Code management system, code management method, and code management program

Abstract

To provide a code management system etc. that can associate an individual item with a code that encodes the location information of a website that provides services to purchasers of the item, and can manage each item individually using the code. [Solution] The code management system etc. according to the present invention is a code management system that provides services using codes printed on items, and is characterized by comprising: a storage control unit that stores item identification information unique to each individual item in association with purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item; a code generation unit that generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so that it includes the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information; and a code printing control unit that prints the code on the item.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a code management system, a code management method, and a code management program, and more particularly to a code management system, a code management method, and a code management program for managing items using codes printed on the items. [Background technology]

[0002] Barcodes and two-dimensional codes are display methods that can store information. Barcodes use a display method that represents numbers and letters by the thickness of striped lines, while two-dimensional codes use a display method that stores information horizontally and vertically. Both codes are widely used as printable storage media.

[0003] Furthermore, in the ever-developing information society centered around the Internet, codes are widely used as a tool for transmitting location information of websites on the Internet (for example, URLs (Uniform Resource Locators)). On the other hand, a code that encodes the location information of a website is printed on an item, and the purchaser of the item is provided with a service based on the code, encouraging them to use the code and access a website, which allows them to obtain personal information about the purchaser and use it for marketing purposes.

[0004] The service server disclosed in Patent Document 1 provides a service in which a mobile phone is used to read a two-dimensional code displayed on the surface of a photographic print along with the image, allowing the mobile phone to access a website and download content via the website. The two-dimensional code used by the service server disclosed in Patent Document 1 is an encoded URL for accessing a website, but the two-dimensional code is not associated with the photo print on which it is displayed, and no consideration has been given to using the two-dimensional code to manage photo prints. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-13918 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a code management system, a code management method, and a code management program that can associate individual items with a code that encodes the location information of a website that provides services to purchasers of the item, and that can manage each item individually using the code. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, the code management system according to the first aspect is a code management system that provides services using codes printed on items, and is characterized by comprising: a memory control unit that stores item identification information unique to each individual item in association with purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item; a code generation unit that generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so that it includes the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information; and a code printing control unit that prints the code on the item.

[0008] In a second aspect, in the code management system according to the first aspect, the code generation unit may generate the location information so that it includes item identification information as a character string, and generate the code based on the location information.

[0009] A third aspect may be such that, in the code management system of the first aspect, a personal information acquisition unit is further provided that acquires personal information of the purchaser, and the memory control unit stores the personal information of the purchaser in association with the purchaser identification information.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, in the code management system according to the third aspect, the code generation unit generates location information to include item identification information and purchaser identification information, generates a code from the location information, and the services provided from the location information website may include the purchaser's personal information.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, in the code management system according to the first aspect, the article may be a metal plate or an acrylic plate having a graphic on its surface.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, in the code management system according to the first aspect, the memory control unit may store material identification information unique to each individual material that is the source of the item in association with the item identification information.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, in the code management system of the first aspect, the storage control unit stores multiple pieces of item identification information in association with purchaser identification information, the code generation unit generates location information to include the multiple pieces of item identification information, and generates multiple codes based on the multiple pieces obtained by dividing the location information, and the code printing control unit prints the multiple codes one by one on each of the items associated with the multiple pieces of item identification information.

[0014] According to an eighth aspect, in the code management system according to the first to seventh aspects, the service may be the provision of content related to an article via a website.

[0015] According to a ninth aspect, in the code management system according to the eighth aspect, the content may be a video in which an avatar in a virtual space speaks to the purchaser.

[0016] In a tenth aspect, in the code management system according to the first to seventh aspects, the service may be the provision of information relating to products via a website.

[0017] In an eleventh aspect, in the code management system according to the tenth aspect, the information may be at least one of instruction manual information for the item, warranty information for the item, advertising information related to the item, and contact information for inquiries about the item.

[0018] A code management method according to a twelfth aspect provides a service using a code assigned to an item, characterized in that the method has a computer execute a storage control step of associating and storing item identification information unique to each individual item with purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item; a code generation step of generating location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so that it includes the item identification information and generating a code based on the location information; and a code printing control step of printing the code on the item.

[0019] The code management program according to the thirteenth aspect is a code management program that provides services using codes assigned to items, and is characterized by having a computer realize a storage control function that associates and stores item identification information unique to each individual item with purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item, a code generation function that generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so that it includes the item identification information and generates a code based on the location information, and a code printing control function that prints the code on the item. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The code management system of the present invention is a code management system that provides services using codes printed on items, and is characterized by comprising: a storage control unit that associates and stores item identification information unique to each individual item with purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item; a code generation unit that generates location information of a website that provides services related to the item so that it includes the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information; and a code printing control unit that prints the code on the item.Therefore, the present invention can associate individual items with codes that encode location information of a website that provides services to purchasers of the item, and can manage items individually using the codes.

