Information processing system

Abstract

To provide an information processing system which can efficiently support acquisition of a concrete article image by a consumer.SOLUTION: An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention has a first acquiring unit, a second acquiring unit, a retrieval unit, an evaluation unit, and a presentation unit. The first acquiring unit acquires customer information including information relating to tendency of an interest of a customer. The second acquiring unit acquires article information relating to a target article as a target of consideration of purchase by the customer. The retrieval unit retrieves related contents including images relating to the target article from a plurality of contents including images stored in an external storage device. The evaluation unit, based on the customer information, evaluates priority of the retrieved related content. The presentation unit, in accordance with the priority, presents the related content to the customer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, consumers have been searching for products using EC (Electronic Commerce) sites and SNS (Social Networking Services). For example, consumers may perform image searches based on product names or brand names.

[0003] However, image searches based on product names or brand names may not always yield the images consumers are looking for. To address this issue, there are known technologies that help consumers understand their own sensibilities and values ​​and provide them with information about clothing and fashion.

[0004] However, the information provided by the prior art may not lead to the specific product image that consumers are looking for. In this case, consumers are unable to obtain a specific product image, which may hinder their purchasing consideration. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing system that can efficiently support consumers in acquiring a concrete product image. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing system according to an embodiment includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a search unit, an evaluation unit, and a presentation unit. The first acquisition unit acquires customer information including information on trends in customer interests. The second acquisition unit acquires product information related to a target product that the customer is considering purchasing. The search unit searches for related content including images related to the target product from multiple content including images stored in an external device based on the product information. The evaluation unit evaluates the priority of the searched related content based on the customer information. The presentation unit presents the related content to the customer according to the priority. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a purchase support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a customer terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a customer information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product name DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a consideration list according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the related information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the purchase support system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing system will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is one embodiment of an information processing system, and is not intended to limit the configuration, specifications, etc. of the information processing system.

[0009] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a purchasing support system 1 according to an embodiment. The purchasing support system 1 is a system that supports a customer's purchasing consideration by presenting images related to products the customer is considering purchasing to the customer.

[0010] In this embodiment, a purchase support system 1 is described that supports a customer's purchase consideration by presenting to the customer images related to clothing and other apparel items as products that the customer purchases in a store. However, the purchase support system 1 is not limited to presenting to the customer images related to apparel items, but may also present images related to accessories, shoes, or other products.

[0011] The purchase support system 1 includes a customer terminal 10, a display device 20, a management server 30, and a store server 40. The customer terminal 10, the display device 20, the management server 30, and the store server 40 are connected via a network 50 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0012] The purchase support system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes one customer terminal 10, one display device 20, one management server 30, and one store server 40. However, the numbers of customer terminals 10, display devices 20, management servers 30, and store servers 40 may be changed as desired. Furthermore, the purchase support system 1 may include devices and systems not shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] The customer terminal 10 is a device operated by a customer. For example, the customer terminal 10 is a device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The customer terminal 10 accepts various inputs from the customer related to the purchasing support service provided to the customer.

[0014] The display device 20 is a device that has the function of displaying various images. For example, the display device 20 is installed in a fitting room of a store. In the fitting room of the store, the display device 20 displays images related to products that a customer is considering purchasing.

[0015] The display device 20 may be, for example, a digital signage device, a tablet terminal, or a digital mirror device that has a mirror function that reflects visible light to show the customer's appearance, etc., and a display function that displays various images.

[0016] The management server 30 is a device that manages the purchase support system 1. For example, the management server 30 searches various SNSs (Social Networking Services) for images related to a target product that a customer is considering purchasing. The management server 30 displays the searched images related to the target product on the display device 20. For example, the management server 30 is an information processing device such as a server device or a personal computer.

[0017] The store server 40 is a device that manages product information related to products. For example, the store server 40 is installed in a store where a customer is staying. In this case, the store server 40 manages information indicating the inventory status, arrival schedule, and campaigns (sales, etc.) of products available at the store. For example, the store server 40 is an information processing device such as a server device or a personal computer.

[0018] The store server 40 may be a device that manages information such as product inventory status, arrival schedule, and campaign information on an EC (Electronic Commerce) site.

[0019] Next, we will explain the hardware configuration of each device included in the purchase support system 1. Note that the hardware configuration of each device below is an example, and the hardware configuration of each device is not limited to the following configuration.

[0020] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the customer terminal 10 according to the embodiment. The customer terminal 10 includes a processor 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a storage unit 103, a communication unit 104, a display unit 105, an operation unit 106, and an imaging unit 107. These units are connected via an internal bus 108.

[0021] The processor 101 is a processing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the operation of the customer terminal 10. The RAM 102 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 101 uses the RAM 102 as a work area to execute the control program 111 and the like stored in the storage unit 103.

[0022] The storage unit 103 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The storage unit 103 stores a control program 111. The control program 111 is a program for implementing an operating system and functions possessed by the customer terminal 10. The control program 111 includes a program for implementing characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0023] The communication unit 104 is a communication device such as a network interface card, etc. For example, the communication unit 104 executes communication via the network 50.

