Information processing system, information processing method, program

Abstract

An information processing system has a processing device (35) that can access a storage device (34) that stores a plurality of product information (D1) and attribute information database (D2). The attribute information database (D2) contains information categories of the product information (D1). The processing device (35) performs: a search processing that generates a candidate set from the plurality of product information (D1); and a display processing that displays a display screen for displaying the candidate set. The search processing includes: a search search processing that generates a first set of product information (D1) that satisfies a search query based on an input search query from the plurality of product information (D1); and a filter processing that generates a second set of product information (D1) that satisfies a filter condition based on a set filter condition and with reference to the attribute information database (D2). The candidate set is an intersection of the first set and the second set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to information processing systems, information processing methods, and procedures. Background Technology

[0002] Even within a single company, there are multiple departments. For example, in manufacturing, there are departments such as planning, design, procurement, production management, production technology, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and quality management. Therefore, various types of information are generated across multiple departments related to a specific tangible or intangible product. (Hereinafter referred to as "product information.") For instance, specifications and CAD (Computer-Aided Design) documents are generated in the design department; drawings are generated after procurement; manufacturing process sheets are generated after production management; work instructions and daily manufacturing reports are generated in the manufacturing department; sales data is generated in the sales department; and quality inspection reports are generated in the quality management department. In addition, there are defect reports generated when a product malfunctions at any stage of the manufacturing process.

[0003] Furthermore, in the discovery, formulation, and decision-making of problems surrounding a specific product, it is often desirable to utilize one or more product information related to context simultaneously. Specific examples of contextual relationships include "design-related information for product A and its procurement, manufacturing, and sales performance," which refers to specific product data and its transaction data; and "information related to product defects that have occurred in products with processing characteristics shared with product A," which refers to defect information associated with a specific product.

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7054961 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 7472422 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem that the invention aims to solve However, simultaneously utilizing multiple pieces of product information within a contextual framework is not easy. One reason for this is the incomplete systemic approach to the effective and shared use of information, resulting in silos where product information generated by various organizations is managed independently within each organization and system. Specifically, this manifests as follows: information is printed on paper and physically managed; it cannot be accessed without specific software; it is managed within systems used only by specific departments, making it difficult for other departments to access it freely.

[0006] Furthermore, and more fundamentally, the reason lies in the fact that individual product information, both internal and external to the organization, is not linked to each other based on contextual relationships. Specifically, it is difficult to link product information through contextual information such as shared processing features, rather than through ID information like product numbers. For example, even if products xxx and yyy share processing features such as welding and a specified geometric tolerance of less than 0.02, since they are different products, the IDs and other information lack commonality, making it impossible to link a document like the "Product xxx Defect Report" to the drawings of product yyy in the data. Therefore, establishing contextual relationships for product information has historically been difficult and has been limited to manual operations.

[0007] As a cross-organizational information management system, there is ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). ERP enables systematic information extraction across organizations, thus effectively eliminating information silos. On the other hand, it cannot achieve the linkage between isolated pieces of information not intended during system design. Whenever a need arises, the entire system's table structure needs to be modified, incurring significant modification costs and time.

[0008] There are also cross-organizational collaboration and information-sharing tools. These tools enable multiple users to share and manage various types of information, such as documents, spreadsheets, calculated data, and presentation materials, thus effectively eliminating information silos. On the other hand, there is almost no functionality for linking information with each other; to connect individual pieces of information, users need to intentionally and manually paste links each time.

[0009] Furthermore, the following technology is disclosed: determining and presenting knowledge data that a user should view from multiple knowledge data related to sales (Patent Document 1). According to this technology, the system can present knowledge data that a user should view based on their sales proficiency. The following technology is also disclosed: when a specific marker is selected, a specific screen containing drawings corresponding to the reduced-size image contained in the specific marker and multiple associated tabs is displayed to the user. These multiple associated tabs are used to display associated information for each category that is associated with an identifier corresponding to the selected specific marker. Based on the user's operation of selecting any of the multiple associated tabs, the associated information corresponding to the selected associated tab is displayed to the user (Patent Document 2). However, in this technology, drawing management can only be performed within a system set by the user, and the association of manufacturing information based on context is not possible.

[0010] This disclosure provides an information processing system, information processing method, and program that enables users to efficiently determine and obtain desired product information.

[0011] Solution for solving the problem One aspect of the information processing system disclosed herein includes a processing unit connected to an input device and a display device, and capable of accessing a storage device storing multiple product information. The storage device stores an attribute information database containing multiple product information categories. The processing unit performs: a retrieval process, generating a candidate set based on input via the input device and the multiple product information; and a display process, displaying a screen on the display device to show the candidate set. The retrieval process includes: a search retrieval process, generating a first set of more than one product information satisfying a retrieval query based on a retrieval query input via the input device; and a filtering process, generating a second set of more than one product information satisfying a filtering condition based on filtering conditions set via the input device and referring to the attribute information database. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

[0012] One information processing method disclosed herein is executed by a processing device connected to an input device and a display device, and capable of accessing a storage device storing multiple product information. The storage device stores an attribute information database containing multiple product information categories. The information processing method includes: a retrieval process, generating a candidate set based on input via the input device and the multiple product information; and a display process, displaying a screen on the display device to show the candidate set. The retrieval process includes: a search retrieval process, generating a first set of more than one product information satisfying a retrieval query based on a retrieval query input via the input device; and a filtering process, generating a second set of more than one product information satisfying a filtering condition based on filtering conditions set via the input device and referring to the attribute information database. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

[0013] One aspect of this disclosure is a program for causing the information processing method described above to be executed by a processing device.

[0014] Invention Effects The solution disclosed herein enables users to efficiently identify and obtain the desired product information. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an information processing system implemented in one way.

[0016] Figure 2This is a block diagram of a terminal device of an information processing system according to one implementation method.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a processing device for an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a processing device in an information processing system according to one implementation method.

[0019] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram of the first example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of a first example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a first setting screen for filtering obtained from an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a second setting screen for filtering obtained from an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a second setting screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0024] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a second setting screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a second setting screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 15 This is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 16This is an explanatory diagram of a third example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram of a fourth example of a display screen obtained by an information processing system according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 18 This is an illustrative diagram of an example of a display screen obtained from a modified information processing system.

[0033] Figure 19 This is an illustrative diagram of an example of a display screen obtained from a modified information processing system. Detailed Implementation

[0034] [1. Implementation Method] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. However, the following embodiments are merely examples for illustrating the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the following (e.g., the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of each component). Unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are assumed to be based on the positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. The figures described in the following embodiments are schematic, and the ratios of the size and thickness of each component in each figure may not necessarily reflect the actual size ratios. Furthermore, the size ratios of each component are not limited to the ratios shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0035] It should be noted that in the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish multiple constituent elements from each other, the names of the constituent elements will be prefixed with "first", "second", etc. However, when the constituent elements can be distinguished from each other by the figure labels, the prefixes such as "first" and "second" will sometimes be omitted for the sake of readability.

[0036] It should be noted that in the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish multiple constituent elements from each other, the reference numerals of the constituent elements will sometimes be added with suffixes such as "-1" or "-2". However, when it is not necessary to distinguish multiple constituent elements, in order to make the article easier to read, the suffixes such as "-1" or "-2" will sometimes be omitted.

[0037] [1.1 Composition] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an information processing system 1 implemented in one way. One of the objectives of information processing system 1 is to enable users to efficiently identify and obtain desired product information from multiple sources of product information. Details regarding the product information will be described later.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 2 and an information processing device 3. Figure 1 The figure shows one terminal device 2, but the information processing system 1 may have multiple terminal devices 2.

