System and Method

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a system that allows users to configure settings related to the purchase of a product or service, which is designed through operations on a first terminal, by operating on a second terminal. [Solution] The system comprises at least one computer device. The system includes design means for designing a product or service by operation on a first terminal, a first disclosure means for a first or second server device to disclose information about the designed product or service in a viewable state on a second terminal, and setting means for setting, for each product or service, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the product or service, by operation on a second terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , ,

[0005] , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method.

Background Art

[0002] Goods including content such as music are being sold through the Internet. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a service providing system that sells viewing tickets for digital content to consumers and distributes digital content to the consumers who have purchased the viewing tickets.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[10] A method to be performed in a system comprising at least one computer device, comprising: a design step of designing a product or service by operation on a first terminal; a first disclosure step of a first server device or a second server device disclosing information relating to the designed product or service in a manner that can be viewed on a second terminal; and a setting step of setting, by operation on a second terminal, for each product or service corresponding to the disclosed information relating to the product or service, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the said product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the said product or service; This can be resolved.

[0006] Furthermore, the problem addressed by the present invention is, for example,

[11] A system comprising at least one computer device, wherein setting means for setting, by operation on a second terminal, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the product or service, and a second server device comprising control means for controlling, according to the set first condition, to allow a customer to purchase the product or service, and / or, according to the set second condition, to prohibit a customer from purchasing the product or service;

[12] The system described in

[11] above, wherein the first and / or second conditions are conditions relating to the quantity or amount of the goods or services to be purchased;

[13] The system described in

[11] or

[12] above, wherein the first condition is that, assuming a customer purchases the goods or services, the total quantity or total purchase amount does not exceed the maximum purchase quantity or purchase amount of the goods or services per customer, or the second condition is that, assuming a customer purchases the goods or services, the total quantity or total purchase amount exceeds the maximum purchase quantity or purchase amount of the goods or services per customer;

[14] The system described in

[11] or

[12] above, wherein the first condition is that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer does not exceed the maximum quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction, or the second condition is that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer exceeds the maximum quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction;

[15] The system described in

[11] or

[12] above, wherein the first and / or second conditions are conditions relating to the time of day during which the goods or services can be purchased;

[16] The system described in

[15] above, wherein the first condition is that a specified amount of time has elapsed since the previous purchase, or the second condition is that a specified amount of time has not elapsed since the previous purchase;

[17] A system described in any of

[11] to

[16] above, wherein the first condition is that a customer obtains the right to purchase the goods or services by lottery;

[18] The system according to any one of

[11] to

[17] above, wherein the second terminal comprises a first condition transmission means for transmitting a first condition and / or a second condition to the first server device, the first server device comprises an information transmission means for transmitting information about goods or services to the second server device, and a second condition transmission means for transmitting a first condition and / or a second condition received from the second terminal to the second server device, the second server device comprises a disclosure means for disclosing information about goods or services received from the first server device in a manner that can be viewed by multiple other terminals, and a control means for controlling the goods or services corresponding to the disclosed goods or services to allow a customer to purchase the goods or services in accordance with a first condition received from the first server device, and / or to prevent a customer from purchasing the goods or services in accordance with a second condition received from the first server device;

[20] A method to be performed in a system comprising at least one computer device, comprising a setting step of setting, by operation to a second terminal, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the product or service, and a control step of a second server device controlling to allow a customer to purchase the product or service in accordance with the set first condition, and / or to prohibit a customer from purchasing the product or service in accordance with the set second condition;

[21] A program executed on the second terminal of a system comprising a second terminal and a second server device, wherein the second server device has control means for controlling whether a customer can purchase a product or service according to a set first condition and / or whether a customer can not purchase the said product or service according to a set second condition, the program causing the second terminal to function as an input means for inputting a first condition for allowing a customer to purchase the said product or service and / or a second condition for preventing a customer from purchasing the said product or service, for each product or service;

[22] A method to be performed at the second terminal of a system comprising a second terminal and a second server device, wherein the second server device has control means for enabling a customer to purchase a product or service in accordance with a set first condition and / or for preventing a customer from purchasing the said product or service in accordance with a set second condition, the method comprising an input step of inputting a first condition for enabling a customer to purchase the said product or service and / or a second condition for preventing a customer from purchasing the said product or service for each product or service; This can be resolved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Examples of the effects of the present invention include the following: According to the present invention, a system can be provided that allows settings related to the purchase of a product or service, which has been set by an operation on a first terminal, to be made by an operation on a second terminal. According to the present invention, a system can be provided that can control whether or not a product or service can be purchased according to the conditions related to the purchase of the product or service, which have been set by an operation on a terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a manufacturer's terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows a flowchart of the sales control process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments unless it contradicts the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the description of effects is only one aspect of the effects of the embodiments of the present invention and is not limited to those described herein. The order of each process constituting the flowchart described below is not limited to any order insofar as it does not cause contradictions or inconsistencies in the processing content. It is also possible to omit some of the processes constituting the flowchart or to add new processes to each process constituting the flowchart, as long as it does not contradict the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the device that is the main entity that executes each process constituting the flowchart can be changed to another device unless it contradicts the spirit of the present invention. In this case, it is possible to change the processing content so as not to cause contradictions or inconsistencies in the processing content.

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 10 comprises at least one computer device. As shown in the figure, system 10 may include a manufacturer terminal 1, a management server 2, a seller terminal 3, a web server 4, and a communication network 5. The manufacturer terminal 1, the management server 2, the seller terminal 3, and the web server 4 are examples of computer devices.