[0021] Furthermore, the code management method and code management program of the present invention have the same characteristics as the code management system of the present invention, and therefore, the present invention can associate individual items with codes that encode location information of websites that provide services to purchasers of the items, and can manage each item individually using the codes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of an article according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a first example of an article according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the article according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the code management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the code management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of the code management system according to this embodiment when reading a plurality of two-dimensional codes. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a first example of a service provided by the code management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a second example of a service provided by the code management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an article management table used by the code management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of the code management program according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart of a code management program according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] A code management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. The code management system 10 according to this embodiment provides services by using codes printed on articles. Hereinafter, the term "code" will be used to mean a display method that can hold information such as letters, numbers, and symbols by representing them as graphic patterns, and includes barcodes and two-dimensional codes. Barcodes, also known as one-dimensional codes, are codes that represent information such as letters, numbers, and symbols by alternating multiple vertical bars of different thicknesses and spaces. There are several standards, but these are not particularly limited in this disclosure. Two-dimensional codes, also known as two-dimensional barcodes, employ a display format that uses graphics that display information such as letters, numbers, and symbols in two dimensions, vertically and horizontally. Examples of two-dimensional codes include, but are not limited to, QR Code (registered trademark) and AR marker, and may also include, for example, PDF417, CODE49, DataMatrix, and VeriCode. In the following description of the embodiment, a two-dimensional code will be used as an example of a code.

[0024] (Description of the item) First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6, the items handled by the code management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The items handled by the code management system 10 are not particularly limited and may be any items. In the present embodiment described below, the articles 1, 6, 7, 8, 16 are metal plates 1d, 6e, 7e, 8e or acrylic plates 17 having drawings 1c, 6d, 7d, 8d, 19 on their surfaces 1a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 16a.

[0025] The first example of the article 1 shown in Figure 1 is specifically called a Metal Board (registered trademark), Metal Plate (registered trademark), Metal Giclee (registered trademark), Metal Art (registered trademark), Metal Display (registered trademark), Metal Display Plate (registered trademark), etc., and is a metal plate made of aluminum alloy or the like with a picture printed on its surface using a printing technique such as giclee printing. Drawings include illustrations, paintings, diagrams, calligraphy, photographs, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, an item 1 is displayed upright on a shelf 4 along a wall 3 in a room 2 using a stand 9, for example. As shown in Fig. 2, a picture 1c is printed on the front surface 1a of the item 1, and a two-dimensional code 5 is printed on the back surface 1b of the item 1. The item 1 shown in Fig. 2 has one two-dimensional code 5 printed on the back surface 1b, but the number is not limited to one, and two or more two-dimensional codes may be printed. In addition, the meaning of printing in this embodiment refers to the general act of applying letters, symbols, figures, etc. to an object, and includes, for example, engraving, printing, typessetting, pasting, imprinting, marking, stamping, etc.

[0026] The second example of item 16 shown in Figure 3 is called an acrylic stand or akusta, and is a transparent acrylic plate 17 printed with a picture 19 (Figure 3 shows an illustration of a person) cut out to fit the size of the picture 19, and is displayed by inserting it into a base 18 so that it can stand on its own. As shown in Fig. 3, a picture 19 is printed on the front surface 16a of an article 16, and a two-dimensional code 14 is printed on the back surface 16b of the article 16. The article 16 shown in Fig. 3 has one two-dimensional code 14 printed on the back surface 16b, but as in the case of Fig. 1, it is not limited to one, and two or more two-dimensional codes may be printed.

[0027] (About the hardware configuration of the code management system 10) Next, the hardware configuration of the code management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of the code management system 10. The code management system 10 is a so-called computer, and can be realized by a server, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC), a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, etc., and is equipped with a communication interface 10a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10c, a storage unit 10d, a processing unit 10e, and an input / output interface 10f, etc.

[0028] The communication interface 10a has a function of transmitting and receiving data handled by the code management system 10 to and from other devices via wired or wireless communication. The code management system 10 may be connected to an information and communication network 15 via the communication interface 10a, and may transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the information and communication network 15. When the code management system 10 connects to other devices via Bluetooth (registered trademark), the communication interface 10a becomes a Bluetooth interface. When the code management system 10 connects to other devices via wireless LAN, the communication interface 10a becomes a wireless LAN interface.

[0029] The memory unit 10d can be used as a storage device for the code management system 10, and is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, and a flash memory, and the memory unit 10d can also be configured using cloud storage. In addition, the memory unit 10d of the code management system 10 stores the code management program described below, the OS (Operating System) required for the code management system 10 to operate, various other applications, and various data used by the applications.

[0030] The processing unit 10e includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), etc., and is realized by a logic circuit or a dedicated circuit formed by an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated circuit) chip, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc.