[0039] Terminal device 2 and information processing device 3 can be connected to each other via a communication network in a manner that enables communication. The communication network may include the Internet. The communication network can consist not only of networks based on a single communication protocol, but also of multiple networks based on different communication protocols. The communication protocols can be selected from various well-known wired and wireless communication standards. Examples of wired communication standards include Ethernet (registered trademark). Examples of wireless communication standards include IEEE 802.11, 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication network may include data communication equipment such as relay hubs, switching hubs, bridges, gateways, and routers.

[0040] In information processing system 1, terminal device 2 is operated by user 10. As an example, user 10 operates terminal device 2 to determine and obtain desired product information.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of terminal device 2. Terminal device 2 is used as a user interface in information processing system 1. Terminal device 2 can be implemented, for example, by a personal computer (desktop computer, laptop computer), a portable terminal (smartphone, tablet computer, etc.).

[0042] Input device 21 has one or more human-machine interfaces for information input. Examples of human-machine interfaces include keyboards, pointing devices (mouse, trackball, etc.), touchpads, and position input devices for touch panel displays. The one or more human-machine interfaces of input device 21 can be built into terminal device 2 or externally mounted. That is, input device 21 can include the human-machine interface of terminal device 2 itself and the human-machine interface connected to terminal device 2.

[0043] The output device 22 has one or more human-machine interfaces for information output. Examples of human-machine interfaces include display devices such as monitors, speakers, and touch panel displays. In this embodiment, the one or more human-machine interfaces of the output device 22 include a display device 221 such as a monitor. The one or more human-machine interfaces of the output device 22 can be built into the terminal device 2 or externally mounted. That is, the output device 22 can include the human-machine interface of the terminal device 2 itself and the human-machine interface connected to the terminal device 2.

[0044] Communication device 23 is used for communication with information processing device 3 via a communication network. Communication device 23 has one or more communication interfaces. Communication device 23 can be connected to a communication network and has the function of communicating via the communication network. Communication device 23 operates according to a prescribed communication protocol. The prescribed communication protocol can be selected from various well-known wired and wireless communication standards.

[0045] Storage device 24 is used to store information used by terminal device 2 and information generated by terminal device 2. Storage device 24 includes one or more storage devices (non-transitory storage media). The storage device can be, for example, any of a hard disk drive, an optical drive, and a solid state drive (SSD). In addition, the storage device can be any of an internal type, an external type, and a NAS (network-attached storage) type.

[0046] The information stored in storage device 24 includes web browser WB1. Figure 2 The diagram shows the state in which the storage device 24 stores the web browser WB1. The web browser WB1 does not need to be stored on the storage device 24 all the time; it only needs to be stored on the storage device 24 when required by the processing device 25. The web browser WB1 can be, for example, a conventionally known web browser such as Safari (trademark or registered trademark), Microsoft Edge (trademark or registered trademark), or Google Chrome (trademark or registered trademark).

[0047] The processing device 25 is connected to the input device 21, the output device 22, and the communication device 23, and can access the storage device 24. The processing device 25 can be implemented, for example, through a computer system. The computer system includes one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. Various functions of the terminal device 2 are implemented by executing programs (stored in one or more memories or storage devices 24) through one or more processors. The programs can be pre-recorded in the storage device 24, provided via telecommunications lines such as the Internet, or provided by recording on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the information processing device 3. The information processing device 3 displays a screen through the display device 221 of the terminal device 2, allowing the user 10 to determine and obtain the desired product information.

[0049] The information processing device 3 includes an input device 31, an output device 32, a communication device 33, a storage device 34, and a processing device 35. The information processing device 3 can be implemented, for example, by one or more servers.

[0050] Input device 31 has one or more human-machine interfaces for information input. Output device 32 has one or more human-machine interfaces for information output.

[0051] Communication device 33 is used for communication via a communication network. Communication device 33 has one or more communication interfaces. Communication device 33 has the same functions as communication device 23.

[0052] Storage device 34 is used to store information used by information processing device 3 and information generated by information processing device 3. Storage device 34 includes one or more storage devices (non-temporary storage media).

[0053] The processing device 35 is connected to the input device 31, the output device 32, and the communication device 33, and can access the storage device 34. In this embodiment, the information processing device 3 and the terminal device 2 are connected in a communicative manner. The input device 21 and the output device 22 of the terminal device 2 can be used for inputting information to the information processing device 3 and outputting information from the information processing device 3. In this respect, it can be said that although the processing device 35 of the information processing device 3 is not directly connected to the input device 21 and the output device 22 of the terminal device 2, it is indirectly connected to the input device 21 and the output device 22 of the terminal device 2.

[0054] The processing device 35 can be implemented, for example, through a computer system. Various functions of the information processing device 3 are achieved by executing programs (stored in one or more memories or storage devices 34) through one or more processors. The programs can be pre-recorded in the storage device 34, provided via telecommunications lines such as the Internet, or provided on non-temporary recording media such as memory cards.

[0055] The information stored in storage device 34 includes program PG1, product information D1, attribute information database D2, supplementary information D3, and association establishment table D4. Figure 3 The diagram shows the state in which storage device 34 stores program PG1, product information D1, attribute information database D2, supplementary information D3, and association establishment table D4. Program PG1, product information D1, attribute information database D2, supplementary information D3, and association establishment table D4 do not need to be stored in storage device 34 all the time; they only need to be stored in storage device 34 when required by the processing device 35. It should be noted that multiple pieces of product information D1 and multiple pieces of supplementary information D3 can be stored in storage device 34.

[0056] The program PG1 includes the following program: When executed by the processing device 35, the processing (retrieval processing, display processing) is executed by the processing device 35 to display the retrieval screen and display screen for the user 10 to determine and obtain the desired product information through the display device 221 of the terminal device 2.

[0057] Product information D1 is product-related information, which may include information about the product itself or related information. In this embodiment, the product is a physical object (a tangible thing). Examples of products include parts or finished products. Examples of parts include injection-molded parts, sheet metal parts, welded parts, precision machined parts, electronic circuit boards, or other mechanical parts. Specific examples of parts include joint components (metal or resin bonding parts), gears, bearings, fasteners (bolts, nuts, etc.), shafts (rotating shafts), brackets (supporting metal parts), flanges (piping parts), and mechanical exterior parts (housing, covers, etc.). Examples of finished products (assemblies) include motors, pumps, actuators, etc. Products are not limited to these and can be various products or prototypes such as tableware, stationery, decorations, furniture, tools, electrical appliances, and vehicles.

[0058] Examples of information about the product itself include design information. Design information includes, for example, information required for the product's manufacturing. Examples of design information include direct information that directly determines the product's shape or indirect information that indirectly determines the product's shape. Direct information includes drawings that visually indicate the product's shape (circuit diagrams, assembly drawings, part drawings, etc.). Examples of drawing data include two-dimensional or three-dimensional drawing data that visually indicate the product's shape. For example, three-dimensional drawing data can be 3D-CAD data or 3DCG data, and two-dimensional drawing data can be 2D-CAD data or PDF files of two-dimensional drawings generated from 3D-CAD. Indirect information includes data on the required values ​​of the product's shape characteristics or data on the product's manufacturing method. Examples of indirect information include product specifications, dimensions or weight, design intent, required specifications, design process information, and information related to the manufacturing method (information related to assembly sequence, processes, etc.). Given the required values ​​of the product's shape characteristics, the shape of the product that meets the required values ​​can be determined. Given a manufacturing method, the shape of the product can be determined according to the manufacturing method. The file format of design information is not limited to PDF; it can also be PNG, DWF, STEP, XLS, etc.