[0011] The manufacturer terminal 1, the management server 2, the seller terminal 3, and the web server 4 can communicate with each other via the communication network 5. Also, the system 10 may include a plurality of manufacturer terminals 1, a plurality of management servers 2, a plurality of seller terminals 3, and a plurality of web servers 4. Further, the system 10 may include a server device different from the management server 2 and the web server 4. Additionally, the system 10 may include an administrator terminal, a customer terminal, and the like.

[0012] The manufacturer terminal 1 is a terminal operated by a user (e.g., a person in charge at a record company, a content holder, etc.) who is a manufacturer that manufactures or designs products or services (hereinafter referred to as products, etc.) sold online. The manufacturer may belong to a predetermined organization such as a record company. The manufacturer terminal 1 is an example of the first terminal.

[0013] The management server 主要 stores product information, manufacturer information regarding manufacturers, seller information regarding sellers, sales conditions including a first condition that allows customers to purchase products, etc. and / or a second condition that prohibits customers from purchasing products, etc., the purchase status regarding customers' purchases of products, etc., purchaser information regarding purchasers, and the like. The management server 2 may be managed by an administrator operating an administrator terminal. The management server 2 is an example of the first server device.

[0014] The seller terminal 3 is a terminal operated by a seller who sells products, etc. designed by operating the manufacturer terminal 1. The seller is, for example, an operator (e.g., a person in charge of an EC site) who operates or manages a platform such as an EC site (also referred to as a website or a sales channel) that sells products, etc., or a retailer who intends to sell products, etc. using those platforms. The user operating the seller terminal 3 can set the sales settings of the products, etc. to be sold on the EC site being operated. The seller terminal 3 is an example of the second terminal. The seller may be different from the manufacturer who sets the products. Note that the operator of the seller terminal 3 and the manufacturer terminal 1 may be the same or different. That is, the manufacturer terminal 1 can also be regarded as the seller terminal 3.

[0015] The web server 4 stores information about products sold on the website. The web server 4 also stores product information, sales conditions, purchase status on the website operated by the web server 4, and purchaser information. The web server 4 may be managed by a user operating the seller terminal 3. Information on the website is transmitted to the customer terminal via the web server 4. The web server 4 may be configured as a different server device for each e-commerce site, or as multiple server devices for a single e-commerce site. The web server 4 is an example of a second server device. The web server 4 and the seller terminal 3 may be stored in the management server 2 in association with the website operated or managed by the web server 4 and the seller terminal 3.

[0016] The administrator terminal is a terminal operated by an administrator (for example, a representative of the system company) who manages or operates System 10. The customer terminal is a terminal operated by a user who is a customer with the intention to purchase goods, etc., or a user who will use the purchased goods, etc.

[0017] The manufacturer terminal 1, the seller terminal 3, the administrator terminal, and the customer terminal are not particularly limited as long as they are computer devices having a display screen and an input unit. The manufacturer terminal 1, the seller terminal 3, the administrator terminal, and the customer terminal may be stationary and installed in a company office, or they may be portable and carried by the user when moving. Examples of manufacturer terminal 1, the seller terminal 3, the administrator terminal, and the customer terminal include conventional mobile phones, tablet terminals, smartphones, and desktop / notebook personal computers.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a manufacturer terminal 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturer terminal 1 comprises a control unit 11, RAM 12, storage unit 13, input unit 14, display unit 15, and communication interface 16, all connected by a bus. The manufacturer terminal 1 may also include an audio output unit.

[0019] The control unit 11 consists of a CPU and ROM. The control unit 11 executes programs stored in the storage unit 13 and controls the manufacturer terminal 1. The RAM 12 is the work area of ​​the control unit 11. The storage unit 13 is a memory area for saving programs and data. In other words, the storage unit 13 functions as a recording medium that stores programs. The control unit 11 performs calculations based on the programs and data read from the RAM 12, as well as the data input at the input unit 14.

[0020] The display unit 15 has a display screen. The control unit 11 outputs a video signal for displaying an image on the display screen according to the result of the calculation processing. Here, the display screen of the display unit 15 may be a touch panel equipped with a touch sensor. In this case, the touch panel functions as an input unit 14.

[0021] The communication interface 16 can be connected to the communication network 5 wirelessly or via a wired connection, and can send and receive data with other computer devices via the communication network 5. Data received via the communication interface 16 is loaded into the RAM 12, and calculation processing is performed by the control unit 11.

[0022] The hardware configurations of the seller terminal 3, the administrator terminal, and the customer terminal are the same as those of the manufacturer terminal 1, so their description is omitted.

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management server 2 comprises at least a control unit 21, RAM 22, storage unit 23, and communication interface 24, each connected by an internal bus.

[0024] The control unit 21 consists of a CPU and ROM, executes programs stored in the storage unit 23, and controls the management server 2. The control unit 21 also has an internal timer for timing. The RAM 22 is the work area of ​​the control unit 21. The storage unit 23 is a memory area for saving programs and data. In other words, the storage unit 23 functions as a recording medium that stores programs. The control unit 21 reads programs and data from the RAM 22 and performs program execution processing based on information received from the manufacturer terminal 1, the seller terminal 3, the administrator terminal, or the customer terminal.

