Shopping service provision method and system supporting same

Abstract

Provided are a shopping service provision method and a system supporting same. The shopping service provision method according to some embodiments may comprise the steps of: receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user; and in response to the received request, providing the product page including an option section. In this case, a plurality of options for the specific product are displayed in the option section and may include an important option and a general option, the important option may be displayed in an expanded state in the option section, and the general option may be displayed in a collapsed state in the option section. According to such a method, user convenience with respect to selecting product options may be greatly improved.

Description

Method for providing shopping services and system supporting the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for providing a shopping service and a system supporting the same, and more specifically, to a method for improving user convenience in selecting product options when providing a shopping service and a system supporting the same.

[0002] The popularization of online shopping services has led to a wide variety of products being sold online. Some of these products have multiple options (or attributes). For example, electronic products like computers present a significant number of options (e.g., CPU, graphics card, memory capacity, storage capacity, etc.) to choose from. Furthermore, as user (consumer) preferences diversify, the number of options added to a product is steadily increasing.

[0003] However, if there are too many options, the screen layout of the options page may become overly complex, and excessive scrolling may be required when selecting an option, which may cause inconvenience to the user.

[0004] The technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method for providing a shopping service that can improve the user's convenience in selecting product options and a system supporting the same.

[0005] Another technical challenge to be addressed by some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide various methods / criteria for determining important options.

[0006] Another technical challenge to be addressed by some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide various methods / criteria for determining the number of important options.

[0007] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description below.

[0008] A method for providing a shopping service according to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem is a method performed by at least one computing device, which may include the steps of receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user and, in response to the request, providing the product page including an options section. In this case, a plurality of options for the specific product displayed in the options section may include important options and general options, and the important options may be displayed in an expanded state in the options section, and the general options may be displayed in a collapsed state in the options section.

[0009] In some embodiments, the critical option may be determined based on the amount of user interaction that has occurred in each of the plurality of options.

[0010] In some embodiments, the important option may be determined based on the degree to which selections are distributed in the user's option selection history for the plurality of options.

[0011] In some embodiments, the critical option may include a first option related to a quantity attribute of the particular product.

[0012] In some embodiments, the items of the first option may be displayed in list form within the area of ​​the first option.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first option may be further related to other attributes of the specific product in addition to the quantity attribute, and items of the other attributes may be displayed in a tab-like manner within the area of ​​the first option, and items of the quantity attribute may be displayed in a list-like manner within the area of ​​the first option.

[0014] In some embodiments, the number of important options may be determined based on the length of the product page or the length of the area occupied by the options section on the product page.

[0015] In some embodiments, the number of the important options is determined based on a characteristic of the specific product, and the characteristic of the specific product may include at least one of a category to which the specific product belongs and a number of the plurality of options.

[0016] In some embodiments, the number of said important options may be determined based on the amount of user interaction that has occurred in said options section of said particular product.

[0017] In some embodiments, the options section may include a UI (User Interface) element for fixing the state of the corresponding option to an expanded or collapsed state.

[0018] In some embodiments, the plurality of options include a first option belonging to the important options and a second option belonging to the general options, and the shopping service providing method may further include a step of receiving a user operation for changing the second option to an expanded state and a step of displaying the second option in an expanded state and displaying the first option in a collapsed state in response to the user operation.

[0019] In some embodiments, the plurality of options include a first option belonging to the important option, a second option belonging to the general option, and a third option associated with the second option, and the shopping service providing method may further include a step of receiving a user operation for changing the state of the second option to an expanded state, and a step of displaying the second option and the third option together in an expanded state in response to the user operation.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method for providing a shopping service may further include: receiving a user operation for selecting a second item of a second option when a first item of a first option among the plurality of options is selected, wherein the first option and the second option each correspond to different attributes of the specific product, and the first item and the second item each correspond to attribute values; automatically changing a selection item of the second option from the second item to a third item when the first item and the second item are not included in a combination of possible attribute values; wherein the first item and the third item are included in a combination of possible attribute values; and arranging a UI (User Interface) element that notifies that the selection item of the second option has been changed in an area of ​​the second option.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a shopping service providing system includes one or more processors and a memory storing a computer program executed by the one or more processors, wherein the computer program may include instructions for receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user and, in response to the request, providing the product page including an options section. In this case, a plurality of options for the specific product displayed in the options section may include important options and general options, and the important options may be displayed in an expanded state in the options section, and the general options may be displayed in a collapsed state in the options section.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium, coupled with a processor of a computer, to execute the steps of receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user and, in response to the request, providing the product page including an options section. In this case, a plurality of options for the specific product displayed in the options section may include important options and general options, and the important options may be displayed in an expanded state in the options section, and the general options may be displayed in a collapsed state in the options section.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the product options section may be presented to the user as part of the product page, rather than as a separate page. In this case, users do not have to go through the hassle (inconvenience) of navigating from the product page to the options page, selecting product options, and then returning to the product page to purchase the product, thereby improving user (consumer) convenience in shopping services.

