” and / or “comprising” in the specification does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other technical features, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0044] FIG1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a shopping service provision system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG1, the shopping service provision system 10 may include a user terminal 100 and a service server 200.

[0045] User terminal 100 may be a computing device used by a user to receive shopping services from service server 200. As exemplarily shown in FIG1, user terminal 100 may include smartphone 100a, desktop computer 100b, laptop computer 100c, etc. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and user terminal 100 may be implemented using any device. In the following, when referring to any user terminal (e.g., 100a) or collectively all user terminals (e.g., 100a to 100c), the element symbol 100 is used to indicate it. User terminal 100 may also be referred to as "client terminal", "buyer / purchaser terminal", "consumer terminal", etc.

[0046] The service server 200 may represent a computing device / system that provides shopping services. For example, the service server 200 may represent a device / system that provides an online shopping website (e.g., a shopping mall server). The service server 200 can provide shopping services for uploaded products.

[0047] The service server 200 can provide a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search terms entered by the user, and a product details page for displaying detailed information about the products. In this case, the detailed information about the products may include, in addition to information about the products themselves, price information and delivery information based on the selected options. Furthermore, the service server 200 can provide a comparison page for comparing the attributes of multiple products selected by the user.

[0048] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the server 200 providing a specific page to the user may mean rendering the page on the screen of the user terminal 100 (e.g., the screen of a web browser or application running on the user terminal 100). Therefore, in the following description, rendering a specific technical feature can be understood as displaying the corresponding specific technical feature on the screen of the user terminal 100.

[0049] More specifically, the service server 200 can respond to a user's input of a search term and render a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term. The service server 200 can then receive the user's selection of a target product for comparison from the products displayed on the search results page. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the service server 200 can render a button (e.g., a product comparison button) on the search results page to receive the selection of a target product for comparison. For example, the product comparison button can be rendered at the bottom center of the search results page.

[0050] In response to a user selecting a product comparison button, the server 200 can display a checkbox corresponding to each product displayed on the search results page. For example, the checkbox can be displayed to the left of the product thumbnail on the search results page. Then, the server 200 can determine the product selected by the user through the checkbox as the comparison target product.

[0051] The maximum number of target products that a user can select for comparison can be preset according to the display specifications of the user terminal 100. For example, the display specifications of the user terminal 100 may include the screen size and resolution of the user terminal 100. Specifically, the larger the screen size and the higher the resolution, the greater the maximum number of target products that can be compared. For example, assuming that the maximum number of target products that can be compared is three when the user terminal 100 is a smartphone, then when the user terminal 100 is a desktop computer, the maximum number of target products that can be compared will be greater than three.

[0052] When a user wants to select more than the maximum number of products as comparison target products (i.e., when the user wants to select more products as comparison target products than the threshold preset based on the display specifications), the service server 200 can provide the user with a prompt indicating that it is not possible to continue selecting comparison target products.

[0053] The server 200 can render a product comparison widget on the search results page to display thumbnails of the target products for comparison. For example, the product comparison widget can be rendered at the bottom of the search results page. The server 200 can display a thumbnail of the target product selected by the user in the product comparison widget. Thus, the user can simultaneously view the products displayed on the search results page and select the target product for comparison.

[0054] Furthermore, the server 200 can respond to the user's comparison decision by rendering a comparison page for the target product to be compared. For example, the user's comparison decision can be made by selecting the comparison button displayed in the product comparison widget.

[0055] Specifically, when the number of selected comparison target products is two or more, the server 200 can render a comparison page in response to the user's comparison decision. However, as shown above, the number of comparison target products cannot exceed a preset maximum. Conversely, when the number of comparison target products is one, the server 200 can provide the user with a prompt indicating that they need to continue selecting comparison target products.

[0056] The server 200 can display multiple attributes of the target product on the rendered comparison page. For example, multiple attributes can be displayed in a table format. When the target product is a laptop, multiple attributes may include manufacturer, release date, screen size, CPU, RAM, operating system, etc. Thus, users can easily compare multiple attributes of different products of the same type on one page without having to move back and forth between the search results page and the product details page.