[0025] The hardware configuration of web server 4 is the same as that of management server 2, so the explanation is omitted. Note that management server 2 and web server 4 may be on different server devices, or they may be configured as different servers virtually on the same server device.

[0026] In this embodiment, the program may be stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. In this case, the program stored on the recording medium may be installed on the manufacturer terminal 1, management server 2, seller terminal 3, web server 4, administrator terminal, or customer terminal to perform predetermined functions. Alternatively, the program may be distributed from a computer device outside the system. In this case, the program distributed from a computer device outside the system may be installed on the manufacturer terminal 1, management server 2, seller terminal 3, web server 4, administrator terminal, or customer terminal to perform predetermined functions.

[0027] In the embodiments of the invention described below, the management server 2 will be described in which it sets product information (e.g., content information and special offer information), stores various types of information, and transmits product information. However, this may be achieved by distributed ledger technology using blockchain instead of, or in addition to, the management server 2. The blockchain network may be constructed as a private network or as a public network. Information management using blockchain can maintain security and guarantee ownership rights of goods or services to purchasers of those goods or services.

[0028] The system 10 according to this embodiment allows manufacturers to design products that can be purchased online. Furthermore, the system 10 can be configured to allow sellers to sell the products designed by the manufacturer on an e-commerce site. Additionally, customers can purchase the products through the system 10.

[0029] In this embodiment, "product" refers to, for example, something that is the subject of a commercial transaction, and may be a tangible or intangible object. In this embodiment, the product may consist only of content, or it may consist of content and bonuses.

[0030] In this embodiment, "content" can be applied to all digital content, including not only music, but also images, videos, live streams, movies, dramas, ebooks, games, and more. In other words, content data is a concept that includes music data, audio data, image data, video data, and text data. "Content information" refers to information about the content, and for example, in the case of music content, it may include not only information about the sound source of the song, but also information such as lyrics, album art, etc., which may consist of multiple pieces of information.

[0031] In this embodiment, "bonus" refers to something that enhances the value of the product. The bonus may or may not be related to the content included in the product. "Bonus information" refers to information related to the bonus.

[0032] "Service" refers to labor or benefits provided for another person that are independently subject to commercial transactions. Examples of services include the distribution of various content and the operation and hosting of various events.

[0033] "Product information" refers to information about products or services that a user can purchase. Product information includes, for example, the name, content, sales period, sales quantity, sales price, and sales channel of the product or service. Product information may also include product identifiers that can identify a specific product. Product information may also include, for example, content information corresponding to a product, or information that can identify a combination of content information and bonus information.

[0034] The specific details of the product or service can be set as appropriate by the manufacturer, artist, event organizer, etc., through the operation of the manufacturer's terminal 1.

[0035] [Sales control processing] The sales control process according to this embodiment will now be described. The sales control process includes setting sales conditions for the sale of products etc. designed by the manufacturer terminal 1 on a website by the seller terminal 3.

[0036] First, the manufacturer logs into system 10 by accessing management server 2 via a web browser from manufacturer terminal 1. Alternatively, logging into system 10 may be done by launching an application program downloaded to manufacturer terminal 1 and accessing management server 2.

[0037] The manufacturer may, in advance, operate manufacturer terminal 1 to set the initial settings for the person in charge. The initial settings include entering company information, department, person in charge's name, phone number, email address, and assigned artist. Each registered person in charge may be assigned a person in charge identification information (also called a person in charge ID). The person in charge ID is stored in association with the user ID corresponding to the organization to which they belong.

[0038] When the manufacturer logs into system 10, manufacturer terminal 1 accepts product information input (step S1). The process in step S1 is an example of a process for designing a product or service through operations on manufacturer terminal 1.

[0039] Here, "designing a product or service" refers to the process of defining the specific details of a product or service. The information to be defined is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, the name, content, sales period, sales quantity, sales price, and sales channel of the product or service. Therefore, in step S1, information such as the name, content, sales period, sales quantity, sales price, and sales channel of the product or service is entered. The sales channel is the website on which the product or service is sold.

[0040] The contents of the product are not particularly limited, but may include, for example, the artist providing the product, details of the content included in the product, details of the benefits included in the product, and details of the event included in the product. Details of the content include, for example, the name of the content, the type of content, the content data, and the start date and time for downloading the content data. Details of the benefits include, for example, the name of the benefit, an overview of the benefit, the type of benefit, the application conditions for the benefit, the distribution period for the benefit, the number of people who will receive the benefit, whether or not there is a lottery, the lottery method, the maximum number of winners, usage restrictions, etc. Details of the event include, for example, the name of the event, the date, and the location.

[0041] The input information entered in step S1 is transmitted from the manufacturer terminal 1 to the management server 2 (step S2), and received by the management server 2. The management server 2 stores the received input information as product information in the storage unit 23 (step S4). In step S4, product identification information that can identify the product may be generated, and the input information may be stored in association with the generated product identification information.

[0042] As a result of the processing in step S4, the information entered in step S1 is stored as the goods to be sold to the customer, and the goods are set on the management server 2.

[0043] When the management server 2 stores product information, it transmits the product information to the seller terminal 3 corresponding to the sales channel that sells the product (step S5). The seller terminal 3 is stored in the management server 2 in association with the sales channel it operates or manages. Therefore, in step S5, the management server 2 identifies the seller terminal 3 corresponding to the sales channel associated with the product and transmits the product information to the seller terminal 3.

