Computer-implemented method of recommending an item in an electronic apparatus, electronic apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device and a method of operating the same, the electronic device being configured to: identify a user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set; identify, based on the user input, information related to the category corresponding to the combination and information related to the items belonging to each of the categories; and recommend a list of items belonging to each of the categories based on the identified information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a method for providing item information in an electronic device or a method for recommending items in an electronic device. [Previous Technology]

[0002] With the advancement of information and communication technologies, the widespread adoption of smartphones, and the development of secure and convenient payment systems, the e-commerce market has grown rapidly and become an integral part of shopping. A customer can use an electronic device or similar object to purchase goods online and have them delivered to the customer's location.

[0003] With the rise of contactless society and digital transformation, e-commerce companies are using software technology to offer customized strategies for their clients. While past e-commerce services largely focused on shifting from face-to-face to online transactions, recent trends suggest a shift towards leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and similar technologies to meet customer needs and maximize profits for e-commerce companies. There are increasingly more examples of using software technology to overcome the limitations of online shopping, such as providing virtual augmented reality and AI-based recommendation services, not to mention the innovative ways technologies are being introduced to reduce delivery times for e-commerce services.

[0004] By allowing e-commerce service providers to selectively provide product information based on the preferences of service users, and by allowing e-commerce service users to purchase more products based on the provided information, the profits of e-commerce service providers can be increased.

[0005] Therefore, discussions are underway regarding various methods for recommending items that can be purchased together to one of the users who intend to purchase an item, and for encouraging the user to purchase the item. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] [Technical Objective] In order to encourage a user to purchase an item based on a category combination, the present invention includes an example embodiment of a method for obtaining a category combination and providing a page that recommends to the user an item belonging to one of the plurality of items in individual categories included in the category combination.

[0007] The objectives achieved by this invention are not limited to the technical forms described above, and other objectives can be inferred from the following examples and embodiments. [Technical Solution]

[0008] According to an example embodiment, a method for recommending an item in an electronic device is provided. The method includes: identifying a user input related to a category combination to which the item to be consumed as a set belongs; identifying information related to the categories corresponding to the combination and information related to the items belonging to each of the categories based on the user input; and recommending a list of items belonging to each of the categories to a user based on the identified information.

[0009] According to an example embodiment, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a memory storing at least one program; and a processor configured to: by executing the at least one program, identify a user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set; identify, based on the user input, information related to a category corresponding to the combination and information related to items belonging to each of the categories; and recommend a list of items belonging to each of the categories to a user based on the identified information.

[0010] Details of other exemplary embodiments are included in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. [Effects]

[0011] According to the present invention, customer convenience can be increased by recommending products belonging to a category that matches the category of a product that the customer is interested in or intends to purchase. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the sales profits of e-commerce service providers can be increased by encouraging customers to purchase more products.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, by providing a separate promotion or discount when purchasing products in combination according to a category, customers are also encouraged to purchase products from other categories. This has the advantage of allowing customers to purchase and try more products at a discounted price.

[0013] The following advantages exist: By providing information about category combinations and information about products belonging to a category combination on the same page, it can effectively assist customers who want to purchase a product based on that category combination.

[0014] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art can understand other effects from the description of the scope of the invention application.

Implementation Method

[0027] The exemplary embodiments described in this invention are illustrative but not limiting of the invention, and those skilled in the art can design various alternative exemplary embodiments within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In considering the functionality obtained according to the invention, the terminology used in the exemplary embodiments is selected as much as possible from currently widely used general terms; however, such terms may be replaced by other terms based on the intentions, habits, emergence of new technologies, or the like, of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in a particular case, terms arbitrarily chosen by the applicant of this invention may be used. In this case, the meaning of such terms may be described in the corresponding descriptive section of this invention. Therefore, it should be noted that the terms used herein should be interpreted based on their practical meaning and the entire contents of this specification, rather than simply based on the name of the term.

[0028] As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates otherwise.

[0029] Throughout this specification, when a part is said to "comprise" or "include" a component, it means that other components may be included, and that other components are not excluded, unless otherwise specified.

[0030] Although the terms "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various components, the components are not limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish the components from one another. For example, within the scope of this invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, or similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component.

[0031] Terms such as “mechanism,” “element,” “component,” and “configuration” used herein may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. These terms may encompass the meanings of a range of software conventions relating to a processor or the like.

[0032] In the context of this invention (specifically, in the context of the claims below), the terms "a," "an," and "the," and similar references, are to be interpreted as encompassing both the singular and the plural. Furthermore, the description of a range of values ​​herein individually refers to each individual value falling within that range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually described herein. The methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicting the context. The scope of this invention is not limited to the order of operations described above. Instances or illustrative terms provided herein (e.g., "such as") are used to describe example embodiments in detail, and the scope is not limited by instance or illustrative terms unless otherwise claimed. Those skilled in the art can add various modifications, combinations, and changes to the design conditions and factors in the example embodiments described herein to form new example embodiments within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0033] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] FIG1 illustrates a system used according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a server device 120 and a client device 110.

[0035] According to the present invention, the user terminal device 110 may primarily provide information to a user, and the user may provide input to the user terminal device 110 to allow the user terminal device 110 to implement one of the embodiments of the present invention. The user terminal device 110 may be a device for personal use by the user, such as a laptop, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or a smartphone. The user may use one of the embodiments of the present invention to receive an item recommendation through the user terminal device 110.