[0031] The code management system 10 stores a code management program (described later) in a ROM 10b or a storage unit 10d, and loads the code management program into a main memory configured by a RAM 10c, etc. The processing unit 10e accesses the main memory into which the code management program has been loaded, and executes the code management program.

[0032] The input / output interface 10f transmits and receives data to and from devices external to the code management system 10. The external devices are an input device 11 and an output device 12 that input and output data to and from the code management system 10. The input device 11 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse (not shown), and the output device 12 is, for example, a printing device 12a, a monitor, a printer, and a speaker (not shown). The printing device 12a refers to a device that prints characters, symbols, figures, etc. on an object. The printing device 12a receives a command from a code printing control unit 23 (described later) of the code management system 10 and prints two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14 on the articles. The printing device 12a may be connected to the code management system 10 directly or via another device. The printing device 12a may also be connected to the code management system 10 via an information and communication network 15.

[0033] (Functional configuration of the code management system 10) An example of the functional configuration of the code management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of the code management system 10. The two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14 may be printed in advance on the original materials (metal plates, acrylic plates) of the items 1, 6, 7, 8, and 16, or may be printed on the original materials of the items 1, 6, 7, 8, and 16 during the manufacturing process of the items 1, 6, 7, 8, and 16. The two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14 may be, for example, QR Code (registered trademark), AR marker, etc., but are not limited to these. The two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14 may also be, for example, PDF417, CODE49, Data Matrix, and VeriCode, etc. Furthermore, the two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14 are generated to be unique and not to overlap with other two-dimensional codes 5, 6c, 7c, 8c, and 14.

[0034] The following description will be given taking an example of an item 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) as an item handled by the code management system 10. The code management system 10 of this embodiment executes the code management program described below, and provides the processing unit 10e with functional units such as a memory control unit 21, a code generation unit 22, a code printing control unit 23, a personal information acquisition unit 24, an access history acquisition unit 25, and a purchase history acquisition unit 26.

[0035] (Regarding the memory control unit 21) The storage control unit 21 stores the item identification information unique to each item 1 and the purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item 1 in association with each other. The storage control unit 21 acquires the item identification information of the item 1 and the purchaser identification information of the purchaser of the item 1, and stores the item identification information and the purchaser identification information in association with each other in the storage unit 10d.

[0036] The item identification information is assigned to each individual item 1 and is information for uniquely identifying each individual item 1, and is a string of characters made up of a combination of numbers, English letters, kanji, kana, symbols, etc. By correlating the item identification information with numerical values ​​and terms (hereinafter referred to as item characteristic information) that represent the characteristics of item 1, such as the performance, properties, or characteristics of item 1, when there are multiple types of item characteristic information, the multiple types of item characteristic information can be managed as a single group for each individual item 1, and the item characteristic information can be compared between individual items 1. The storage control unit 21 stores the item feature amount in association with the item identification information in the storage unit 10d. The article 1 has a two-dimensional code 5 on the back surface 1b of the article 1, and therefore the two-dimensional code 5 is not in the field of view of a viewer who is viewing the drawing 1c on the surface 1a of the article 1, so that the two-dimensional code 5 can be prevented from spoiling the beauty of the article 1. The storage control unit 21 may acquire the item identification information of the item 1 input by the user of the code management system 10.

[0037] Purchaser identification information is information for identifying individual purchasers, and is unique information assigned to each purchaser, and individuals can be identified based on the purchaser identification information. Purchaser identification information is associated with personal information such as name, ID, phone number, and email address, and is a string of characters made up of a combination of numbers, English letters, kanji, kana, and symbols. The purchaser identification information of the purchaser of the item 1 may be input by a user of the code management system 10, and the storage control unit 21 may acquire the purchaser identification information input by the user.

[0038] The storage control unit 21 may store material identification information unique to each individual material that is the source of the item 1 in association with the item identification information. That is, the storage control unit 21 stores the material identification information of the item 1 associated with the item identification information of the item 1 in the storage unit 10d.

[0039] The material identification information is information unique to each individual material that is the source of the item 1, and is, for example, a string of characters made up of a combination of numbers, English letters, Chinese characters, Japanese kana characters, symbols, and the like. The material identification information is primarily used at a stage before the item identification information is assigned to the item 1, for example, during the manufacturing process of the item 1. Since the material identification information is correlated with the numerical values ​​and terms (hereinafter referred to as material characteristic information) that represent the characteristics of the material, such as the performance, properties, or characteristics of the material, the material identification information is also correlated with the item identification information. Therefore, when there are multiple types of material characteristic information, the multiple types of material characteristic information can be managed as one group for each individual item 1, and the material characteristic information can be compared between individual items 1.

