Order management system

Abstract

We provide an order placement and receiving system that allows users to order and receive products online with simple operations. [Solution] This is an order placement and receiving system that allows a mobile terminal 200 to order products online from a server 100 via a network NE. By operating an icon displayed on the mobile terminal 200, the user activates the camera and scans the product's barcode. The mobile terminal then analyzes the contents, identifies the product's unique JAN number, and transmits it to the server. The server transmits and displays information such as the product's image and name corresponding to the JAN number. The icon is always displayed on the screen, and operating it displays the camera screen at that moment. Therefore, if a product is selected incorrectly, the user can start selecting a new product simply by operating the icon, without having to perform a cancellation operation. In this way, it is possible to order products easily and accurately by simply taking a picture of the product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an order receiving and placing system for receiving and placing orders for products online.

Background Art

[0002] E-commerce for receiving and placing orders for products online is actively carried out. In e-commerce, orders are often placed on a website prepared by a product seller, where a purchaser selects products and quantities. Recently, proposals have been made to simplify the operations when selecting products. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that can access a server and place an order by reading and storing the barcode of a book with a reader and then inputting the read data into a personal computer. Patent Document 2 discloses a system for placing orders for products online by taking a picture of the barcode attached to a product with a mobile phone, specifying the quantity, etc., and then transmitting it to a server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] E-commerce is used not only by general consumers but also by businesses such as hair salons. For example, in the case of hair salons, even for a specific brand of hair care products, there are a great many types of products depending on the color, effect, and intended use (e.g., for damaged hair), and they must identify and order the desired product from among them. In other words, the range of products to choose from is often far greater than that for general consumers, making it difficult or burdensome to select the desired product without making a mistake. This tendency is not limited to hair salons but is common when businesses use e-commerce. Furthermore, even when general consumers use it, similar challenges can arise when there are many types of products to choose from. In view of these challenges, the present invention aims to enable online order placement and receiving systems to easily and accurately identify and order the desired product from a wide variety of products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention A product order processing system that connects a server for receiving product orders and a mobile terminal for placing product orders via a network, The aforementioned mobile terminal is An input / output unit that displays an icon on the screen of the mobile terminal for activating the image acquisition unit, An image acquisition unit for obtaining images of the aforementioned products to be ordered, The system includes an order processing unit which transmits the acquired image, or the image itself, as identifying information for identifying the product to the server and processes the order for the product. The input / output unit can be configured as an order placement and receiving system that displays the icon in an operable state at all times during the operation period until the order is completed, except when the image acquisition unit is running.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to identify the product to be ordered based on an image of the product. For example, businesses often order the same product repeatedly, and therefore often have the product on hand when placing an order. With the present invention, since orders can be placed using an image of the product, products can be identified intuitively, accurately, and easily with a simple operation based on the feeling of "I want to buy this product." Furthermore, in this invention, the icon for acquiring images can be displayed in an operable state at all times throughout the period until the order is completed. This makes it possible to simplify the ordering process, for example, by activating the icon even if the wrong image of the product to be ordered is acquired. While this invention is highly useful for businesses in that it simplifies the ordering process, it does not exclude use by general consumers.

[0007] In the present invention, methods for acquiring images include, for example, taking a photograph of a product using a camera provided on a mobile device, or selecting an image corresponding to the target product from photographs stored on the mobile device. In this invention, identifying information for identifying a product is transmitted to a server. The identifying information may be the image itself, or it may be information obtained by analyzing the image. For example, the code obtained by analyzing an image of a barcode attached to a product can be used as identifying information. Alternatively, the string obtained by analyzing the name imprinted on the product image may be used as identifying information. When using an image as identifying information, the acquired image may be used as is, or it may be cropped to show the part necessary for identifying the product, such as the part showing the barcode.

[0008] In the order placement and receiving system of the present invention, The order processing unit may, if the image acquisition unit is activated during the period of operation until the order is completed, cancel the processing after the acquisition of the image that was performed immediately before.

[0009] This improves usability, for example, if you obtain an image of a product but realize it's not the product you should order. In that case, you can start a new order simply by operating an icon to launch the image acquisition unit, without having to cancel the ongoing process. For example, when a user is attempting to order multiple items, and some items are already in a pending order state (i.e., added to the cart), if the icon is clicked, the user can choose to either keep the items in the cart or cancel all items, including those in the cart. Furthermore, the user may be able to switch between these two options based on their settings.