[0024] The display unit 105 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0025] The operation unit 106 is an input device that accepts various operations such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel provided on the display unit 105.

[0026] The imaging unit 107 is a digital camera having an imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).

[0027] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the display device 20 according to the embodiment. The display device 20 includes a processor 201, a RAM 202, a storage unit 203, a communication unit 204, a display unit 205, an operation unit 206, and an RFID reader 207. These units are connected via an internal bus 208.

[0028] The processor 201 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the display device 20. The RAM 202 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 201 executes the control program 211 stored in the storage unit 203, using the RAM 202 as a work area.

[0029] The storage unit 203 is an auxiliary storage device such as a HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The storage unit 203 stores a control program 211. The control program 211 is a program for implementing an operating system and functions of the display device 20. The control program 211 includes a program for implementing characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0030] The communication unit 204 is a communication device such as a network interface card, etc. For example, the communication unit 204 executes communication via the network 50.

[0031] The display unit 205 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0032] The operation unit 206 is an input device that accepts various operations such as hardware buttons and a touch panel provided on the display unit 205.

[0033] The RFID reader 207 is a device that reads an RFID tag attached to a product. For example, the RFID reader 207 is provided on the rear side of the display unit 205 (the surface opposite to the surface on which an image is displayed).

[0034] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 30 according to the first embodiment. The management server 30 includes a processor 301, a RAM 302, a storage unit 303, a communication unit 304, a display unit 305, and an operation unit 306. These units are connected via an internal bus 307.

[0035] The processor 301 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the management server 30. The RAM 302 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 301 uses the RAM 302 as a work area to execute the control program 311 and the like stored in the storage unit 303.

[0036] The storage unit 303 is an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD, SSD, flash memory, etc. For example, the storage unit 303 stores a control program 311, a search support model 312, a customer information DB 313, a product name DB 314, and a consideration list 315. Note that the search support model 312, the customer information DB 313, the product name DB 314, and the consideration list 315 are not limited to being stored in the storage unit 303 of the management server 30, and may be stored in other devices.

[0037] The control program 311 is a program for implementing the functions of the operating system and the management server 30. The control program 311 includes a program for implementing the characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0038] The search support model 312 is a trained model trained using known machine learning (including deep learning) techniques, and is used to search for images related to a target product on various SNSs.

[0039] For example, the search support model 312 is a trained model that compares the features of a product image with the features of each image on an SNS to calculate indices such as similarity and relevance, and calculates the indices with weighting according to product information such as the product name, thereby extracting images similar to the product image or images of related products. As an example, the search support model 312 outputs images similar to the product image or images of related products extracted from various SNSs in response to input of a product image and product name (product information).

[0040] The product information may include a brand name in addition to a product image and a product name.

[0041] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of customer information DB (Data Base) 313. Customer information DB 313 is a database that stores information about customers. More specifically, customer information DB 313 stores a customer code and personal information for each customer in association with each other.

[0042] The customer code is identification information for identifying a customer. The personal information is personal information about the customer, including, for example, purchase history and social media information.

[0043] The purchase history is information indicating the history of products purchased by a customer. The SNS information is information indicating the SNS account used by the customer. The SNS information may be information indicating accounts for multiple SNS platforms.

[0044] The information included in the personal information is not limited to the above example, and may include, for example, the age and gender of the customer.

[0045] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product name DB 314. The product name DB 314 is a database related to product names. Specifically, the product name DB 314 stores product codes and product names in association with each other for each product.

[0046] The product code is identification information for identifying the product. The product name is the name of the product.

[0047] It should be noted that the data configuration of the product name DB 314 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 6. For example, the product name DB 314 may store the brand name, product price, etc. of the corresponding product in association with the product code.

[0048] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of consideration list 315. Consideration list 315 is a database that contains information related to target products that a customer is considering purchasing. Specifically, consideration list 315 stores, for each target product, a product code, product information, related information, and related content in association with each other.

[0049] The product code is identification information for identifying the target product. The product information is information about the target product. For example, the product information includes a product image, a product name, and a product price. Note that the product information may also include other information.

[0050] The product image is an image of the target product. The product name is the name of the target product. The product price is the price of the target product. The product price may be the price of the target product at a store specified by the user (or actually visited) by the user, or the price of the target product on an e-commerce site.

[0051] The product price may be information indicating the price of the target product for each store (EC site) for all stores and EC sites from which the price of the target product can be obtained. The product price may also include information such as the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

[0052] The related information is information about a target product that is related to the customer's purchase consideration. For example, the related information includes campaign information and inventory information. Note that the related information may also include information other than these.

[0053] The campaign information is information related to a campaign for a target product. For example, the campaign information includes the campaign period and campaign details. Note that the campaign information may also include other information.

[0054] The campaign period is information indicating the period during which the campaign will be implemented. The campaign details are information indicating the details of the campaign. Specifically, the campaign details are information indicating the applicable conditions, discounts at the time of purchase, points redemption at the time of purchase, and related product gifts at the time of purchase.