[0036] Server device 120 may be one of the devices that communicates with a plurality of user terminal devices 110. Server device 120 may receive data from the plurality of user terminal devices 110 and create and store a database based on the data. Server device 120 may utilize the data stored in the database to implement an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] One embodiment of the method according to the present invention may be executed by either the user terminal device 110 or the server device 120 alone, or each of the user terminal device 110 and the server device 120 may divide the embodiment of the method according to the present invention into individual operations and perform each operation. Therefore, in this case, the user terminal device 110 and the server device 120 may communicate with each other in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art (e.g., Internet connection) to collaboratively implement the embodiment of the method according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG2 is an exemplary and simplified block diagram illustrating an electronic device 200 that can be used to implement at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The client device 110 and server device 120 of FIG1 may include the electronic device 200. Alternatively, the electronic device 200 may include either the client device 110 or the server device 120. In both cases, the client device 110 and server device 120 can perform exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. In various exemplary embodiments, the electronic device 200 can be used to implement any system or method described in the present invention. For example, the electronic device 200 can be configured to function as any electronic device, including a data server, a network server, a portable computing device, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a workstation, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or any other device described below.

[0039] Electronic device 200 may include: a memory 220; one or more caches configured to communicate with memory 220; and one or more processors 210 having a memory controller. Additionally, electronic device 200 may include another device connectable to electronic device 200 via one or more ports (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), headphone jack, Lightning connector, Thunderbolt connector, and the like). The device connectable to electronic device 200 may include a plurality of ports configured to receive fiber optic connectors. The configuration of electronic device 200 shown in the figures is only one example and is provided as a device according to some exemplary embodiments. In the figures, only components related to electronic device 200 according to this exemplary embodiment are shown. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that electronic device 200 may further include other general components in addition to those shown.

[0040] The processor 210 can be used to enable the electronic device 200 to provide the operation or functionality of any of the exemplary embodiments described in this invention. For example, the processor 210 controls the electronic device 200 as a whole by executing a program stored in the memory 220 of the electronic device 200. The processor 210 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or application processor (AP) included in the electronic device 200, but is not limited thereto.

[0041] Memory 220 is hardware that stores various data processed in electronic device 200, and memory 220 can store data processed and pending processing by processor 210 in electronic device 200. In addition, memory 220 can store basic programming and data structures that provide the functionality of at least one embodiment of the present invention, as well as application programs (programs, code modules, instructions), drivers, and the like that provide the functionality of embodiments of the present invention. Memory 220 may include random access memory (RAM) (such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM)), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM, Blu-ray disc or other optical disc storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

[0042] The processor 210 can also communicate with one or more input / output devices 230 and one or more communication devices 240.

[0043] Input / output device 230 may include a user input device through which electronic device 200 can receive input from a user. Specifically, input / output device 230 may include one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, a pointing device (e.g., an integrated mouse, a trackball, a touchpad, or a graphics tablet), a scanner, a barcode scanner, a touch screen included in a display, an audio input device (e.g., a voice recognition system or a microphone), and other types of input devices. Generally speaking, the term "input device" is used to encompass all possible types of devices and mechanisms for inputting information into electronic device 200.

[0044] Furthermore, the input / output device 230 may include an output device through which the electronic device 200 can display information to a user. Specifically, the input / output device 230 may include a non-visual display, such as a display subsystem, a printer, or an audio output device. The display subsystem may be a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a flat panel device (such as a projector), or another display device. This display may be in the form of a touch display integrated with a touch sensor of an input module. Generally speaking, the term "output device" is used to encompass all possible types of means and mechanisms for outputting information from the electronic device 200. The output device may be used, for example, to present a user interface (UI) to facilitate interaction between a user and a program or application performing one of the methods described herein and variations thereof.

[0045] The communication device 240 can be used as an interface through which the electronic device 200 can transmit data to or receive data from another device. Data transmission and reception can be performed in both wired and wireless modes. The communication device may include a wired communication module accessing the Internet via a local area network (LAN), a mobile communication module accessing a mobile communication network via a mobile communication base station to transmit and receive data, a short-range communication module using a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication method such as Wi-Fi or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication method such as Bluetooth or Zigbee, a satellite communication module using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as Global Positioning System (GPS), or a combination thereof.

[0046] Figure 3 illustrates an example embodiment of an article recommendation method of an electronic device 200 according to the present invention.

[0047] In one example embodiment, according to operation S310, the processor 210 of the electronic device 200 can identify a user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set.

[0048] In one embodiment, the item may be a product that a service provider intends to sell to a consumer. Specifically, the item is a tradable good and may be a consumer good, raw material, capital good, or the like. According to one embodiment of the invention, items to be purchased or sold may be recommended to a user.

[0049] In one example embodiment, categories may be defined according to one or more classification criteria used to classify articles. Each category may contain one or more subcategories. For example, the category "electronic products" may include subcategories such as "televisions," "vacuum cleaners," and "dishwashers," depending on their function. A category may contain articles, and a particular article may belong to one or more categories. For example, an article belonging to one of a subcategory may also belong to a higher category that includes that subcategory. Even if this is not the case, an article belonging to one of a particular category or a category may belong to another category defined based on classification criteria different from those of that particular category. For example, "electric toothbrushes" belong to the category "electronic devices" and also to the category "bathroom products."

