Information processing system, control method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a highly convenient web page display technology.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes acquisition means for acquiring product identification information from information related to a referrer web page, and provision means for providing a product common page used in common for a plurality of products, when the product identification information can be acquired from information related to the referrer web page, the product common page including a hyperlink to which a first URL based on the acquired product identification information is set, and when the hyperlink to which the first URL is set is selected, a web page related to a product corresponding to the product identification information is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, a control method, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for improving the convenience of users of Web (World Wide Web) pages. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for displaying a Web page using content according to a Cookie name when transitioning from a product common page to a product-specific page.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, a user may not permit the use of Cookies on a Web browser by the user's operation and may disable functions that use Cookies. That is, in the prior art, since not all users who use a Web browser are necessarily in a state where they can use Cookies, there is a possibility that the provision of a highly convenient Web page display technique may be reduced.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, the information processing system of the present invention an acquisition means for acquiring product identification information from information regarding a source Web page, When providing a product common page that is commonly used for a plurality of products, when the product identification information can be obtained from information regarding the source Web page, a providing means for providing the product common page including a hyperlink to which a first URL based on the obtained product identification information is set having when the hyperlink to which the first URL is set is selected, a Web page regarding the product corresponding to the product identification information is provided characterized in that.

Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a highly convenient Web page display technology.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of the features described in this embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention.

[0009] <Embodiment 1> In Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the hyperlink setting program 109 described later acquires product identification information from the first product-specific page. Then, the hyperlink setting program 109 determines whether to directly access the second product-specific page or access the second product-specific page via the product selection page according to whether the product identification information can be acquired.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a Web page display system according to the present invention. The information processing device 101 can communicate with the Internet 106. Examples of the information processing device 101 include a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, and a tablet. The information processing device 101 includes a Web browser 102.

[0011] The Web browser is an application program having a URL input section 103 and a Web content display area 104. The Web browser 102 acquires, via the Internet 106, an HTML file 108 corresponding to the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicated in the URL input section 103 from the Web server 407. Then, the Web browser 102 displays the HTML content included in the HTML file 108 in the Web content display area 104.

[0012] The HTML content displayed in the Web content display area 104 has a hyperlink 105, and a URL of another web page is set in the hyperlink 105. When the user presses the hyperlink 105, the web browser 102 obtains, via the Internet 106, the HTML content corresponding to the URL set in the hyperlink 105 from the web server 107. Then, the HTML content is displayed in the Web content display area 104.

[0013] The hyperlink setting program 109 is a program that acquires the product identification information held by the first product-specific page and updates the URL of the hyperlink to the second product-specific page included in the model-common page according to the acquired information.

[0014] The hyperlink setting program 109 is composed of a script file such as JavaScript and is transmitted to the web browser 102 through the Internet 106 together with the HTML file 108. The hyperlink setting program 109 is executed by the web browser 102 when the HTML file 108 is displayed.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 101. In this figure, the information processing apparatus 101 has an input interface 810, a CPU 811, a ROM 812, a RAM 813, an external storage device 814, an output interface 815, and an input / output interface 816. Further, input devices such as a keyboard 818 and a pointing device 817 are connected to the input interface 810, and a display device such as a display unit 819 is connected to the output interface 815.

[0016] An initialization program is stored in the ROM 812, and an application program group, an operating system (OS), a web browser application, etc. are stored in the external storage device 814. The RAM 813 is used as a work memory etc. when executing various programs stored in the external storage device 814.

[0017] In this embodiment, the CPU 811 performs processing according to the procedure of a program stored in the external storage device 814, thereby executing the functions described below in the information processing apparatus 101 and the processing related to the flowchart described below. The CPU 811 performs display control processing using a web browser application and operates to be able to display the following web pages.

[0018] The printing device 820 may be connected to the information processing apparatus 101 via the input / output interface 816. Note that, although an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto paper is taken as an example for the printing device, printing may be executed by other methods (for example, an electrophotographic method). Also, the information processing apparatus 101 may be a desktop personal computer, a smartphone, or a notebook personal computer.

[0019] As one way of using the Internet, there is a case where a user browses information about a specific product. The user accesses a web page about the product on the website and can browse the information about the product that the user himself / herself wants to view.

