Programs, servers, information processing systems, and information processing methods

Abstract

To provide a program for improving convenience, a server, an information processing system, and an information processing method.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer, which is a terminal device having a display screen 301a for displaying a commodity purchase screen D4 for purchasing commodities, to implement a home appliance management application which is an information processing unit. The home appliance application causes the display screen D4 to simultaneously display a first display region A1 for displaying a plurality of commodities which is on sale on a sales site, and a second display region A2 for displaying reference information useful in purchasing the commodities.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a program, a server, an information processing system, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] An information processing system that enables purchasing of products on an EC (Electronic Commerce) site is known. Further improvement in convenience is expected for such an information processing system.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a program, a server, an information processing system, and an information processing method capable of improving convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The program of the embodiment causes a computer, which is a terminal device having a display screen, A program executed by the computer, which is a product used in home appliances. to simultaneously display on the display screen Includes sales information to display. a plurality of products sold on a sales site Equipped with in a first display area and reference information useful when purchasing a product The information processing unit sends a sales information request to the server holding the sales information to obtain the sales information from the server, and sends a reference information request to the server or another server holding the reference information, which includes the type of product being used by the user of the terminal device in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance, to obtain the reference information from the server or the other server, and displays the obtained sales information in the first display area and displays the obtained reference information in the second display area.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the home appliance related system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sales site management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of screen transitions realized by the home appliance management application of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of the product purchase screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A sequence diagram showing the operation of updating the processing agent information used in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] A sequence diagram showing the operation of updating the remaining amount information of the processing agent according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] A sequence diagram showing the operation when displaying a product purchase screen in the terminal device of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of the product purchase screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A sequence diagram showing the operation when displaying a product purchase screen in the terminal device of the third embodiment. [Figure 13] A sequence diagram showing the operation when displaying the product purchase screen in the terminal device of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of screen transitions realized by the home appliance management application of the fifth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The programs, servers, information processing systems, and information processing methods of the embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplication of these components may be omitted. In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and may also include cases where XX is based on another element in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but may also include cases where XX has been processed or modified. In this application, "XX or YY" is not limited to cases where either XX or YY is used, but may also include cases where both XX and YY are used. This also applies when there are three or more optional elements. XX and YY are arbitrary elements (e.g., arbitrary information).

[0008] In this application, "acquisition" is not limited to actively acquiring information by sending a transmission request, but may also include acquiring information by passively receiving information transmitted from another device. Furthermore, in this application, "acquisition" is not limited to acquiring the target information itself from an external source, but may also include acquiring the target information by generating the target information within the device based on information acquired from an external source. Hereafter, a database will be referred to as "DB".

[0009] (First Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the terminal device 300 acquires information from the home appliance management server 200 and the sales site management server 800, respectively, and displays information for purchasing products. This embodiment will be described below.

[0010] <1. Overall Configuration of Home Appliance Related Systems> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the home appliance related system 1 according to the first embodiment. The home appliance related system 1 includes, for example, one or more home appliances 100, a home appliance management server 200, and a terminal device 300. In the present embodiment, an example of an "information processing system" is realized by the home appliance management server 200 and the home appliance management application AS of the terminal device 300 described later. Instead of this, the information processing system may include the home appliance 100 or the sales site management server 800 described later. The network NW described later may be used according to the situation, for example, the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public lines or dedicated lines.

[0011] The home appliance 100 is an electric device mainly used at home. The home appliance 100 is, for example, a clothing treatment device, a refrigerator, a cooking heater, a rice cooker, an air conditioner, a heater, or a vacuum cleaner, but is not limited thereto. The "clothing treatment device" broadly means a device that performs some kind of treatment (for example, one or more of washing, drying, wrinkle removal, crease strengthening, deodorization, pollen removal, dust removal, or sterilization) on clothing. The "clothing treatment device" is, for example, a washing machine, but may also include a closet type cleaning machine. Hereinafter, the case where the home appliance 100 is a washing machine 100A will be taken up.

[0012] The home appliance 100 is arranged in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M installed in the residence of the user U. The home appliance 100 can communicate with the home appliance management server 200 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW.

[0013] The home appliance management server 200 is a management server that manages home appliances 100. The home appliance management server 200 is composed of one or more server devices (such as a cloud server). The home appliance management server 200 can communicate with the home appliance 100, the terminal device 300, or the sales site management server 800 via the network NW. The home appliance management server 200 may include an information processing unit that performs edge computing or fog computing, such as an information processing unit included in a router in the network NW. The home appliance management server 200 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be a computer in the user U's residence, or a home router (such as a wireless router WR), etc. The home appliance management server 200 is an example of the "second server".

[0014] The terminal device 300 is a terminal device used by the user U. In this application, the "terminal device" broadly means a computer that can be used by the user U. The terminal device 300 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal device. However, the terminal device 300 is not limited to a portable terminal device, and may be a personal computer or the like.

[0015] The terminal device 300 has, for example, a display device 301, an input device 302, and a communication unit 303. The display device 301 has a display screen 301a capable of displaying various information. The input device 302 can receive the input of the user U. The input device 302 is, for example, a touch panel provided overlapping the display screen 301a of the display device 301. The input device 302 may include a camera, a microphone, etc. provided in the terminal device 300. The communication unit 303 is a wireless communication-capable communication module. The communication unit 303 is connected to the network NW via a wireless router WR and a modem M or directly. The communication unit 303 can communicate with the home appliance 100, the home appliance management server 200, or the sales site management server 800 via the network NW.

[0016] The terminal device 300 has an application program P installed and supports the functions described below. The application program P is, for example, an application program that manages home appliances 100 and allows the purchase of products through an external sales site. In this embodiment, the software function unit realized by the execution of the application program P by the terminal device 300 is referred to as the "home appliance management app AS". The terminal device 300 is an example of a "computer". The application program P is an example of a "program". The home appliance management app AS is an example of an "information processing unit" realized in the terminal device 300.