[0040] (Regarding the code generation unit 22) The code generating unit 22 generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item 1 so as to include the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information. The website location information is the so-called URL (Uniform Resource Locator), which is information that indicates the location of a website on the Internet. The code generation unit 22 generates a code (a two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment) by encoding the position information including the item identification information. Since the code is generated based on location information that is generated to include the item identification information of item 1, anyone who accesses the location information website using the code can be considered to be the purchaser of item 1 on which the code is printed. Therefore, personal information entered by a person who uses the code printed on item 1 to access a location information website created to include item identification information for item 1 can be considered as personal information of the purchaser of item 1, and can be useful information for marketing strategies for item 1. Therefore, according to the code management system 10, the website with the URL containing the item identification information unique to each individual item 1 is unique to each individual item 1, and so the personal information of the purchaser of each individual item 1 can be obtained and managed via the website.

[0041] The code generating unit 22 may generate the position information so that it includes the item identification information as a character string, and generate a code (two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment) based on the position information. The code generation unit 22 may generate location information using part or all of the directory name or file name that constitutes the URL as item identification information, and encode the generated location information to generate a code (a two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment). The storage control unit 21 stores the URL, which is the location information of the website generated by the code generation unit 22, in the storage unit 10d in association with the item identification information.

[0042] Because the URL, which is the location information of the website, contains the item identification information as a string, the URL becomes unique to each item 1, and services can be provided to purchasers of item 1 from a website specific to each individual item 1. For example, content or information containing characteristic details of each individual item 1 (such as details of defects that item 1 has) can be provided to purchasers of item 1.

[0043] The service may be the provision of content related to the product 1 via a website, or the provision of information related to the product 1 via a website. The service may also allow the purchaser of the product 1 to download a file containing content or information related to the product 1 to a mobile terminal via a website. In this embodiment, the content related to the product 1 mainly refers to creative works, and the information related to the product 1 mainly refers to non-creative works.

[0044] The content related to the item 1 may be music, sounds such as voices, images such as illustrations, drawings, pictures, photographs, or creative works such as videos related to the item 1. Specifically, the content related to the item 1 may be videos such as animations related to the item 1 distributed on video distribution sites such as YouTube (registered trademark), or music or illustrations related to the item 1 that can be viewed on a website. For example, the content related to the item 1 may be a video in which an avatar 32 in a virtual space 31 talks to a purchaser (see FIG. 7).

[0045] The information related to the product 1 may be at least one of instruction manual information for the product 1, warranty information for the product 1, advertising information related to the product 1, and contact information for inquiries about the product 1. The instruction manual information for the item 1 is information relating to instructions for handling the item 1, and may be written, audio, video, or the like. The warranty information for the product 1 is information about the content of the warranty that the purchaser can receive in the event that a defect such as a breakdown occurs in the product 1, and may include documents, audio, video, and the like. Advertising information related to item 1 refers to advertising information intended to encourage additional purchases of item 1 or purchases of products related to item 1, as well as advertising information related to the products, services, or activities offered by the company that provides item 1. Contact information for item 1 refers to telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, web URLs, etc., for contacting the company that provides item 1 to request repairs, make additional purchases, etc.

[0046] (Regarding the code printing control unit 23) The code printing control unit 23 prints a code (a two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment) on the article 1. That is, the code printing control unit 23 sends data of the code generated by the code generation unit 22 to the printing device 12a, which is an external device, and prints the code on the article 1 using the printing device 12a. The purchaser of the product 1 can load the URL, which is the location information of the website, into the mobile terminal by reading the code (two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment) printed on the code printing control unit 23 into the mobile terminal, and can display the website on the mobile terminal. The purchaser of the product 1 can then receive services related to the product 1 from the website. A mobile terminal refers to a mobile phone such as a feature phone or smartphone, a tablet personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC), or a notebook PC equipped with a camera that can read codes.

[0047] (About Personal Information Acquisition Department 24) The personal information acquisition unit 24 acquires the personal information of the purchaser. In this case, the storage control unit 21 stores the personal information of the purchaser in association with the purchaser identification information. That is, the storage control unit 21 stores the personal information of the purchaser associated with the purchaser identification information in the storage unit 10d. The personal information acquisition unit 24 may acquire the personal information of the purchaser when the purchaser purchases the item 1, may acquire the personal information of the purchaser that has been registered in advance, or may acquire the personal information from the purchaser after the purchase of the item 1. Personal information includes, for example, name, gender, date of birth, postal code, address, photo, email address, and telephone number. Customer personal information is collected when receiving orders from customers via websites, telephone correspondence, order forms, etc. By associating the purchaser's personal information with the purchaser identification information of the purchaser, the purchaser identification information is associated with the item identification information, so when there are multiple types of personal information, it becomes easier to manage the multiple types of personal information as one group for each individual item 1, and the purchaser's personal information can be compared between individual items 1.

