Device and method for providing information on item

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, disclosed is a method for providing information by an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring an item search request from a customer; determining one or more items in response to the item search request; and providing the customer with information on the one or more items, wherein the step of providing the customer with the information on the one or more items comprises a step of, when a first item satisfying a set condition exists among the one or more items, providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item, and the one or more alternative options are different from a representative option for purchasing the first item.

Description

Device and method for providing information on items

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for providing information about items. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an electronic device and method for determining one or more items in response to an item search request, providing information about the one or more items to a customer, and, if a first item satisfies a set condition among the one or more items exists, providing the customer with information about one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item.

[0002] With the advancement of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a distinct form of shopping. Customers can purchase items online without having to visit a physical shopping mall or market, and items purchased online are delivered to the customer's requested delivery address.

[0003] As e-commerce service delivery methods become more sophisticated, a wider variety of options for selling items has become available. Furthermore, to enhance customer satisfaction and service profitability, sophisticated pricing policies have been introduced, leading to more flexible pricing for each option.

[0004] Sophisticated pricing strategies offer an effective way to balance customer engagement and service revenue. However, excessively flexible pricing can make it difficult for customers to select the most appropriate purchasing option.

[0005] In this regard, reference can be made to prior literature such as KR101627954B1 and KR102141139B1.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present embodiment is to provide an electronic device and a method thereof, which obtain a customer's item search request, determine one or more items in response to the item search request, and provide information on the one or more items to the customer, in order to solve the above-described problem, and more specifically, to provide an electronic device and a method thereof, which, in order to provide information on one or more items to the customer, provides information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item to the customer when a first item satisfying a set condition exists among one or more items, and the one or more alternative options are different from a representative option for purchasing the first item.

[0007] The technical tasks to be achieved by this embodiment are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks can be inferred from the following embodiments.

[0008] A method for providing information in an electronic device according to one embodiment includes the steps of: obtaining a customer's item search request; determining one or more items in response to the item search request; and providing information on the one or more items to the customer, wherein the step of providing information on the one or more items to the customer includes the step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item when a first item satisfying a set condition exists among the one or more items, wherein the one or more alternative options are different from a representative option for purchasing the first item.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the step of providing information about the one or more items to the customer may include the step of obtaining information about one or more representative options for purchasing the one or more items; and the step of providing information about the one or more representative options to the customer.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of obtaining information on the one or more representative options may include the step of confirming the customer's item purchase history; and the step of determining at least some of the one or more representative options based on the item purchase history.

[0011] In one embodiment, the set condition may include a condition that the item is one that the customer has previously purchased.

[0012] In one embodiment, the set conditions may include a condition that there is at least one option for purchasing the item that is cheaper per unit than a representative option for purchasing the item to be offered to the customer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the one or more alternative options may include one or more of an option having a lower unit price than the representative option and one or more of an option having different attributes than the representative option.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the step of providing information about the one or more alternative options to the customer may include the step of identifying a difference between the one or more alternative options and the representative option; and the step of providing the customer with information indicating the difference.

[0015] In one embodiment, the step of providing information about the one or more items to the customer includes the step of providing an interface related to purchasing at least some of the one or more items, wherein the interface may include one or more of an add-to-cart function for the item and an immediate purchase function for the item.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the step of providing information about the one or more alternative options to the customer may include: verifying an input from the customer regarding the interface associated with the first item; and, in response to the input from the customer, providing information about the one or more alternative options to the customer.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: confirming a customer's selection input for information on one or more alternative options; and, in response to the customer's selection input, providing the customer with information on an item reflecting the option selected by the customer.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the step of providing the customer with information about an item reflecting the option selected by the customer includes at least one of the steps of providing a detailed information page of the item including information about the item reflecting the option selected by the customer; and the step of providing a page related to the purchase of the item reflecting the option selected by the customer, wherein the page related to the purchase may include at least one of a shopping cart page and an instant purchase page.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the step of providing the customer with information on the one or more alternative options may include the steps of: checking the customer's service usage history; obtaining preference information on the customer based on the customer's service usage history; and determining the one or more alternative options based on the customer's preference information.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the step of providing the customer with information about the one or more alternative options may include the step of confirming conditions for the customer to receive a benefit in purchasing the first item; and the step of determining the one or more alternative options based on the conditions for receiving the benefit.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the step of providing the customer with information about the one or more alternative options may include the step of checking the service usage history of a plurality of other customers; and the step of determining the one or more alternative options based on the service usage history of the plurality of other customers.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the step of providing information about the one or more items to the customer may further include the step of providing the customer with information about one or more alternative options for purchasing a second item that satisfies a set criterion in relation to the first item, if there is a first item that satisfies a set condition among the one or more items.