[0050] In one embodiment, a category combination of items to be consumed as a set may include two or more categories. Categories included in the combination may belong to the same higher category or different higher categories. In other words, the category combination may be determined based on criteria separate from the category classification criteria. A category combination may be predetermined according to one or more specific criteria, and may be multiple. A list of category combinations may be stored in memory 220 and may be received from another device via communication device 240. The list of category combinations may be modified or changed between operations included in the embodiment of the present invention, and in this case, processor 210 may modify or change the list.

[0051] In one embodiment, a category combination of items to be consumed as a set can be determined based on information related to the category to which the items purchased by multiple users belong. Specifically, a category combination can be determined based on the results of analyzing the purchase patterns of multiple users. For example, multiple users may simultaneously purchase items belonging to the "rice" category and items belonging to the "soup" category to purchase food to be consumed as a meal. A service provider can determine, based on these purchase patterns, that a user purchasing items from the "rice" category may also purchase items from the "soup" category. Based on this determination, the service provider can include a combination of the "rice" and "soup" categories as one of the category combinations according to one embodiment of the present invention. This combination can be defined through data analysis by the service provider or related parties, or it can be defined by a separate data analysis device that analyzes the purchase patterns of multiple users based on their purchase data.

[0052] In one embodiment, the category to which the items to be purchased as a set belong can be determined based on the discount information of the combination. Specifically, when a user purchases items belonging to a specific category together, a service provider can offer the user a discount based on the combination purchase. The service provider can predefine this discountable combination as needed, or a separate data analysis device can also define this combination. A discount rate or discount amount based on this combination purchase can be defined as "combination discount information". The combination discount information can be included in information related to a category combination, and the processor 210 can identify the information related to a category combination and identify the combination discount information together.

[0053] As described above, the user terminal device 110 or the server device 120 may include electronic device 200, or the user terminal device 110 or the server device 120 may be electronic device 200.

[0054] In one example embodiment, when the user terminal device 110 includes an electronic device 200, the processor 210 of the user terminal device 110 can receive user input from the user through the input / output device 230, which is related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set, and identify the user input related to a category combination.

[0055] In one embodiment, if the server device 120 includes an electronic device 200, the processor 210 of the server device 120 can identify, via the communication device 240, a user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set from the user device 110. Specifically, when the user device 110 receives user input related to a category combination from a user and transmits information related to the user input to the server device 120, the server device 120 can receive the information and identify the user input related to a category combination via the communication device 240.

[0056] The processor 210 may display a banner or pop-up window on a first page providing guidance on purchasing one of a combination, and receive user input to an area corresponding to the banner or pop-up window on the first page. Figure 4 illustrates various example embodiments of the banner or pop-up window.

[0057] In one example embodiment, the first page may be an application page associated with a combination. For example, the first page may be page 401. Here, since the combination is a combination of rice, soup, and side dishes, a banner 410 is displayed on the food-related page. The processor 210 may display the banner 410 to suggest that the user purchase rice, soup, and side dishes at the same time. The user can click on the banner 410 to receive a recommendation from the processor 210 of a list of items belonging to one of the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes.

[0058] In one example embodiment, the first page may be a page related to an item in a combination. For example, the first page may be a page 402. Here, since the combination is a combination of rice, soup, and side dishes, banners 421 and 422 are displayed on a page showing details of a specific rice item. The processor 210 may display banners 421 and 422 to suggest that the user purchase rice, soup, and side dishes at the same time. The user may click on banners 421 and 422 to receive a recommendation from the processor 210 of a list of items belonging to each category of rice, soup, and side dishes.

[0059] In one embodiment, the first page may be a page associated with a combination of items. For example, the first page may be page 403. The processor 210 may display a pop-up window 430 on page 403 to suggest that the user purchase rice, soup, and side dishes simultaneously. The pop-up window 430 may be displayed when the user purchases a specific item or adds a specific item to a shopping cart. Specifically, the pop-up window 430 may be displayed when the user purchases a specific item or clicks to add an item to a shopping cart via the input / output device 230. The user may click on the pop-up window 430 to receive a recommendation of a list of items belonging to one of the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes from the processor 210. In this case, since the user has purchased a specific rice item or added it to the shopping cart, the processor 210 may recommend a list of items belonging to one of the categories of soup and side dishes, excluding the list of items belonging to the rice category.

[0060] The banners 410 and 422 and the pop-up window 430 displayed on pages 401, 402, and 403 are not limited to the form of a banner or a pop-up window, and may take various forms to provide guidance for purchasing a package. Furthermore, banners 410 and 422 and pop-up window 430 may contain information related to the package. For example, banners 410 and 422 and pop-up window 430 may contain discount information related to the package, or information related to the categories included in the package and the items belonging to each category. The content of banner 410 may change depending on the time, user, page content, and similar factors.

[0061] In one embodiment, according to operation S320, processor 210 can identify, based on user input, information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category. In one embodiment, if server device 120 includes electronic device 200, server device 120 can identify the category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category stored in the memory 220 of server device 120 by reading the memory 220 of server device 120. The stored category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category may be information transmitted from another device or information directly generated by server device 120.

[0062] In one embodiment, if the user terminal device 110 includes an electronic device 200, the user terminal device 110 can identify category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category from the server device 120 via the communication device 240. Specifically, when the server device 120 transmits category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category to the user terminal device 110, the user terminal device 110 can receive and identify the category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category from the server device 120 via the communication device 240. The user terminal device 110 can receive category-related information and information related to items belonging to each category either periodically or non-periodically, upon user request or even without such request. Here, the processor 210 of the client device 110 may request the server device 120 to transmit information in order to receive information related to the category and information related to the items belonging to each category from the server device 120. If necessary, the processor 210 of the client device 110 may store the information related to the category and information related to the items belonging to each category in the memory 220 of the client device 110. In this case, the processor 210 can identify information related to a category combination to which the item belongs by reading the memory 220.