[0010] In the order placement and receiving system of the present invention, Prior to the process of ordering the product, the order processing unit transmits the specific information and receives product display information from the server to display the product corresponding to the specific information. The input / output unit may use the product display information to display the product on the terminal.

[0011] This helps to reduce the chances of ordering the wrong product. In the above embodiment, various types of information representing the product, such as an image of the product and the name of the product, can be used as product display information.

[0012] In the order placement and receiving system of the present invention, The aforementioned server, A product data storage unit that stores information about the aforementioned product, The system may also include an order processing unit that refers to the product data storage unit based on the specific information received from the mobile terminal and identifies the product corresponding to the specific information.

[0013] By doing this, if the products that can be handled are stored in the product data storage unit, the possibility of mistakenly receiving orders for products that cannot be handled can be reduced. For example, when using information such as a code corresponding to a product or a product name as specific information, the specific information may be used as it is when referring to the product data storage unit. Also, when using an image of the product as specific information, it may be analyzed and then used after being converted into a code or a product name corresponding to the product.

[0014] When the server identifies a product in this way, the order receiving and placing system user has a user data storage unit that stores a history of past product orders, the order receiving processing unit may also refer to the history in addition to the specific information to identify the product.

[0015] By doing so, for example, when there is some error in the specific information or when the resolution of the image as specific information is low, it becomes possible to identify the appropriate product by referring to the past history without waiting for the retransmission of the specific information. Also, for example, when a product that has no past order history is ordered, prompting the user to confirm the order details can also suppress errors in the order.

[0016] When the server identifies a product, the order receiving processing unit may also identify related products that have a predetermined relationship with the product identified by the specific information.

[0017] By doing so, it becomes possible to easily order related products. Examples of related products include products with different colors, sizes, uses, etc. The related products may, for example, store information that defines each product stored in the product data storage unit as related products. Also, when a product is assigned a code, products with the same number of predetermined digits may be treated as related products.

[0018] In the present invention, The image acquisition unit may acquire the image by taking a picture of the product with the camera provided in the mobile terminal.

[0019] This allows for easy ordering simply by taking a photograph of the product. Furthermore, because the photograph is of an actual product, the possibility of ordering the wrong item is reduced.

[0020] In the order placement and receiving system of the present invention, The image acquisition unit may acquire an image of the barcode attached to the product.

[0021] Because barcodes allow for easy analysis of codes and other identifiers used to identify products, errors in product ordering can be reduced. Barcodes can be of various types, including one-dimensional and two-dimensional. Furthermore, barcode analysis can be performed using a mobile device or on a server.

[0022] In the order placement and receiving system of the present invention, The aforementioned product may be a hair care product.

[0023] In reality, a single brand of hair care products offers a vast number of items differing in type, color, efficacy, and intended use (such as for damaged hair). Therefore, this invention is particularly useful for such products. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is also applicable to products other than hair care products.

[0024] The present invention does not necessarily have to possess all of the above-mentioned features; some may be omitted or combined as appropriate. The above-mentioned order placement and receiving system may also be configured as an order placement and receiving method for ordering goods. That is, In a product order placement and receiving system that connects a server for receiving product orders and a mobile terminal for placing product orders via a network, the method for placing and receiving orders for products is as follows: The steps performed by the aforementioned mobile device include: (a) A step of displaying an icon on the screen of the mobile terminal for activating the image acquisition unit, (b) The step of obtaining an image of the product to be ordered, (c) The process includes transmitting the acquired image as information obtained or the image itself to the server as identifying information for identifying the product, and processing an order for the product, Step (a) is an order placement and receiving method that keeps the icon constantly displayed in an operable state for the duration of the operation until the order is completed, except during the period when step (b) is being performed.

[0025] Furthermore, the functions of the mobile terminal or the server in the order placement and receiving system may be implemented as computer programs. Moreover, the recording medium on which such computer programs are stored may be configured as a computer-readable recording medium. The various features described for the order placement and receiving system can also be applied to the order placement and receiving method, computer programs, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the order placement and receiving system. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the order placement and receiving system. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the screen used when placing an order. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the order processing process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, using an order placement and receiving system for hair care products used by beauty salons as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to beauty salons, nor is it limited to businesses; it can also be used by general consumers, and it can be applied to a wide variety of products, not just hair care products.

