Search support system, search support method and program

Abstract

To provide a search support system capable of outputting search results for restaurants that reflect user's preferences including those other than taste.SOLUTION: A search support system 1 according to the present disclosure is a search support system 1 that supports searches for restaurants, and includes: an information storage unit 18 that stores stored information in which preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood is associated with restaurant information that is information about restaurants,; a selection accepting unit 14 that accepts a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from the preference information; and a restaurant information output unit 15 that outputs the restaurant information corresponding to the selection result accepted by the selection accepting unit 14 based on the stored information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a search support system, a search support method, and a program that support searches for restaurants. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an information presentation system that presents information on restaurants located in an area specified by a user, where preference information indicating the user's preferences and taste tendency information indicating the tendency of the taste of the restaurant's food match at a threshold or higher. The preference information and taste tendency information described in Patent Document 1 specifically indicate the priority order of taste elements selected from sourness, spiciness, umami, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and astringency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-125260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The information presentation system described in Patent Document 1 can present restaurant information that reflects the user's taste preferences. However, when searching for restaurants, the preference that the user wants to reflect is not necessarily taste. For users who want to obtain search results for restaurants based on preferences other than taste, the system cannot provide appropriate search results.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a search support system that can output search results for restaurants that reflect a user's preferences, including those other than taste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a search support system according to the present disclosure is a search support system that supports searches for restaurants, and includes an information storage unit that stores stored information that associates preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood with restaurant information that is information about restaurants. The search support system further includes a selection receiving unit that receives a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from the preference information, and a restaurant information output unit that outputs restaurant information corresponding to the selection result received by the selection receiving unit based on the stored information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The search support system of the present disclosure has the effect of being able to output search results for restaurants that reflect user preferences including those other than taste. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for data creation processing in the search support system according to the first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows an example of stored information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of stored information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of area keyword information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a search support processing procedure in the search support system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen for receiving designation of a divided area according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the reception screen for receiving the designation of the divided areas according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a search in the first embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of restaurant information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of restaurant information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for detailed information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen for receiving evaluation information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the reception screen for receiving evaluation information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of evaluation information stored in an information storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system that realizes a search support system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a restaurant information output unit according to a second embodiment; [Figure 22] Schematic diagram showing an example of a neural network [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system according to a second embodiment in which machine learning is used to generate stored information indicating rules. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the third embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of restaurant information according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A search support system, a search support method, and a program according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. The information processing system 100 according to this embodiment includes a search support system 1 that supports searches for restaurants, and a terminal device 2 that can be operated by a user who uses the search support system 1. The terminal device 2 is, for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like, but is not limited to these. Although FIG. 1 illustrates one terminal device 2, there may be multiple terminal devices 2.

[0011] The terminal device 2 includes an input receiving unit 21, a transmitting / receiving unit 22, and an information display unit 23. The input receiving unit 21 receives input from a user through a user operation, and outputs input information indicating the received input to the transmitting / receiving unit 22 and the information display unit 23. The input information includes area designation information, selection results, evaluation information, etc., which will be described later.

[0012] The transmission / reception unit 22 communicates with other devices such as the search support system 1. The communication line between the terminal device 2 and the search support system 1 may be a wired line, a wireless line, or a combination of wired and wireless lines. The transmission / reception unit 22, for example, transmits input information received from the input acceptance unit 21 to the search support system 1. The transmission / reception unit 22 also outputs information received from the search support system 1 to the information display unit 23. The information display unit 23 displays the information received from the transmission / reception unit 22. The information display unit 23 also displays the input information received from the input acceptance unit 21. The input acceptance unit 21 and the information display unit 23 may be integrated and implemented by a touch panel or the like.

[0013] The search support system 1 includes a transmission / reception unit 10, an area information acquisition unit 11, an area designation reception unit 12, a keyword output unit 13, a selection reception unit 14, a restaurant information output unit 15, an evaluation information reception unit 16, a feedback unit 17, and an information storage unit 18.

[0014] The transmitting / receiving unit 10 communicates with other devices such as the terminal device 2. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 receives input information from the terminal device 2 and outputs the received input information to the area designation receiving unit 12, the selection receiving unit 14, or the evaluation information receiving unit 16. Specifically, if the input information is area designation information, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 outputs the received area designation information to the area designation receiving unit 12. If the input information is a selection result, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 outputs the received selection result to the selection receiving unit 14. If the input information is evaluation information, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 outputs the received evaluation information to the evaluation information receiving unit 16. Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving unit 10 transmits information received from the area designation receiving unit 12, the keyword output unit 13, the restaurant information output unit 15, and the evaluation information receiving unit 16 to the terminal device 2.

[0015] The area information acquisition unit 11 acquires area information indicating a service area, which is an area (geographical range) for which the search support system 1 provides search support services, and outputs the acquired area information to the area designation acceptance unit 12. The service area indicated by the area information may be a region including multiple prefectures, such as the Kyushu region, Kanto region, or Michinoku region, a prefecture, a city, ward, town, or village, a country, or other units. The area information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the area information by accepting input of the area information from an operator, administrator, or the like of the search support system 1, or may acquire the area information from a terminal device (not shown) that can be operated by the operator, administrator, or the like. In the latter case, the area information acquisition unit 11 may receive the area information from the terminal device by having a function for communicating with another device, or the area information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the area information via the transmission / reception unit 10. The area information acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired area information to the area designation acceptance unit 12.

[0016] If there is only one service target area for which the search support service is provided, there is no need to provide the area information acquisition unit 11. If multiple candidate service target areas for which the search support service is provided are set, the service target area is selected from the multiple candidate service target areas by an operator, manager, etc., and area information indicating the selected service target area is acquired by the area information acquisition unit 11.

[0017] The area designation receiving unit 12 acquires a designated area, which is an area to be searched, designated by the user. For example, the area designation receiving unit 12 presents to the user areas (hereinafter also referred to as divided areas) obtained by dividing the service area indicated by the area information acquired from the area information acquiring unit 11, and accepts the area designation from the user.

[0018] In detail, the area designation receiving unit 12 outputs display information for displaying selectable divided areas to the transceiver 10, which then transmits the display information to the terminal device 2, and the information display unit 23 of the terminal device 2 displays the display information received from the search support system 1 via the transceiver 22. The selectable divided areas for each service area may be held by the area designation receiving unit 12 or may be stored in the information storage unit 18. The user operates the terminal device 2 based on the display information displayed on the terminal device 2 to designate a divided area for searching for restaurants. The input receiving unit 21 outputs designated area information indicating the area designated by the user (hereinafter also referred to as a designated area) to the transceiver 22, which then transmits the designated area information to the search support system 1. The area designation receiving unit 12 receives the designated area information from the terminal device 2 via the transceiver 10, thereby accepting the area designation from the user. Note that the transceiver 10 may function as the area designation receiving unit 12, and the area designation receiving unit 12 need not be provided separately from the transceiver 10.

[0019] The area designation receiving unit 12 outputs the received designated area information to the keyword output unit 13 and the restaurant information output unit 15. There may be multiple designated areas, and the number of designated areas may or may not be restricted. It is not necessary to accept designation of divided areas; in this case, all divided areas within the service area are considered to be designated areas designated by the user, and the area designation receiving unit 12 may not be provided.

[0020] The divided areas may be smaller than the service area, and there are no particular restrictions on the method of division. For example, if the service area indicated by the area information is the Kyushu region, the divided areas may be each prefecture in the Kyushu region, cities, wards, towns, and villages in the Kyushu region, or a range consisting of multiple cities, wards, towns, and villages in the Kyushu region, or something other than these. For example, they may be an area that is generally treated as a single tourist area, or an area that is commercially integrated, etc.

[0021] The keyword output unit 13 uses the designated area information received from the area designation receiving unit 12 to output keywords corresponding to the designated area as options. Keywords are words that indicate user preference information. Keywords, i.e., preference information in this embodiment, include at least one of words related to the five senses other than taste, such as "texture" and "aroma," and words expressing "mood." Keywords include, for example, at least one of words related to "texture," words related to "aroma," and words related to "mood." Keywords may also include sizzle words that stimulate appetite. Words expressing "mood" are, for example, words in the emotional domain of sizzle words. Specifically, keywords related to "texture" include chewy, fluffy, crunchy, crispy, etc.; keywords related to "aroma" include sweet (sweet aroma), seasoning (seasoning aroma), ethnic (ethnic aroma), etc.; and words expressing "mood" include, but are not limited to, "comfortable," "happy," and "encouraging."