[0048] The code generation unit 22 then generates location information to include item identification information and purchaser identification information, generates a code from the location information, and the services provided from the location information website may include the purchaser's personal information.

[0049] The code generation unit 22 generates a URL, which is the location information of a website, to include the item identification information of the item 1 and the purchaser identification information of the purchaser of the item 1. Therefore, since the URL is exclusive to the purchaser associated with the purchaser identification information, the content or information provided from the website of the URL may include personal information of the purchaser associated with the purchaser identification information. In other words, because the URL includes the purchaser identification information of the purchaser of item 1, the URL becomes exclusive to the purchaser of item 1, and personalized services (changed for each individual purchaser) can be provided to the purchaser of item 1 from a dedicated website, and content or information incorporating the purchaser's personal information can be provided to the purchaser, making it possible to give the purchaser a sense of security, comfort, or ease through the service. For example, by including the purchaser identification information as a string in the URL, content or information including information regarding the residence of the purchaser of item 1 can be provided to the purchaser of item 1.

[0050] (Regarding the access history acquisition unit 25) The access history acquisition unit 25 acquires the history of website access (access history) from the website by the purchaser of the item 1 pointing the camera of the mobile terminal at the code printed on the item 1 (two-dimensional code 5 in this embodiment) and having the mobile terminal read the URL, which is the location information of the website. The access history refers to the number of times the purchaser of the product 1 accessed the website and the date and time of the access. The storage control unit 21 stores the access history of the purchaser of the item 1 acquired by the access history acquisition unit 25 in association with the item identification information of the item 1 in the storage unit 10d. By associating the purchaser's access history with the item identification number for each individual item 1, it becomes easier to manage the access history for each individual item 1, and the access history can be compared between individual items 1.

[0051] (Regarding the purchase history acquisition unit 26) If the purchaser of the item 1 has purchased other items different from the item 1, the purchase history acquisition unit 26 acquires the purchase history of the other items purchased by the purchaser. The purchase history of other items refers to the item identification numbers assigned to the other items and the purchase dates on which the other items were purchased. The item identification information of the other items, the purchase date, and the purchaser identification information of the purchaser of the other items are stored in the memory unit 10d, so the purchase history acquisition unit 26 acquires the purchase history of the other items from the memory unit 10d. The storage control unit 21 associates the purchase history of other items acquired by the purchase history acquisition unit 26 with the item identification information of the item 1 and stores the same in the storage unit 10d. By storing the purchase history of other items in memory unit 10d in association with the item identification information of item 1, it is possible to know what other items the purchaser of item 1 has purchased, and to obtain clues for inferring the tastes and preferences of the purchaser of item 1. In addition, by associating the purchase history of other items purchased by the purchaser with the item identification number of item 1, the purchase history of other items purchased by the purchaser can be managed for each individual item 1, and the purchase history of other items can be compared between individual items of item 1.

[0052] (About the code linking function) Codes, such as QR Code (registered trademark), have a function to split long data into multiple QR codes and store them, and then combine these multiple QR codes when they are read. QR Code can split long data into up to 16 segments, and each segment can be stored in its own QR code.

[0053] The memory control unit 21 stores multiple pieces of item identification information in association with purchaser identification information, the code generation unit 22 generates location information to include multiple pieces of item identification information and generates multiple codes based on multiple divided pieces obtained by dividing the location information, and the code printing control unit 23 prints multiple codes one by one on each of the items related to the multiple pieces of item identification information. That is, the storage control unit 21 associates the item identification information of each of the multiple items 1 purchased by one purchaser with the purchaser identification information of that purchaser and stores it in the storage unit 10d.The code generation unit 22 then generates a URL, which is website location information, to include the multiple item identification information, and generates multiple codes based on the multiple segments obtained by dividing the URL, and stores these codes in the storage unit 10d.The code printing control unit 23 then prints the multiple codes (two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c in the example shown in FIG. 6) generated by the code generation unit 22, one by one, on each of the items associated with the multiple item identification information.

[0054] The behavior of the code management system 10 according to this embodiment when reading a plurality of two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c using the linking function will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of the code management system 10 when reading a plurality of two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c. The first article 6, second article 7, and third article 8 shown in FIG. 6 have a common impression but have different images 6d, 7d, and 8d, respectively, and are what are called a series of products. It is assumed that the first item 6, the second item 7, and the third item 8 will be purchased by a single purchaser, and a purchaser benefit is provided to a purchaser who purchases all of the first item 6, the second item 7, and the third item 8. A purchaser can access a website by scanning the two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c printed on the items 6, 7, and 8 with a mobile device, respectively, and enjoy services for each of the items 6, 7, and 8. Furthermore, a purchaser can purchase all three items 6, 7, and 8, and scan the two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c at once with a mobile device, and access a new website using a URL obtained by linking the two-dimensional codes 6c, 7c, and 8c, and enjoy special services as a purchaser's benefit. In this embodiment, three items 6, 7, and 8 are used as an example, but the number is not limited to three, and may be two, or four or more.