[0059] Examples of product-related information include defect reports, design improvement reports, inspection result reports, order performance reports, order placement reports, various meeting minutes (e.g., design review meeting minutes), two-dimensional drawings with annotations or comments, or product-related opinions. The data format of product-related information is not particularly limited; it can be in document, image, or audio format, etc.

[0060] The attribute information database D2 stores attribute information for one or more (actually multiple) product information D1s. For example, attribute information is defined by attribute name and attribute value. Attribute information can include basic attribute information and product attribute information. Basic attribute information is metadata related to the product information D1 itself. Examples of basic attribute information include information type, file name, production date and time, manufacturer, and size (file size). Information type refers to the type of information. Examples of information types include 2D drawing data (PDF files of 2D drawings), 3D drawing data (3D-CAD data), specifications, attribute information, design intent, requirements, design process information, manufacturing-related information, defect reports, design improvement reports, inspection result reports, order performance reports, order placement reports, various meeting minutes (e.g., design review meeting minutes), 2D drawings with annotations or other comments, or product-related comments. Product attribute information is metadata related to the product indicated by product information D1. Examples of product attribute information include project name, part name, manufacturing number, material, surface treatment, dimensions, weight, unit, design, drafting, drawing review, approval, drafting method, drawing output, delivery date, scale, remarks, customer, estimated maximum size, etc., order history (currency, order quantity, unit price, drawing number, order date, order recipient, order quantity, etc.), and received order history (order recipient, unit price, quantity, order date, drawing number, received quantity, etc.). Product attribute information can be generated based on the supplementary information D3 described later.

[0061] Additional information D3 is information related to specific (or corresponding) product information D1. As an example, additional information D3 may include specific (or corresponding) product information D1 and / or textual information derived from specific product information D1.

[0062] Additional information D3 includes more than one item. As an example of more than one item, provide the following: basic information (drawing ID, drawing number, part name, manufacturing number, material, surface treatment, dimensions, weight, unit, design, drafting, review, approval, drafting method, output, delivery date, scale, remarks, customer, estimated maximum size, etc.), order performance (currency, order quantity, unit price, drawing number, order date, order recipient, order performance quantity, etc.), and order acceptance performance (order recipient, unit price, quantity, order acceptance date, drawing number, order performance quantity, etc.).

[0063] The supplementary information D3, like the information elements described above, can be generated through the parsing process performed on the product information D1. In the parsing process, processing corresponding to the data format of the product information D1 is performed. Examples of data formats include image data, data (document data, table data), and voice data. The parsing process can include image data parsing, data parsing, and voice data parsing. Since these are the same as described above, further explanation is omitted. The parsing process may include metadata extraction processing as needed. The parsing process is not limited to the examples described above and can be configured to appropriately perform processing corresponding to the nature of the registered data, such as motion image data, CAD data, and structured data with table structures. Furthermore, the parsing process may also include data shaping processing. Data shaping processing may include converting document data containing similar content into their respective uniform formats, removing duplicates within the data, and supplementing incomplete data. Thus, supplementary information D3 is generated for the product information D1. Supplementary information D3 can be used as auxiliary information to help user 10 understand the content of the product information D1.

[0064] Association Establishment Table D4 represents the association establishment (association) between product information D1. That is, in this embodiment, product information D1 can be associated with each other. In other words, a certain product information D1 can be associated with other product information D1. Here, as examples of other product information D1, we cite product information D1 of the same type related to other products (other products) or product information D1 of other types related to the same product. That is, regarding a certain product information, other product information refers to product information where at least one of the product type and the information type (information type) is different. Whether the product types are different can be determined, for example, based on variety, model, version, etc. In the case of different varieties, or even in the case of the same variety but different versions, it can be treated as different product types. Examples of information types include, as mentioned above, two-dimensional drawing data (PDF files of two-dimensional drawings), three-dimensional drawing data (3D-CAD data), specifications, attribute information, design intent, requirements, design process information, manufacturing-related information, defect reports, design improvement reports, inspection result reports, order performance reports, order placement reports, various meeting minutes (e.g., design review meeting minutes), two-dimensional drawings with annotations or comments related to the product, etc. As an example, product information for product A can be associated with product information for other products B, and can also be associated with other types of product information for the same product A. As an example, key information can be used in establishing associations between product information. Examples of key information include drawing numbers, product names, materials, and names of trading partners, but there are no particular limitations. Product information with common key information can be associated with each other. It should be noted that such associations between product information can be automated based on rules or performed manually.

[0065] The processing unit 35 performs retrieval processing and display processing. In the retrieval processing, a candidate set is generated based on input implemented through an input device, according to multiple product information D1. This input device could be, for example, the input device 21 of the terminal device 2, or the input device 31 of the information processing unit 3. In the display processing, a display screen for displaying the candidate set is shown via a display device. This display device could be the display device 221 of the terminal device 2, or the display device included in the output device 32 of the information processing unit 3.

[0066] In this embodiment, the retrieval process includes search retrieval processing and filtering processing.

[0067] In the search retrieval process, based on the search query input through the input device, a first set of more than one product information D1 that satisfies the search query is generated from multiple product information D1. In the absence of a search query input, the first set includes all of the multiple product information D1.

[0068] In search retrieval processing, multiple different retrieval methods can be executed. For example, search retrieval processing can include at least one of keyword retrieval processing, vector retrieval processing, and query retrieval processing. In keyword retrieval processing, the search query is compared with the statements in product information D1 at the string level, and a set of product information D1 that satisfies the search query is generated based on the similarity (e.g., cosine similarity) with the vector data based on product information D1. In vector retrieval processing, the search query is not limited to strings and can also use image data, voice data, etc. In query retrieval processing, the search query is parsed to generate a set of product information D1 that satisfies the search query. In query retrieval processing, the search query is not a simple statement, but can be a question input in natural language. It should be noted that keyword retrieval processing, vector retrieval processing, and query retrieval processing can be performed using known techniques, therefore detailed explanations are omitted.

[0069] In search and retrieval processing, more than two search queries can be processed. These queries are not limited to a single search method and can involve more than one. For example, in search and retrieval processing, keyword search processing can be performed based on more than two search queries. Alternatively, the first set can be generated by the intersection of the set of product information D1 obtained through keyword search processing based on the first search query and the set of product information D1 obtained through vector search processing based on the second search query.

[0070] In search and retrieval processing, extended searches can be performed that expand the scope of the search within the search query. Extended searches include those using additional information D3 and those using the associated table D4.

[0071] In the extended search using the accompanying information D3, product information D1 and the accompanying information D3 related to product information D1 are processed together. That is, even if product information D1 itself does not satisfy the search query, if product information D1 and accompanying information D3 together satisfy the search query, then product information D1 is considered to satisfy the search query. As an example, consider the case where two search queries are entered in the keyword search process: "〇〇 pump" and "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute". In a normal search, if product information D1 itself does not contain "〇〇 pump" or "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute", then product information D1 does not satisfy the search query "〇〇 pump" or "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute". However, in the extended search using accompanying information D3, even if product information D1 contains "〇〇 pump" but not "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute", if the accompanying information D3 contains "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute", then product information D1 and accompanying information D3 together satisfy the search query, and product information D1 is also considered to satisfy the search query "〇〇 pump" or "Flow rate ◇◇m³ / minute". Therefore, the likelihood of users obtaining the desired product information D1 will increase.