[0055] The inventory information is information about the target product related to the inventory of the target product. For example, the inventory information includes information about the availability of stock and the expected arrival date. Note that the inventory information may also include information other than these.

[0056] The stock availability is information indicating whether or not the target product is in stock. The stock availability may be information indicating whether or not the product is in stock at a store specified by the user, or may be information indicating whether or not the product is in stock at an e-commerce site.

[0057] Furthermore, the stock availability may be information indicating the availability of stock in all stores and the entire EC site from which stock-related information can be obtained. In this case, the stock availability may include information indicating the stores (or EC sites) that have stock.

[0058] The arrival schedule is information indicating the expected arrival date of the target product. For example, the arrival schedule is information indicating when the target product is expected to arrive if the inventory status is out of stock. The arrival schedule may be information indicating when the target product is expected to arrive at a store specified by the user, or may be information indicating when the target product is expected to arrive at an e-commerce site.

[0059] The arrival schedule may also be information indicating when the target product is scheduled to arrive at all stores and all e-commerce sites from which inventory-related information can be obtained. In this case, the arrival schedule may include information indicating the stores (or e-commerce sites) where the product is scheduled to arrive.

[0060] 4, the description will continue. The communication unit 304 is a communication device such as a network interface card. For example, the communication unit 304 executes communication via the network 50.

[0061] The display unit 305 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0062] The operation unit 306 is an input device that accepts various operations such as hardware buttons and a touch panel provided on the display unit 305.

[0063] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the store server 40 according to the embodiment. The store server 40 includes a processor 401, a RAM 402, a storage unit 403, a communication unit 404, a display unit 405, and an operation unit 406. These units are connected via an internal bus 407.

[0064] The processor 401 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the store server 40. The RAM 402 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and data. The processor 401 uses the RAM 402 as a work area to execute the control program 411 and the like stored in the storage unit 403.

[0065] The storage unit 403 is an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, etc. For example, the storage unit 403 stores a control program 411 and a related information DB 412.

[0066] The control program 411 is a program for implementing the operating system and functions of the store server 40. The control program 411 includes a program for implementing the characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0067] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the related information DB 412. The related information DB 412 is a database that contains information related to customers' purchase considerations of products sold in a store (or an e-commerce site). Specifically, the related information DB 412 stores, for each product sold in the store, a product code, product information, and related information in association with each other.

[0068] The product code, product information, and related information are similar to the product code, product information, and related information of the consideration list 315 in FIG. 7, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] 8, the description will continue. The communication unit 404 is a communication device such as a network interface card. For example, the communication unit 404 executes communication via the network 50.

[0070] The display unit 405 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0071] The operation unit 406 is an input device that accepts various operations such as hardware buttons and a touch panel provided on the display unit 405.

[0072] Next, we will explain the functions of each device in the purchase support system 1. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device in the purchase support system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0073] The processor 201 included in the display device 20 loads the control program 211 stored in the storage unit 203 into the RAM 202, and operates in accordance with the control program 211 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 202. As a result, the processor 201 included in the display device 20 includes, as functional units, a product code acquisition unit 2001 and a display control unit 2002.

[0074] The product code acquisition unit 2001 acquires a product code for identifying a product that a customer is considering purchasing. For example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 controls the RFID reader 207 to receive the product code from an RFID tag attached to the product, thereby acquiring the product code.

[0075] Specifically, when the product code acquisition unit 2001 receives a product code acquisition instruction from the customer terminal 10, it controls the RFID reader 207 to acquire the product code by receiving the product code from the RFID tag attached to the product.

[0076] Then, the product code acquisition unit 2001 transmits the acquired product code to the customer terminal 10 as a response to the product code acquisition instruction.

[0077] The product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire the product code based on a wireless tag other than an RFID tag and a reader capable of receiving data from the wireless tag.

[0078] Furthermore, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may be configured to provide an imaging unit similar to the imaging unit 107 of the customer terminal 10 in the display device 20, and acquire the product code from image data captured by the imaging unit.

[0079] For example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire a product code represented by a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code by decoding the code symbol. Alternatively, for example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire a product code represented by numbers or letters by OCR (Optical Character Recognition).

[0080] Furthermore, for example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may identify a product code based on a product included in the image data and correspondence information that associates a product image with a product code. The correspondence information may be stored in an external device or in the storage unit 203. In this case, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire a product code by referring to the correspondence information and identifying a product code that corresponds to a product included in the image data.

[0081] Alternatively, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire a product code based on an input from a customer. For example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 may acquire a product code based on an operation received by the operation unit 206.

[0082] The display control unit 2002 displays various images on the display unit 205. For example, the display control unit 2002 displays related content including a related image of the target product received from the management server 30 on the display unit 205.

[0083] The processor 101 of the customer terminal 10 loads the control program 111 stored in the storage unit 103 into the RAM 102 and operates in accordance with the control program 111 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 102. As a result, the processor 101 of the customer terminal 10 has, as functional units, a display control unit 1001, an operation control unit 1002, a customer code acquisition unit 1003, a product image acquisition unit 1004, and a product code acquisition unit 1005.