[0055] The first article 6 is a metal plate 6e having a picture 6d drawn on the front surface 6a and a two-dimensional code 6c printed on the back surface 6b. The second article 7 is made of a metal plate 7e with a picture 7d drawn on the front surface 7a and a two-dimensional code 7c printed on the back surface 7b. The third article 8 is a metal plate 8e having a picture 8d drawn on its front surface 8a and a two-dimensional code 8c printed on its back surface 8b.

[0056] (First example of service) A first example of a service provided by the code management system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a first example of a service provided by the code management system 10 according to the present embodiment. The smartphone 30 shown in Fig. 7 displays a video posted by a VTuber on a video distribution site such as YouTube (registered trademark). The two-dimensional code 5 printed on the back surface 1b of the article 1 shown in Fig. 2 stores the URL of the video posted by the VTuber. VTuber is an abbreviation for Virtual YouTuber, and refers to a person who posts videos in which fictional characters such as CG characters or avatars appear on the screen, instead of appearing in the video themselves like a regular YouTuber.

[0057] The URL, which is the location information of the website, is associated with the purchaser identification information of the purchaser of item 1 by including the purchaser identification information as a string, and the video, which is the content, includes the name "Amura B-ko," which is the personal information of the purchaser associated with the purchaser identification information. Specifically, the video shown in FIG. 7 has avatar 32 appear in virtual space 31, and avatar 32 greets the purchaser by saying the name "Hello, Amura B-ko." The purchaser begins to feel a sense of affinity with avatar 32, who greets them by saying their name, "Amura B-ko," and this has the effect of also creating a sense of affinity with the VTuber who provided the video.

[0058] (Second example of service) A second example of a service provided by the code management system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the second example of a service provided by the code management system 10 according to the present embodiment. In the second example of the service, it is assumed that an AR marker is used for the two-dimensional code 5 printed on the back surface 1b of the article 1 shown in FIG. A purchaser of the item 1 can experience augmented reality by pointing the camera of a mobile device at the AR marker and reading the AR marker into the mobile device, which displays content within an image of a pre-set location in real space. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, by pointing the camera of a smartphone 30 of a purchaser 36 at a two-dimensional code 5, which is an AR marker, and having the smartphone 30 read the two-dimensional code 5, an image 35 can appear and be displayed in real space 34. The purchaser can enjoy augmented reality (AR) by displaying content that does not actually exist in real space 34.

[0059] (Regarding the management of goods) The item management table 40 used by the code management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the item management table 40 used by the code management system 10 according to this embodiment. The item management table 40 shown in FIG. 9 is created based on purchaser identification information, material identification information, and various information associated with the item identification information (personal information, material characteristic information, item characteristic information, access history, and purchase history of other items). As described above, the purchaser identification information is associated with the item identification information by the storage control unit 21, and is further associated with personal information. As described above, the material identification information is associated with the product identification information by the storage control unit 21, and further associated with the material characteristic information. As described above, the item identification information is associated with the URL, which is the location information of the website, and the item characteristic information, and is further associated with the access history and the purchase history of other items.

[0060] Specifically, for each two-dimensional code management number, the purchaser identification information, material identification information, item identification information, and various information associated with these (personal information, material characteristic information, item characteristic information, access history, purchase history of other items) are compiled to create an item management table 40. The information associated with the purchaser identification information refers to the purchaser's personal information, such as name, sex, date of birth, postal code, address, and facial photograph. The information associated with the material identification information refers to numerical values ​​and terms (material characteristic information) that represent the characteristics of the material, such as the performance, properties, or characteristics of the material that is the basis of the item 1. The information associated with the item identification information refers to numerical values ​​and terms (item characteristic information) that represent the characteristics of the item 1, such as the performance, properties, or characteristics of the item 1. The access history and the purchase history of other items are included in the item management table 40 as information associated with the item identification information.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 9, the item management table 40 includes a column 41 for the management number of the two-dimensional code 5, a column 42 for purchaser identification information, a column 43 for material identification information, a column 44 for item identification information, a column 46 for personal information, a column 47 for URLs, a column 48 for access history, and a column 49 for purchase history of other items.

[0062] The column 41 for the management number of the two-dimensional code 5 stores the serial number assigned to the two-dimensional code 5 used by the code management system 10. The management number of the two-dimensional code 5 refers to a serial number assigned to each two-dimensional code 5 in order to manage the two-dimensional code 5, and is unique to each two-dimensional code 5.