[0057] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the server 200 can receive the user's selection of an attribute of interest from multiple attributes and display the selected attribute of interest at the top of a table displaying multiple attributes. Additionally, in another embodiment, the server 200 can display an "Add to Cart" button on the comparison page. This allows the user to directly purchase the item they decide to buy from the comparison target products.

[0058] Further, in some embodiments, the service server 200 can provide comparison functionality for specific attributes. More specifically, the service server 200 can compare and display each attribute of the compared items. Wherein, if the corresponding attribute has a numerical value, a performance comparison of the attribute can be performed. For example, if the target item for comparison is a laptop, the service server 200 can compare the laptop's CPU speed, RAM capacity, or screen size and display the item with better performance on the comparison page.

[0059] The service server 200 can be implemented through at least one computing device. For example, all the functions of the service server 200 can be implemented on one computing device, or the first function of the service server 200 can be implemented on a first computing device, and the second function can be implemented on a second computing device. In addition, specific functions of the service server 200 can also be implemented on multiple computing devices. For example, the computing device can include any type of device equipped with computing tools and communication tools.

[0060] The user terminal 100 can also perform various operations / functions to provide the aforementioned shopping services. For example, the user terminal 100 can provide shopping services to the service server 200 through its web browser or application. For example, the user terminal 100 can connect to the service server 200, render a search results page to display products corresponding to the search terms, render a product comparison widget on the search results page to display thumbnails of the target products for comparison, display thumbnails of the target products selected by the user on the product comparison widget, and render a comparison page for comparing the target products.

[0061] As shown in Figure 1, the user terminal 200 and the service server 100 can communicate via a network. For example, the network can be implemented through all types of wired and wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network, and a wireless broadband internet (Wibro).

[0062] The shopping service provided by a user terminal 100 and a service server 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been schematically illustrated with reference to FIG1. ​​Hereinafter, the method of providing the shopping service according to some embodiments of the disclosure will be described through a specific user interface displayed on the user terminal 100. For example, the user interface may be an application running on the user terminal 100 or a screen displayed on a web browser.

[0063] FIG2 exemplarily illustrates a search results page 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG2, the search results page 20 displays a search term input box 21 and a product comparison button 22. When "laptop" is entered into the search term input box 21 of FIG2, the search results page 20 accordingly displays the laptops found in the shopping service provided by the service server 200. For ease of explanation, it is assumed in this specification that the product the user searches for and wishes to compare is a laptop. When the user selects the product comparison button 22, a user interface for comparing target products can be displayed. This will be explained with reference to FIG3.

[0064] Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates the product comparison widget 24 displayed on the search results page 20 of Figure 2. Referring to Figure 3, the search results page 20 simultaneously displays a message 23 indicating that products have been selected (checked) for comparison, and the product comparison widget 24. The product comparison widget 24 may include an area for displaying a thumbnail of the selected target product and a comparison button 25 for making a comparison decision for the selected target product. In Figure 3, since no target product has been selected, the comparison button 25 is disabled. Alternatively, the target product can be selected via the checkbox 26 displayed to the left of the product thumbnail. The target product can be selected by checking the checkbox 26, which will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

[0065] Figure 4 shows the situation when a product is added to the product comparison widget 24 in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 4, the check box 26 displayed to the left of the AAABB Midnight Black product is shown. That is, the AAABB Midnight Black product is selected as the comparison target product. Therefore, a thumbnail of the comparison target product can be displayed on the product comparison widget 24. However, in Figure 4, since only one comparison target product is selected, the comparison button 25 is in a deactivated state.

[0066] Figure 5 shows the situation when two products are added to the product comparison widget 24 in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 5, a thumbnail of the second comparison target product is further displayed on the product comparison widget 24. It can also be confirmed that, in Figure 5, since two comparison target products are selected, the comparison button 25 is in the active state.

[0067] Figure 6 shows the case when three products are added to the product comparison widget 24 in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 6, a thumbnail of the third comparison target product is further displayed on the product comparison widget 24. And it can be confirmed that, as in Figure 5, in Figure 6, since more than two comparison target products are selected, the comparison button 25 is in the active state.

