Information processing device, information processing system, and program

Abstract

To display a location of a destination on map data by simple input operation even if a user forgets the name or address of the destination or the user does not know from the beginning.SOLUTION: A management server 10 as an information processing device includes a control section 11. In the control section 11, a destination management section 101 stores information indicating a location of a destination in association with identification information that enables uniquely identifying the destination, an inquiry information acquisition section 104 acquires inquiry information on an inquiry of information indicating the location of the destination based on the identification information, and a location information extraction section 105 extracts information indicating the location of the destination associated with the identification information on the basis of the identification information included in the inquiry information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In the technology used for a service that provides map data to a user, when the user inputs the name or address of a destination, the position of the destination is displayed on the map data (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a technology, when the user forgets the name or address of the destination or does not know it originally, it becomes difficult to display the position of the destination on the map data.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to enable the position of a destination to be displayed on map data by a simple input operation even when the user forgets the name or address of the destination or does not know it originally.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is an information processing device characterized by comprising: a storage control means that performs control to store information indicating the location of a destination in association with identification information that makes a destination uniquely identifiable; an inquiry information acquisition means that acquires inquiry information relating to an inquiry about the information indicating the location of the destination based on the identification information; an extraction means that extracts information indicating the location of the destination associated with the identification information based on the identification information contained in the acquired inquiry information; and a transmission control means that performs control to transmit the extracted information indicating the location of the destination as a response to the inquiry. The invention described in claim 2 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage control means stores in association the customer number as the identification information of a customer located at the destination and the address as information indicating the location of the customer; the inquiry information acquisition means acquires the inquiry information based on the customer number; the extraction means extracts the address of the customer associated with the customer number based on the customer number included in the acquired inquiry information; and the transmission control means performs control to transmit the extracted address of the customer as the response to the inquiry. The invention described in claim 3 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage control means performs control to store attribute information relating to the attributes of the destination in association with the identification information, the query information acquisition means further acquires the query information based on the attribute information, and the extraction means extracts information indicating the location of the destination associated with the attribute information based on the attribute information included in the acquired query information. The invention described in claim 4 is an information processing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the attribute information includes at least one piece of information from among information relating to an individual, an organization, or goods or services provided by such individual or organization to the destination. The invention described in claim 5 is an information processing device characterized by comprising: an input operation receiving means for receiving an input operation for inputting identification information that uniquely identifies a destination; a transmission control means for performing control to transmit the information input by the input operation as inquiry information relating to an inquiry for information indicating the location of the destination; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the location of the destination that is transmitted as a response to the inquiry; and a map display control means for performing control to display the location of the destination on map data based on the acquired information indicating the location. The invention described in claim 6 is an information processing device according to claim 5, further comprising a list display control means for controlling the display of a list of one or more location-indicating pieces of information acquired by the acquisition means, the input operation receiving means further receiving an input operation for selecting one of the one or more location-indicating pieces of information displayed in the list, and the map display control means controlling the display of the location of the destination on the map data based on the location-indicating piece of information selected by the input operation. The invention described in claim 7 is an information processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the list display control means further controls the display of a list of attribute information relating to the attributes of the destination, along with the location information. The invention described in claim 8 is an information processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the input operation receiving means further receives an input operation for inputting attribute information relating to the attributes of the destination, and the transmission control means performs control to transmit the information input by the input operation as the inquiry information. The invention described in claim 9 is an information processing device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the attribute information includes at least one piece of information from among individuals, organizations, and goods or services provided by such individuals or organizations that belong to the destination. The invention described in claim 10 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a history display control means for controlling the display of the history of the location information acquired by the acquisition means in a selectable manner. The invention described in claim 11 is an information processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the input operation receiving means receives an input operation for inputting a customer number as identification information that can uniquely identify a customer located at the destination, the transmission control means controls the transmission of the customer