Display control method, program, and display control device

Abstract

To provide a display control method, a program, and a display control device that can display a component selected by a user in an easy-to-understand manner on a screen that displays an object having a plurality of components.SOLUTION: In a product customization system comprising an EC site device and an inventory management device, an EC site device 100 that executes a display control method displays component image information 121 of a plurality of components of an object on a screen, and displays, on the screen, effective angle image information 122 that is an angle image that effectively makes a selected component more visible than the plurality of components other than the component selected by a user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control method, a program, and a display control device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, online shopping sites where products can be ordered using a network environment have been widely used. In an online shopping site, since the product cannot be physically held, it is important how to provide product information to potential buyers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a custom order system that enables easy and quick ordering of custom products with different three-dimensional sizes and custom items.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The custom order system disclosed in Patent Document 1 creates a custom product display model that matches the custom items selected by the user and displays this custom product display model on the display screen, enabling the user to easily and quickly order the custom product they wish to purchase. However, in a conventional system as disclosed in Patent Document 1, although a model that matches the custom items is displayed, the custom items selected by the user are not clearly displayed.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a display control method, a program, and a display control device capable of clearly displaying the components selected by the user on a screen displaying an object having a plurality of components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the display control method according to the present invention is: An object having multiple components is displayed in the first display area on the computer screen. The aforementioned multiple components are displayed in a list in the second display area of ​​the screen. A thumbnail image of the object is displayed in the third display area of ​​the screen. The aforementioned 2 When one of the multiple components is selected in the display area, an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components, is displayed in the first display area of ​​the screen. When a thumbnail image is selected in the third display area, the angle image corresponding to the selected image is displayed in the first display area. The aforementioned angle image includes the same image as the aforementioned effective angle image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in a screen displaying an object having multiple components, the component selected by the user can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a product customization system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the components of a wristwatch according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of an e-commerce site device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a screen for online shopping of customizable products on an e-commerce site according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen for displaying detailed information of a product selected on an EC site according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen for customizing a product on an EC site according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen where components of a product are selected on an EC site according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of component image information according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining price information and the like according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an inventory management device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of a component configuration master according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of a parts list stored in a production management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of a mapping rule according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating component inventory according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] It is the first part of a flowchart of customization processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] It is the second part of a flowchart of customization processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart of inventory management processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart of parts appropriation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a diagram for explaining a specific example of inventory management processing and parts appropriation processing according to an embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] A display control method and the like according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment) For ease of understanding, hereinafter, a display control method and the like according to an embodiment will be described by taking as an example the case where it is applied to the product customization system 1000 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the product customization system 1000 includes an EC site device 100 and an inventory management device 200.

[0011] The EC site device 100 is a server that provides an EC (Electronic Commerce) site for selling customizable products based on inventory information acquired from the inventory management device 200. By accessing the EC site device 100 from a user terminal 300 such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone, a user can customize a product according to his / her preference and purchase it.

[0012] This customizable product is composed of a plurality of components, and customization is performed by changing the specifications (variations described later) of the components. Also, a component is composed of one or more parts. As an example of a customizable product and a component, a wristwatch 500 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0013] This wristwatch 500 is configured by combining a plurality of components such as a band (S) component 510, a band (L) component 520, a lock component 530, a ring component 540, a bezel component 550, and a glass component 560. And each component can be selected from a plurality of specifications (color, material, number, etc.), and the selectable specifications are called variations (selectable specifications).

[0014] For example, the band (S) component 510 is available in color variations such as band (S) component 510A, band (S) component 510B, and band (S) component 510C. Furthermore, the band (S) component 510 consists of two parts: the band (S) 511 and the spring bar 512. Multiple variations are provided by combining band (S) 511 of different colors with the spring bar 512.

[0015] In other words, variations (selectable specifications) refer to changes in the color, material, number, etc., of the parts (components) that make up the band (S) component 510. Specifically, band (S) component 510A has an orange band and is made of resin, while band (S) component 510B has a black band and is made of metal. The properties (attributes) of the parts, such as color, material, and number, can be arbitrarily changed depending on the variation. The number of variations is also arbitrary and does not need to be the same for each component.

[0016] Although not shown in the illustration, other components are similarly composed of one or more parts, and multiple variations are provided by changing the color, material, number of parts, etc.

[0017] Returning to Figure 1, the e-commerce site device 100 transmits information about the user's activity history (history of browsing, selecting, and ordering products and components on the e-commerce site) received from the user terminal 300 to the inventory management device 200. Furthermore, when the e-commerce site device 100 receives payment for a product from the user terminal 300, it sends a manufacturing request for that product to the production management server 400.

[0018] The inventory management device 200 understands the correspondence between components and parts (components), calculates the inventory of components (available quantity) from the inventory of parts, and if the inventory of components is insufficient, sends the number of missing parts as a parts replenishment plan to the production management server 400.

[0019] More specifically, the inventory management device 200 obtains user activity history information from the e-commerce site device 100 and inventory information for parts from the production management server 400. Based on this information, it calculates component inventory information and transmits it to the e-commerce site device 100. Furthermore, based on this information, if a parts shortage is anticipated, it calculates a parts replenishment plan to prevent the shortage and transmits it to the production management server 400.

[0020] The production management server 400 is a server that manages the inventory of parts (components), the production of products, etc. For example, the production management server 400 transmits inventory information of parts (components) to the inventory management device 200 and transmits the manufacturing status of products to the e-commerce site device 100. The production management server 400 also acquires component information (component configuration master information, which will be described later) at arbitrary times. The acquisition of component configuration master information by the production management server 400 will be described later.

[0021] The following describes the functional configurations of the e-commerce site device 100 and the inventory management device 200 in order.

[0022] The e-commerce site device 100, as shown in Figure 3, comprises a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130 in terms of its functional configuration.

[0023] The control unit 110 is composed of a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 110 executes a program stored in the storage unit 120, causing the e-commerce site device 100 to function as a web server for the e-commerce site.

[0024] The memory unit 120 stores programs executed by the control unit 110 and necessary data. The memory unit 120 may include, but is not limited to, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc.

[0025] The communication unit 130 is a communication interface for the e-commerce site device 100 to send and receive data with the inventory management device 200, user terminal 300, production management server 400, etc.

[0026] By having the above functional configuration, when the EC site device 100 is connected to by a user terminal 300, it provides the functions of an EC site and displays a list of watches that can be purchased online on the screen 310, which is the display unit of the user terminal 300, as shown in Figure 4, for example.

