JP6938562B2 - Online sales system, online sales method, computer program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure improves operability and clarifies product explanations, etc. regarding online sales systems, online sales methods, and computer programs, especially in systems for explaining products and making purchase applications posted on the WEB on the Internet. Regarding the configuration.

Currently, explanations of various products and services are posted on the WEB (hypertext that is stretched in a spider web shape using an Internet communication network that interconnects computers in various places) on the Internet. Consumers who wish to browse and purchase products can apply for purchase of products by operating personal computers, smartphones, personal digital assistants, and the like.

For example, in the following Patent Document 1, when the product is clothing, an image of a model (person) who actually wears the clothing is posted in the Internet auction to improve the convenience of the user who tries to make a successful bid. The configuration is described in paragraphs 0015 to 0021.

The product description information that was just posted on the WEB has dramatically improved accessibility compared to conventional paper product pamphlets, but the content is nothing more than digitization of paper pamphlets. As it can be said, the goodness and appeal points of a product do not always directly affect the hearts of those who wish to purchase it, with such information that is simply posted.

At department stores and specialty stores, specialized sales staff provide face-to-face explanations with customers and answer customer questions and questions, which is very convenient from the customer's point of view. Can better understand the goodness of the product. However, face-to-face sales have a limited number of customers that can be contacted at one time, and customers have to go to department stores and specialty stores to receive explanations.

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, since a real person wears clothes and distributes the image, it is easy for the customer to grasp the image of the product, but a site that anyone can browse on the WEB. It is difficult for auction sellers, who should be models, to show themselves as a model because they feel a strong sense of resistance.

On the other hand, as a configuration that is not used for such product sales systems, a virtual space that can be viewed from other terminals is created on the Internet, and avatars (virtual characters that replace humans) are placed there. The operator controls the movement of the avatar, and it is possible to disclose his performance to a third party without exposing his face or figure on the Internet.

For example, in Patent Document 2 below, the content distribution server 100 synthesizes distributor information as virtual character (also referred to as “avatar”) information in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the corresponding example description portion. It is described that the video generation unit 142 that generates the video in the virtual space and the distribution unit 143 that distributes the live content based on the video generated by the video generation unit 142.

Further, Non-Patent Document 1 below describes an outline of a virtual space called virtual cast (trademark pending) and a virtual character distribution system, a list of functions, and the like.

Further, in Non-Patent Document 2 below, in the above list of virtual cast functions, a function called "desktop screen display" makes the screen of a PC (meaning "personal computer") VR (meaning "personal computer"). (Meaning of "virtual reality") It is explained that it can be displayed in space, and similarly, an item called "laser pointer" is used for operating whiteboards, desktops, and captures.

However, these Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not mention the use of WEB purchasing systems and sales systems on the Internet.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an online sales system, an online sales method, and a computer program that clearly conveys the goodness of the product to the customer and has high operability and convenience. The purpose.

Publication of patent application 2016 Gazette No. 21255 Japanese Patent No. 6397595

"What is Nico Nico Pedia Virtual Cast? (What is Virtual Cast)?" nicovideo. jp / a / virtual% 20cast "Virtual Cast Wiki" https: // virtual cast. playing. wiki / d /% B5% A1% C7% BD% BO% EC% CD% F7

Means to solve problems

1)
It is an online sales system that displays the explanation of the target product on the WEB screen online and accepts the purchase application of the target product.
An explanation data distribution server that distributes WEB screen display data for explaining the target product to the purchaser terminal that connects online to the system.
An avatar distribution server that distributes data for displaying both the WEB screen display and the avatar or the photographed image object of a real person that performs the explanation operation of the target product to the purchaser terminal, and the target product. In an online sales system, which is characterized in that an order server that receives a purchase application from a purchaser terminal is provided as an integrated unit or separately, the data distributed by the avatar distribution server is displayed on the WEB screen. The virtual object based on the avatar or the photographed image object of the real person is arranged and displayed in the virtual space.
The description operation of the target product by the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person is performed as a live broadcast displayed in real time by the operator of the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person. Online sales system.
2)
Virtual object based on the WEB screen displayed in the virtual space, characterized in that the operation by the purchaser terminals to view the display of the virtual space is configured to have a virtual operating unit capable, 1 ) Described in the online sales system.
3 )
The online sales system according to 1) or 2), wherein the avatar is configured to change its display mode according to the operation performed by the avatar operator.
4 )
An online sales system that displays a description of a target product online on a WEB screen and accepts purchase applications for the target product is an online sales method that is executed by using one or more servers of its own.
Explanation data distribution step, in which at least one of the servers distributes WEB screen display data for explaining the target product to the purchaser terminal connected to the online sales system.
At least one of the servers distributes data to the purchaser terminal to further display the WEB screen display and the avatar that performs the explanation operation of the target product or the photographed image object of the actual person. In the online sales method, the data to be distributed in the avatar distribution step is characterized in that the distribution step and the ordering step in which one of the servers accepts the purchase application of the target product from the purchaser terminal are provided. It is configured to arrange and display a virtual object based on the WEB screen display and a photographed image object of an avatar or a real person in the virtual space.
The description operation of the target product by the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person is performed as a live broadcast displayed in real time by the operator of the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person. Online sales method.
5 )
Virtual object based on the WEB screen displayed in the virtual space, characterized in that the operation by the purchaser terminals to view the display of the virtual space is configured to have a virtual operating unit capable, 4 ) Described in the online sales method.
6 )
The online sales method according to 4 ) or 5), wherein the avatar is configured to change its display mode according to the operation performed by the avatar operator.
8 )
A computer program for executing the online sales method according to any one of 4 ) to 6).