[0044] When the seller terminal 3 receives product information (step S6), it displays the product information (step S7). In step S7, the management server 2 makes the designed product information viewable on the seller terminal 3. "Making the product information viewable" in step S7 means that one or more terminals can view the product information via an application or browser. In step S7, a sales settings screen may be displayed for setting sales conditions related to the sale of the product corresponding to the product information.

[0045] Steps S6 and S7 are executed, for example, as follows: First, the seller terminal 3 logs into system 10 using the same process as manufacturer terminal 1. The seller may also operate seller terminal 3 to set the initial settings for the contact person. As initial settings, company information, department, contact person's name, telephone number, email address, etc., are entered. Similar to the manufacturer, each registered contact person may be assigned a contact person ID. The contact person ID is stored in association with the user ID corresponding to the organization to which they belong.

[0046] When the seller terminal 3 logs into system 10, a request to view product information is sent to the management server 2. Upon receiving the request, the management server 2 sends product information associated with the sales channel corresponding to the seller terminal 3 to the seller terminal 3. The sent product information may be one item or multiple items. The received product information is displayed in a list on the seller terminal 3. The seller may operate the seller terminal 3 and select one product from the displayed product information to display the sales settings screen for the selected product information. In this way, the product information becomes viewable on the seller terminal 3.

[0047] Once the product information is displayed, the seller terminal 3 accepts input of sales conditions, which indicate the terms and conditions of the sale, at the seller's discretion (step S8).

[0048] The sales conditions include, for example, a first condition allowing the customer to purchase the product or service, and / or a second condition prohibiting the customer from purchasing the product or service. The sales conditions can be set for the product or service corresponding to the product information disclosed in step S7. The sales conditions entered in step S8 are stored in step S11 described below, thereby setting sales conditions for each product or service, including the first condition and / or the second condition.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first and second conditions are inversely related. Therefore, when the first condition is entered, the second condition is automatically identified. Similarly, when the second condition is entered, the first condition is identified. For example, if the first condition is set to an upper limit of 5 items for the maximum quantity of goods that can be purchased, the system 10 can limit the maximum number of goods that one user can purchase to 5 items. In this case, the second condition is set to prevent a user from purchasing 6 or more items, and the system 10 can control the system to prevent a user from purchasing 6 or more items.

[0050] In step S8, the sales conditions may be entered as follows: only the first condition, only the second condition, both the first and second conditions, or additional conditions. The sales conditions can be entered as appropriate by the seller.

[0051] For example, the first and / or second conditions may be conditions relating to the quantity or amount of goods purchased.

[0052] The purchase quantity of goods, etc. may be the total quantity of goods, etc. limited to one user, or it may be the total quantity of goods, etc. limited to a single purchase transaction (also called payment). Furthermore, the purchase quantity of goods, etc. may not be limited to a single item, but may be a quantity limited to multiple pre-set items, etc.

[0053] The purchase amount for goods, etc. may be the total purchase amount of goods, etc. restricted for one user, or it may be the total purchase amount of goods, etc. restricted for a single purchase transaction (also called payment). Furthermore, the purchase amount for goods, etc. may not be limited to a single item, etc., but may be the purchase amount restricted for multiple pre-set items, etc.

[0054] More specifically, the first condition may be that, assuming a customer purchases goods, the total quantity or total purchase amount does not exceed the upper limit on the quantity or purchase amount of goods per customer. Similarly, the second condition may be that, assuming a customer purchases goods, the total quantity or total purchase amount exceeds the upper limit on the quantity or purchase amount of goods per customer. In step S8, the seller can input the total quantity or total purchase amount as either the first or second condition into the seller terminal 3.

[0055] The total purchase quantity or total purchase amount refers to the total purchase quantity or total purchase amount of the specified goods, etc., from the past to the present. Alternatively, the total purchase quantity or total purchase amount may refer to the total purchase quantity or total purchase amount of the specified goods, etc., from a specified period prior to the present (for example, the start of sales) to the present. The specified period can be set as appropriate by operating the seller terminal 3.

[0056] Furthermore, the first condition may be that the quantity or amount of goods requested by the customer does not exceed the maximum quantity or amount of goods that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction. Similarly, the second condition may be that the quantity or amount of goods requested by the customer exceeds the maximum quantity or amount of goods that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction. In step S8, the seller can input the maximum quantity or amount of goods to be purchased as either the first or second condition into the seller terminal 3.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, the first condition and / or the second condition may be conditions relating to the time period during which the goods can be purchased. More specifically, the first condition may be the period during which the goods can be purchased, and the second condition may be the period during which the goods cannot be purchased. In step S8, the seller can input the period into the seller terminal 3. Also, the first condition may be that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the previous purchase. Similarly, the second condition may be that a predetermined amount of time has not passed since the previous purchase. In step S8, the seller can input the predetermined time into the seller terminal 3.

[0058] The "previous purchase" refers to the most recent purchase among those for which the customer has requested to purchase goods or services, and for which the purchase process has been completed. "A predetermined time has elapsed since the previous purchase" means that a predetermined time has passed from the reference time corresponding to the previous purchase. The reference time may be the time when the purchase was confirmed and stored in the web server 4, the time when the purchase process was completed, the time when the purchase request was received at the customer's terminal, or the time when the purchase request was received by the web server 4. A purchase request is a request to purchase goods or services, and is sent, for example, by selecting an icon such as "Purchase Goods" or an icon to add goods or services to the cart.