[0017] The sales site management server 800 is a server that manages external websites from which products can be purchased. The sales site management server 800 is, for example, a server that provides an e-commerce (EC) site for a retail store or a website for a food delivery service. Hereinafter, websites managed by the sales site management server 800 will be referred to as "sales sites." In this embodiment, the home appliance management application AS of the terminal device 300 communicates with the sales site management server 800, enabling the purchase of products through the sales sites. The sales site management server 800 is an example of a "first server." The sales site management server 800 can communicate with the home appliance management server 200 or the terminal device 300 via the network NW.

[0018] <2. Home appliances> Next, we will describe washing machine 100A as an example of home appliance 100. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the washing machine 100A. The washing machine 100A includes, for example, an actuator unit 110, an automatic dispensing device 120, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 190.

[0019] The actuator unit 110 is a drive unit that operates the main functions of the washing machine 100A. The actuator unit 110 includes a motor for the washing tub, a water supply device, and a drying mechanism.

[0020] The automatic dispensing device 120 is a device that automatically dispenses, for example, clothing treatment agents into the washing tub. "Clothing treatment agents" broadly refers to treatment agents used for treating clothes, and includes detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches, deodorizers, and air fresheners. The automatic dispensing device 120 has, for example, a tank for automatically dispensing detergent and a tank for automatically dispensing fabric softener. The automatic dispensing device 120 may have three or more tanks. The automatic dispensing device 120 has a sensor 121 that detects the remaining amount of clothing treatment agent contained in each tank.

[0021] The control unit 130 comprehensively controls the entire washing machine 100A. For example, the control unit 130 drives the actuator unit 110 to perform washing and drying operations. In this embodiment, the control unit 130 drives the automatic dispensing device 120 based on the processing agent information 191 to perform automatic dispensing of the clothing processing agent. After each operation, the control unit 130 transmits information to the home appliance management server 200 indicating the remaining amount of clothing processing agent contained in each tank, as detected by the sensor 121 of the automatic dispensing device 120.

[0022] The communication unit 140 communicates with the terminal device 300 or the home appliance management server 200 via a communication module (not shown).

[0023] The memory unit 190 stores the processing agent information 191. The processing agent information 191 indicates the type of clothing processing agent currently in use (clothing processing agent contained in the tank of the automatic dispensing device 120) and the amount dispensed per use. The processing agent information 191 is set based on information received from the home appliance management server 200.

[0024] <3. Home Appliance Management Server> Next, we will describe the home appliance management server 200. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the home appliance management server 200. The home appliance management server 200 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 210, a management unit 220, a transmission unit 230, and a storage unit 290.

[0025] The acquisition unit 210, the management unit 220, and the transmission unit 230 are implemented by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) mounted on the home appliance management server 200, executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. Furthermore, one or more of these functional units may be provided in the home appliance management application AS of the home appliance 100 or terminal device 300 instead of the home appliance management server 200.

[0026] <3.1 Acquisition part> The acquisition unit 210 communicates with the home appliance 100 and the terminal device 300 via a communication module (not shown) to acquire information related to the management of the home appliance 100 from an external source. For example, the acquisition unit 210 acquires information from the terminal device 300 for setting (registering) the type of clothing treatment agent to be used (hereinafter referred to as "treatment agent setting information"). The treatment agent setting information is information that shows the correspondence between each tank of the automatic dispensing device 120 of the washing machine 100A and the type of clothing treatment agent (e.g., brand) contained in each tank. In addition, the acquisition unit 210 acquires information from the washing machine 100A indicating the remaining amount of clothing treatment agent in the automatic dispensing device 120 each time the washing machine 100A is operated.

[0027] <3.2 Management Department> The management unit 220 manages the operating status and setting information of the home appliance 100. For example, the management unit 220 updates the used processing agent information 292 based on the processing agent setting information acquired by the acquisition unit 210 and the pre-configured processing agent DB 291. The processing agent DB 291 is a database that defines the correspondence between the type of clothing processing agent (e.g., brand) and the amount to be put in per use. The used processing agent information 292 is information that indicates the type (e.g., brand) and the amount to be put in per use of the clothing processing agent currently in use (clothing processing agent contained in the tank of the automatic dispensing device 120 of the washing machine 100A).

[0028] Furthermore, the management unit 220 updates the remaining amount of processing agent information 293 based on the information obtained by the acquisition unit 210, which indicates the remaining amount of processing agent in the automatic dispensing device 120. The remaining amount of processing agent information 293 is information indicating the remaining amount of processing agent contained in each tank, as detected by the sensor 121 of the automatic dispensing device 120.

[0029] <3.3 Transmitter Section> The transmitting unit 230 communicates with the home appliance 100 and the terminal device 300 via a communication module (not shown) and transmits information related to the management of the home appliance 100. For example, the transmitting unit 230 transmits the used treatment agent information 292 to the washing machine 100A, registering it as used treatment agent information 191. In this embodiment, when the transmitting unit 230 receives a predetermined request from the terminal device 300, it transmits the used treatment agent information 292 and the remaining amount of treatment agent information 293 to the terminal device 300. The used treatment agent information 292 and the remaining amount of treatment agent information 293 are examples of reference information.

[0030] <3.4 Storage section> The memory unit 290 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The memory unit 290 can be implemented by a combination of, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory unit 290 stores the processing agent DB 291, the processing agent usage information 292, and the processing agent remaining amount information 293.

[0031] <4. Sales site management server> Next, I will explain the sales site management server 800 first. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sales site management server 800. The sales site management server 800 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 810, a management unit 820, a transmission unit 830, and a storage unit 890.

[0032] The acquisition unit 810, the management unit 820, and the transmission unit 830 are implemented by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU installed in the sales site management server 800, executing programs. However, some or all of these functional units may be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA, or by the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0033] <4.1 Acquisition part> The acquisition unit 810 communicates with the terminal device 300 via a communication module (not shown) to acquire information from an external source, such as information regarding the purchase of goods.