[0072] In the extended search using the association table D4, product information D1 (here, for ease of understanding, it will be referred to as product information D11) and other product information D1s that are associated through association table D4 (here, for ease of understanding, it will be referred to as product information D12) are processed together. That is, product information D11 and product information D12 that are associated with each other are processed together. Therefore, even if product information D11 itself does not satisfy the search query, if product information D11 and product information D12 together satisfy the search query, then product information D11 is judged to satisfy the search query. As an example, consider the case where two search queries are entered in the keyword search processing: "〇〇 pump" and "flow rate ◇◇m3 / minute". In a typical search, if product information D11 itself does not contain "〇〇 pump" or "flow rate ◇◇ m³ / min", then product information D11 does not satisfy the search query "〇〇 pump" or "flow rate ◇◇ m³ / min". However, in an extended search using the associated table D4, even if product information D11 contains "〇〇 pump" but not "flow rate ◇◇ m³ / min", if product information D12 contains "flow rate ◇◇ m³ / min", then product information D11 and product information D12 together satisfy the search query, and it is also determined that product information D11 satisfies the search query "〇〇 pump" or "flow rate ◇◇ m³ / min". Therefore, the likelihood of the user obtaining the desired product information D1 increases.

[0073] In the filtering process, based on the filtering conditions set via the input device, a second set of product information D1 that satisfies one or more of the filtering conditions is generated according to the attribute information database D2. That is, in the filtering process, if the information type is specified as "drawing" as a filtering condition, a set of product information D1 whose information type is "drawing" is generated by referring to the attribute information database D2. In the absence of input filtering conditions, the second set includes all of the multiple product information D1. The filtering process can accept two or more filtering conditions. For example, in the filtering process, the second set can be generated using the intersection of the set of product information D1 obtained through filtering based on the first filtering condition and the set of product information D1 obtained through filtering based on the second filtering condition.

[0074] In the retrieval process, the candidate set is provided as the intersection of the first set obtained through the search retrieval process and the second set obtained through the filtering process.

[0075] The following is for reference Figure 4 The operation of the processing device 35, mainly the retrieval processing and display processing, will be explained.

[0076] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the processing device 35.

[0077] First, the processing device 35 accepts the search criteria (S1). In this embodiment, the processing device 35 displays a search screen showing the input of the accepted search criteria via the display device 221. The search criteria may include search queries and filtering conditions.

[0078] When a search query is input (S2: Yes), the processing device 35 obtains product information D1 that satisfies the search query (S31). More specifically, the processing device 35 performs a search retrieval process, and based on the input search query, obtains one or more product information D1 that satisfies the search query from multiple product information D1s.

[0079] Without inputting a search query (S2: No), the processing device 35 acquires all product information D1 (S32). That is, the processing device 35 acquires all of the multiple product information D1.

[0080] The processing device 35 generates a first set (S4) including the product information D1 obtained in step S31 or step S32.

[0081] When filtering conditions are set (S5: Yes), the processing device 35 acquires product information D1 that meets the filtering conditions (S61). More specifically, the processing device 35 performs filtering processing, acquiring one or more product information D1 that meets the filtering conditions based on the set filtering conditions and referring to the attribute information database D2.

[0082] Without setting any filtering conditions (S5: No), the processing device 35 acquires all product information D1 (S62). That is, the processing device 35 acquires all of the multiple product information D1.

[0083] The processing device 35 generates a second set (S7) including the product information D1 obtained in step S61 or step S62.

[0084] The processing device 35 generates a candidate set based on the first set generated in step S4 and the second set generated in step S7 (S8). The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set. Then, the processing device 35 displays the candidate set (S9). In this embodiment, the processing device 35 displays a display screen for displaying the candidate set via the display device 221.

[0085] Next, an example of a display screen used to show the candidate set will be explained.

[0086] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram of display screen 100, which is the first example of a display screen obtained by information processing system 1.

[0087] Display screen 100 includes a search area 110 and a result display area 120. Figure 5 In the results display area 120, the largest result is displayed. The search area 110 is located above the result display area 120.

[0088] The search area 110 is a region for inputting search criteria for product information D1. The search area 110 has a selection button 111, a search window 112, a first filter setting button 113, and a second filter setting button 114.

[0089] Select button 111 to choose the retrieval method for product information D1. Figure 6 This is an enlarged explanatory diagram of a portion of display screen 100, which serves as the first example of the displayed screen. When selection button 111 is selected, a list 115 for selecting a search method is displayed. List 115 is, for example, a drop-down menu. List 115 displays search method options 115a, 115b, and 115c. Figure 6In the search query, option 115a corresponds to keyword search processing and displays a string like "keyword". Option 115b corresponds to search processing that specifies the search scope (search key). Figure 6 In the search, option 115b corresponds to the search process that specifies the drawing ID as the search key, displaying a string such as "Drawing ID". The search key is not limited to the drawing ID; it can also be the drawing number, part name, manufacturing number, material, etc. Option 115c corresponds to the vector search process, displaying a string such as "Similar Search". The search method is not limited to... Figure 6 The options are shown. Button 111 displays the string corresponding to the selected option. Figure 6 In the middle, option 115a was selected, and the selection button 111 displayed a string such as "keyword" corresponding to option 115a.

[0090] The search window 112 accepts, for example, input of a search query. The processing device 35 performs search processing based on the search query input to the search window 112.

[0091] The first filter setting button 113 and the second filter setting button 114 are used to perform filtering. When either the first filter setting button 113 or the second filter setting button 114 is selected in the search area 110, a filter condition setting screen is displayed. Filter conditions may include a filter key, a filter value, and a condition. The filter key corresponds to the attribute name of the attribute information of product information D1. The filter value corresponds to the attribute value of the attribute information of product information D1. The condition refers to the condition that the value corresponding to the filter key should satisfy relative to the filter value.

[0092] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the setting screen (first setting screen) 1130 corresponding to the first filter setting button 113. The first setting screen 1130 is displayed when the first filter setting button 113 is selected via the input device 21 in the search area 110. The first setting screen 1130 can be used with... Figure 5 The display screens are shown in 100 overlapping layers.

[0093] The first setting screen 1130 sets the filter value in the filter conditions. Therefore, in the first setting screen 1130, the filter key and conditions are preset. In this embodiment, the filter key is the type of information, and the condition is that the value corresponding to the filter key and the filter value are consistent. In this embodiment, the first setting screen 1130 displays options for filter values. Examples of filter values ​​include drawing data, CAD data, quality inspection reports, design change notices, DR meeting minutes, defect reports, order performance, and order acceptance performance. In the first setting screen 1130, the filter conditions are set by selecting the filter value. The processing device 35 performs filtering processing based on the set filter conditions, extracting one or more product information D1 that meets the filter conditions from the multiple product information D1 stored in the storage device 34, and generating a second set based on the extracted product information D1. Since the filter key and conditions are preset in the first setting screen 1130, the input of filter conditions can be simplified. Preferably, the combination of filter key and conditions in the first setting screen 1130 is a combination of frequently used filter key and conditions. It should be noted that the combination of filter keys and conditions on the first setting screen 1130 can be customized to match the preferences of user 10. This enables users to efficiently determine the product information they desire.

[0094] Figures 8-11 This is an explanatory diagram of the setting screen (second setting screen 116) corresponding to the second filter setting button 114. It can be that when the second filter setting button 114 is selected via the input device 21 in the search area 110, the second setting screen 116 and... Figure 5 The display screens are shown in 100 overlapping layers.

