Image-Based Product Identification and Side-by-Side Comparison System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users find it annoying to search for product information, especially when they do not recognize identifying information, making it difficult to browse product details in existing electronic commerce systems.
Innovation Solution
An information providing system that includes an image acquiring unit, a specifying unit, a page acquiring unit, and a display unit, allowing users to input an image of a product, analyze it to specify the product, acquire corresponding product pages from multiple electronic commerce sites, and display them side by side for easy comparison.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users perform manual search operations (entering keywords) to browse product information, then product information can be retrieved, but user operation complexity increases and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic product identification and information retrieval without requiring user input of search keywords. The image acquiring unit captures product images, the specifying unit automatically identifies products through image analysis, and the page acquiring unit retrieves product pages from multiple e-commerce sites, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual user operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical search operations (typing keywords, navigating menus) with automated image-based recognition technology. The specifying unit uses image analysis to automatically identify products, substituting the mechanical interaction of manual searching with an automated visual recognition system that directly retrieves product information
2Loss of information
If users search for products without recognizing identifying information, then product search becomes difficult, but the system should still enable product information browsing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image as an intermediary between the user and the product identification process. Instead of requiring users to directly input product identifying information (which they may not know), the system uses image capture as an intermediate step that the specifying unit then analyzes to automatically identify the product and retrieve its information
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual product identification methods (which require users to know and input identifying information) with automated image analysis technology. The specifying unit analyzes captured images to automatically identify products, substituting the difficult manual identification process with automated visual recognition
3Ease of operation
If product pages from multiple e-commerce sites are displayed side by side, then product comparison becomes easier, but display system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the display of product information from multiple e-commerce sites into separate, organized sections or frames that are arranged side by side. Each product page is segmented and displayed in its own designated area, allowing users to easily compare products across different sites without the information becoming overwhelming or chaotic
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple product pages from different e-commerce sites into a single unified display interface. The display unit combines the acquired pages and arranges them side by side in one view, allowing users to compare products across multiple sites simultaneously without needing to switch between different windows or tabs
Data Source
AI summary
An image acquiring unit acquires an image representing a product. A specifying unit specifies the product by analyzing the acquired image. A page acquiring unit acquires a page from at least one server apparatus providing the page including information of the specified product. A display unit displays a screen 300A in which page images 301, 302, and 303 corresponding to the acquired pages are arranged side by side.