Information processing device, control method of information processing device, information processing server, system, and program

Abstract

To appropriately control a web page including content for a predetermined area to provide the web page to users who live in the predetermined area, and not to provide the web page to users who do not live in the predetermined area.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: receiving means which receives a first web page for a predetermined area from a server; obtaining means which obtains information indicating an area from the server by transmitting a request to the server to determine an area based on a description included in the first web page; and display control means which controls to display a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page when the area indicated by the obtained information does not correspond to the predetermined area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for appropriately providing content for a predetermined region. [Background technology]

[0002] Web pages that use the Internet and the like are well known. Generally, web pages are common to all regions, but some web pages have a function for identifying the region of residence of the user using the web browser. Specifically, the web browser, which executes a program attached to the web page, sends a request to a web server to determine the region, and receives region information in response to this request from the web server, thereby identifying the user's region of residence. Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a web browser obtains information about the user's region of residence and, if the region is a specified region, displays a button to display another web page. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-10261 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a need for technology that can appropriately control web pages containing content intended for a specific region so that they are provided to users residing in the specific region, but not to users not residing in the specific region. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by having a receiving means for receiving a first web page intended for a specified region from a server, an acquiring means for acquiring information indicating the region from the server by sending a request to the server to determine the region based on a description contained in the first web page, and a display control means for controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page instead of the first web page if the region indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the specified region. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately control web pages containing content aimed at a specific region so that they are provided to users residing in the specific region and not provided to users not residing in the specific region. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing sequence. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a web page displayed in a web browser. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing details of an information display control process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a target area ID list. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a web page including content targeted to a specific region. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing sequence. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a residential area determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components.

[0009] <<First Embodiment>> <Summary> An example of controlling a web page including content targeted to a specific region to be provided to users residing in the region but not to users not residing in the region will be described below. Content targeted to a specific region may be, for example, content related to services that vary by region. A specific example is content related to equipment maintenance services.

[0010] Before describing specific embodiments, an example of providing content targeted to a specific region will be described below. As mentioned above, some web pages have a function for identifying the residential region of a user using a web browser. Hereinafter, this function will also be referred to as a residential region determination function. The residential region determination function performs the following process: A web browser executing a program attached to a web page sends a request to a web server to determine the region. The web browser then receives region information from the web server in response to this request, thereby identifying the user's residential region in the web browser. The request to determine the region will also be referred to as a region determination request.

[0011] The region determination request is a request for determining the location of an information processing device (e.g., a PC) equipped with a web browser, and is, for example, an HTTP request using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The header section of the region determination request sent from the information processing device includes the IP address of the information processing device. The IP address in the header section of the region determination request is replaced with the IP address of the provider to which the information processing device is connected until the web server receives the region determination request. In addition, an edge server that relays communications may be provided between the provider and the web server. In this case, the edge server has a correspondence table that shows the correspondence between IP addresses and regions. The edge server then refers to the correspondence table and adds region information corresponding to the IP address included in the header section of the region determination request to the header section of the region determination request it relays. When the web server receives such a region determination request, it transmits the region information included in the header section of the region determination request to the information processing device (web browser) as a response to the transmitted region determination request. The web browser executing a program attached to the web page can identify the location of the information processing device (the user's residential area) by referring to the response from the web server.

[0012] In this way, the residential area determination function is realized on the web page. Note that the above example is just one example, and a configuration in which the edge server is not used as an intermediate is also possible. In this case, the correspondence table between IP addresses and areas may be stored in the web server, or may be stored in another server, and the web server may refer to the correspondence table stored in the other server.

[0013] By using this type of residential area determination function, when a user residing in a specific area attempts to display a specific web page in a web browser, it is possible to control the redirection to a web page containing content aimed at the specific area.

[0014] However, a situation may arise in which a user who does not reside in a specific region can access a web page containing content targeted to that region through an external web page, such as a search engine. In other words, a situation may arise in which a web browser directly accesses a web page containing content targeted to that region without going through a specific web page with a residential region identification function. If a user accesses a web page containing the specific content through an external web page, the service provider may not be able to properly guide the user to services available in the user's residential region. As a result, a problem may arise in which the user mistakenly believes that the content of the web page is targeted to their region. Conversely, a problem may arise in which the user mistakenly believes that content targeted to their region is not available in their region.

[0015] In the embodiment described below, when a web page including content targeted to a specific region is displayed, a process of determining the user's region of residence is performed. If the user's region of residence is not a region targeted by the content, a web page appropriate for the user's region of residence is displayed, thereby preventing misidentification by the user.

[0016] <System configuration> 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to this embodiment. An information processing system 10 according to this embodiment includes an information processing device 100, a server 110, and the Internet 152.