[0068] Further, in the search results page 20 of FIG. 6, a message 27 indicating that the user cannot continue selecting comparison target products is displayed. In other words, FIG. 6 may correspond to an embodiment where the maximum number of comparison target products is three. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the maximum number of comparison target products displayed on the search results page 20 can be determined according to the display specifications of the user's terminal.

[0069] Additionally, in Figures 4 to 6, users can deselect the target product by clicking the X button on the upper right side of the thumbnail displayed in the product comparison widget 24. Alternatively, users can deselect the target product by directly deselecting the checkbox. Furthermore, users can deselect all target products by clicking the X button located at the upper right of the product comparison widget 24 and return to the state before selecting the product comparison button 22 in Figure 2 (i.e., the same state as in Figure 2).

[0070] Further, although Figures 4 to 6 show the product comparison widget 24 displaying a thumbnail of the target product for comparison, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the product comparison widget 24 may also display the name of the target product for comparison instead of a thumbnail. Additionally, in the embodiments of Figures 4 to 6, when a user selects a target product for comparison, other products that other users frequently compare with the corresponding product may also be recommended. For example, such recommendation results may also be displayed on the product comparison widget 24.

[0071] In the embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6, the user can select the comparison button 25 to make a comparison decision for the selected target product. The comparison page will now be described with reference to Figures 7 to 13.

[0072] FIG7 exemplarily illustrates a comparison page 30a according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG7, and FIG8 and FIG9 described later, illustrate an embodiment when there are two target products for comparison. Referring to FIG7, a product information display area 31 is shown, which displays information about the target products for comparison. For example, the information displayed in the product information display area 31 may include the name, price, delivery information, and rating of the target products for comparison. Furthermore, a table displaying multiple attributes of the target products for comparison is shown below the product information display area 31.

[0073] Figure 8 exemplarily illustrates the changes in the comparison page 30a of Figure 7 based on the user's scrolling or swiping operation. For example, in response to the user's downward scrolling or swiping operation in the comparison page 30a, additional attributes that were not displayed in the table of Figure 7 can be shown. When scrolling or swiping downwards as described above, the product information display area 31 can be simplified. Conversely, in response to an upward scrolling or swiping operation, the same screen as Figure 7 can be re-displayed.

[0074] FIG9 exemplarily illustrates a comparison page 30b according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The comparison page 30b of FIG9 is the same as the comparison page 30a of FIG7, but also includes an add-to-cart button 32. Users can directly purchase the desired items from the comparison target items by clicking the add-to-cart button 32.

[0075] FIG10 exemplarily illustrates a comparison page 40a according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG10 and FIG11 and FIG12, described later, illustrate embodiments when there are three target products for comparison. Referring to FIG10, a product information display area 41 is shown similarly to FIG7 for displaying information on the target products for comparison. Except for the number of target products for comparison, the structure of comparison page 40a of FIG10 is the same as that of comparison page 30a of FIG7, so repeated description is omitted.

[0076] FIG11 exemplarily illustrates the changes in the comparison page 40a of FIG10 based on the user's scrolling or swiping operation. Similarly, except for the quantity of the target items being compared, the changes in FIG11 based on the user's scrolling or swiping operation are the same as those described with reference to FIG8, and therefore, a repetition of the description is omitted.

[0077] FIG12 exemplarily illustrates a comparison page 40b according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The comparison page 40b of FIG12 is the same as the comparison page 40a of FIG10, but also includes an add-to-cart button 42. As described with reference to FIG9, the user can directly purchase the desired item from the comparison target items by clicking the add-to-cart button 42.

[0078] In addition, the comparison pages 30b and 40b of Figures 9 and 12 show buttons 32 and 42 for adding to cart, but in some embodiments, a purchase button may be displayed on the comparison page instead of an add to cart button.

