Article provision management apparatus, program, and article provision management system

Abstract

To provide an article provision management apparatus, a program, and an article provision management system which improve convenience of a user.SOLUTION: In an article management apparatus 1: a user information management unit which manages user information with using a user information database; an inventory state management unit manages an inventory state for an article using article information data; an article purchase screen presentation control unit, with reference to an article information database, carries out comprehensively an operation for presenting an article purchase screen for an article to a terminal in cooperation with other units; an order grouping unit acquires month of scheduled delivery of an article in a cart from the article information database to generate an order group by grouping articles with respect to each of the scheduled delivery months; an order processing control unit carries out order processing with respect to each of the grouped order groups; and with respect to each of the group whose settlement has been completed, a delivery processing control unit sets, as a delivery group for a collective delivery, articles belonging to the order group to proceed with procedures for the delivery destination and delivery timing for the articles belonging to the delivery group.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product provision management device, a program, and a product provision management system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there exist product sales systems that handle inventory products and reserved products to be sold in the future (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-152050 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, product shipping fees are required in addition to the purchase price of the product, and this can be a significant burden for users who purchase multiple in-stock or pre-order products. Reducing this burden would improve user convenience.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a product provision management device, a program, and a product provision management system that improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a product provision management device that includes: a purchase screen presentation means for presenting to a user's terminal a purchase screen that includes product information for pre-ordered items with scheduled shipping dates set and product information for in-stock items, allowing the user to select items they wish to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping items selected by the user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates to generate order groups; an order processing means for performing order processing for items belonging to each order group, for each order group; and a shipping processing means for performing shipping processing to ship all items belonging to the order group based on the scheduled shipping date of the order group, wherein the order grouping means generates a single order group of pre-ordered items and in-stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include pre-ordered items and in-stock items.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a program for managing the provision of products, which causes a computer to function as: a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on a user's terminal, which displays a purchase screen including product information for pre-order products with scheduled shipping dates and product information for stock products, allowing the user to select products they wish to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by the user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates and generating order groups; an order processing means for performing order processing for products belonging to each order group, for each order group; and a shipping processing means for performing shipping processing to ship all products belonging to the order group together based on the scheduled shipping date of the order group, wherein the order grouping means generates a single order group of pre-order products and stock products selected by the user, on the condition that the products selected by the user include pre-order products and stock products.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a product provision management system comprising: a product provision management device that manages the provision of products; and a user terminal; wherein the product provision management device comprises: a purchase screen presenting means that presents a purchase screen on the user's terminal, which includes product information for pre-order products with scheduled shipping dates set and product information for inventory products, allowing the user to select products they wish to purchase; an order grouping means that groups products selected by the user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates to generate order groups; an order processing means that, for each order group, performs order processing for products belonging to the order group; and a shipping processing means that performs shipping processing to ship all products belonging to the order group based on the scheduled shipping date of the order group; and the terminal comprises: a display unit that displays the purchase screen; and a transmission means that transmits to the product provision management device products selected by the user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen in an identifiable manner, and the order grouping means generates an order group consisting of pre-order products and inventory products selected by the user, on the condition that the products selected by the user include pre-order products and inventory products. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a product provision management device, a program, and a product provision management system that improve user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a product provision management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a tablet computer, which is an example of the terminal 2. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product provision management device 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the product information database D2. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 shows an example of a product purchase screen presented on the user's terminal 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example of an order screen on the product purchase screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the product provision management device 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1 to which purchase history information has been added. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1 in which the shipping group has been updated. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an example of the My Page screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an example of a My Page screen on which the shipping month product list button is displayed. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an example of a list of ordered items that can be shipped in November, displayed on terminal 2. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the updated user information database D1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0012] [Overall configuration] The product provision management system according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a product provision management system according to the present embodiment, in which 1 is a product provision management device, 2 is a user terminal, 3 is a product, and 4 is a product management warehouse.

[0013] The product provision management device 1, the user terminal 2, and the product management warehouse 4 can be connected to a communication line N and can communicate with each other. The communication line N means a communication path that allows data communication. In other words, the communication line N includes a dedicated line (dedicated cable) for direct connection, a LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark), a telephone communication network, a cable network, the Internet, and other communication networks, and the communication method can be either wired or wireless.