number input by the input operation as inquiry information, the acquisition means acquires an address as information indicating the location of the customer that is transmitted as a response to the inquiry, and the map display control means controls the display of the customer's location on the map data based on the acquired address. The invention described in claim 12 is an information processing system characterized by comprising: a storage control means that performs control to store information indicating the location of a destination in association with identification information that makes a destination uniquely identifiable; an input operation receiving means that receives an input operation for inputting the identification information; an extraction means that extracts information indicating the location of the destination associated with the identification information based on the input identification information; and a map display control means that performs control to display the location of the destination on map data based on the extracted information indicating the location. The invention described in claim 13 is a program for a computer that provides the following functions: a function to store information indicating the location of a destination in association with identification information that uniquely identifies a destination; a function to acquire query information relating to an inquiry about the information indicating the location of the destination based on the identification information; a function to extract information indicating the location of the destination associated with the identification information based on the identification information contained in the acquired query information; and a function to transmit the extracted information indicating the location of the destination as a response to the query. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to claim 1 of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that allows a user to display the location of a destination on map data with a simple input operation, even if the user has forgotten the name or address of the destination or does not know it in the first place. According to the present invention of claim 2, even if a user has forgotten or never knew the name or address of a customer located at a destination, the customer's location can be displayed on map data simply by entering the customer number. According to the present invention of claim 3, even if a user has forgotten or never knew the name, address, or identification number of a destination, the location of that destination can be displayed on map data simply by inputting the attribute information of that destination. According to the present invention of claim 4, even if a user has forgotten or never knew the name, address, or identification number of a destination, the location of that destination can be displayed on map data simply by entering information about the individuals, organizations, or goods or services associated with that destination. According to claim 5 of the present invention, an information processing device is provided that allows a user to display the location of a destination on map data with simple input operations, even if the user has forgotten the name or address of the destination or does not know it in the first place. According to the present invention of claim 6, since the search results are displayed in a list before the map data is displayed, the user can check the search results before displaying the map. Furthermore, if multiple pieces of location information are associated with a single identification piece of information, the user can select one from the displayed list and display it on the map. According to the present invention of claim 7, since the search results are displayed in a list along with location information, it is possible to assist in selecting a destination to display on the map. According to the present invention of claim 8, even if a user has forgotten or never knew the name, address, or identification number of a destination, the location of that destination can be displayed on map data simply by inputting the attribute information of that destination. According to the present invention of claim 9, even if a user has forgotten or never knew the name, address, or identification number of a destination, the location of that destination can be displayed on map data simply by entering information about the individuals, organizations, or goods or services associated with that destination. According to the present invention of claim 10, the history of information indicating the location of the acquired destination is displayed in a selectable manner, thereby simplifying input operations and improving user convenience. According to the present invention of claim 11, even if the customer's name and address have been forgotten or are not known in the first place, the customer's location can be displayed on map data simply by entering the customer number. According to the present invention of claim 12, it is possible to provide an information processing system that allows a user to display the location of a destination on map data with a simple input operation, even if the user has forgotten the name or address of the destination or does not know it in the first place. According to the present invention of claim 13, a program can be provided that allows a user to display the location of a destination on map data with simple input operations, even if the user has forgotten the name or address of the destination or does not know it in the first place. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the management server as an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the functional configuration of the control unit of the management server. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the functional configuration of the control unit of the user terminal. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow at the user terminal. [Figure 7]This is a diagram showing a specific example of information in which identification information that can uniquely identify a destination and information indicating the location of the destination are associated and stored in a database. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing a specific example of a user interface displayed on the display unit of a user terminal. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing a specific example of a user interface displayed on the display unit of a user terminal. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing a specific example of a user interface displayed on the display unit of a user terminal.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. (Configuration of Information Processing System) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 to which the present embodiment is applied. The information processing system 1 is configured by connecting a management server 10 and user terminals 30-1 to 30-n (n is an integer value of 2 or more) via a network 90. The network 90 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, or the like. When it is not necessary to separately describe each of the user terminals 30-1 to 30-n, they are collectively referred to as the user terminal 30.