[0027] In Figure 4, the screen 310 displays three watches of the model number "Watch #1": the "default model" which has not been customized, the "Designer A customized model" customized by designer A, and the "Athlete O customized model" customized by popular athlete O. This is just one example of a display; the e-commerce site device 100 may, for example, display watches of different model numbers or customized models of different model numbers on the screen 310. Alternatively, the e-commerce site device 100 may display only the default model of each watch model on the first page of the e-commerce site, and display the customized models on a separate dedicated page.

[0028] On the screen 310 shown in Figure 4, when a user selects, for example, "Watch #1 Designer A's Customized Model" (for example, by clicking or tapping the desired watch on the screen), the e-commerce site device 100 displays a page on the user terminal 300's screen 310 that shows detailed information about the selected product, as shown in Figure 5. The information displayed as detailed product information is arbitrary, but in Figure 5, multiple angle images 312 are displayed, which are images of the selected watch viewed from various angles (multiple viewing directions).

[0029] Although only three angle images 312 are shown in screen 310 in Figure 5, in this embodiment, for each user-selectable component, an angle image that allows for effective viewing of that component is provided. In addition, angle images for checking the overall design of the product (for example, an overall view from the front, an overall view from the back, a side view, a rolled-up cut image, etc.) are also provided. However, the number of angle images 312 to be provided and the angles from which the images are taken as angle images 312 are arbitrary.

[0030] On the screen 310 shown in Figure 5, when the user presses (for example, clicks or taps) the customize button 311 in the upper right corner, the EC site device 100 displays a customization screen on the user terminal 300's screen 310, as shown in Figure 6, for customizing each component of the product. Figure 6 is an example of a customization screen, in which the default angle image 312 of the product to be customized (for example, an angle image viewed from the front) is displayed largely near the center of the screen, a list of selectable angle images 312 is displayed as thumbnail images 314 at the bottom of the screen, and a list of selectable components 313 is displayed on the right side of the screen.

[0031] In Figure 6, under the component selection section, components 313 are displayed, including Bezel, Face, Short Band, Long Band, Buckle, and Band Loop. These correspond to the bezel component 550, glass component 560, band (S) component 510, band (L) component 520, buckle component 530, and band loop component 540, respectively.

[0032] When the user selects an angle image 312 they want to see from the list of thumbnail images 314, the e-commerce site device 100 displays the selected angle image 312 prominently near the center of the screen 310.

[0033] Furthermore, when a user selects a component 313 they wish to customize from the list of components 313, the EC site device 100 selects an angle image 312 that allows the selected component 313 (band (S) component 510 in Figure 7) to be effectively viewed, as shown in Figure 7, and displays the selected angle image 312 prominently near the center of the screen 310. This angle image 312 that makes the selected component 313 easy to see (effectively viewable) is called an effective angle image.

[0034] The e-commerce site device 100 then displays a list of customization items (selectable variations) 315 for the selected component 313 on the screen 310. Here, color variation items can be selected as selectable variations for the band (S) component 510. In addition, a check mark 316 is placed next to colors that have already been selected, and a sold-out mark 317 is displayed next to colors that cannot be provided due to a shortage of parts (i.e., out of stock).

[0035] When a user selects a color different from the currently selected color as a customization item 315 for the band (S) component 510, the color of the watch band (S) component 510 in the angle image 312 (effective angle image) on the screen 310 is changed to the selected color.

[0036] On the customization screen, users can customize their watch by selecting variations for the components they wish to customize. Once customization is complete, they can finish by pressing the "Complete" button 318. Users can also post images of their customized model to social networking services (SNS) etc. by pressing the "Share" button 319.

[0037] Now, returning to Figure 3, let's explain the various types of information stored in the memory unit 120. The component image information 121 is information about the image materials (variation images) for each variation of each angle of each component. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the component image information 121 for the bezel component stores image materials for each angle for each variation of the bezel component. Similar component image information 121 is stored in the memory unit 120 for other components as well.

[0038] The angle image information 122 indicates which component image materials are used to generate the angle image of each product. The control unit 110 can generate any angle image of a product by combining the image materials of the component image information 121 based on the angle image information 122.

[0039] Component inventory information 123 is inventory information for each variation of each component. Component inventory information 123 is calculated by the inventory management device 200 and acquired by the control unit 110 from the inventory management device 200 via the communication unit 130. For variations with zero inventory, a sold-out mark 317 is displayed on the customization screen described above.

[0040] Price information 124 contains price information for the default model of each product and for each variation of each component. For example, let's consider a wristwatch with the model number "Watch #2" which is composed of component A, component B, and component C, and the prices of each variation and the default model are as shown in Figure 9.

[0041] In the example in Figure 9, the inventory information 123 shows that the stock quantity for variation B-3 of component B is 0, so variation B-3 cannot be purchased, but other variations are available for purchase. Now, suppose the user selects variation A-1 of component A, variation B-2 of component B, and variation C-2 of component C on the customization screen for watch #2. In this case, the control unit 110 refers to the price information 124 and calculates 23,000 yen, which is the price of the current customized model for watch #2, by adding the prices of the selected variations (0 + 2,000 + 1,000) to the default model price of 20,000 yen.

[0042] Returning to Figure 3, the behavioral history information 125 contains information about the user's history on the e-commerce site, such as which products or components (variations) they viewed (how many times and for how long), whether they selected them (how many times they selected them), and whether they placed an order.

[0043] Customization information 126 indicates which variation of each component is selected for the customized model in each product model displayed in the list as shown in Figure 4. In the case of a model customized by a specific entity, such as a specific person (designer, celebrity, etc.) or a specific device (artificial intelligence, etc.), the name of that entity (or an ID (Identification) that uniquely identifies the entity) is also saved as customization information 126. Furthermore, since some designers may not allow changes from the variation they have selected, information indicating that changes to the selected variation of a component are prohibited is also saved in customization information 126.

[0044] Next, the inventory management device 200 will be described. As shown in Figure 10, the inventory management device 200 comprises a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a communication unit 230.

[0045] The control unit 210 is composed of a processor such as a CPU. The control unit 210 executes inventory management processing and other operations, as described later, using programs stored in the storage unit 220.

[0046] The storage unit 220 stores programs executed by the control unit 210 and necessary data. The storage unit 220 may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, SSD, HDD, etc.

[0047] The communication unit 230 is a communication interface for the inventory management device 200 to send and receive data with the e-commerce site device 100, the production management server 400, etc.