[0028] A. System configuration: Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the order placement and receiving system. The order placement and receiving system in this embodiment is configured by connecting a server 100 and a mobile terminal 200 via a network NE such as the Internet. The mobile terminal 200 is used by staff members of beauty salons who use the order placement and receiving system, and multiple units can be connected, not just one. As described below, the order placement and receiving system allows for easy online ordering of products by taking a picture of the product to be ordered with the mobile terminal 200.

[0029] While a dedicated device could be provided for the order placement and receiving system, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 200 is configured using software by installing applications, i.e., computer programs, that implement each of the illustrated functions on a general-purpose smartphone.

[0030] The following describes the various functions of the mobile device 200. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 exchanges information with the server 100 via the network NE. The image acquisition unit 212 acquires images of the ordered products. In this embodiment, images of the products (hereinafter referred to as "product images") are acquired using the camera provided in the mobile terminal 200. Alternatively, images already taken and stored in the mobile terminal 200 may be used. The analysis unit 213 performs the function of analyzing product images to obtain information that identifies the product. In this embodiment, the product image is a photograph of the barcode attached to the product, and the analysis unit 213 analyzes it to obtain a product-specific code called a JAN number. The input / output unit 214 displays information for order processing on the mobile terminal 200 and accepts user operations. In this embodiment, as one of the displays, an icon for activating the image acquisition unit 212 is displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 200, as will be described later. This icon is displayed at the forefront without being hidden by other displays so that it can be operated at any time during the order process. The order processing unit 215 controls the operation of each function described above and executes the entire process of ordering goods.

[0031] On the other hand, the server has each of the illustrated functions configured in software by a computer program. Some or all of these functions may be configured in hardware. The user data storage unit 101 stores information and usage history of users who use the order placement and receiving system. The product data storage unit 102 stores the names and prices of products handled by the order placement and receiving system. The data structures of the user data storage unit 101 and the product data storage unit 102 will be described later.

[0032] The following describes the various functions provided by the server. The transmitting / receiving unit 111 exchanges various information with the mobile terminal 200 via the network NE. The user display control unit 112 configures data such as screens to be displayed on the mobile terminal 200 and transmits it to the mobile terminal 200. The data management unit 113 manages the input and output of data from the user data storage unit 101 and the product data storage unit 102. The order processing unit 114 identifies the product according to the order details from the mobile terminal 200, and executes order processing to ship the product to the user and charge them. The information provision unit 115 provides various information, such as product images and prices, to the user during the process of ordering products using the mobile terminal 200.

[0033] Figure 1 shows only one example of the configuration of an order placement and receiving system. For example, although Figure 1 uses one server 100, multiple servers could work together to achieve the functions shown in the diagram. Furthermore, some of the processing performed on the mobile terminal 200 may be performed on the server 100. For example, if the processing of the analysis unit 213 is performed on the server 100, images such as barcodes captured by the mobile terminal 200 will be sent to the server 100 as image data, and the server 100 will analyze them to obtain the JAN number. It is not limited to barcodes; the entire image of the product may also be analyzed to identify the product. By performing the analysis on the server 100 in this way, it becomes possible to perform complex and advanced analyses that would place a heavy load on the mobile terminal 200.

[0034] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the order placement and receiving system. User data and product data refer to the contents of the data stored in the user data storage unit 101 and the product data storage unit, respectively.

[0035] In user data, the group ID is the identification information for the group using the order placement and receiving system. In this embodiment, a group ID is assigned to each beauty salon. A Member ID is the identification information of a member belonging to a group. The Member ID is associated with information such as the member's name, contact information, authority, and logs representing their usage history of the order management system. Authority refers to the member's permissions within the order management system. For example, various permissions can be set, such as the authority to only add items to the cart, the authority to confirm an order, or the authority to make a payment. If there are multiple members in a group, data such as multiple member IDs and names will be prepared.

