Search device, search method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides a search device, search method, and program that improve usability in e-commerce services. [Solution] The search device extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, and determines whether the extracted products can be directly added to the electronic cart when the user performs an operation. Based on this determination, it creates a product list that associates the extracted products with either an addable object indicating that they can be directly added to the electronic cart, or an addable object indicating that they cannot be directly added to the electronic cart, and provides the created product list to the user.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various mechanisms for improving user usability in e-commerce services have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for generating a favorite list in which a user's favorite products and a cart addition button are displayed in association with each other in order to transition to a shopping cart screen in an e-commerce service.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, depending on the products traded in e-commerce services, such as age restrictions and viewing of cautionary information, there are some cases where immediate entry into the shopping cart is restricted. In the above technique, when generating a favorite list including products with restricted immediate entry, it is difficult to promote easy purchasing. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of improving user usability in e-commerce services.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems and aims to provide a search device, a search method, and a program for improving user usability in e-commerce services.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The search device according to the first aspect of the present invention is A product extraction unit that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not the products extracted by the product extraction unit can be directly loaded into the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, Based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit, a product list creation unit creates a product list that associates inputable objects, which indicate that it is possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, or input-uninputable objects, which indicate that it is not possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, with the products extracted by the product extraction unit. The product list provided to the user is provided by the product list creation unit. It is equipped with.

[0007] Furthermore, in a search device relating to the above viewpoint, The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not it is possible to directly input the product into the electronic cart by determining whether or not purchase conditions have been set in advance for the product extracted by the product extraction unit. You may do so.

[0008] Furthermore, in a search device relating to the above viewpoint, The system further includes a user identification unit that identifies the attributes of the aforementioned user, The immediate input condition determination unit determines, with respect to the product for which purchase conditions have been set in advance, whether the direct input conditions indicated by the pre-set condition setting information are met, based on the history information showing information of the product that the user has purchased in the past and the user attributes identified by the user identification unit, and if the direct input conditions are met, it determines that the product can be directly input into the electronic cart. You may do so.

[0009] Furthermore, in a search device relating to the above viewpoint, The object that cannot be added is an activation object that provides a procedure page to enable the product to be added to the electronic cart when the user performs the operation. You may do so.

[0010] Furthermore, in a search device relating to the above viewpoint, The product list creation unit determines, based on the history information, whether the user has purchased the product within a predetermined period, and if the user has purchased the product within the predetermined period, it creates a product list that associates the specially configured inputable objects with the product. You may do so.

[0011] A search method according to a second aspect of the present invention is: A search method using a search device, A product extraction step that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, A step to determine whether the products extracted in the product extraction step can be directly added to the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, A product list creation step creates a product list that associates objects that can be directly loaded into the electronic cart, or objects that cannot be directly loaded into the electronic cart, with the products extracted in the product extraction step, based on the determination result of the immediate loading condition determination step. The product list created in the product list creation step is provided to the user in the product list provision step, It is equipped with.

[0012] A program relating to the third aspect of the present invention is: Computers, A product extraction unit that extracts products from among those handled by the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions. An immediate input condition determination unit that determines whether it is possible to directly input the product extracted by the product extraction unit into the electronic cart when an operation by the user is performed on the product; A product list creation unit that creates a product list in which an input-enabled object indicating that it is possible to directly input into the electronic cart or an input-disabled object indicating that it is impossible to directly input into the electronic cart is associated with the product extracted by the product extraction unit based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit; A product list providing unit that provides the product list created by the product list creation unit to the user; Function as.

[0013] The above program may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium. A non-transitory recording medium can be distributed and sold independently of a computer. Here, a non-transitory recording medium refers to a tangible recording medium. A non-transitory recording medium is, for example, a compact disc, a flexible disc, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, a digital video disc, a magnetic tape, a semiconductor memory, etc. Also, a transitory recording medium refers to the transmission medium (propagating signal) itself. A transitory recording medium is, for example, an electric signal, an optical signal, an electromagnetic wave, etc. Note that a temporary memory area is an area for temporarily storing data and programs, and is, for example, a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory).

Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a search device, a search method, and a program that can improve user usability in an e-commerce service.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the relationship between a search device and an information terminal. [Figure 2]It is a block diagram showing an example of a search device. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a list of product information. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a list of user information. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of history information. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of condition setting information. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing an example of a search request process and a search process. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of a search process in a modified example. [Figure 16] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 17] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on an information terminal.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] (Overall Configuration) A search device, search method, and program relating to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in Figure 1, the search device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to an information terminal 200 via a computer communication network 300 such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the search device 100 determines whether the product or service desired by the user can be immediately added to the shopping cart, and if immediate addition is possible, it places an object indicating that immediate addition is possible. If immediate addition is not possible, it places an object to enable addition to the shopping cart. This list information is provided as a list of search results for the product or service desired by the user. The shopping cart refers to a shopping cart in an e-commerce service and corresponds to an electronic cart.