[0059] Furthermore, the items that are included in the total purchase quantity or total purchase amount, the items that are included in the upper limit of the purchase quantity or purchase amount, or the items that qualify as a previous purchase may be the same item, multiple related items, or multiple pre-set items. Related items are, for example, items that contain the same content but different benefits. Therefore, completely different items may not be included in the items that are included in the total purchase quantity or total purchase amount, the items that are included in the upper limit of the purchase quantity or purchase amount, or the items that qualify as a previous purchase. If multiple target items are set, in step S8, the seller operates the seller terminal 3 and selects multiple items for which sales conditions are set.

[0060] Alternatively, for example, the first condition may be that the customer acquires the right to purchase the goods through a lottery. In step S8, the seller can input the lottery conditions into the seller terminal 3.

[0061] The lottery is conducted using a publicly known method. For example, the lottery is conducted for customers who have applied to purchase goods, etc. The lottery may be, for example, a standard lottery or a real-time lottery. A "standard lottery" is a lottery in which the application period and the date and time of the lottery are set by operating the seller terminal 3, and at the set date and time, the lottery process is conducted for all customers who have applied for the lottery to determine the winners. Winners acquire the right to purchase the goods, etc. A "real-time lottery" is in which the application period, the expected number of applications on the first day, and the expected number of applications on the last day are set by operating the seller terminal 3. Then, the web server 4 performs the lottery process in response to receiving a lottery application request from a customer. Customers can find out the lottery results in real time.

[0062] Furthermore, the seller may operate the seller terminal 3 and input information that can identify a specific customer and information regarding the probability of winning the lottery. For example, the system 10 can control the lottery results according to the input information, such as controlling the lottery results so that the identified customer does not win, controlling the lottery to be conducted in a way that lowers the probability of the identified customer winning, or controlling the lottery to be conducted in a way that increases the probability of the identified customer winning.

[0063] In step S8, the first condition and / or the second condition may be one of the above, or two or more conditions from the above may be entered.

[0064] Other conditions entered in step S8 include, for example, whether or not the page displaying product information on the website is publicly available and the duration of its availability.

[0065] When sales conditions are entered, the seller terminal 3 transmits condition information regarding the sales conditions, including the first and / or second conditions, to the management server 2 (step S9). When the management server 2 receives the condition information (step S10), it stores the condition information received from the seller terminal 3 in the storage unit 23 (step S11). In step S11, the condition information may be stored in association with product identification information and identification information that can identify the sales channel.

[0066] Once the management server 2 stores the condition information, it sends the product information to the web server 4 (step S12). Alternatively, in step S12, the management server 2 may also send condition information associated with the product information sent in step S12 to the web server 4.

[0067] The web server 4 receives product information and condition information corresponding to the product information (step S13). The received product information and condition information may be associated and stored in the web server 4. Upon receiving product information, the web server 4 controls the disclosure of the product information received from the management server 2 so that it can be viewed on multiple other customer terminals (step S14). If conditions for disclosing the product information were entered in step S8, the web server 4 can control the disclosure to other customer terminals so that it can be viewed on them according to the disclosure conditions.

[0068] In step S14, "disclosing product information in a viewable state" means that one or more devices can view the product information on the website via an application or browser. For example, when product information is disclosed in a viewable state in step S14, when a customer's device accesses the website, the product information will be displayed via an application or browser. For example, when a customer's device accesses the website and enters a request to view a specific product, the web server 4, upon receiving the viewing request, sends product information corresponding to the requested product to the customer's device.

[0069] Furthermore, the web server 4 controls the purchase of goods, etc., corresponding to the goods information that was controlled to be disclosed in step S14, according to the first condition set in step S11, and / or controls the purchase of goods, etc., according to the second condition set in step S11, to prevent the customer from purchasing the goods, etc. (step S15). The sales control process is completed by the processing of steps S1 to S15 described above.

[0070] The manner in which the system controls whether or not a customer can purchase goods is not particularly limited. For example, the system 10 may accept the customer's purchase request depending on whether or not the goods can be purchased, or it may prevent the customer from entering the quantity of goods or the purchase request corresponding to the conditions under which the goods cannot be purchased on the customer terminal's display screen, or it may accept the customer's purchase request and execute payment depending on whether or not the goods can be purchased. The web server 4 can determine whether or not the goods can be purchased by referring to the first or second condition of the goods.

[0071] Furthermore, the web server 4 stores the customer's purchase history for each product. The purchase history is, for example, the purchase history of the product, and is associated with the customer and the product, and stores the time of purchase, the quantity purchased, the purchase price, etc. When the web server 4 receives a purchase request (for example, adding a product to the cart, or entering the "Purchase Product" icon) through an operation on the customer terminal, it identifies the first or second condition of the product, and the customer's purchase history for that product. The purchase request may include, for example, identification information that can identify the customer, product identification information, the quantity to be purchased, the purchase price of the product to be purchased, and information regarding the time of purchase. The web server 4 can then determine whether or not to allow the purchase of the product by referring to the quantity, purchase price, time, etc. included in the purchase request, as well as the first or second condition of the product, and the customer's purchase history for that product.

[0072] If the first condition for allowing a customer to purchase a product is not met, or if the second condition for preventing a customer from purchasing a product is met, "preventing the customer from purchasing a product" means, more specifically, that the customer cannot input the "Purchase Product" icon displayed on the customer terminal, an error is displayed when the "Purchase Product" icon is input, an error is displayed when the icon for adding a product to the cart is input, or the customer cannot input or select a quantity of a product that exceeds the first condition. The displayed error may vary depending on the content of the first and / or second condition. For example, depending on the first and / or second condition, errors such as "Purchase limit is 5 items" or "You cannot purchase for the next 3 minutes" may be displayed.