[0024] Additionally, among the various product options, important options can be displayed in the options section in an expanded state, while general options can be displayed in a collapsed state. This reduces the complexity of the options section's screen layout and improves user convenience when selecting important options. Furthermore, displaying important options in an expanded state naturally encourages quick selection of important options, thereby reducing the time it takes for users to purchase a product.

[0025] Additionally, by considering the amount of user manipulation that has occurred in the options area, the degree of dispersion of selection items, etc., options that many users have a lot of trouble with when making a selection can be accurately determined as important options.

[0026] Additionally, by considering the length of the product page, the length of the options section, the characteristics of the product, etc., the appropriate number of important options to be displayed in an expanded state can be accurately determined.

[0027] Additionally, when a user action is received to change the first option from the collapsed state to the expanded state, the second option from the expanded state can be automatically changed (displayed) to the collapsed state. In this case, the complexity of the options section's screen configuration can be maintained without increasing, and the user's focus on the first option can be naturally enhanced.

[0028] Additionally, by providing UI (User Interface) elements (e.g., buttons) to fix the current state of the options (e.g., expanded or collapsed state), the degree of freedom of user manipulation of the options section can be greatly improved.

[0029] Additionally, if a user changes the selection of a specific option and a conflict occurs with the selection of another option, the selection of at least one option can be automatically adjusted to resolve the conflict. This can further enhance the user's convenience in selecting product options.

[0030] The effects according to the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which a shopping service providing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed.

[0032] FIG. 2 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for providing a shopping service according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 3 is an exemplary drawing to explain a problem when a separate options page is provided.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case where a plurality of important options are displayed in an expanded state according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case where an option in an expanded state is automatically changed to a collapsed state according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case where a UI (User Interface) element is provided for fixing the current state of an option according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIGS. 10 and 11 are exemplary drawings illustrating a case where selection items of at least one option are adjusted to resolve conflicts between selection items of different options according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary computing device that may implement a user terminal and / or a shopping service server according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided only to complete the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0043] In describing various embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the following examples may be used with meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains; however, this may vary depending on the intentions of engineers working in the relevant field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0045] In the following examples, singular expressions include plural concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are singular. Furthermore, plural expressions include singular concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are plural.

[0046] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. used in the following embodiments are only used to distinguish certain components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0047] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which a shopping service providing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed.

[0049] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the method for providing a shopping service according to the embodiments may be performed in an environment in which a shopping service server (12) provides a shopping service through a user terminal (11). For example, a user may use the shopping service through a web browser and / or a dedicated app installed on the terminal (11).

[0050] A shopping service server (12) is a computing device / system that provides shopping services. For example, the shopping service server (12) can provide users with shopping (commerce) services for various products via a web browser and / or a dedicated app.

[0051] In addition, the shopping service server (12) can store and manage various data / information related to the shopping service (e.g., product purchase history, option selection history, monitoring history / information on user operation events, etc.) in a storage (e.g., database). The term "user operation" may also be called "user input" or "user action / movement" depending on the case.

[0052] In addition, the shopping service server (12) can support and perform various functions (e.g., login, payment, etc.) necessary to provide a smooth shopping service.

[0053] In some embodiments, the shopping service server (12) may provide a product page (e.g., a web page, an app page) of a specific product including an options section in response to a user request. For example, when a user terminal (11) receives a user operation (input) requesting (i.e., requesting access to) a product page of a specific product, the shopping service server (12) may receive such a request from the user terminal (11). Then, the shopping service server (12) may provide the requested product page via the user terminal (11). At this time, important options of the specific product may be displayed (arranged) in the options section in an expanded state (i.e., the initial state is the expanded state), and general options may be displayed (arranged) in the options section in a collapsed state (i.e., the initial state is the collapsed state). By doing so, the complexity of the screen configuration of the options section (e.g., the initial screen configuration) may be reduced, and user convenience in selecting options for a specific product may be improved. The details of these embodiments will be described in more detail later with reference to the drawings below, FIG. 2.

[0054] The shopping service server (12) is a computing device / system that provides shopping services to users, and therefore may be named as a ‘shopping service providing device / system’, a ‘product page providing device / server / system’, an ‘option information providing device / server / system’, etc., depending on the case.

[0055] Additionally, the expanded / collapsed state may also be named as 'expanded / collapsed state', 'open / closed state', etc.