[0048] Next, we will explain the various types of information stored in the memory unit 220. The component configuration master 221 contains information indicating what parts make up each variation of each component. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the component configuration master for glass components contains information that lists the parts that make up each variation of the glass component.

[0049] Mapping rule 222 is a rule for extracting the component configuration master 221 from the bill of materials (core system bill of materials) for each product stored in the production management server 400. The bill of materials for each product stored in the production management server 400 is, as shown in Figure 12, a tree structure representing the configuration of the product (a wristwatch in the example in Figure 12), with the parts that make up that product arranged in the leaves of the tree structure.

[0050] While it is possible that the nodes in this tree structure may coincidentally correspond to the components of this embodiment, the data stored by the production management server 400 does not fundamentally take product customization into consideration. Therefore, conditions are generally required to associate parts with components. These conditions are collected in the mapping rule 222.

[0051] An example of mapping rule 222 specifically consists of conditions for identifying the position in the bill of materials ("parent", "exclude-child"), exception conditions ("percentage QTY"), variation conditions ("subject to variation", "not subject to variation"), etc., as shown in Figure 13.

[0052] Referring to Figure 13, for example, the glass component 560 is a component that, in the parts list shown in Figure 12, has the watch head 401 as its parent, excluding the case back 403 and bezel 406. Therefore, it corresponds to the component enclosed by the dotted lines 402, 404, 405, and 407. Furthermore, since "Printed Glass #*" is specified as the variation target (* corresponds to any string in regular expressions), it can be seen that variations of the glass component 560 can be obtained by changing the printed glass.

[0053] Other components can be similarly associated with parts in the bill of materials. However, in this embodiment, the loop 540 consists of a loop 1 component consisting of one loop and a loop 3 component consisting of three thin loops. The loop 3 component is composed of one each of the loop 3-1 component, loop 3-2 component, and loop 3-3 component. The fact that the ratio QTY of each of the loop 3-1 component, loop 3-2 component, and loop 3-3 component is 1 is to indicate this.

[0054] As explained above, the mapping rule 222 allows the control unit 210 to easily generate a component configuration master 221 from the bill of materials. The control unit 210 then transmits the information of the generated component configuration master 221 to the production management server 400 via the communication unit 230. The production management server 400 then receives (acquires) the information of the component configuration master 221 via a communication unit (not shown) mounted inside its casing. Details of the transmission of the component configuration master 221 information to the production management server 400 will be described later.

[0055] Returning to Figure 10, the parts inventory information 223 is the inventory information for each part, which the control unit 210 has obtained via the communication unit 230 from the inventory information for each part stored in the production management server 400.

[0056] Component demand information 224 is information regarding the demand for components obtained by the e-commerce site device 100 from users. This information may simply be information on the number of component orders, or it may be information that anticipates future demand for components based on the behavioral history information 125 stored in the e-commerce site device 100.

[0057] Component inventory information 225 is information on the number of available components (component inventory) obtained through the inventory management process described later. The e-commerce site device 100 periodically requests information on the current component inventory from the inventory management device 200 and updates the component inventory information 225.

[0058] Priority information 226 is used when calculating component inventory to prioritize the allocation of parts to components (variations) that make up high-priority products, thereby preventing supply shortages (out of stock). For example, if a product is a new product or a limited edition model, if it is a product that supports engraving services (engravable product), if it is a top-selling model in a past sales period (best-selling product), or during a promotional period (e.g., 3 months) following a promotional announcement date (date of announcement on social media, website, video, etc., reservation start date, release date, etc.), or during a specified period including a user's anniversary (e.g., birthday, wedding anniversary, etc.) (e.g., from one month before the anniversary to one week after the anniversary), priority information 226 is set so that the priority of the product and the components (variations) that make up that product are higher.

[0059] For example, if a product is a limited edition model, the control unit 210 can use priority information 226 to adjust the quantity of parts allocated to the components that make up the limited edition model so that it is greater than the quantity of parts allocated to the components that make up products other than the limited edition model. This helps to prevent the limited edition model from running out of stock as much as possible.

[0060] Furthermore, if the product is a public product released on the promotion release date, the control unit 210 can use the priority information 226 to adjust the quantity of parts allocated to the components constituting the public product so that it is greater than the quantity of parts allocated to the components constituting products other than public products, for a predetermined period (e.g., 3 months) after the promotion release date. This helps to prevent public products from running out of stock as much as possible.

[0061] Furthermore, if the product is an engravable product, the control unit 210 can use the priority information 226 to adjust the quantity of the parts allocated to the components constituting the engravable product so that it is greater than the quantity of the parts allocated to the components constituting products other than engravable products for a predetermined period of time. This helps to prevent stockouts of engravable products as much as possible.

[0062] Furthermore, if a product is a best-selling product, the control unit 210 can use priority information 226 to adjust the quantity of parts allocated to the components of the best-selling product so that it is greater than the quantity of parts allocated to the components of products other than best-selling products for a predetermined period (for example, until the product ceases to be a best-selling product). This helps to prevent best-selling products from running out of stock as much as possible.

[0063] By having the above functional configuration, the inventory management device 200 can acquire information on parts inventory from the production management server 400 and assign each part to a component according to demand, or according to both demand and priority, thereby preventing stockouts of components composed of multiple parts as much as possible.

[0064] For example, suppose there is a component A consisting of parts α, β, and γ, as shown in Figure 14. While part γ is only available in one type (γ-1), part α can be selected from five types (α-1 to α-5), and part β from three types (β-1 to β-3). Thus, component A has five variations (A-1 to A-5). Figure 14 shows that each variation of component A (A-1 to A-5) is composed of the parts corresponding to the circles (for example, A-1 consists of α-1, β-1, and γ-1).

[0065] In the example shown in Figure 14, it is assumed that there are 400 units of each component in stock, and the demand for each variation of the component is 400 for A-1, 160 for A-2, 120 for A-3, 80 for A-4, and 40 for A-5.

[0066] In this case, simply allocating parts to meet the demand for variation A-1 would mean all 400 units of part γ-1 would be allocated to variation A-1, resulting in 400 units of variation A-1 available, but 0 units of the other variations (A-2 to A-5) being available. While this type of parts allocation might be acceptable if you want to prioritize variation A-1, such as preventing stockouts, it's usually desirable to allocate parts evenly to the other variations.