[0084] The display control unit 1001 displays various images on the display unit 105. For example, the display control unit 1001 displays on the display unit 105 a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for instructing various operations related to the purchasing support service.

[0085] The operation control unit 1002 accepts various operations from the customer via the operation unit 106. For example, the operation control unit 1002 accepts, from the customer via the GUI displayed on the display unit 105, an input operation of a customer code for using the purchasing support service.

[0086] In addition to the above, the operation control unit 1002 may also accept from the customer an input operation of a password for using the purchasing support service. Also, the operation control unit 1002 may accept, instead of a customer code, an input operation of a user name that can uniquely identify the customer.

[0087] The operation control unit 1002 also receives, via the GUI, an instruction to add the target product to the consideration list 315. Specifically, the operation control unit 1002 receives an input from the customer pressing a "Buy Later" button that is displayed on the display unit 105 together with information indicating the target product.

[0088] The customer code acquisition unit 1003 acquires a customer code for identifying a customer. For example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 acquires the customer code through an operation accepted by the operation control unit 1002.

[0089] Specifically, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 acquires the customer code entered when starting to use the purchasing support service via a login screen displayed on the display unit 105. The login screen is a screen for accepting, for example, input of a customer code and a login password from a customer.

[0090] The customer code acquisition unit 1003 may acquire the customer code from image data captured by the imaging unit 107. For example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 may acquire the customer code represented by a code symbol attached to a membership card or the like by decoding the code symbol. Alternatively, for example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 may acquire the customer code represented by numbers or letters using OCR.

[0091] Then, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 transmits the acquired customer code to the management server 30.

[0092] The customer code may be acquired by the management server 30 instead of the customer terminal 10.

[0093] The product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires a product image for identifying a target product. For example, the product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires the product image from image data captured by the imaging unit 107.

[0094] Specifically, the product image acquisition unit 1004 activates the camera application of the customer terminal 10 when the customer issues an operational instruction to acquire a product image via the GUI displayed on the display unit 105. At this time, the display control unit 1001 may display a message on the display unit 105 urging the customer to capture an image of the product. Then, the product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires image data captured by the imaging unit 107 in response to the customer's operation as a product image.

[0095] The product image acquisition unit 1004 may request the customer's approval as to whether the captured image data may be used as a product image.

[0096] In this case, the display control unit 1001 displays a message asking whether the entire product is included in the captured image data, along with a "Yes" button and a "No" button, on the display unit 105. The product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires the captured image data as a product image when the operation control unit 1002 receives input from the customer pressing the "Yes" button.

[0097] This makes it possible to prevent an image that does not show a product or an image that shows only a part of a product from being acquired as a product image.

[0098] The product code acquisition unit 1005 acquires the product code of the target product. For example, when a customer issues an operational instruction to acquire the product code of the target product via the GUI displayed on the display unit 105, the product code acquisition unit 1005 transmits a product code acquisition instruction to the display device 20 to instruct the display device 20 to acquire the product code. The product code acquisition unit 1005 acquires the product code transmitted from the display device 20 in response to the product code acquisition instruction.

[0099] Then, the product code acquisition unit 2001 transmits the acquired product code to the customer terminal 10.

[0100] The product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire the product code from image data captured by the imaging unit 107.

[0101] For example, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire the product code represented by the code symbol by decoding the code symbol. Alternatively, for example, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire the product code represented by numbers or letters by OCR.

[0102] Furthermore, for example, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may identify a product code based on a product included in the image data and correspondence information that associates a product image with a product code. The correspondence information may be stored in an external device or may be stored in the storage unit 103. In this case, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire a product code by referring to the correspondence information and identifying a product code that corresponds to the product included in the image data.

[0103] Alternatively, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire the product code based on an input from the customer. For example, the product code acquisition unit 1005 may acquire the product code based on an operation received by the operation unit 106.

[0104] If the product code acquisition unit 1005 can acquire the product code without going through the display device 20, the display device 20 does not need to include the product code acquisition unit 2001.

[0105] The processor 301 included in the management server 30 loads the control program 311 stored in the storage unit 303 into the RAM 302, and operates in accordance with the control program 311 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 302. As a result, the processor 301 included in the management server 30 includes, as functional units, a customer information acquisition unit 3001, a product information acquisition unit 3002, an assignment unit 3003, a presentation unit 3004, an inquiry unit 3005, and a management unit 3006.

[0106] The customer information acquisition unit 3001 acquires customer information about a customer identified by a customer code received from the customer terminal 10 from the customer information DB 313. The customer information acquisition unit 3001 is an example of a first acquisition unit. Specifically, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 receives the customer code from the customer terminal 10. In addition, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 acquires personal information identified by the received customer code as customer information.

[0107] The product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires product information related to the target product. The product information acquisition unit 3002 is an example of a second acquisition unit. For example, the product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires a product image of the target product and the product name of the target product as the product information.