[0022] In detail, the keyword output unit 13 refers to area keyword information stored in the information storage unit 18, which indicates the correspondence between divided areas and keywords corresponding to the divided areas, extracts keywords corresponding to the designated area indicated by the designated area information, and outputs the extracted keywords to the transceiver unit 10. Details of the area keyword information will be described later. The extracted keywords are keywords that the user can select, and generally there are multiple keywords, but at least one keyword may be selected. The terminal device 2 displays the keywords received from the search support system 1 as options. As a result, keywords corresponding to the designated area are presented to the user. The user selects keywords that suit their preferences from the presented keywords by operating the terminal device 2. The input accepting unit 21 of the terminal device 2 accepts the user's selection result (keyword selection result) and outputs the accepted selection result to the transceiver unit 22, which then transmits the selection result to the search support system 1. Note that the user's selection result may reflect the preferences of users other than the user operating the terminal device 2. For example, a user planning to visit a restaurant with multiple people may select keywords that reflect the preferences of the other people accompanying them. In this case, the other person can also be considered to be a user who indirectly uses the search support system 1.

[0023] The selection receiving unit 14 receives a selection result indicating a keyword selected by the user and outputs the selection result to the restaurant information output unit 15. Specifically, the selection receiving unit 14 receives the selection result from the terminal device 2 via the transmitting and receiving unit 10, for example. Note that the transmitting and receiving unit 10 may function as the selection receiving unit 14, and the selection receiving unit 14 may not be provided separately from the transmitting and receiving unit 10.

[0024] Based on the stored information, the restaurant information output unit 15 outputs restaurant information corresponding to the selection result received by the selection receiving unit 14. The restaurant information is information related to the restaurant and includes at least the name of the restaurant (store name). The restaurant information may include at least one of recommended items (recommended menu items), the location of the restaurant, an image related to the restaurant (image data showing the image), and at least a portion of the menu. The image related to the restaurant may be a still image or a video. Based on the selection result received from the selection receiving unit 14, the restaurant information output unit 15 outputs restaurant information that matches the user's preferences from among restaurant information corresponding to restaurants located in the designated area indicated by the designated area information received from the area designation receiving unit 12, for example.

[0025] Specifically, the restaurant information output unit 15 searches the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18 to extract restaurant information that matches the user's selection from restaurant information corresponding to restaurants located within the specified area, and outputs the extracted restaurant information to the transceiver unit 10. The stored information is information that associates keywords with restaurant information and includes restaurant information and keywords. Details of the stored information will be described later. The transceiver unit 10 outputs the restaurant information to the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 displays the restaurant information received from the search support system 1. This allows the user to obtain restaurant information that reflects the user's preferences as a restaurant search result. In this embodiment, as described above, the keywords selected by the user include at least one of words related to the five senses other than taste and words that express "mood." This allows the search support system 1 of this embodiment to present search results for restaurants that reflect the user's preferences, including preferences other than taste.

[0026] The evaluation information receiving unit 16 receives evaluation information from a user and stores the received evaluation information in the information storage unit 18. The evaluation information includes at least one of evaluation information indicating the result of the user's evaluation of restaurant information presented to the user and evaluation information indicating the result of the user's evaluation of the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information presented to the user after actually visiting the restaurant. The result of the user's evaluation of the restaurant after actually visiting the restaurant may be an evaluation of the restaurant as a whole, or an evaluation of the menu offered by the restaurant. Specifically, the evaluation information receiving unit 16 receives evaluation information from the terminal device 2, for example, via the transmission / reception unit 10. Note that the transmission / reception unit 10 may function as the evaluation information receiving unit 16, and the evaluation information receiving unit 16 does not need to be provided separately from the transmission / reception unit 10.

[0027] The feedback unit 17 performs feedback processing based on the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18. The feedback processing may be a feedback processing in which the search support system 1 automatically updates the stored information, or a processing in which the search support system 1 displays the evaluation information to the operator or manager. The feedback processing in which the search support system 1 automatically updates the stored information will be described later. When the feedback unit 17 displays the evaluation information to the operator or manager, the operator or manager, etc., updates the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18 based on the displayed evaluation information, thereby feeding back the evaluation information to the restaurant search. Note that instead of displaying the display information, the feedback unit 17 may transmit the evaluation information to a terminal device (not shown) that can be operated by the operator or manager, etc., and the terminal device may display the evaluation information. In this case, the feedback unit 17 may transmit the evaluation information to the terminal device by having a function for communicating with other devices, or the feedback unit 17 may transmit the evaluation information via the transmission / reception unit 10.

[0028] The information storage unit 18 stores memory information, area keyword information, and evaluation information. Note that, although an example is shown in Fig. 1 in which the search support system 1 includes the evaluation information receiving unit 16 and the feedback unit 17, thereby feeding back user evaluations, feedback is not essential, and the search support system 1 does not necessarily have to include the evaluation information receiving unit 16 and the feedback unit 17.

[0029] 1 shows an example in which the terminal device 2 receives input from the user and displays information to the user, but the search support system 1 may directly receive input from the user and display information to the user. Also, at least some of the functions of the area designation receiving unit 12, keyword output unit 13, selection receiving unit 14, restaurant information output unit 15, and review information receiving unit 16 may be realized by the terminal device 2. In this case, the terminal device 2 and the search support system 1 constitute a search support system in a broad sense.

[0030] For example, application software (hereinafter also referred to as an app) for performing a search using the search support system 1 may be installed in the terminal device 2, and the input receiving unit 21, the transmitting / receiving unit 22, and the information display unit 23 may operate under the control of an app control unit (not shown) that executes the app, thereby realizing some of the functions of the search support system 1 shown in Fig. 1 by the terminal device 2. For example, the terminal device 2 may store divided areas (selectable divided areas) corresponding to the service area in an information storage unit (not shown), and the information display unit 23 may display the selectable divided areas based on the information stored in the information storage unit in the terminal device 2.

[0031] Alternatively, for example, search support system 1 may include transmission / reception unit 10, area information acquisition unit 11, some functions of keyword output unit 13, feedback unit 17, and information storage unit 18, and terminal device 2 may include area designation acceptance unit 12, keyword output unit 13, selection acceptance unit 14, restaurant information output unit 15, and evaluation information acceptance unit 16. In this case, area designation acceptance unit 12 acquires information about divided areas corresponding to the service target area from search support system 1 via transmission / reception unit 10, displays the divided areas, accepts area designation from the user, and transmits designated area information indicating the designated area to search support system 1 via transmission / reception unit 10. Keyword output unit 13 of search support system 1 transmits keywords corresponding to the designated area indicated in the designated area information to terminal device 2 via transmission / reception unit 10. Keyword output unit 13 of terminal device 2 displays the received keywords. The selection receiving unit 14 of the terminal device 2 receives the keyword selection results, the restaurant information output unit 15 requests restaurant information corresponding to the selection results from the search support system 1, and the search support system 1 transmits the restaurant information to the terminal device 2 based on the stored information.

[0032] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of data creation processing in the search support system 1 of this embodiment. The data creation processing shown in Fig. 2 is processing for creating stored information and area keyword information to be stored in the information storage unit 18, and is performed, for example, before providing a search service to a user.

[0033] The search support system 1 acquires restaurant information and corresponding keywords (keywords corresponding to restaurant information) (step S1). For example, the area information acquisition unit 11 acquires restaurant information and corresponding keywords within the service area. Alternatively, the transmitter / receiver 10 may acquire restaurant information and corresponding keywords by receiving restaurant information and corresponding keywords within the service area. The keywords corresponding to restaurant information are keywords appropriate to the restaurant information. The restaurant information and corresponding keywords may be input by an operator, manager, etc. of the search support system 1, or may be transmitted from a terminal device (not shown) that can be operated by the operator, manager, etc. of the search support system 1. Alternatively, the restaurant information and corresponding keywords may be transmitted from a terminal device (not shown) that can be operated by a person involved with the restaurant, such as a restaurant manager or employee. Alternatively, the restaurant information and corresponding keywords may be input by an operator, manager, etc. of a travel site or travel agency, or may be transmitted from a terminal device (not shown) that can be operated by the operator, manager, etc. of the travel site or travel agency.