[0067] In this embodiment, an inventory allocation process, described later, is performed to allocate parts equally to each variation or according to priority. When all variations are treated with the same priority, parts are allocated so that the available supply quantities (component inventory) for each variation are 200 for A-1, 80 for A-2, 60 for A-3, 40 for A-4, and 20 for A-5. Furthermore, if, for example, variation A-2 has a higher priority than the other variations, and the priorities of all other variations are the same, parts are allocated so that A-1 has 150, A-2 has 160, A-3 has 45, A-4 has 30, and A-5 has 15. Such parts allocation is performed using the inventory management process and parts allocation process described later.

[0068] Next, with reference to Figures 15 and 16, the customization process performed by the control unit 110 of the EC site device 100 will be described. This process is initiated when a user terminal 300 that has accessed the EC site provided by the EC site device 100 accesses the page introducing customizable products.

[0069] First, the control unit 110 displays a list of customizable product models on the screen 310 of the user terminal 300 as a product model selection screen, as shown in Figure 4 (step S101). The product models displayed here are the product models (base objects) that are the subject of customization. Each component of the base object is selected in its default state or in a variation (base specification) selected by a specific entity. The list of product models may display only the name of each product model (information that can identify the entity (person, etc.) that performed the customization), only the image of each product model, or both the name and image.

[0070] In this list display, the control unit 110 basically groups together products of the same model number (default models and various customized models). The control unit 110 can arbitrarily determine the order in which each product model is displayed within a group of products of the same model number, but it may also use a certain component as a base component and group the variations of this base component according to their properties (attributes). For example, by using the bezel component as the base component and grouping the parts that make up the bezel component by color, material, etc., the product models with bezels of the same color and bezels of the same material will be placed next to each other, making it easier to compare how the image of each product changes depending on the differences in the variations of components other than the base component.

[0071] Alternatively, the customized models could be grouped together in a list. For example, models customized by designer A would be displayed together, making it easier for users who want to select a product model from those customized by a specific designer or celebrity. Alternatively, the models could be grouped by the type of entity that performed the customization. For example, models customized by designers, athletes, celebrities, musicians, or AI for computers could be displayed together. This would allow users to easily compare the characteristics of each designer's customization (such as color usage and color arrangement) by displaying models customized by designer A and designer B side by side.

[0072] Returning to Figure 15, the control unit 110 then determines whether any model has been selected from the displayed product models (step S102). If no model is selected (step S102; No), the process returns to step S102.

[0073] If any model is selected (step S102; Yes), the control unit 110 displays detailed information of the selected model on the screen 310 of the user terminal 300, as shown in Figure 5 (step S103). Although omitted in Figures 15 and 16 for simplicity, the control unit 110 treats the information of the selected model and components (variations) as information of the order being queried (order being queried) because the selected model may be ordered after this point.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 110 stores information about which models and variations the user has viewed, selected, or purchased (information such as viewing behavior (viewing time, number of views, etc.), selection behavior (number of selections, etc.), and purchase history) as behavioral history information 125 in the storage unit 120. Then, the control unit 110 transmits the information of the inquired order and the behavioral history information 125 to the inventory management device 200 as needed (for example, before step S107). This allows the control unit 110 to obtain component inventory information 123 from the inventory management device 200.

[0075] Returning to Figure 15, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the customization button 311 has been pressed (step S104). If the customization button 311 has not been pressed (step S104; No), the control unit returns to step S104. Although omitted in Figure 15 for simplicity, if, for example, a product model displayed in small letters in the upper right corner of the screen 310 shown in Figure 5 is selected, the control unit 110 returns to step S103 to display detailed information about the selected model.

[0076] When the customize button 311 is pressed (step S104; Yes), the control unit 110 displays a customization screen on the screen 310 of the user terminal 300, as shown in Figure 6 (step S105). Then, the control unit 110 determines whether any of the components 313 have been selected on the screen 310 shown in Figure 6 (step S106).

[0077] If any component 313 is selected (step S106; Yes), the control unit 110 retrieves an angle image (effective angle image) from the storage unit 120 that allows the selected component (component of interest) to be effectively viewed, and displays the angle image 312 (effective angle image), customization items 315, etc. on the screen 310 of the user terminal 300, as shown in Figure 7 (step S107). When displaying the customization items 315, the control unit 110 refers to the inventory information 123 and displays a sold-out mark 317 as information indicating that the customization item 315 corresponding to a variation with zero inventory. In addition, in step S107, a thumbnail image 314 may also be displayed in addition to the angle image 312 (effective angle image) and customization items 315.

[0078] Also, although omitted in Figure 15 to avoid complicating the explanation, if the determination in step S106 is Yes, the control unit 110 refers to the customization information 126, and if it is determined that the selected component 313 cannot be changed, it proceeds to step S110 without proceeding to step S107. In this case, the control unit 110 may display information on screen 310 that the component cannot be changed (for example, a message such as "Cannot be changed").

[0079] Then, the control unit 110 determines whether or not any of the customization items 315 have been selected (step S108). If no customization item 315 has been selected (step S108; No), the process proceeds to step S110.

[0080] If a customization item 315 is selected (step S108; Yes), the control unit 110 changes the display of the angle image 312 and thumbnail image 314 according to the selected customization item 315 (step S109), and proceeds to step S110.

[0081] In step S109, the control unit 110 refers to the component image information 121 shown in Figure 8 and, for each angle of the component of interest currently selected for customization, composites the image material (variation image) of the variation (selected specification) corresponding to the selected customization item 315 with the angle image 312 and thumbnail image 314. As a result, the display manner of the component of interest included in the angle image 312 and thumbnail image 314 is changed to the manner of the image material (selected specification image) of the selected specification, allowing the user to check the image of the customized model with the variation changed.

[0082] Then, in step S110, the control unit 110 determines whether a component 313 other than the component 313 selected in step S106 has been selected. If no such component 313 has been selected (step S110; No), the process returns to step S108.

[0083] If a component 313 other than the component 313 selected in step S106 is selected (step S110; Yes), return to step S106.

[0084] On the other hand, if no component 313 is selected in step S106 (step S106; No), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the share button 319 has been pressed (step S111). If the share button 319 has not been pressed (step S111; No), the process proceeds to step S113.

[0085] If the share button 319 is pressed (step S111; Yes), the control unit 110 sends the customized product's shareable image (information about the shareable image) to a social networking service (SNS) or similar (step S112), and proceeds to step S113. Note that the destination of the shareable image (image to be sent) in step S112 is not limited to a specific SNS. Depending on the destination setting, the control unit 110 can send the shareable image to any external device.