[0014] The product provision management device 1 is a server system configured to include one or more server devices, storage devices, etc. The product provision management device 1 performs various services for providing products 3 to users, acquires product inventory status in a product management warehouse 4, and processes delivery procedures for products to users.

[0015] The terminal 2 is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or a mobile phone. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a tablet computer, which is an example of the terminal 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminal 2 includes a display 21, a touch operation panel 22 configured integrally with the display 21, and a built-in speaker 23. The terminal 2 also includes a control board, a built-in battery, a power button, a volume adjustment button, etc., which are not shown.

[0016] The control board is equipped with various microprocessors such as a CPU, GPU, and DSP, various IC memories such as an ASIC, VRAM, RAM, and ROM, and a wireless communication module for wireless communication with a base station. The control board also is equipped with a so-called I / F circuit (interface circuit), such as a driver circuit for the touch operation panel 22. These elements equipped on the control board are electrically connected to each other via a bus circuit or the like, and are connected to enable reading and writing of data and sending and receiving of signals.

[0017] Product 3 is a product sold by a seller to a user. In this embodiment, the product is a product that is provided to a user in exchange for a monetary payment. The product is expressed as a tangible product or the like. For example, it may be a sculpted object such as a figurine that has the appearance of a certain character, clothing, a plastic model, an accessory, etc., but is not limited to these. There are also multiple types of products depending on the shipping time. For example, there are products that are normally sold, such as in-stock products that can be shipped immediately if in stock, and pre-order products that are announced for sale and can be reserved. Note that the shipping time for pre-order products is predetermined.

[0018] The product management warehouse 4 is a warehouse where the products 3 are stored and managed. The product management warehouse 4 manages the inventory status of the products 3 and reports inventory status information of the products 3 to the product provision management device 1. In addition, the product management warehouse 4 receives a shipping instruction from the product provision management device 1 and carries out procedures to deliver the products 3 to the user's home or the like.

[0019] [Function Configuration] The configuration of each device will be explained.

[0020] First, a description will be given of the configuration of the product provision management device 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product provision management device 1.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the product provision management device 1 includes a processing unit 10, a communication unit 11, and a storage unit 12.

[0022] The processing unit 10 comprehensively controls the operation of the product provision management device 1 based on the programs and data stored in the memory unit 12. The functions of the processing unit 10 can be realized by electronic components such as a microprocessor such as a CPU or GPU, an ASIC, or an IC memory. The processing unit 10 includes, as its main functional units, a user information management unit 111, an inventory status management unit 112, a product purchase screen presentation control unit 113, an order grouping unit 114, an order processing control unit 115, and a shipping processing control unit 116.

[0023] The user information management unit 111 manages user information using a user information database D1. The managed information includes the user's identification information (user ID) and password within the purchasing service, personal information such as the user's name and address, and purchase history information of the user's products (goods) 3. The purchase history information includes product information of the products (goods) 3 purchased by the user, the number of products (goods) 3 purchased, the purchase date, identification information of the order group and shipping group described below, and the cumulative amount of the price (cost) of the products purchased by the user up to the present. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1. In the example of FIG. 4, the user information data D1 is a table in which the user's user ID, personal information, and purchase history information are associated with each other.

[0024] The stock status management unit 112 manages the stock status of the product 3 using the product information data D2.

[0025] The product information database D2 is a database in which information about products for sale is recorded. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the product information database D2. Product information includes information such as product identification information (ID), product name, product information, product image, stock status, scheduled shipping time, and delivery type. The product ID is identification information that identifies the product 3. The product name is the name of the product 3. The product information relates to general information about the product 3, and includes information about whether the product is an in-stock product, which is sold in a normal manner, or a pre-order product, which requires a reservation, and description information about the product 3. The product image is image data of the product 3. The stock status is the stock quantity (quantity) of the product 3. The scheduled shipping time is the time when the product 3 can be shipped, and the shipping time may be in months, weeks, or days, but in this embodiment, it is set to be in months. The delivery type is the delivery method for the product 3, such as a normal delivery method or a frozen / refrigerated delivery method.

[0026] The inventory status management unit 112 updates the product information database D2 every time a new product 3 is added or every time the inventory status of that product 3 changes.