[0063] In one example embodiment, information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category may be in the form of a database. The database may contain information related to a category corresponding to a combination. An example of such a database is illustrated in Figure 5. A combination category 530 in Figure 5 indicates which categories correspond to the combination. In this example embodiment, since the combination consists of the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes, a unit value of combination category 530 may be rice, soup, and side dishes. In one example embodiment, there may be multiple combinations, and the database may contain information related to the categories corresponding to each of the multiple combinations. In this case, the unit value of combination category 530 may contain multiple category names corresponding to each of the multiple combinations.

[0064] In one example embodiment, one or more category IDs 520 may be assigned to a combined category 530. Specifically, category information 510 and category IDs 520 may be categories defined by criteria different from those of combined category 530, and combined category 530 may contain categories corresponding to one or more selected category IDs 520. Referring to FIG5, category information 510 may contain information on categories 1 to 4. Category 1 is the highest category, category 2 is a subcategory of category 1, category 3 is a subcategory of category 2, and category 4 is a subcategory of category 3. For example, category 4 "Curry / Fried Noodles / Rice Bowl" in the first column is a subcategory of "Instant Rice / Ready-to-Eat Meals", "Instant Rice / Ready-to-Eat Meals" is a subcategory of "Processed / Fast Foods", and "Processed / Fast Foods" is a subcategory of "Food". Here, category ID 520 may be an identifier corresponding to each category 4. According to Figure 5, the category ID 520 corresponding to "Curry / Noodles with Soybean Paste / Rice Bowl" is "1395", and the category ID 520 corresponding to "Rice Dishes" is "8625". The database can indicate one of the correspondences between category ID 520 and combination category 530. According to Figure 5, category ID 520 "1395" corresponding to "Curry / Noodles with Soybean Paste / Rice Bowl", category ID 520 "8625" corresponding to "Rice Dishes", and category ID 520 "8414" corresponding to "Refrigerated Rice / Fried Rice" can all be included in combination category 530 "Rice". Similarly, category ID 520 can also be assigned to combination category 530 for "Soup" and combination category 530 for "Side Dishes". In this case, when the user selects an item belonging to "rice dishes" (which corresponds to the category of "rice"), an item belonging to "instant soup / stew" (which corresponds to the category of "soup"), and an item belonging to "canned tuna / salmon" (which corresponds to the category of "side dish"), the processor 210 can determine that the combination according to the example embodiment shown in Figure 5 has been completed.

[0065] The database may contain information related to items belonging to each category. An example embodiment is illustrated in Figure 6. In this case, item information 610 containing an item ID and an item name can be assigned to a combination category 650. For example, "AA Curry Rice" with item ID "12244" in the first column can be assigned to the combination category 650 of "Rice". Similarly, "DD Army Stew" with item ID "78324" in the fourth column can be assigned to the combination category of "Soup", and "GG Cabbage Kimchi" with item ID "85367" in the seventh column can be assigned to the combination category of "Side Dishes". In this case, when the user selects "AA Curry Rice", "DD Army Stew" and "GG Cabbage Kimchi" respectively, the processor 210 can determine that the combination according to the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 has been completed.

[0066] Items assigned to each of the combination categories 650 may be pre-selected items. The service provider may pre-select items according to various needs and include the selected items in a database. Alternatively, a separate electronic device may select items, include the selected items in a database, or configure the database. In one example embodiment, information related to items belonging to each category included in the database may include at least one of the following: Average Selling Price (ASP) related information, Gross Profit Per Unit (GPPU) related information, information related to a discount rate, Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) related information, and information related to the keyword search ranking of an individual item. Furthermore, the criteria for selecting items to be included in the database may be any one of ASP related information, GPPU related information, information related to a discount rate, GMV related information, and information related to the keyword search ranking of an individual item. Specifically, the service provider may select an item with a large ASP 640 from a specific category of combination category 650 and include that item in the database to maximize profits. For example, "AA Curry Rice" could be an item with the highest ASP of 640 within the "Rice" category 650. Items with a high GMV of 630 within a specific category of category 650 could be selected and included in the database. For example, "DD Army Stew" could be an item with the highest GMV of 630 within the "Soup" category 650. The selection criteria for items included in the database can include criteria other than ASP 640 and GMV 630, and can be determined based on multiple criteria.

[0067] In one example embodiment, according to operation S330, processor 210 may recommend a list of items belonging to one of the categories to the user based on the identified information.

[0068] If the user terminal device 110 includes an electronic device 200, the processor 210 of the user terminal device 110 can output a list of items belonging to the category through the input / output device 230 based on information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category, and recommend a list of items belonging to each category to the user.

[0069] If the server device 120 includes an electronic device 200, the processor 210 of the server device 120 can transmit a list of items belonging to each category to the client device 110 through the communication device 240 based on information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category, and recommend a list of items belonging to each category to the user.

[0070] In one example embodiment, the processor 210 may display a first area corresponding to a first category and a second area corresponding to a second category on a first page, and receive user input from at least one of the first and second areas. When user input is received from the first area, the processor 210 may recommend a first list of items belonging to the first category to the user on the first page, and when user input is received from the second area, it may recommend a second list of items belonging to the second category to the user on the first page.