[0034] The search support system 1 may also acquire keywords by extracting keywords corresponding to restaurant information from the restaurant's website, SNS (social networking service), etc., corresponding to the restaurant information. Alternatively, a survey may be conducted at the restaurant or online to solicit keywords corresponding to the restaurant or its menu from users, and the operator, manager, or restaurant associate of the search support system 1 may use the survey results to determine the keywords for the search support system 1. The operator, manager, or restaurant associate of the search support system 1 may input the determined keywords into the search support system 1 or transmit them to the search support system 1 using a terminal device (not shown). In this way, keywords corresponding to each restaurant information may be determined by, for example, the operator, manager, or restaurant associate of the search support system 1, the administrator or manager of the travel site or travel agency, or the restaurant user, but the method for determining keywords corresponding to each restaurant information is not limited thereto.

[0035] In addition, restaurant information and keywords may be obtained in multiple ways, such as for a certain restaurant, restaurant information and keywords being sent from a terminal device of a person associated with the restaurant, and restaurant information and keywords for another restaurant being entered by an operator, administrator, etc. of search support system 1.

[0036] The search support system 1 associates the restaurant information with the keywords and stores the associated information as stored information (step S2). In detail, for example, the area information acquisition unit 11 associates the restaurant information with the keywords and stores the associated information as stored information in the information storage unit 18. The stored information in this embodiment is information in which the restaurant information is directly associated with the keywords corresponding to the restaurant information. In this embodiment, the restaurant information corresponding to the keywords is determined rule-based, and the stored information indicates the rules to be referenced when determining the restaurant information corresponding to the keywords. Note that instead of performing steps S1 and S2, the stored information may be directly input to the search support system 1, and the area information acquisition unit 11 may store the stored information in the information storage unit 18. Alternatively, the area information acquisition unit 11 may receive the stored information from a terminal device (not shown) of the operator or administrator of the search support system 1 via the transmission / reception unit 10, and store the received stored information in the information storage unit 18.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of stored information in this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the stored information includes restaurant information and keywords for each restaurant. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the restaurant information includes a restaurant name, a location (position), and an image. The restaurant name is the name of the restaurant, the location is the location of the restaurant, and the image is an image related to the restaurant, such as the restaurant or its menu. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the location is indicated by an address. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the image is indicated by the file name of the image data corresponding to the image. The restaurant information is not limited to this example, and only needs to include at least the name of the restaurant, such as the restaurant name. The restaurant information may also include a telephone number, the number of seats, access information (such as a map), etc.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 3, in the keyword, i.e., preference information, column, a mark indicating the type of keyword is added to the beginning of each keyword. A circle indicates a keyword related to "texture," a star indicates a keyword related to "aroma," and a diamond indicates a keyword related to "mood." Here, an example is shown in which the keywords include three types of keywords: keywords related to "texture," keywords related to "aroma," and keywords related to "mood," but the keywords are not limited to this example and may include one or more types of keywords from these. Furthermore, the keywords may also include keywords related to taste.

[0039] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the types of keywords are indicated by marks, but the method of distinguishing between types of keywords is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3. For example, keywords related to "texture," keywords related to "aroma," and keywords related to "mood" may be stored in separate columns as stored information. Also, keywords may be stored as stored information without being distinguished by type. Note that, when displaying selectable keywords as described below, if the display mode of keywords is changed depending on the type, the types of keywords should also be distinguishable in the stored information.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another example of stored information in this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 3, keywords are associated with each restaurant in the restaurant information, but in the example shown in Fig. 4, keywords are associated with recommended items at each restaurant. In this way, keywords may be associated with recommended items in the stored information. Furthermore, instead of being limited to recommended items, all menu items at each restaurant may be included in the restaurant information and keywords may be associated with each menu item, or some menu items at each restaurant may be included in the restaurant information and keywords may be associated with each menu item.

[0041] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, the search support system 1 extracts keywords corresponding to each divided area (step S3). For example, the area information acquisition unit 11 extracts keywords corresponding to each divided area corresponding to the service area from the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18. For example, the area information acquisition unit 11 determines to which divided area each restaurant belongs based on the location (address) in the stored information, and extracts keywords corresponding to each divided area.

[0042] The search support system 1 associates the divided areas with the keywords and stores them as area keyword information (step S4), and ends the data creation process. For example, the area information acquisition unit 11 generates area keyword information using the results extracted in step S3, and stores the generated area keyword information in the information storage unit 18.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of area keyword information according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the area keyword information includes keywords for each divided area. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the divided areas are in units of cities, wards, towns, and villages, but the divided areas are not limited to units of cities, wards, towns, and villages as described above.

[0044] After the search service is started to be provided to the user, the stored information may be updated by adding, deleting, changing, etc. When the stored information is updated, the area keyword information is also updated.

[0045] In the above example, the processing of steps S1 to S4 is performed by the area information acquisition unit 11 (or partly by the transmission / reception unit 10). However, an information acquisition unit (not shown) separate from the area information acquisition unit 11 may be provided, and the information acquisition unit may perform the processing of steps S1 to S4. Alternatively, another device (not shown) may perform the processing of steps S1 to S4, and the transmission / reception unit 10 may receive the stored information and area keyword information from the other device, and store the received stored information and area keyword information in the information storage unit 18. In addition, while the example in which the area keyword information is stored in the information storage unit 18 has been described, this is not limiting, and instead, when determining selectable keywords corresponding to the designated area, as will be described later, the keyword output unit 13 may extract keywords corresponding to the designated area based on locations in the stored information.

[0046] Next, the search support process of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the search support process procedure in the search support system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the search support system 1 receives the designation of a divided area (step S11).

[0047] In detail, the area designation receiving unit 12 presents the user with a divided area corresponding to the service area indicated by the area information based on the area information and receives the area designation from the user. As described above, for example, the divided area corresponding to the service area is transmitted to the terminal device 2, and the terminal device 2 receives the divided area designation from the user and transmits designated area information indicating the designated area, which is the designated divided area, to the search support system 1. The area designation receiving unit 12 receives the designated area information from the terminal device 2 via the transmission / reception unit 10 to receive the divided area designation and outputs the designated area information to the keyword output unit 13 and the restaurant information output unit 15. Note that the area designation receiving unit 12 may transmit display information for displaying a reception screen on the terminal device 2 to accept the area designation to the terminal device 2 via the transmission / reception unit 10, and the terminal device 2 may display the reception screen based on the received display information. Alternatively, the terminal device 2 may retain display information for displaying a reception screen on which the terminal device 2 accepts the area designation by installing an app, and display the reception screen based on the retained display information.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reception screen for accepting the designation of a sectional area according to the present embodiment. For example, the information display unit 23 of the terminal device 2 prompts the user to designate a sectional area by displaying the reception screen illustrated in FIG. 7. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the user can designate a sectional area by directly entering the name of the sectional area in the input field 201 and pressing the decision button marked "Decide" by tapping, clicking, or the like. Multiple sectional areas may be entered in the input field 201, such as "XX City YY City." In addition, in the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the information display unit 23 displays options for sectional areas, such as XX City, YY City, and ZZ Town, as shown at the bottom of FIG. 7. The user can designate a sectional area by tapping or clicking the selection field 202 corresponding to each option and pressing the decision button marked "Decide" by tapping, clicking, or the like. Note that a limit may or may not be imposed on the number of sectional areas that can be selected. In FIG. 7, both input field 201 and selection field 202 are displayed so that the user can use either to specify the divided area, but it is also possible to display only either input field 201 or selection field 202 and accept the user's area specification using either one.

[0049] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for accepting the designation of a divided area according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the information display unit 23 of the terminal device 2 displays the divided areas constituting the service area as a map. The user can select a displayed divided area on the map by clicking or tapping, and can also designate the area by pressing the confirm button by tapping, clicking, or the like. In the example shown in Fig. 8, two divided areas are selected as selected areas 203. Furthermore, at least one of the area designation using the input field 201 and the area designation using the selection field 202 shown in Fig. 7 may be combined with the area designation on the map shown in Fig. 8.