[0017] The search device 100 is a computer such as a server. The search device 100 has the function of searching for products and services desired by a user, who is a user of the information terminal 200, in response to the user's request, and determining whether or not they can be immediately added to the shopping cart. The search device 100 also has the function of providing a list of search results for products and services desired by the user, which includes an object indicating that immediate addition to the shopping cart is possible if immediate addition is possible, and an object to enable addition to the shopping cart if immediate addition is not possible.

[0018] The information terminal 200 is an information terminal (so-called computer) such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer) used by a user who wishes to purchase goods or services sold via a network such as the Internet. The information terminal 200 has a function to request the search device 100 to search for the desired goods or services, that is, a function to request the provision of a list of search results.

[0019] (Functional configuration of the search device) Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of the search device 100 will be described.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the search device 100 includes a storage unit 110, a control unit 120, an input / output unit 130, a communication unit 140, and a system bus (not shown) that connects these to each other.

[0021] The storage unit 110 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The ROM stores the program 111 executed by the control unit 120, various data (not shown) necessary in advance for executing the program 111, a product information list 112, a user information list 113, history information 114, and condition setting information 115. In this embodiment, for ease of understanding, an example is shown in which the product information list 112, user information list 113, and history information 114 are stored in the storage unit 110 of the search device 100. However, for example, these may be stored in a sales management server that operates an e-commerce service. In this case, the search device 100 only needs to obtain the information contained in the product information list 112, user information list 113, and history information 114 from the sales management server via the computer communication network 300.

[0022] Program 111 is a program that executes the search process described later, and is stored in the storage unit 110 in advance.

[0023] The product information list 112 is a list of products and services sold in the e-commerce service (including products and services scheduled for sale and sold-out products and services). When new products or services are sold, the contents of the product information list 112 are added and stored in the storage unit 110. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the product information list 112 in this embodiment includes at least item number information indicating the item number of the data, classification information indicating the classification (category) of the product or service, product name information indicating the name of the product or service, shop ID identifying the retailer that sells the product or service, price information indicating the price of the product or service, and purchase condition information indicating the purchase conditions for the product or service. The purchase conditions will now be explained. For example, product 2, item number 2 in Figure 3, requires the user to be 20 years of age or older as a purchase condition, and product 3, item number 3, requires the user to register authentication information as a purchase condition. Also, product 4, item number 4, requires the user to view warning information as a purchase condition, and product 5, item number 5, requires the user to be 10 years of age or older as a purchase condition. Regarding item 1 in item 1 and item 6 in item 6, there are no purchase conditions, and any user can purchase them without any conditions. The product information list 112 may also include other information such as product ID, shop name, general name or abbreviation of the product or service, and JAN code, and the classification information may include multiple levels of classification information.

[0024] The user information list 113 shown in Figure 2 is a list of information of a registered user. When a user registers as a member, new information about that user is added to the user information list 113 and stored in the storage unit 110. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the user information list 113 in this embodiment includes at least item number information indicating the item number of the data, a user ID to identify the user, address information to identify the user's address, the user's age, and user attribute information such as the number of a credit card or other payment method used for payment. Note that the user's age may be, for example, the date of birth. The user information list 113 may also include passwords, usernames, shipping address information, etc. Furthermore, the contents of the user information list 113 are updated at any time based on a request from the user.

[0025] The history information 114 shown in Figure 2 is a list of transaction history information for transactions conducted in the e-commerce service. Each time a transaction is conducted in the e-commerce service, new information is added to the history information 114 and stored in the storage unit 110. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the history information 114 in this embodiment includes at least item number information indicating the item number of the data, purchase date information indicating the date and time the transaction took place, product information to identify the goods or services traded, a shop ID indicating the store where the transaction took place, and a user ID indicating the user who conducted the transaction. In the illustrated example, the product information is shown as the product name, but it is not limited to the product name; any information that can identify the goods or services traded, such as a product ID, is acceptable. Also, in the illustrated example, the purchase date information does not include the transaction time, but this is just an example, and it may be date and time information.

[0026] The condition setting information 115 shown in Figure 2 is a list of instant entry conditions that enable immediate entry into the shopping cart, even for products or services for which purchase conditions are set. In this embodiment, the condition setting information 115 is stored in the storage unit 110 in advance, and its contents are set in advance by the user of the search device 100. The contents of the instant entry conditions in the condition setting information 115 can be changed arbitrarily. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the condition setting information 115 in this embodiment includes instant entry condition information, which is the type of condition for enabling instant entry; target product information, which indicates the product corresponding to the instant entry condition information; and content information, which indicates the contents of the instant entry conditions. In the illustrated example, the target product information is shown as a product name, but it may also be a product ID, or any information that can identify the target product is acceptable.