[0095] like Figure 8 As shown, the second setting screen 116 enables the setting of all filter keys, filter values, and conditions in the filter conditions. In this embodiment, the second setting screen 116 has a key setting area 116a, a condition setting area 116b, a value setting area 116c, an add button 116d, and a cancel button 116e.

[0096] The key setting area 116a is the area used to set the filter key. Figure 9 This shows the state where key setting area 116a has been selected in the second setting screen 116. (Example) Figure 9 As shown, when key setting area 116a is selected, a drop-down menu 1161 can be displayed, for example, to show candidates for filter keys. The filter keys are set, for example, based on attribute information database D2. Figure 9The text displays information such as product name, drawing number, revision, product code, material, surface treatment, heat treatment, mass, date, drafting, design, review, approval, model, reference drawing number, special characteristics, hierarchy, 3DCAD association key, document number, and prohibited items. Examples of filter keys are not limited to... Figure 9 Examples include information types, file names, production dates and times, creators, size (file size), project names, part names, manufacturing numbers, dimensions, weight, units, drafting methods, drawing output, delivery dates, scale, remarks, customers, estimated maximum dimensions, etc., order performance (currency, order quantity, unit price, drawing number, order date, order recipient, order performance quantity, etc.), and order acceptance performance (order recipient, unit price, quantity, order acceptance date, drawing number, order performance quantity, etc.).

[0097] The condition setting area 116b is an area used to set conditions. The condition setting area 116b is activated (that is, it can be used) when a filter key is set using the key setting area 116a, and conditions can be set. Figure 10 This shows the state where condition setting area 116b has been selected in the second setting screen 116. Figure 10 In the middle, the "material" is set as the filter key using the key setting area 116a. For example... Figure 10 As shown, when the condition setting area 116b is selected, a drop-down menu 1162 can be displayed to show candidates for the condition. Conditions may include, for example, "Contains" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key contains the filter value), "Does not contain" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key does not contain the filter value), "Yes" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key is equal to the filter value), "No" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key is not equal to the filter value), "Is any one of the filter values" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key is any of the filter values), and "Not any one of the filter values" (condition that the value corresponding to the filter key is not any of the filter values), but are not limited to these.

[0098] The value setting area 116c is used to set filter values. The value setting area 116c is activated (i.e., can be used) when conditions are set using the condition setting area 116b, and can then be used to set filter values. The value setting area 116c accepts input of filter values ​​corresponding to the filter keys set in the key setting area 116a.

[0099] Figure 11 This shows the state where a filter value has been input into the value setting area 116c in the second setting screen 116. Figure 11In the filter, "Material" is set as the filter key using the key setting area 116a, "Contains" is set as the condition using the condition setting area 116b, and "SUS" is set as the filter value using the value setting area 116c. This means that the filter condition is "Material" containing "SUS".

[0100] The append button 116d is used to append filter conditions. The append button 116d displays the string "Append". The append button 116d is activated (that is, can be used) when filter conditions are set using the key setting area 116a, condition setting area 116b, and value setting area 116c, enabling filtering processing based on the set filter conditions. When the append button 116d is selected, the processing device 35 performs filtering processing based on the set filter conditions.

[0101] The Cancel button 116e is used to cancel the filter settings. The Cancel button 116e displays the string "Cancel". When the Cancel button 116e is selected, the settings made using the key setting area 116a, the condition setting area 116b, and the value setting area 116c are canceled, and the second setting screen 116 is closed.

[0102] Thus, user 10 can use search area 110 to input search criteria, thereby processing device 35 can perform search processing according to the search criteria and generate a candidate set of product information D1.

[0103] The results display area 120 is an area used to display the candidate set of product information D1. In this embodiment, the results display area 120 displays a summary of the product information D1 included in the candidate set rather than a list of the candidate set. More specifically, Figure 5 The result display area 120 shows multiple tiles 121 arranged in a grid pattern. Each tile 121 shows a general information about the product information D1.

[0104] The summary information is used to convey a general overview of product information D1 to user 10. In this embodiment, the summary information includes a representative image representing the content of the corresponding product information D1. Figure 5 In the diagram, block 121 includes an image region 121a, which illustrates a representative image. For example, if product information D1 contains image data, the representative image is based on the image represented by the image data. For example, if product information D1 contains document data, the representative image is based on an image representing a specific page (e.g., the starting page) of the document data.

[0105] In the results display area 120, tile 121 is displayed in a way that allows selection via input device 21. When tile 121 is selected, the display transitions to the detailed display of the product information D1 corresponding to tile 121. That is, the results display area 120 displays general information of two or more product information D1s in a form that allows selection via input device 21, and when general information is selected via input device 21, the results display area 120 displays the detailed information of the product information D1 corresponding to the general information selected via input device 21.

[0106] Figures 12-15 This is an explanatory diagram of display screen 101, which is a second example of a display screen obtained by information processing system 1.

[0107] Display screen 101 includes a retrieval area 110 and a display area 130. Figures 12-15 In the middle, display area 130 is the largest. Retrieval area 110 is located above display area 130.

[0108] Display area 130 includes details display area 131 and results display area 132.

[0109] The details display area 131 displays detailed information about specific product information D1. This detailed information is used to convey the details of product information D1 to user 10. Regarding specific product information D1, it is possible to... Figure 5 The results can be selected in the results display area 120. Additionally, specific product information D1 can be selected using the results display area 132.

[0110] The result display area 132 displays the results in a manner that allows selection of a specific product information D1 from two or more product information D1 via the input device 21. In this embodiment, the result display area 132 is located to the left of the display area 130. The result display area 132 and... Figure 5 The result display area 120 also displays tile 132a. Tile 132a is arranged in a vertical column. Each tile 132a can display a general information about product information D1 in the same way as tile 121 in the result display area 120. Therefore, even after moving from display screen 100 to display screen 101, changes to the specific product information D1 of the object can be displayed in detail without returning to display screen 100, improving usability and potentially leading to increased business efficiency and quality.

[0111] Returning to the description of the details display area 131. In this embodiment, the details display area 131 displays not only the details of a specific product information D1, but also the details of one or more other product information D1s associated with the specific product information D1. Specifically, the details display area 131 includes multiple separate display areas 133 (133-1 to 133-8, see reference 133-1). Figures 12-15 The separate display area 133 displays detailed information about product information D1. For example, a specific product information D1 is drawing data, which is associated with CAD data, quality inspection reports, design change notices, DR meeting minutes, defect reports, order performance, and order receipt performance, which are also product information D1.

[0112] In the details display area 131, the detailed information of a specific product information D1 and the detailed information of one or more other product information D1s, that is, multiple separate display areas 133 (133-1 to 133-8), are displayed vertically in a predetermined order. Thus, the detailed information of a specific product information D1 and the detailed information of one or more other product information D1s are displayed on a single screen without requiring screen transitions. In this embodiment, the detailed information of drawing data, CAD data, quality inspection reports, design change notices, DR meeting minutes, defect reports, order placement performance, and order acceptance performance are arranged vertically from top to bottom in this order.