[0020] Also, when the user browses a web page related to product information, a web page for product selection (hereinafter referred to as a product selection page) can also be used. The user presses a hyperlink on the product selection page that describes information such as a product name or product model number (hereinafter referred to as product identification information) used to identify each product. By this operation, a web page related to the selected product identification information is displayed on the web browser. By using the product selection page, the user can access a web page (hereinafter referred to as a product-specific page) that is composed of different contents for each product from a web page (hereinafter referred to as a product common page) that is commonly used for a plurality of products. That is, the product common page is a web page composed of contents that do not depend on the product.

[0021] By using this product selection page, after the product to be displayed is determined, the product-specific web page accessed may be composed of multiple pages instead of a single page. Among the multiple pages, there are pages with different descriptions for each product and pages with the same description for multiple products. In order to improve production efficiency, it is common practice to share pages with the same description among multiple products.

[0022] At this time, when transitioning from a certain product-specific page (the first product-specific page) to a product common page and then accessing a subsequent product-specific page (the second product-specific page), there is a risk that the product identification information will be lost within the product common page. In this case, the user needs to select the product to be displayed again before accessing the second product-specific page.

[0023] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a web page flow that transitions from the first product-specific page to the product common page and then further transitions to the second product-specific page via the product selection page. The first product-specific page 201 is a product-specific page corresponding to the product identification information "ABC1220" and has a hyperlink 202 for accessing the product common page 204. The URL 203 is the URL corresponding to the first product-specific page 201, and the product identification name "ABC1220" is included in the URL. Note that the first product-specific page may also be referred to as the reference source web page.

[0024] The product common page 204 is the product common page referred to from the hyperlink 202 and is a web page accessed from product-specific pages corresponding to multiple product identification information. Also, the product common page 204 has a hyperlink 205 for accessing the product selection page 207. The URL 206 is the URL of the product common page 204. Since the product common page 204 is a page commonly used by multiple products, the product identification information such as the product name "ABC1220" is not included in the URL 206.

[0025] The product selection page 207 is the product selection page referred to from the hyperlink 205, and has hyperlinks for accessing the second product-specific page 208 for the number of pieces of target product identification information. The second product-specific page 208 is the product-specific page referred to via the product selection page 207 from the product common page 204. The URL 209 is the URL corresponding to the second product-specific page 208, and similar to the URL 203, the product identification name "ABC1220" is included in the URL.

[0026] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a web page flow when product identification information on the first product-specific page can be obtained. When the user presses the hyperlink 202 described on the first product-specific page 201, the web browser 102 executes the hyperlink setting program 109, and when the processing of the hyperlink setting program 109 is completed, the product common page 204 is displayed. Note that the first product-specific page 201 is a page corresponding to a printing device connected to the information processing device 801. For example, the information processing device 801 receives identification information of the printing device from a printing device connected to the input / output interface 816. Then, the web browser 102 accesses the web server 107 to display product information. At this time, when the web browser 102 accesses using the identification information of the printing device acquired via the input / output interface 816, the first product-specific page 201 corresponding to the printing device connected to the information processing device 801 is displayed.

[0027] When the web browser 102 executes the hyperlink setting program 109, it acquires product identification information held by the first product-specific page 201 from the URL or URL query parameter. The URL query parameter is additional information for the URL to be sent to the web server and is described at the end of the URL. In FIG. 3, the web page creator sets a URL query parameter with the product identification information added to the hyperlink 202 as the URL of the product common page 204. Then, the hyperlink setting program 109 acquires that URL query parameter as the product identification information of the first product-specific page 201. The URL 301 is the URL of the product common page 204 in FIG. 3, and the product identification information "ABC1220" acquired by the hyperlink setting program 109 is set in the query parameter "model".

[0028] The hyperlink setting program 109 sets a URL 209 with the acquired product identification information (in the example of FIG. 3, "ABC1220") incorporated into the URL of the hyperlink 205. The web browser 102 displays the product common page 204 in the web content display area 104. When the user presses the hyperlink 205, unlike in FIG. 2, the web browser 102 accesses the second product-specific page 208 without accessing the product selection page 207.