[0027] The product purchase screen presentation control unit 113 refers to the product information database D2 and performs overall processing in cooperation with other units to present the product purchase screen for product 3 on the terminal 2.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows an example of a product purchase screen presented on the user's terminal 2. The upper part of the product purchase screen shown in FIG. 6 displays a My Page icon 61, which transitions to a My Page where the user's information can be viewed; a product list icon 62, which transitions to a product list screen where a list of products currently on sale can be viewed; and a cart icon 63, which transitions to a cart screen where the user can view products selected for purchase. The lower part of the product purchase screen shown in FIG. 6 displays a details screen related to the selected icon. The lower part of the product purchase screen shown in FIG. 6 shows a case where a product list screen 64 is displayed when the product list icon 62 is selected. The product list screen 64 includes product information 65, such as product images, product names, prices, and shipping dates, and includes check boxes 66 for selecting each product 3. The user can select a product 3 by checking the check box 66. The user can add the selected product 3 to the cart by selecting a cart button 67 below the product list screen 64.

[0029] The order grouping unit 114 obtains the scheduled shipping months of the products 3 added to the cart (selected by the user) from the product information database D2, and generates order groups by grouping the products 3 by scheduled shipping month. In this embodiment, shipping periods are measured monthly, so the order grouping unit 114 generates order groups by grouping products with the same shipping month. At this time, if there are multiple products 3 added to the cart and the products 3 include pre-ordered products and in-stock products, the order grouping unit 114 groups the in-stock products with the pre-ordered product with the earliest scheduled shipping month.

[0030] For example, if a user adds a total of four products, including the product name "XXX Zero Fighter," the product name "YYY Figure," the product name "ZZZ Figure," and the product name "AAA Secret Key," to their cart on the product purchase screen of FIG. 6, the order grouping unit 114 obtains the shipping month of each product 3 from the product information database D2. Here, the product names "XXX Zero Fighter" and "AAA Secret Key" are pre-order products, and the product names "YYY Figure" and "ZZZ Figure" are in-stock products. The planned shipping month for the product name "XXX Zero Fighter" is November, the planned shipping month for the product name "YYY Figure" is the purchase month, the planned shipping month for the product name "ZZZ Figure" is the purchase month, and the planned shipping month for the product name "AAA Secret Key" is December. The order grouping unit 114 groups the product names "YYY Figure" and "ZZZ Figure" with the product name "XXX Zero Fighter," which has the earliest planned shipping month, and generates order group 1, whose planned shipping month is November. The order grouping unit 114 also groups the product name "AAA Secret Key" to generate order group 1, which is scheduled to be shipped in December.

[0031] Furthermore, the order grouping unit 114 may take into consideration not only the scheduled shipping month but also the delivery type when grouping the products 3. For example, even if the scheduled delivery month is the same, different delivery types may be grouped into different order groups.

[0032] Furthermore, the order grouping unit 114 may be configured to stop generating order groups and warn the user if the number of purchases of one product exceeds a predetermined number. This is effective when the number of products purchased exceeds the number that can be shipped at the same time, or to prevent the product from being resold.

[0033] The order processing control unit 115 processes orders for each order group grouped by the order grouping unit 114. When the cart icon 63 is selected on the product purchase screen of the terminal 2, the order processing control unit 115 presents an order screen on the terminal 2 for carrying out order procedures for each order group. FIG. 7 is an example of an order screen 71 on the product purchase screen. The example of the order screen 71 in FIG. 7 displays the order procedures for product 3 belonging to order group 1 and product 3 belonging to order group 2. The product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," and "XXX Zero Fighter" belong to order group 1, and the scheduled shipping month for order group 1 is November, which is the scheduled shipping month for the pre-order item "XXX Zero Fighter." The product name "AAA Secret Key" belongs to order group 2, and the scheduled shipping month for order group 2 is December, which is the scheduled shipping month for the pre-order item "AAA Secret Key."

[0034] When the order procedure button for an order group is selected, the order processing control unit 115 processes the order for that order group. The order processing involves settling the total price of the products belonging to that order group. The payment method can be any type, such as credit card or points managed by the sales system.

