JP2002055980A - Information retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save labor and time to collect and store contents and to make it easy to browse desired contents. SOLUTION: Information providing computer systems 13-1 to 13-M and personal computers 12-1 to 12-N are connected through the Internet 11. Another information reproviding computer 16 is connected to the Internet and when prescribed contents are accessed by the information providing computers, a transfer request is sent out to the information reproviding computer system. The information reproviding computer system is provided with a picture regarding the contents prescribed for a personal computer having gained access at the transfer request. When the personal makes a request to browse the prescribed contents according to the picture, the prescribed contents are sent out to the personal computer. Here, one of the information providing computers may function as the information reproviding computer system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information retrieval system, and more particularly, to an information retrieval system using the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various kinds of information (contents) have been provided by using the Internet. For this reason, many homepages are posted on the Internet. When browsing desired content, the user accesses the Internet using a personal computer, searches for a homepage on which the desired content (the desired) is posted, and obtains the desired content from the homepage. ing.

In general, there are a large number of information providing companies that provide contents, and when a user tries to browse contents of the information providing company, a specific one of a plurality of information providing companies is provided. The company accesses a company homepage and downloads necessary (desired) contents. In this case, if there is no desired content in the specific information providing company, the user accesses the homepage of another information providing company to check whether or not the desired content exists. Then, such access will be continued until the desired content is found.

On the other hand, on the information providing company side, it is necessary to accumulate all contents in a database for service to the user, that is, so that the user can obtain desired contents at one time.

[0005]

As described above, it is necessary for an information provider to accumulate various contents in a database or the like and respond to a user's search request. Content needs to be collected and stored.

[0006] Furthermore, information providers naturally have a field of specialty. Although it is relatively easy to collect and accumulate contents relating to such a field of specialty in a database, it is relatively unsatisfactory, that is, It is difficult to collect and store in a database content related to weak areas. For this reason, the contents of the contents often differ for each information providing company. Furthermore, even in the same field, the quality of content often differs for each information provider, and the frequency of search for the information provider is determined by the quality of the content.

On the other hand, if the content and / or quality of the content is different for each information company, the user must access the homepages of a plurality of information providing companies until the desired content is obtained. In addition to the problem that it takes time to obtain, there is also a problem that the search fee (use fee) becomes high.

In any case, the information provider must collect and accumulate various contents, and on the other hand, it takes time for the user to obtain the desired contents, and the usage fee increases. There is a problem.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an information retrieval system capable of easily accessing and downloading desired contents.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information search system that can save the trouble of collecting and storing contents in an information providing company.

[0011]

According to the present invention, a plurality of information providing computer systems and a plurality of personal computers are connected via the Internet, and the personal computer accesses the information providing computer system to access desired contents. An information retrieval system for obtaining
Another re-information providing computer system is connected to the Internet, and each of the information providing computer systems sends a transfer request to the re-information providing computer system when the personal computer has access to a predetermined content. Sending request means for sending, the re-information providing computer system provides a screen relating to the predetermined content to the personal computer which has accessed the access in response to the transfer request; An information retrieval system characterized by comprising: sending means for sending the predetermined content to the personal computer when there is a request for browsing the predetermined content from the personal computer.

[0012] For example, the information providing homepage provided by the information providing computer system is provided with a call column for calling the reinformation providing homepage provided by the reinformation providing computer system. When content browsing is requested, the transmitting means transmits the predetermined content to the personal computer.

Further, the re-information providing computer system includes a database for periodically collecting and updating the predetermined content, and the re-information providing computer system transmits the predetermined content to the personal computer. After the transmission, there is a charging unit for charging the user of the personal computer. Further, on the re-information providing home page, a notification column for notifying the title of the predetermined content is provided.

[0014] One of the information providing computer systems may also function as the re-information providing computer system.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated information search system is, for example, an information search system using the Internet 11, and a plurality of personal computers 1
2-1 to 12-N and a plurality of information provider company computer systems 13-1 to 13-M are connected (here, N and M are integers of 2 or more). The information providing company computer systems 13-1 to 13-M include computers 14-1 to 14-M, respectively, and databases 14-1 to 15-M are connected to the computers 14-1 to 14-M, respectively. I have. In the illustrated example, the provider device is omitted for convenience of explanation.