[0017] The information processing device 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a display device 104, an input interface (hereinafter referred to as I / F) 105, and a network I / F 106. The information processing device 100 may be any device, such as a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0018] The CPU 101 performs various controls on the information processing device 100. The ROM 102 stores a program 107 such as a web browser. The RAM 103 is used as a temporary storage area, etc. The input I / F 105 accepts various inputs from the user. The network I / F 106 connects to a network connection 151. The web browser is an application program that has the function of accessing a server on the Internet and displaying web pages.

[0019] The web browser's functions are realized by CPU 101 when its program code is read from ROM 102 and loaded into RAM 103 by CPU 101. While the example in Fig. 1 shows information processing device 100 having display device 104, information processing device 100 may also be connected to an external display device via an I / F. Program 107 such as the web browser may also be stored in an external storage device.

[0020] The web browser executed by CPU 101 secures a storage area in ROM 102 for storing an ID corresponding to a user's residential area. A user is someone who uses information processing device 100. The web browser executed by CPU 101 secures a storage area in RAM 103 for storing web pages received from server 110 and programs such as JavaScript (registered trademark) and CSS. Using the programs stored in RAM 103, the web browser executed by CPU 101 can execute an information display control process shown in FIG. 4 (described later) and a residential area determination process shown in FIG. 8 (described later in the second embodiment). The web browser executed by CPU 101 can accept operation instructions from a user via input I / F 105.

[0021] The information processing device 100 can be connected to the Internet 152 via a network connection 151 using an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi. The server 110 can be connected to the Internet 152 via a network connection 153. The information processing device 100 and the server 110 can communicate with each other over the Internet 152.

[0022] The server 110 has a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an input I / F 114, and a network I / F 115. The CPU 111 performs various controls on the server 110. The ROM 112 stores various web pages and programs 131 such as JavaScript. The RAM 113 is used as a temporary storage area, etc. The input I / F 114 accepts various inputs from the user. The network I / F 115 is connected to a network connection 153.

[0023] ROM 112 stores a model selection web page 121, an instruction manual web page 122, a region selection web page 123, a service target web page 124, and a non-service target web page 125. ROM 112 also stores a program 131 written in, for example, JavaScript. Program 131 is a program that includes a description of the operation of a web browser shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later.

[0024] The serviced web page 124 and the non-serviced web page 125 each have a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) corresponding to the program 131. The serviced web page 124 and the non-serviced web page 125 each also have a list of IDs corresponding to the target areas of their respective content. Note that a web page having a URL or a list means, for example, that a URL or a list is described in an element that constitutes the web page (the same applies hereinafter in this specification). A list of IDs corresponding to the target areas of the content of a web page is also referred to as a target area ID list. Both the serviced web page 124 and the non-serviced web page 125 are assumed to have a target area ID list.

[0025] The service target web page 124 has a URL corresponding to an alternative web page that substitutes for the service target web page 124. The URL corresponding to the alternative web page is also referred to as an alternative URL. The alternative web page is a web page that is displayed instead of the service target web page 124 when the ID corresponding to the user's residence area is not included in the target area ID list of the service target web page 124. The alternative web page can also be said to be a web page that contains content suitable for the user's residence area and is displayed when the ID corresponding to the user's residence area is not included in the target area ID list of the service target web page 124.

[0026] The alternative web page for the served web page 124 is, for example, the non-served web page 125, but may also be another web page. The other web page is not limited to a web page held by the server 110, but may also be a web page on another server. The alternative web page for the non-served web page 125 is, for example, the served web page 124, but may also be another web page. The other web page is not limited to a web page held by the server 110, but may also be a web page on another server.

[0027] The web browser loaded in the RAM 103 of the information processing device 100 functions as an interpreter for executing JavaScript such as the program 131 .

[0028] <Processing sequence> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence executed in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a web page displayed in a web browser.

[0029] In FIG. 2, input I / F 105 of information processing device 100 accepts user instructions and transmits the accepted content to web browser 201. That is, input I / F 105 in FIG. 2 corresponds to processing operations in response to user instructions. Note that, hereinafter, processing described as processing executed by web browser 201 is, more precisely, processing executed by CPU 101 of information processing device 100 operating web browser 201. That is, CPU 101 of information processing device 100 loads program 107 corresponding to web browser 201 stored in ROM 102 into RAM 103 and executes it, thereby realizing the function of CPU 101 as web browser 201. The processing of server 110 in FIG. 2 is realized by CPU 111 loading a program (a program separate from program 131 such as JavaScript) stored in ROM 112 or the like of server 110 into RAM 113 and executing it. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 2 may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the description of each process indicates a step in the sequence diagram (the same applies to sequence diagrams and flowcharts in the following specification). The process shown in Figure 2 starts after web browser 201 is launched on information processing device 100.

[0030] In S201, based on an operational instruction from the user, the input I / F 105 of the information processing device 100 inputs a URL corresponding to the model selection web page 121 of the server 110 into the web browser 201. In S212, upon receiving the input of the URL, the web browser 201 requests the model selection web page 121 corresponding to the input URL from the server 110 via the network I / F 106.