[0035] The shipping processing control unit 116 assembles each order group for which payment has been completed into a shipping group that will ship all the products belonging to that order group at once, and carries out procedures to determine the shipping destination and delivery time for the products belonging to the shipping group. The shipping destination address is selected from addresses registered in the user information database D1. The delivery time is set to the scheduled shipping month for the order group.

[0036] The communication unit 11 connects to a communication line N to realize communication.

[0037] The storage unit 12 stores a system program and a function program. The system program is a program for realizing the basic functions of the product provision management device 1 as a computer. The function program is a program for causing the processing unit 10 to function as a user information management unit 111, an inventory status management unit 112, a product purchase screen presentation control unit 113, an order grouping unit 114, an order processing control unit 115, and a shipping processing control unit 116. The storage unit 12 also stores a user information database D1 and a product information database D2.

[0038] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the terminal 2. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 2.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal 2 includes an operation input unit 30, a processing unit 31, an image display unit 32, a sound output unit 33, a communication unit , and a storage unit .

[0040] The operation input unit 30 is used to input various operations by the user and outputs an operation input signal corresponding to the operation input to the processing unit 31. The functions of the operation input unit 30 can be realized by, for example, elements that are directly operated by the user's fingers, such as a touch operation pad, a home button, a button switch, a joystick, or a trackball, as well as elements that detect movement or posture, such as an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a tilt sensor, or a geomagnetic sensor. In FIG. 2, this corresponds to the touch operation panel 22.

[0041] The processing unit 31 comprehensively controls the operation of the terminal 2 based on programs and data stored in the memory unit 35, operation input signals from the operation input unit 30, etc. The functions of the processing unit 31 can be realized by electronic components such as a microprocessor such as a CPU or GPU, an ASIC, an IC memory, etc. The processing unit 31 includes a calculation unit 40, an image generation unit 41, a sound generation unit 42, and a communication control unit 43 as its main functional units.

[0042] The calculation unit 40 executes various processes for purchasing the product 3 and outputs the results to the image generation unit 41, the sound generation unit 42, and the communication control unit 43. The calculation unit 40 includes a display control unit 50 and an order procedure processing unit 51.

[0043] The display control unit 50 uses information provided by the product provision management device 1 and user operation information to display and present a product purchase screen for the product 3, perform ordering procedures for the product 3, and the like.

[0044] The order procedure processing unit 51 performs the order procedure for the item (product) 3. Specifically, the order procedure processing unit 51 performs the order process for the product 3 with the order processing control unit 115 of the product provision management device 1.

[0045] The image generation unit 41 generates one image per frame time (for example, 1 / 60 seconds) based on the processing results of the calculation unit 40, and outputs the generated image signal to the image display unit 32. The functions of the image generation unit 41 can be realized by, for example, a processor such as a GPU or a digital signal processor (DSP), a video signal IC, a program such as a video codec, an IC memory for drawing frames such as a frame buffer, an IC memory used for expanding texture data, etc.

[0046] The sound generation unit 42 generates sound signals such as sound effects and various operation sounds based on the processing results of the calculation unit 40, and outputs them to the sound output unit 33. The function of the sound generation unit 42 can be realized by, for example, a processor such as a digital signal processor (DSP) or a voice synthesis IC, or an audio codec capable of playing back audio files.

[0047] The communication control unit 43 performs communication connection and data processing for data communication with the product provision management device 1.

[0048] Image display unit 32 displays a screen based on the image signal input from image generation unit 41. The function of image display unit 32 can be realized by a display device such as a flat panel display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, or a head-mounted display. In FIG. 2, image display unit 32 corresponds to display 21.

[0049] The sound output unit 33 outputs sound effects and the like based on the sound signal input from the sound generation unit 42. In FIG.

[0050] The communication unit 34 realizes communication by connecting to the communication line N. The function of the communication unit 34 can be realized by, for example, a wireless communication device, a modem, a TA (terminal adapter), a jack for a wired communication cable, a control circuit, or the like.

[0051] The storage unit 35 stores in advance or temporarily stores each time processing is performed programs for operating the terminal 2 and realizing various functions of the terminal 2, as well as data used during execution of these programs. The storage unit 35 can be realized by, for example, RAM, ROM, IC memory such as flash memory, magnetic disks such as hard disks, or optical disks such as CD-ROMs and DVDs. Specifically, the storage unit 35 stores a system program and a control program for controlling the terminal 2 to process the purchase of an item (product) 3. The system program is a program for realizing the basic functions of the terminal 2 as a computer. The control program is a program for causing the processing unit 31 to function as the calculation unit 40.