[0034] <4.2 Management Department> The management unit 820 manages sales information for multiple products sold on the sales website. This sales information includes, for example, brand name, quantity, product characteristics, price, points awarded, availability, and estimated delivery date. The sales information is registered and managed in the sales information database 891.

[0035] <4.3 Transmitter Section> The transmitting unit 830 communicates with the terminal device 300 via a communication module (not shown) and transmits sales information regarding multiple products sold on the sales site. In this embodiment, when the transmitting unit 830 receives a predetermined request from the terminal device 300, it transmits sales information regarding the requested product to the terminal device 300 based on the sales information DB 891.

[0036] <4.4 Storage section> The memory unit 890 is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The memory unit 890 can be implemented using a combination of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD. The memory unit 890 stores the sales information DB 891.

[0037] <5. Terminal Devices> Next, we will describe the terminal device 300. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device 300 of the first embodiment. The terminal device 300 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 310, an operation reception unit 320, a display control unit 330, a transmission unit 340, and a storage unit 390.

[0038] The acquisition unit 310, operation reception unit 320, display control unit 330, and transmission unit 340 are realized by one or more hardware processors, such as a CPU mounted on the terminal device 300, executing the application program P. In other words, the acquisition unit 310, operation reception unit 320, display control unit 330, and transmission unit 340 are software functions included in the home appliance management application AS.

[0039] The acquisition unit 310 acquires various information or notifications from the home appliance 100, the home appliance management server 200, or the sales site management server 800.

[0040] The operation reception unit 320 can receive operations performed by user U on the input device 302 in relation to the home appliance management application AS. For example, the operation reception unit 320 can receive operations related to the first display area A1, which will be described later.

[0041] The display control unit 330 controls the content displayed on the display screen 301a of the display device 301 by controlling the display device 301 of the terminal device 300. For example, the display control unit 330 causes the display device 301 to display a product purchase screen for purchasing products on a sales site.

[0042] The transmitting unit 340 communicates with the home appliance 100, the home appliance management server 200, or the sales site management server 800 via a communication module (not shown) and transmits various information or notifications.

[0043] The memory unit 390 is implemented by a combination of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or SSD, and stores various types of information. The memory unit 390 stores the application program P.

[0044] <6. Example of screen display> Next, we will describe an example of a screen display realized by the home appliance management application AS. The screens described below are displayed by the display control unit 330 controlling the display device 301. The operations described below are received by the operation reception unit 320.

[0045] Figure 6 shows an example of screen transitions realized by the home appliance management application AS of the first embodiment. This figure shows an example of screen transitions in the home appliance management application AS up to displaying the product purchase screen D4 for purchasing a clothing treatment agent to be used with the washing machine 100A. When the home appliance management application AS is started, the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 first displays the top screen D1 shown in this figure on the display screen 301a of the display device 301. Then, when the display control unit 330 receives an operation in which the menu button B11 located on the top screen D1 is pressed, it displays the menu screen D2 on the display screen 301a.

[0046] Next, when the display control unit 330 receives an operation to select "Online Order" B21 from the multiple menus displayed on the menu screen D2, it displays the sales site selection screen D3 on the display screen 301a. The sales site selection screen D3 is provided with one or more selection buttons B31 to B33 for selecting a sales site. Multiple sales sites may be managed by different sales site management servers 800. When the display control unit 330 receives an operation input to select one sales site on the sales site selection screen D3, it displays the product purchase screen D4 for purchasing products on the display screen 301a. The product purchase screen D4 is a screen for purchasing clothing treatment agents from the sales site selected on the sales site selection screen D3.

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of a product purchase screen D4. The display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 can simultaneously display a first display area A1 that displays multiple products sold on the sales site and a second display area A2 that displays reference information useful when purchasing products on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300. In this application, "first display area that displays multiple products" is not limited to the simultaneous display of multiple products, but may also include cases where products are displayed one by one in sequence. Furthermore, "simultaneous display" is not limited to cases where the display of the two display contents starts at the same time, but may also include cases where one display content is displayed first, and the other display content is displayed later, so that at least temporarily both display contents are visible at the same time.

[0048] In the illustrated product purchase screen D4, the first display area A1 and the second display area A2 are arranged vertically on the display screen 301a. In this example, the first display area A1 is placed at the top and the second display area A2 is placed at the bottom, but this is not limited to this arrangement; the first display area A1 may be placed at the bottom and the second display area A2 at the top. Alternatively, the first display area A1 and the second display area A2 may be placed side by side, or one may be nested inside the other.

[0049] <6.1 1st display area> The first display area A1 displays multiple products sold on the sales site. Due to the limited screen size, the first display area A1 can only display a portion of the products sold on the sales site at a time. For example, the first display area A1 displays the web page of the sales site.

[0050] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800 requesting sales information for multiple products sold on the sales site, and acquires sales information for multiple products from the sales site management server 800. The display control unit 330 displays the sales information for multiple products acquired from the sales site management server 800 by the acquisition unit 310 in the first display area A1. In the illustrated example, the sales information is a web page that lists clothing treatment agents sold on the sales site. With the second display area A2 displayed, the display control unit 330 can switch the display content of the first display area A1 based on the operation of user U to display other products included in the above multiple products in the first display area A1. User U's operation may be, for example, scrolling or switching pages.

[0051] The operation reception unit 320 can then receive an operation from user U to select a product displayed in the first display area A1 while the second display area A2 is displayed. When such an operation is received, the acquisition unit 310 sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800 requesting information showing the details of the selected product or information to proceed to the purchase screen of the selected product, and acquires that information. The display control unit 330 then changes the screen of the first display area A1 while keeping the display content of the second display area A2 unchanged, and displays the content screen showing the details of the selected product or the purchase screen of the selected product in the first display area A1.