[0027] In the illustrated example, immediate loading condition A indicates that the target products are product 2 and product 5, and that the user's age meets the age requirement. In other words, immediate loading condition A indicates that if the user's target product is product 2 or product 5, and the user's age meets the age requirement for purchasing that product, then immediate loading of that product into the shopping cart is possible. If the user does not meet the age requirement, immediate loading of the product into the shopping cart is not possible. Immediate loading condition B indicates that the target product is product 3, and that the user has registered authentication information and purchased the same product from the same shop within a specified period. In other words, immediate loading condition B indicates that if the user's target product is product 3, and the user has registered authentication information and purchased the same product from the same shop within a specified period, then immediate loading of product 3 into the shopping cart is possible. If it is outside the specified period, or if the user has not registered authentication information and purchased the same product from the same shop within the specified period, then immediate loading of the product into the shopping cart is not possible. Instant Addition Condition C indicates that the target product is product 4, and that the user has viewed a warning about the same product from the same shop within a specified period and has already purchased it. In other words, Instant Addition Condition C indicates that if the product a user is purchasing is product 4, and the user has viewed a warning about the same product from the same shop within a specified period and has already purchased it, then product 4 can be added to the shopping cart immediately. If it is outside the specified period, or if the user has not viewed a warning about the same product from the same shop within the specified period and has not purchased it, then instant addition to the shopping cart is not possible. Note that the specified period for Instant Addition Condition B and Instant Addition Condition C may be different. Also, the Instant Addition Conditions shown are just examples, and other conditions may be set, for example, Instant Addition Condition D which combines Instant Addition Condition A and Instant Addition Condition C. In other words, a condition may be set that allows instant addition to the shopping cart if the user's age meets the age requirement and the user has viewed a warning about the same product within a specified period and has already purchased it.

[0028] Returning to Figure 2, the control unit 120 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the like. The control unit 120 operates according to the program 111 stored in the storage unit 110 and executes processing according to the program 111. The control unit 120 includes, as its main functional units provided by the program 111 stored in the storage unit 110, a desired condition identification unit 121, a user identification unit 122, a product extraction unit 123, an immediate input condition determination unit 124, a product list creation unit 125, a product list provision unit 126, and a payment processing unit 127.

[0029] The Desired Condition Identification Unit 121 is a functional unit that identifies the search conditions set by the user as the conditions for the products or services desired by the user (the conditions desired by the user). Specifically, the Desired Condition Identification Unit 121 has the function of identifying the search conditions included in the search request transmitted from the information terminal 200 as the conditions for the products or services desired by the user. In this embodiment, the Desired Condition Identification Unit 121 identifies, for example, the classification of the products or services desired by the user, the product or service name, or the general name or abbreviation of the products or services.

[0030] The user identification unit 122 is a functional unit that identifies the user who made the search request. Specifically, the user identification unit 122 has the function of identifying the user by locating the user ID, address, age, and other information of the user from the user information list 113 stored in the storage unit 110, based on the user ID included in the search request transmitted from the information terminal 200.

[0031] The product extraction unit 123 is a functional unit that extracts products and services desired by the user. Specifically, the product extraction unit 123 has the function of extracting products and services that meet the conditions of products and services desired by the user, as identified by the function of the desired condition identification unit 121, from the product information list 112 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the function of the desired condition identification unit 121 identifies the classification of products and services desired by the user as the desired condition, the product extraction unit 123 in this embodiment extracts products and services corresponding to the identified classification from the product information list 112.

[0032] The immediate input condition determination unit 124 is a functional unit that determines whether or not products and services extracted by the product extraction unit 123 can be immediately added to the shopping cart. Specifically, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 has the function of identifying the purchase conditions corresponding to the products and services extracted by the product extraction unit 123 from the product information list 112 stored in the storage unit 110, and determining that immediate input is possible if there are "no conditions". In addition, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 also has the function of determining whether or not the immediate input conditions are met if any conditions other than "no conditions" are set in the product information list 112. Specifically, for products and services for which any conditions other than "no conditions" are set in the product information list 112, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines that the product or service can be immediately added if the user meets the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the storage unit 110. On the other hand, for products or services for which any conditions other than "no conditions" are set in the product information list 112, if the user does not meet the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the memory unit 110, it is determined that the product or service cannot be immediately provided.