[0071] Figure 7 illustrates an example embodiment of a first page. The first page may include a combined area 710 and a list area 720. The names of the areas are provided as examples, and the names themselves do not limit the function of the corresponding areas. The combined area 710 may include a first area 711, a second area 712, and a third area 713. The number of areas included in the combined area 710 varies depending on the category combination. As an example, if the category combination is a set of a keyboard and a mouse, then the combined area 710 may only include a first area and a second area. As another example, if the category combination is a set of a spoon, a fork, a knife, and chopsticks, then the combined area 710 may include four areas: a first area, a second area, a third area, and a fourth area. The example embodiment illustrated in Figure 7 is an example where the category combination is a set of rice, soup, and side dishes. Therefore, the combination area 710 may include a first area 711 corresponding to the rice category, a second area 712 corresponding to the soup category, and a third area 713 corresponding to the side dish category.

[0072] The list area 720 may include a category name 721 of one of the categories in the category combination and one or more item information areas 730 belonging to the category name 721. The processor 210 may receive user input from at least one of the first area 711, the second area 712, and the third area 713, and if user input is received from the first area 711, the processor 210 may display a list of first items belonging to the first category corresponding to the first area 711 in the list area 720 on the first page. Specifically, if user input is received from the first area 711, the processor 210 may display the category name 721 of the first category and one or more item information areas 730 in the list area 720 to represent the first item list. For example, when user input is received that selects the first area 711 in Figure 7, the processor 210 may display "rice" in the category name 721, and display one or more rice items in each of the one or more item information areas 730 to display a rice item list. Users can view the list of items displayed in this way and purchase a certain amount of rice.

[0073] As mentioned above, items that may be included in a category combination may be selected and included in a database. Similarly, a first item list may contain only some items belonging to a plurality of items in a first category. In an example embodiment, processor 210 may select a first item list from a plurality of items belonging to a first category based on item-related information, sort the first item list, and display the sorted first item list. The criteria for selecting some items from a plurality of items belonging to a first category and the criteria for sorting the first item list may be one of the following: average selling price (ASP) related information, gross profit per unit (GPPU) related information, information related to a discount rate, gross merchandise volume (GMV) related information, information related to a keyword search ranking, and the like. Items to be included in the first item list may be selected based on criteria, and for sorting the first item list, the item-related information may include at least one of ASP related information, GPPU related information, information related to a discount rate, GMV related information, and information related to a keyword search ranking. As one example, to recommend a list of items belonging to the rice category to a user, processor 210 can select the top 20 items with the highest GMV from all rice items in the rice category and configure a rice item list, which can be sorted in descending order starting from the rice item with the highest GMV. This is applicable when a service provider intends to sell more items with the highest sales volume to a user. As another example, to recommend a list of items belonging to the rice category to a user, processor 210 can select the top 20 items with the highest keyword search ranking from all rice items in the rice category and configure a rice item list, which can be sorted in descending order starting from the rice item with the highest keyword search ranking. This is applicable when a service provider intends to sell more items that the user is currently most interested in.

[0074] Referring to FIG11, in one example embodiment, as shown on page 1101, a list area 1120a may include a first item list area 1121a (where item information belonging to a first category is vertically connected) and a second item list area 1122a (where item information belonging to a second category is vertically connected). The user can scroll through the vertically connected item information using an input such as dragging. In this case, the first item list area 1121a and the second item list area 1122a may be vertically continuous, and the second item list area 1122a may be located exactly after the item information of the last item in the first item list. The user can scroll through the second item list without using an input such as dragging to select an item from the first item list. However, this example embodiment may have a problem where the vertical scrolling area becomes longer when the number of categories corresponding to a category combination is large or when the number of items belonging to each category is large. Therefore, in another embodiment, such as on page 1102, a list area 1120b may include a first item list area 1121b (where item information belonging to a first category is horizontally connected) and a second item list area 1122b (where item information belonging to a second category is horizontally connected). The user can scroll through the horizontally connected item information using input such as dragging. In this case, the first item list area 1121b and the second item list area 1122b may be vertically adjacent to each other, but the second item list area 1122b does not necessarily have to be located exactly after the item information of the last item in the first item list, as it is on page 1101. Therefore, the user does not need to scroll vertically a great deal to select an item from the second item list.

[0075] If user input is received in the second area 712, a second item list belonging to the second category corresponding to the second area can be displayed in the list area 720 on the first page. Specifically, if user input is received in the second area 712, the processor 210 can display the category name 721 of the second category and one or more item information areas 730 in the list area 720 to represent the second item list. For example, when user input is received that selects the second area 712 in Figure 7, the processor 210 can display "Soup" in the category name 721, and display one or more soup items in one or more item information areas 730 to display a soup item list. The user can view the item list displayed in this way and purchase the desired soup item. If the processor 210 receives user input in the third area 713, the same procedure can be executed to help the user more easily combine items. Each item list can be displayed such that the item information areas 730 of the individual items belonging to that list are displayed continuously until the end of each item list. Users can check the list of items by entering one of the inputs, such as a single scroll bar.

[0076] In one example embodiment, the processor 210 may recommend a first item list belonging to a first category to the user, and if user input is detected to a first item in the first item list, it may recommend a second item list belonging to a second category to the user.