[0056] The shopping service server (12) may be implemented by at least one computing device. For example, all functions of the shopping service server (12) may be implemented by a single computing device, or a first function of the shopping service server (12) may be implemented by a first computing device and a second function may be implemented by a second computing device. Alternatively, specific functions of the shopping service server (12) may be implemented by multiple computing devices.

[0057] A computing device may include any device equipped with computing capabilities; for an example of such a device, see Figure 12. Since a computing device is a collection of interacting components (e.g., memory, processor, etc.), it may sometimes be referred to as a "computing system." Of course, the term "computing system" can also encompass the concept of a collection of interacting computing devices.

[0058] Next, the user terminal (11) is a computing device used by the user to receive shopping services from the shopping service server (12). For example, the user can access the product page of a specific product and make a purchase through a web browser and / or a dedicated app installed on the terminal (11).

[0059] The user terminal (11) may be a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet, or a stationary computing device, such as a desktop. For an example of a computing device, see FIG. 12.

[0060] In some embodiments, the user terminal (11) may, in response to a user request, provide (display) a product page for a specific product, including an options section, to the user. At this time, key options for the specific product may be displayed (placed) in an expanded state in the options section, and general options may be displayed (placed) in a collapsed state in the options section. This reduces the complexity of the screen configuration of the options section (e.g., initial screen configuration), and improves the convenience of selecting options for a specific product. The user terminal (11) may provide the requested product page with the support of the shopping service server (12), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Details of the present embodiments will be described in more detail later with reference to the drawings below, FIG. 2 .

[0061] Since the user terminal (11) is also a computing device / system that provides shopping services to the user, it may be named as a 'shopping service providing device / terminal / system', a 'product page providing device / terminal / system', an 'option information providing device / terminal / system', etc., depending on the implementation method, viewpoint, etc., the user terminal (11) may be regarded as a device / system that provides shopping services, or the shopping service server (12) may be regarded as a device / system that provides shopping services.

[0062] As illustrated in Fig. 1, a shopping service server (12) and a user terminal (11) can communicate via a network. Here, the network can be implemented as any type of wired / wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network, or Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet).

[0063] So far, with reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary environment in which a shopping service providing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed has been described. Below, with reference to FIG. 2 and the following drawings, a shopping service providing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0064] The shopping service providing method described below may be performed by at least one computing device. For example, all steps / operations of the shopping service providing method described below may be performed by either the shopping service server (12) or the user terminal (11), or some steps / operations may be performed by the shopping service server (12) and other steps / operations may be performed by the user terminal (11). Alternatively, specific steps / operations of the shopping service providing method described below may be cooperatively performed by the shopping service server (12) and the user terminal (11).

[0065] Hereinafter, for ease of understanding, each step / action of the shopping service provision method will be described from the perspective of the user terminal (11). Therefore, if the subject of a specific step / action is omitted, it can be understood that it is performed by the user terminal (11). However, the user terminal (11) may perform a specific step / action with the support of the shopping service server (12), and even if the subject of a specific step / action is described as the user terminal (11), the shopping service server (12) may perform the corresponding step / action depending on the implementation method.

[0066] Figure 2 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for providing a shopping service according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the objectives of the present disclosure, and it is understood that some steps may be added or deleted as needed.

[0067] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the method for providing a shopping service according to embodiments may begin at step S21, which involves receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user. For example, a user terminal (11) may receive (or receive input from) a user operation requesting a product page of a specific product from the user, and a shopping service server (12) may receive a request for the corresponding product page from the user terminal (11).

[0068] In step S22, a product page for a specific product, including an options section, is provided to the user in response to the request. For example, when the shopping service server (12) provides (transmits) the requested product page to the user terminal (11), the user terminal (11) can provide (display) the product page to the user (e.g., display / show the product page on the screen).

[0069] If an options section is included on a product page, the inconvenience associated with additional page navigation and user operations can be eliminated, thereby improving user convenience. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, let's assume that the options section is located on a separate page (33, i.e., the options page) from the product page (31). In this case, the user must go through the inconvenience (inconvenience) of navigating from the product page (31) to the options page (33), select a product option, and then return to the product page (31) to purchase the product (e.g., at least two additional user operations (32, 34) are required). However, if the options section is located on the product page (e.g., 31), the user can check and select product options through a simple user operation, such as scrolling down, without navigating to the page, thereby significantly improving user convenience.

[0070] On the other hand, as the number of product attributes to be selected increases, the number of options inevitably increases, and if the item information of all options is displayed in the options section at once, the screen configuration of the options section may become complex and the length of the product page may become excessively long (e.g., excessive scrolling down is required on the product page).

[0071] To avoid the above problem, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, among the options of a specific product, at least one option may be determined as a key option, and only the key option may be displayed (placed) in an expanded state in the option section (i.e., the initial state is expanded). Furthermore, options that are not key options (i.e., general options) may be displayed (placed) in a collapsed state (i.e., the initial state is expanded). However, in some cases (e.g., when the product section is not long), all options may be displayed in an expanded state.