[0031] In S213, upon receiving the request, the server 110 responds by transmitting the requested model selection web page 121 to the web browser 201 via the network I / F 115. Upon receiving the response of the model selection web page 121, the web browser 201 displays the model selection web page 121 shown in FIG. 3(a) on the display device 104.

[0032] 3(a) is a diagram showing a screen 300 of the model selection web page 121 in this embodiment. The screen 300 of the model selection web page 121 includes a header display section 301 and a content display section 303. The header display section 301 has an address bar 302 for displaying the URL corresponding to the model selection web page 121. The content display section 303 displays the content of the model selection web page 121. The content displayed in the content display section 303 includes a plurality of model buttons 304. In this example, the model indicates the model of the printer.

[0033] In S214, the input I / F 105 of the information processing device 100 accepts pressing of one of the model buttons 304 based on an operation instruction from the user. Note that in this specification, pressing includes not only a click operation with a mouse or pointing device, but also a touch or tap operation on a touch panel display. The input I / F 105 transmits the pressed model button 304 to the web browser 201.

[0034] In S215, the web browser 201 requests the instruction manual web page 122 for the model corresponding to the pressed model button 304 from the server 110. The instruction manual web page 122 is a page that contains information on how to use or maintain the printer, for example, and exists for each model.

[0035] In S216, server 110 responds to web browser 201 via network I / F 115 with instruction manual web page 122 corresponding to model button 404 pressed by the user. Upon receiving the response, web browser 201 displays instruction manual web page 122 shown in FIG. 3(b) on display device 104.

[0036] FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing a screen 310 of the instruction manual web page 122 in this embodiment. The screen 310 includes a header display section 301 and a content display section 311. The header display section 301 includes an address bar 302 for displaying the URL corresponding to the instruction manual web page 122. The content of the instruction manual web page 122 is displayed in the content display section 311. The content displayed in the content display section 311 includes a hyperlink 312. The hyperlink 312 is a hyperlink that provides the user with information on how to obtain a printhead, which is a consumable part for a printer, for example. Note that in this embodiment, the method of obtaining such consumable parts varies depending on the region.

[0037] In S217, the input I / F 105 of the information processing device 100 receives a press on the hyperlink 312 in the instruction manual web page 122 based on a user operation, and transmits this to the web browser 201.

[0038] In S218, when the web browser 201 receives the input of the hyperlink 312, it requests the region selection web page 123 from the server 110 via the network I / F .

[0039] In S219, the server 110 responds to the web browser 201 with the requested region selection web page 123 via the network I / F 115. Upon receiving the response region selection web page 123, the web browser 201 displays the region selection web page 123 shown in FIG. 3(c) on the display device 104.

[0040] 3(c) is a diagram showing a screen 320 of the region selection web page 123 in this embodiment. The screen 320 includes a header display section 301 and a content display section 321. The header display section 301 includes an address bar 302 for displaying a URL corresponding to the region selection web page 123. The content display section 321 displays content that the region selection web page 123 has. The content displayed in the content display section 321 includes a plurality of region buttons 322.

[0041] When input I / F 105 accepts pressing of any of region buttons 322 based on an operational instruction from the user, web browser 201 saves the region ID corresponding to the pressed region button 322 in a storage area of ROM 102. For example, if the pressed region button 322 is "JAPAN," the region ID corresponding to JAPAN is saved in a storage area of ROM 102. Furthermore, based on accepting the pressing of region button 322, web browser 201 requests service-target web page 124 or non-service-target web page 125 from server 110.

[0042] For example, if the region corresponding to region button 322 pressed by the user is a region where print heads are sold (hereinafter referred to as the service region), web browser 201 requests service region web page 124 from server 110. On the other hand, if the region corresponding to region button 322 pressed by the user is a region where print heads are not sold (hereinafter referred to as the non-service region), web browser 201 requests non-service region web page 125 from server 110.

[0043] Note that the sales region for print heads differs depending on the model. Therefore, the correspondence between the region button 322 and the web page requested by the web browser 201 when the region button 322 is pressed differs depending on the model. However, in the content display section 321 of Figure 3(c), the display content does not differ depending on the model.

[0044] In S220, the input I / F 105 of the information processing device 100 accepts a press of the region button 322 in the region selection web page 123 based on a user operation, and transmits the press to the web browser 201. Note that in this description, it is assumed that the region button 322 that has been accepted for pressing is the region button corresponding to the service target region.

[0045] In S211, the web browser 201 requests the server 110 via the network I / F 106 for the service target web page 124 corresponding to the region button 322 pressed by the user.

[0046] In S222, the server 110 returns the requested service target web page 124 to the web browser 201 via the network I / F 115.

[0047] In S223, upon receiving the response of the service target web page 124, the web browser 201 acquires the URL in which the program 131 is stored, which is described in the service target web page 124. In S224, the web browser 201 requests the program 131 corresponding to the URL acquired in S223 from the server 110 via the network I / F 106.