[0010] The management server 10 is an information processing device as a server that manages the entire information processing system 1. For example, the management server 10 stores and manages in a database information in which identification information that can uniquely identify a destination and information indicating the location of the destination are associated. The "destination" refers to a place or facility that a user plans to visit or the like. Examples of the "information indicating the location of the destination" include an address, GPS (Global Positioning System) location information, and the like.

[0011] Furthermore, the management server 10 acquires information regarding inquiries about destination location information sent from the user terminal 30 (hereinafter referred to as "inquiry information"), and extracts information indicating the destination location, which is identified by the destination identification information contained in the inquiry information, from the database. Then, the management server 10 sends the destination location information extracted from the database to the user terminal 30. Details of these processes performed by the management server 10 will be described later.

[0012] The user terminal 30 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet that is operated by the user. For example, the user terminal 30 displays a predetermined user interface on its display unit (see explanation in Figure 2). Also, for example, the user terminal 30 displays information transmitted and received from the management server 10 or an external source on its user interface. "External" refers to, for example, an external server connected to the network 90 in Figure 1 but not belonging to the information processing system 1. Examples of information displayed on the user interface include map data and information indicating the location of a destination.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, the user terminal 30 receives input information entered into the user interface and transmits it to the management server 10. Examples of input information transmitted from the user terminal 30 to the management server 10 include inquiry information. Also, for example, the user terminal 30 displays information indicating the destination location transmitted from the management server 10 on the map data. Details of these processes performed by the user terminal 30 will be described later.

[0014] The above-described processing of the management server 10 and user terminal 30, which constitute the information processing system 1, is merely an example, and it is sufficient that the information processing system 1 as a whole has the functionality to realize the above-described processing. For this reason, some or all of the functions that realize the above-described processing may be shared or collaborated within the information processing system 1. That is, some or all of the functions of the management server 10 may be functions of the user terminal 30, or some or all of the functions of the user terminal 30 may be functions of the management server 10. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the management server 10 and user terminal 30, which constitute the information processing system 1, may be transferred to other servers, etc., not shown in the diagram. This will facilitate processing for the information processing system 1 as a whole, and it will also be possible for the processing to complement each other.

[0015] (Management server hardware configuration) Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the management server 10, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. The management server 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory 12, a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, an operation unit 15, and a display unit 16. These units are connected by a data bus, an address bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, etc.

[0016] The control unit 11 is a processor that controls the functions of the management server 10 through the execution of various software such as the OS (operating system) and application software. The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 12 is a storage area that stores various software and data used for its execution, and is used as a work area during calculations. The memory 12 is composed of, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0017] The storage unit 13 is a storage area that stores input data for various software and output data from various software. The storage unit 13 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or semiconductor memory used to store programs and various setting data. The storage unit 13 stores various information as a database, such as a map DB 131 which stores map data, and a destination DB 132 which stores various information about destinations, including information indicating the location of the destination.

[0018] The communication unit 14 transmits and receives data between the user terminal 30 and the outside world via the network 90. ​​The operation unit 15 consists of, for example, a keyboard, mouse, mechanical buttons, and switches, and accepts input operations. The operation unit 15 also includes a touch sensor that forms a touch panel integrally with the display unit 16. The display unit 16 consists of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (=Electro Luminescence) display used for displaying information, and displays image and text data.

[0019] (User terminal hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the user terminal 30 is the same as that of the management server 10 shown in Figure 2. That is, the user terminal 30 is equipped with a control unit, memory, storage unit, communication unit, operation unit, and display unit, respectively, which have the same functions as the control unit 11, memory 12, storage unit 13, communication unit 14, operation unit 15, and display unit 16 in Figure 2, and their illustration and description are omitted.

[0020] (Functional configuration of the control unit of the management server) Figure 3 shows the functional configuration of the control unit 11 of the management server 10. The control unit 11 of the management server 10 functions as follows: destination management unit 101, map data acquisition unit 102, attribute information acquisition unit 103, inquiry information acquisition unit 104, location information extraction unit 105, and transmission control unit 106.

[0021] The destination management unit 101 manages various types of information related to destinations. For example, the destination management unit 101 manages information indicating the location of a destination. Specifically, the destination management unit 101 associates information indicating the location of a destination with identification information that uniquely identifies the destination, and stores and manages this information in a database. For example, this information is stored in the destination DB 132 (see Figure 2) of the storage unit 13 as the database. "Identification information" includes, for example, identification information that uniquely identifies the destination itself, and identification information of customers located at the destination (for example, customer ID).