[0073] Furthermore, when the first condition for allowing a customer to purchase a product is met, or when the second condition for prohibiting a customer to purchase a product is not met, "allowing a customer to purchase a product" means, more specifically, that the customer can input the "Purchase Product" icon displayed on the customer terminal, that inputting the "Purchase Product" icon will result in payment being executed, that inputting the icon to add a product to the cart will result in the product being added to the cart, and that the customer can input or select a quantity of products that does not exceed the first condition.

[0074] The process in step S15 is performed, for example, as follows: The process in step S15 allows the customer to enter the number of products to purchase for the products displayed on the website, in accordance with the first and / or second conditions. For example, if the first condition, which is a condition regarding the purchase quantity or purchase amount of products, is set as the maximum number of products that can be purchased, the customer terminal on which the website is displayed may be controlled so that the customer cannot enter a number larger than the maximum number, and if the customer selects products that exceed the maximum number and enters the icon to add the products to the cart, an error may be output.

[0075] Furthermore, through the processing in step S15, customers can enter a purchase request for products displayed on the website in accordance with the first and / or second conditions. For example, if the second condition, which is a condition regarding the time when products can be purchased, is set to a time when products cannot be purchased, the customer terminal displaying the website may be controlled so that the "Purchase Product" icon cannot be entered during the set time, and a purchase request cannot be sent. Alternatively, even if products can be added to the cart, an error may be output if the "Purchase Product" icon is entered. In this way, the timing of the error output may differ depending on whether the first and / or second conditions are conditions regarding the quantity or amount of products to be purchased, or conditions regarding the time when products can be purchased.

[0076] When a customer submits a purchase request within the limits of their purchases, the request is sent from the customer terminal to the web server 4. The purchase request includes customer information, information that identifies the product being requested, and information regarding the quantity of the product being requested. Upon receiving the purchase request, the web server 4 performs the payment (purchase processing) for the product. The purchase processing can apply any known payment method.

[0077] Furthermore, the process in step S15 may be executed in response to the receipt of a purchase request for goods, etc. from the customer terminal. For example, the process in step S15 may be executed as follows: If a customer who has viewed product information on their terminal through the process in step S14 wishes to purchase the goods, etc., they input a purchase request into their terminal. The purchase request is sent from the customer terminal to the web server 4. When the web server 4 receives the purchase request, it identifies the sales conditions (first condition and / or second condition) for the goods, etc. corresponding to the purchase request. The web server 4 also identifies the customer's purchase status for the goods, etc., according to the sales conditions. The web server 4 refers to the identified sales conditions and the customer's purchase status and controls the process so that payment for the goods, etc. is executed if the purchase is possible, and so that payment for the goods, etc. is not executed if the purchase is not possible.

[0078] Here, we will describe the sales settings screen displayed on the seller terminal 3 in step S8. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] The display screen 60 of the seller terminal 3 is an input screen for entering the sales conditions of the product, including content and benefits. The first display area 100 is displayed on the display screen 60.

[0080] The first display area 100 is an area for entering sales conditions. The first display area 100 includes basic product information 110, publication setting input fields 121 and 122, sales period input field 123, lottery setting area 130, sales control setting area 140, and icons 150.

[0081] Product Basic Information 110 displays basic product information such as the product name (title), product price, product number, and product jacket image. Hereafter, the product displayed on display screen 60 will be referred to as Product A.

[0082] Entering information in the publication settings input field 121 will make the product information corresponding to product A private on the website. Even during the sales period of product A, and during the period entered in the publication settings input field 122, the product A page can be kept private on the website. The publication settings input field 122 is where the period for which product A will be publicly displayed on the website is entered. During the period entered in the publication settings input field 122, the product information corresponding to product A will be publicly displayed on the website.

[0083] The sales period input field 123 is where the period during which product A will be sold on the website is entered. During the period entered in the sales period input field 123, customers can purchase product A on the website.

[0084] The lottery setting area 130 includes a selection field 131. In the selection field 131, the user enters whether or not to hold a lottery. If "yes" is entered in the selection field 131, the lottery condition input fields 132 and 133 are displayed in the lottery setting area 130. In the lottery condition input field 132, the user enters the number of customers who will win the lottery, that is, the number of customers who will acquire the right to purchase product A.

[0085] The lottery conditions input field 133 is where the date on which the lottery will be held is entered. The date and time on which the lottery will be held may be before the start date of the period entered in the sales period input field 123, or after the end date of the period entered in the sales period input field 123. For example, if it is before the start date of the period entered in the sales period input field 123, only customers who win the lottery will be able to purchase product A during the sales period. On the other hand, if it is after the end date of the period entered in the sales period input field 123, the lottery will be held for customers who have performed the purchase process during the sales period. Customers who win the lottery will be able to obtain product A, and customers who do not win the lottery will be processed for a refund.

[0086] The sales control setting area 140 includes purchase condition input fields 141 to 143.