[0050] 7 and 8 show examples in which the enter button is used, but the area designation may be determined by a specific predetermined operation such as a double tap, double click, etc. Figures 7 and 8 are examples, and the items, characters, positions, images, and display methods displayed on the reception screen for receiving the designation of the divided areas are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0051] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 6, the search support system 1 outputs keywords corresponding to the designated area as options (step S12). In detail, the keyword output unit 13 extracts keywords corresponding to the designated area indicated by the designated area information received from the area designation receiving unit 12 from the area keyword information stored in the information storage unit 18, and outputs the extracted keywords to the transmitting / receiving unit 10. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 transmits the keywords to the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 displays the keywords received from the search support system 1 as options.

[0052] The search support system 1 accepts the keyword selection results (step S13). Specifically, the user selects a keyword that matches the user's preferences from among the keywords displayed as options by the terminal device 2, and inputs the selection result to the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 transmits the selection result to the search support system 1. The selection accepting unit 14 of the search support system 1 accepts the keyword selection results by receiving the selection results from the terminal device 2 via the transmitting / receiving unit 10, and outputs the accepted selection results to the restaurant information output unit 15. Note that the selection accepting unit 14 may transmit display information for displaying a reception screen for the terminal device 2 to accept the keyword selection results to the terminal device 2 via the transmitting / receiving unit 10, and the terminal device 2 may display the reception screen based on the received display information. Alternatively, the terminal device 2 may retain display information for displaying a reception screen for the terminal device 2 to accept the keyword selection results by installing an app, and display the reception screen based on the retained display information.

[0053] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 9, there are six keywords corresponding to the designated area, and the six keywords are displayed as options. FIG. 9 shows an example in which keywords are selected by manually turning the page, with one keyword displayed per screen. When the user selects a displayed keyword, the user presses the selection button labeled "Select" by tapping or clicking, and then displays a screen displaying the next keyword by performing an operation such as flicking or sliding. When the user does not select a displayed keyword, the user does not press the selection button labeled "Select" by tapping or clicking, but displays a screen displaying the next keyword by performing an operation such as flicking or sliding.

[0054] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 10, there are six keywords corresponding to the designated area, similar to the example shown in Fig. 9. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the six keywords are displayed together, and the user can select a keyword by tapping or clicking on the selection field 204 corresponding to each keyword, and pressing the selection button marked "Select" by tapping, clicking, or the like.

[0055] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 11, an image including the keyword characters and a mark indicating the keyword type is displayed for each keyword, and the user performs an operation of moving the image corresponding to the keyword to be selected to the selection area 205. As a result, the image corresponding to the keyword selected by the user is displayed in the selection area 205. When all keywords selected by the user are displayed in the selection area 205, the selected keyword is determined by pressing the search button labeled "search" by tapping, clicking, or the like. In this way, a keyword may be selected by an operation of moving a figure corresponding to the keyword. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the display may be performed in a different manner depending on the type of keyword.

[0056] 9 and 10, the display may be performed so that the display mode changes depending on the type of keyword. Figures 9, 10, and 11 are examples, and the items, characters, positions, images, and display methods displayed on the reception screen for receiving keyword selection are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11.

[0057] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 6, the search support system 1 searches the stored information using the selection result (step S14). Specifically, the restaurant information output unit 15 searches the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18 using the selection result received from the selection receiving unit 14 and the designated area information received from the area designation receiving unit 12. Specifically, the restaurant information output unit 15 extracts, from the stored information, restaurant information related to restaurants in the designated area that matches the keywords indicated by the selection result. Note that if multiple keywords are selected, restaurant information that matches one or more of the multiple keywords may be extracted, or only restaurant information that matches all of the multiple keywords may be extracted. In other words, an AND search using the keyword AND as a condition may be performed, or an OR search using the keyword OR as a condition may be performed. The user may be able to specify whether to perform an AND search or an OR search.

[0058] Note that, when a keyword is associated with a restaurant as illustrated in FIG. 3, the restaurant information matching the keyword is restaurant information corresponding to the restaurant that matches the keyword. When a keyword is associated with a recommended item as illustrated in FIG. 4, the restaurant information matching the keyword is restaurant information corresponding to a restaurant that provides the recommended item that matches the keyword. When a keyword is associated with a menu item provided by a restaurant, such as a recommended item, only information corresponding to the restaurant itself, such as the name and location of the corresponding restaurant, may be extracted as restaurant information, or restaurant information including information related to the menu that matches the keyword in addition to information related to the restaurant itself may be extracted. For example, when the stored information illustrated in FIG. 4 is used, the restaurant information includes an image (file name of image data) corresponding to each recommended item, so image data of the recommended item that matches the keyword may be extracted together with the restaurant information.

[0059] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search performed in this embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 12, the specified areas are XX City and YY City, and the selection results (keyword selection results) are "mochimochi" (chewy) and "anshin" (safe). In the example illustrated in FIG. 12, it is assumed that keywords are associated with recommended items in the stored information, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Note that FIG. 12 shows only a portion of the restaurant information in the stored information for the sake of simplicity. However, the restaurant information includes locations, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 4, and restaurant A is located in XX City and restaurant B is located in YY City. In the example illustrated in FIG. 12, the keywords associated with menu A1, which is a recommended item from restaurant A, and menu B1, which is a recommended item from restaurant B, match "mochimochi," which is one of the selection results. Therefore, restaurant information corresponding to menu A1, which is a recommended item from restaurant A, and menu B1, which is a recommended item from restaurant B, is extracted as a search result. Note that FIG. 12 also lists the corresponding keywords along with the extracted restaurant information as a search result.

[0060] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 6, the search support system 1 outputs the restaurant information obtained by the search (step S15). In detail, the restaurant information output unit 15 transmits the search result of the search in step S14, i.e., the extracted restaurant information, to the terminal device 2 via the transmitting / receiving unit 10. The terminal device 2 displays the received restaurant information.

[0061] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for restaurant information according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the restaurant name and an image 206 included in the restaurant information are displayed as the restaurant information. Image 206 shown in Fig. 13 is an image of the interior of the restaurant. In addition, in the example shown in Fig. 13, a button 207 labeled "detailed information" is displayed at the bottom. When the user presses button 207 by clicking or tapping, detailed information about the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information is displayed. Note that keywords matching the user's selection may be displayed superimposed on image 206.

[0062] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen for restaurant information according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the restaurant name and an image 206 included in the restaurant information are displayed as the restaurant information. The image 206 shown in FIG. 14 is an image of a recommended item that matches a keyword. In the example shown in FIG. 14, a button 207 labeled "detailed information" is displayed at the bottom, similar to the example shown in FIG. 13. When a user presses button 207 by clicking or tapping, detailed information about the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information is displayed. As shown in the example in FIG. 14, even when a keyword is associated with a recommended item, information about the restaurant itself (such as the restaurant name and location) that offers the recommended item is displayed as restaurant information about the restaurant.

[0063] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for detailed information in this embodiment. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 13 or the example shown in Fig. 14, when detailed information button 207 is pressed, the displayed screen transitions to the screen shown in Fig. 15. In the example shown in Fig. 15, the location of the restaurant is indicated by a triangular mark on map 208. Furthermore, in the example shown in Fig. 15, the address of the restaurant is displayed as the location of the restaurant.

[0064] Map 208 may be included in the restaurant information as an image (file name of image data), or may be a map provided by an external website that provides maps. In the latter case, clicking button 207 provides the address of the restaurant to the external website that provides maps, and map 208 provided by that website is displayed.

[0065] In the above-described example, the initial screen shown in Fig. 13 or 14 is first displayed, and the initial screen transitions to a detailed screen that displays detailed information, but the detailed information may also be displayed on the initial screen. Figs. 13, 14, and 15 are examples, and the items, characters, positions, images, and display methods displayed as restaurant information are not limited to the examples shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15. When restaurant information corresponding to multiple restaurants is displayed, the restaurant information for the multiple restaurants may be displayed simultaneously on the initial screen, and the user may scroll to sequentially check the restaurant information for each restaurant.