[0036] The cart is data that stores the purchase status of products currently being processed for ordering. The date is data for the date the order is being processed. The product ID is identification information that identifies the product placed in the fictitious cart used for ordering. In this embodiment, the JAN number is used as the product ID, but identification information unique to the order processing system may also be used. As shown by the arrows in the figure, the product ID can be associated with detailed product data stored in the product data. The cart data stores the order quantity, unit price, tax, and subtotal (= (unit price + tax) × quantity) for each product ID. If there are multiple items in the cart, data such as the product ID and quantity will be stored for each item. The total displayed is the sum of the total price for all items in the cart.

[0037] User data also stores usage history. The data structure of the usage history is the same as the data structure of the shopping cart. That is, once an order is confirmed for items added to the cart, that data is moved to and stored in the usage history. In addition, the usage history may also record post-order processing, such as the shipping date of the product, the payment completion date, and whether or not the order was canceled. Payment information refers to information related to payment for goods within the order processing system. For example, this includes information such as credit card numbers.

[0038] The user data shown in Figure 2 is merely an example, and other configurations can be adopted. For example, instead of assigning a group ID to each beauty salon, data could be structured on a member-by-member basis. Alternatively, personal information such as member names, shopping cart information, usage history, and payment information could be created as separate databases.

[0039] The product data is as follows: Product data is stored for each product with its assigned product ID. As explained earlier, in this embodiment, the JAN number was used as the product ID. The JAN number is widely used as a globally recognized product identification number that indicates which business and which product a product belongs to. Using the JAN number has the advantage of allowing products to be easily identified without having to prepare a product code or similar for the order management system. Product data stores various information such as product name, manufacturer, type, color, unit price, inventory, image, and related products, linked to the product ID. The type represents the type of hair care product, such as shampoo, conditioner, or treatment. Inventory stores the inventory quantity. The image is image data of the product. Related products store the product IDs of other products, such as those with different colors. This makes it easy to search for related products. Furthermore, successor products may be stored as related products for products that have been discontinued. Related products can be arbitrarily defined and stored by the product seller.

[0040] The product data shown in Figure 2 is merely an example, and other configurations can be adopted. For example, data that may fluctuate, such as unit price and inventory, could be stored separately in an inventory management database. Related products could also be stored in a separate database.

[0041] B. Order processing: In the order placement and receiving system of this embodiment, products are ordered by scanning the product's barcode with the mobile terminal 200. The following describes in detail the process of ordering products using the order placement and receiving system, as well as the processes performed by the server 100 and the mobile terminal 200.

[0042] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed during the ordering process. It illustrates the screen displayed on the mobile terminal 200. Figure 3(a) shows an example screen displayed when the application for using the order placement and receiving system is launched on the mobile terminal 200. By clicking the "Buy Now" button 220, the user is taken to the login screen, where they enter the necessary information such as their ID and password to complete the launch. In the lower right corner of the screen, you will see icon 221 for activating the camera. Clicking this icon 221 will activate the camera for taking pictures of products. However, if you operate icon 221 before logging in, the camera will activate after going through the login screen.

[0043] Figure 3(b) shows the camera in its activated state. After the camera is activated, when you hold it over the product's barcode, a barcode reading frame 222 will appear on the screen. By placing the entire barcode within the reading frame 222, you can read the barcode. The product's barcode represents the JAN number. The mobile terminal 200 has a function to analyze barcodes using the analysis unit 213 (see Figure 1), so it can obtain the JAN number based on the barcode. When the mobile terminal 200 transmits the obtained JAN number to the server 100, it can obtain information such as product image data, name, and price from the server 100.

[0044] Figure 3(c) shows a screen displaying product information. The image, name, price, and stock quantity of the product corresponding to the scanned barcode are displayed. The content displayed as product information can be arbitrarily determined. By displaying product information, the user can identify the product they intend to order. Icon 221 can be operated at any time, even on the product information display screen. Operating icon 221 activates the camera and displays the screen shown in Figure 3(b) again. Without performing any operations such as canceling, the order for the product displayed in Figure 3(c) is automatically canceled. For example, if you have ordered the wrong product, or if a different product is displayed due to a barcode reading error, you can easily reorder by operating icon 221. By scrolling the screen in Figure 3(c) and clicking the button (not shown) to add the displayed product to the cart, you can add the displayed product to your cart. Icon 221 remains displayed throughout this operation, so if you operate icon 221 before adding the product to the cart, the displayed product will not be added to the cart, and you will immediately return to the screen in Figure 3(b). Furthermore, the operation of adding items to the cart does not necessarily require the use of buttons or similar devices. For example, items could be automatically added to the cart after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the screen shown in Figure 3(c) was displayed.