[0086] Alternatively, in step S112, the control unit 110 may not directly send the shareable image to the SNS, but instead display the shareable image on the screen 310 of the user terminal 300 and send it to the SNS after confirmation by the user. Alternatively, the control unit 110 may display a download button on the screen 310 along with the shareable image, and when the download button is pressed, the shareable image is downloaded to the user terminal 300. In this case, the user can post the shareable image to the SNS or other services from the user's device, such as the user terminal 300, after downloading the image.

[0087] In step S113, the control unit 110 determines whether the complete button 318 has been pressed. If the complete button 318 has been pressed (step S113; Yes), the control unit 110 derives the price required to purchase the customized product (step S114) and displays the price of the customized product and angle images on the screen 310 (step S115). At this time, the control unit 110 may display multiple angle images side by side on the screen 310 so that the customized product can be viewed and confirmed from various angles.

[0088] Then, the control unit 110 performs the payment process (step S116) and determines whether the purchase payment has been completed (step S117). If the purchase payment has not been completed (step S117; No), the control unit 110 terminates the customization process. This is the case when the user has customized the product but ultimately does not proceed with the purchase.

[0089] If the purchase payment is completed (step S117; Yes), the control unit 110 generates a production instruction sheet that outputs information about the angle image (effective angle image) of the customized product, at least one image from among multiple thumbnail images, and a parts list, and sends it to the production management server 400 (step S118), thus ending the customization process. Once the purchase payment is completed, the contents of the order are finalized, and the control unit 110 treats it as a confirmed order and will subsequently send the confirmed order information to the inventory management device 200 as needed.

[0090] When the production management server 400 receives the production instruction form as a manufacturing request, which is sent in step S118, it uses the information from the component configuration master 221, which is sent from the inventory management device 200 as needed, to expand the information on the variations (selection specifications) of each component in the customized product described in the production instruction form into parts on the bill of materials (core system bill of materials). Then, the production management server 400 uses the expanded parts information to issue a manufacturing instruction for the customized product.

[0091] On the other hand, if the complete button 318 is not pressed (step S113; No), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the button to close the customization screen has been pressed (step S119). If the button to close the customization screen has not been pressed (step S119; No), the control unit 110 returns to step S106. If the button to close the customization screen has been pressed (step S119; Yes), the control unit 110 terminates the customization process.

[0092] Through the customization process described above, users can select their preferred model from the product model selection screen, customize the product to their liking, and then order it or share it on social media, etc. The product model selection screen also displays base objects customized by specific entities, and by selecting these base objects, users can customize their own products based on those customized by other entities. In this way, the e-commerce site device 100 functions as a customization device.

[0093] Furthermore, on the customization screen, an effective angle image that allows the user to clearly see the component selected by the user is displayed. Therefore, the EC site device 100 functions as a display control device, enabling the user to clearly display the component selected by the user.

[0094] Next, with reference to Figure 17, the inventory management process performed by the control unit 210 of the inventory management device 200 will be described. The inventory management process can be performed at any time, but for example, when the e-commerce site device 100 requests information on component inventory, the control unit 210 starts the inventory management process.

[0095] First, the control unit 210 acquires master information (step S201). Master information is, for example, the component configuration master 221. In step S201, the control unit 210 acquires the bill of materials for each product from the production management server 400 via the communication unit 230 and generates the component configuration master 221 based on the mapping rule 222. The control unit 210 also acquires other necessary master information besides the component configuration master 221 in step S201. However, since the master information is not updated frequently, if it is clear that all master information has not been changed, the control unit 210 may skip step S201. In addition, the control unit 210 may acquire master information at any time before inventory management processing (for example, by acquiring the bill of materials and updating the component configuration master).

[0096] Although omitted in Figure 17 for simplicity, the control unit 210 transmits the information of the component configuration master 221 generated in step S201 to the production management server 400 via the communication unit 230. Furthermore, if the control unit 210 updates the component configuration master 221 at any time other than step S201, it transmits the information of the component configuration master 221 to the production management server 400 after the update is complete. This is so that the production management server 400 can obtain the information of the component configuration master 221 in advance, which it will use when issuing manufacturing instructions for the customized product described above.

[0097] Next, the control unit 210 acquires supply information from the production management server 400 (step S202). This supply information includes, for example, the actual number of parts in stock and the number of remaining orders, and is acquired from the production management server 400 via the communication unit 230.

[0098] Then, the control unit 210 acquires demand information from the e-commerce site device 100 (step S203). Demand information includes data on demand such as confirmed orders (orders that have been confirmed by the e-commerce site device 100), pending orders (orders that are being inquired about by the e-commerce site device 100 and have not yet been confirmed), and demand forecasts (demand predicted based on behavioral history information 125 stored in the e-commerce site device 100, demand predicted due to the release of new products or limited products (limited models), demand predicted due to product promotions by celebrities etc. on social media etc., or demand based on marketing strategies etc.).

[0099] Next, the control unit 210 processes the allocation of supply to each demand based on the demand information and supply information, allocating supply in order according to the type of demand information (confirmed order, pending order, demand forecast).

[0100] First, the control unit 210 allocates the parts necessary to produce the product for which a confirmed order has been received (step S204). Furthermore, when the EC site device 100 is accepting orders, if there are any parts in stock that make up the product, the system will display a sold-out mark 317 on the screen 310, preventing the order from being accepted. This ensures that even after all the parts necessary to produce the product for which a confirmed order has been received are allocated, no parts will run out.

[0101] Next, the control unit 210 allocates the necessary parts to produce the product corresponding to the inquiry order, based on the remaining supply quantity of each part after allocating to confirmed orders (remaining supply for confirmed orders) (step S205). Details of this process (part allocation process) will be described later.

[0102] Next, the control unit 210 allocates the necessary parts to produce the product corresponding to the demand forecast, based on the remaining supply quantity of each part after allocating to the order being inquired (remaining allocation for the order being inquired) (step S206).

[0103] Next, the control unit 210 calculates the number of available components from the quantities of parts allocated in steps S205 and S206, and transmits this information to the e-commerce site device 100 as component inventory (step S207).

[0104] Then, the control unit 210 sends a parts replenishment plan (shortage quantity) to the production management server 400 to make up for the quantity of parts that could not be allocated in steps S205 and S206 (step S208), and ends the inventory management process.

[0105] This inventory management process allows the inventory management device 200 to appropriately calculate component inventory and transmit it to the e-commerce site device 100. Furthermore, if a parts shortage occurs, the device can transmit a parts replenishment plan to the production management server 400.