[0023] An electronic device according to one embodiment includes a memory storing instructions and a processor, wherein the processor is connected to the memory, obtains a customer's item search request, determines one or more items in response to the item search request, provides information on the one or more items to the customer, and in order to provide information on the one or more items to the customer, the processor provides the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item when a first item satisfying a set condition exists among the one or more items, wherein the one or more alternative options are different from a representative option for purchasing the first item.

[0024] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0025] According to the present disclosure, an electronic device for providing information and a method thereof can help a customer select a purchase option that best suits him / her by allowing the customer to recognize information about options available for purchasing an item, thereby providing convenient shopping to the customer and increasing the sales of items.

[0026] The effects of the invention 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 of the claims.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system for providing information.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device providing information on an item according to an embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating examples of providing information on one or more items to a customer according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating examples of providing information on one or more alternative options to a customer according to one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining an example of providing a detailed information page of an item to a customer according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0033] The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from widely used and common terms, taking into account the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0034] When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0035] The expression “at least one of a, b, and c” described throughout the specification may encompass ‘a alone’, ‘b alone’, ‘c alone’, ‘a and b’, ‘a and c’, ‘b and c’, or ‘all of a, b, and c’.

[0036] The "terminal" mentioned below may be implemented as a computer or portable terminal that can connect to a server or other terminal via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook, desktop, laptop, etc. equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal may include, for example, a wireless communication device that guarantees portability and mobility, and may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as communication-based terminals such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.

[0037] Below, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0039] In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical details that are well-known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention by omitting unnecessary explanations and to convey it more clearly.

[0040] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0041] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0042] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flowchart drawings and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create a means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0043] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system for providing information.

[0045] According to various embodiments, a system for providing information includes an electronic device (110). According to one embodiment, the system for providing information may further include a customer device (120). According to one embodiment, the system for providing information may further include a network that supports information transmission and reception between the electronic device (110), the customer device (120), and at least some of the external devices.

[0046] The electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may include a memory and a processor, and may further include a transceiver. In addition, each of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) refers to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0047] Meanwhile, throughout the embodiments, the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) are each referred to as separate devices or servers, but this may be a logically divided structure, and at least some of them may be implemented by separate functions in a single device or server. For example, throughout the present disclosure, the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may be implemented by a single device, and in this case, the process of transmitting and receiving information between the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may actually be understood as a process in which data is exchanged within a single device.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may include a plurality of computer systems or computer software implemented as network servers. For example, at least some of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may refer to a computer system and computer software that are connected to a lower-level device that can communicate with other network servers through a computer network such as an intranet or the Internet, receive a task execution request, perform the task in response, and provide the execution result. In addition, at least some of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may be understood as a broad concept that includes a series of application programs that can operate on a network server, and various databases built on other internal or connected nodes. For example, at least some of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may be implemented using a network server program that is provided in various ways depending on the operating system such as DOS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, or MacOS.

[0049] Meanwhile, for the convenience of explanation, each operating entity is referred to as an electronic device (110) and a customer's device (120), but these should be understood as comprehensive devices that correspond to various types of devices such as computer devices and mobile communication terminals, include various types of devices, or can be included in various types of devices.