[0048] In S225, the server 110 responds to the web browser 201 with the program 131 that accepted the request via the network I / F 115. In S226, upon receiving the response from the program 131, the web browser 201 executes the information display control process, which will be described later, based on the program 131.

[0049] The web page includes a description that references a program 131 such as JavaScript. In this case, the web browser 201 is configured to perform a process of acquiring the program 131 as a browser specification (S224). Furthermore, if a command (script) that executes the program 131 such as JavaScript is described in the web page, the web browser 201 is configured to execute the script before displaying the web page as a browser specification. The web browser 201 is configured to read an HTML file, parse it in the order of description, and, if a script element is found, synchronously execute the code. In other words, the parsing is suspended until the script is executed. In this embodiment, by utilizing this property, the web browser 201 is configured to execute an information display control process (described later) in S226 before displaying the content of the web page. In other words, prior to S226, the web browser 201 has acquired the service target web page 124 from the server 110, but the content has not yet been displayed on the display device 104.

[0050] 2, an example has been described in which the area button 322 pressed in S220 is an area button corresponding to a service area, but this is not limiting. The area button 322 pressed in S220 may be an area button corresponding to a non-service area. In this case, the web page exchanged in S221 and S222 is a non-service web page. Except for this, the processing flow from when the web browser 201 requests the non-service web page 125 from the server 110 until the web browser 201 executes the information display control processing is the same as the processing flow from S221 to S226.

[0051] <Information display control processing> FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of the information display control process at S226. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed by CPU 101 of information processing device 100 having web browser 201. That is, CPU 101 of information processing device 100 reads program 131 received from server 110 into RAM 103 and executes it, thereby executing the process by CPU 101 operating web browser 201. More specifically, this process is executed by web browser 201 by web browser 201 interpreting and executing program 131 received from server 110 using an interpreter within web browser 201. That is, this process can also be said to be a process that program 131 causes web browser 201 and information processing device 100 to execute. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is initiated when web browser 201 receives a response for program 131 from server 110 (S225) and saves program 131 in a storage area of RAM 103.

[0052] In the following description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the user presses the area button 322 corresponding to the service area in S220 of Fig. 2. In the following description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the alternative URL of the service-target web page 124 is a URL corresponding to the non-service-target web page 125.

[0053] In S401, the web browser 201 executed by the CPU 101 of the information processing device 100 (hereinafter, for simplicity, the processing entity will be simply described as the web browser) determines whether a region ID is stored in the ROM 102. As described with reference to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, when the region button 322 is pressed on the region selection web page 123, the web browser 201 performs processing to store the region ID in the ROM 102. This stored region ID is stored, for example, as a cookie. That is, in S301, the web browser 201 may perform processing to determine whether the region ID is stored in a cookie in the ROM 102. Note that the region ID may not be stored in a cookie, but may be stored in a memory area within the browser, or may be stored as a query parameter.

[0054] If the web browser 201 determines that the area ID has been saved, the process proceeds to S405, and if it determines that the area ID has not been saved, the process proceeds to S402.

[0055] In S402, the web browser 201 requests an ID corresponding to the user's residential area from the server 110 via the network I / F 106. That is, because the area ID is not stored, the web browser 201 sends a region determination request to the server 110 in accordance with the program 131, such as JavaScript. As described above, in cases where the service target web page 124 is received from the server 110 via the region selection web page 123, the region ID is stored. On the other hand, there may be cases where the web browser 201 receives the service target web page 124 from the server 110 without going through the region selection web page 123. For example, the web browser 201 may access the service target web page 124 directly via an external search engine or the like. In such cases, if the user's residential area does not match the region for the service target web page 124, an unintended web page may be displayed on the web browser 201. Therefore, in S402, the region determination request is made by the web browser 201 based on the information (including the program 131) included in the service target web page 124.

[0056] The region determination request made in S402 is the process described at the beginning of this embodiment. That is, the region determination request is, for example, an HTTP request. The IP address of the information processing device 100 is stored in the header section of the request to the server 110. The IP address in the header section of the request to the server 110 is replaced with the IP address of the provider (not shown) to which the information processing device 100 connects on the Internet 152. An edge server (not shown) on the Internet 152 that relays the communication then assigns the region ID corresponding to the IP address stored in the header section of the request to the server 110. The edge server has a correspondence table between IP addresses and regions, and performs processing to convert the IP address into a region ID. When the server 110 receives the region determination request, it responds to the web browser 201 via the network I / F 115 with the region ID stored in the header section of the request.

[0057] In this embodiment, the region determination is performed to determine whether the user is in a service target region. Therefore, the region information obtained using the region determination request mechanism described above is used, instead of the region information obtained from, for example, the language setting of the information processing device 100 or the OS setting.

[0058] In S403, the web browser 201 determines whether a response to the transmitted region determination request has been received from the server 110. If the web browser 201 determines that a response has been received from the server 110, the process proceeds to S404, and if the web browser 201 determines that a response has not been received from the server 110, the process proceeds to S403. That is, the web browser 201 repeats the process of S403 until a response is received from the server 110.