The invention's effect

By having the above-described configuration, the present invention can provide an online sales system, an online sales method, and a computer program that clearly convey the goodness of the product to the customer and have high operability and convenience. ..

It is a conceptual diagram of the Internet shopping site display screen which concerns on the prior art. It is a conceptual diagram of the Internet shopping site display screen which concerns on the prior art. It is a conceptual diagram of the Internet shopping site display screen which concerns on the prior art. It is a conceptual diagram of the Internet shopping site display screen which concerns on the prior art. It is an overall block diagram of the 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram of the search and order-taking server of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram of the moving image distribution server of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the screen display in the 1st purchaser terminal of the 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the screen display in the 1st purchaser terminal of the 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is an avatar display control sequence chart in 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the data used for renting an avatar in the 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic appearance figure of the 1st purchaser terminal of 1st Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is an overall block diagram of the 2nd Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram of the avatar distribution terminal of the 2nd Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the face tracking operation in 2nd Embodiment of the online purchase system which concerns on this invention.

[Overview of online shopping in the prior art]
Prior to explaining each embodiment of the present invention, an outline of online shopping (hereinafter, also referred to as “Internet shopping”) in the prior art will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

1 to 4 are conceptual diagrams of screen displays assuming a situation in which a user accesses an online shopping site using a PC (personal computer) or a smartphone and tries to select and purchase a desired product in the prior art. Yes, the housings of PCs and smartphones, their terminals and servers, and the configuration of transmission lines are omitted.

The user is accessing the online shipping site "Net Shopping" from a search or information of a URL (uniform resource locator) obtained in advance, and the portal screen 101 is displayed in FIG. 1.

On the portal screen 101, a site name display 102 called "Net Shopping", a home button 103 for transitioning to the portal screen, a shopping cart button 104 for temporarily storing products to be purchased, and purchased products are displayed. Delivery display button 105 for checking the delivery status, point display button 106 for displaying the number of points added for each product purchase on the site or other site, past purchase history of the user on the site A history display button 107 for displaying, an inquiry button 108 for inquiring about unclear points or notifying registration information changes to the site, a search input field 109 for searching for a desired product by entering keywords, etc. are arranged. Has been done.

Further, on the portal screen 101, a category column 110, which is a button organized by classification first for searching a product, is arranged, and a "food" category button 110a is included in the category column 110. Similarly, on the portal screen 101, an advertisement button 111 for the product and a display 112 for the recommended product to be purchased based on the past purchase or search history of the user are arranged.

FIG. 1 shows a food category screen 113 displayed when the user selects the illustrated “food” category button 110a and clicks, for example, with a mouse, and the screen 113 has been described above. In addition to the button, the pass display 114 is displayed as "Category> Food", and in the food category column 110, "Vegetables / Fruits" category button is displayed along with "Sake", "Canned / preserved food", and "Sweets". 110b and the display 115 of the product included in the food category are arranged respectively.

If the explanation is continued by omitting the "vegetable / fruit" category display screen displayed when the user selects the "vegetable / fruit" category button 110b in FIG. 2, the subsequent transition is followed by the "apple" category screen. In FIG. 3, which shows the situation where 116 is displayed, the category path display 114 has the content of "category> food> vegetables / fruits> apples", and "Aomori Ring Tsugaru" and "Nagano Apple Akibae". , "Fukushima Apple Korin" are displayed as examples of products.