[0022] Furthermore, for example, the destination management unit 101 manages information related to the attributes of destinations (hereinafter referred to as "attribute information"). Specifically, the destination management unit 101 associates the attribute information of a destination with identification information that uniquely identifies the destination, and stores and manages this information in a database. For example, this information is stored in the destination DB 132 of the storage unit 13. "Attribute information" includes, for example, information about individuals or organizations belonging to the destination, and information about each of the goods or services provided by individuals or organizations belonging to the destination (for example, the name and content of the goods or services). Attribute information is provided by the user or from an external source.

[0023] The map data acquisition unit 102 acquires map data transmitted from an external source. The map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 102 is stored and managed in a database. Specifically, the acquired map data is stored and managed in the map DB 131 of the storage unit 13. The map data may be independently created by the management server 10, or it may be generally available map data. The map data is kept up-to-date by being updated at predetermined intervals.

[0024] The attribute information acquisition unit 103 acquires attribute information transmitted from the user terminal 30 or an external source. The attribute information acquired by the attribute information acquisition unit 103 is managed by the destination management unit 101. Specifically, it is associated with identification information that uniquely identifies the destination and stored and managed in a database. The inquiry information acquisition unit 104 acquires inquiry information transmitted from the user terminal 30. Specifically, the inquiry information acquisition unit 104 acquires inquiry information based on identification information and attribute information transmitted from the user terminal 30.

[0025] The location information extraction unit 105 extracts the target information from the information stored in the database. For example, the location information extraction unit 105 extracts from the database information indicating the location of a destination that is associated with the identification information contained in the inquiry information obtained by the inquiry information acquisition unit 104. Specifically, for example, the location information extraction unit 105 extracts the customer's address associated with the customer's identification information (e.g., customer ID, etc.) contained in the inquiry information from the destination DB 132 of the storage unit 13.

[0026] Furthermore, for example, the location information extraction unit 105 extracts information from the database indicating the location of the destination associated with the attribute information included in the inquiry information. Specifically, for example, the location information extraction unit 105 extracts from the destination DB 132 of the storage unit 13 the address of the provider of the product or service, which is associated with the name of the product or service included in the attribute information.

[0027] The transmission control unit 106 controls the transmission of various information to the user terminal 30 or an external source via the communication unit 14 (see Figure 2). For example, the transmission control unit 106 controls the transmission of map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 102 and its update information to the user terminal 30. Also, for example, when inquiry information is transmitted from the user terminal 30, the transmission control unit 106 controls the transmission of the customer's address and GPS location information, which are extracted as information indicating the destination location as a response to the user's inquiry, to the user terminal 30.

[0028] (Functional configuration of the user terminal's control unit) Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the control unit of the user terminal 30. The control unit of the user terminal 30 functions as follows: information acquisition unit 301, display control unit 302, input operation reception unit 303, and transmission control unit 304.

[0029] The information acquisition unit 301 acquires various types of information. For example, the information acquisition unit 301 acquires information transmitted from the management server 10 and from external sources. Among this information, the information transmitted from the management server 10 includes, for example, map data, addresses and GPS location information that indicate the location of a destination.

[0030] The display control unit 302 controls the display unit to display various types of information as a display means. For example, the display control unit 302 controls the display unit to display a user interface. The user interface can be displayed by launching user-facing application software pre-installed on the user terminal 30, or by accessing a user-facing website.

[0031] Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 302 controls the display of map data and information indicating the location of the destination on the user interface. Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 302 controls the display of a list of information indicating the location of one or more destinations on the user interface. Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 302 controls the display of a list of attribute information along with information indicating the location of the destination. Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 302 controls the display of a history of information indicating the location of the destination acquired by the information acquisition unit 301 on the user interface in a selectable manner.

[0032] The input operation reception unit 303 receives user input operations. User input operations include touch operations with fingers and mouse operations. For example, the input operation reception unit 303 receives input operations to launch application software. Also, for example, the input operation reception unit 303 receives various information entered via the user interface displayed on the display unit when the application software is launched. Information entered via the user interface may include, for example, a customer ID as identification information that uniquely identifies the destination.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, the input operation reception unit 303 accepts an input operation to select one piece of information from among the location information of one or more destinations displayed in a list on the user interface. Also, for example, the input operation reception unit 303 accepts an input operation to input attribute information.