[0108] Specifically, the product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires the product image received from the customer terminal 10 as the product image of the target product. Furthermore, the product information acquisition unit 3002 refers to the product name DB 314 to identify the product name corresponding to the product code received from the customer terminal 10. The product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires the product name as the product name of the target product.

[0109] The assigning unit 3003 assigns tags to content that includes images related to a target product and exists on the SNS. The assigning unit 3003 is an example of a search unit. For example, the assigning unit 3003 uses the search support model 312 to automatically assign, on the management server 30, tags that describe the target product (e.g., "#product name", "#brand name", etc.) to images related to the target product that exist on the SNS. Note that the assigning unit 3003 may assign multiple tags to content.

[0110] Specifically, the tagging unit 3003 inputs the product image and product name acquired by the product information acquisition unit 3002 to the search support model 312. The tagging unit 3003 automatically tags content on various SNSs that includes the image output by the search support model 312, such as "#product name."

[0111] The presentation unit 3004 presents to the customer content including images related to the target product. For example, the presentation unit 3004 presents to the customer content that is likely to lead to the product image the customer is looking for, from among the content to which tags have been added by the tagging unit 3003, based on the customer's tendency of interest.

[0112] Specifically, the presentation unit 3004 analyzes the customer's interest trends based on the customer's product purchase history, search history and posting history of the customer's SNS account, etc., using known natural language processing technology. The presentation unit 3004 evaluates the priority of the content tagged by the tagging unit 3003 based on the customer's interest trends. In this case, the presentation unit 3004 is an example of an evaluation unit.

[0113] For example, if the customer is interested in snowboarding, the presentation unit 3004 evaluates the priority so that a content including an image taken while wearing the target product (or a product related to the target product) at a ski resort has a higher priority. Also, the presentation unit 3004 evaluates the priority so that a content including an image taken while wearing the target product in town has a lower priority than a content including an image taken while wearing the target product at a ski resort.

[0114] The presentation unit 3004 may evaluate the priority of content by taking into account information representing customer attributes such as the customer's age, sex, body type, etc. In this case, the information representing the attributes may be added to the customer's personal information.

[0115] For example, if the customer is a tall, slim woman in her twenties, the presentation unit 3004 may assign a higher priority to content that includes an image of a person with attributes similar to that of a tall, slim woman in her twenties wearing the target product. The presentation unit 3004 may also assign weights to age, gender, and body type to evaluate the priority of content.

[0116] Furthermore, the presentation unit 3004 may evaluate the priority of content by weighting the customer's tendency of interest and the customer's attributes (age, sex, body type, etc.).

[0117] After evaluating the priorities, the presenting unit 3004 selects a predetermined number (for example, five) of pieces of content from the tagged content in descending order of priority, and then transmits the selected pieces of content to the display device 20 as related content for the target product.

[0118] The inquiry unit 3005 inquires about information related to the target product from the store server 40. For example, when the inquiry unit 3005 receives an operational instruction from the customer via the customer terminal 10 to save the target product in the consideration list 315, the inquiry unit 3005 inquires about information related to the target product from the store server 40.

[0119] Specifically, when the operation control unit 1002 of the customer terminal 10 receives an input from the customer pressing the "Buy Later" button displayed on the display unit 105, the customer terminal 10 sends to the management server 30 a save instruction including the product image acquired by the product image acquisition unit 1004 and the product code of the target product acquired by the product code acquisition unit 1005.

[0120] By receiving the save instruction, the inquiry unit 3005 accepts an operation instruction to save the target product in the consideration list 315. Next, the inquiry unit 3005 transmits a related information inquiry including a product image and product code of the target product to the store server 40. The inquiry unit 3005 also receives related information of the target product transmitted in response to the related information inquiry.

[0121] The management unit 3006 manages the consideration list 315. For example, the management unit 3006 stores in the consideration list 315 related information about the target product and related content presented by the presentation unit 3004.

[0122] Specifically, the management unit 3006 associates the product code, product information, and related information associated with the related information of the target product received by the inquiry unit 3005 from the store server 40 with the related content sent to the display device 20 by the presentation unit 3004, and stores them in the consideration list 315.

[0123] The management unit 3006 may cause the inquiry unit 3005 to send an inquiry about related information of the target product when the presentation unit 3004 presents related content. In this case, the management unit 3006 automatically saves the target product in the consideration list 315 without receiving instructions from the customer.

[0124] Furthermore, when the management unit 3006 receives an operational instruction to delete the target product from the consideration list 315 via the customer terminal 10, the management unit 3006 deletes the target product from the consideration list 315.

[0125] Specifically, when the operation control unit 1002 of the customer terminal 10 receives an input from the customer pressing the "Purchased" button or the "Cancel purchase" button displayed on the display unit 105 along with information indicating the target product, the customer terminal 10 sends to the management server 30 a deletion instruction including the product image acquired by the product image acquisition unit 1004 and the product code of the target product acquired by the product code acquisition unit 1005.