[0077] In one example embodiment of FIG7, the item information area 730 may include at least one of the following: a name 731 of each item belonging to the first category, an image 732 representing the item, a price 733 of the item, and an average score 734 of the item. Additionally, the item information area 730 may include an item selection area 736 for receiving user input from a first item belonging to the first category. For example, the item selection area 736 may simply be a button for selecting an item to be included in a combination or a button for adding an item to a shopping cart. When user input is detected through the item selection area 736, the processor 210 may display information related to the first item in the first area 711. For example, the processor 210 may display the name of the item or an image of the item in the first area 711. When user input is detected through the item selection area 736, the processor 210 may also display a list of second items belonging to the second category in the list area 720. For example, referring to Figure 7, the processor 210 can recognize user input by clicking the "Add to Cart" button for a specific rice item, adding the specific rice item to the shopping cart, displaying an image of the specific rice item in the first area 711, and then displaying a list of soup items in the list area 720. Figure 8 illustrates one example of the result. An image of a specific rice item is displayed in a first area 811, and a list of soup items is displayed in a list area 820.

[0078] In one example embodiment, the processor 210 may receive user input for one of the first items in a first item list and hide the first item list. For example, when receiving user input to select a specific rice item, the processor 210 may hide the rice item list so that the rice item list is no longer displayed on the screen because a rice item has been selected. This helps the user to form a combination more intuitively.

[0079] In one example embodiment, if user input is detected through the list area 820 to select a second item belonging to a second category, the processor 210 can display information related to the second item selected by the user in a second area 812. For example, the processor 210 can display the name of the second item or an image of the second item in the second area 812. If user input is detected to select a second item, the processor 210 can also display a list of third items belonging to a third category in the list area 820. For example, referring to FIG8, the processor 210 can detect user input to click the "Add to Cart" button for a specific soup item, add the specific soup item to the cart, display an image of the specific soup item in the second area 812, and then display a list of side dishes in the list area 820.

[0080] In one example embodiment, when user input indicating the selection of a second item is detected, the processor 210 can identify whether the user has already selected an item belonging to a first category corresponding to a first area. As a result of this identification, if an item belonging to the first category has not yet been selected, a list of first items belonging to the first category is displayed in the list area 820. For example, in the example embodiment of FIG8, when user input indicating the selection of a soup item is detected, the processor 210 can identify whether the user has already selected a rice item. As a result of this identification, if a rice item has not yet been selected, a list of rice items is displayed in the list area 820. This allows the user to select an item belonging to a first category, even if the user selects an item belonging to a second category before selecting an item belonging to the first category, thereby facilitating the combination.

[0081] In one example embodiment, if user input is still received in the first area 811 even though the user has selected a first item belonging to one of the first categories and thus displays an image of the first item in the first area 811 of the first page and a list of second items in the list area 820, then the processor 210 may display a list of first items in the list area 820. In this case, if the user selects an item different from the first item in the list of first items displayed in the list area 820, then the processor 210 may receive input, display the different item in the first area 811, and display the list of second items again in the list area 820. For example, in the example embodiment of FIG8, if user input is still received in the first area 811 even though the user has selected a specific rice item and thus displays an image of the specific rice item in the first area 811 of the first page and a list of soup items in the list area 820, then the processor 210 may display a list of rice items in the list area 820. In this case, if the user selects a different rice item from the rice item list displayed in list area 820 than the previously selected rice item, the processor 210 can receive the input, display the different rice item in the first area 811, and display the soup item list again in list area 820. Even if the user has already selected the first item in the first item list, this still helps the user modify the combination by selecting another item instead of the first item in the first item list.

[0082] In one example embodiment, the processor 210 may update and recommend a list of second items based on information related to the first item. Here, the information related to the first item may include average selling price (ASP) information, gross profit per unit (GPPU) information, information related to a discount rate, gross merchandise volume (GMV) information, information related to a keyword search ranking, information related to items purchased by multiple users together, and the like. In a specific example embodiment, the processor 210 may update the list of second items based on information related to a second item belonging to a second category purchased by multiple users together with the first item belonging to the first category, such that the second item is included in the list of second items. For example, the processor 210 may update the list of second items based on information related to a specific soup item purchased by multiple users together with a specific rice item, such that the specific soup item is included in the list of second items, and the list is displayed in the list area 820 on the first page. This can encourage users to purchase an item by recommending a second item that matches the first item.

[0083] In one example embodiment, when a user selects a first item belonging to a first category and a second item belonging to a second category, the processor 210 can provide discount information related to the payment amount of the first and second items. The discount information related to the payment amount of the first and second items can be the total discount amount of the first item and the discount amount of the second item. According to one example embodiment shown in FIG9, a discount information area 914 can be included in a combination area 910. When a user selects an item corresponding to at least one of the categories of a first area 911, a second area 912, and a third area 913 of the combination area 910, the processor 210 can display the total discount amount of the selected items in the discount information area 914. For example, when a user selects a specific rice item and a specific soup item, the processor 210 can calculate the total discount amount of each of the specific rice item and the specific soup item and display the total amount in the discount information area 914. This helps users select various items based on discount information by providing discount information related to the items they choose.