[0059] In S404, the web browser 201 stores the ID received as a response from the server 110 in a storage area of the ROM 102.

[0060] In S405, the web browser 201 determines whether the stored area ID is the target area of the web page to be processed. The web page to be processed is the web page that the web browser 201 received from the server 110 in S222. For example, in S405, the web browser 201 determines whether the area ID stored in the ROM 102 is included in the target area ID list 500 of the service target web page 124.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a target region ID list 500. The target region ID list 500 is expressed, for example, as a character string in which the IDs of multiple regions are separated by commas. The target region ID list 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes IDs 511 to 514 corresponding to the regions and commas 521 separating the IDs 511 to 514. ID 511 is the character string "JP" indicating Japan. ID 512 is the character string "US" indicating the United States. ID 513 is the character string "EU" indicating Europe. ID 514 is the character string "CN" indicating China. Commas 521 are located between ID 511 and ID 512, between ID 512 and ID 513, and between ID 513 and ID 514. In other words, the target region ID list 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 indicates that the web page to be processed is content targeted for JP, US, EU, and CN.

[0062] This target area ID list 500 may be written as an HTML element such as a meta tag in a web page, or as a JavaScript array. The web page to be processed is transmitted from server 110, and program 131, which is the source of the processing in Figure 4, is also transmitted from server 110. In other words, which part of the web page is the target area ID list 500 is already known on the server 110 side that provides program 131. For this reason, in S405, program 131 is configured to cause web browser 201 to refer to the relevant part where target area ID list 500 is written.

[0063] In this embodiment, the IDs included in the target area ID list 500 and the IDs saved in response to pressing the area button in S220 or saved in S404 are assumed to have the same format (same character string), but this is not limited to this example. The format (character string) does not necessarily have to be the same as long as the processing on the program 131 side is configured to enable comparison of areas. Furthermore, the framework of areas does not necessarily have to be the same between the IDs included in the target area ID list 500 and the IDs saved in response to pressing the area button in S220 or saved in S404. For example, one ID may have a relationship in which one encompasses the other. Specifically, the area indicated by one ID may be Japan, and the area indicated by the other ID may be East Asia. Even in such a case, the determination in S405 can be performed appropriately.

[0064] If the web browser 201 determines that the saved region ID is the target region of the web page to be processed, the web browser 201 ends the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. If the web browser 201 determines that the saved region ID is not the target region of the web page to be processed, the web browser 201 proceeds to S406.

[0065] In S406, the web browser 201 accesses the alternative URL. That is, the web browser 201 requests the server 110 for a web page (non-service web page 125) corresponding to the alternative URL of the web page to be processed (in this example, the serviced web page 124). As described above, the serviced web page 124 includes an alternative URL corresponding to the alternative web page. The web browser 201 requests the server 110 for the alternative web page (non-service web page 125) corresponding to this alternative URL. Note that the processing flow from when the web browser 201 requests the non-serviced web page 125 from the server 110 until when the web browser 201 receives the non-serviced web page 125 is the same as the processing flow from S221 to S222 in FIG. 2. After executing S406, the web browser 201 ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

[0066] Note that the alternative web page (non-service web page 125) obtained in S406 also includes the URL of program 131. Therefore, following S222 and S223, the processing from S224 to S226 is performed again. After S406, the processing of S226 (the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 4) is restarted, and the processing of FIG. 4 may be repeated as is. Alternatively, program 131 may be configured to set a processing flag when the processing of S406 is performed, and skip the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 4 if the processing flag is set.

[0067] As described above, the web page is not displayed in the process of the flowchart in Fig. 4. When the process of the flowchart in Fig. 4 ends, web browser 201 resumes the syntax analysis (parsing) of the received web page that was interrupted by JavaScript processing, in accordance with the browser specifications, and displays the web page.

[0068] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing examples of web pages including content targeted to a specific region. Fig. 6A shows an example of a service target web page 124. Fig. 6B shows an example of an unservice target web page 125.

[0069] After the web browser 201 ends the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 without executing S406, it outputs the service target web page 124 shown in FIG. 6(a) to the display device 104. A screen 630 of the service target web page 124 includes a header display section 301 and a content display section 631. The header display section 301 has an address bar 302 for displaying the URL corresponding to the service target web page 124. The content display section 631 displays the content of the service target web page 124. The content displayed in the content display section 631 is content targeted to the region corresponding to the ID included in the target region ID list 500 of the service target web page 124. In the example of FIG. 6(a), information targeted to the sales region where the print head is sold is displayed.