[0066] Returning to the description of FIG. 6, the search support system 1 receives the evaluation information (step S16) and ends the search support process. In step S16, more specifically, the user evaluates the displayed restaurant information and inputs evaluation information indicating the evaluation result to the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 transmits the evaluation information to the search support system 1. The evaluation information receiving unit 16 of the search support system 1 receives the evaluation information from the terminal device 2 via the transmission / reception unit 10, thereby receiving the evaluation information, and stores the received evaluation information in the information storage unit 18. Note that the evaluation information receiving unit 16 may transmit display information for displaying a reception screen for the terminal device 2 to receive the evaluation information to the terminal device 2 via the transmission / reception unit 10, and the terminal device 2 may display the reception screen based on the received display information. Alternatively, the terminal device 2 may retain display information for displaying a reception screen for the terminal device 2 to receive the evaluation information by installing an app, and display the reception screen based on the retained display information.

[0067] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen for receiving evaluation information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 16, the terminal device 2 may display a screen prompting the user to select from two options: whether the restaurant indicated by the displayed restaurant information matches the user's image, i.e., whether it matches the user's preferences. Furthermore, the reception screen shown in Fig. 16 may be displayed at the bottom of the screens displaying the restaurant information of each restaurant exemplified in Figs. 13 and 14, respectively, so that the user can make an evaluation while checking the restaurant information. When "Yes" or "No" is selected in Fig. 16, the selection result is transmitted as evaluation information from the terminal device 2 to the search support system 1.

[0068] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving evaluation information according to the present embodiment. The reception screen shown in FIG. 17 may be displayed after the reception screen shown in FIG. 16 is displayed and the user selects "Yes" or "No." Alternatively, the reception screen shown in FIG. 17 may be displayed by tapping or clicking a button for rating a restaurant on a screen displaying restaurant information, without the user going through the reception screen shown in FIG. 16. In the example shown in FIG. 17, keywords corresponding to restaurant information are displayed, and for each keyword, the user is given four options for rating the keyword: "Perfect," "So-so," "A little different," and "Completely different." Note that the number of options for rating each keyword is not limited to four, and the expressions (words) corresponding to each option are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 17. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 17, an input field 209 is displayed, and the user can enter the words they feel in the input field 209. After selecting an option and entering information into the input field 209, the user taps or clicks a send button labeled "Send." As a result, the information entered by the user is sent as evaluation information together with information indicating the corresponding restaurant. It is not necessary to input anything into the input field 209. In other words, the input field 209 may be left blank.

[0069] 16 and 17 are displayed for each menu item. The terminal device 2 may accept only evaluations based on options without displaying the input field 209 and prompting the user to enter information into the input field 209 on the input screen shown in FIG.

[0070] The reception screens shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 may be used to evaluate the restaurant information displayed before visiting the restaurant, or may be used by a user who has actually visited the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information to evaluate the restaurant. The search support system 1 may also be configured to accept both evaluations of the restaurant information displayed before visiting the restaurant and evaluations of the restaurant information evaluated by a user who has actually visited the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information. For example, the reception screen shown in FIG. 16 may be displayed when evaluating the restaurant information displayed before visiting the restaurant, and the reception screen shown in FIG. 17 may be displayed when accepting an evaluation after actually visiting the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information. When a user who has actually visited the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information evaluates the restaurant, a screen for accepting the evaluation may be displayed on the terminal device 2 when the user's visit to the restaurant is detected based on the user's current location. Alternatively, a store terminal (not shown) installed in the store may function as the terminal device 2, displaying the reception screens exemplified in FIGS. 16 and 17, etc., and the user may input evaluation information by operating the store terminal, which then transmits the evaluation information to the search support system 1.

[0071] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18 of this embodiment. FIG. 18 shows an example in which keywords are associated with restaurants. Evaluation information obtained from each user is stored in the information storage unit 18, for example, in the format shown in FIG. 18. The evaluation information shown in FIG. 18 includes the restaurant name in the restaurant information, keywords associated with the restaurant, and an evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information corresponding to each user. FIG. 18 shows an example in which the reception screen shown in FIG. 17 is displayed when prompting the user to input evaluation information, and the number of selections for each option shown in FIG. 17 is stored as the evaluation result. The evaluation information reception unit 16 updates the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18 based on the evaluation information received via the transmission / reception unit 10. For example, if the received evaluation information is evaluation information about Restaurant A and "fair" is selected for the keyword "sticky," the evaluation information reception unit 16 increments the value of the evaluation result "fair" for Restaurant A corresponding to the keyword "sticky."

[0072] Furthermore, if a keyword is entered in the input field 209, the evaluation information receiving unit 16 may add a keyword of the restaurant corresponding to the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18. Then, the evaluation information receiving unit 16 may update the evaluation result by regarding the added keyword as having been evaluated as "perfect," which indicates that the keyword is the most highly rated. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates an example in which "melts" is entered in the input field 209 of the reception screen shown in FIG. 17, and the keyword "melts" is considered to be "perfect," and the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18 is updated. Note that the keyword entered in the input field 209 may be added to the stored information when the evaluation information receiving unit 16 determines that the same keyword has been entered a certain number of times (the certain number is one or more). Alternatively, the keyword may be added to the stored information when the feedback unit 17 determines that the same keyword has been entered a certain number of times during feedback processing, which will be described later.

[0073] The words entered in the input field 209 may be stored as additional candidate information for each restaurant or menu item in the information storage unit 18, separate from the evaluation information shown in Fig. 18. The evaluation information may also be integrated with the stored information. For example, the evaluation results shown in Fig. 18 may be added to the stored information exemplified in Figs. 3 and 4.

[0074] 18, the evaluation information is stored in the information storage unit 18 in a format in which the number of times each option presented as an evaluation result was selected is tallied, but the evaluation information received from the terminal device 2 may be stored as is in the information storage unit 18. In this case, in the feedback process described later, the number of times each option was selected is tallied based on the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18.

[0075] Note that the operations for accepting inputs and screen transitions on the reception screens shown in Figures 7-11, 16, and 17 are not limited to the above examples. For example, selections may be made using pull-down menus or any other operations may be used.

[0076] Next, a feedback process using the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18 will be described. As described above, the feedback process may be a process of presenting the evaluation information to the operator, manager, or restaurant associate of the search support system 1, or a process in which the search support system 1 automatically reflects the evaluation results in the stored information. The following describes a process in which the search support system 1 automatically reflects the evaluation results in the stored information.

[0077] There are no particular restrictions on when the search support system 1 performs the feedback process, but for example, the feedback process may be performed when instructed to do so by an operator or administrator of the search support system 1. Furthermore, the feedback process may be performed periodically, such as once a month or once every three months, or may be performed whenever a certain number of evaluation information items are received from users.

[0078] When the time comes to perform the feedback process, the feedback unit 17 refers to the evaluation information stored in the information storage unit 18 and updates the stored information by deleting keywords associated with restaurants or restaurant menus included in the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18 that satisfy a deletion condition. The deletion condition may be, for example, a condition that the ratio obtained by dividing the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is inappropriate by the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is appropriate is equal to or greater than a threshold. That is, the deletion condition may be a condition that the ratio of the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is inappropriate to the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is appropriate is equal to or greater than a threshold. In the example shown in FIG. 17 , the evaluation results indicating that the keyword is inappropriate are “completely different” and “slightly different,” while the evaluation results indicating that the keyword is appropriate are “perfect” and “fair.” Weighting may be applied between “completely different” and “slightly different.” For example, the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is “slightly different” and the number of evaluation results indicating that the keyword is fair may be multiplied by a weighting coefficient less than 1 to obtain the ratio. The deletion condition is not limited to the above example and may be a condition indicating that there are many evaluation results indicating that the keyword is inappropriate.

[0079] Next, the hardware configuration of the search support system 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the search support system 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a computer program describing the processing in the search support system 1 is executed on the computer system, causing the computer system to function as the search support system 1. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a computer system that realizes the search support system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, this computer system includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a memory unit 103, a display unit 104, a communication unit 105, and an output unit 106, which are connected via a system bus 107. The control unit 101 and the memory unit 103 form a processing circuit.