[0050] An electronic device (110) is a device that acquires and processes (or processes and provides) various information. The electronic device (110) can perform various tasks to provide information. Specifically, the electronic device (110) acquires a customer's item search request, determines one or more items in response to the item search request, and provides information about the one or more items to the customer. In relation to the operation of providing information about one or more items to the customer, if a first item that satisfies a set condition exists among the one or more items, the electronic device (110) provides the customer with information about one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item. Here, the one or more alternative options are different from the representative option for purchasing the first item.

[0051] A customer may include various entities searching for an item. A customer may include entities with the potential to purchase an item. The "potential to purchase an item" is sufficiently potential and does not necessarily require a customer's definitive intent. Furthermore, the "action of obtaining a customer's item search request" can be broadly interpreted to include not only cases where a customer directly enters a keyword for an item search, but also cases where a customer provides input corresponding to an advertisement (e.g., clicking on an advertisement banner) and is then directed to the item search results page.

[0052] The customer's device (120) may be a device operated and managed by the customer. The customer's device (120) may interact with the customer or with devices such as the electronic device (110) and perform further operations related thereto. For example, the customer's device (120) may obtain the customer's item search request (e.g., receive input from the customer) and transmit it to the electronic device (110). In addition, the customer's device (120) may receive information on one or more items from the electronic device (110) and provide it to the customer (e.g., display the information on the screen). In some embodiments, the customer's device (120) may provide the customer with an interface related to the purchase of at least some of the one or more items, receive the customer's input regarding the interface, and transmit it to the electronic device (110).

[0053] More detailed information regarding the operation of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) will be described later in FIGS. 2 to 5, etc.

[0054] The electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may include a computer device, a mobile communication terminal, a server, etc. The electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may include or be connected to an input device such as a touchpad, a mouse, or a keyboard for receiving input. In addition, the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may include or be connected to an output device such as a screen, a speaker, or an interface device for providing information to the user. Furthermore, the input device and the output device of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120) may be configured as an integral unit or may be interconnected. For example, an interface for receiving input may be displayed on at least one of the electronic device (110) and the customer's device (120).

[0055] The operations related to a series of information providing methods according to various embodiments may be implemented by a single physical device, or may be implemented in a manner in which multiple physical devices are organically combined. For example, some of the components included in the system for providing information may be implemented by one physical device, and the remaining parts may be implemented by other physical devices. For example, one physical device may be implemented as part of the electronic device (110), and the other physical device may be implemented as part of the customer's device (120) or other external devices. In some cases, each component included in the system for providing information may be distributed and arranged in different physical devices, and the distributed components may be organically combined to perform the functions and operations of the system for providing information. For example, the electronic device (110) of this specification includes at least one sub-device, and some operations described as being performed by the electronic device (110) may be performed by a first sub-device, and other operations may be performed by a second sub-device.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device providing information on an item according to an embodiment.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device (110) according to an embodiment obtains a customer's item search request (201). According to an embodiment, the electronic device (110) may obtain the customer's search request from the customer's device (120) (see drawing number 201). However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (110) may directly receive the customer's search request through an input device such as a keyboard, receive the customer's search request information from an external device, or utilize previously obtained customer search request information, etc., and various other embodiments may exist.

[0058] As mentioned above, the "action of obtaining a customer's item search request" described in the present disclosure may be broadly interpreted to include not only cases where the customer directly inputs a keyword for an item search, but also cases where the customer is redirected to an item search results page by providing an input corresponding to an advertisement (e.g., clicking on an advertisement banner).

[0059] The electronic device (110) determines one or more items in response to an item search request (202). The electronic device (110) may determine one or more items based on the content of the item search request, but is not limited to the content of the item search request alone. For example, the electronic device (110) may consider various factors, such as determining items likely to be preferred by the customer based on the customer's purchase history, determining commonly sold items based on the purchase history of other customers, or determining items frequently purchased by other customers who are determined to have similar preferences to the customer. Furthermore, the electronic device (110) may consider remaining inventory of the current item and compare the storage location of the remaining inventory with the customer's expected delivery location (e.g., the address where the customer previously received the item), and may further consider factors related to inventory management. Furthermore, various embodiments for determining one or more items may fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] The electronic device (110) provides information on one or more items to the customer (203). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may transmit information on one or more items to the customer's device (120), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (110) may provide information on one or more items via an output device (e.g., displaying the information on a screen) so that the customer can view the information.