[0087] The purchase condition input field 141 allows the user to enter the maximum number of items A that a single customer can purchase. For example, if the user enters "Limit the maximum number of items a single user can purchase to 5," then a single customer can purchase up to 5 items of item A. Furthermore, if the above input is made, the web server 4 may control the website to display a message such as "Limit of 5 items per person" on the product A page. The web server 4 may also control the disclosure of product information to the customer in a manner that allows the customer to understand the sales conditions entered. Additionally, the conditions for which a customer can purchase items may change depending on the customer's purchase history. For example, if the maximum number of items a customer can purchase is 5, and a customer has already purchased 2 items, the web server 4 may control the website to display a message such as "You can purchase up to 3 more items."

[0088] The purchase condition input field 142 allows you to enter the maximum number of item A that a customer can purchase in a single transaction. For example, if you enter "Limit the quantity that can be purchased in a single transaction to '3' items" in the purchase condition input field 142, the customer can purchase a maximum of 3 items of item A in a single transaction. In addition, if the above input is made, the web server 4 may control the product A page on the website to limit the quantity that a customer can select when requesting to purchase the product to "up to 3 items".

[0089] The purchase condition input field 143 allows you to enter a specified time interval between the last purchase and the next purchase of product A. For example, if you enter "Purchase is restricted to 5 minutes after the last purchase" in the purchase condition input field 143, the customer will be able to purchase product A after 5 minutes have passed since their last purchase. In addition, if the above input is made, the web server 4 may control the product A page on the website so that product A cannot be added to the shopping cart and so that the user cannot proceed to payment for product A until 5 minutes have passed since the last purchase.

[0090] The sales period input field 123 and the purchase condition input fields 141-143 are examples of input fields for sales conditions. When icon 150 is selected, the various conditions entered in the first display area 100 are stored in the management server 2 and / or web server 4.

[0091] The display screen 60 may also display a second display area 200 and a third display area 300. The second display area 200 displays information about the content included in the product. For example, the second display area 200 shows which content is included in the product: music content, video content, and image content. Information about each type of content is also displayed. Because the product information is displayed in detail, sellers can use it as a reference when entering sales conditions.

[0092] The third display area 300 displays information about the benefits included with the product. For example, the third display area 300 displays the period during which the benefits are distributed in a calendar format. In the case of a product that includes multiple benefits, the distribution period for each benefit may also be displayed. This allows sellers to use this information as a reference when entering sales conditions regarding the sales period of products, etc., and the period for which product pages on the website are published.

[0093] [Other embodiments] The system 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the above and can be modified within the scope of its gist. Furthermore, the configuration of the system 10 described above and the following configurations may be combined in any way.

[0094] In step S4, once the product information is stored, the product information may be transmitted from the management server 2 to the web server 4 corresponding to the associated sales channel. Alternatively, in response to a transmission request from the web server 4, the product information associated with the sales channel corresponding to the web server 4 may be transmitted from the management server 2 to the web server 4. At this time, in step S5, the product information may be transmitted from the web server 4 to the seller terminal 3. Thus, the web server 4 may be equipped with means for disclosing the designed product information in a state where it can be viewed by the seller terminal 3. The web server 4 may transmit the product information in response to a viewing request from the seller terminal 3.

[0095] Furthermore, the management server 2 and the web server 4 may each be equipped with a backend server and a frontend server. In this case, the backend server of the management server 2 and the backend server of the web server 4 can communicate with each other. In addition, the management server 2 and the web server 4 may be able to communicate with a common storage area. The storage area may be, for example, storage, blockchain, or database.

[0096] In step S4, product information may be stored in a shared memory area between the management server 2 and the web server 4. This allows the web server 4 to retrieve product information associated with the sales channel corresponding to the web server 4 by referring to the memory area.

[0097] In step S9, the condition information may be transmitted from the seller terminal 3 to the management server 2 via the web server 4. Alternatively, the condition information may be stored in the common storage area of ​​the web server 4. The condition information may be stored in association with product identification information and identification information that can identify the sales channel. This allows the management server 2 and the web server 4 to retrieve the condition information by referring to the storage area.

[0098] Steps S12 and S13 may be omitted. In this case, product information and condition information may be stored in a common storage area of ​​the management server 2 and the web server 4. The web server 4 can retrieve product information and condition information associated with the sales channel corresponding to the web server 4 by referring to the storage area.

[0099] Thus, a system comprising at least one computer device includes design means for designing goods or services through operations on a first terminal, a first server device or a second server device includes first disclosure means for disclosing information about the designed goods or services in a viewable state on a second terminal, and setting means for setting, through operations on a second terminal, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the goods or services corresponding to the disclosed information about the goods or services, and / or a second condition that prevents a customer from purchasing the goods or services. In this way, the settings for purchasing goods or services set through operations on a first terminal can be changed through operations on a second terminal. Furthermore, a seller who sells the goods, different from the manufacturer who sets the goods, can control the sale of the goods.

[0100] Furthermore, by providing the second server device with control means that control whether the customer can purchase the product or service according to a set first condition, and / or whether the customer can purchase the product or service according to a set second condition, the customer's purchase of the product or service can be controlled according to the set conditions for purchasing the product or service.

[0101] Furthermore, by having the first and / or second conditions relate to the quantity or amount of the goods or services purchased, the quantity or amount of the goods or services purchased can be controlled. Additionally, by having the first condition ensure that, assuming a customer purchases the goods or services, the total quantity or total amount purchased does not exceed the upper limit on the quantity or amount of the goods or services purchased per customer, or by having the second condition ensure that, assuming a customer purchases the goods or services, the total quantity or total amount purchased exceeds the upper limit on the quantity or amount of the goods or services purchased per customer, excessive purchases of goods or services by customers can be prevented.