[0080] In FIG. 19 , the control unit 101 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes a program describing the processing in the search support system 1 of this embodiment. Note that a part of the control unit 101 may be realized by dedicated hardware such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The input unit 102 is, for example, a button, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, etc. The storage unit 103 includes various types of memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a storage device such as a hard disk, and stores programs to be executed by the control unit 101, necessary data obtained during processing, etc. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for programs. The display unit 104 is, for example, a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Note that the display unit 104 and the input unit 102 may be integrated and realized by a touch panel, etc. The communication unit 105 is a receiver and a transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a speaker or the like. Note that Fig. 19 is just an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of Fig. 19. For example, a computer system that realizes the search support system 1 does not need to include the input unit 102, the display unit 104, and the output unit 106.

[0081] Here, an example of the operation of the computer system until the program of this embodiment is ready to be executed will be described. In the computer system having the above-mentioned configuration, for example, a computer program is installed in storage unit 103 from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM inserted in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). Then, when the program is executed, the program read from storage unit 103 is stored in the main storage area of ​​storage unit 103. In this state, control unit 101 executes processing as search support system 1 of this embodiment in accordance with the program stored in storage unit 103.

[0082] In the above explanation, a program describing the processing in the search support system 1 is provided on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium, but this is not limited to this. Depending on the configuration of the computer system, the capacity of the program to be provided, etc., a program provided via a transmission medium such as the Internet may also be used.

[0083] The program of this embodiment, for example, causes a computer system to execute the steps of accepting a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from among the preference information, and outputting restaurant information corresponding to the accepted selection result based on stored information that associates the preference information with restaurant information, which is information about restaurants.

[0084] The area information acquisition unit 11, area designation acceptance unit 12, keyword output unit 13, selection acceptance unit 14, restaurant information output unit 15, review information acceptance unit 16, and feedback unit 17 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by a computer program stored in a storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 19 being executed by a control unit 101 shown in FIG. 19. At least one of the input unit 102 and the communication unit 105 shown in FIG. 9 is also used to realize the area information acquisition unit 11. The area designation acceptance unit 12, selection acceptance unit 14, keyword output unit 13, and restaurant information output unit 15 are also realized by the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 19. The input unit 102 may also be used to realize the area designation acceptance unit 12, selection acceptance unit 14, and review information acceptance unit 16. When the keyword output unit 13 and restaurant information output unit 15 perform display, the keyword output unit 13 and restaurant information output unit 15 are also realized by a display unit 104 shown in FIG. 19. The transmitting / receiving unit 10 shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Fig. 19. The information storage unit 18 shown in Fig. 1 is part of the storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 19. The search support system 1 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. Furthermore, for example, the search support system 1 may be realized by a cloud computer system.

[0085] The terminal device 2 shown in Fig. 1 is also realized by the computer system exemplified in Fig. 19. The input receiving unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the input unit 102 shown in Fig. 19. The transmitting / receiving unit 22 shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the communication unit 105 shown in Fig. 19. The information display unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the display unit 104 shown in Fig. 19.

[0086] As described above, in this embodiment, the search support system 1 presents the user with keywords including at least one of words related to the five senses other than taste and words expressing "mood," and outputs restaurant information using the keywords selected by the user. This allows the search support system 1 of this embodiment to present search results for restaurants that reflect the user's preferences, including those other than taste.

[0087] Embodiment 2 FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment. An information processing system 100a according to this embodiment includes a search support system 1a and a terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The search support system 1a is the same as the search support system 1 according to the first embodiment, except that it includes a restaurant information output unit 15a and an information storage unit 18a instead of the restaurant information output unit 15 and the information storage unit 18. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the information storage unit 18 stores stored information in which restaurant information and keywords are directly associated with each other, i.e., stored information indicating rules. However, in the present embodiment, the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18a is a trained model generated by machine learning. In the present embodiment, a trained model is generated by machine learning such as supervised learning using a plurality of pieces of training data each consisting of keywords and divided areas (divided areas corresponding to restaurants in the restaurant information) as feature quantities, and restaurant information as ground truth data, and the trained model is stored in the information storage unit 18a as stored information. This trained model is a trained model for inferring restaurant information corresponding to the input feature quantities. The restaurant information output unit 15a inputs the keywords received from the selection receiving unit 14 and the designated area received from the area designation receiving unit 12 as feature quantities into the trained model, thereby acquiring restaurant information corresponding to the keywords and outputting the acquired restaurant information. Note that if the user does not designate an area, the designated area need not be included in the feature quantities.

[0089] Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of restaurant information output unit 15a according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 21, restaurant information output unit 15a includes model generation unit 151 and inference unit 152. Fig. 21 also shows information storage unit 18a, but information stored in information storage unit 18a other than stored information (trained model) is omitted from Fig. 21.

[0090] The model generation unit 151 generates a trained model through machine learning using multiple pieces of training data consisting of keywords and divided areas as feature quantities and restaurant information as ground truth data, and stores the generated trained model in the information storage unit 18a. This trained model is a trained model for inferring restaurant information from keywords and a specified area (specified divided area). Any algorithm may be used for machine learning, but a neural network (neural network model) may be used, for example. The inference unit 152 inputs the keywords received from the selection receiving unit 14 and the specified area received from the area designation receiving unit 12 into the trained model, thereby acquiring restaurant information as the output of the trained model, and outputs the acquired restaurant information.

[0091] A neural network consists of an input layer consisting of multiple neurons, an intermediate layer (hidden layer) consisting of multiple neurons, and an output layer consisting of multiple neurons. The intermediate layer may be one layer, or two or more layers.

[0092] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a neural network. For example, in a three-layer neural network as shown in Figure 22, when multiple inputs are input to the input layer (X1-X3), the values ​​are multiplied by weight W1 (w11-w16) and input to the intermediate layer (Y1-Y2), and the result is further multiplied by weight W2 (w21-w26) and output from the output layer (Z1-Z3). This output result varies depending on the value of weight W1 and the value of weight W2.

[0093] In this embodiment, the weights W1 and W2 are adjusted so that the output from the output layer when a feature is input approaches the correct data, thereby learning the relationship between the feature and the correct data. Note that the machine learning algorithm is not limited to a neural network, and may be other algorithms such as a support vector machine. Furthermore, the machine learning used to generate the trained model is not limited to supervised learning, and may be reinforcement learning or the like.

[0094] Note that the items included in the restaurant information used by the model generation unit 151 to generate the trained model do not have to be the same as the items included in the restaurant information presented to the user. For example, when outputting restaurant information to be presented to the user on a restaurant-by-restaurant basis, only the store name, etc., that can identify the restaurant among the items included in the restaurant information to be presented to the user, may be used to generate the trained model, and the restaurant information to be presented to the user may be separately stored in the information storage unit 18a. In this case, the inference unit 152 reads restaurant information corresponding to the store name from the information storage unit 18a based on the store name obtained as output from the trained model, and outputs the read restaurant information. When outputting restaurant information to be presented to the user on a restaurant menu-by-menu basis, only the store name and menu name among the items included in the restaurant information to be presented to the user may be used to generate the trained model, and the restaurant information to be presented to the user may be separately stored in the information storage unit 18a. In this case, the inference unit 152 reads restaurant information corresponding to the store name and menu name from the information storage unit 18a based on the store name and menu name obtained as output from the trained model, and outputs the read restaurant information.

[0095] When the model generation unit 151 generates a trained model, for example, restaurant information and corresponding keywords are acquired in the same manner as when restaurant information and keywords are acquired to store memory information in the information storage unit 18 in the first embodiment. Then, a divided area corresponding to the restaurant information is identified based on the location in the restaurant information (the location of the restaurant), and a training dataset is generated using the identified divided area. The identification of the divided area corresponding to the restaurant information may be performed by an operator, administrator, or the like of the search support system 1a, or may be performed by the model generation unit 151. The model generation unit 151 may receive the training dataset via the transmission / reception unit 10 from a terminal device operable by an operator, administrator, or the like of the search support system 1a, or may accept the training dataset as an input from an operator, administrator, or the like of the search support system 1a.