[0033] The product list creation unit 125 is a functional unit that creates a product list by adding objects to each product or service extracted by the product extraction unit 123 that indicate that it can be immediately added and objects that indicate that it cannot be immediately added. Specifically, if the product list creation unit 125 determines that the product can be immediately added based on the determination result of the immediate addition condition determination unit 124, it adds an object to each product or service extracted by the product extraction unit 123 that indicates that it can be immediately added. On the other hand, if the product list creation unit 125 determines that it cannot be immediately added based on the determination result of the immediate addition condition determination unit 124, it adds an object to each product or service extracted by the product extraction unit 123 that indicates that it cannot be immediately added, which is an object that transitions to a screen for enabling addition to the shopping cart (an object that cannot be added). In this way, the product list creation unit 125 creates a product list by adding objects to each product or service extracted by the product extraction unit 123 that indicate that it can be immediately added and objects that indicate that it cannot be immediately added. The object used to enable adding items to the shopping cart is, for example, a button that redirects to a confirmation page (procedure page) to review the purchase conditions.

[0034] The product list provision unit 126 is a functional unit that provides the product list created by the product list creation unit 125 to the user. Specifically, it provides the product list created by the product list creation unit 125 to the information terminal 200, which is the source of the search request, by sending it to the user.

[0035] The payment processing unit 127 is a functional unit that processes payments based on user requests. Specifically, the payment processing unit 127 has the function of processing payments based on the user's purchase operation for products and services added to the shopping cart.

[0036] The input / output unit 130 shown in Figure 2 consists of a keyboard, mouse, camera, microphone, liquid crystal display, organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, etc., and is a device for inputting and outputting various types of data.

[0037] The communication unit 140 is a device that allows the search device 100 to communicate with other information terminals, such as the information terminal 200, via the computer communication network 300. The above describes the configuration of the search device 100.

[0038] (operation) Next, the operation of the search device 100 and the information terminal 200 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the search request processing in the information terminal 200 and the search processing in the search device 100. When the search request processing and search processing in this embodiment are performed, the user is provided with a list of products that include products that can be immediately added to the shopping cart and products that cannot be immediately added to the shopping cart as search results for the products and services the user desires, and the user can easily make a purchase. First, based on the operation of the user, who is the user of the information terminal 200, the search request processing shown in Figure 7 is started.

[0039] When the search request process shown in Figure 7 is initiated, the information terminal 200 makes a desired search request to search for the products or services desired by the user (step S11). Specifically, in the process of step S11, the information terminal 200 sends a search request to the search device 100 based on the user's input of the name, general term, abbreviation, etc., of the products or services into the search field 88 shown in Figure 8, selection of a genre (classification), and pressing of the search button. The search request includes, at a minimum, the input information (information such as the name, general term, abbreviation, etc., of the products or services), the selected genre (classification), and a user ID to identify the user as search conditions.

[0040] Returning to Figure 7, the search device 100 starts the search process based on the receipt of the search request. Once the search process starts, the control unit 120 identifies the user who sent the search request using the function of the user identification unit 122 (step S12). Specifically, in the process of step S12, the user identification unit 122 identifies the user who sent the search request by identifying the user ID, address, age, and other information of the user from the user information list 113 stored in the storage unit 110, based on the user ID included in the search request sent from the information terminal 200.

[0041] After executing the process in step S12, the control unit 120 extracts the products and services desired by the user based on the functions of the desired condition identification unit 121 and the product extraction unit 123 (step S13). Specifically, in the process of step S13, the desired condition identification unit 121 identifies the search conditions included in the search request as the conditions for the products and services desired by the user. Then, the product extraction unit 123 extracts products and services that match the conditions for the products and services desired by the user, as identified by the functions of the desired condition identification unit 121, from the product information list 112 stored in the storage unit 110. For the sake of ease of understanding in this example, the search conditions are assumed to be products belonging to a category on which purchase conditions are imposed, such as alcohol and tobacco.

[0042] After executing the process in step S13, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the product is subject to purchase conditions, using the function of the immediate input condition determination unit 124 (step S14). Specifically, in the process of step S14, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 checks the product information list 112 stored in the storage unit 110 for the purchase conditions corresponding to the products or services extracted in the process of step S13, and determines whether or not the product is subject to purchase conditions based on whether it is something other than "no conditions" or "no conditions". In this example, in the process of step S14, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines whether or not the extracted product belongs to a category subject to purchase conditions, such as alcohol or tobacco.

[0043] If the control unit 120 determines in step S14 that the result is anything other than "no conditions," that is, if it determines that the product or service extracted in step S13 is a product subject to purchase conditions (step S14; Yes), the control unit 120 uses the function of the immediate input condition determination unit 124 to determine whether or not the immediate input conditions are met (step S15). Specifically, in step S15, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines whether or not the user identified in step S12 meets any of the conditions of immediate input conditions A to immediate input conditions C shown by the condition setting information 115 in Figure 6 for the product or service extracted in step S13.