[0070] Meanwhile, after executing S406 and terminating the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, the web browser 201 outputs the out-of-service web page 125 shown in FIG. 6B to the display device 104. A screen 640 of the out-of-service web page 125 includes a header display section 301 and a content display section 641. The header display section 301 has an address bar 302 for displaying the URL corresponding to the out-of-service web page 125. The content display section 641 displays the content of the out-of-service web page 125. The content displayed in the content display section 641 is content targeted to areas corresponding to IDs not included in the target area ID list 500 of the serviced web page 124. More specifically, the out-of-service web page 125 also includes a target area ID list (a list with different content from the list shown in FIG. 5). The content displayed in the content display section 641 is also content targeted to areas corresponding to IDs included in the target area ID list of the out-of-service web page 125. In the example of FIG. 6B, information targeted to areas where printheads are not sold is displayed.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately control whether a web page including content targeted to a specific region is provided to users residing in the specific region and not provided to users not residing in the specific region. For example, if the ID corresponding to the user's region is not present in the target region ID list 500 of the service target web page 124, the web browser 201 can instead display a web page suited to the user's region. As a result, the content of the service target web page 124 is not displayed to users not residing in the region targeted by the content of the service target web page 124. This makes it possible to prevent users from mistakenly believing that the content of the service target web page 124 is targeted to their own region.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the area selection web page 123 is passed through, control is performed to skip the area determination request in the service target web page 124 or the service non-target web page 125. As a result, in the case of processing via the area selection web page 123, that is, the normal route, the area determination request is skipped, and therefore, faster processing can be expected.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the service target web page 124 is accessed directly from an external search engine or the like without going through the region selection web page 123, it is possible to provide appropriate content according to the user's residential area. Therefore, for example, to prevent users from searching for the service target web page 124 outside a specific region, it is not necessary to include elements that would prevent search engines from searching for the service target web page 124. As a result, advantageous effects can be obtained in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the above-described control is realized on the client side (web browser 201 side) that receives the program 131. That is, no dynamic processing is performed on the server 110 side. This eliminates the need for a processing system required for dynamic processing on the server side, reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, since no processing is performed on the server side, the risk of vulnerability is reduced. Furthermore, it can be implemented even on servers that do not support dynamic processing.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the service target web page 124 has been described as an example of a web page (also referred to as a first web page) having content targeted to users in a specific residential area. The non-service target web page 125 has been described as an example of a web page (also referred to as a second web page) having content targeted to users outside the specific residential area. Both the first web page and the second web page are web pages associated with a specific area. Specifically, they are web pages that include a target area ID list. On the other hand, the model selection web page 121, the instruction manual web page 122, and the area selection web page 123 have been described as examples of common web pages that do not include such a target area ID list. However, the above examples are not limiting. Other types of web pages may be used as common web pages that do not include such a target area ID list. The number of web pages used as common web pages is not limited to the above example, and one or more web pages may be used.

[0076] <<Second embodiment>> In the first embodiment, an example was described in which, after the hyperlink in S217 in Fig. 2 is clicked, the web browser 201 receives a region selection web page response in S219 from the server 110. Then, based on the response from the server 110, the web browser 201 displays the region selection web page 123 shown in Fig. 3(c) on the display device 104. In the present embodiment, a form will be described in which the region selection web page 123 is received, but the web browser 201 does not display the screen shown in Fig. 3(c) on the display device 104.

[0077] The basic configuration of this embodiment is similar to the example described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted and the differences will be mainly described.

[0078] Unlike the first embodiment, the region selection web page 123 in this embodiment has a URL corresponding to a program (hereinafter referred to as a "residential region determination program") having a description for executing a residential region determination process shown in Fig. 8, which will be described later. The residential region determination program is stored in the ROM 112 of the server separately from the above-mentioned program 131. The region selection web page 123 in this embodiment has a correspondence table (hereinafter referred to as a "region-specific URL table") between region IDs and URLs of web pages corresponding to the regions.

[0079] <Sequence diagram> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence executed in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment. In Fig. 7, the same processes as those described in Fig. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Fig. 2. The processing flow from S211 to S219 is the same as the example described in the first embodiment.

[0080] When the web browser 201 receives the response from the region selection web page 123 in S219, the web browser 201 acquires a URL corresponding to a residential region determination program from the region selection web page 123 in S701.

[0081] In S702, the web browser 201 requests the server 110, via the network I / F 106, for the residential area determination program corresponding to the acquired URL.

[0082] In S703, the server 110 responds to the web browser 201 with a residential area determination program via the network I / F 115 based on the received request.

[0083] In S704, the web browser 201 executes a residential area determination process using a residential area determination program based on the received response.

[0084] <Residential area determination processing> Figure 8 is a flowchart showing details of the residential area determination process of S704. The process of the flowchart shown in Figure 8 is executed by CPU 101 of information processing device 100 having web browser 201. That is, CPU 101 of information processing device 100 reads the residential area determination program received from server 110 into RAM 103 and executes it, thereby executing the process by CPU 101 operating web browser 201. The process of the flowchart in Figure 8 is started when web browser 201 receives a response to the residential area determination program from server 110 (S703) and saves the residential area determination program in a storage area of RAM 103.