[0126] By receiving the deletion instruction, the management unit 3006 accepts an operation instruction to delete the target product from the consideration list 315. Next, the management unit 3006 deletes from the consideration list 315 the information associated with the product image and product code included in the deletion instruction.

[0127] The management unit 3006 may delete the target product from the consideration list 315 after a predetermined period of time has passed (for example, one month after the target product was saved in the consideration list 315).

[0128] Furthermore, the management unit 3006 cooperates with the inquiry unit 3005 to periodically update the related information. When it becomes clear that a store or an EC site that had not yet decided on the arrival date of the target product will now have the target product, the management unit 3006 may notify the customer of this fact via the customer terminal 10. Similarly, when it is decided to implement a new campaign regarding the target product, the management unit 3006 may notify the customer of this fact.

[0129] The processor 401 of the store server 40 loads the control program 411 stored in the storage unit 403 into the RAM 402, and operates in accordance with the control program 411 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 402. As a result, the processor 401 of the store server 40 has an identification unit 4001 as a functional unit.

[0130] The identification unit 4001 identifies related information of a target product. For example, when the identification unit 4001 receives a related information inquiry from the management server 30, it identifies related information corresponding to the product image and product code included in the related information inquiry.

[0131] Specifically, the identifying unit 4001 refers to the related information DB 412 and identifies campaign information and inventory information, which are related information corresponding to the product image and product code included in the related information inquiry received from the management server 30. As described above, the campaign information includes the campaign period and campaign details. Furthermore, the inventory information includes stock availability and arrival schedule information.

[0132] The identifying unit 4001 transmits the identified campaign information and inventory information to the management server 30 as related information of the target product, in association with the product code and product information (product image, product name, and product price in the related information DB 412).

[0133] Next, the processes executed by each device in the purchase support system 1 will be described.

[0134] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by each device of the purchase support system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0135] First, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 of the customer terminal 10 acquires the customer code of the customer who uses the purchasing support service (step S1). For example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 cooperates with the operation control unit 1002 to acquire the customer code entered by the customer via the login screen displayed on the display unit 105.

[0136] Next, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 transmits the customer code to the management server 30 (step S2). For example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 transmits the customer code acquired in step S1 to the management server 30 via the communication unit 104 and the network 50.

[0137] Next, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 of the management server 30 receives the customer code (step S3). For example, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 receives the customer code transmitted from the customer terminal 10 in step S2 via the communication unit 304 and the network 50.

[0138] Next, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 acquires customer information (step S4). For example, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 refers to the customer information DB 313 and acquires, as customer information, personal information corresponding to the customer code received in step S3.

[0139] Next, the product code acquisition unit 2001 of the display device 20 acquires the product code of the target product (step S5). For example, when the product code acquisition unit 2001 receives an instruction to acquire a product code from the customer terminal 10, the product code acquisition unit 2001 acquires the product code by having the RFID reader 207 receive the product code from the RFID tag attached to the target product.

[0140] Next, the product code acquisition unit 2001 transmits the customer code to the customer terminal 10 (step S6). For example, the product code acquisition unit 2001 transmits the product code acquired in step S5 to the customer terminal 10 via the communication unit 204 and the network 50.

[0141] Next, the product code acquisition unit 1005 of the customer terminal 10 receives the product code of the target product (step S7). For example, the product code acquisition unit 1005 receives the product code transmitted from the display device 20 in step S6.

[0142] Next, the product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires a product image of the target product (step S8). For example, the product image acquisition unit 1004 has the customer take an image of the target product using the imaging unit 107, and acquires the captured image data as the product image.

[0143] Next, the product image acquisition unit 1004 transmits the product code and product image of the target product to the management server 30 (step S9). For example, the product image acquisition unit 1004 transmits the product code received in step S7 and the product image acquired in step S8 to the management server 30.

[0144] Next, the product information acquisition unit 3002 of the management server 30 receives the product code and product image of the target product (step S10). For example, the product information acquisition unit 3002 receives the product code and product image transmitted from the customer terminal 10 in step S9.

[0145] Next, the product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires product information of the target product (step S11). For example, the product information acquisition unit 3002 refers to the product name DB 314 and identifies the product name corresponding to the product code received in step S10. The product information acquisition unit 3002 acquires the identified product name and the product image received in step S10 as product information.

[0146] Next, the assignment unit 3003 searches for content including an image related to the target product on the SNS (step S12). For example, the assignment unit 3003 inputs the product name and product image acquired in step S11 to the search support model 312. The assignment unit 3003 searches for content including the image output by the search support model 312 on various SNSs.

[0147] Next, the tagging unit 3003 tags the searched content (step S13). For example, the tagging unit 3003 tags the content including the image output by the search support model 312, searched for in step S12, with a tag such as "#product name."

[0148] Next, the presentation unit 3004 transmits the related content of the target product to the display device 20 (step S14).

[0149] For example, the presentation unit 3004 analyzes the customer's interest trends based on the search history and posting history of the customer's social media account included in the customer information. The presentation unit 3004 evaluates the priority of tagged content based on the customer's interest trends. The presentation unit 3004 selects a predetermined number of pieces of content in descending order of priority. The presentation unit 3004 transmits the selected predetermined number of pieces of content to the display device 20 as related content.