[0044] If the control unit 120 determines in step S15 that the immediate input conditions are not met (step S15; No), that is, if the user identified in step S12 does not meet the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the storage unit 110 for the products or services extracted in step S13, the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to create a product list in which objects indicating that immediate input is not possible for all products are added (step S16). Specifically, in step S16, as shown in Figures 8 and 11, the product list creation unit 125 creates a product list in which objects indicating that immediate input is not possible (input-not-possible objects 77) are added for all products and services extracted in step S13. Figures 8 and 11 show examples where all products extracted in step S13 belong to a category to which purchase conditions are imposed. Figure 8 shows an example where the purchase condition 1 shown in Figure 3 is imposed, and Figure 11 shows an example where the purchase condition 3 shown in Figure 3 is imposed.

[0045] The process in step S16 shown in Figure 7 creates a product list as shown in Figures 8 and 11, and the process in step S20, described later, is executed to provide it to the user. Then, as shown in Figures 8 and 11, when the user makes a selection, the display screen transitions to one that allows the product to be added to the shopping cart. Specifically, when the non-addable object 77 shown in Figure 8 is selected, as shown in Figure 9, a confirmation screen showing that the purchase conditions of condition 1 shown in Figure 3 are met is displayed as a display screen that allows the product to be added to the shopping cart. Similarly, when the non-addable object 77 shown in Figure 11 is selected, as shown in Figure 12, a confirmation screen showing that the purchase conditions of condition 3 shown in Figure 3 are met is displayed as a display screen that allows the product to be added to the shopping cart. Thus, since the non-addable object 77 is an object that transitions to a screen that allows the product to be added to the shopping cart, it can be said that the non-addable object 77 has a function to indicate that immediate addition is not possible, as well as a function to enable addition to the shopping cart. In other words, the non-addable object 77 can also be said to be an enablement object.

[0046] Returning to Figure 7, if the control unit 120 determines in step S15 that the immediate input condition is met (step S15; Yes), that is, if the user identified in step S12 for the product or service extracted in step S13 meets the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the storage unit 110, the control unit 120 uses the function of the immediate input condition determination unit 124 to determine whether the immediate input condition determined to be met in step S15 is immediate input condition A (step S17). Specifically, in step S17, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines whether the immediate input condition determined to be met in step S15 is immediate input condition A among the immediate input conditions A to immediate input conditions C in the condition setting information 115 shown in Figure 6.

[0047] In step S17, as shown in Figure 7, if the control unit 120 determines that immediate input condition A is met (step S17; Yes), the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to create a product list in which objects indicating that all products are immediately available for input are added (step S18). Specifically, in step S18, as shown in Figure 10, the product list creation unit 125 creates a product list in which objects indicating that all products and services extracted in step S13 are immediately available for input (inputable objects 79). In step S18, the product list creation unit 125 may, for example, check the history information 114 shown in Figure 5, and for products and services identical to those purchased by the user identified in step S12 in Figure 7 within a predetermined period, use a special form of inputable object 79, as shown in Figure 10. For the special form of inputable object 79, for example, the color, shape, characters, etc., may be different from those of the normal form of inputable object 79. According to this, for example, it becomes easy to identify which product is identical to the product that a user is regularly purchasing.

[0048] In this example, as described above, the product extracted in step S13 shown in Figure 7 is a product belonging to a category with purchase conditions. On the other hand, if the product extracted in step S13 is a product belonging to a category without purchase conditions, and no purchase conditions are imposed on the product itself, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines in step S14 that the purchase conditions corresponding to the product or service are "no conditions" (step S14; No). In this case as well, the control unit 120 executes the process in step S18 and, using the function of the product list creation unit 125, creates a product list that adds an object indicating that all products are immediately available for input.

[0049] In this way, by executing the process in step S18, even products and services that have purchase conditions imposed on them can be immediately added to the shopping cart if the immediate addition conditions are met. That is, as shown in Figure 10, a product list with the addable object 79 attached is created. The created product list will be provided to the user by executing the process in step S20, which will be described later. When the user selects an addable object 79, the product corresponding to that addable object 79 will be added to the shopping cart in the e-commerce service.

[0050] Returning to Figure 7, if the control unit 120 determines in step S17 that the immediate input condition A is not met (step S17; No), the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to create a product list in which an object indicating that the same product can be immediately input is added (step S19). Specifically, in the process of step S19, as shown in Figure 13, the product list creation unit 125 adds an object indicating that the product can be immediately input (inputable object 79) only to the same product in the same shop as the product in the same shop that was determined to satisfy the immediate input condition in the process of step S15, and creates a product list in which an input-not-available object 77 is added to the other products. Figure 13 shows an example of a product list in which the user (user ID "ABCD123") purchased product 4 from shop P with shop ID "ABC" within a predetermined period (item number 1 in history information 114 shown in Figure 5), and the inputable object 79 is added only to product 4 from shop P. In the illustrated example, the content of the immediate input condition C corresponding to product 4 is "the user has viewed a warning about the same product from the same shop within a specified period and has already purchased it," so the inputable object 79 is added only for product 4 from shop P. However, if the content of the immediate input condition C does not include the requirement of the same shop, for example, "the user has viewed a warning about the same product within a specified period and has already purchased it," then the inputable object 79 will also be added for product 4 in shops Q and R in Figure 13, instead of the non-inputable object 77.