[0034] The transmission control unit 304 controls the transmission of various information to the management server 10 or an external source via the communication unit. For example, the transmission control unit 304 controls the transmission of inquiry information entered through an input operation to the management server 10. Specifically, for example, the transmission control unit 304 controls the transmission of an identification number (e.g., customer ID, etc.) entered through an input operation as inquiry information to the management server 10. Also, for example, the transmission control unit 304 controls the transmission of attribute information entered through an input operation as inquiry information to the management server 10.

[0035] (Processing flow of the management server) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server 10. The management server 10 stores and manages identification information that uniquely identifies a destination and information indicating the location of the destination in a database (step 501). Specifically, for example, the destination management unit 101 stores and manages identification information of customers located at the destination and their addresses as information indicating their location in the destination DB 132 of the storage unit 13 (see Figure 2).

[0036] When map data is sent from an external source (YES in step 502), the management server 10 retrieves the transmitted map data (step 503). Conversely, if no map data has been sent (NO in step 502), the management server 10 repeats step 502 until map data is sent.

[0037] When the management server 10 receives query information from the user terminal 30 (YES in step 504), it retrieves the received query information (step 505), extracts information indicating the destination location associated with the identification information contained in the retrieved query information from the database (step 506), and sends the extracted information to the user terminal 30 (step 507). Conversely, if no query information has been received (NO in step 504), the management server 10 repeats step 504 until query information is received.

[0038] (Processing flow at the user terminal) Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the user terminal 30. When an input operation to launch the application software is performed on the user terminal 30 (YES in step 601), the user terminal 30 accepts the input operation (step 602) and displays the user interface on the display unit (step 603). Conversely, if no input operation to launch the application software is performed (NO in step 601), the user terminal 30 repeats step 601 until an input operation to launch the application software is performed.

[0039] When the user terminal 30 receives an input operation to enter query information via the user interface (YES in step 604), it accepts the input operation (step 605) and sends the input information to the management server 10 as query information (step 606). Conversely, if no input operation to enter query information has been performed (NO in step 604), the user terminal 30 repeats step 604 until an input operation to enter query information is performed.

[0040] When the user terminal 30 receives information indicating the location of the destination from the management server 10 (YES in step 607), it retrieves that information (step 608) and displays it on the map data (step 609). However, if information indicating the location of the destination has not been received (NO in step 607), the user terminal 30 repeats step 607 until information indicating the location of the destination is received.

[0041] (Specific example) Figure 7 shows a specific example of information that associates identification information, which uniquely identifies a destination, with information indicating the location of the destination, stored in a database. Note that the database shown in Figure 7 is a database that stores the address of the customer who is the destination, and is merely one example of the destination DB132 in the storage unit 13 of Figure 2.

[0042] The database shown in Figure 7 stores a "Customer ID" as identification information that uniquely identifies the destination, the customer's "Name" associated with the "Customer ID," an "Address" indicating the location of the destination, and "Attribute (1)" to "Attribute (4)" indicating attribute information of the destination. Of these, each of "Attribute (1)" to "Attribute (4)" stores, for example, information about individuals or organizations belonging to the destination (e.g., company name, etc.) and information about each of the goods or services provided by individuals or organizations belonging to the destination (e.g., name and content of the goods or services, etc.). In the example in Figure 7, four attribute information items ("Attribute (1)" to "Attribute (4)") are stored, but the number of attribute information items that can be stored and managed in the database is not limited to four. Up to m attribute information items (m being an integer value of 1 or more) can be stored in the database.

[0043] Figures 8 to 10 show specific examples of user interfaces displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 30. Figure 8 shows a specific example of the user interface displayed on the user terminal 30 when a user enters inquiry information. This user interface allows the user to input two types of identification information that uniquely identify the destination as inquiry information. The first is a "customer ID" which is the identification information of the customer located at the destination, and the second is an "address" which is the identification information that uniquely identifies the destination itself.

[0044] For example, suppose a user planning to visit a customer's location wants to display that customer's location on a map, and has only noted down the customer's customer ID on paper. In this case, the user would input the customer ID as inquiry information via the user interface. Specifically, the user would enter the customer ID, which corresponds to the "customer number," into input field R1 labeled "Customer Number Search" in Figure 8(A), and then press button B11 labeled "Search." Note that input field R1 and button B11 shown in Figure 8(A) can be displayed by pressing button B1 labeled "Customer Number Search" shown in Figure 8(B).