[0084] In one example embodiment, when a user selects a first item belonging to a first category, the processor 210 can provide information related to a discount amount applied to the user, and when the user selects a second item belonging to a second category, the processor updates the information related to the discount amount. Specifically, when a first item is selected, the processor 210 can provide a discount amount for the payment amount of the first item, and when a second item is further selected, the processor updates the discount amount for the payment amount and provides the updated discount amount. The updated discount amount may include any information related to the discount amount, such as the total amount of individual discounts for the selected items, the maximum discount amount among the individual discounts for the selected items, and the average value of the individual discounts for the selected items. For example, according to the example embodiment shown in FIG9, when a user selects a specific rice item and a specific soup item, the processor 210 can calculate the total discount amount for each of the specific rice item and the specific soup item, and display the total amount in the discount information area 914. In this case, the processor 210 can display a list of side dish items belonging to one of the side dish categories (which is the last category in the combination) in a list area 920 to complete the combination. When the processor 210 recognizes user input that selects a specific side dish item through the list area 920 displaying a list of side dish items, it can recalculate the total discount amount for each of the specific rice item, specific soup item, and specific side dish item, and display the recalculated total discount amount in a discount information area 1014, as shown in Figure 10.

[0085] In one embodiment, when a user selects all items belonging to a combination category, the processor 210 may display a pop-up window 1030 to notify the user that all items have been selected. The pop-up window 1030 may include a link to a shopping cart page where the user can pay for one of the selected items. For example, when a user completes a combination by selecting all items belonging to the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes, the processor 210 may output the statement "You have finished your meal. Check your shopping cart. Go" in the pop-up window in Figure 10, and provide a link that allows the user to navigate to the shopping cart by clicking "Go" in the pop-up window. This allows the user to more conveniently purchase a complete combination of items.

[0086] To encourage user purchases, when items belonging to a category corresponding to a set are purchased as a package, the service provider may offer a package discount based on the package purchase. In one example embodiment, as shown in FIG4, the processor 210 may display information related to the package discount on banners 410, 421, and 422 on the application page or on pop-up window 430 to encourage users to purchase the package. As an example, banners 410, 421, and 422 may include information that a discount of 2,000 Korean won is available when items belonging to the rice, soup, and side dishes category are purchased as a package. This information may also be included in the package discount information area 714 of the package area 710 in FIG7. As another example, since the user has added a rice item to the shopping cart, pop-up window 430 may include information that a discount coupon can be downloaded when an item belonging to the soup and side dishes category is purchased separately and a rice, soup, and side dishes package is completed. The location where information related to this discount combination is displayed is not limited to the application page shown in the diagram, and can be anywhere, as long as the user can identify the information related to the discount combination.

[0087] To encourage users to purchase more goods, service providers can offer a larger discount when multiple items are purchased as a set. For example, if the discount for purchasing a first item and a second item as a set is greater than the discount for purchasing the first item and the second item individually, the user may purchase the first item and the second item as a set. Therefore, in one embodiment, when a user selects a first item belonging to a first category and a second item belonging to a second category, the processor 210 can identify information related to the discount amount of the first item and the discount amount of the second item that are not related to the combination, identify information related to the combination discount amount applied to the user, calculate the total discount amount of the first item and the second item, and provide information about the larger amount of the total and the combination discount amount.

[0088] For example, in the example embodiment of FIG9, the user has selected a rice item corresponding to the first area 911 and a soup item corresponding to the second area 912, but has not yet selected a side dish item corresponding to the third area 913. In this case, since the combination of rice, soup, and side dish is not yet complete, the processor 210 can identify information related to the individual discount amount of the selected rice item and the selected soup item, verify that there is no information related to a combined discount amount, calculate the total amount of the individual discount amount of the selected rice item and the selected soup item, and display the total amount in the discount information area 914. On the other hand, in the example embodiment of FIG10, the user has selected a rice item corresponding to a first area 1011, a soup item corresponding to a second area 1012, and a side dish item corresponding to a third area 1013. In this case, since the combination of rice, soup and side dish is completed, the processor 210 can identify information related to the individual discount amount of the selected rice item, the selected soup item and the selected side dish item, identify information related to the combined discount amount of the category combination of rice, soup and side dish, calculate the total amount of the individual discount amount of the selected rice item, the selected soup item and the selected side dish item, and display the larger of the total amount and the combined discount amount in the discount information area 1014.

[0089] In one embodiment, when a specific user selects a first item and a second item, the processor 210 can identify whether the first item belongs to a first category of a specific combination and whether the second item belongs to a second category of a specific combination. As a result of the identification, if the first item and the second item belong to the first category and the second category respectively, information related to a combination discount amount applied to the user and associated with the specific combination is provided. The processor 210 can provide a combination discount to a user who purchases a set of items that meet the requirements of a specific category combination without having to browse the "Combination Composition Page" shown in Figures 7 to 10. For example, a user can add a first item, a second item, and a third item to their shopping cart. The processor 210 can identify the categories of the first item, the second item, and the third item included in the shopping cart, and as a result of the identification, identify that the first item, the second item, and the third item belong to the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes respectively. The processor 210 can identify that the combination of rice, soup, and side dishes is a category combination for which a combination discount is applied, and displays information related to the combination discount in the shopping cart. For example, referring to Figure 12, an applied coupon area 1220 on page 1202 may contain information related to bundled discounts. This can notify the user that a bundled discount is available and encourage the user to purchase more bundled items.