[0096] Note that, during the inference phase, i.e., during processing by the inference unit 152, multiple sectional areas may be input as designated areas. Therefore, a training dataset may be generated for each combination of multiple sectional areas based on the acquired restaurant information, keywords, and identified sectional areas. Alternatively, the training dataset may not include the sectional areas, and the model generation unit 151 may generate a trained model for each sectional area using multiple pieces of training data consisting of keywords as feature quantities and restaurant information as correct answer data. In this case, the inference unit 152 acquires restaurant information by inputting the keywords received from the selection receiving unit 14 into a trained model corresponding to the sectional area designated as the designated area. When multiple sectional areas are designated as the designated area, the inference unit 152 inputs the keywords into multiple trained models corresponding to the designated multiple sectional areas, respectively. The inference unit 152 acquires restaurant information as the output of each of the multiple trained models.

[0097] 20 and 21 illustrate an example in which restaurant information output unit 15a includes model generation unit 151, but model generation unit 151 may be provided separately from restaurant information output unit 15a within search support system 1a. Also, a learning device (not shown) including model generation unit 151 may be provided separately from search support system 1a, and a trained model generated by the learning device may be stored as memory information in information storage unit 18a.

[0098] In the search support system 1a of this embodiment, instead of step S2 shown in FIG. 2, the model generation unit 151 generates a trained model. Furthermore, in step S3 shown in FIG. 2, instead of extracting keywords corresponding to the divided areas using stored information, the search support system 1a stores, for example, the restaurant information acquired in step S1 and the corresponding keywords in the information storage unit 18a as correspondence information, and extracts keywords corresponding to the divided areas using the correspondence information in the same manner as the stored information in the first embodiment. Furthermore, when adding keywords based on evaluation information, the search support system 1a may create training data with the added keywords and perform additional training to update the trained model, or may recreate the trained model. Similarly, when updating keywords through feedback processing, the search support system 1a may create training data with the updated keywords and perform additional training to update the trained model, or may recreate the trained model. Other than the above, the operations of the search support system 1a and the terminal device 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above example, machine learning is used to obtain restaurant information from keywords and a specified area, but machine learning may also be used to generate the stored information indicating the rules described in the first embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment in which machine learning is used to generate the stored information indicating the rules. The information processing system 100b shown in FIG. 23 includes a search support system 1b and a terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 is the same as that in the first embodiment. The search support system 1b is the same as the search support system 1 in the first embodiment, except that a model generation unit 19 and an inference unit 20 are added, and an information storage unit 18b is provided instead of the information storage unit 18. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0100] The model generation unit 19 uses a plurality of training datasets each consisting of information related to restaurants as features and keywords as correct answer data to generate a trained model for inferring keywords corresponding to the information related to restaurants from the information, and stores the generated trained model in the information storage unit 18b. The machine learning algorithm in the model generation unit 19 is the same as the machine learning algorithm in the model generation unit 151, and may be a neural network, a support vector machine, or other algorithms.

[0101] The restaurant-related information used as features may include the same information as the restaurant information described in the first embodiment, or may include different information. The restaurant-related information used as features may include at least one of an image of the restaurant's interior, an image of the restaurant's exterior, a menu name, a general dish name corresponding to the menu, a description of the menu, an image of the menu, an image of the restaurant's surroundings, and the genre of the restaurant. The menu name is the name of the menu used at the restaurant that serves the menu, and the general dish name corresponding to the menu is the name of the dish when the menu is classified as a general dish name. For example, if a restaurant serves a cheese-filled omelet with the name "Plenty of Cheese," "Plenty of Cheese" is the menu name and "Omelette" is the general dish name corresponding to the menu. The training data may be information corresponding to restaurants within the service area of ​​the search support system 1b or may be information corresponding to restaurants outside the service area. Furthermore, non-existent, simulated images may be used as features in the training data.

[0102] The model generation unit 19 may accept the training dataset as an input from the operator, manager, or restaurant staff of the search support system 1b, or may receive the training dataset from a terminal device operable by the operator, manager, or restaurant staff of the search support system 1b via the transmission / reception unit 10. Note that when associating keywords with restaurants, it is not necessary to include information about the menu in the feature, but when associating keywords with the menu of a restaurant, information about the menu should be included in the feature.

[0103] The inference unit 20 infers a keyword by inputting the feature values ​​of a restaurant to which a keyword is to be associated, i.e., a restaurant that is the target of keyword inference, into the trained model stored in the information storage unit 18b. The inference unit 20 generates stored information stored in the information storage unit 18 using the keyword obtained as the inference result. Note that, for restaurants for which keywords used as a training dataset have already been determined, for example, stored information indicating rules similar to those in the first embodiment may be stored in the information storage unit 18b. In this case, the inference unit 20 adds restaurant information corresponding to the keyword acquired from the trained model to the stored information stored in the information storage unit 18b. In this way, adding information to the stored information and updating it is also part of generating the stored information. Regarding the restaurant information corresponding to a keyword, if the feature values ​​include all of the restaurant information to be presented to the user, the inference unit 20 may extract the restaurant information from the feature values. Alternatively, if the restaurant information to be presented to the user includes an item not included in the feature values, information on that item may be separately acquired and stored in the stored information.

[0104] In addition, when associating keywords with restaurant menus, the inference unit 20 obtains keywords by inputting features corresponding to the restaurant menu into the trained model, and generates memory information in the same manner as in the example described above.

[0105] The search support system 1b performs the same operations as in the first embodiment using the stored information generated in this way. The search support system 1b can determine keywords for restaurants or restaurant menus for which keywords have not been determined by inputting features into a trained model. This automatically determines keywords for similar restaurants (or restaurant menus) that have been trained in the past for a restaurant (or restaurant menu) for which a new keyword is to be set, thereby eliminating the need to manually determine keywords.

[0106] 23 has described an example in which search support system 1b includes model generation unit 19 and inference unit 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. A learning device (not shown) including model generation unit 19 may be provided separately from search support system 1b, and a trained model generated by the learning device may be stored in information storage unit 18b. Alternatively, the learning device may also include inference unit 20, and stored information generated by inference unit 20 may be stored in information storage unit 18b of search support system 1b.

[0107] Similar to the search support system 1 of the first embodiment, the search support systems 1a and 1b of the present embodiment are realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in FIG. 19. The information storage units 18a and 18b are part of the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15a, the model generation unit 19, and the inference unit 20 are realized by the control unit 101 illustrated in FIG. 19 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15a, the model generation unit 19, and the inference unit 20 are realized by using the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15a, the model generation unit 19, and the inference unit 20 are realized by using the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15a and the model generation unit 19 may also be realized by using the input unit 102. When the restaurant information output unit 15a performs display, the restaurant information output unit 15a is also realized by using the display unit 104 illustrated in FIG. 19.

[0108] Embodiment 3 FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the third embodiment. An information processing system 100c according to this embodiment includes a search support system 1c and a terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The search support system 1c is the same as the search support system 1 according to the first embodiment, except that it includes a restaurant information output unit 15b and an information storage unit 18c instead of the restaurant information output unit 15 and the information storage unit 18. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0109] The search support system 1c of this embodiment may be used as part of regional revitalization in cooperation with local governments, for example. When used as part of regional revitalization, the area targeted for regional revitalization (target area) is set as the service target area. In this case, the keywords may include dialects spoken in the target area.

[0110] Fig. 25 is a diagram showing another example of a reception screen for receiving a keyword selection result of this embodiment. Fig. 25 shows an example in which keywords to be selected are displayed together, similar to Fig. 10. For example, if the above-mentioned region is Hokkaido, the keyword "yakkoi" indicating softness may be included as a keyword indicating "texture."

[0111] The information storage unit 18c stores coupon information, which is information for displaying coupons. The coupons may include coupons corresponding to each restaurant, coupons that can be used at places other than restaurants in the target area, or coupons that can be used at any restaurant in the target area. Coupons that can be used at places other than restaurants in the target area include, but are not limited to, discount tickets for trains in the target area, discount tickets for admission to tourist facilities in the target area, discount tickets for art museums in the target area, and discount tickets for accommodation facilities in the target area. The coupon information may be associated with restaurants or divided areas. Furthermore, the coupon information does not have to be associated with restaurants or divided areas. In the case of coupons corresponding to each restaurant, the coupon information may be included in the stored information and stored in association with the restaurant information.