[0052] <6.2 Second display area> The second display area A2 displays reference information useful when purchasing products. In this embodiment, the reference information indicates the product currently being used by user U of the terminal device 300. The product is a product related to the home appliance 100. In addition to the brand name, the reference information may also include the remaining amount of the laundry treatment agent (ml (milliliters), or how many uses are left, etc.) and its characteristics. In the illustrated example, the second display area A2 displays the laundry treatment agent (detergent and fabric softener) currently being used in the washing machine 100A.

[0053] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200 requesting reference information, and acquires the reference information from the home appliance management server 200. The acquisition unit 310 acquires the reference information before the timing of acquiring the sales information. The acquisition unit 310 may acquire the reference information using the same conditions as for acquiring the sales information (for example, when a sales site is selected on the sales site selection screen D3 as a trigger), or it may acquire the reference information using different conditions as a trigger. For example, if the acquisition unit 310 acquires sales information using the selection of a sales site on the sales site selection screen D3 as a trigger, it may acquire the reference information using the activation of the home appliance management application AS and the display of the top screen D1 as a trigger, when the menu button B11 on the top screen D1 is activated as a trigger, or when the online order B21 on the menu screen D2 is activated as a trigger. By acquiring the reference information at a different timing than the timing of acquiring the sales information in this way, the communication load on the terminal device 300 can be distributed. The home appliance management server 200 may provide information it holds itself as reference information, or it may provide information obtained from the home appliance 100.

[0054] <7. Processing Flow> Next, the operation of this home appliance-related system 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of updating the processing agent information used in the first embodiment. When the processing agent contained in each tank of the washing machine 100A is set in the home appliance management application AS, the transmission unit 340 of the terminal device 300 transmits processing agent setting information indicating the set processing agent to the home appliance management server 200 (step S101). When the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 receives the processing agent setting information, it updates the processing agent information used 292 based on the received processing agent setting information and the processing agent DB 291 (step S102). After that, the process ends.

[0055] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of updating the remaining amount information 293 of the processing agent. The communication unit 140 of the washing machine 100A transmits information indicating the remaining amount of clothing processing agent contained in each tank, as detected by the sensor 121 of the automatic dispensing device 120, to the home appliance management server 200 each time the machine is operated (step S201). When the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 receives the information indicating the remaining amount of clothing processing agent from the washing machine 100A, it updates the remaining amount information 293 of the processing agent based on the received information (step S202). After that, the process is terminated.

[0056] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing the operation when the terminal device 300 displays the product purchase screen D4. First, the acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200 requesting reference information (step S301). When the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 receives the request signal, it generates reference information based on the processing agent usage information 292 and processing agent remaining amount information 293 stored in the storage unit 290, and sends the generated reference information to the terminal device 300 (step S302).

[0057] Next, the acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800 requesting sales information for clothing treatment agents (step S303). Upon receiving the request signal, the management unit 820 of the sales site management server 800 generates sales information regarding clothing treatment agents sold on the sales site and sends the generated sales information to the terminal device 300 (step S304).

[0058] The display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 displays the product purchase screen on display screen 301a, which displays the sales information obtained from the sales site management server 800 in the first display area A1 and the reference information obtained from the home appliance management server 200 in the second display area A2 (step S305). After that, the process ends.

[0059] <8. Advantages> The program of this embodiment realizes a home appliance management application AS that simultaneously displays a first display area A1 showing multiple products sold on a sales site and a second display area A2 showing helpful reference information when purchasing products on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300, which is a computer. With this configuration, the screen for purchasing products on the sales site and helpful reference information when purchasing products can be displayed at the same time. As a result, user U can choose products to purchase on the sales site while referring to helpful reference information when purchasing products, thereby improving convenience.

[0060] In this embodiment, the reference information includes information indicating the product currently being used by user U of the terminal device 300, or the product managed as inventory at user U's home. With this configuration, user U can select products to purchase from the sales site while being aware of the products they are currently using or the products managed as inventory, thus improving convenience.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first display area A1 can display some of the products included in a group of products at once, and the home appliance management application AS can switch the display content of the first display area A1 based on the user U's operation while the second display area A2 is displayed, and display other products included in the group of products in the first display area A1. With this configuration, while reference information is displayed in the second display area A2, the products displayed in the first display area A1 can be switched by operations such as scrolling or page switching. This improves convenience.

[0062] In this embodiment, the terminal device 300 can communicate with a sales site management server 800 that manages the sales site and a home appliance management server 200 that manages the home appliances 100. The home appliance management application AS obtains sales information for multiple products from the sales site management server 800 and displays it in the first display area A1, and obtains reference information from the home appliance management server 200 or reads it from the storage unit 390 of the terminal device 300 and displays it in the second display area A2. With this configuration, information obtained from different servers can be displayed simultaneously, thus improving convenience.

[0063] <9. Variation> Reference information may be obtained in advance (for example, after each cycle of the washing machine 100A) from the home appliance management server 200 and stored in the memory unit 390 of the terminal device 300. In this case, the home appliance management application AS of the terminal device 300 may read the reference information from the memory unit 390 of the terminal device 300 and display it in the second display area A2.

[0064] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the above-mentioned reference information includes information indicating the brand name or characteristics of products suggested to user U based on how user U uses the home appliance 100. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, except for those described below.

[0065] In this embodiment, the control unit 130 of the washing machine 100A transmits the operating settings set by user U to the home appliance management server 200 after each cycle. The operating settings include options that can be changed by user U, such as the use of hot water, the amount of detergent to be added, the amount of fabric softener to be added, the number of rinses, whether or not to perform a drying cycle, and special operating courses (such as a mud stain course, a delicate cycle, or a quick wash course). The operating settings are an example of how the home appliance 100 is used. The management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 stores the operating settings of the washing machine 100A as usage information in the storage unit 290.