[0063] In the column 42 of purchaser identification information, the purchaser identification information associated with the item identification information is stored in the order of the management number of the two-dimensional code 5.

[0064] In the material identification information column 43, the material identification information associated with the item identification information is stored in the order of the management number of the two-dimensional code 5.

[0065] In the column 44 of the item identification information, the item identification information stored in the two-dimensional code 5 is stored in the order of the management number of the two-dimensional code 5.

[0066] In the personal information column 46, personal information associated with the purchaser identification information is stored in the order of the control number of the two-dimensional code 5. The personal information column 46 includes a column 45 of the purchase date of the purchaser of the item 1, a column 46a of the name, a column 46b of the gender, a column 46c of the date of birth, and a column 46d of the postal code.

[0067] In the URL column 47, URLs associated with the item identification information are stored in the order of the management numbers of the two-dimensional codes 5.

[0068] In the access history column 48, the access history associated with the item identification information is stored in the order of the management number of the two-dimensional code 5. The access history column 48 includes a column 48a of the number of accesses and a column 48b of the access date and time.

[0069] In column 49 of the purchase history of other items, the purchase history of other items associated with the item identification information is stored in the order of the management number of the two-dimensional code 5. Column 49 of the purchase history of other items includes column 49a of the item identification information of the other items and column 49b of the purchase date of the other items.

[0070] The item management table 40 makes it easy to compare personal information, item characteristic information, material characteristic information, access history, and purchase history of other items between individual items 1.

[0071] (Code management method and code management program according to this embodiment) The code management program according to this embodiment will be described together with the code management method with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of the code management program according to this embodiment. The code management method is executed by the processing unit 10e of the code management system 10 based on the code management program. The code management program includes a storage control step S21, a code generation step S22, and a code printing control step S23. The code management program causes the processing unit 10e of the code management system 10 to perform functions such as a storage control function, a code generation function, and a code printing control function. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Fig. 10, but the order can be changed as needed. Note that each function overlaps with the description of the various functional units of the code management system 10 described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] The storage control function stores the item identification information unique to each item 1 in association with the purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item 1 (S21: storage control step).

[0073] The code generation function generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item 1 so as to include the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information (S22: code generation step).

[0074] The code printing control function prints a code on the item 1 (S23: code printing control).

[0075] (Other embodiments of the code management method and the code management program) Next, a code management program according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described together with a code management method according to another embodiment with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is an example of a flowchart of a code management program according to another embodiment. The flowchart of the code management program according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 11 differs from the flowchart of the code management program shown in FIG. 10 in that it includes the addition of a personal information acquisition step S24, an access history acquisition step S25, and a purchase history acquisition step S26. The code management method according to the other embodiment is executed by the processing unit 10e of the code management system 10 based on the code management program according to the other embodiment shown in FIG. The code management program according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 11 includes a storage control step S21, a code generation step S22, a code printing control step S23, a personal information acquisition step S24, an access history acquisition step S25, and a purchase history acquisition step S26.

[0076] The code management program according to another embodiment shown in Fig. 11 enables the processing unit 10e of the code management system 10 to perform functions such as a storage control function, a code generation function, a code printing control function, a personal information acquisition function, an access history acquisition function, and a purchase history acquisition function. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Fig. 11, but the order can also be changed as appropriate. The code management method and code management program according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 11 will be described below, focusing only on the differences from the code management method and code management program shown in FIG. Furthermore, since each function overlaps with the description of the various functional units of the code management system 10 described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] The personal information acquisition function acquires the purchaser's personal information (S24: personal information acquisition step).

[0078] The access history acquisition function acquires the history of website access (access history) from the website by having the purchaser of item 1 point the camera of their mobile device at the code printed on item 1 and have the mobile device read the URL, which is the website's location information (S25: access history acquisition step).

[0079] The purchase history acquisition function acquires the purchase history of other items purchased by the purchaser when the purchaser of item 1 has purchased other items different from item 1 (S26: purchase history acquisition step).

[0080] (Effects of the code management system 10 according to this embodiment) According to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, the code that encodes the URL, which is the location information of the website, generated to include item identification information unique to each individual item 1 is also unique to each individual item 1, so that each item 1 can be managed individually using the code.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, the website of the URL containing the item identification information unique to each individual item 1 is unique to each individual item 1, so that the personal information of the purchaser of each individual item 1 can be acquired and managed via the website.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, the URL, which is the location information of the website, is generated to include item identification information, so that services tailored to the circumstances specific to item 1 can be provided to purchasers of item 1 from a website specific to each individual item 1.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, the URL, which is the location information of the website, is generated to include purchaser identification information, so that personalized services tailored to the purchaser of item 1 can be provided to the purchaser of item 1 from a dedicated website, and content or information that takes into account the purchaser's personal information can be provided to the purchaser.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, the access history of the purchaser is associated with the item identification number of the item 1, so that the access history can be managed for each individual item 1.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the code management system 10 of this embodiment, by storing the URL, which is the location information of a website that provides videos posted by VTubers or content that allows users to experience AR (augmented reality), in the two-dimensional code 5, anyone who points the camera of their mobile device at the two-dimensional code 5 and loads the URL into their mobile device can view the videos posted by VTubers or content that allows users to experience AR (augmented reality).