[0112] Restaurant information output unit 15b outputs restaurant information, as in the first embodiment. At this time, restaurant information output unit 15b may output coupon information along with the restaurant information. Specifically, restaurant information output unit 15b transmits the restaurant information and the coupon information to terminal device 2 via transmission / reception unit 10. Terminal device 2 displays the received restaurant information and coupon information. Alternatively, restaurant information output unit 15b may output the coupon information separately from the restaurant information. When the coupon information is associated with a restaurant, restaurant information output unit 15b outputs coupon information corresponding to the restaurant information to be output (the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant). When the coupon information is associated with a divided area, restaurant information output unit 15b outputs coupon information corresponding to the specified area. Furthermore, when coupon information is not associated with a restaurant or a divided area and multiple pieces of coupon information exist, restaurant information output unit 15b may output any of the coupon information. For example, restaurant information output unit 15b may randomly select and output coupon information. Note that multiple pieces of coupon information may be output. For example, both coupon information indicating coupons for restaurants and coupon information indicating coupons that can be used at places other than restaurants in the target area may be output.

[0113] Fig. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for restaurant information according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 26, coupon information showing coupons for restaurants is displayed together with the restaurant information. Fig. 26 shows an example in which coupon information showing coupons for restaurants is displayed, but as described above, coupon information showing coupons that can be used at places other than restaurants in the target area may also be displayed.

[0114] In addition, restaurant information output unit 15b may output information indicating how to get to a restaurant, i.e., route guidance information indicating a route to the restaurant, along with the restaurant information. The starting point in the route guidance information may be specified by the user or may be the current location of terminal device 2. For example, if terminal device 2 is equipped with a position detection device that detects its current location, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and the user specifies setting the current location as the starting point, restaurant information output unit 15b may set the current location of terminal device 2 as the starting point. The route guidance information may be obtained from an external route search system (not shown), or search support system 1c may be equipped with a route search unit that generates the route guidance information. In addition, in the first embodiment, map 208 shown in FIG. 15 may be provided by an external website, and the external website may present the route guidance information.

[0115] Furthermore, restaurant information output unit 15b may acquire a travel plan that includes visits to restaurants corresponding to the restaurant information to be output from a travel agency system (not shown) operated by a travel agency via transmitter / receiver 10, and output the acquired travel plan together with the restaurant information. Alternatively, travel plans corresponding to each restaurant may be stored in advance in information storage unit 18c, and restaurant information output unit 15b may read out the corresponding travel plan from the travel plans stored in information storage unit 18c, and output the read out travel plan together with the restaurant information.

[0116] Similar to the search support system 1 of the first embodiment, the search support system 1c of this embodiment is realized by, for example, the computer system illustrated in FIG. 19. The information storage unit 18c is part of the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15b is realized by the control unit 101 illustrated in FIG. 19 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. The restaurant information output unit 15b is realized by also using the storage unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 19. When the restaurant information output unit 15b performs display, the restaurant information output unit 15b is also realized by using the display unit 104 illustrated in FIG. 19.

[0117] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the search support system 1c both sets keywords including dialects and outputs coupon information, but it may also perform only one of these functions. Furthermore, the search support system 1c may output at least one of the above-described travel plans and route guidance information without outputting coupon information. Furthermore, the search support system 1c may perform the above-described operations when it is not used as part of regional revitalization or local development. Furthermore, the search support systems 1a and 1b described in embodiment 2 may perform the operations described in this embodiment.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, the search support system 1c can encourage users to visit not only restaurants but also other places by outputting coupon information indicating coupons that can be used at places other than restaurants in the target area, thereby contributing to the regional revitalization of the target area.

[0119] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0120] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0121] (Appendix 1) A search support system that supports restaurant searches, an information storage unit that stores stored information in which preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood is associated with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; a selection receiving unit that receives a selection result indicating the preference information selected by a user from the preference information; a restaurant information output unit that outputs the restaurant information corresponding to the selection result accepted by the selection accepting unit based on the stored information; A search support system comprising: (Appendix 2) The search support system described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the stored information is a trained model generated by machine learning for inferring the restaurant information corresponding to the preference information from the preference information. (Appendix 3) The search support system described in Appendix 1 is characterized in that the stored information is generated using inference results obtained by inputting features of the restaurant that is the target of inferring preference information into a trained model for inferring preference information from features that are information related to restaurants, which is generated by machine learning. (Appendix 4) an area designation receiving unit that acquires a designated area, which is a search target area designated by the user; Equipped with The search support system described in any one of Appendices 1 to 3 is characterized in that the restaurant information output unit extracts the restaurant information corresponding to the selection result accepted by the selection acceptance unit from the restaurant information corresponding to restaurants located within the specified area based on the stored information, and outputs the extracted restaurant information. (Appendix 5) The search support system described in any one of appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that the restaurant information output unit outputs route guidance information indicating a route to the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information output. (Appendix 6) The search support system according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the preference information includes a dialect in a target area that is a search target area for the restaurant. (Appendix 7) The search support system described in any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs coupon information indicating coupons for the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information to be output. (Appendix 8) The search support system described in any one of Appendices 1 to 7, wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs coupon information indicating coupons that can be used at places other than the restaurant in the target area that is the area to be searched for the restaurant. (Appendix 9) The search support system described in any one of appendices 1 to 8, wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs a travel plan that includes a visit to the restaurant corresponding to the output restaurant information. (Appendix 10) A search support method in a search support system, comprising: receiving a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood; outputting the restaurant information corresponding to the received selection result based on stored information that associates the preference information with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; A search support method comprising: (Appendix 11) In the computer system, receiving a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood; outputting the restaurant information corresponding to the received selection result based on stored information that associates the preference information with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; A program characterized by executing the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1,1a,1b,1c Search support system, 2 Terminal device, 10,22 Transmitter / receiver unit, 11 Area information acquisition unit, 12 Area designation reception unit, 13 Keyword output unit, 14 Selection reception unit, 15,15a,15b Restaurant information output unit, 16 Evaluation information reception unit, 17 Feedback unit, 18,18a,18b,18c Information storage unit, 19,151 Model generation unit, 20,152 Inference unit, 21 Input reception unit, 23 Information display unit, 100,100a,100b,100c Information processing system.

Claims

1. A search support system that supports restaurant searches, an information storage unit that stores stored information in which preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood is associated with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; a selection receiving unit that receives a selection result indicating the preference information selected by a user from the preference information; a restaurant information output unit that outputs the restaurant information corresponding to the selection result accepted by the selection accepting unit based on the stored information; A search support system comprising:

2. The search support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the stored information is a trained model generated by machine learning for inferring the restaurant information corresponding to the preference information from the preference information.

3. The search support system of claim 1, characterized in that the stored information is generated using inference results obtained by inputting features of the restaurant to be inferred as preference information into a trained model generated by machine learning for inferring preference information from features that are information related to restaurants.

4. an area designation receiving unit that acquires a designated area, which is a search target area designated by the user; Equipped with The search support system described in claim 1, characterized in that the restaurant information output unit extracts the restaurant information corresponding to the selection result accepted by the selection accepting unit from the restaurant information corresponding to restaurants located within the specified area based on the stored information, and outputs the extracted restaurant information.

5. The search support system according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs route guidance information indicating a route to the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information to be output.

6. The search support system according to claim 1 , wherein the preference information includes a dialect spoken in a target area that is a search target area for the restaurant.

7. The search support system according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs coupon information indicating coupons for the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information to be output.

8. The search support system according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs coupon information indicating coupons that can be used at places other than the restaurant in a target area that is a search target area for the restaurant.

9. The search support system according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant information output unit outputs a travel plan including a visit to the restaurant corresponding to the restaurant information to be output.

10. A search support method in a search support system, comprising: receiving a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood; outputting the restaurant information corresponding to the received selection result based on stored information that associates the preference information with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; A search support method comprising:

11. In the computer system, receiving a selection result indicating preference information selected by a user from preference information including at least one of words related to texture, words related to aroma, and words related to mood; outputting the restaurant information corresponding to the received selection result based on stored information that associates the preference information with restaurant information that is information related to restaurants; A program characterized by executing the following.

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