[0106] Next, referring to Figure 18, we will explain the parts allocation process performed in step S205 of the inventory management process. In this explanation, we will use the component demand and parts inventory quantities shown in Figure 14 as specific examples of demand and supply.

[0107] First, the control unit 210 calculates the dependent demand for each component from the component demand (step S301). The dependent demand is the number of components needed to satisfy the component demand. For example, in Figure 14, component β-1 is used in A-1 and A-2, which are variations of component A. The component demands for A-1 and A-2 are 400 and 160, respectively, so the dependent demand for component β-1 is 400 + 160 = 560.

[0108] Next, the control unit 210 refers to the priority information 226 and determines whether or not there is a variation with a higher priority (step S302). If there is no variation with a higher priority (step S302; No), the number of available units is set for all variations, and the process in steps S305 to S307 below is performed for all components constituting the target variation (step S303), and the process proceeds to step S305.

[0109] On the other hand, if there is a variation with a higher priority (step S302; Yes), then, starting with the variation with the highest priority, the number of available units for all components constituting the target variation is set in the following steps S305 to S307 (step S304), and the process proceeds to step S305.

[0110] Then, in step S305, the control unit 210 determines whether the dependent demand for each component is less than the inventory quantity. If the dependent demand is less than the inventory quantity (step S305; Yes), the control unit 210 sets the available quantity for that component as the dependent demand (step S306) and proceeds to step S308. For example, in Figure 14, the dependent demand for component α-2 is 160 and the inventory quantity is 400, so the available quantity for component α-2 is 160.

[0111] On the other hand, if the dependent demand is greater than or equal to the inventory (step S305; No), the control unit 210 calculates the number of available units for that part according to the ratio of component demand, using the ratio of inventory × component demand (step S307), and proceeds to step S308. For example, in Figure 14, if the priorities of A-1 to A-5 are all the same (equal), the dependent demand for part γ-1 is 800 and the inventory is 400. Therefore, the inventory is distributed according to the ratio of component demand, and the number of available units for part γ-1 to A-1 to A-5 (component demand ratio is 10:4:3:2:1) will be 200, 80, 60, 40, and 20, respectively.

[0112] For example, in Figure 14, if only A-2 has a high priority, and the priorities of A-1, A-3, A-4, and A-5 are all the same (equal), then of the dependent demand quantity of part γ-1 of 800, 160 corresponds to A-2, and the inventory quantity of part γ-1 is 400, so the determination in step S305 is Yes, and the number of parts γ-1 that can be allocated to A-2 is the dependent demand quantity of 160. Then, for the remaining A-1, A-3, A-4, and A-5, the dependent demand quantity of part γ-1 is 800 minus 160 (the amount corresponding to A-2), which is 640, and of the inventory quantity of part γ-1 of 400, 160 has been allocated to A-2, so the inventory is 240. Therefore, the determination in step S305 is No, and the number of parts γ-1 that can be allocated to A-1, A-3, A-4, and A-5 (component demand ratio is 10:3:2:1) is 150, 45, 30, and 15 respectively, by distributing the inventory of 240 according to the component demand ratio of 10:3:2:1.

[0113] Then, in step S308, the control unit 210 determines the minimum number of available units for each component that makes up the component and sets that as the available unit for supply, and terminates the unit allocation process. For example, in the above example, whether the priorities of A-1 to A-5 are all the same (equal), or whether only A-2 has a higher priority, the minimum number of available units will be the available unit for unit γ-1. Therefore, the available unit for unit γ-1 becomes the available unit for supply for each variation, i.e., the component inventory.

[0114] Through the above parts allocation process, the optimal parts allocation to each component is performed based on supply and demand. Furthermore, for components for which the number of available units becomes 0 in step S308, the control unit 210 can identify those components as out-of-stock components (components that may become unavailable).

[0115] Furthermore, this parts allocation process may have two processing modes: a demand mode that uses only demand information without using priority information 226, and a priority mode that uses both demand information and priority information 226. The administrator of the inventory management device 200 may then select between these two modes. In this case, in demand mode, the determination in step S302 will always be No, eliminating the need to use priority information and thus reducing the load on the parts allocation process.

[0116] Furthermore, if the priority information 226 includes information on the priority usage period (for example, the release date of a new product or limited model, the date of product information publication on a website, the date of promotion for a new product or limited model using social media, or the promotion period (start date to end date) of a certain product), the control unit 210 may refer to the priority information 226 and automatically switch the processing mode from demand mode to priority mode when the current date and time enters a predetermined period (priority usage period) that includes the priority usage period, and automatically switch the processing mode from priority mode to demand mode if it is not the priority usage period. Here, the priority usage period is a predetermined period that includes the priority usage period, for example, a predetermined period (for example, 3 months) that includes the release date, product information publication date, promotion publication date, etc. is the priority usage period. Also, for example, if the priority usage period has a certain duration, such a priority usage period is also included in the priority usage period.

[0117] As a process for switching processing modes using priority usage periods, the control unit 210 may determine whether or not there are products that have entered a priority usage period that includes the priority usage time included in the priority information 226. If it determines that there are products that have entered a priority usage period, it may adjust the quantity of parts in priority mode. If it determines that there are no products that have entered a priority usage period, it may adjust the quantity of parts in demand mode. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 210 may automatically switch from demand mode to priority mode at a predetermined time on the launch date of a new product, and then switch back from priority mode to demand mode after determining that a predetermined period (e.g., 3 months) has elapsed since the launch date. By automatically switching processing modes in this way, the administrator of the inventory management device 200 can avoid the trouble of selecting a processing mode, and for example, it can automatically switch to priority mode on the launch date of a new product, enabling efficient priority allocation of parts.

[0118] Next, a specific example of inventory management processing will be explained with reference to Figure 19. As shown in Figure 19, this example assumes that the parts warehouse has the quantity of each part shown in "(1) Inventory," and that the EC site device 100 has the number of pending orders for each variation of the component shown in "(2) Demand." Also, for the sake of brevity, in this example, the priority of each variation is assumed to be the same, and confirmed orders and demand forecasts are not considered (they are both 0).

[0119] First, in step S201 of the inventory management process (Figure 17), the control unit 210 generates a component configuration master from the bill of materials obtained from the production management server 400 based on the mapping rule 222.

[0120] Then, in step S202, the control unit 210 obtains the inventory quantity of each component (shown as "(1) Inventory" in Figure 19) from the production management server 400 as supply information. Then, in step S203, it obtains the pending orders (shown as "(2) Demand" in Figure 19) from the e-commerce site device 100 as demand information.