[0045] When button B11 is pressed, the customer ID stored in destination DB132 and the address data associated with the customer ID are referenced, and the location of the customer with the entered customer ID is displayed on the map. Specifically, for example, if the string "1001-000001" representing the customer ID is entered in input field R1 and button B11 is pressed, then a map like the one shown in Figure 10(A) will be displayed on the user interface. As shown in Figure 10(A), a symbol C1 indicating the location of the customer extracted as a search result is displayed at the center of the map displayed on the user interface.

[0046] Furthermore, suppose a user planning to visit a customer's location has only noted the customer's address on a piece of paper. In this case, the user enters the address as inquiry information via the user interface. Specifically, the user enters part or all of the address into input field R2 labeled "Address String Search" in Figure 8(B) and presses button B21 labeled "Search". Note that input field R2 and button B21 shown in Figure 8(B) can be displayed by pressing button B2 labeled "Address String Search" as shown in Figure 8(A) above.

[0047] When button B21 is pressed, the address data for each customer stored in destination DB132 is referenced, and the location of the entered address is displayed on the map. Specifically, for example, if the string representing the address "XX Ward XX △ Chome" is entered in input field R2, and button B21 is pressed, a map like the one shown in Figure 10(B) will be displayed on the user interface. As shown in Figure 10(B), the user interface displays a map with the location of the address "XX Ward XX △ Chome" centered on it.

[0048] Figure 9(A) shows a specific example of a user interface displayed on the user terminal 30 when a user enters inquiry information, which differs from Figure 8. The user interface shown in Figure 9(A) allows the user to input any identifying information that uniquely identifies the destination as inquiry information. Specifically, similar to the example in Figure 8 above, the user can input identifying information of a customer located at the destination (e.g., customer ID), identifying information that uniquely identifies the destination itself (e.g., address), or attribute information of a customer located at the destination.

[0049] For example, suppose a user who is scheduled to visit a customer (corporation) has noted down the name of a product offered by that customer on a piece of paper. In this case, the user enters the product name as customer attribute information via the user interface. Specifically, the user enters the product name in input field R3 labeled "Customer Information Search" in Figure 9(A) and presses button B31 labeled "Search".

[0050] When button B31 is pressed, customer attribute information stored in destination DB132 is referenced, and the location of the customer (corporation) that provides the entered product is displayed on the map. Specifically, for example, if the string "xxxx" representing the product name is entered in input field R3 and button B31 is pressed, a map like the one shown in Figure 10(A) will be displayed on the user interface. As shown in Figure 10(A), the symbol C1, which represents the location of the customer (corporation) that provides the product name "xxxx" extracted as a search result, is displayed at the center of the map displayed on the user interface.

[0051] The customer location information extracted as a result of user input into each of the input fields R1 to R3 can be displayed on the user interface in a selectable form as search history. Figure 9(B) shows an example of address search history. By selecting an address from the displayed search history, the user can display a map on the user interface with the selected address's location at the center, as shown in Figure 10(B). Addresses displayed in the search history due to incorrect input, etc., can be deleted by pressing the "×" mark. Although Figure 9(B) shows 9 search history entries, there is no particular limit to the number of search history entries that can be displayed.

[0052] Although this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in this embodiment. For example, the configuration of the information processing system 1 shown in Figure 1 and the hardware configuration of the management server 10 shown in Figure 2 are merely examples for achieving the objectives of the present invention and are not particularly limited. Similarly, the functional configuration of the management server 10 shown in Figure 3 and the functional configuration of the user terminal 30 shown in Figure 4 are also merely examples and are not particularly limited. It is sufficient that the information processing system 1 in Figure 1 is equipped with a function that can execute the above-described process as a whole, and the functional configuration used to realize this function is not limited to the examples in Figures 3 and 4.