[0051] After executing one of the processes shown in steps S16, S18, and S19 in Figure 7, the control unit 120 provides the created product list to the user using the function of the product list provision unit 126 (step S20). Specifically, in the process of step S20, the product list provision unit 126 provides the product list created in one of the processes of steps S16, S18, and S19 to the information terminal 200, which is the source of the search request, by sending it to the user. As a result, the product lists shown in Figures 10 and 13 are displayed on the user's information terminal 200. When the user selects an inputable object 79, the product corresponding to that inputable object 79 is added to the shopping cart in the e-commerce service. On the other hand, if the user selects an input-non-inputable object 77, a confirmation screen as shown in Figures 9 and 12 will be displayed.

[0052] After executing the process in step S20 shown in Figure 7, the control unit 120 performs payment based on the user's request using the functions of the payment processing unit 127 (step S21), and terminates the search process. Specifically, in the process of step S21, the payment processing unit 127 displays a list of products and services added to the shopping cart based on the user's operation, as shown in Figure 14, and performs payment processing for the products and services based on the user pressing the "Purchase" button. The payment method can be any method, such as credit card payment identified by the card information in the user information list 113 shown in Figure 4, or bank transfer, and the user should be able to choose.

[0053] The above describes the operation of the search device 100 and the information terminal 200. As described above, with the search device 100 in this embodiment, even products and services that have purchase conditions can be added to the shopping cart immediately if the immediate addition conditions are met. Therefore, users can add the products and services they wish to purchase one after another from the product list to the shopping cart in the e-commerce service, thereby improving the usability of the e-commerce service. Furthermore, after adding the products and services they wish to purchase one after another from the product list to the shopping cart in the e-commerce service, they can consider whether or not to purchase each product or service, and can consider whether or not to purchase without having to create a favorites list.

[0054] (modified version) Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the search device 100 and information terminal 200 according to the above embodiments do not have to have all of the technical features shown above, and may have some of the configurations described in the above embodiments so as to solve at least one problem in the prior art. Also, at least some of the following modifications may be combined.

[0055] In the above embodiment, for ease of understanding, an example was shown where the search process shown in Figure 7 is executed with the search condition being that the extracted products belong to a category for which purchase conditions are imposed, such as alcohol or tobacco. However, this is just one example. In addition, for example, it may be determined whether or not purchase conditions are imposed on each extracted product or service. The following describes the case where it is determined whether or not purchase conditions are imposed on each extracted product or service.

[0056] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a search process when determining whether purchase conditions are imposed on each extracted product or service. After executing steps S12 and S13 shown in Figure 7, the control unit 120 determines whether all products have been processed (step S13A). Specifically, in step S13A, the control unit 120 determines whether the processing in step S16A or step S18A has been performed on all products extracted in step S13.

[0057] If it is determined in step S13A that all products have been processed (step S13A; Yes), that is, if it is determined that all products extracted in step S13 have been processed in step S16A or step S18A, then the same processing as in step S20 and onward shown in Figure 7 is performed.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13A that no products have been processed (step S13A; No), that is, if it is determined that no processing has been performed in step S16A or step S18A for all products extracted in step S13, the control unit 120 uses the function of the immediate input condition determination unit 124 to determine whether or not the product is subject to purchase conditions (step S14A). Specifically, in step S14, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 checks the product information list 112 stored in the storage unit 110 for the products and services extracted in step S13 that correspond to the products and services subject to processing in step S14A, and determines whether or not the product or service to be processed is subject to purchase conditions based on whether it is "no conditions" or something other than "no conditions".

[0059] If the control unit 120 determines in step S14A that the result is anything other than "no conditions," that is, if it determines that the product or service to be processed is a product subject to purchase conditions (step S14; Yes), the control unit 120 uses the function of the immediate input condition determination unit 124 to determine whether or not the immediate input conditions are met (step S15A). Specifically, in step S15A, the immediate input condition determination unit 124 determines whether or not the user identified in step S12 meets any of the conditions of immediate input conditions A to immediate input conditions C shown by the condition setting information 115 in Figure 6 for the product or service to be processed from among the products or services extracted in step S13.