[0085] In S801, the web browser 201 requests an ID corresponding to the user's residential area from the server 110 via the network I / F 106. That is, the web browser 201 sends a region determination request to the server 110. In S802, the web browser determines whether a response has been received from the server 110. If a response has been received from the server, the web browser 201 proceeds to S803. In S803, the web browser 201 saves the region ID received as a response from the server 110. The processing from S801 to S803 is the same as the processing from S402 to S404 in FIG. 4.

[0086] In S804, the web browser 201 converts the region ID in the ROM 102 into a URL using the region-specific URL table included in the region selection web page 123, and performs processing to request the web page corresponding to the URL from the server 110. Then, the web browser 201 ends the processing shown in FIG.

[0087] Following the process of FIG. 8 (S804), the process of S221 of FIG. 7 is performed. That is, the process of S221 of FIG. 7 corresponds to the process of requesting a web page in which the region ID has been converted into a URL using the region-specific URL table. Note that in the example of FIG. 7, the converted URL is described as being the service target web page 124, but depending on the user's region, it is possible that the non-service target web page 125 is requested from the server 110 in S221. The process from S221 to S222 of FIG. 7 is the process from when the web page requests the web page in which the region ID has been converted into a URL until when the web browser 201 receives the requested web page.

[0088] Furthermore, the processing from S223 to S226 following S222 is the same as that described in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0089] As described above, according to this embodiment, the web browser 201 can display a web page suited to the user's residential area without the user having to press the area button 322. This prevents a user who does not reside in the area targeted for the content of the service target web page 124 from mistakenly selecting the area button 322. This prevents a user from mistakenly believing that the content of the service target web page 124 is targeted for their own area. Furthermore, this embodiment can similarly achieve the effects described in the first embodiment.

[0090] <<Other embodiments>> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0091] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes configurations typified by the following information processing device example, information processing device control method example, and program example.

[0092] <Configuration 1> receiving means for receiving a first web page for a predetermined region from a server; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating a region from the server by transmitting a request to the server for determining a region based on a description included in the first web page; a display control means for controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area; An information processing device comprising:

[0093] <Configuration 2> The information processing device according to configuration 1 further comprises a control means for storing information indicating the selected region in a predetermined storage area when the region is selected on a region selection web page for selecting a residential region.

[0094] <Configuration 3> The information processing device according to configuration 2, characterized in that, when information indicating the region is stored in the specified storage area, the acquisition means does not acquire the information indicating the region from the server, but acquires the information indicating the region stored in the specified storage area.

[0095] <Configuration 4> The information processing device described in configuration 2 is characterized in that, when the first web page is received from the server via the region selection web page, the acquisition means does not acquire information indicating the region from the server, but acquires information indicating the region stored in the specified memory area.

[0096] <Configuration 5> 5. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein the second web page is a web page targeted to a region different from the predetermined region.

[0097] <Configuration 6> 5. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein the second web page is a web page common to a region.

[0098] <Configuration 7> 7. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 6, wherein the selection of a region on the region selection web page is performed based on an operation by a user.

[0099] <Configuration 8> 8. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 7, wherein the selection of a region on the region selection web page is performed based on a description included in the region selection web page.

[0100] <Configuration 9> 9. The information processing device according to configuration 8, wherein when a region is selected on the region selection web page based on a description included in the region selection web page, the region selection web page is not displayed.

[0101] <Configuration 10> 10. The information processing device according to configuration 8 or 9, wherein the description included in the region selection web page is a description for referencing a URL where JavaScript is stored and executing the JavaScript.

[0102] <Configuration 11> 11. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the request for determining the region is an HTTP request including an IP address in a header portion.

[0103] <Configuration 12> The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that the display control means controls the display of the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information corresponds to the predetermined area.

[0104] <Configuration 13> 13. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein the first web page is configured to be searchable by an external search engine.

[0105] <Configuration 14> 14. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, wherein the description included in the first web page is a description for executing the JavaScript by referencing a URL where the JavaScript is stored.

[0106] <Configuration 15> the first web page includes a list indicating the predetermined region; The information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 14, characterized in that the display control means determines whether the area indicated by the acquired information corresponds to the specified area by comparing the acquired information with the list.

[0107] <Configuration 16> 16. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 15, wherein each of the means according to any one of configurations 1 to 15 is executed by a web browser running on the information processing device.