[0121] In this example, there are no confirmed orders, so step S204 is effectively skipped. However, if there were confirmed orders, inventory would be allocated to those confirmed orders.

[0122] Then, in step S205, the control unit 210 allocates the stock quantity for the order being inquired about, and this process is carried out in the parts allocation process (Figure 18).

[0123] For the bezel component, since the only component that makes up this component is the bezel, in step S301, "dependent demand = component demand ((2) demand)". Also, since there are no variations with higher priority, the determination in step S302 is No, and the number of available units is set for all the components that make up the bezel component (i.e., bezels) through the processing in steps S305 to S307 (step S303). For bezels, the dependent demand > inventory, so the determination in step S305 is No, and since there are no parts shared between different variations, the ratio is 100% in all cases. Therefore, in step S307, the inventory quantity for each bezel ((1) inventory) becomes the number of available units. And since the bezel component is made up only of bezels, as shown in "(3) available units" in Figure 19, the number of available units becomes the number of units that can be supplied for the component (step S308).

[0124] Furthermore, regarding the glass component, among the parts that make up this component, the printed glass has a "dependent demand = component demand ((2) demand)" and a ratio of 100%. The other parts are used in common in the two variations, so the "dependent demand = sum of component demand ((2) demand) = 400", and the ratio is the same, so both are 50%. In both cases, the dependent demand > inventory, so the determination in step S305 is No. Therefore, in step S307, for printed glass, the inventory ((1) inventory) becomes the available quantity (i.e., 100 for printed glass #1 and 80 for printed glass #2), and for the other parts, 50% of the inventory (i.e., 100) becomes the available quantity. Then, in step S308, the minimum number of available units for each component is determined as the supplyable quantity for that component. As shown in "(3) Supplyable Quantity" in Figure 19, the supplyable quantity for glass component #1 is 100, and the supplyable quantity for glass component #2 is 80.

[0125] In this example, the demand forecast is 0, so step S206 is effectively skipped. Also, in this example, all of the bezel and printed glass inventory has been allocated in step S205, so even if there were a demand forecast, no allocation would be possible in step S206. Of the components that make up the glass component, only 20 remain, but since the glass component cannot be made without the printed glass, these remain as they are. If the component can be made with the unallocated parts and there is a demand forecast, then in step S206, those parts will be allocated to that demand forecast.

[0126] Then, in step S207, the component inventory, i.e., the available quantity of each component calculated in step S205, is transmitted to the EC site device.

[0127] In the example shown in Figure 19, the component inventory ((3) available quantity) fell short of the component demand ((2) demand) because the number of parts in stock ((1) inventory) was insufficient. Therefore, in step S208, the control unit 210 calculates the number of parts that were lacking and sends it to the production management server 400 as a parts replenishment plan.

[0128] In this example, all bezels and printed glass have been allocated, so the quantity of parts that were in short supply is "(2) Demand - (3) Available Quantity". However, since 20 of the parts other than printed glass that make up the glass component were not allocated, the quantity of parts that were in short supply is "(2) Demand (300 + 100) - (3) Available Quantity (100 + 80) - Unallocated Quantity (20)" = 200. Therefore, the control unit 210 will send the quantity shown in "(4) Replenishment Plan" in Figure 19 to the production management server 400 as a parts replenishment plan.

[0129] As described above, the inventory management device 200 can prevent component stockouts as much as possible based on demand or priority, and can create a replenishment plan if a stockout is expected to occur.

[0130] (modified version) In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the user accesses the e-commerce site provided by the e-commerce site device 100 from the user terminal 300 using a web browser to perform the customization process. However, the customization process is not limited to this form. For example, a dedicated application program for accessing the e-commerce site without using a web browser may be installed on the user terminal 300, and the customization process may be executed by accessing the e-commerce site using this dedicated application program.

[0131] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a digital clock was used as an example of a customizable product model (base object) on an e-commerce site. However, the objects that can be customized are not limited to digital clocks. For example, instead of or in addition to a digital clock, an analog clock or an analog-digital combination clock (a clock that displays the time largely using analog hands such as hour and minute hands on the clock face, and also displays the time and other information digitally through an opening of any size at any position on the clock face using an LCD or the like) may be used as a customizable product model (base object). In addition, the e-commerce site may allow customization of any object having multiple arbitrary components, not limited to clocks.

[0132] For example, if an analog watch is added as a customizable item on an e-commerce site, components for the analog watch will be required. Components for an analog watch may include, for example, a bezel component, a dial component, a short band component, a long band component, hour, minute, and second hand components, a buckle component, a strap keeper component, and a crown component. In this case, in step S201 of the inventory management process, the control unit 210 of the inventory management device 200 obtains the bill of materials for each product from the production management server 400 and generates a component configuration master 221 based on the updated mapping rules 222 to correspond to analog watches. Subsequently, by performing the same steps S202 to S208 in Figure 17, the inventory of each component for the analog watch can be obtained and transmitted to the e-commerce site device 100.

[0133] Furthermore, to enable customization on the e-commerce site, the e-commerce site device 100 stores image data (variation images) for each variation of each angle of each component in its component image information 121, and stores information in its angle image information 122 indicating which component image data is used to generate the angle image of the analog clock product. For combination clocks of analog and digital, and other objects, by providing mapping rules 222, component image information 121, and angle image information 122 corresponding to the components that make them up, the control unit 110 and control unit 210 can perform similar customization and inventory management processing. This makes it possible for users to customize any object (analog clocks, combination clocks, etc.) at the user terminal 300.

[0134] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment mainly explained an example of customizing the appearance of an object, the object of customization is not limited to its appearance.

[0135] Furthermore, both the e-commerce site device 100 and the inventory management device 200 can be implemented using a regular PC or other computer. Specifically, in the above embodiment, it was described that the program executed by the control unit 110 of the e-commerce site device 100 is pre-stored in the storage unit 120, and the program executed by the control unit 210 of the inventory management device 200 is pre-stored in the storage unit 220. However, a computer capable of executing each of the above processes may be configured by distributing the program on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), MO (Magneto-Optical disc), memory card, or USB memory, and then loading and installing the program into the computer.

[0136] Therefore, by storing the same programs and data in the user terminal 300 as in the e-commerce site device 100, the user terminal 300 may function as the e-commerce site device 100 (display control device and customization device). Alternatively, the user terminal 300 and the e-commerce site device 100 may share the storage of necessary data, and the above-mentioned customization process may be executed collaboratively by the control unit of the user terminal 300 and the control unit 110 of the e-commerce site device 100. For example, the control unit of the user terminal 300 may perform image display on the display unit of the user terminal 300, while the control unit 110 of the e-commerce site device 100 may perform communication with the inventory management device 200 and the production management server 400.