[0072] To provide better understanding, the display / configuration method of the product page and options section is further explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the drawings below FIG. 4, items (e.g., 49-2) depicted in bold lines represent selected items (e.g., items selected by a user, items set as default, etc.).

[0074] As illustrated in Fig. 4, the product page (41) is configured to include a product section (42) and an options section (43). Of course, the product page (41) may also be configured to include other sections.

[0075] The product section (42) displays (includes) product information such as a product image, product name (44), and product price. At this time, the product name (44) may also include optional selections (e.g., 256 GB, 8 GB). In other words, whenever the optional selections change, the product name (44) may also be updated (e.g., the UI (User Interface) element representing the product name (44) is updated).

[0076] In some embodiments, the product image displayed in the product section (42) (i.e., the product image displayed at the top of the product page (41)) may be determined based on the user's selections. That is, when the user's selections change, the product image may also change (update) accordingly (e.g., when the color option selection changes from white to black, a black notebook image is displayed in the product section).

[0077] In the options section (43), product options (45 to 48) are displayed (arranged). Here, the reference number (e.g., 45) indicating each option may also refer to the area occupied by each option within the options section (43) (or product page (41)).

[0078] The types of options (45 to 48) may be categorized into, for example, important options and general options, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Each of the options (45 to 48) may correspond to (be related to) a single product attribute (e.g., color, storage capacity, quantity, etc.) or may correspond to (be related to) multiple attributes (see 54 in FIG. 5). FIG. 4 illustrates, as an example, a case where all individual options correspond to (be related to) a single product attribute.

[0079] Each of the options (45 to 48) may have a plurality of selectable items (e.g., 49-1 to 49-3). Here, each of the items (e.g., 49-1 to 49-3) may be understood to correspond to an attribute value of the product. For example, if a specific option (45) relates to a storage capacity attribute, the items (49-1 to 49-3) of the specific option (45) may correspond to values ​​of the storage capacity (e.g., 128 GB, 256 GB, etc.). As illustrated, the items (e.g., 49-1 to 49-3) may be displayed in the form of chips (i.e., displayed using a UI element in the form of chips), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0080] In some embodiments, a UI element (49-4) for calling (or moving to) an option page (e.g., 33 of FIG. 3) or a page showing an option selection status may be placed in the option section (43). In this case, when a user operation for selecting the UI element (49-4) is received, the option page (or option selection status page) may be displayed on the user terminal (11). The UI element (e.g., 49-4) may also be named as a 'GUI (Graphical User Interface) element', a 'GUI / UI object', a 'screen / graphic object / element', etc., as the case may be.

[0081] As described above, when providing a requested product page (41) to a user, the user terminal (11) can display important options (45) in an expanded state and general options (46 to 48) in a collapsed state. By doing so, the complexity of the screen configuration of the options section (43) can be reduced, the convenience of selecting important options (45) can be improved, and the time it takes for a user (consumer) to purchase a product can be shortened as quick selection of important options (45) is naturally induced.

[0082] The specific method of determining the number of important options (e.g., 45) and so on will be described later.

[0083] Figure 5 illustrates another example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 assumes that an option (55) related to the quantity of a product (i.e., the quantity attribute) is determined to be a key option.

[0084] As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the example product page (51), the option related to the quantity of the product (55, i.e., the important option) is displayed in an expanded state in the option section (52), and other options (53, 54) are displayed in a collapsed state.

[0085] As illustrated, items of quantity-related options (55) may be displayed in list form within the area of ​​options (55). However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the number of product attributes is greater than or equal to a threshold (e.g., 3), quantity-related options (e.g., 55) may be displayed in an expanded state and in a list format, while other options (e.g., 53) may be displayed in a collapsed state and in other formats (e.g., chip or tab format).

[0087] Figure 6 illustrates another example of a product page that may be referenced in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 also assumes that an option (64) related to quantity (i.e., quantity attribute) is determined to be a key option.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 6, even in the example product page (61), the option related to the quantity of the product (64, i.e., the important option) is displayed in an expanded state in the option section (62), and the other options (63) are displayed in a collapsed state.

[0089] As illustrated, one individual option (64) may be associated with two (or more) attributes. FIG. 6 illustrates an example where an individual option (64) is associated with a quantity attribute and a capacity attribute.

[0090] In the above case, the items of the capacity attribute (or attributes other than quantity) are displayed in the form of tabs within the area of ​​the option (64) (e.g., the items of the tab element are listed horizontally), and the items of the quantity attribute can be displayed in the form of a list within the area of ​​the option (64) (e.g., the items of the list element are listed vertically). By doing so, items of various attributes can be displayed within the limited area of ​​the option (64), and the increase in the complexity of the screen configuration of the option section (62) can be effectively prevented. The attributes (e.g., capacity, quantity) displayed within the area of ​​one option (64) may be attributes related to each other.