Further, another information providing company computer system 16 is connected to the Internet 11.
The information providing company computer system 16 includes a computer 16a, and a database 16b is connected to the computer 16a. Here, the information providing company computer system 16 is referred to as a re-information providing company computer system 16. A plurality of information providing companies have concluded information (content) transfer contracts described later with the re-information providing company, for example, personal computers 12-n (where n is 1 and N
, An access is made to the computer system 13-m (m is an arbitrary number between 1 and M) of each information provider from the arbitrary number between the information providing companies, and a request is made to browse predetermined contents. Then, the computer system 13-m
A transfer request is sent to the computer system 16. Based on this transfer request, the computer system 16 is connected to the personal computer 12-n. Then, the computer 16a searches the database 16b in response to a download request from the personal computer 12-n, reads out the predetermined content, and downloads the predetermined content to the personal computer 12n.

Here, a search method in the information search system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, M = 3.

On the Internet, there are first to third information providing company computer systems 13-1 to 13-3.
First to third homepages 21-1 respectively
21 to 21-3, and the user accesses any of the first to third homepages 21-1 to 21-3 when browsing desired content.

As described above, the first to third information providing companies have concluded an information (content) transfer contract with the re-information providing company, and the content and quality of the content to be transferred in the information transfer contract. Etc. are contracted. In the illustrated example, the content relating to the old comic book is defined as a predetermined content, that is, a transfer content.

The re-information provider regularly receives publication information from a plurality of bookstores, and in the example shown in the figure, periodically receives information on manga weekly magazines and monthly magazines that have been released so far. ing. The publication information is stored in the database 16b. Note that bookstores are provided with information on past publications from multiple publishers.

Now, when the user calls up the first homepage 21-1 from the personal computer 12-1 to view and download the old comic strip, and clicks on the "old comic strip" column, the computer 14-1 A transfer request is sent to the computer 16a.
Thereby, the computer 16a is connected to the personal computer 12-1.
The homepage 17 is displayed again on the screen of the personal computer 12-1.

The re-home page 17 is a page relating to predetermined contents. In the illustrated example, a page relating to a long-term comic book is a personal computer 12-.
1 appears on the screen. The re-homepage 17 has a column for identifying publications related to the old comics,
When one of them is specified, a page on which the title of the work published in the specific publication appears appears on the screen of the personal computer 12-1. Then, when a download request specifying the title of the work is made, the computer 16a sends the database 16
and retrieves the contents of the work to the personal computer 12-1.

On the re-homepage 17, for example, about seven manga weekly magazines and monthly magazines released so far are taken up as lineup magazines every week, and the re-homepage 17 introduces the masterpieces therein. . This lineup magazine changes weekly, and the lineup magazines up to the last week are stored in the database 16b as back numbers,
It can be downloaded as needed.

Further, a subscription to a desired magazine can be made on the re-home page 17, and when a user desires to subscribe to a magazine, a notice to that effect is given to a bookstore handling the corresponding magazine.

As described above, when the content is downloaded, the computer 16 a
-1 is charged, and a usage fee is collected from the user of the personal computer 12-1 at a later date. Then, the re-information providing company pays a commission (a commission (use fee) for providing information on publications) to the bookstore. In addition, bookstores pay publishers a fee (usage fee) for providing information on past publications, and publishers pay usage fees to authors such as manga artists.

In the above-mentioned system, even when the second or third homepage 21-2 or 21-3 is called from the personal computer 12-1, clicking on the column of "Nostalgic drama comic" causes the computer 14-2. Or 14-
3 sends a transfer request to the computer 16a. As a result, the computer 16a is connected to the personal computer 12-1, and the home page 17 is displayed again on the screen of the personal computer 12-1, and thereafter, the processing is performed as described above.