[0079] As described with reference to FIG1, in the comparison pages of FIG7 to FIG12, the user-selected attribute of interest can be displayed at the top of a table displaying multiple attributes. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the performance comparison results for each attribute of the target product being compared can be displayed in the comparison pages of FIG7 to FIG12. For example, the target product with the best performance for the user-selected attribute of interest can be highlighted as a result of the performance comparison.

[0080] Furthermore, in some other embodiments, other well-known products with superior performance in relation to the user's selected attribute of interest can be recommended, and an interface can be provided for the user to identify the recommended products as comparison targets and add them to the comparison page. For example, if the user selects CPU speed as the attribute of interest, other laptops with the fastest CPU speeds can be displayed in a pop-up window. When the user selects a laptop displayed in the pop-up window, the corresponding product can be added to the comparison page immediately.

[0081] In the comparison pages shown in Figures 7 to 12, when a user selects a target product for comparison, they can move to the product details page. The product details page will now be explained with reference to Figure 13.

[0082] FIG13 exemplarily illustrates a product details page 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG13, the product details page 50 may include an image of the selected product, product name, rating, specific attributes, review summary, an interface with options for selecting each attribute, and a gift-giving button and a purchase button related to the purchase.

[0083] That is, according to the embodiments disclosed herein, users do not need to move back and forth between the search results page 20 of FIG2 and the product details page 50 of FIG13. They can directly select the target product for comparison on the search results page 20 as shown in FIG3 to FIG6, and easily compare multiple attributes of the selected target product through the comparison pages 30a, 30b, 40a, and 40b shown in FIG7 to FIG12.

[0084] FIG14 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary product comparison method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For reference, FIG14 illustrates the steps / operations of the product comparison method executed in user terminal 100. Therefore, in the following description, if the subject of a particular step / operation is omitted, it can be understood that it is executed in user terminal 100. However, in a real environment, some functions / operations of user terminal 100 may be implemented in server 200, and some functions / operations of server 200 may also be implemented in user terminal 100. In other words, the subject executing a particular step / operation may vary depending on the implementation method.

[0085] In step S100, a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search terms entered by the user can be rendered. Then, in step S200, the user's selection of the target products for comparison can be received. Steps S100 to S200 will now be explained with reference to FIG15.

[0086] Figure 15 is a flowchart specifically illustrating step S100 of rendering the search results page in Figure 14 and step S200 of receiving the selection of a comparison target product. Referring to Figure 15, in step S110, a product comparison button can be rendered on the search results page. Then, in step S210, in response to the user selecting the product comparison button, a checkbox corresponding to the product displayed on the search results page can be displayed. Then, in step S220, the product corresponding to the selected checkbox can be determined as the comparison target product.

[0087] Returning to Figure 14, in step S300, a widget for displaying thumbnails of the target products for comparison can be rendered on the search results page. This widget can be the product comparison widget illustrated with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Then, in step S400, the thumbnail of the selected target product for comparison can be displayed in the widget. Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited thereto; in some other embodiments, the name of the target product for comparison can be displayed in the widget in steps S300 and S400 instead of a thumbnail.

[0088] In step S500, in response to the user's comparison decision, a comparison page for comparing target products can be rendered. More specifically, in step S500-1, when the number of target products to be compared is two or more, the comparison page can be rendered; in step S500-2, when the number of target products to be compared is one, a prompt can be provided to the user indicating that they can continue to select target products to compare. Step S500 will now be explained with reference to FIG16.

[0089] Figure 16 is a flowchart specifically illustrating step S500 of rendering the comparison page of Figure 14. Referring to Figure 16, in step S510, multiple attributes of the target product for comparison can be displayed. As described with reference to Figures 7 to 12, multiple attributes can be displayed in a table format below the area displaying information about the target product for comparison, and all attributes can be browsed according to the user's scrolling or swiping operation. In step S520, the user's selection of attributes of interest can be received, and in step S530, the selected attributes of interest can be displayed at the top of the table displaying multiple attributes.