[0091] In some embodiments, when the number of attributes of a product is greater than or equal to a threshold (e.g., 3), a specific option (e.g., 64) may be determined to be associated with multiple attributes. One of the multiple attributes may be displayed in a tab-like manner within the area of ​​the corresponding option (e.g., 64), and another attribute (e.g., quantity) may be displayed in a list-like manner within the area of ​​the corresponding option (e.g., 64). Furthermore, a specific option (e.g., 64) may be displayed in an expanded state, while another option (e.g., 63) may be displayed in a collapsed state and in another form (e.g., chip-like form).

[0092] Below, we will explain the important options and the method / criteria for determining their number.

[0093] The specific methods / criteria for determining important options may vary depending on the embodiment.

[0094] In some embodiments, options related to the quantity of a product (i.e., the quantity attribute) may be determined as important options. For example, options for selecting the quantity of a product (e.g., see 55 in FIG. 5 ) or options related to multiple attributes including the quantity of a product (e.g., see 64 in FIG. 6 ) may be determined as important options. This can be understood because the quantity of a product typically has the greatest impact on the total purchase price and is one of the attributes users most consider when purchasing a product.

[0095] In some other embodiments, a significant option may be determined based on the amount of user interaction that has occurred in an option area. For example, the amount of user interaction that has occurred in each area of ​​a plurality of options may be measured (e.g., the amount of user interaction events that have occurred by multiple users may be monitored to measure the amount of user interaction for each option), and options for which the measured amount exceeds a threshold value (e.g., the top K options with the highest amount of user interaction) may be determined as significant options. This is because a high number of user interactions in a specific option area indicates that users have put considerable thought into selecting that option.

[0096] In some other embodiments, the important options may be determined based on the time the option's state is maintained in the expanded state (e.g., the average maintenance time for multiple users), the time the gaze (or cursor) is maintained in the option area (e.g., if a specific option is displayed in the expanded state in the center of the screen, the gaze may be determined to be on that option), the number of times the selection of the option has changed, etc. (e.g., options with a maintenance time or number of changes greater than a threshold are determined to be important options).

[0097] In some other embodiments, a priority option may be determined based on the impact of a product attribute on the total purchase amount (or product price). For example, if the impact of a specific attribute on the total purchase amount exceeds a threshold, an option associated with that attribute (e.g., an option associated with the top K attributes with the highest impact) may be determined as a priority option. The impact of a product attribute on the total purchase amount may be determined (calculated) based on the extent to which the total purchase amount changes as the attribute value changes, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0098] In some other embodiments, a critical option may be determined based on the number of users whose user interaction in the options area exceeds a threshold. For example, an option with a number of such users exceeding a threshold may be determined to be a critical option.

[0099] In some other embodiments, the importance of an option can be determined based on the degree to which the selections are distributed. For example, the degree to which the user's selections are distributed among multiple options can be determined by analyzing the user's selection history. Then, among the multiple options, options with a degree of dispersion greater than a threshold (e.g., the top K options with the highest degree of dispersion) can be determined as important options.

[0100] In some other embodiments, important options may be determined based on user type. For example, important options for a specific type of user may be determined by analyzing historical data (e.g., user operation event history, option selection history, etc.) for that type of user. User types may be distinguished based on demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age group, etc.), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0101] In some other embodiments, the importance of an option may be determined based on the number of items it contains. For example, an option with a relatively large number of items may be determined as important (e.g., to facilitate quick selection of complex options), or an option with a relatively small number of items may be determined as important (e.g., to display more options in an expanded state).

[0102] In some other embodiments, the priority option may be determined based on various combinations of the aforementioned embodiments. For example, the priority option may be determined by comprehensively considering the frequency of user interaction in the options area and the degree to which selections are distributed.

[0103] Next, the specific method / criteria for determining the number of important options (e.g., maximum number) may also vary depending on the embodiment. Here, the number of important options refers to the number of options whose initial state is set to expanded.

[0104] In some embodiments, the number of important options may be determined to be 1. This may be understood as an attempt to display as many options as possible within the limited screen (display) of the user terminal (11).

[0105] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined based on the length (i.e., vertical height) of the product page (or product section). For example, the shorter the product page (or product section), the greater the number of important options. Conversely, the less important options may be. This can be understood as a way to prevent user fatigue caused by excessive scrolling.

[0106] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined based on the length (i.e., vertical height) of the options section. For example, if the length of the area occupied by the options section on a product page is longer (e.g., if the product page has a maximum length and the product section is short), the number of important options may increase. Conversely, if the length of the options section is longer, the number of important options may decrease.