[0061] In connection with the operation of drawing number 203, an electronic device (110) according to an embodiment may obtain information on one or more representative options for the purchase of one or more items. The electronic device (110) may provide the information on the one or more representative options obtained to the customer (see drawing number 205). According to a more specific example of obtaining information on one or more representative options, the electronic device (110) may check the customer's item purchase history and determine at least some of the one or more representative options based on the checked item purchase history. For example, if the customer has previously purchased an item such as "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent, 750ml, 1 ea" and one or more items include "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent," the representative option may be determined as "750ml, 1 ea."

[0062] Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, an attribute such as “grapefruit scent” may also be classified as part of an option, and in that case, if one or more items in the above example include “Company A Eco Kitchen Detergent,” the representative option may be determined as “Grapefruit scent, 750ml, 1 unit.”

[0063] In connection with the operation of drawing number 203, if there is a first item among one or more items that satisfies the set conditions, the electronic device (110) provides the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item (see drawing number 204). The one or more alternative options are different from the representative option for purchasing the first item.

[0064] With respect to the "set condition," various embodiments may fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the set condition may include a condition that the item is an item previously purchased by the customer. In another embodiment, the set condition may include a condition that the item is related to an item previously purchased by the customer (e.g., another item in the same category as the item, another item that can be used as a substitute for the item, another item produced by the manufacturer of the item, etc.). These embodiments may be understood as examples of determining whether the set condition is satisfied based on the customer's purchase history.

[0065] The set conditions according to one embodiment may include a condition that one or more options for purchasing an item exist that have a lower unit price than the representative option for purchasing the item offered to the customer. "Unit price" may be broadly interpreted to encompass various concepts, such as price per unit quantity, price per unit capacity, price per unit weight, etc. These embodiments can be understood as examples in which satisfaction of the set conditions is determined based on the sales price set for each option of the item.

[0066] In addition, there may be various embodiments related to the set condition, such as the set condition according to an embodiment may include a condition that there is one or more options that have different properties (e.g., different flavors, different scents, different colors, etc.) than the representative option, and that one or more of the existing options are actually available to the customer (e.g., a logistics center located at a location capable of delivering the item to the customer's expected delivery location has a critical quantity or more of inventory secured).

[0067] As a specific example to help understand the above explanation, for an item that a customer has previously purchased and has at least one option with a lower unit price than the representative option, the electronic device (110) may determine that the item is the first item that satisfies the set conditions.

[0068] Meanwhile, for convenience of explanation, the term "first item satisfying the set condition" is used, but this does not mean that only one item satisfying the set condition can exist among one or more items. In other words, multiple items satisfying the set condition can exist, and (if multiple items satisfying the set condition exist) it should be understood that the description of the first item in the present disclosure can be applied to each of the multiple items satisfying the set condition.

[0069] One or more alternative options for purchasing the first item may include one or more options with a lower unit price than the representative option and one or more options with different attributes than the representative option. As mentioned above, the unit price may include price per unit, price per unit volume, price per unit weight, etc., and the other attributes may include different colors, different flavors, different scents, etc.

[0070] There may be various embodiments related to the operation of the electronic device (110) providing information on one or more alternative options. According to one embodiment, the operation of providing information on one or more alternative options may include an operation of identifying the differences of one or more alternative options (compared to the representative option) and an operation of providing the customer with information explaining the differences. The differences may include, but are not limited to, a financial advantage resulting from selecting the alternative option. For example, the differences may include the following: the alternative option generally sells in higher volume; the alternative option is available for a limited period of time; the alternative option is often sold out; the alternative option is more advantageous than the representative option in a specific environment (for example, the tires of the representative option are suitable for general road driving, while the tires of the alternative option are better suited for off-road driving); and the alternative option has a function that differentiates it from the representative option (for example, the representative option only provides directional function, while the alternative option may provide insect repellent and deodorizing functions). Various factors may be included to encourage the customer to select the alternative option.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the operation of providing information on one or more alternative options may include an operation of checking the customer's service usage history and an operation of determining one or more alternative options based on the customer's service usage history. In a more specific example, the electronic device (110) may obtain customer preference information based on the customer's service usage history and determine one or more alternative options based on the customer's preference information. Here, "service usage history" is not limited to the customer's purchase history, but may be understood to include various aspects of the customer's usage history for shopping services related to providing item information and purchasing items. For example, the service usage history may further include a history of previously providing a specific option to the customer and a history of not selecting that option. In this way, options not previously selected by the customer may be determined to have a low customer preference. In addition, when determining whether to include "one or more alternative options", there may be various embodiments for determining one or more alternative options based on service usage history, such as whether an option for which the customer actually purchased an item may be judged to have a higher customer preference, or whether an option for which the customer has a history of adding items to a shopping cart may be judged to have a higher customer preference (although it may be lower than the actual purchase).