[0045] Figure 3(d) shows the shopping cart screen. In this example, you can see that there are two types of products in the cart, and you can also see their prices and the total amount. You can also change the order quantity for each product. If you click the "Proceed to Checkout" button 223 in this state, you will proceed to the payment screen. Note that if a member does not have payment permission (see Figure 2), the "Proceed to Checkout" button may be hidden or disabled. Icon 221 is also displayed on the shopping cart screen. By operating icon 221, the camera is quickly activated and the screen shown in Figure 3(b) is displayed, making it possible to add items without going through complicated operations.

[0046] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the order processing. The left side shows the processing of the mobile terminal 200, and the right side shows the processing of the server 100. When ordering a product, the mobile terminal 200 takes a picture of the product (step S10) and analyzes the barcode to obtain the JAN number (step S11). When the mobile terminal 200 transmits the obtained JAN number to the server 100 (step S12), the server 100 receives it (step S20) and searches the product data storage unit 102 for the product corresponding to the JAN number (step S21). In cases of analysis errors or when dealing with discontinued products, it may not be possible to identify the product corresponding to the JAN number. If the server 100 cannot identify the product (step S22), it searches for the product using the user's purchase history (step S23). The user's purchase history can be identified by referring to the usage history of the user data (see Figure 2). In this way, products with similar JAN numbers from those previously purchased can be extracted. This enables so-called fuzzy searching, which can cover errors in the transmitted JAN number, etc. If the product cannot be identified using the purchase history (step S24), an error message is returned to the mobile terminal 200. On the other hand, if the product can be identified by its JAN number (step S22), the search by purchase history (step S23) is skipped. Note that the search by purchase history (step S23) is not a mandatory process, so you can configure the program to omit this process from the beginning.

[0047] Once a product is identified, the server 100 then searches for related products (step S25). Related products are stored in the product data (see Figure 2), so this can be referenced. Some hair care products have many related products, such as products in different colors. While it is possible to order each of these related products individually, the advantage of searching for related products in step S25 is that they can be ordered all at once. In the product data, related products may include, for example, a successor product to a discontinued product. This allows for the presentation of a successor product as a related product when a discontinued product is ordered, thereby improving convenience. The types of products that are considered related products can be determined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in step S25, it is not necessary to search all products stored as "related products" in the product data; the search scope can be set, for example, by limiting the search to "different colors." This search scope may also be set by the user. Note that searching for related products (step S25) is not a mandatory step and can be omitted.

[0048] Once the product identification, including related products, is complete, the server 100 sends the product data to the mobile terminal 200 (step S26). The product data to be sent may include image data, name, unit price, and inventory, but the content can be determined arbitrarily. In addition, to reduce data volume, the content of the product data may be made variable, such as omitting image data if there are many products.

[0049] The mobile terminal 200 receives product data and displays the product on its screen (step S13). The screen shown in Figure 3(c) is an example of this. Then, the mobile terminal 200, in response to user input, specifies the quantity of products, deletes them if unnecessary (step S14), and adds the products to the cart (step S15). The display of the cart results is as shown in Figure 3(d). Finally, the mobile terminal 200 processes the order and payment for the product in response to the user's operation (step S16). This information is received by the server 100, and payment processing is performed (step S27). Through the above series of processes, an order can be placed with the server 100 by taking a picture of the product with the mobile terminal 200.

[0050] During the execution of the above series of processes, the mobile terminal 200 continues to display the icon 221 for activating the camera, as shown in Figure 3. While the process shown in Figure 4 is being executed, the mobile terminal 200 constantly monitors for the occurrence of an event related to the operation of the icon 221. When an event occurs, it stops the currently running process and starts taking an image (step S10). In other words, if icon 221 is operated after taking an image, while any of the following processes are underway: obtaining the JAN number (step S11), displaying the product (step S13), specifying the quantity, deleting, etc. (step S14), all of these processes will be canceled, and the process will return to taking the image (step S10). On the other hand, if icon 221 is operated after the process of adding the product to the cart (step S15) has been performed, the operation of adding the product to the cart will not be canceled, and the image will be taken (step S10). In other words, the process of adding a new product will begin. This improves usability because, if an error is found in the process up to adding the product to the cart, the product order can be redone simply by operating icon 221, without having to perform an operation to cancel the process. The above configuration is merely an example, and it is also permissible to have the entire contents of the cart, including the items in the cart, be canceled when icon 221 is operated. In this case, in addition to icon 221, a button or other mechanism may be provided to add new items to the cart.