[0150] Next, the display control unit 2002 of the display device 20 receives the related content of the target product (step S15). For example, the display control unit 2002 receives the related content transmitted from the management server 30 in step S14. Next, the display control unit 2002 causes the display unit 205 to display the received related content (step S16), and the display device 20 ends this process.

[0151] Next, the operation control unit 1002 of the customer terminal 10 transmits an operation instruction to the management server 30 to save the target product in the consideration list 315 (step S17), and the customer terminal 10 ends this process.

[0152] For example, when the operation control unit 1002 receives an input of an operation instruction from the customer via the GUI displayed on the display unit 105 to save the target product in the consideration list 315, the operation control unit 1002 transmits a save instruction to save the target product in the consideration list 315 to the management server 30. The save instruction includes the product code acquired in step S5 and the product image acquired in step S8.

[0153] Next, the inquiry unit 3005 of the management server 30 receives an operation instruction to save the target product in the consideration list 315 (step S18). For example, the inquiry unit 3005 receives the save instruction transmitted from the customer terminal 10 in step S17.

[0154] Next, the inquiry unit 3005 transmits a related information inquiry to the store server 40 (step S19). For example, the inquiry unit 3005 transmits a related information inquiry including the product code and product image of the target product included in the save instruction received in step S18 to the store server 40.

[0155] Next, the identifying unit 4001 of the store server 40 receives the related information inquiry (step S20). For example, the identifying unit 4001 receives the related information inquiry transmitted from the management server 30 in step S19 via the communication unit 404 and the network 50.

[0156] Next, the identifying unit 4001 identifies related information of the target product (step S21). For example, the identifying unit 4001 refers to the related information DB 412 and identifies, as related information of the target product, campaign information and inventory information corresponding to the product code and product image included in the related information inquiry received in step S20.

[0157] Next, the identification unit 4001 transmits the related information of the target information (step S22), and the store server 40 ends this process. For example, the identification unit 4001 transmits the related information of the target product identified in step S21 to the management server 30 in association with the product code and product information (product image, product name, and product price in the related information DB 412).

[0158] Next, the inquiry unit 3005 of the management server 30 receives the related information of the target product (step S23). For example, the inquiry unit 3005 receives the related information of the target product in which the product code and product information are associated and which is transmitted from the store server 40 in step S22.

[0159] Next, the management unit 3006 saves the product information, related information, and related content of the target product in the consideration list 315 (step S24), and ends this process. For example, the management unit 3006 associates the product code, product information, and related information contained in the related information of the target product received in step S23 with the related content sent to the display device 20 in step S14, and saves them in the consideration list 314.

[0160] As described above, the purchasing support system 1 according to the first embodiment acquires customer information including information on the customer's interest trends, acquires product information on target products that the customer is considering purchasing, searches for related content including images related to the target products from content on the SNS based on the product information, evaluates the priority of the searched related content based on the customer information, and presents the related content to the customer according to the priority.

[0161] As a result, the purchasing support system 1 can present to the customer related content including images related to target products that match the customer's interests. Generally, when searching an SNS using a product image or name, a huge number of contents are displayed as search results, and the customer may not be able to find an image that closely matches the image they are looking for. In contrast, the purchasing support system 1 according to this embodiment can present to the customer related content including images related to target products that match the customer's interests, increasing the likelihood that the customer will receive content including images that closely match the image they are looking for. In other words, the purchasing support system 1 according to this embodiment can efficiently support the customer, who is a consumer, in acquiring a specific product image.

[0162] The above-described embodiment can be modified as needed by partially changing the configuration or functions of each device. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. The following mainly focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of commonalities with the content already described will be omitted. The modifications described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0163] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the purchasing support system 1 has both the customer terminal 10 and the display device 20. In this modified example, a configuration in which the purchasing support system 1 has only one of the customer terminal 10 and the display device 20 will be described.

[0164] First, a case will be described in which the purchase support system 1 has only the customer terminal 10 out of the customer terminal 10 and the display device 20. In this case, the customer terminal 10 acquires the product code of the target product.

[0165] For example, the display control unit 1001 causes the display unit 105 to display a message urging the customer to capture an image of a code symbol representing a product code attached to the target product using the imaging unit 107. Then, the product code acquisition unit 1005 acquires the product code by decoding the code symbol captured by the imaging unit 107 through an operation by the customer.

[0166] The product may be provided with a wireless tag that meets a standard that can be read by an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader installed in the customer terminal 10. In this case, the product code acquisition unit 1005 acquires the product code of the target product by receiving the product code from the wireless tag attached to the target product using the NFC reader.

[0167] Furthermore, the presentation unit 3004 of the management server 30 transmits the related content of the target product to the customer terminal 10. The display control unit 1001 of the customer terminal 10 causes the display unit 105 to display the related content of the target product.