[0107] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined by considering both the length of the options section and the length of the expanded options area. For example, the number of important options may increase as the number of options that can be displayed in an expanded state within an options section of a given length increases. Conversely, the number of important options may decrease.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined based on the characteristics of the product. These characteristics may include, for example, the category to which the product belongs, the number of attributes, etc. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a product with a greater number of attributes may have an increased number of important options. Alternatively, a product in a specific category may have a greater number of important options than a product in another category. For example, products in the electronics category typically have a greater number of attributes than products in categories such as daily necessities. Therefore, products in the electronics category may have a greater number of important options than products in other categories. Figure 7 illustrates an example where the number of important options for a product in the electronics category (e.g., a laptop) is determined to be '3' (e.g., note that the three options (45 to 47) are displayed in an expanded state).

[0109] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined based on the number of user interactions occurring in the options section. For example, the number of important options for a specific product may increase as the number of user interactions occurring in the options section increases. Conversely, the number of important options for that product may decrease.

[0110] In some other embodiments, the number of important options may be determined (e.g., dynamically determined / adjusted) based on the screen (display) size (e.g., length) of the user terminal (11). For example, the longer the screen (display) of the user terminal (11), the greater the number of important options. Conversely, the greater the number of important options may be.

[0111] In some other embodiments, the number of significant options may be determined based on various combinations of the aforementioned embodiments. For example, the number of significant options for a specific product may be determined by comprehensively considering two or more of the aforementioned factors.

[0112] So far, we have explained the specific methods / criteria for determining important options and their number.

[0113] This is explained again with reference to Figure 2.

[0114] In step S23, the options section is controlled based on user operations on the options section. However, the specific control method may vary depending on the embodiments.

[0115] In some embodiments, in response to a user operation that changes a first option in a collapsed state to an expanded state, a second option (e.g., a key option) in an expanded state may automatically change to a collapsed state. For example, assume that a user operation that changes a second option (46) to an expanded state is received on the product page (41) illustrated in FIG. 4. In this case, the user terminal (11) may display the second option (46) in an expanded state and automatically display (change) the first option (45) in an expanded state to a collapsed state, as illustrated in FIG. 8. By doing so, the complexity of the screen configuration of the option section (43) can be maintained without increasing, and the user's concentration on the newly expanded option (46) can be naturally enhanced.

[0116] In the preceding embodiments, in some cases, a third option associated with the first option may be determined, and the state of the third option may be automatically changed to an expanded state together with the first option. Alternatively, a fourth option associated with the second option may be determined, and the state of the fourth option may be automatically changed to a closed state together with the second option. By doing so, user convenience in selecting options can be further enhanced. The association (association) between options may be determined in any manner. For example, the association (association) between options may be predefined (calculated).

[0117] In some other embodiments, even if a user operation is received to change a collapsed first option to an expanded state, the expanded state of a second option (e.g., a key option) may be maintained. For example, if the first option is an option associated with the second option, the expanded state of the second option may be maintained. However, if the first option is not an option associated with the second option, the state of the second option may be changed to a collapsed state. As another example, if the total number of expanded options is less than a threshold (e.g., the maximum number of key options), the expanded state of the second option may be maintained.

[0118] In some other embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a UI element (91, e.g., a button) for fixing the current state (e.g., expanded state or collapsed state) of an option may be placed within the option section. For example, one or more UI elements (91) configured to be movable may be placed within the option section, and such UI elements (e.g., 91) may be placed for each option. In the present embodiments, a user can fix the state of a specific option (e.g., 45) to the expanded state or collapsed state by manipulating (e.g., clicking) the UI element (91). By doing so, the degree of freedom of user manipulation for the option section can be greatly improved.

[0119] In some other embodiments, the selection items of the second option may automatically change as the selection items of the first option change. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, assume that a user operation (102) is received to change the selection item of the first option (45) from the second item (49-2) to the third item (49-3) while the selection item (e.g., 'Core i5') of the fourth option (48) among the multiple options (45 to 48) displayed in the option section (43) exists. Further, assume that the selection items (e.g., 49-3) of the two options (45, 48) conflict with each other. Here, the conflict of selection items may mean, for example, that the selection items are not included in the combination of possible attribute values ​​of the corresponding product (e.g., when a product composed of such a combination of attribute values ​​does not exist, when a product composed of such a combination of attribute values ​​exists but is out of stock, etc.). In this case, the user terminal (11) can automatically change the selection item of the 4th option (48, eg, the later selected option) (or another option (eg, 46, etc.)) to another item (at this time, the changed item is an item that does not conflict with the item (49-3) for example). In addition, the user terminal (11) can place a UI element (101) notifying that the selection item of the 4th option (48) has been changed in the area of ​​the corresponding option (48). Although FIG. 10 illustrates a case where the UI element (101) is a text object (element) as an example, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some cases, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the state of the 4th option (48) may be automatically changed (displayed) to an expanded state and the items (111, 112) of the corresponding option (48) may be displayed. By doing so, the user can more intuitively recognize that the selection item of the corresponding option (48) has been changed (see 112).