[0113] exist Figure 12 In the diagram, the details display area 131 primarily shows the detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the drawing data, displayed in a separate display area 133-1. The detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the drawing data may include detailed images representing the product information and supplementary information D3. The detailed image is based on the same image as the representative image used in the summary information, but is enlarged compared to the representative image. That is, the detailed image has higher visual recognizability than the representative image, and its content is easier to identify. It should be noted that when the image is enlarged or reduced, a portion of the image may be omitted as needed. Preferably, by default, the detailed image contains more information than the representative image. The separate display area 133-1 includes a first area 133a and a second area 133b. The first area 133a displays the detailed image. The second area 133b displays all or part of one or more items in the supplementary information D3. The second area 133b is located to the right of the first area 133a.

[0114] When the details display area 131 is from Figure 12 When it scrolls down, as Figure 13As shown, the details display area 131 mainly displays the detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the CAD data in a separate display area 133-2. The detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the drawing data may include detailed images representing the product information and supplementary information D3. The separate display area 133-2 includes a first area 133a and a second area 133b. The first area 133a displays a detailed image. Preferably, the first area 133a displays an image based on the CAD data as a detailed image, and preferably, the displayed product can be zoomed in, zoomed out, and rotated within the first area 133a.

[0115] When the details display area 131 is from Figure 13 When it scrolls down, as Figure 14 As shown, the details display area 131 mainly shows separate display areas 133-3, 133-4, 133-5, and 133-6 for product information D1 corresponding to quality inspection reports, design change notices, DR meeting minutes, and defect reports, respectively. The product information D1 corresponding to these documents is categorized as data, specifically as document data. Detailed information for product information D1 corresponding to document data may include detailed images representing the product information and supplementary information D3. Separate display area 133-3 includes a first area 133a and a second area 133b. The first area 133a displays detailed images. Illustrations of the first area 133a and the second area 133b are omitted for separate display areas 133-4 to 133-6.

[0116] When the details display area 131 is from Figure 14 When it scrolls down, as Figure 15 As shown, the details display area 131 mainly displays separate display areas 133-7 and 133-8 for product information D1 corresponding to order placement performance and order acceptance performance, respectively. The product information D1 corresponding to order placement performance and order acceptance performance is categorized as data, specifically as table data. The detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to table data contains table-format data representing the content of the product information. The table-format data displays the content of the table represented by the table data. Therefore, the content of the table can be confirmed without screen switching. Preferably, the table-format data can be copied or downloaded. It should be noted that the detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to table data may also include supplementary information D3.

[0117] Therefore, the display format of detailed information can be determined based on the type of product information D1. This allows for the presentation of detailed information corresponding to product information D1, making it easy to understand the content of product information D1.

[0118] As described above, in the details display area 131, individual display areas 133-1 to 133-8 can be displayed sequentially by scrolling. However, when there are many individual display areas 133-1 to 133-8 or when the content of individual display areas 133-1 to 133-8 is extensive, switching between the displays of individual display areas 133-1 to 133-8 by scrolling can be time-consuming. Therefore, the display area 130 also includes a category display area 134.

[0119] like Figures 12-15 As shown, the category display area 134 is located above the details display area 131. The category display area 134 displays the categories of a specific product information D1 and one or more other product information D1 in a form selectable via the input device 21. The details display area 131 displays detailed information about the specific product information D1 and one or more other product information D1 corresponding to the category selected via the input device 21. This allows for rapid switching between the individual display areas 133-1 to 133-8, enabling the user 10 to quickly access the desired individual display area.

[0120] In particular, in this embodiment, the category display area 134 is located above the details display area, and this category display area 134 displays specific product information and one or more other product information categories horizontally in a predetermined order. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the category display area 134 includes labels 134a-1 to 134a-8 representing specific product information and one or more other product information categories. Labels 134a-1 to 134a-8 are arranged from left to right in a prescribed order. Labels 134a-1 to 134a-8 correspond to drawing data, CAD data, quality inspection reports, design change notices, DR meeting minutes, defect reports, order performance, and order receipt performance, respectively. As an example, when from... Figure 12 The state of the separate display area 133-1 corresponding to the detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the drawing data, as shown, is such that when label 134a-2 is selected via input device 21, as Figure 13As shown, a separate display area 133-2 is used to display the detailed information of product information D1 corresponding to the CAD data. This allows for easy switching between the separate display areas 133. The prescribed order is the same as the vertical arrangement of the detailed information of a specific product information D1 and the detailed information of one or more other product information D1s in the details display area. This facilitates intuitive operation.

[0121] Figure 16 This is an explanatory diagram of display screen 102, which is a third example of a display screen obtained by information processing system 1. Display screen 102 is specifically used for vector retrieval. For example, it corresponds to the case where option 113c, which corresponds to a similarity search, is selected using the selection button 111 in the search area 110.

[0122] Display screen 102 includes a search area 110, a result display area 120, a specified area 140, and a search object display area 150. Figure 16 In the results display area 120, the largest area is the search area 110, which is located above the results display area 120. The specified area 140 is located to the left of the results display area 120, and the search object display area 150 is located between the specified area 140 and the results display area 120.

[0123] Specifying region 140 is the region used to select the objects to be retrieved. Figure 16 In the designated area 140, multiple product information D1 are displayed in a form that can be selected as the search target via the input device 21. The designated area 140 displays tiles 141. The tiles 141 are arranged in a vertical column. Each tile 141 can show a general overview of the product information D1. The general overview may include a representative image.

[0124] The search object display area 150 displays the product information D1 selected in the designated area 140. In this embodiment, the search object display area 150 displays detailed information about the product information D1 selected in the designated area 140; that is, it displays detailed information about the product information D1 of the search object. This detailed information is used to convey the details of the product information D1 to the user 10. Similar to the details display area 131, the detailed information of the product information D1 may include a detailed image representing the product information and supplementary information D3. Specifically, the search object display area 150 includes a first area 151 and a second area 152. The first area 151 displays a detailed image. The second area 152 displays all or part of one or more items of the supplementary information D3.

[0125] exist Figure 16In the result display area 120, multiple tiles 121 are arranged in a grid pattern. Each tile 121 shows a general overview of product information D1. Figure 16 In the summary information, there is a representative image and supplementary information D3. More specifically, tile 121 includes an image area 121a and an additional area 121b. Image area 121a shows the representative image. Additional area 121b displays all or part of one or more items of the supplementary information D3. Additional area 121b is generally smaller than the retrieval object display area 150, and therefore, less supplementary information D3 may be displayed in additional area 121b than in the case of retrieval object display area 150.

[0126] In the results display area 120, tile 121 is displayed in a way that allows selection via input device 21. When tile 121 is selected, the display transitions to the detailed display of the product information D1 corresponding to tile 121. That is, the results display area 120 displays general information of two or more product information D1s in a form that allows selection via input device 21, and when general information is selected via input device 21, the results display area 120 displays the detailed information of the product information D1 corresponding to the general information selected via input device 21.

[0127] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram of display screen 103, which is the fourth example of a display screen obtained by information processing system 1. When in Figure 16 The results show that when tile 121 was selected in region 120, from Figure 16 The display screen 102 switches to Figure 17 The display screen is 103. Figure 17 The display screen 103 corresponds to the product information D1 related to the block 121.

[0128] Figure 17 The display screen 103 includes a search area 110, a result display area 120, a specified area 140, a search object display area 150, and a details display area 160. Figure 17 In the display screen 103, the search area 110 is located at the top. The specified area 140, the search object display area 150, the details display area 160, and the results display area 120 are arranged from left to right.