[0090] In one example embodiment, when a user selects at least one item, the processor 210 can identify whether the at least one item belongs to a category of a specific combination, and if there are items belonging to at least one category(s) of the specific combination that were not selected by the user, then information related to the specific combination is provided to the user. This example embodiment is illustrated on page 1201 of Figure 12. The processor 210 may include a discount coupon area 1210, and the discount coupon area 1210 may contain information related to one or more discount coupons. When a user selects at least one item, the processor 210 can identify whether the at least one item belongs to a category of a specific combination, and if there are items belonging to at least one category(s) of the specific combination that were not selected by the user, then combination discount coupon information 1211 related to the specific combination is provided to the user in the discount coupon area 1210. For example, if a user adds a rice item and a soup item to their shopping cart but not a side dish item, the processor 210 can identify whether the rice and soup items belong to one of the categories of rice, soup, and side dishes. If the rice and soup items belong to this category, a combination discount coupon information 1211 is displayed in the combination discount coupon area 1210, indicating that a combination discount coupon will be provided to the user when the combination of rice, soup, and side dishes is completed. This notifies the user that a discount coupon will be provided when the combination is completed (even if the combination is not completed using only the items selected by the user), thereby helping the user complete the combination.

[0091] A method implemented as a software module or algorithm may be stored as computer-readable code or program instructions executable on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed across a computer system connected via a network, allowing the computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be read by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed by a processor.

[0092] Example embodiments may be implemented by functional block components and various processing operations. These functional blocks may be implemented by any number of hardware, software, or combinations thereof performing a specific function. For example, example embodiments may employ integrated circuit components, such as a memory, processing, logic, a lookup table, and the like, that can perform various functions by controlling one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similar to components that can be executed by software programming or software elements, example embodiments may include various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, programs, routines, or other programming components, and may be implemented by a programming or descriptive language such as C, C++, Java, assembly language, or the like. Functional states may be implemented as an algorithm that executes on one or more processors. Additionally, example embodiments may employ known techniques for electronic environment setup, signal processing, data processing, or combinations thereof. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0015] Figure 1 illustrates a system in which one of the present invention can be used.

[0016] FIG2 illustrates an electronic device according to one of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 illustrates one method according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates an example embodiment of information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category.

[0020] Figure 6 illustrates an example embodiment of information related to a category corresponding to a combination and information related to items belonging to each category.

[0021] Figure 7 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 illustrates one example embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 9 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 10 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 11 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG12 illustrates an example embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of providing a page for selling goods, utilizing an electronic device, comprising: The method involves identifying user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set; identifying information related to the categories corresponding to the combination and information related to items belonging to each of the categories based on the user input; and providing a page to a user based on the identified information, wherein the page includes a first area and a second area, the first area including sub-areas of each of the categories, and the second area displaying at least some of the information related to items belonging to each of the categories; wherein providing the page to the user includes: receiving user input for a first sub-area corresponding to a first category among the categories, and displaying information about an item included in a first item list belonging to the first category in the second area; wherein when user input for a first item included in the first item list is identified, displaying information about items included in a second item list belonging to a second category among the categories in the second area; wherein the second item list is updated based on information about the first item; The information about the first item includes information about items belonging to the second category, which are purchased together with the first item by multiple users associated with the sales service of the item.

2. The method of providing a page for selling goods as requested in Request 1, wherein the identified information is sorted based on at least one of information related to average selling price (ASP), gross profit per unit (GPPU), a discount rate, gross merchandise volume (GMV), and a keyword search ranking.

3. The method of providing a page for selling items as requested in item 1, wherein when a user input is recognized for a first item included in the first item list, an image of the first item is displayed in the first sub-area.

4. The method of providing a page for selling items, as in request item 1, wherein the second category is a category from which the user has not yet selected any items.

5. As in request item 1, the method of providing a page for selling goods, wherein, The item information contained in the second item list is sorted based on at least one of the following: information related to average selling price (ASP), gross profit per unit (GPPU), a discount rate, gross merchandise volume (GMV), a keyword search ranking, and the number of times multiple users purchase the first item together in relation to the sale and service of the product.

6. As in request item 1, the method of providing a page for selling goods, wherein, When a user input is recognized for a second item included in the second item list, a pop-up window is displayed in the second area to indicate that the combination has been completed.

7. The method of providing a page for selling items as requested in item 6, wherein information on a total discount amount for a payment amount for the first item and the second item is displayed in the first area of ​​the page; and the total discount amount is determined based on an individual discount amount for the first item, an individual discount amount for the second item, and a combined discount amount applied to the user in relation to the combination.

8. The method of providing a page for selling goods, as in request item 1, includes: Identify a user input associated with a request for a shopping cart page; Identify a shopping cart item list corresponding to the shopping cart page that includes a first item contained in a first category and a second item contained in a second category; and provide the shopping cart page containing information on a combination discount amount applicable to the user related to a combination of the first and second categories.

9. An electronic device comprising: A memory that stores at least one program; A processor, configured to: by executing at least one program, identify a user input related to a category combination of items to be consumed as a set; identify, based on the user input, information related to the categories corresponding to the combination and information related to items belonging to each of the categories; and provide a page to a user based on the identified information, wherein the page includes a first area and a second area, the first area including sub-areas for each of the categories, and the second area displaying at least some of the information related to items belonging to each of the categories; wherein providing the page to the user includes: receiving a user input for a first sub-area corresponding to a first category among the categories, and displaying information about an item included in a first item list belonging to the first category in the second area; wherein when a user input for a first item included in the first item list is identified, displaying information about items included in a second item list belonging to a second category among the categories in the second area; wherein the second item list is updated based on information about the first item; The information about the first item includes information about items belonging to the second category, which are purchased together with the first item by multiple users associated with the sales service of the item.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, wherein a program is recorded for performing on a computer a method of providing a page for selling goods, as requested in item 1.

Images