[0090] FIG17 is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of a computing device 500 for product comparison according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] As shown in FIG17, the computing device 500 may include one or more processors 510, buses 530, communication interfaces 540, memory 520 loading a computer program executed by the processor 510, and storage 550 storing the computer program 560. However, FIG17 only shows technical features related to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will understand that other general technical features may be included in addition to those shown in FIG17. In other words, the computing device 500 may also include various technical features other than those shown in FIG17. Furthermore, in some cases, the computing device 500 may be configured with some technical features shown in FIG17 omitted. Each technical feature of the computing device 500 will be described below.

[0092] Processor 510 can control the overall operation of various structures of computing device 500. Processor 510 may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or any form of processor known in the industry. Furthermore, processor 510 can perform calculations for at least one application or program to perform operations / methods according to embodiments of this disclosure. Computing device 500 may have one or more processors.

[0093] Furthermore, memory 520 can store various data commands and / or information. Memory 520 can load computer program 560 from storage 550 to execute the methods and / or operations of the embodiments disclosed herein. Memory 520 can be implemented using volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM), but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0094] Furthermore, bus 530 can provide communication functions between the technical features of computing device 500. Bus 530 can be implemented through various types of buses such as address bus, data bus, and control bus.

[0095] Secondly, the communication interface 540 can support wired and wireless communication of the computing device 500. Furthermore, the communication interface 540 can also support various communication methods other than network communication. Therefore, the communication interface 540 can include communication modules known in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0096] Then, the storage device 550 may non-temporarily store one or more computer programs 560. The storage device 550 may include non-volatile memory such as read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, removable hard disk, or any form of computer-readable recording medium known in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0097] Then, computer program 560 may include one or more instructions that, when loaded into memory 520, cause processor 510 to perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In other words, processor 510 may perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing one or more loaded instructions.

[0098] For example, computer program 560 may include instructions to perform the following operations: in response to a user's input of a search term, render a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term; receive the user's selection of comparison target products among the products displayed on the search results page; render a widget on the search results page for displaying thumbnails of the comparison target products; in response to the user's selection of comparison target products, display a thumbnail of the comparison target products in the widget; and in response to the user's comparison decision, render a comparison page for comparing the comparison target products.

[0099] According to embodiments of this disclosure, users of the shopping service can directly select the products they wish to compare on the search results page to move to the comparison page, without having to repeatedly select the products they wish to compare one by one on the search results page and confirm the attributes through the product details page. This allows for easy comparison of multiple attributes of different products of the same type. Furthermore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, an "Add to Cart" button can be activated on the comparison page, thereby increasing the likelihood that the user's product comparison behavior will directly lead to a purchase.

[0100] Thus far, various embodiments of the present disclosure and the effects of these embodiments have been described with reference to Figures 1 to 17. The effects of the technical concept disclosed herein are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0101] In the foregoing, although all technical features constituting the embodiments of this disclosure are described as combinations or combinations of operations, this disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. In other words, within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, all technical features can be selectively combined into one or more operations.

[0102] Although various operations are shown in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, it should not be construed as meaning that the operations must be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations must be performed to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multiplexing and parallel processing may also be advantageous. Moreover, it should be understood that the separation of various technical features in the above embodiments should not be construed as requiring such separation; the described program elements and systems can generally be integrated together as a single software product, or packaged into multiple software products.

[0103] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will understand that the technical concept of this invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the invention or essential features disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary and not limiting in all respects. The scope of protection of this invention should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical concepts within their equivalent scope should be understood to be included within the scope of this invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a shopping service provision system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates a search results page according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates the product comparison widget displayed in the search results page of Figure 2.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the situation when a product is added to the product comparison widget in Figure 3.

[0026] Figure 5 shows the case when two products are added to the product comparison widget in Figure 3.

[0027] Figure 6 shows the situation when three products are added to the product comparison widget in Figure 3.

[0028] Figure 7 illustrates a comparison page according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 8 exemplarily illustrates the changes that occur in the comparison page of Figure 7 based on the user's scrolling or swiping operation.

[0030] Figure 9 illustrates a comparison page according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 10 illustrates a comparison page according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 11 exemplarily illustrates the changes that occur in the comparison page of Figure 10 based on the user's scrolling or swiping operation.