[0129] Figure 17 The results display area 120 displays tiles 121. Tiles 121 are arranged in a vertical column. In the results display area 120, tiles 121 are displayed in a manner selectable via the input device 21. Each tile 121 can display general information about the product information D1. Figure 17 The patch 121 has an image region 121a, but with Figure 16 The tiles 121 are different. Figure 17 Patch 121 does not have an additional region 121b. This is because, Figure 17 Piece 121 is... Figure 16 The size of tile 121 reduces the readability of the accompanying information D3 displayed in the supplementary area 121b. Of course, if readability is not an issue, then... Figure 17 The tile 121 may also include an additional region 121B.

[0130] The details display area 160 displays the product information D1 selected in the results display area 120. In this embodiment, the details display area 160 displays detailed information about the product information D1 selected in the results display area 120. The detailed information is used to convey the details of the product information D1 to the user 10. Similar to the details display area 131, the detailed information of the product information D1 may include a detailed image representing the content of the product information and accompanying information D3. Specifically, the details display area 160 includes a first area 161 and a second area 162. The first area 161 displays a detailed image. The second area 162 displays all or part of one or more items of the accompanying information D3.

[0131] exist Figure 17 In the display area, the search object display area 150 and the details display area 160 are arranged side by side. Furthermore, the first area 151 and the second area 152 of the search object display area 150 and the first area 161 and the second area 162 of the details display area 160 are arranged side by side, respectively. This allows for easy comparison between the product information D1 displayed in the search object display area 150 and the product information D1 displayed in the details display area 160.

[0132] [1.2 Effects, etc.] The information processing system 1 described above includes a processing device 35 connected to an input device 21 and a display device 221. This processing device 35 can access a storage device 34 storing multiple product information items D1. The storage device 34 stores an attribute information database D2 containing the information categories of the multiple product information items D1. The processing device 35 performs: a retrieval process, generating a candidate set based on input via the input device 21 and the multiple product information items D1; ​​and a display process, displaying a screen for displaying the candidate set via the display device 221. The retrieval process includes: a search retrieval process, generating a first set of more than one product information item D1 that satisfies the retrieval query based on a search query input via the input device 21; and a filtering process, generating a second set of more than one product information item D1 that satisfies the filtering conditions based on filtering criteria set via the input device 21 and referring to the attribute information database D2. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set. This configuration enables users to efficiently determine and obtain the desired product information D1.

[0133] In information processing system 1, storage device 34 stores an association establishment table D4, which represents the association establishment between product information D1 included in multiple product information D1s. During search and retrieval processing, product information D1s that have established associations with each other are processed together. This configuration increases the likelihood that users can obtain the desired product information D1.

[0134] In the information processing system 1, the storage device 34 contains one or more supplementary information D3 related to one or more product information D1s. During search and retrieval processing, the product information D1 and the supplementary information D3 related to that product information D1 are processed together. This configuration increases the likelihood that a user can obtain the desired product information D1.

[0135] In information processing system 1, the supplementary information D3 includes textual information generated based on the corresponding product information D1 and / or other product information D1 that is associated with the corresponding product information D1. This configuration increases the likelihood that the user can obtain the desired product information D1.

[0136] In information processing system 1, the search retrieval process includes at least one of keyword retrieval processing, vector retrieval processing, and query retrieval processing. This configuration increases the likelihood that users can obtain the desired product information D1.

[0137] In information processing system 1, attribute information database D2 contains product attribute information related to the products indicated by multiple product information D1. This configuration increases the likelihood that users can obtain the desired product information D1.

[0138] In information processing system 1, a display screen shows general information about product information D1 included in the candidate set. The general information includes a representative image representing the content of the corresponding product information D1. This configuration makes it easier for user 10 to determine whether product information D1 is the desired product information D1.

[0139] In the information processing system 1, the storage device 34 contains one or more supplementary information D3 related to one or more of the product information D1, and the summary information contains at least a portion of the supplementary information D3 related to the corresponding product information D1. This configuration facilitates the user 10's determination of whether the product information D1 is the desired product information D1.

[0140] The information processing method described above is executed by processing device 35, which is connected to input device 21 and display device 221, and can access storage device 34 storing multiple product information D1. Storage device 34 stores attribute information database D2 of multiple product information D1, and attribute information database D2 contains information categories of multiple product information D1. The information processing method includes: retrieval processing, generating a candidate set based on input implemented through input device 21 according to multiple product information D1; and display processing, displaying a display screen for displaying the candidate set through display device 221. The retrieval processing includes: search retrieval processing, generating a first set of more than one product information D1 satisfying the search query based on the search query input through input device 21; and filtering processing, generating a second set of more than one product information D1 satisfying the filtering conditions based on filtering conditions set through input device 21 and attribute information database D2. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set. This configuration enables users to efficiently determine and obtain the desired product information D1.

[0141] The program PG1 described above is a program used to execute the information processing method described above by the processing device 35. This configuration enables the user to efficiently determine and obtain the desired product information D1.

[0142] [2. Variations] The embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above. Any embodiment that achieves the problem of this disclosure may be modified according to design, etc. Hereinafter, variations of the above embodiments are listed. The variations described below can be appropriately combined and applied.

[0143] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a display screen (display screen 104) obtained from a modified information processing system. Figure 18The display screen 104, like the display screen 100, includes a search area 110 and a result display area 120.

[0144] The results display area 120 shows general information about product D1 included in the candidate set. In more detail... Figure 18 The result display area 120 shows multiple tiles 121 (121-1, 121-2) arranged in a grid pattern. Each tile 121 shows a general information about the product information D1.

[0145] Plot 121-1 has an image region 121a, an additional region 121b, and an annotation region 121c.

[0146] Annotation area 121c explains why the corresponding product information D1 is included in the candidate set. That is, annotation area 121c explains why product information D1 meets the search criteria entered into search area 110. Figure 18 In the search area 110, the keyword search process was selected using the selection button 111, and the word "defective" was entered into the search window 112 as the search query. The annotation area 121c shows the string "read: defective", indicating that the string "defective" was read from product information D1.

[0147] In the summary information shown in tile 121-1, the areas corresponding to the search query are highlighted. Figure 18 In the image area 121a and annotation area 121c of block 121-1, the strings 122a and 122b corresponding to the search query are highlighted. It should be noted that if the string "defective" is also present in the supplementary area 121b, that string will also be highlighted.

[0148] In this way, the parts corresponding to the search query can be highlighted in the summary information. This configuration makes it easier for user 10 to determine whether product information D1 is the desired product information D1.

[0149] Figure 19 This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a display screen (display screen 105) obtained from a modified information processing system.

[0150] The display screen 105 includes a search area 110, a results display area 120, and a filter area 170.

[0151] Filtering area 170 is the area that accepts input for filtering processing. In particular, filtering area 170 facilitates the setting of filtering conditions that use multiple combinations of filter keys (attribute names) and filter values ​​(attribute values). In other words, filtering area 170 can be described as the area used for so-called facet navigation.

[0152] exist Figure 19 In the filter area 170, there are multiple setting areas 171 (171-1, 171-2). Each setting area 171 has a key display area 171a and a value setting area 171b. The key display area 171a is used to display the filter keys. The key display area 171a of setting area 171-1 displays the string "File Category", which corresponds to the information category. The key display area 171a of setting area 171-2 displays the string "Item", which corresponds to the item name. The value setting area 171b is used to set the filter values. The value setting area 171b displays a list of filter values ​​corresponding to the setting areas 171. For convenience, the number of product information D1 that matches each filter value can be displayed at each filter value location.