Similarly, the personal computers 12-2 to 12-
N to first to third homepages 21-1 to 21-
Even when page No. 3 is called, if the column of "Nostalgic dramatic comic" is clicked, the computers 14-1 to 14-3 send a transfer request to the computer 16a.
Thereby, the computer 16a is connected to the personal computer 12-2.
To 12-N and the personal computers 12-2 to 12-N.
The homepage 17 is displayed again on the screen of N, and thereafter the processing is performed as described above.

In the above-described example, the "previously defined drama comic" is given as an example of the predetermined content.
Not limited to, for example, contents related to financial business such as politics, economy, finance, management, etc., contents related to literary arts such as novels, history, book reviews, poetry, contents related to computers, contents related to science and medicine, contents related to sports, vehicles, etc. Content, content related to music, movies, theater, etc., content related to art, photography, etc., content related to cooking, pets, lifestyle, etc.
Content related to hobbies, games, travel, and the like may be set as content that is defined in advance.

As described above, in the above example, for one of the computer systems of a plurality of information providing companies (for one of the homepages of the plurality of information providing companies),
When a request for browsing the predetermined content is made, the content is transferred to a computer system of a specific information providing company (re-information providing company) (jumps to the homepage of the re-information providing company), and the predetermined content is provided from this home page. Is browsed / downloaded, each information provider can omit the collection and accumulation of predetermined contents. On the other hand, the user can easily browse and download the desired content regardless of the homepage of any information providing company, and can obtain the desired content in a short time.

In the above example, the re-information provider computer system is provided separately. However, one of the plurality of information provider computer systems may function as the re-information provider computer system. . In this case, one of the computer systems of the plurality of information providing companies provides the content defined in advance and also provides the content unique to itself.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, when one of a plurality of information providing company computer systems is requested to browse a predetermined content,
Since this request was transferred to the computer system of the re-information provider, and the user browsed and downloaded the prescribed content from this computer system,
In each information providing company, there is an effect that collection and accumulation of predetermined contents can be omitted.

On the other hand, the user can easily browse and download the desired content regardless of the computer system of any of the information providing companies, and can obtain the desired content in a short time. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an information search system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a search in the information search system shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Internet 12-1 to 12-N Personal computer 13-1 to 13-M Information providing company computer system 14-1 to 14-M Computer 15-1 to 15-M database 16 Re-information providing company computer system 16a Computer 16b Database 17 Re-Homepage 21-1 to 21-3 Homepage

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B075 PQ02 PQ05 5B082 FA11 FA12 GC04

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of information providing computer systems and a plurality of personal computers are connected via the Internet,
An information search system for accessing the information providing computer system from the personal computer to obtain desired contents, wherein another re-information providing computer system is connected to the Internet,
Each of the information providing computer systems is provided with transfer request means for sending a transfer request to the re-information providing computer system when there is access from the personal computer regarding a predetermined content. Providing means for providing a screen relating to the predetermined content to the personal computer which has made the access in response to the transfer request; and providing a request for browsing the predetermined content from the personal computer in response to the screen. An information retrieval system, comprising: transmission means for transmitting specified content to the personal computer. 2. The information retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the information providing homepage provided by said information providing computer system is provided with a call column for calling up the re-information providing homepage provided by said re-information providing computer system. system. 3. When the browsing of the predetermined content is requested on the re-information providing homepage, the transmitting means transmits the predetermined content to the personal computer. The information retrieval system according to claim 2. 4. The information according to claim 1, wherein the re-information providing computer system includes a database for periodically collecting and updating the predetermined content. Search system. 5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said re-information providing computer system includes charging means for charging said user of said personal computer after transmitting said predetermined content to said personal computer. The information retrieval system according to any one of the above. 6. The information search according to claim 2, wherein a notification section for notifying a title of the predetermined content is provided on the re-information providing homepage. system. 7. The information providing computer system according to claim 1, wherein one of said information providing computer systems also functions as said re-information providing computer system.
The information retrieval system according to any one of the above.