[0052] [Explanation of operation] The operation of the product provision management system in this embodiment will be described, focusing on the operation of the product provision management device 1. FIG.

[0053] First, the user uses the terminal 2 to access the product provision management device 1 and make a request for a product purchase screen.

[0054] Upon receiving the request for the product purchase screen, the product purchase screen presentation control section 113 of the product provision management device 1 transmits the product purchase screen to the terminal 2, causing the terminal 2 to display the product purchase screen (Step 100).

[0055] The user selects the product 3 to purchase from the product purchase screen displayed on the terminal 2. Specifically, referring to FIG. 6, the user selects the product list icon 62 to display a list of products available for purchase. The user can select the product 3 to order from the displayed product list by checking the check box 66 for that product. After selecting the product 3, the user selects the cart button 67 provided below the product list screen to add the selected product 3 to the cart.

[0056] The product purchase screen presentation control unit 113 determines whether the product 3 selected by the user has been added to the cart (Step 101). If the product has been added to the cart (Step 102), the product ID of the product 3 is stored (Step 103).

[0057] Next, the process determines whether the user has requested to view the cart (Step 104). When a cart view request is received (Step 105), the order grouping unit 114 obtains the scheduled shipping month of the product 3 added to the cart from the product information database D2 based on the product ID of the product 3 (Step 106). The order grouping unit 114 then groups the products 3 by the scheduled shipping month to generate an order group (Step 107). Specifically, if the user adds a total of four products to the cart on the product purchase screen of FIG. 6, with the product names "XXX Zero Fighter," "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," and "AAA Secret Key," the order grouping unit 114 obtains the shipping month of each product 3 from the product information database D2. Here, the product names "XXX Zero Fighter" and "AAA Secret Key" are pre-order products, and the product names "YYY Figure" and "ZZZ Figure" are in-stock products. The scheduled shipping month for the product name "XXX Zero Fighter" is November, the scheduled shipping month for the product name "YYY Figure" is the month of purchase, the scheduled shipping month for the product name "ZZZ Figure" is the month of purchase, and the scheduled shipping month for the product name "AAA Secret Key" is December. The order grouping unit 114 groups the product names "YYY Figure", "ZZZ Figure", and "XXX Zero Fighter" together to generate order group 1 with a scheduled shipping month of November. The order grouping unit 114 also groups the product name "AAA Secret Key" together to generate order group 1 with a scheduled shipping month of December.

[0058] The order processing control unit 115 processes orders for each order group grouped by the order grouping unit 114 (Step 108). Specifically, when the user selects cart icon 63 on the product purchase screen of terminal 2, the order processing control unit 115 presents an order screen 71 on terminal 2 for performing order procedures for each order group. In the example of FIG. 7, the order procedures for product 3 belonging to order group 1 and product 3 belonging to order group 2 are displayed. Order group 1 includes the product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," and "XXX Zero Fighter," and the scheduled shipping month for order group 1 is November, which is the scheduled shipping month for the pre-order product name "XXX Zero Fighter." Order group 2 includes the product name "AAA Secret Key," and the scheduled shipping month for order group 2 is December, which is the scheduled shipping month for the pre-order product name "AAA Secret Key."

[0059] When the order procedure button 72 for an order group is selected by the user, the order processing control unit 115 processes the order for that order group. Order processing is the process of settling the total amount of the products belonging to that order group. In addition, the order processing control unit 115 enters the product information (including product ID), expected shipping month, and order group of the products in the order group for which order processing has been completed into the purchase history information of the user who placed the order in the user information database D1. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1 to which purchase history information has been added.

[0060] The shipping processing control unit 116 assembles each order group for which payment has been completed into a shipping group that will ship all the products belonging to that order group at once, and carries out procedures to determine the shipping destination and delivery time for the shipping group (Step 109). The shipping group is added to the user information database D1, as shown in FIG. 10. The shipping destination addresses for the products in the shipping group are selected from addresses registered in the user information database D1. The delivery time for the products in the shipping group is set to the scheduled shipping month for the order group. This information is obtained by referencing the user information database D1.