[0108] <Configuration 17> a first transmitting means for transmitting a first web page for a predetermined region to the information processing device based on a request from a web browser running on the information processing device; a second transmitting means for transmitting information indicating a region to the information processing device based on a request for determining a region, the request being transmitted from the web browser based on a description included in the first web page; a third transmission means for transmitting a second web page different from the first web page to the information processing device in response to a request from the information processing device when the area indicated by the information transmitted by the second transmission means does not correspond to the predetermined area; A server comprising:

[0109] <Configuration 18> A system including an information processing device and a server, The information processing device includes: receiving means for receiving a first web page for a predetermined region from a server; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating a region from the server by transmitting a request to the server for determining a region based on a description included in the first web page; a display control means for controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area; and The server a first transmitting means for transmitting the first web page for the predetermined region to the information processing device based on the request from a web browser running on the information processing device; a second transmitting means for transmitting information indicating the region to the information processing device based on a request for determining the region, the request being transmitted from the web browser based on a description included in the first web page; a third transmission means for transmitting a second web page, which is different from the first web page, to the information processing device in response to a request from the information processing device when the area indicated by the information transmitted by the second transmission means does not correspond to the predetermined area; having A system characterized by:

[0110] <Configuration 19> A program for causing a web browser running on an information processing device to execute predetermined steps, wherein instructions for executing the program are written in a first web page targeted for a predetermined region, The predetermined step is: sending a request to a server to determine a region; obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; A program comprising:

[0111] <Configuration 20> receiving a first web page from a server, the first web page being directed to a predetermined region; transmitting a request to the server to determine a region based on a description included in the first web page, thereby obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; 1. A method for controlling an information processing device, comprising:

[0112] <Configuration 21> On the computer, receiving a first web page from a server, the first web page being directed to a predetermined region; transmitting a request to the server to determine a region based on a description included in the first web page, thereby obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; A program to execute. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100 Information processing device 101 CPU 110 Server

Claims

1. receiving means for receiving a first web page for a predetermined region from a server; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating a region from the server by transmitting a request to the server for determining a region based on a description included in the first web page; a display control means for controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area; An information processing device comprising:

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for, when a region is selected on a region selection web page for selecting a residential region, storing information indicating the selected region in a predetermined storage area.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when information indicating the region is stored in the specified memory area, the acquisition means does not acquire the information indicating the region from the server, but instead acquires the information indicating the region stored in the specified memory area.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that when the first web page is received from the server via the region selection web page, the acquisition means does not acquire information indicating the region from the server, but instead acquires information indicating the region stored in the specified memory area.

5. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second web page is a web page targeted for a region different from the predetermined region.

6. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second web page is a web page common to a region.

7. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection of the region on the region selection web page is performed based on an operation by a user.

8. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the region selection on the region selection web page is performed based on a description included in the region selection web page.

9. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when a region is selected on the region selection web page based on a description included in the region selection web page, the region selection web page is not displayed.

10. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the description included in the region selection web page is a description for referencing a URL where JavaScript is stored and executing the JavaScript.

11. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request for determining the region is an HTTP request including an IP address in a header portion.

12. 11. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls the display of the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information corresponds to the predetermined area.

13. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first web page is configured to be searchable by an external search engine.

14. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the description included in the first web page is a description for executing JavaScript by referencing a URL where JavaScript is stored.

15. the first web page includes a list indicating the predetermined region; 11. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means determines whether the area indicated by the acquired information corresponds to the specified area by comparing the acquired information with the list.

16. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the means according to claim 1 is executed by a web browser that runs on the information processing apparatus.

17. a first transmitting means for transmitting a first web page for a predetermined region to the information processing device based on a request from a web browser running on the information processing device; a second transmitting means for transmitting information indicating a region to the information processing device based on a request for determining a region transmitted from the web browser based on a description included in the first web page; a third transmission means for transmitting a second web page, which is different from the first web page, to the information processing device in response to a request from the information processing device when the area indicated by the information transmitted by the second transmission means does not correspond to the predetermined area; A server comprising:

18. A system including an information processing device and a server, The information processing device includes: receiving means for receiving a first web page for a predetermined region from a server; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating a region from the server by transmitting a request to the server for determining a region based on a description included in the first web page; a display control means for controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page when the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area; and The server a first transmitting means for transmitting the first web page for the predetermined region to the information processing device based on the request from a web browser running on the information processing device; a second transmitting means for transmitting information indicating the region to the information processing device based on a request for determining the region, the request being transmitted from the web browser based on a description included in the first web page; a third transmission means for transmitting a second web page, which is different from the first web page, to the information processing device in response to a request from the information processing device when the area indicated by the information transmitted by the second transmission means does not correspond to the predetermined area; having A system characterized by:

19. A program for causing a web browser running on an information processing device to execute predetermined steps, wherein instructions for executing the program are written in a first web page targeted for a predetermined region, The predetermined step is: sending a request to a server to determine a region; obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; A program comprising:

20. receiving a first web page from a server, the first web page being directed to a predetermined region; transmitting a request to the server to determine a region based on a description included in the first web page, thereby obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; 1. A method for controlling an information processing device, comprising:

21. On the computer, receiving a first web page from a server, the first web page being directed to a predetermined region; transmitting a request to the server to determine a region based on a description included in the first web page, thereby obtaining information indicating the region from the server; If the area indicated by the acquired information does not correspond to the predetermined area, controlling the display of a second web page different from the first web page without displaying the first web page; A program to execute.

Images