[0066] Figure 11 shows an example of the product purchase screen D11 of the second embodiment. The positions of the first display area A11 and the second display area A21 in the illustrated product purchase screen D11 are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted. Also, the display content of the first display area A11 in this embodiment is the same as that of the first display area A1 in the first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted.

[0067] The second display area A21 in this embodiment displays reference information including information indicating the brand name or characteristics of products suggested to user U based on how user U of the terminal device 300 uses the washing machine 100A (home appliance 100). The products suggested to user U are products related to the washing machine 100A (home appliance 100).

[0068] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200 requesting reference information, and acquires the reference information from the home appliance management server 200. Upon receiving the request signal, the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 selects a brand name or characteristics of a product to be suggested to user U from among multiple products, based on the usage pattern information and the processing agent DB 291. The management unit 220 then transmits the selected content to the terminal device 300 as reference information. The display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 displays the acquired reference information in the second display area A21. The reference information includes information indicating the brand name or characteristics of a product suggested to user U based on the usage pattern of the washing machine 100A (home appliance 100) by user U of the terminal device 300.

[0069] In the illustrated example, user U only performs one rinse cycle each time they do laundry. Therefore, after each cycle, the washing machine 100A sends the operation details to the home appliance management server 200, including the number of rinses as one. The management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 stores usage information, including "the number of rinses is one," in the storage unit 290. When the management unit 220 receives a request signal from the terminal device 300 requesting reference information, it selects a detergent that corresponds to one rinse cycle from among the multiple detergents sold on the sales site based on the usage information, and sends the selected information to the terminal device 300 as reference information.

[0070] As a result, the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 displays a detergent suitable for a single rinse cycle in the second display area A21 as a recommended product suggested to user U based on the received reference information. This allows user U to select a detergent to purchase from the sales site while understanding the detergent suitable for a single rinse cycle that is appropriate for the usage of the washing machine 100A. As another example, if user U frequently uses the "mud stain course," a detergent suitable for mud stains can also be displayed in the second display area A21 as a recommended product.

[0071] In this embodiment, the products sold on the sales site are products related to the home appliance 100, and the reference information includes information indicating the brand name or characteristics of products suggested to user U based on how user U of the terminal device 300 uses the home appliance 100. With this configuration, when user U selects a product to purchase on the sales site, recommended products suggested to user U based on user U's usage can be displayed simultaneously with the screen for purchasing products on the sales site, thereby improving convenience.

[0072] <Variation> By linking accounts between the sales site and the home appliance management app AS, the home appliance management server 200 and the sales site management server 800 may share accounts. In this case, the acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800 requesting sales information linked to the user ID (account). The acquisition unit 810 of the sales site management server 800 requests reference information for the user ID (account) linked to the request signal from the home appliance management server 200. The management unit 220 (an example of a selection unit) of the home appliance management server 200 selects one or more product brands or characteristics from among multiple products to be suggested to user U based on how user U of the terminal device 300 uses the home appliance 100. Then, the transmission unit 230 of the home appliance management server 200 sends reference information indicating the one or more selected products to the sales site management server 800. The transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 sends sales information to the terminal device 300 to prioritize the display of the one or more selected products. As a result, the first display area A11 will preferentially display one or more products selected by the home appliance management server 200 from among multiple products based on how user U of the terminal device 300 uses the home appliance 100. "Preferential display" includes displaying only the selected products or displaying them in the order they are selected. For example, if user U only rinses once each time they do laundry, then only detergents that are compatible with one rinse cycle can be displayed in the first display area A11 from among multiple products, or detergents that are compatible with one rinse cycle can be displayed at the beginning of the first display area A11. Also, if user U frequently uses the "mud stain course," then only detergents suitable for mud stains can be displayed in the first display area A11, or detergents suitable for mud stains can be displayed at the beginning of the first display area A11.

[0073] In this modified example, the reference information is not limited to the brand name or characteristics of a product proposed to User U from among multiple products, but may also include a product currently in use, as in the first embodiment.

[0074] Furthermore, the management unit 820 (an example of a selection unit) of the sales site management server 800 may select one or more product brands or characteristics from among multiple products to be proposed to user U based on the usage pattern of the home appliance 100 by user U of the terminal device 300. In this case, the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 transmits usage pattern information to the sales site management server 800 in response to a request from the sales site management server 800.

[0075] In this modified example, the sales site management server 800 that manages the sales site, or the home appliance management server 200 that manages the home appliance 100, includes an acquisition unit 810 (210) that acquires information indicating how user U uses the home appliance 100, a management unit 820 (220) that selects one or more products from among the multiple products sold on the sales site to be preferentially suggested to user U based on the usage pattern of the home appliance 100 acquired by the acquisition unit 810 (210), and a transmission unit 830 (230) that transmits information indicating the one or more products selected by the management unit 820 (220) to an external source. Furthermore, the terminal device 300 is capable of communicating with at least one of the sales site management server 800 that manages the sales site and the home appliance management server 200 that manages the home appliance 100, and in the first display area A11, one or more products selected by the sales site management server 800 or the home appliance management server 200 based on how user U of the terminal device 300 uses the home appliance 100 are preferentially displayed. With this configuration, it is possible to display only recommended products suggested to user U based on user U's usage patterns in the first display area A11, or to display recommended products at the beginning of the first display area A11.

[0076] <Variation> Instead of the usage information being directly passed from the home appliance management server 200 to the sales site management server 800, it may be passed from the home appliance management server 200 to the terminal device 300 in response to a request from the terminal device 300, and the terminal device 300 may then request sales information from the sales site management server 800, linked to the usage information. With this configuration, it is possible to handle the situation even without account linking.

[0077] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the above reference information is acquired and provided by the sales site management server 800. Other than what is described below, the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0078] The home appliance management server 200 and the sales site management server 800 share accounts through pre-established account linking. The home appliance management server 200 transmits information to the sales site management server 800, linked to the user ID (account). The terminal device 300 obtains the necessary information from the sales site management server 800 by making requests linked to the user ID (account).