[0168] Next, a case will be described in which the purchasing support system 1 includes only the display device 20 out of the customer terminal 10 and the display device 20. In this case, the display device 20 has an imaging unit. The display device 20 also includes, as functional units, a product code acquisition unit 2001 and a display control unit 2002, as well as an operation control unit 1002, a customer code acquisition unit 1003, and a product image acquisition unit 1004.

[0169] For example, the display control unit 2002 of this modified example displays a GUI for receiving various operation instructions on the display unit 205. Furthermore, the operation control unit 1002 receives various operations from the customer via the operation unit 206. For example, the operation control unit 1002 receives input operations related to the use of the purchasing support service from the customer via the GUI displayed on the display unit 205.

[0170] Furthermore, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 acquires a customer code through an operation accepted by the operation control unit 1002. For example, the customer code acquisition unit 1003 acquires a customer code entered via a login screen displayed on the display unit 205 when starting to use the purchasing support service.

[0171] Furthermore, when a customer issues an instruction to acquire a product image via the GUI displayed on the display unit 205, the product image acquisition unit 1004 starts a camera application installed in the display device 20. Then, the product image acquisition unit 1004 acquires, as a product image, image data captured by the imaging unit of the display device 20 in response to the customer's operation.

[0172] In addition, when the customer gives an instruction to obtain the product code of the target product via the GUI displayed on the display unit 105, the product code obtaining unit 2001 and the product code obtaining unit 1005 obtain the product code of the target product in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0173] According to this modification, it is possible to provide a purchasing support service to customers with a simpler system configuration.

[0174] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the customer terminal 10 accepts input of a customer code, and the management server 30 acquires customer information based on the customer code. In this modified example, a configuration will be described in which the management server 30 acquires customer information based on a facial image of the customer captured by the customer terminal 10.

[0175] In this modified example, the customer information DB 313 in the storage unit 303 of the management server 30 stores a customer code, personal information, and a facial image in association with the customer code. Note that the customer information DB 313 may store characteristic information of the facial image in association with the facial image, instead of the facial image itself.

[0176] In this modification, the customer terminal 10 allows the customer to capture an image of his or her face using the image capturing unit 107. The customer terminal 10 transmits the captured image of the customer's face to the management server 30.

[0177] The customer information acquisition unit 3001 of the management server 30 receives the customer's facial image captured by the imaging unit 107 of the customer terminal 10. Next, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 refers to the customer information DB 313 and identifies the customer code and personal information corresponding to the received facial image (or characteristic information of the facial image). Then, the customer information acquisition unit 3001 acquires the identified customer code and personal information as customer information.

[0178] According to this modified example, the customer code and personal information corresponding to the facial image are obtained as customer information, so that even if a customer's customer code becomes known to someone other than the customer, the situation in which that person uses the purchasing support service as a customer can be prevented.

[0179] The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments and modifications are provided by being pre-installed in a storage medium (ROM or storage unit) included in each device, but this is not limited to this. For example, the programs may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to a medium independent of the computer or embedded system, but also includes a storage medium that stores or temporarily stores a program downloaded via a LAN, the Internet, or the like.

[0180] In addition, the programs executed by each device in the above embodiments and variants may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network, or may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0181] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0182] 1 Purchasing support system 10 Customer terminal 20 Display device 30 Management Server 40 Store Server 101, 201, 301, 401 processors 102, 202, 302, 402 RAM 103, 203, 303, 403 Storage section 104, 204, 304, 404 Communications Department 105, 205, 305, 405 Display section 106, 206, 306, 406 Operation section 107 Imaging unit 207 RFID Reader 312 Search Support Model 313 Customer Information DB (Data Base) 314 Product name DB 315 Consideration List 412 Related Information DB 1001, 2002 Display control unit 1002 Operation control section 1003 Customer Code Acquisition Department 1004 Product image acquisition unit 1005, 2001 Product Code Acquisition Department 3001 Customer Information Acquisition Department 3002 Product Information Acquisition Department 3003 Granting Department 3004 Presentation section 3005 Inquiry Department 3006 Management Department 4001 Specific section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0183] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-182367

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires customer information including information about trends in customer interests; a second acquisition unit that acquires product information related to a target product that the customer is considering purchasing; a search unit that searches for related content including an image related to the target product from a plurality of content including images stored in an external device based on the product information; an evaluation unit that evaluates the priority of the searched related content based on the customer information; a presentation unit that presents the related content to the customer in accordance with the priority; An information processing system comprising:

2. the evaluation unit evaluates the priority of the related content to be higher as the related content includes an image related to the tendency of interest; The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. The customer information includes information representing attributes of the customer, the evaluation unit evaluates the priority of the related content to be higher as the related content includes an image of a person with attributes similar to those of the customer; The information processing system according to claim 2 .

4. the evaluation unit weights the tendency of interest and the attribute of the customer according to the degree of importance of each, and evaluates the priority. The information processing system according to claim 3 .

5. a display control unit that causes the presented related content to be displayed on a display device; 5. The information processing system according to claim 1.

6. The display device is provided in a store that handles the target product. The information processing system according to claim 5 .

Images