[0029] In FIG. 3, the hyperlink setting program 109 acquires product identification information from the URL query parameter of the URL of the hyperlink 202, but it may also acquire product identification information from the URL 203 of the first product-specific page 201.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a web page flow when product identification information on the first product-specific page cannot be obtained. In FIG. 4, as an example where product identification information on the first product-specific page cannot be obtained, instead of the first product-specific page 201, a product common page in which the product identification information is not included in the URL or URL query parameter is arranged. The first product common page 401 is a product common page having a hyperlink 402 for accessing the product common page 204. The URL 403 is the URL of the first product common page 401. Similar to the URL 203, the URL 403 does not include product identification information in the URL.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a web page flow when the first product common page 401 is arranged instead of the first product-specific page 201. In addition, even when the hyperlink setting program 109 cannot normally obtain the product identification information of the first product-specific page 201, the web page flow of FIG. 4 can be applied. For example, the case where part or all of the information of the obtained URL or URL query parameter is missing (not shown) can be cited.

[0032] Since the URL of the hyperlink 402 in FIG. 4 does not include product identification information, the hyperlink setting program 109 cannot obtain product identification information from the first product common page 401. Therefore, in FIG. 4, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL of the product selection page 207 to the hyperlink 205. The user accesses the second product-specific page 208 via the product selection page 207.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of Embodiment 1. When the user presses the hyperlink 202 or 402 included in the first product-specific page 201 or the first product common page 401, the web browser 102 starts the flow of FIG. 5 by executing the hyperlink setting program 109. When the flow of FIG. 5 ends, the web browser 102 displays the HTML content of the product common page 204 in the web content display area 104 of the web browser 102.

[0034] The user presses the hyperlink 202 included in the first product-specific page 201 or the hyperlink 402 included in the first product common page 401. In this case, the web browser 102 executes an access process using the URL of the product common page 204 set for the hyperlink (S501). In S501, when the web browser 102 accesses the URL of the product common page 204, the product common page 204 and the hyperlink setting program 109 are transmitted from the web server 107 to the web browser 102.

[0035] The hyperlink setting program 109 acquires a URL or a URL query parameter as access information from the first product-specific page or the first product common page (S502). For example, the URL 203 in FIG. 3 or the URL 301 set for the hyperlink 202 in FIG. 3 is acquired. Alternatively, the URL 403 in FIG. 4 or the URL 206 set for the hyperlink 402 in FIG. 4 is acquired.

[0036] The hyperlink setting program 109 checks whether product identification information can be obtained from the acquired access information (S503). S503 will be specifically described below. First, the hyperlink setting program 109 determines whether the acquired access information contains a URL query parameter. If it is determined that the URL query parameter is included, the hyperlink setting program 109 determines Yes in S503. For example, when the URL 301 is acquired as the access information, since the hyperlink setting program 109 can acquire the URL query parameter (that is, "?model=ABC1220"), it determines Yes in S503. Here, if it is determined that the access information does not contain a URL query parameter, the hyperlink setting program 109 performs the following process. That is, when the URL 203 as shown in FIG. 3 is acquired in S502, the hyperlink setting program 109 splits the URL and acquires the character string at a predetermined position. For example, in the present embodiment, the character string at the second position from the end (that is, "ABC1220") is acquired. Then, the hyperlink setting program 109 compares the acquired character string with the product identification information list provided in the hyperlink setting program itself. Here, if the acquired character string is included in the product identification information list, the hyperlink setting program 109 determines Yes in S503. In the determination process using the URL query parameter, since there is no comparison process using the URL splitting process and the product identification information list, efficient processing can be realized by performing the process of S503 in such an order. When the hyperlink setting program 109 can acquire the product identification information, the URL of the second product-specific page 208 is set to the URL of the hyperlink 205 included in the product common page 204 (S504).

[0037] On the other hand, when the hyperlink setting program 109 cannot acquire the product identification information, the URL of the product selection page 207 is set to the URL of the hyperlink 205 included in the product common page 204 (S505).

[0038] Here, S504 and S505 will be specifically described. The hyperlink setting program 109 has a URL including variable information and a URL of the product selection page as the URL of the hyperlink 205. When it is determined as Yes in S503, the hyperlink setting program 109 selects the URL including variable information and replaces the variable information with the product identification information that could be obtained in S503. By this process, for example, the URL 209 in FIG. 3 is generated. Then, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets this URL 209 to the hyperlink 205 of the product common page 204 in FIG. 3.