[0061] In this embodiment, when a user selects a pre-order item and an in-stock item to purchase, the in-stock item is placed in the same order group as the pre-order item with the earliest shipping date, and the in-stock item and the pre-order item are shipped together. This configuration allows multiple items to be shipped to the user together, reducing the shipping costs borne by the user. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

[0062] <Modification of the first embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, the products belonging to the order group and the products belonging to the shipping group are the same. However, it is conceivable that, for some reason, some of the products 3 belonging to the shipping group cannot be shipped. For example, because pre-ordered products are announced for sale when they are out of stock, there are cases in which they cannot be shipped in the scheduled shipping month due to manufacturing reasons. In such cases, it may not be desirable to delay the shipping of other products belonging to the shipping group until the pre-ordered products can be shipped.

[0063] Therefore, the shipping process control unit 116 is configured to receive delay information (product ID, changed scheduled shipping month) for a reserved item from the inventory status management unit 112 when a delay occurs in the scheduled shipping date of the reserved item. Then, upon receiving the delay information, the shipping process control unit 116 divides the shipping group including the reserved item identified by the product ID into the reserved item whose scheduled shipping month has been delayed and the other items, and creates each divided group as a shipping group. The scheduled shipping month for the shipping group of the reserved item whose scheduled shipping month has been delayed is set to the new scheduled shipping month, and the scheduled shipping month for the shipping group of the other items is set to the scheduled shipping month of the original order group (shipping group). Then, the shipping process control unit 116 carries out delivery procedures for each shipping group.

[0064] Specifically, in the user information database D1 shown in Figure 10, the shipping group corresponding to order group 1 is shipping group 1. If the scheduled shipping month for the pre-order item named "XXX Zero Fighter" belonging to shipping group 1 changes from November to December, the product name "XXX Zero Fighter" is deleted from shipping group 1, and a new shipping group 5 for the product name "XXX Zero Fighter" is created, and the user information database D1 is updated, as shown in Figure 11. The scheduled shipping month for shipping group 5 is the changed December.

[0065] By configuring in this way, even if a reserved product is delayed, it can be shipped without affecting the shipping of other products.

[0066] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0067] A user does not necessarily purchase products 3 that can be shipped simultaneously in a single order. For example, if product A is purchased on one day and product B is purchased on a different day, product A and product B belong to different order groups. Therefore, even if they can be shipped together, they will be shipped separately, and the shipping fee borne by the user will increase. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a product delivery management system will be described that is configured so that products belonging to different order groups can be further grouped into a single shipping group after order processing.

[0068] When the user selects the My Page icon 61 on the product purchase screen, the product purchase screen presentation control unit 113 presents the My Page screen on the terminal 2. FIG. 12 is an example of the My Page screen 81. When the Combine Orders button 82 is selected on this My Page screen 81, the shipping processing control unit 116 reads the planned shipping month and ordered items from the purchase history information in the user information database D1 and generates a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month and can be combined by planned shipping month. For example, in the example of the user information database D1 in FIG. 10, the products with a planned shipping month in November are the product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," and "XXX Zero Fighter" belonging to shipping group 1, and the product name "BBB Keychain" belonging to shipping group 3. Therefore, the list of ordered items with a planned shipping month in November that can be shipped in the same month includes the product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," "XXX Zero Fighter," and "BBB Keychain." The products scheduled to be shipped in December are the product name "AAA Secret Key" which belongs to shipping group 2 and the product name "CCC Game Card" which belongs to shipping group 4. Therefore, the list of ordered products that can be shipped in December includes the product name "AAA Secret Key" and the product name "CCC Game Card".

[0069] Next, the shipping processing control unit 116 displays a Same Month Shippable Ordered Item List button, which allows transition to a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month for each scheduled shipping month, on the My Page screen 81. Fig. 13 is an example of the My Page screen 81 on which the Same Month Shippable Ordered Item List button is displayed. On the My Page screen of Fig. 13, a November Shippable Ordered Item List button 83 and a December Shippable Ordered Item List button 84 are displayed.

[0070] The user selects the button for the list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month for the month in which the user wants to consolidate the shipment of the items. For example, if the user selects the button 83 for the list of ordered items that can be shipped in November, the shipping process control unit 116 displays on the terminal 2 a list of ordered items that can be shipped in November and that can be consolidate the shipment of the items.