[0137] Furthermore, the program can be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program could be posted and distributed on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a communication network. This program could then be launched and executed under the control of the operating system (OS), just like any other application program, to perform the aforementioned processes.

[0138] Furthermore, the control unit 110 and the control unit 210 may consist of any single processor, such as a single processor, multi-processor, or multi-core processor, or they may be configured in combination with processing circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0139] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and the present invention includes the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below.

[0140] (Note 1) Display an object with multiple components on a computer screen. The screen displays an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components selected by the user. Display control method.

[0141] (Note 2) The computer accepts orders for the object. The display control method described in Appendix 1.

[0142] (Note 3) The aforementioned computer, Information is obtained regarding multiple angle images, which are images of the aforementioned object viewed from multiple viewing directions. The screen displays an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the user to view the selected component more effectively than the other components selected from among the multiple components. The display control method described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0143] (Note 4) After the component is selected by the user, variation images showing one or more selectable specifications for the selected component are displayed on the screen so as not to overlap with the effective angle image. Information regarding the selection specification image, which shows the selection specification selected by the user from among the aforementioned variation images, is obtained. The display mode of the selected component included in the effective angle image is changed to the mode of information related to the selected specification image. A display control method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0144] (Note 5) For any of the selectable specifications for the component selected by the user that are out of stock, information indicating that they are out of stock will be displayed on the screen. The display control method described in Appendix 4.

[0145] (Note 6) Once the purchase payment for the aforementioned item is completed, The instruction manual for producing the aforementioned object outputs an image of the object in a display mode according to the selected specifications chosen by the user. The display control method described in Appendix 4 or 5.

[0146] (Note 7) Multiple angle images, including the effective angle image, are arranged and displayed on the screen in a selectable manner. A display control method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0147] (Note 8) After the component is selected by the user, variation images showing one or more selectable specifications for the selected component are displayed on the screen so as not to overlap with the effective angle image. Information regarding the selection specification image, which shows the selection specification selected by the user from among the aforementioned variation images, is obtained. The display mode of the component selected by the user, which is included in the plurality of angle images displayed side by side, is changed to the mode of information related to the selected specification image. The display control method described in Appendix 7.

[0148] (Note 9) Among the multiple angle images displayed side by side, there is an angle image other than the effective angle image. The display control method described in Appendix 7 or 8.

[0149] (Note 10) When the user gives an instruction to transmit information relating to an image of the object, Based on the image information relating to the displayed object, information regarding the transmission image is generated. The information regarding the generated image for transmission is transmitted to an external device. A display control method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 9.

[0150] (Note 11) Once the user has confirmed the completion of the customization of the object, Derive the price required to purchase the aforementioned object, The angle image is displayed on the screen along with the derived price. A display control method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 10.

[0151] (Note 12) The aforementioned object is a clock. The aforementioned component includes a bezel and a band. A display control method described in any one of the appendices 1 to 11.

[0152] (Note 13) On the computer, Display an object with multiple components on the screen. The screen displays an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components selected by the user. program.

[0153] (Note 14) A display control device comprising a control unit, The control unit, Display an object with multiple components on the screen. The screen displays an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components selected by the user. Display control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0154] 100...EC site device, 110,210...control unit, 120,220...storage unit, 121...component image information, 122...angle image information, 123...component inventory information, 124...price information, 125...behavior history information, 126...customization information, 130,230...communication unit, 200...inventory management device, 221...component configuration master, 222...mapping rule, 223...parts inventory information, 224...component demand information, 225...component inventory information, 226...priority information, 300...user terminal, 310...screen, 311...customization button, 312...angle image, 313...component, 314...sa Muneil image, 315... Customization items, 316... Check mark, 317... Sold out mark, 318... Complete button, 319... Share button, 400... Production management server, 401... Watch head, 402, 404, 405, 407... Dotted line, 403... Case back, 406... Bezel, 500... Wristwatch, 510, 510A, 510B, 510C... Band (S) component, 511... Band (S), 512... Spring bar, 520... Band (L) component, 530... Buckle component, 540... Strap component, 550... Bezel component, 560... Glass component, 1000... Product customization system

Claims

1. An object having multiple components is displayed in the first display area on the computer screen. The aforementioned multiple components are displayed in a list in the second display area of ​​the screen. A thumbnail image of the object is displayed in the third display area of ​​the screen. When one of the multiple components is selected in the second display area, an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components, is displayed in the first display area of ​​the screen. When a thumbnail image is selected in the third display area, an angle image corresponding to the selected image is displayed in the first display area. The angle image includes the same image as the effective angle image. A display control method characterized by the following:

2. Multiple thumbnail images are displayed in a list in the third display area. When one thumbnail image is selected from the plurality of thumbnail images, the angle image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is displayed in the first display area. The display control method according to feature 1.

3. The effective angle image and the angle image to be displayed in the first display area are displayed in an area near the center of the computer screen. The display control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described herein.

4. The component to be displayed in the second display area and the thumbnail image to be displayed in the third display area are displayed in the peripheral area of ​​the computer screen. The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The effective angle image and the angle image displayed in the first display area are displayed larger than the thumbnail image displayed in the third display area. The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The aforementioned components are parts for customizing the product. The display control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. On the computer, An object having multiple components is displayed in the first display area on the computer screen. The aforementioned multiple components are displayed in a list in the second display area of ​​the screen. A thumbnail image of the object is displayed in the third display area of ​​the screen. When one of the multiple components is selected in the second display area, an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components, is displayed in the first display area of ​​the screen. When a thumbnail image is selected in the third display area, the system is configured to display an angle image corresponding to the selected image in the first display area. The angle image includes the same image as the effective angle image. A program characterized by the following features.

8. An object having multiple components is displayed in the first display area on the computer screen. The aforementioned multiple components are displayed in a list in the second display area of ​​the screen. A thumbnail image of the object is displayed in the third display area of ​​the screen. When one of the multiple components is selected in the second display area, an effective angle image, which is an angle image that allows the selected component to be viewed more effectively than the other components, is displayed in the first display area of ​​the screen. The system includes a control unit that, when a thumbnail image is selected in the third display area, displays an angle image corresponding to the selected image in the first display area. The angle image includes the same image as the effective angle image. A display control device characterized by the following:

Images