[0060] If the control unit 120 determines in step S15A that the immediate input conditions are not met (step S15A; No), that is, if the user identified in step S12 does not meet the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the storage unit 110 for the product or service to be processed, the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to add an object (input-disabled object 77) indicating that immediate input is not possible for the product or service to be processed, and disables immediate input (step S16A). Specifically, in step S16A, as shown in Figure 16, the product list creation unit 125 adds an input-disabled object 77 to the product or service to be processed, indicating that input to the shopping cart is possible by registering authentication information such as "authentication information registration," and disables immediate input. After executing the process in step S16A, the control unit 120 switches the products and services to be processed from those extracted in the process in step S13 to the next products and services to be processed (unprocessed products and services), and returns to the process in step S13A.

[0061] In step S14A, if the control unit 120 determines that there are "no conditions," that is, if it determines that the product or service to be processed is a product or service for which no purchase conditions are imposed (step S14A; Yes), the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to add an object (importable object 79) to the product or service to be processed that indicates that it can be immediately added, thereby enabling immediate addition (step S18A). Specifically, in step S18A, as shown in Figure 16, the product list creation unit 125 adds an inputable object 79 to the product to be processed that indicates that it can be immediately added, such as "add to cart," thereby enabling immediate addition. In this way, the processes of step S16A and step S18A are repeatedly executed for each product or service, resulting in a mix of products that can be immediately added and products that cannot be immediately added in the product list, as shown in Figure 16. After executing the process in step S18A, the control unit 120 switches the products and services to be processed from those extracted in the process in step S13 to the next products and services to be processed, and returns to the process in step S13A. The product list shown in Figure 16 is provided to the user after the process in step S20 shown in Figure 15 is executed. When the user selects the non-enterable object 77, "Authentication Information Registration," the system transitions to a screen for registering authentication information, as shown in Figure 17.

[0062] Returning to Figure 15, even if the control unit 120 determines in step S15A that the immediate input conditions are met (step S15A; Yes), the process in step S18A is also executed. That is, if the user identified in step S12 determines that the product or service to be processed meets the conditions indicated by the condition setting information 115 stored in the storage unit 110, the control unit 120 uses the function of the product list creation unit 125 to add an object (inputable object 79) indicating that the product or service to be processed can be immediately input, thereby enabling immediate input (step S18A). Specifically, in the process of step S18A, as shown in Figure 18, the product list creation unit 125 adds an inputable object 79 to the product or service to be processed, indicating that it can be added to a shopping cart, such as "Add to Cart," thereby enabling immediate input. After executing the process in step S18A, the control unit 120 switches the products and services to be processed from those extracted in the process in step S13 to the next products and services to be processed (unprocessed products and services), and returns to the process in step S13A. In the example shown in Figure 18, the history information 114 shown in Figure 5 is checked, and an example is shown in which a special type of inputable object 79 is added for products and services that are the same as those purchased by the user within a predetermined period (the inputable object 79 corresponding to product 3 of shop 12 (shop ID: AJC)).

[0063] In this way, by determining whether or not purchase conditions are imposed on each extracted product or service, it becomes possible to determine whether or not each product or service can be immediately put into service, thereby increasing flexibility and improving the usability of e-commerce services.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which, after the user has selected an object 79 that can be added, a list of products and services added to the shopping cart is displayed based on the user's operation, as shown in Figure 14. However, this is just one example. Alternatively, when the user has selected an object 79 that can be added, the payment processing unit 127 may immediately perform the payment processing without displaying a list page of products and services added to the shopping cart.

[0065] Furthermore, the search device 100 and information terminal 200 according to the above embodiment can be implemented using a regular computer, without requiring dedicated equipment. For example, the search device 100 that performs the above-mentioned processing may be configured by installing a program for performing any of the above-mentioned actions from a recording medium to the computer. Alternatively, a single search device 100 and information terminal 200 may be configured by multiple computers working together.

[0066] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned functions are realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application, or through collaboration between the OS and the application, then only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the medium.

[0067] Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose a program onto a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, the program could be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and distributed via the network. These programs could then be launched and executed under the control of the operating system, similar to other application programs, thereby enabling the execution of the aforementioned processes.

[0068] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0069] (Note 1) A product extraction unit that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not the products extracted by the product extraction unit can be directly loaded into the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, Based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit, a product list creation unit creates a product list that associates inputable objects, which indicate that it is possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, or input-uninputable objects, which indicate that it is not possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, with the products extracted by the product extraction unit. The product list provided to the user is provided by the product list creation unit. A search device equipped with the following features.

[0070] (Note 2) The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not it is possible to directly input the product into the electronic cart by determining whether or not purchase conditions have been set in advance for the product extracted by the product extraction unit. The search device described in Appendix 1.