[0071] Fig. 14 is an example of a list of ordered items that can be shipped in November, displayed on terminal 2. The list of ordered items that can be shipped in November in Fig. 14 displays ordered items that can be shipped in November, with product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," "XXX Zero Fighter," and "BBB Keychain" displayed next to them, along with check boxes 85 for selecting items to be combined and a confirm button 86 for confirming the selection. By checking the check boxes 85 for the items to be combined and selecting the confirm button 86, the user can combine items beyond the order group and ship them together.

[0072] When the confirm button 86 is selected, the shipping process control unit 116 groups the selected products into one shipping group and updates the user information database D1. In the example of Fig. 14, the product names "YYY Figure," "ZZZ Figure," and "XXX Zero Fighter" belonging to shipping group 1 and the product name "CCC Game Card" belonging to shipping group 4 are grouped into one shipping group 5, and the user information database D1 is updated. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database D1 after the update.

[0073] The second embodiment is configured to enable the restructuring of shipping groups by grouping products beyond the order group, further reducing the shipping charges borne by the user, thereby improving user convenience.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above by way of preferred embodiments, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified and implemented in various ways within the scope of its technical concept.

[0075] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments may also be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to the following.

[0076] [Appendix 1] a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on a user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; an order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping products belonging to an order group based on the scheduled shipping time of the order group; Equipped with the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; Product provision management device.

[0077] [Appendix 2] The order grouping means generates an order group consisting of the reserved item with the earliest scheduled shipping date and the stock item, provided that the items selected by the user include a plurality of reserved items and stock items and that the scheduled shipping dates of the plurality of reserved items are different, and generates an order group for each reserved item with the same scheduled shipping date for the other reserved items. 2. A product provision management device according to claim 1.

[0078] [Appendix 3] The scheduled shipping date of the pre-ordered item is the scheduled shipping month. 3. A product provision management device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0079] [Appendix 4] The shipping processing means performs shipping processing to ship all the products belonging to the order group in a lump sum in the scheduled shipping month of the order group. 4. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3.

[0080] [Appendix 5] For pre-ordered items and in-stock items, a delivery type is set, which is the type of delivery. the order grouping means groups the products by their scheduled shipping dates, on the condition that the delivery type of the products is the same, and generates order groups; 5. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4.

[0081] [Appendix 6] The shipping processing means, on the condition that shipping of reserved products ordered by a user is delayed, divides an order group to which the reserved products whose shipping is delayed belong into a shipping group including the reserved products whose shipping is delayed and a shipping group including other products, and ships the products for each shipping group. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 5.

[0082] [Appendix 7] an ordered product list presenting means for presenting, after order processing, a list of ordered products that can be shipped together among products belonging to different order groups, on a user's terminal; the order grouping means deletes an item selected by the user from the ordered item list from the order group to which the item belongs, and groups the items selected by the user from the ordered item list to generate a shipping group; The shipping processing means collectively ships the products belonging to the shipping group in the scheduled shipping month of the shipping group. 7. A product provision management device according to any one of appendix 1 to appendix 6.

[0083] [Appendix 8] The ordered product list is a list of products that can be shipped together on a monthly basis from the month following the month in which the ordered product list is presented. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7.

[0084] [Appendix 9] The product information includes information on a scheduled shipping date and an image of the product. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8.

[0085] [Appendix 10] For pre-ordered items and in-stock items, purchase quantity information is set, the order processing means executes the order processing on the condition that the number of products selected by the user is equal to or less than the available number for purchase. 10. A product provision management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 9.

[0086] [Appendix 11] A program for managing the provision of goods, The program causes a computer to: a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on a user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set therefor and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product he or she wishes to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping products belonging to an order group based on the scheduled shipping time of the order group; It functions as the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; program.