[0079] Figure 12 is a sequence diagram showing the operation when displaying the product purchase screen D4 in the terminal device 300 of the third embodiment. First, the acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800, linked to the user ID (account), requesting sales information (step S501). When the acquisition unit 810 of the sales site management server 800 receives the request signal, it sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200, linked to the user ID (account), requesting reference information (step S502). When the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 receives the request signal, it generates reference information useful when purchasing products based on the processing agent usage information 292 and processing agent remaining amount information 293 stored in the storage unit 290, and sends the generated reference information to the sales site management server 800 (step S503).

[0080] The acquisition unit 810 of the sales site management server 800 acquires reference information useful when purchasing products by receiving it from the home appliance management server 200. The transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 transmits sales information for multiple products managed by the management unit 820 and the reference information acquired by the acquisition unit 810 to the terminal device 300 (step S504). In other words, the transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 transmits the sales information and the reference information to the terminal device 300 so that the sales information and the reference information are displayed simultaneously on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300.

[0081] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 acquires sales information for multiple products by receiving it from the sales site management server 800, and also acquires reference information provided to the sales site management server 800 from the home appliance management server 200 by receiving it from the sales site management server 800. The display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 then displays the acquired sales information in the first display area A1 and the acquired reference information in the second display area A2, displaying the product purchase screen on the display screen 301a (step S505). After that, the process ends.

[0082] Furthermore, the management unit 820 of the sales site management server 800 may generate sales information based on acquired reference information (for example, prioritizing the display of products currently in use). Alternatively, the management unit 820 of the sales site management server 800 may generate a product purchase screen having a first display area A1 and a second display area A2 and display it on the terminal device 300.

[0083] Alternatively, the transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 may transmit reference information and sales information to the home appliance management server 200 instead of the terminal device 300. In this case, the management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 may generate a product purchase screen having a first display area A1 and a second display area A2 and display it on the terminal device 300.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first display area A1 and the second display area A2 do not need to be displayed side by side as in the first embodiment; the second display area A2 may be displayed superimposed on the first display area A1. Also, there may be no boundary between the first display area A1 and the second display area A2, and they may be displayed as a single unit.

[0085] For example, the transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 may, instead of separately transmitting the sales information and the reference information to the terminal device 300, generate a single display information based on the sales information and the reference information, and then transmit the generated display information to the terminal device 300. The display information is information in which the sales information and the reference information are integrated, such as information in which the display of the reference information is embedded within the display of the sales information (for example, information in which the reference information is displayed as part of the sales information).

[0086] Furthermore, the home appliance management server 200 may provide information it holds itself as reference information, or it may provide information obtained from the home appliance 100.

[0087] In this embodiment, the sales site management server 800 includes a management unit 820 that manages sales information for multiple products sold on the sales site, an acquisition unit 810 that acquires reference information useful when purchasing products based on information received from the home appliance management server 200 that manages the home appliances 100 or from the user U's terminal device 300, and a transmission unit 830 that transmits the sales information for multiple products managed by the management unit 820 and the reference information acquired by the acquisition unit 810 to the home appliance management server 200 or the terminal device 300. With this configuration, the terminal device 300 does not need to communicate with the home appliance management server 200 when simultaneously displaying the first display area A1 and the second display area A2, thus reducing the communication load on the terminal device 300. Furthermore, since the sales site management server 800 can acquire reference information, it can display sales information based on the reference information (for example, sales information that prioritizes displaying the product currently being used) on the terminal device 300.

[0088] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the sales information is acquired and provided by the home appliance management server 200. Other than what is described below, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0089] The home appliance management server 200 and the sales site management server 800 share accounts through pre-established account linking. The sales site management server 800 transmits information to the home appliance management server 200, linked to the user ID (account). The terminal device 300 obtains the necessary information from the home appliance management server 200 by making requests linked to the user ID (account).

[0090] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing the operation when displaying a product purchase screen in the terminal device 300 of the fourth embodiment. First, the acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200, linked to the user ID (account) and requesting sales information (step S601). When the acquisition unit 210 of the home appliance management server 200 receives the request signal, it sends a request signal to the sales site management server 800, linked to the user ID (account) and requesting sales information (step S602). The transmission unit 830 of the sales site management server 800 sends sales information for multiple products managed by the management unit 820 to the home appliance management server 200 (step S603).

[0091] The acquisition unit 210 of the home appliance management server 200 acquires sales information by receiving it from the sales site management server 800. The transmission unit 230 of the home appliance management server 200 transmits the sales information acquired from the sales site management server 800, along with reference information useful when purchasing products, based on the processing agent usage information 292 and processing agent remaining amount information 293 stored in the storage unit 290, to the terminal device 300 (step S604). In other words, the transmission unit 230 of the home appliance management server 200 transmits the sales information and reference information to the terminal device 300 so that the sales information and reference information are displayed simultaneously on the display screen 301a of the terminal device 300.

[0092] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 acquires sales information for multiple products provided to the home appliance management server 200 from the sales site management server 800 by receiving it from the home appliance management server 200, and also acquires reference information by receiving it from the home appliance management server 200. Then, the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 displays the acquired sales information in the first display area A1 and the acquired reference information in the second display area A2, and displays the product purchase screen on the display screen 301a (step S605). After that, the process ends.

[0093] The management unit 220 of the home appliance management server 200 may generate a product purchase screen having a first display area A1 and a second display area A2 and display it on the terminal device 300. In this case, the management unit 220 may display sales information based on reference information (for example, prioritizing the display of the product currently in use) in the first display area A1.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first display area A1 and the second display area A2 do not need to be displayed side by side as in the first embodiment; the second display area A2 may be displayed superimposed on the first display area A1. Also, there may be no boundary between the first display area A1 and the second display area A2, and they may be displayed as a single unit.