[0072] In addition, the results of providing information on one or more items to a customer this time also become part of the "service usage history" and may be taken into consideration when providing information on items to a customer again in the future.

[0073] In one embodiment, the operation of providing information on one or more alternative options may include: checking conditions for a customer to receive a benefit when purchasing a first item; and determining one or more alternative options based on the conditions for receiving the benefit. The conditions for a customer to receive the benefit may include one or more of conditions for receiving a free shipping benefit, conditions for receiving a discount benefit, and conditions for receiving (additional) point accumulation benefits. For example, if a customer pays 20,000 won or more to receive free shipping, the electronic device (110) may preferentially provide the customer with options corresponding to a price of 20,000 won or more. In another example, if a customer pays 20,000 won or more to receive free shipping and the customer already has items worth 12,000 won in their shopping cart, the electronic device (110) may preferentially provide the customer with options corresponding to a price of 8,000 won or more. In addition, there may be various embodiments, such as providing customers with options that apply a specific additional discount first, and considering whether the additional discount benefit can be applied to the customer (for example, if the discount benefit is provided when paying using a credit card from a specific company, whether the customer has a history of using that company's credit card or has registered that company's credit card for the service).

[0074] In one embodiment, the operation of providing information on one or more alternative options may include an operation of checking the service usage history of multiple other customers and an operation of determining one or more alternative options based on the service usage history of multiple other customers. For example, the electronic device (110) may preferentially provide the target customer with options frequently purchased by other customers with similar tastes to the target customer (e.g., with a generally similar item purchase history), and may also preferentially provide the target customer with options with a high overall purchase rate by other customers.

[0075] In addition, the results of providing information on one or more items to a customer this time also become part of the "service usage history" and may be taken into consideration when providing information on items to other customers in the future.

[0076] In addition to the embodiments described above, there may be various examples for determining one or more alternative options, and a specific example does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] In relation to the operation of drawing number 203, according to one embodiment, if there is a first item that satisfies a set condition among one or more items, the electronic device (110) may provide the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing a second item that satisfies the set criteria in relation to the first item. The “second item that satisfies the set criteria” may include, for example, another item in the same category as the first item, another item that can be used as a substitute for the first item, another item produced by the manufacturer of the first item, etc., but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to a specific example, if the first item is a detergent from Company A and a detergent from Company B satisfies the set criteria in relation to the first item, the electronic device (110) may provide the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the detergent from Company B. To explain again for ease of understanding, the electronic device (110) may not only provide the customer with information on “one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item”, but may also provide the customer with alternative options for purchasing other items that are in some relationship with the first item.

[0078] In connection with the operation of drawing number 203, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may provide an interface related to the purchase of at least some of one or more items. The interface may include one or more of an item-add-to-shopping-cart function and an item-immediate-purchase function, and may also include various other functions depending on the embodiment. Depending on the embodiment, the electronic device (110) may provide information that serves as the basis for configuring the interface, and the user's device (120) may configure the interface based on the information and provide it to the customer (e.g., display it on a screen).

[0079] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (110) may verify a customer's input on an interface associated with a first item and, in response to the customer's input, provide the customer with information about one or more alternative options. For example, if a customer clicks an "Add to Cart" icon or a "Buy Now" icon, the electronic device (110) may provide information about one or more alternative options in response.