[0039] On the other hand, when it is determined as No in S503, the hyperlink setting program 109 selects the product selection page URL and sets it to the hyperlink 205 of the product common page 204 in FIG. 4.

[0040] The web browser 102 displays the product common page 204 generated by the setting process of S504 or S505.

[0041] As described above, in the first embodiment, when the hyperlink setting program 109 can obtain the product identification information, the web browser 102 can display the second product-specific page 208 without displaying the product selection page 207. On the other hand, when the hyperlink setting program 109 cannot obtain the product identification information, the web browser 102 can display the product selection page 207 and allow the user to select the product identification information.

[0042] Thereby, the web browser 102 can display the product selection page 207 when the selection of the product identification information is necessary according to the user's web page browsing situation, so that the operability of the user can be improved compared with the conventional web page flow. Also, by using the URL or the query parameter of the URL without using cookies, the user can stably implement the flow in FIG. 5 without being affected by the usage restrictions of cookies.

[0043] In Embodiment 1, the hyperlink setting program 109 transmitted from the Web server 107 is executed on the Web browser 102. However, the hyperlink setting program 109 can also be configured to be executed on the Web server 107. In this case, the hyperlink setting program 109 performs the process of acquiring product identification information for the HTML file 108 and the process of setting the URL of the hyperlink 205 on the Web server 107. Then, the Web browser 102 executes a display process based on the HTML file 108 on which these processes have been performed.

[0044] <Embodiment 2> In Embodiment 2, an example is described in which product identification information is acquired from the first product-specific page, and further, a process of determining whether the product identification information is the corresponding product of the second product-specific page is added. Note that detailed descriptions of the processes overlapping with Embodiment 1 are omitted.

[0045] FIG. 6(a) shows an example in which when the product identification information acquired from the first product-specific page is not included in the target product of the second product-specific page, access is made to a product non-support guidance page instead of the second product-specific page.

[0046] After the user presses the hyperlink 202 described on the product-specific page 201, the Web browser 102 displays the product common page 204 in the same manner as in Embodiment 1. When the hyperlink setting program 109 can acquire the product identification information of the first product-specific page 201, it then determines whether the product identification information is included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208. If the product identification information is included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL of the second product-specific page 208 to the URL of the hyperlink 205 in the product common page 204 (not shown). If the product identification information is not included in the corresponding product of the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL of the product non-support guidance page 601 to the URL of the hyperlink 205, and the Web browser 102 displays the product common page 204.

[0047] The product non-support guidance page 601 is a web page that displays a message indicating that the product identification information obtained by the hyperlink setting program 109 is not for the corresponding product of the second product-specific page 208. The product non-support guidance page 601 may be configured as a product-common web page that displays a fixed message, or may be configured to change the content of the page according to the product identification information obtained from the product-specific page 201.

[0048] FIG. 6(b) is an example of deleting or hiding the hyperlink 205 that accesses the second product-specific page 208 from the product-common page 204 when the product identification information obtained from the first product-specific page 201 is not included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208. Although the product-common page 204 in FIG. 6(b) includes "(hyperlink deleted, hidden)", in reality, the web browser 102 does not display this description together with the hyperlink 205 and prevents the user from pressing the hyperlink 205.

[0049] Similar to FIG. 3, when the hyperlink setting program 109 can obtain the product identification information from the first product-specific page 201, it then determines whether the product identification information is included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208. If the obtained product identification information is included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL of the second product-specific page 208 to the URL of the hyperlink 205 within the product-common page 204 (not shown). If the obtained product identification information is not included in the target product of the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 deletes or hides the hyperlink 205 from the product-common page 204.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of FIG. 6(a). In the processing procedure of FIG. 6(b) as well, the flow is the same as that of FIG. 7 except for the processing other than S707 (described later). Similar to FIG. 5, FIG. 7 starts with the user first pressing the hyperlink 202 included in the first product-specific page 201 or the hyperlink 402 included in the first product common page 401 to access the product common page 204.