[0120] In some other embodiments, the options section may be controlled based on various combinations of the embodiments described above.

[0121] Hereinafter, a method for providing a shopping service according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 2 through 11 . As described above, the product options section may be provided to the user as part of the product page (e.g., 41) rather than as a separate page. In this case, the user need not go through the hassle (inconvenience) of navigating from the product page to the options page, selecting product options, and then returning to the product page to purchase the product, thereby enhancing user (consumer) convenience with the shopping service.

[0122] Additionally, among the various product options, important options can be displayed in an expanded state in the options section, while general options can be displayed in a collapsed state. This reduces the complexity of the options section's screen layout and improves user convenience when selecting important options. Furthermore, displaying important options in an expanded state naturally encourages quick selection of important options, thereby reducing the user's product purchase time.

[0123] Additionally, by considering the amount of user manipulation that has occurred in the options area, the degree of dispersion of selection items, etc., options that many users have a lot of trouble with when making a selection can be accurately determined as important options.

[0124] Additionally, by considering the length of the product page, the length of the options section, the characteristics of the product, etc., the appropriate number of important options to be displayed in an expanded state can be accurately determined.

[0125] Additionally, when a user action is received to change the first option from the collapsed state to the expanded state, the second option from the expanded state can be automatically changed (displayed) to the collapsed state. In this case, the complexity of the options section's screen configuration can be maintained without increasing, and the user's focus on the first option can be naturally enhanced.

[0126] Additionally, by providing UI elements (e.g., buttons) to fix the current state of the options (e.g., expanded or collapsed state), the degree of freedom of user manipulation of the options section can be greatly improved.

[0127] Additionally, if a user changes the selection of a specific option and a conflict occurs with the selection of another option, the selection of at least one option can be automatically adjusted to resolve the conflict. This can further enhance the user's convenience in selecting product options.

[0128] Hereinafter, an exemplary computing device (120) capable of implementing the user terminal (11) and / or shopping service server (12) described above will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0129] Figure 12 is an exemplary hardware configuration diagram showing a computing device (120).

[0130] As illustrated in FIG. 12, a computing device (120) may include one or more processors (121), a bus (123), a communication interface (124), a memory (122) for loading a computer program (126) executed by the processor (121), and a storage (125) for storing the computer program (126). However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 12. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that, in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 12, other general components (e.g., a display, other input / output devices, etc.) may be further included. That is, the computing device (120) may further include various components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 12. In addition, in some cases, the computing device (120) may be configured in a form in which some of the components illustrated in FIG. 12 are omitted. Hereinafter, each component of the computing device (120) will be described.

[0131] The processor (121) can control the overall operation of each component of the computing device (120). The processor (121) can be configured to include at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), or any other type of processor well known in the art of the present disclosure. In addition, the processor (121) can perform operations for at least one application or program for executing operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing device (120) can include one or more processors.

[0132] Next, the memory (122) can store various data, commands, and / or information. The memory (122) can load a computer program (126) from the storage (125) to execute steps / operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory (122) may be implemented as a volatile memory such as RAM, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0133] Next, the bus (123) can provide a communication function between components of the computing device (120). The bus (123) can be implemented as various types of buses such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus.

[0134] Next, the communication interface (124) can support wired and wireless Internet communication of the computing device (120). Furthermore, the communication interface (124) can also support various communication methods other than Internet communication. To this end, the communication interface (124) can be configured to include a communication module well known in the technical field of the present disclosure.

[0135] Next, the storage (125) can non-temporarily store one or more computer programs (126). The storage (125) can be configured to include non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any form of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0136] Next, the computer program (126) may include instructions that, when loaded into the memory (122), cause the processor (121) to perform steps / operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, the processor (121) may perform steps / operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the loaded instructions.

[0137] For example, the computer program (126) may include instructions that cause the computer program to perform an action of receiving a request from a user for a product page of a specific product, an action of providing a product page of the specific product including an options section in response to the request, and an action of controlling the options section based on a user operation on the options section.

[0138] As another example, the computer program (126) may include instructions to perform at least some of the steps / operations / methods described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0139] In the case illustrated, a user terminal (11) and / or a shopping service server (12) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. That is, shopping service providing devices / systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0140] Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the computing device (120) illustrated in FIG. 12 may refer to a virtual machine implemented based on cloud technology. For example, the computing device (120) may be a virtual machine operating on one or more physical servers included in a server farm. In this case, at least some of the processor (121), memory (122), and storage (125) illustrated in FIG. 12 may be virtual hardware, and the communication interface (124) may also be implemented as a virtualized networking element, such as a virtual switch.