[0080] A specific example of verifying a customer's input for an interface associated with a first item and providing information on one or more alternative options in response to the customer's input is illustrated in FIG. 3. Referring further to drawing number 310 of FIG. 3, an interface (311) including an add-to-cart function may be provided for the item "Company A Eco Dish Detergent Grapefruit Scent, 750ml, 1 ea" provided in response to a customer's search request for "dish detergent." When verifying a customer's input for the interface (311), the electronic device (110) may provide information on one or more alternative options in response to the customer's input, examples of which may be as shown in drawing numbers 410 and 420 of FIG. 4 (a detailed description related to FIG. 4 will be provided later).

[0081] Meanwhile, an embodiment of verifying a customer's input for an interface associated with a first item and providing information on one or more alternative options in response to the customer's input is merely a specific example of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, referring further to drawing number 320 of FIG. 3, in response to a customer's search request for "kitchen detergent," information on one or more alternative options, as shown in drawing number 321, may be provided directly on the item search results page for the item "Company A Eco Kitchen Detergent Grapefruit Scent, 750ml, 1 ea."

[0082] Additionally, depending on the embodiment, information about one or more alternative options, such as that shown in drawing number 321, may function as an interface associated with the first item. For example, when confirming a customer's input for a specific alternative option, the electronic device (110) may provide information about one or more alternative options in response to the customer's input. In this regard, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may highlight and display a specific option selected by the customer, as shown in drawing number 420 (when the customer selects the option "2 750ml bottles").

[0083] In addition, it can be confirmed that specific implementations of various contents described in relation to the present disclosure are exemplarily shown in FIG. 3. In the example of FIG. 3, "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent" is an item that was previously purchased in January 2024, which can be understood as an example of "the electronic device (110) determining one or more items based on the customer's purchase history" described above. In the example of FIG. 3, a representative option "750ml, 1 unit" related to "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent" and a representative option "750ml, 1 unit" related to "Company B Baking Soda Dishwasher Lemon" can be provided to the customer (as previously described, "Grapefruit Scent" can also be classified as part of the options). In the example of FIG. 3, "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent" is an item that was previously purchased in January 2024, and since it satisfies the condition of being an item that the customer has previously purchased, it can correspond to the "first item". Accordingly, a shopping cart interface (311) may be provided, or one or more alternative options may be provided (see drawing number 321).

[0084] Examples of providing information about one or more alternative options are illustrated in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the information of FIG. 4 may be provided in response to a customer's input to an interface (e.g., reference numeral 311 of FIG. 3), although the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0085] Referring to example drawing 410, the options a customer has added to their shopping cart are displayed at the top, with one or more alternative options displayed below. While example drawing 410 illustrates a case where a customer adds a specific option to their shopping cart, a similar screen can also be presented to the customer if they request an immediate purchase of a specific option.

[0086] Referring to the example of drawing number 420, information on the option selected by the customer may be provided in an emphasized form, while information on the remaining options may be provided in a less emphasized form. The example of drawing number 420 can be understood as indicating that the option "2 x 750ml" is highlighted when the customer selects the option. However, the selection of the option may have been made in advance before the information of drawing number 420 is provided (for example, the user selects the "2 x 750ml" option shown in drawing number 321 of FIG. 3), or the selected option may be highlighted and displayed in real time according to the user's input while the information of drawing number 420 is provided.

[0087] In addition, specific implementations of various contents described in relation to the present disclosure are exemplified in FIG. 4. In the example of FIG. 4, information may be provided that guides the differences between one or more alternative options, such as "Buy 2 and save 5,550 won," "Buy 3 and save 9,710 won," and "Buy 4 and save 16,610 won." On the other hand, information such as "550 won per 100 ml," "440 won per 100 ml," and "344 won per 100 ml" do not directly compare each option, but can be easily perceived as intuitive differences, and thus can be understood as a type of information that guides the differences.