[0033] Figure 12 exemplarily illustrates a comparison page according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 13 illustrates, exemplarily, a product details page according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0035] FIG14 is a flowchart illustrating, by way of example, a product comparison method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 15 is a flowchart specifically illustrating the steps of rendering the search results page of Figure 14 and receiving the selection of the target products for comparison.

[0037] Figure 16 is a flowchart that specifically illustrates the steps of rendering the comparison page of Figure 14.

[0038] FIG17 is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of a computing device for product comparison according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A product comparison method, executed via a computing device, comprising the following steps: in response to a user inputting a search term, rendering a search results page for displaying products corresponding to the search term; receiving the user's selection of a target product to be compared from the products displayed on the search results page; rendering a widget on the search results page for displaying thumbnails of the target products; in response to the user selecting the target product, displaying a thumbnail of the target product on the widget; In response to the user's comparison decision, a comparison page for comparing the target products is rendered, wherein rendering the comparison page includes: displaying multiple attributes of the target products in a table format; receiving the user's selection of an attribute of interest from among the multiple attributes; displaying the selected attribute of interest at the top of the table; highlighting a first product among the target products, which has the best performance in terms of the attribute of interest; and displaying another product other than the target products in a pop-up window, which has better performance than the first product in terms of the attribute of interest.

2. The product comparison method as described in claim 1, wherein, The steps for rendering the search results page include the following steps: rendering the product comparison button; the steps for receiving the selection of the target product for comparison include the following steps: responding to the user's selection of the product comparison button by displaying a checkbox corresponding to the product displayed on the search results page; and receiving the product corresponding to the selected checkbox as the selection of the target product for comparison.

3. The product comparison method as described in claim 1, wherein, The steps for receiving the selection of the comparison target product include the following steps: When the user selects more than a preset threshold as the comparison target product, a prompt indicating that no further selection is possible is provided.

4. The product comparison method as described in claim 3, wherein, The preset threshold varies depending on the display specifications of the user's terminal, which include the screen size and resolution of the user's terminal.

5. The product comparison method as described in claim 1, wherein, The steps for rendering the comparison page include the following: When the number of target products for comparison is two or more, the comparison page is rendered in response to the comparison decision; when the number of target products for comparison is one, the user is prompted to continue selecting target products for comparison.

6. The product comparison method as described in claim 1, wherein, The steps to render this comparison page include the following: Displaying the "Add to Cart" button corresponding to the target product in the comparison.

7. A product comparison system, comprising: processor; And, memory, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: In response to a user's input of a search term, render a search results page to display products corresponding to that search term; receive the user's selection of a comparison target product from the products displayed on the search results page; render a widget on the search results page to display a thumbnail of the comparison target product; In response to the user's selection of the comparison target product, display a thumbnail of the comparison target product on the widget; In response to the user's comparison decision, a comparison page for comparing the target products is rendered, wherein rendering the comparison page includes: displaying multiple attributes of the target products in a table format; receiving the user's selection of an attribute of interest from among the multiple attributes; displaying the selected attribute of interest at the top of the table; highlighting a first product among the target products, which has the best performance in terms of the attribute of interest; and displaying another product other than the target products in a pop-up window, which has better performance than the first product in terms of the attribute of interest.

8. The product comparison system as described in claim 7, wherein, The operations for rendering the search results page include the following: Rendering the product comparison button; Receiving the selection of the target product for comparison includes the following: Responding to the user's selection of the product comparison button, displaying a checkbox corresponding to the product displayed on the search results page; and receiving the product corresponding to the selected checkbox as the selection of the target product for comparison.

9. The product comparison system as described in claim 7, wherein, The operation of rendering the comparison page includes the following: When the number of target products for comparison is two or more, the comparison page is rendered in response to the comparison decision; when the number of target products for comparison is one, the user is prompted to continue selecting target products for comparison.

10. The product comparison system as described in claim 7, wherein, The operations for rendering this comparison page include the following: Displaying the "Add to Cart" button corresponding to the target product in the comparison.

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