[0141] So far, with reference to FIG. 12, an exemplary computing device (120) capable of implementing a user terminal (11) and / or a shopping service server (12) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described.

[0142] Various embodiments of the present disclosure and effects according to the embodiments have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 12. The effects according to the technical concept of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0143] Furthermore, even though the above embodiments have described multiple components as being combined or operating in combination, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated one or more times.

[0144] The technical concepts of the present disclosure described so far can be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium can be transmitted to another computing device via a network such as the Internet, installed on the device, and used therein.

[0145] Although the operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings, it should not be understood that the operations must be performed in the specific order depicted, or in a sequential order, or that all depicted operations must be performed to achieve the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the technical concepts of the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical concepts or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one computing device, A step of receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user; and In response to said request, comprising the step of providing said product page including an options section; The multiple options for the specific product displayed in the above options section include important options and general options. The above important options are displayed expanded in the above options section, The above general options are displayed in a collapsed state in the above options section. Method of providing shopping services.

2. In paragraph 1, The above important options are determined based on the amount of user interaction that has occurred in each area of ​​the above multiple options. Method of providing shopping services.

3. In paragraph 1, The above important options are determined based on the extent to which the selection items are distributed in the user's option selection history for the above multiple options. Method of providing shopping services.

4. In paragraph 1, The above important options include a first option related to the quantity attribute of the specific product, Method of providing shopping services.

5. In paragraph 4, The items of the above first option are displayed in list form within the area of ​​the above first option. Method of providing shopping services.

6. In paragraph 4, The above first option is more related to other attributes of the specific product other than the quantity attribute, Items of the above other properties are displayed in the form of tabs within the area of ​​the above first option, Items of the above quantity attribute are displayed in list form within the area of ​​the above first option. Method of providing shopping services.

7. In paragraph 1, The number of the above important options is determined based on the length of the product page or the length of the area occupied by the option section on the product page. Method of providing shopping services.

8. In paragraph 1, The number of the above important options is determined based on the characteristics of the specific product, The characteristics of the specific product include at least one of the category to which the specific product belongs and the number of the plurality of options. Method of providing shopping services.

9. In paragraph 1, The number of the above important options is determined based on the amount of user manipulation that has occurred in the above options section of the above specific product. Method of providing shopping services.

10. In paragraph 1, The above options section contains UI (User Interface) elements to fix the state of the corresponding option to the expanded or collapsed state. Method of providing shopping services.

11. In paragraph 1, The above multiple options include a first option belonging to the above important options and a second option belonging to the above general options, A step of receiving a user operation for changing the second option to an expanded state; and In response to the user operation, further comprising the step of displaying the second option in an expanded state and displaying the first option in a collapsed state. Method of providing shopping services.

12. In paragraph 11, The step of displaying the above first option in a folded state is: If the first option is not a related option of the second option, the step of displaying the first option in a collapsed state is included. If the above first option is a related option of the above second option, the state of the above first option is maintained in an expanded state. Method of providing shopping services.

13. In paragraph 1, The above multiple options include a first option belonging to the above important options, a second option belonging to the above general options, and a third option associated with the above second option, A step of receiving a user operation for changing the state of the second option to an expanded state; and In response to the user operation, further comprising the step of displaying the second option and the third option together in an expanded state. Method of providing shopping services.

14. In paragraph 1, A step of receiving a user operation for selecting a second item of a second option while a first item of a first option among the plurality of options is selected, wherein the first option and the second option each correspond to different attributes of the specific product, and the first item and the second item each correspond to attribute values; a step of automatically changing the selection item of the second option from the second item to the third item if the first item and the second item are not included in the combination of possible attribute values, wherein the first item and the third item are included in the combination of possible attribute values; and Further comprising a step of placing a UI (User Interface) element in the area of ​​the second option to indicate that the selection of the second option has changed. Method of providing shopping services.

15. One or more processors; and A memory storing a computer program executed by one or more processors, The above computer program: An action to receive a request from a user for a product page of a specific product; and In response to the above request, instructions for providing the product page including the options section; The multiple options for the specific product displayed in the above options section include important options and general options. The above important options are displayed expanded in the above options section, The above general options are displayed in a collapsed state in the above options section. Shopping service provision system.

16. Combined with the computer's processor, A step of receiving a request for a product page of a specific product from a user; and In response to the above request, a computer-readable recording medium is stored to execute the step of providing the product page including the options section, The multiple options for the specific product displayed in the above options section include important options and general options, The above important options are displayed expanded in the above options section, The above general options are displayed in a collapsed state in the above options section. Computer program.

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