[0088] Meanwhile, while the example in FIG. 4 illustrates cases where information on one or more alternative options is included in the bottom sheet at the bottom of the page, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, various embodiments may exist for configuring a page to include information on one or more alternative options, and further, information on one or more alternative options may be provided through a separate page.

[0089] Returning to FIG. 2 again, the electronic device (110) according to one embodiment can verify a customer's selection input for information on one or more alternative options, and in response to the customer's selection input, provide the customer with information on an item reflecting the option selected by the customer.

[0090] According to one example, in response to a customer's selection input, the electronic device (110) may provide the customer with option information in a form that highlights the option selected by the customer, as exemplarily illustrated in drawing number 420 of FIG. 4. According to another example, in response to the customer's selection input, the electronic device (110) may provide one or more of an item detail page including information about the item reflecting the option selected by the customer and a page related to the purchase of the item reflecting the option selected by the customer. In this regard, the purchase-related page may include one or more of a shopping cart page and an instant purchase page. In addition, various embodiments may exist regarding the form of providing the customer with information about the item reflecting the option selected by the customer.

[0091] Meanwhile, for the convenience of explanation, the embodiment of "confirming a customer's selection input for information on one or more alternative options, and providing the customer with information on items reflecting the customer's selected options in response to the customer's selection input" has been mainly described, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (110) may confirm a customer's input for an interface associated with a first item, and provide the customer with information on items reflecting the customer's input in response to the customer's input. Various embodiments of providing the customer with information on items reflecting the customer's input may fall within the scope of the present disclosure. As a more specific example, if a customer requests to add an item with a representative option to a shopping cart, the electronic device (110) may provide the customer with information on items reflecting the representative option. Furthermore, with respect to such an embodiment, the descriptions of the present disclosure with respect to the embodiment of "confirming a customer's selection input for information on one or more alternative options, and providing the customer with information on items reflecting the customer's selected options in response to the customer's selection input" may be applied.

[0092] A specific example of providing a customer with information about an item reflecting the customer's selected options is illustrated in FIG. 5. Referring further to FIG. 5, an item detail page containing information about an item reflecting the customer's selected options is illustrated at drawing number 510.

[0093] The example of FIG. 5 can be understood as a case where a customer selects the option "750 ml, 2 units" for the item "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent." The item image of drawing number 511 may include an image of two containers of dishwashing detergent. The item information of drawing number 512 may further include information on the option "750 ml, 2 units" in addition to the item information of "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent." In addition, referring to drawing number 513, a detailed information page according to one embodiment may further include information on one or more options for purchasing the item "Company A Eco Dishwasher Grapefruit Scent," and may be displayed in a form in which an option previously selected by the customer is highlighted (or pre-selected).

[0094] In addition to providing a customer with a detailed information page for an item, the illustrations and associated descriptions of FIG. 5 may be applied to various embodiments that provide a customer with information about an item that reflects the options selected by the customer.

[0095] In Figures 3 to 5, one or more alternative options are presented as examples of options with lower unit prices than the representative option. However, these are merely examples to aid understanding. As previously mentioned, various types of options, including options with different attributes than the representative option, may be included in one or more alternative options.

[0096] In addition, FIGS. 3 to 5 are merely examples to help understand the description and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, and various embodiments described in FIG. 2 may fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0097] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 6, the electronic device (110) includes a processor (610) and a memory (620), and may further include a transceiver (630) depending on the embodiment. The electronic device (110) is connected to a customer's device (120) and an external device through the transceiver (630), and may exchange data.

[0099] The processor (610) may include at least one of the devices described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, or may perform at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The memory (620) may store information for performing at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The memory (620) may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

[0100] The processor (610) can execute a program and control an electronic device (110) to provide information. The code of the program executed by the processor (610) can be stored in the memory (620).

[0101] Additionally, the electronic device (110) of the embodiment may further include an interface capable of providing information to a user (e.g., a customer).

[0102] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention. Although specific terms have been used, they are used in a general sense only to easily explain the technical contents of the present invention and to assist in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modified examples based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0103] The server or terminal according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. The methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program commands that can be executed on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer systems connected to a network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium is readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed by a processor.