[0051] C. Effects and variations: According to the order placement and receiving system of the embodiment described above, instead of having to perform the cumbersome operation of selecting the desired product from among many products displayed on a web page, customers can place orders with simple operations by simply taking a picture of the product with the mobile terminal 200. Furthermore, since orders are placed using an image of the desired product, it is possible to avoid selecting the wrong product. Furthermore, the order placement and receiving system in this embodiment has the advantage of improving usability even further, as it makes it easy to redo product orders and perform other operations by displaying the icon 221 for activating the camera in a state where it can be activated at any time. The order placement and receiving system of this embodiment, possessing these characteristics, is highly useful when dealing with products with a very large number of variations, such as different colors, like hair care products.

[0052] The various features described in the examples do not necessarily have to be present in their entirety; some may be omitted or combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the order placement and receiving system in the examples can be modified in various ways. While the examples illustrate a system for handling hair care products, there are no limitations on the products that can be handled; other products may also be possible. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] This invention can be used to order and receive goods online with simple operation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 100 servers 101 User data storage unit 102 Product Data Storage Unit 111 Transmitter / Receiver 112 User Display Control Unit 113 Data Management Department 114 Order Processing Section 115 Information Provision Department 200 mobile devices 211 Transmitter / Receiver 212 Image acquisition unit 213 Analysis Department 214 Input / output section 215 Order Processing Section 220 buttons 221 icons 222 Reading Frame

Claims

1. A product order processing system that connects a server for receiving product orders and a mobile terminal for placing product orders via a network, The aforementioned mobile terminal is An input / output unit that displays an icon on the screen of the mobile terminal for activating the image acquisition unit, An image acquisition unit for obtaining images of the aforementioned products to be ordered, The system includes an order processing unit which transmits the acquired image, or the image itself, as identifying information for identifying the product to the server and processes the order for the product. The input / output unit is an order placement and receiving system that keeps the icon constantly operable during the operation period until the order is completed, except when the image acquisition unit is running.

2. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1, The order processing unit cancels the processing after the acquisition of the image that was performed immediately before, if the image acquisition unit is activated during the period of operation until the order is completed.

3. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1, Prior to the process of ordering the product, the order processing unit transmits the specific information and receives product display information from the server to display the product corresponding to the specific information. The input / output unit is an order placement and receiving system that uses the product display information to display the product on the terminal.

4. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1, The aforementioned server, A product data storage unit that stores information about the aforementioned product, An order processing system comprising: an order processing unit that refers to the product data storage unit based on the specific information received from the mobile terminal and identifies the product corresponding to the specific information.

5. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 4, The aforementioned server, The order placement and receiving system includes a user data storage unit that stores the history of products ordered by the user in the past. The order processing unit is an order placement and receiving system that identifies the product by referring to the history in addition to the specified information.

6. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 4, The aforementioned order processing unit is an order placement and receiving system that also identifies related products that have a predetermined relationship with the product identified by the aforementioned specific information.

7. An order placement and receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The image acquisition unit is an order placement and receiving system that acquires images by taking pictures of the products with a camera provided on the mobile terminal.

8. An order placement and receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The image acquisition unit is an order placement and receiving system that acquires an image of the barcode attached to the product.

9. An order placement and receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The aforementioned product is an order placement and receiving system for hair care products.

10. In a product order placement and receiving system that connects a server for receiving product orders and a mobile terminal for placing product orders via a network, the method for placing and receiving orders for products is as follows: The steps performed by the aforementioned mobile device include: (a) A step of displaying an icon on the screen of the mobile terminal for activating the image acquisition unit, (b) The step of obtaining an image of the product to be ordered, (c) The process includes transmitting the acquired image as information obtained or the image itself to the server as identifying information for identifying the product, and processing an order for the product, Step (a) is an order placement and receiving method that keeps the icon in an operable state at all times during the period of operation until the order is completed, except during the period when step (b) is being performed.

Images