[0053] Furthermore, the order of processing steps for the management server 10 shown in Figure 5, and the order of processing steps for the user terminal 30 shown in Figure 6, are merely illustrative examples and not particularly limiting. Processing is not limited to the order of steps shown in the diagrams; it may also be performed in parallel or individually. Similarly, the specific examples shown in Figures 7 to 10 are merely examples and not particularly limiting. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1...Information processing system, 10...Management server, 11...Control unit, 30...User terminal, 90...Network, 101...Destination management unit, 102...Map data acquisition unit, 103...Attribute information acquisition unit, 104...Inquiry information acquisition unit, 105...Location information extraction unit, 106...Transmission control unit, 301...Information acquisition unit, 302...Display control unit, 303...Input operation reception unit, 304...Transmission control unit

Claims

1. A storage control means that performs control to store a customer number, which is identification information that can uniquely identify a customer located at a destination, in association with an address, which is information indicating the location of the customer. A display control means that displays buttons on a user terminal connected via a network for selecting a first input field for entering the customer number and a second input field for entering at least a portion of the customer's address, Inquiry information acquisition means for acquiring inquiry information relating to an inquiry about the customer's address based on the customer number or at least a part of the address from the user terminal via the network, Extraction means for extracting the customer's address associated with the customer number contained in the acquired inquiry information, or the customer's address including at least a portion of the address contained in the inquiry information, A transmission control means that controls the transmission of the extracted customer address to the user terminal via the network in response to the aforementioned inquiry, A feature having Information processing device.

2. The memory control means performs control to further associate attribute information relating to the customer's attributes with the customer number and store it accordingly. The aforementioned inquiry information acquisition means further acquires the inquiry information based on the attribute information from the user terminal via the network, The extraction means is characterized by extracting the customer's address associated with the attribute information based on the attribute information contained in the acquired inquiry information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The attribute information is characterized in that it includes at least one piece of information from among the information relating to each of the products or services provided by the customer. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. An input operation receiving means that accepts an input operation for entering a customer number, which is identification information that can uniquely identify a customer located at a destination, A display control means that controls the display of buttons for selecting a first input field for entering the customer number and a second input field for entering at least a portion of the customer's address. A transmission control means that controls the transmission of at least a portion of the input information, such as the customer number or the address, entered through the aforementioned input operation, to a server connected via the network, as inquiry information relating to an inquiry about the customer's address. An acquisition means for obtaining the customer's address, which is sent from the server as a response to the aforementioned inquiry, A map display control means that controls the display of the location indicating the customer's address on map data based on the customer's address obtained, A feature having Information processing device.

5. The system further includes a list display control means that controls the display of a list of one or more customer addresses obtained by the acquisition means, The input operation receiving means further receives an input operation to select one of the one or more customer addresses displayed in the list, The map display control means is characterized by performing control to display the location indicating the customer's address on the map data based on the customer's address selected by the input operation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The list display control means is characterized by performing control to further display a list of attribute information relating to the customer's attributes, along with the customer's address. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The input operation receiving means further receives input operations for inputting attribute information relating to the customer's attributes, The transmission control means is characterized by performing control to transmit the attribute information input by the input operation as the query information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

8. The attribute information is characterized in that it includes at least one piece of information from among the information relating to each of the products or services provided by the customer. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The device further comprises a history display control means that controls the display of the customer address search history obtained by the acquisition means in a selectable manner. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

10. A storage control means that performs control to store a customer number, which is identification information that can uniquely identify a customer located at a destination, in association with an address, which is information indicating the location of the customer. A display control means that displays buttons on the user terminal for selecting a first input field for entering the customer number and a second input field for entering at least a portion of the customer's address. An input operation receiving means for receiving an input operation for entering the aforementioned customer number, Extraction means for extracting the address of the customer associated with the entered customer number, or the address of the customer including at least a part of the entered address, A map display control means that controls the display of the location indicating the customer's address on map data based on the extracted customer's address, A feature having Information processing system.

11. On the computer, A control function that stores a customer number, which is identification information that uniquely identifies a customer located at a destination, in association with the address, which is information indicating the location of that customer. A function to display buttons on a user terminal connected via a network, allowing the user to select a first input field for entering the customer number and a second input field for entering at least a portion of the customer's address. A function to obtain inquiry information regarding the customer's address based on the customer number or at least a part of the address from the user terminal via the network, A function to extract the customer's address associated with the customer number included in the acquired inquiry information, or the customer's address including at least a portion of the address included in the inquiry information, In response to the aforementioned inquiry, the function controls the transmission of the extracted customer's address to the user terminal via the network, A program to achieve this.

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