[0095] For example, the transmitting unit 230 of the home appliance management server 200 may, instead of transmitting the sales information and the reference information separately to the terminal device 300, generate a single display information based on the sales information and the reference information, and transmit the generated display information to the terminal device 300. The display information is information in which the sales information and the reference information are integrated, such as information in which the display of the reference information is embedded within the display of the sales information (for example, information in which the reference information is displayed as part of the sales information).

[0096] Furthermore, the home appliance management server 200 may provide information it holds itself as reference information, or it may provide information obtained from the home appliance 100.

[0097] In this embodiment, the home appliance management server 200 that manages the home appliance 100 includes an acquisition unit 210 (first acquisition unit) that acquires sales information about multiple products sold on the sales site from the sales site management server 800 that manages the sales site, a management unit 220 (second acquisition unit) that acquires reference information useful when purchasing products based on information received from the home appliance 100 or the user U's terminal device 300, and a transmission unit 230 that transmits the sales information acquired by the acquisition unit 210 and the reference information acquired by the management unit 220 to the terminal device 300. With this configuration, the terminal device 300 does not need to communicate with the sales site management server 800 when simultaneously displaying the first display area A1 and the second display area A2, thus reducing the communication load on the terminal device 300. Furthermore, since the home appliance management server 200 can acquire sales information, it can display sales information based on the reference information (for example, sales information that prioritizes displaying the product currently being used) on the terminal device 300.

[0098] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the terminal device 300 displays the product currently being used by the user U of the terminal device 300 on its display screen 301a, and has a first operation unit for purchasing associated with the currently being used product, and a second operation unit for selecting and purchasing one or more products from among multiple products. Other than what is described below, the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0099] Figure 14 shows an example of screen transitions realized by the home appliance management application AS of the fifth embodiment. The home appliance management application AS of the terminal device 300 displays the product purchase screen D21 when, for example, the user presses "Online Order" B21 on the menu screen D2, or when the user selects a sales site on the sales site selection screen D3.

[0100] The acquisition unit 310 of the terminal device 300 sends a request signal to the home appliance management server 200 requesting reference information when displaying the product purchase screen D21, and acquires the reference information from the home appliance management server 200. In this embodiment, the reference information is information indicating the clothing treatment agents (detergent and fabric softener) currently being used by user U of the terminal device 300. The display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 displays the product purchase screen D21 based on the acquired reference information.

[0101] The product purchase screen D21 shown in this figure displays the names and images of the detergent and fabric softener currently being used by user U of the terminal device 300 in the washing machine 100A. The product purchase screen D21 also includes a detergent purchase button B211 (an example of the first operation section) near the name of the currently used detergent, which is associated with the detergent being purchased. Furthermore, the product purchase screen D21 includes a fabric softener purchase button B212 (an example of the first operation section) near the name of the currently used fabric softener, which is associated with the fabric softener being purchased. The product purchase screen D21 also includes a selection purchase button B213 (an example of the second operation section) for selecting and purchasing one or more garment treatment products from a selection of several. When the selection purchase button B213 is pressed, the displayed garment treatment products are, for example, garment treatment products selected and displayed independently of the currently used garment treatment product.

[0102] When the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 receives an operation in which the detergent purchase button B211 is pressed, it transitions the screen to the sales site and displays the currently used detergent purchase screen D23 on the display screen 301a for purchasing the currently used detergent (for example, for adding the currently used detergent to the cart) on the sales site. Similarly, when the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 receives an operation in which the fabric softener purchase button B212 is pressed, it transitions the screen to the sales site and displays the currently used fabric softener purchase screen on the display screen 301a for purchasing the currently used fabric softener (for example, for adding the currently used fabric softener to the cart) on the sales site. In addition, when the detergent purchase button B211 or the fabric softener purchase button B212 is pressed, the screen may be transitioned to the sales site with the corresponding product already added to the cart. This simplifies the product purchase procedure.

[0103] Furthermore, when the display control unit 330 of the terminal device 300 receives an operation in which the select purchase button B213 is pressed, it transitions the screen to the sales site and displays a list screen D22 on the display screen 301a that displays a list of multiple garment treatment agents sold on the sales site, allowing the user to select one or more products. The list screen D22 is a screen for selecting and purchasing one or more products from among multiple products.

[0104] Note that the display method for the first and second operation units is not limited to the illustrated example; for example, they may be displayed superimposed on another screen using a pop-up window.

[0105] The program of this embodiment provides the computer, which is the terminal device 300, with a display screen 301a of the terminal device 300 that displays the product currently being used by the user U of the terminal device 300, and also provides a first operation unit for purchasing that is associated with the currently being used product, and a second operation unit for selecting and purchasing one or more products from among multiple products. With this configuration, by utilizing the screen configuration of the home appliance management application AS and changing the destination of the transition to the sales site, it becomes possible to purchase products in fewer steps.

[0106] (Modifications in the first to fifth embodiments) The second display area may be foldable. Furthermore, the first purchase control unit, associated with the currently used product as described in the fifth embodiment, may be provided in the second display area A2 in the first to fourth embodiments.

[0107] Furthermore, the reference information includes information indicating the products managed as inventory at user U's home. For example, the reference information may include the number or quantity (such as whether there are many or few) of the products managed as inventory. Also, if the products managed as inventory are food items, the reference information may include the best-before date or expiration date for each food item. For example, if the home appliance 100 is a refrigerator, a cooking appliance, or a rice cooker, the display control unit 330 may display a screen for purchasing food items in the first display area A1 and a screen for managing ingredients (for example, a screen showing the inventory status of ingredients at home and the best-before date or expiration date for each ingredient) in the second display area A2.