[0153] The processing device 35 performs filtering processing based on the filtering conditions set in the filtering area 170, extracting one or more product information D1 that meets the filtering conditions from multiple product information D1 stored in the storage device 34, and generating a second set based on the extracted product information D1. As a result, the tiles 121 of the product information D1 included in the candidate set, which are updated accordingly to the generated second set, are displayed in the result display area 120.

[0154] In one variation, the representative image can be based on the portion of the corresponding product information D1 that is associated with the search query. This configuration facilitates the user 10's determination of whether product information D1 is the desired product information D1. For example, if product information D1 contains document data, the representative image could be an image representing the page in the document data that is associated with the search query. The page associated with the search query could be a page containing the string represented by the search query. That is, the representative image could be an image of the portion of product information D1 that is most relevant to the search query.

[0155] In a variation, the timing of generating the first and second sets can be appropriately changed. For example, in Figure 4 In the flowchart, the determination of whether there is a search query (S2) is executed before the determination of whether there is a filter condition (S3), but they can be interchanged. The corresponding processing (search retrieval processing, filter processing) can also be executed according to the input of the search query and the filter condition.

[0156] In a variation, storage device 34 may not necessarily need to include accompanying information D3.

[0157] In a variant, storage device 34 may not necessarily need to include the associated table D4.

[0158] In one variation, the information processing device 3 can also be implemented using a system that includes multiple servers, etc. The multiple functions (components) of the information processing device 3 do not need to be housed in a single enclosure; the components of the information processing device 3 can be distributed across multiple enclosures. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the information processing device 3, such as a portion of the functions of the processing device 35, can be implemented using the cloud (cloud computing), etc. The information processing system 1 does not necessarily need to have a terminal device 2; the information processing device 3 can also function as the terminal device 2.

[0159] [3. Scheme] As will be apparent from the above embodiments and variations, this disclosure includes the following solutions.

[0160] [Option 1] An information processing system includes a processing unit connected to an input device and a display device, and capable of accessing a storage device storing multiple product information. The storage device stores an attribute information database containing information categories of the multiple product information. The processing unit performs: a retrieval process, generating a candidate set based on input via the input device and the multiple product information; and a display process, displaying the candidate set via the display device. The retrieval process includes: a search retrieval process, generating a first set of one or more product information satisfying a search query based on the input device and the multiple product information; and a filtering process, generating a second set of one or more product information satisfying filtering conditions based on filtering conditions set via the input device and referring to the attribute information database. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

[0161] [Option 2] According to the information processing system described in Scheme 1, the storage device stores an association establishment table, which represents the association establishment between product information included in the multiple product information. In the search and retrieval process, product information that has established an association with each other is processed together.

[0162] [Option 3] According to the information processing system of Scheme 1 or 2, the storage device contains one or more ancillary information related to one or more of the product information, and in the search and retrieval process, the product information and the ancillary information related to the product information are processed together.

[0163] [Option 4] According to the information processing system of Scheme 3, the accompanying information includes text information generated based on the corresponding product information and / or other product information that is associated with the corresponding product information.

[0164] [Option 5] According to any one of Schemes 1 to 4, the information processing system includes at least one of keyword retrieval processing, vector retrieval processing, and query retrieval processing.

[0165] [Option 6] According to any one of Schemes 1 to 5, the information processing system wherein the attribute information database contains product attribute information related to the products indicated by the plurality of product information.

[0166] [Option 7] According to any one of Schemes 1 to 6, the information processing system displays general information about the products included in the candidate set, and the general information includes a representative image representing the content of the corresponding product information.

[0167] [Option 8] According to the information processing system of Scheme 7, the storage device includes one or more ancillary information related to one or more of the product information of the plurality of product information, and the summary information includes at least a portion of the ancillary information related to the corresponding product information.

[0168] [Option 9] According to the information processing system described in Scheme 7 or 8, the portion of the general information corresponding to the search query is highlighted.

[0169] [Option 10] According to any one of Schemes 7 to 9, the information processing system wherein the representative image is based on the portion of the corresponding product information associated with the search query.

[0170] [Option 11] An information processing method is executed by a processing device connected to an input device and a display device, and capable of accessing a storage device storing multiple product information. The storage device stores an attribute information database containing information categories of the multiple product information. The information processing method includes: a retrieval process, generating a candidate set based on input implemented through the input device and the multiple product information; and a display process, displaying a screen for displaying the candidate set through the display device. The retrieval process includes: a search retrieval process, generating a first set of more than one product information satisfying a search query based on a search query input through the input device; and a filtering process, generating a second set of more than one product information satisfying a filter condition based on filtering conditions set through the input device and referring to the attribute information database. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

[0171] [Option 12] A program for causing the information processing method as described in Scheme 11 to be executed by the processing device.

[0172] Options 2 through 10 are arbitrary elements, not required. Options 2 through 10 can be appropriately combined with Option 111.

[0173] Industrial availability This disclosure can be applied to information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs. Specifically, this disclosure can be applied to information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs intended for the retrieval and presentation of product information.

[0174] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Information processing system; 21: Input device; 221: Display device; 34: Storage device; 35: Processing device; D1: Product information; D2: Attribute information database; D3: Supplementary information; PG1: Program.

Claims

1. An information processing system, wherein, It includes a processing unit connected to an input device and a display device, and is capable of accessing a storage device storing information about multiple products. The storage device stores a database of attribute information for the multiple product information items. The attribute information database contains information types of the multiple product information. The processing device performs: The retrieval process generates a candidate set based on the input implemented through the input device and the multiple product information. as well as The display processing involves using the display device to display a screen for showing the candidate set. The retrieval process includes: The search and retrieval process generates a first set of more than one product information that satisfies the search query based on the search query input through the input device. as well as The filtering process, based on the filtering conditions set through the input device and referring to the attribute information database, generates a second set of product information that satisfies one or more of the filtering conditions. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The storage device stores an association establishment table, which represents the association establishment between the product information included in the plurality of product information. In the search and retrieval process, product information that is associated with each other is processed together.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The storage device includes one or more ancillary information related to one or more of the product information among the plurality of product information. In the search and retrieval process, product information and related ancillary information are processed together.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein, The accompanying information includes textual information generated based on the corresponding product information and / or other product information that is associated with the corresponding product information.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The search and retrieval process includes at least one of keyword retrieval process, vector retrieval process, and query retrieval process.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The attribute information database contains product attribute information related to the products indicated by the plurality of product information.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The display screen shows a brief overview of the product information included in the candidate set. The general information includes a representative image representing the content of the corresponding product information.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, The storage device includes one or more ancillary information related to one or more of the product information among the plurality of product information. The general information includes at least a portion of the ancillary information related to the corresponding product information.

9. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, In the overview information, the parts corresponding to the search query are highlighted.

10. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, The representative image is based on the portion of the corresponding product information that is associated with the search query.

11. An information processing method, executed by a processing device connected to an input device and a display device, and capable of accessing a storage device storing information on multiple products, wherein... The storage device stores a database of attribute information for the multiple product information items. The attribute information database contains information types of the multiple product information. The information processing method includes: The retrieval process generates a candidate set based on the input implemented through the input device, according to the plurality of product information; and The display processing involves using the display device to display a screen for showing the candidate set. The retrieval process includes: Search retrieval processing, based on the retrieval query input through the input device, generates a first set of more than one product information that satisfies the retrieval query according to the multiple product information; and The filtering process, based on the filtering conditions set through the input device, generates a second set of product information that satisfies one or more of the filtering conditions according to the attribute information database. The candidate set is the intersection of the first set and the second set.

12. A program for causing the information processing method of claim 11 to be executed by the processing apparatus.

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