[0087] [Appendix 12] The system includes a product provision management device that manages the provision of products, and a user terminal, The product provision management device a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on the user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; an order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping products belonging to an order group based on the scheduled shipping time of the order group; Equipped with The terminal a display unit that displays the purchase screen; a transmitting means for transmitting to the product provision management device a product selected by a user from among the products of the product information displayed on the purchase screen in an identifiable manner; Equipped with the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; Product provision management system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Product provision management device 2. Devices 3 items 4 Product management warehouse 10 Processing section 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 111 User Information Management Department 112 Inventory Management Department 113 Product purchase screen presentation control unit 114 Order Grouping Unit 115 Order processing control unit 116 Shipping processing control unit

Claims

1. a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on a user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; an order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a means for presenting a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which presents a transition button for each month to transition to a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the month following the presented month after the order processing, and presents a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which is a list of ordered items that belong to different order groups and can be shipped together in the month of the transition button selected by the user; a shipping group generation means for deleting an item selected by a user from the list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the order group to which the item belongs, and for grouping the items selected by a user from the list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month to generate a shipping group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping products belonging to the shipping group in the scheduled shipping month of the shipping group; Equipped with the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; Product provision management device.

2. The order grouping means generates an order group consisting of the reserved item with the earliest scheduled shipping date and the stock item, provided that the items selected by the user include a plurality of reserved items and stock items and that the scheduled shipping dates of the plurality of reserved items are different, and generates an order group for each reserved item with the same scheduled shipping date for the other reserved items. The product provision management device according to claim 1 .

3. The scheduled shipping date of the pre-ordered item is the scheduled shipping month.

3. The product provision management device according to claim 1.

4. For pre-ordered items and in-stock items, a delivery type is set, which is the type of delivery. the order grouping means groups the products by their scheduled shipping dates, on the condition that the delivery type of the products is the same, and generates order groups; 4. The product provision management device according to claim 3.

5. The shipping processing means, on the condition that shipping of reserved products ordered by a user is delayed, divides products in an order group to which the reserved products whose shipping is delayed belong into a shipping group including the reserved products whose shipping is delayed and a shipping group including other products, and ships the products for each shipping group.

4. The product provision management device according to claim 3.

6. The product information includes information on a scheduled shipping date and an image of the product. The product provision management device according to claim 1 .

7. For pre-ordered items and in-stock items, purchase quantity information is set, the order processing means executes the order processing on the condition that the number of products selected by the user is equal to or less than the available number for purchase. The product provision management device according to claim 1 .

8. A program for managing the provision of goods, The program causes a computer to: a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on a user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set therefor and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product he or she wishes to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a means for presenting a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which presents, after processing the order, transition buttons by month for transitioning to a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the month following the presented month, and presents a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which is a list of ordered items that can be shipped together in the month of the transition button selected by the user, among items belonging to different order groups; a shipping group generation means for deleting an item selected by a user from said list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the order group to which the item belongs, and for grouping the items selected by a user from said list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month to generate a shipping group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping the products belonging to the shipping group in the scheduled shipping month of the shipping group; It functions as the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; program.

9. The system includes a product provision management device that manages the provision of products, and a user terminal, The product provision management device a purchase screen presenting means for presenting a purchase screen on the user's terminal, the purchase screen including product information of pre-ordered products with scheduled shipping dates set and product information of stocked products, so that the user can select a product to purchase; an order grouping means for grouping products selected by a user from the product information displayed on the purchase screen by their scheduled shipping dates, and generating order groups; an order processing means for processing orders for products belonging to each order group; a means for presenting a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which presents a transition button for each month to transition to a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the month following the presented month after the order processing, and presents a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which is a list of ordered items that belong to different order groups and can be shipped together in the month of the transition button selected by the user; a shipping group generation means for deleting an item selected by a user from the list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the order group to which the item belongs, and for grouping the items selected by a user from the list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month to generate a shipping group; a shipping processing means for performing a shipping process for collectively shipping products belonging to the shipping group in the scheduled shipping month of the shipping group; Equipped with The terminal a display unit that displays the purchase screen; a transmitting means for transmitting to the product provision management device a product selected by a user from among the products of the product information displayed on the purchase screen in an identifiable manner; a display means for displaying a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which displays, after processing an order, a transition button for each month for transitioning to a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month from the month following the presented month, and a list of ordered items that can be shipped in the same month, which is a list of ordered items that belong to different order groups and can be shipped together in the month of the transition button selected by the user; Equipped with the order grouping means generates a single order group including the reserved items and the stock items selected by the user, on the condition that the items selected by the user include reserved items and stock items; Product provision management system.

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