[0104] The present embodiment may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various hardware and / or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiment may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which may perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the present embodiment may be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java, assembler, Python, etc., including various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms that execute on one or more processors. Furthermore, the present embodiment may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms like "mechanism," "element," "means," and "composition" can be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical components. These terms can also encompass a series of software routines, such as those associated with a processor.

[0105] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In a method of providing information in an electronic device, Step of obtaining a customer's item search request; determining one or more items in response to the above item search request; and Comprising a step of providing information on one or more of the above items to a customer, The step of providing information on one or more of the above items to the customer is If there is a first item that satisfies a set condition among the one or more items, a step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item is included. A method of providing information wherein said one or more alternative options are different from the representative options for purchasing said first item.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of providing information on one or more of the above items to the customer is A step of obtaining information on one or more representative options for purchasing one or more of the above items; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of providing information on one or more representative options to the customer.

3. In paragraph 2, The step of obtaining information on one or more representative options above is A step of checking the customer's purchase history of the item; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of determining at least some of the one or more representative options based on the purchase history of the item.

4. In paragraph 1, The conditions set above are A method for providing information, characterized in that it includes a condition that the customer has previously purchased an item.

5. In paragraph 1, The conditions set above are A method for providing information, characterized in that it includes a condition that there exists at least one option for purchasing an item, the unit price of which is lower than a representative option for purchasing the item to be provided to the customer.

6. In paragraph 1, One or more of the above alternative options are Options with lower unit prices compared to the above representative options and Options with different properties from the above representative options A method for providing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

7. In paragraph 1, The step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options is A step of identifying the differences between the one or more alternative options in contrast to the representative options; and A method for providing information, characterized by including a step of providing information guiding the above differentiation to the customer.

8. In paragraph 1, The step of providing information on one or more of the above items to the customer is Comprising a step of providing an interface related to the purchase of at least some of the one or more items, The above interface is A method of providing information, characterized in that it includes at least one of an add to cart feature for an item and an instant purchase feature for an item.

9. In paragraph 8, The step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options is A step of verifying the customer's input for the interface associated with the first item; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises the step of providing information of one or more alternative options to the customer in response to the customer's input.

10. In paragraph 1, A step of confirming the customer's selection input for information on one or more alternative options; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it further comprises the step of providing the customer with information on an item reflecting the option selected by the customer in response to the customer's selection input.

11. In paragraph 10, The step of providing the customer with information about the item reflecting the option selected by the customer A step of providing a detail information page of an item including information about the item reflecting the options selected by the customer; and Including one or more steps of providing a page related to the purchase of an item reflecting the options selected by the customer; A method for providing information, characterized in that the page related to the purchase includes at least one of a shopping cart page and an instant purchase page.

12. In paragraph 1, The step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options is Step of checking the service usage history of the above customer; A step of obtaining preference information of the customer based on the service usage history of the customer; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of determining one or more alternative options based on the customer's preference information.

13. In paragraph 1, The step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options is A step of confirming the conditions for the customer to receive benefits when purchasing the first item; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of determining one or more alternative options based on conditions for receiving the above benefits.

14. In paragraph 1, The step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options is A step for checking the service usage history of multiple other customers; and A method for providing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of determining one or more alternative options based on the service usage history of the plurality of other customers.

15. In paragraph 1, The step of providing information on one or more of the above items to the customer is A method for providing information, characterized in that it further comprises a step of providing the customer with information on one or more alternative options for purchasing a second item that satisfies the set criteria in relation to the first item, if there is a first item that satisfies the set condition among the one or more items.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of paragraph 1 on a computer.

17. In an electronic device that provides information, Includes a memory and a processor that stores instructions, The above processor is connected to the above memory, Obtain customer item search requests, In response to the above item search request, determine one or more items, Provide customers with information on one or more of the above items, In order to provide information on one or more of the above items to the customer, the processor, If there is a first item that satisfies the set conditions among the above one or more items, information on one or more alternative options for purchasing the first item is provided to the customer, An electronic device wherein said one or more alternative options are different from the representative options for purchasing said first item.

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