[0102] Furthermore, in this way, excessive purchases in a single transaction can be prevented by either the first condition being that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer does not exceed the upper limit of the quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single transaction, or by the second condition being that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer exceeds the upper limit of the quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single transaction.

[0103] Furthermore, by having the first and / or second conditions relate to the time during which the goods or services can be purchased, the time at which the goods or services can be purchased can be controlled. Also, by having the first condition be that a predetermined amount of time has passed since the previous purchase, or the second condition be that a predetermined amount of time has not passed since the previous purchase, it is possible to prevent a single customer from making excessive purchases in succession. This allows multiple customers to purchase goods or services equally.

[0104] Furthermore, since the first condition is that customers acquire the right to purchase the aforementioned goods or services by lottery, the right to purchase the goods or services can be acquired by lottery.

[0105] Furthermore, the second terminal is provided with a first condition transmission means for transmitting a first condition and / or a second condition to the first server device, the first server device is provided with an information transmission means for transmitting information about goods or services to the second server device, and a second condition transmission means for transmitting the first condition and / or a second condition received from the second terminal to the second server device, the second server device is provided with a second disclosure means for disclosing information about goods or services received from the first server device in a manner that can be viewed by multiple other terminals, and the control means controls the purchase of goods or services corresponding to the information about goods or services disclosed by the second disclosure means to allow the customer to purchase the goods or services in accordance with the first condition received from the first server device, and / or to disallow the customer to purchase the goods or services in accordance with the second condition received from the first server device, thereby controlling the purchase of the goods or services in accordance with the settings regarding the purchase of the goods or services set by operation on the second terminal.

[0106] Thus, a system comprising at least one computer device includes setting means for setting a first condition that allows a customer to purchase the product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the product or service, for each product or service, by operation on a second terminal, and a second server device includes control means for controlling whether a customer can purchase the product or service according to the set first condition, and / or whether a customer can purchase the product or service according to the set second condition, thereby enabling control over whether a product or service can be purchased according to the conditions for purchasing the product or service set by operation on the terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1. Manufacturer terminal 2. Management server 3. Seller terminal 4. Web server 5 Communication Network 10 Systems 11 Control unit 12 RAM 13 Storage unit 14 Input section 15 Display section 16 Communication interface 21 Control unit 22 RAM 23 Storage unit 24 Communication interface 60 display screen 100 First display area 110 Basic product information 121, 122 Public access settings input field 123 Sales period input field 130 Lottery setting area 131 Selection field 132, 133 Input fields for lottery conditions 140 Sales control setting area 141-143 Purchase condition input field 200 2nd display area 300 3rd display area

Claims

1. A system comprising at least one computer device, The system includes a design means for designing a product or service through operation on a first terminal, The first server device or the second server device, A first disclosure means that makes information about a designed product or service viewable on a second terminal. Equipped with, A system comprising setting means for setting, by operation on a second terminal, a first condition that allows a customer to purchase a product or service corresponding to information about a disclosed product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits a customer from purchasing the said product or service.

2. The second server device, Control means for enabling a customer to purchase the goods or services according to a set first condition, and / or for preventing a customer from purchasing the goods or services according to a set second condition. The system according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first condition and / or the second condition is a condition relating to the quantity or amount of the goods or services to be purchased.

4. The first condition is that, assuming a customer purchases the aforementioned goods or services, the total quantity or total purchase amount does not exceed the upper limit on the quantity or purchase amount of the aforementioned goods or services per customer, or The second condition is that, assuming a customer purchases the aforementioned goods or services, the total quantity or total purchase amount exceeds the upper limit on the quantity or purchase amount of the aforementioned goods or services per customer. The system according to claim 3.

5. The first condition is that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer does not exceed the maximum quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction, or The second condition is that the quantity or amount of the goods or services requested by the customer exceeds the maximum quantity or amount of the goods or services that can be purchased in a single purchase transaction. The system according to claim 3.

6. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first condition and / or the second condition is a condition relating to the time during which the goods or services can be purchased.

7. The first condition is that a certain amount of time has passed since the previous purchase, or The second condition is that a certain amount of time has not elapsed since the previous purchase. The system according to claim 6.

8. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first condition is that a customer acquires the right to purchase the product or service by lottery.

9. The second terminal is A first condition transmission means for transmitting the first condition and / or the second condition to the first server device. Equipped with, The first server device, Information transmission means for transmitting information about goods or services to a second server device, A second condition transmission means that transmits the first condition and / or second condition received from the second terminal to the second server device. Equipped with, The second server device, A second disclosure means that discloses information about goods or services received from the first server device in a state that can be viewed on multiple other terminals. Equipped with, The control means controls the purchase of a product or service corresponding to information about a product or service disclosed by the second disclosure means to allow the customer to purchase the product or service in accordance with a first condition received from the first server device, and / or controls the purchase to disallow the customer to purchase the product or service in accordance with a second condition received from the first server device. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

10. A method performed in a system comprising at least one computer device, Design step of designing a product or service by operating on the first terminal. It has, The first server device or the second server device, First disclosure step: Disclosing information about the designed product or service in a way that makes it viewable on a second terminal. It has, Setting step by operating the second terminal to set, for each product or service corresponding to the information about the disclosed product or service, a first condition that allows the customer to purchase the said product or service, and / or a second condition that prohibits the customer from purchasing the said product or service. A method having.

Images