[0108] When the display control unit 330 displays the food management screen in the second display area A2, it may prioritize displaying food items with low or no stock, or food items with an approaching best-before or expiration date. For example, the display control unit 330 may display only food items with low or no stock, or food items with an approaching best-before or expiration date (e.g., 3 days ago) in the second display area A2. Alternatively, the display control unit 330 may display food items in the second display area A2 in order from those with low or no stock, or those with an approaching best-before or expiration date. Furthermore, if the home appliance 100 is an air conditioner, the reference information may include the degree of dirtiness of the air conditioner and the cleaning schedule.

[0109] According to at least one embodiment described above, the program of the embodiment causes a computer, which is a terminal device, to implement an information processing unit. The information processing unit can simultaneously display on the display screen of the terminal device a first display area that displays multiple products sold on the sales site and a second display area that displays reference information useful when purchasing products. With such a configuration, convenience can be improved.

[0110] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1... Home appliance-related system, 100... Home appliance equipment, 200... Home appliance equipment management server (second server), 210... Acquisition unit, 220... Management unit, 230... Transmission unit, 290... Storage unit, 300... Terminal device, 310... Acquisition unit, 320... Operation reception unit, 330... Display control unit, 340... Transmission unit, 390... Storage unit, 800... Sales site management server (first server), 810... Acquisition unit, 820... Management unit, 830... Transmission unit, 890... Storage unit, AS... Home appliance management application.

Claims

1. A program executed by a computer which is a terminal device having a display screen, wherein the computer has An information processing unit that simultaneously displays on the display screen a first display area containing sales information indicating multiple products used in home appliances that are sold on a sales website, and a second display area containing reference information useful when purchasing products. To make it happen, The aforementioned information processing unit, A sales information request is sent to the server holding the sales information to request the sales information, and the sales information is obtained from the server. The user of the terminal device sends a reference information request to the server or another server that holds the reference information including the type of product being used in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance, and obtains the reference information from the server or the other server. The acquired sales information is displayed in the first display area, and the acquired reference information is displayed in the second display area. program.

2. The reference information includes information indicating the brand name or characteristics of a product suggested to the user based on the user's usage of the home appliance of the terminal device, The program according to claim 1.

3. The home appliance is a clothing processing device, The aforementioned product is a clothing treatment agent, The above usage mode is the content of the washing operation set in the garment processing device. The program according to claim 2.

4. The first display area is capable of displaying some of the products included in the plurality of products at once, and the information processing unit, while the second display area is displayed, can switch the display content of the first display area based on user operation to display other products included in the plurality of products in the first display area. The program according to claim 1.

5. The terminal device is capable of communicating with a first server that manages the sales site and a second server that manages the home appliances. The information processing unit acquires the sales information from the first server and displays it in the first display area, and acquires the reference information from the second server and displays it in the second display area. The program according to claim 1.

6. The terminal device is capable of communicating with the first server that manages the sales site. The first server is capable of communicating with the second server which manages the home appliances. The information processing unit acquires the sales information from the first server and displays it in the first display area, and acquires the reference information provided to the first server from the second server and displays it in the second display area. The program according to claim 1.

7. The terminal device is capable of communicating with the second server that manages the home appliances. The second server is capable of communicating with the first server that manages the sales site. The information processing unit retrieves the sales information provided from the first server to the second server from the second server and displays it in the first display area, and retrieves the reference information from the second server and displays it in the second display area. The program according to claim 1.

8. The terminal device is capable of communicating with at least one of the following: a first server that manages the sales site and a second server that manages home appliances. In the first display area, one or more products selected by the first server or the second server from among the plurality of products based on how the user of the terminal device uses the home appliance are preferentially displayed. The program according to claim 1.

9. A sales site management server that manages sales sites, A management unit that manages sales information for multiple products used in home appliances that are sold on the aforementioned sales site, An acquisition unit that acquires reference information useful when purchasing products based on information received from a home appliance management server or a user's terminal device that manages home appliances, A transmission unit transmits the sales information and the reference information to the terminal device so that the sales information for the multiple products managed by the management unit and the reference information acquired by the acquisition unit are simultaneously displayed on the display screen of the terminal device. Equipped with, The aforementioned reference information includes the type of product being used by the user of the terminal device in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance. server.

10. A home appliance management server for managing home appliances, A first acquisition unit acquires sales information regarding multiple products used in the aforementioned home appliances that are sold on the sales site from a sales site management server that manages the sales site. A second acquisition unit that acquires reference information useful when purchasing products based on information received from the aforementioned home appliance, A transmission unit transmits the sales information and the reference information to the terminal device so that the sales information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the reference information acquired by the second acquisition unit are simultaneously displayed on the display screen of the terminal device. Equipped with, The aforementioned reference information includes the type of product being used by the user of the terminal device in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance. server.

11. It comprises an information processing unit realized by a computer, which is a terminal device with a display screen, executing a program, and a server that manages home appliances. The information processing unit simultaneously displays on the display screen a first display area containing sales information indicating multiple products used in home appliances that are sold on a sales website, and a second display area containing reference information useful when purchasing products. The aforementioned information processing unit, A sales information request is sent to the server holding the sales information to request the sales information, and the sales information is obtained from the server. The user of the terminal device sends a reference information request to the server or another server that holds the reference information including the type of product being used in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance, and obtains the reference information from the server or the other server. The acquired sales information is displayed in the first display area, and the acquired reference information is displayed in the second display area. Information processing system.

12. Computers A first display area containing sales information for multiple products used in home appliances and sold on a sales website, and a second display area containing reference information useful when purchasing the said products are simultaneously displayed on the display screen of the terminal device. Displaying the aforementioned sales information and reference information means A sales information request is sent to the server holding the sales information to request the sales information, and the sales information is obtained from the server. The user of the terminal device sends a reference information request to the server or another server that holds the reference information including the type of product being used in the home appliance and the remaining quantity of the product in the home appliance, and obtains the reference information from the server or the other server. The acquired sales information is displayed in the first display area, and the acquired reference information is displayed in the second display area. Including, Information processing methods.

Images