[0086] The present invention is not limited to the code management system 10, the code management method, and the code management program according to the above-described embodiments, and various other modifications or applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Also, although the term "information" is used in the above-described embodiments, the term "information" can be replaced with "data," and the term "data" can be replaced with "information." [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 article 1a surface 1b back side 1c Drawing 1d metal plate 2 indoors 3. Wall 4 shelves 5. 2D code 6 Goods 6a surface 6b Back 6c QR Code 6d drawing 6e metal plate 7 Goods 7a surface 7b Back 7c QR Code 7d drawing 7e metal plate 8 Goods 8a surface 8b Back 8c QR code 8d drawing 8e metal plate 9 Stand 10 Code Management System 10a Communication Interface 10b ROM 10c RAM 10d storage section 10e Processing section 10f Input / Output Interface 11 Input Devices 12 Output Devices 12a Printing device 12a 14 QR Code 15 Information and Communications Networks 16 Goods 16a surface 16b Back side 17 Acrylic board 18 Pedestal 19 Drawings (Illustrations of People) 21 Memory control unit 22 Code Generation 23 Code printing control unit 24 Personal Information Acquisition Department 25 Access history acquisition unit 26 Purchase history acquisition section 30 Smartphone 31 Virtual Space 32 Avatar 33 lines 34 Real Space 35 images 36 buyers 40 Item Management Table 41 2D code control number string 42 Purchaser Identification Information Column 43 Material Identification Column 44 Item Identification Information Column 45 Purchase Date Column 46 Personal Information Column 46a Name column 46b Gender column 46c Date of birth column 47 URL columns 48 Access History Column 48a Access count column 48b Access date column 49 Purchase history columns for other items 49a Item identification information string 49b Purchase date column

Claims

1. A code management system that provides services using codes printed on items, a storage control unit that stores item identification information unique to each individual item and purchaser identification information that identifies a purchaser of the item in association with each other; a code generating unit that generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so as to include the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information; a code printing control unit that prints the code on the item; A code management system comprising:

2. The code management system according to claim 1 , wherein the code generation unit generates the location information so that the location information includes the item identification information as a character string, and generates a code based on the location information.

3. A personal information acquisition unit for acquiring personal information of the purchaser is further provided, 2. The code management system according to claim 1, wherein the storage control unit stores the personal information of the purchaser in association with the purchaser identification information.

4. the code generation unit generates the location information so as to include the item identification information and the purchaser identification information, and generates a code from the location information; The code management system according to claim 3 , wherein the service provided by the location information website includes personal information of the purchaser.

5. 2. The code management system according to claim 1, wherein the article is a metal plate or an acrylic plate having a picture on its surface.

6. 2. The code management system according to claim 1, wherein the storage control unit stores material identification information unique to each individual material that is the source of the item in association with the item identification information.

7. the storage control unit stores the plurality of pieces of product identification information in association with the purchaser identification information; the code generation unit generates the location information so as to include the plurality of item identification information, and generates a plurality of codes based on a plurality of divided pieces obtained by dividing the location information; The code management system according to claim 1 , wherein the code printing control unit prints the plurality of codes one by one on each of the items related to the plurality of item identification information.

8. 8. The code management system according to claim 1, wherein the service is the provision of content related to the product via the website.

9. 9. The code management system according to claim 8, wherein the content is a video in which an avatar in a virtual space talks to the purchaser.

10. 8. The code management system according to claim 1, wherein the service is the provision of information related to the product via the website.

11. 11. The code management system according to claim 10, wherein the information is at least one of instruction manual information for the item, warranty information for the item, advertising information related to the item, and contact information for inquiries regarding the item.

12. A code management method for providing a service using a code assigned to an item, comprising: On the computer, a storage control step of storing item identification information unique to each individual item and purchaser identification information identifying a purchaser of the item in association with each other; a code generation step of generating location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so as to include the item identification information, and generating a code based on the location information; a code printing control step of printing the code on the article; A code management method characterized by executing the above.

13. A code management program that provides a service by using a code assigned to an item, On the computer, a storage control function for storing item identification information unique to each individual item and purchaser identification information that identifies the purchaser of the item in association with each other; a code generation function that generates location information of a website that provides a service related to the item so that the location information includes the item identification information, and generates a code based on the location information; a code printing control function for printing the code on the item; A code management program that realizes the above.

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