[0071] (Note 3) The system further includes a user identification unit that identifies the attributes of the aforementioned user, The immediate input condition determination unit determines, with respect to the product for which purchase conditions have been set in advance, whether the direct input conditions indicated by the pre-set condition setting information are met, based on the history information showing information of the product that the user has purchased in the past and the user attributes identified by the user identification unit, and if the direct input conditions are met, it determines that the product can be directly input into the electronic cart. The search device described in Appendix 2.

[0072] (Note 4) The object that cannot be added is an activation object that provides a procedure page to enable the product to be added to the electronic cart when the user performs the operation. A search device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0073] (Note 5) The product list creation unit determines, based on the history information, whether the user has purchased the product within a predetermined period, and if the user has purchased the product within the predetermined period, it creates a product list that associates the specially configured inputable objects with the product. The search device described in Appendix 3.

[0074] (Note 6) A search method using a search device, A product extraction step that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, A step to determine whether the products extracted in the product extraction step can be directly added to the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, A product list creation step creates a product list that associates objects that can be directly loaded into the electronic cart, or objects that cannot be directly loaded into the electronic cart, with the products extracted in the product extraction step, based on the determination result of the immediate loading condition determination step. The product list created in the product list creation step is provided to the user in the product list provision step, A search method that includes the following features.

[0075] (Note 7) Computers, A product extraction unit that extracts products from among those handled by the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions. A quick input condition determination unit determines whether or not the products extracted by the product extraction unit can be directly loaded into the electronic cart when the user performs an operation. Based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit, a product list creation unit creates a product list that associates inputable objects, which indicate that it is possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, or input-uninputable objects, which indicate that it is not possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, with the products extracted by the product extraction unit. The product list provided to the user by the product list creation unit, A program that makes it function as such.

[0076] This disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of the disclosure are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0077] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a search device, a search method, and a program that can improve the usability of electronic commerce services. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 77 Objects that cannot be inserted 79 Objects that can be inserted 88 Search field 100 Search devices 110 Storage section 111 Programs 112 Product Information List 113 User Information List 114 History Information 115 Condition Setting Information 120 Control Unit 121 Desired condition specification section 122 User Identification Section 123 Product Extraction Department 124 Immediate injection condition judgment section 125 Product List Creation Department 126 Product Listing Department 127 Payment Processing Unit 130 Input / output section 140 Communications Department 200 Information Terminals 300 Computer communication network

Claims

1. A product extraction unit that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not the products extracted by the product extraction unit can be directly loaded into the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, Based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit, a product list creation unit creates a product list that associates inputable objects, which indicate that it is possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, or input-uninputable objects, which indicate that it is not possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, with the products extracted by the product extraction unit. The product list provided to the user is provided by the product list creation unit. A search device equipped with the following features.

2. The immediate input condition determination unit determines whether or not it is possible to directly input the product into the electronic cart by determining whether or not purchase conditions have been set in advance for the product extracted by the product extraction unit. The search device according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a user identification unit that identifies the attributes of the aforementioned user, The immediate input condition determination unit determines, with respect to the product for which purchase conditions have been set in advance, whether the direct input conditions indicated by the pre-set condition setting information are met, based on the history information showing information of the product that the user has purchased in the past and the user attributes identified by the user identification unit, and if the direct input conditions are met, it determines that the product can be directly input into the electronic cart. The search device according to claim 2.

4. The object that cannot be added is an activation object that provides a procedure page to enable the product to be added to the electronic cart when the user performs the operation. A search device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The product list creation unit determines, based on the history information, whether the user has purchased the product within a predetermined period, and if the user has purchased the product within the predetermined period, it creates a product list that associates the specially configured inputable object with the product. The search device according to claim 3.

6. A search method using a search device, A product extraction step that extracts products from the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions, A step to determine whether the products extracted in the product extraction step can be directly added to the electronic cart when the user performs an operation, A product list creation step creates a product list that associates objects that can be directly loaded into the electronic cart, or objects that cannot be directly loaded into the electronic cart, with the products extracted in the product extraction step, based on the determination result of the immediate loading condition determination step. The product list created in the product list creation step is provided to the user in the product list provision step, A search method that includes the following features.

7. Computers, A product extraction unit that extracts products from among those handled by the e-commerce service that meet the user's desired conditions. A quick input condition determination unit determines whether or not the products extracted by the product extraction unit can be directly loaded into the electronic cart when the user performs an operation. Based on the determination result by the immediate input condition determination unit, a product list creation unit creates a product list that associates inputable objects, which indicate that it is possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, or input-uninputable objects, which indicate that it is not possible to directly input them into the electronic cart, with the products extracted by the product extraction unit. The product list provided to the user by the product list creation unit, A program that makes it function as such.

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