[0051] The processes of S701, S702, S703, and S705 in FIG. 7 are the same as the processes of S501, S502, S503, and S505 in FIG. 5, respectively. Therefore, the explanations of each of the processes of S701, S702, S703, and S705 are omitted here.

[0052] When the hyperlink setting program 109 can obtain the product identification information (S703), the hyperlink setting program 109 determines whether the obtained product identification information is included in the corresponding product of the second product-specific page 208 (S704). S704 will be described in detail. The hyperlink setting program 109 obtains the corresponding product information of the second product-specific page 208 from the web server 107. Then, the hyperlink setting program 109 determines whether the product identification information obtained in S703 is included in the corresponding product information of the second product-specific page 208.

[0053] When the obtained product identification information is included in the corresponding product of the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL 209 of the second product-specific page 208 to the URL of the hyperlink 205 included in the product common page 204 (S706). Note that since the process of S706 is similar to S506, the detailed explanation is omitted.

[0054] When the obtained product identification information is not included in the corresponding product on the second product-specific page 208, the hyperlink setting program 109 sets the URL of the product non-support guidance page 601 to the URL of the hyperlink 205 included in the product common page 204 (S707). The hyperlink setting program 109 includes the URL of the product non-support guidance page 601 in addition to the URL of the hyperlink 205 in Embodiment 1 as the URL of the hyperlink 205. When it is determined as No in S704, the hyperlink setting program 109 selects the URL of the product non-support guidance page 601 and sets it to the hyperlink 205 of the product common page 204.

[0055] The flow of FIG. 7 can also be applied to the processing procedure of FIG. 6(b). Among the processes in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the process of S707 is different between FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b). In the page flow of FIG. 6(a), the URL of the product non-support guidance page 601 is set to the URL of the hyperlink 205 in S707, but in the web page flow of FIG. 6(b), the hyperlink 205 is deleted or made invisible (not shown) in S707.

[0056] As described above, in Embodiment 2, since the product non-support guidance page is displayed, the operability of the user can be improved. Also, by displaying the web page so that the user cannot operate the hyperlink as in FIG. 6(b), the convenience of the user can be improved.

[0057] Also, in Embodiment 2 as well, similar to Embodiment 1, the hyperlink setting program 109 can be configured to be executed on the web server 107.

[0058] Note that a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments may be supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and the processing related to the above-described embodiments may be realized by one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reading and executing the program. Also, the processing related to the above-described embodiments may be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Explanation of Symbols

[0059] 109 Hyperlink Setting Program

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring product identification information from information related to a referral source web page; providing means for providing a product common page that is used in common for a plurality of products, when the product identification information can be acquired from information on a referrer Web page, the product common page including a hyperlink to which a first URL based on the acquired product identification information is set; having When the hyperlink having the first URL is selected, a web page about a product corresponding to the product identification information is provided. An information processing system comprising:

2. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first URL is a URL generated based on the product identification information.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that if the product identification information cannot be obtained from the referring web page, the providing means provides the product common page including a hyperlink to which a second URL different from the first URL is set.

4. 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the second URL is a URL for accessing a product selection page.

5. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that if the product identification information cannot be obtained from the referring web page, the providing means provides the product common page that does not include a hyperlink to which the first URL is set.

6. 6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring unit acquires the product identification information from a URL or a URL query parameter of the referring Web page.

7. 7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the acquiring means acquires the product identification information from information at a predetermined position of a character string indicating a URL or a URL query parameter of the referring Web page.

8. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires the product identification information from the URL of the referencing web page when the product identification information is not included in a URL query parameter of the referencing web page.

9. An information processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a display control means for controlling, when identification information of the printing device is obtained from a printing device capable of communicating with the information processing system, to display the referring web page based on the identification information.

10. 10. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an information processing device having a web browser.

11. An acquisition step of acquiring product identification information from information related to a referral source web page; providing a product common page including a hyperlink to which a first URL based on the acquired product identification information is set when the product identification information can be acquired from information on a referrer Web page when providing the product common page used in common for a plurality of products; having When the hyperlink having the first URL is selected, a web page about a product corresponding to the product identification information is provided.

23. A method for controlling an information processing system comprising:

12. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. 11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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