FIG. 4 shows an individual product page 117 displayed when the user selects "Aomori Ring Tsugaru" on the "Apple" category screen 116, in which the description 118 of the product and the purchase of the product are purchased. A "Add to shopping cart" button 119 for selection, a photo of the producer who produced the item, and a comment 120 are also displayed.
Through the screen transitions and operations as described above, the user will purchase the selected product "Aomori Apple Tsugaru" from the situation where the portal screen 101 is displayed.

[Structure of First Embodiment of the Present Invention-Online Purchasing System]
Hereinafter, the online purchase system 1, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 18.

Not limited to this embodiment, each embodiment described in the present specification is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications and combinations with other techniques are possible, and these are also included in the present invention. included.

In the online purchase system shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 5, the user first accesses the search and order server 2 using a first purchase terminal 5 which is a PC (personal computer), a smartphone, or other information terminal, and appropriately. The moving image distribution server 3 generates and distributes data for the avatar (virtual substitute character) in the virtual space to explain the product, thereby providing the user with the product selection. A second purchaser terminal 6 and a plurality of user terminals can be connected to the system 1, and the configurations and functions of these user terminals are the same as those of the first purchaser terminal 5. Omit. These configurations of the system 1 are data-connected to each other by the Internet communication network 4.

It should be noted that the fact that the system 1 has two server configurations of the search and order server 2 and the moving image distribution server 3 is not essential or unavoidable in the implementation of the present invention, and the above or below of each server will be described. Of course, the functions and configurations may be realized by one or more servers, and the present invention also includes each configuration in which the servers of these functions are integrated or separated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the search and order server 2 includes an input / output interface 2a that connects data inside and outside the server 2, a control unit 2b that is a CPU (central processing unit) that controls and controls the entire server 2, and a product to be sold. Product information recording unit 2c for recording and accumulating individual information and information of each category and displaying each page as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 as the configuration of online shopping of the prior art, and those products. GUI (graphic user interface) distribution unit 2d that generates specific page configuration data in a form such as HTML based on information, and program storage unit 2f that readablely stores each computer program to be executed by the server 2. , User management unit 2g that records purchase history, credit information such as credit card, point information, etc. as information of users who have purchased or registered in the past through online shopping, receives orders for products selected by the user , An order processing unit 2h for instructing the shipment of products, a bus 2i for interconnecting each configuration in the server 2, and the like.

Similarly, the moving image distribution server 3 included in the system 1 has an input / output interface 3a, which is a data transmission / reception interface inside and outside the server, a control unit 3b that controls the entire server 3, and a control unit 3b, as shown in FIG. Content recording unit 3c that records moving images or moving image rendering data for explaining each product, and these moving image data or moving images in response to requests from users who browse the pages of each product, etc. The content distribution unit 3d, which distributes the data for drawing (rendering) the data to the first purchaser terminal 5 via the search and order server 2, and each computer program for operating the server 3 are readable and recorded. Program storage unit 3f, content management unit 3g that manages information such as which page of which product the moving image for explaining each product is associated with, product explanation page and in a virtual space Place avatars in space, place virtual cameras for observing those objects, and generate image data (geometric and drawing data for each object) of the virtual space as seen from the camera. The program includes a VR (virtual reality) space generation unit 3h, a bus 3i for connecting data to each configuration in the server 3, and the like.

Next, according to FIG. 8 showing the configuration of the first purchaser terminal 5 realized by a PC (personal computer), a smartphone, or another information terminal, the first purchaser terminal 5 is inside and outside the terminal. It is realized by the input / output interface 5a, the control unit 5b that controls the entire terminal 5, the display control unit 5c that controls the display of the display unit 5f provided in the terminal, the LCD (liquid crystal display) panel, and the like. Display unit 5f, operation unit 5g realized by a mouse or keyboard used for the user to perform input operations, program storage unit 5h for readable storage of computer programs executed by the terminal 5, the online purchase It is equipped with a data storage unit 5i that stores URL (uniform resource locator) information for accessing the system 1 as a favorite list of browsing software, a comment posting unit 5k that posts comments on moving images, and the like.

Traditionally, a service that allows users to create text with a keyboard or the like while playing a live broadcast on a video posting / viewing site, etc., and post it to the site's server, where comments are superimposed on the screen in real time. Is operated. The posted playback time of the comment post being played is recorded on the server, and when another user plays the same video content from the next time onward, the past comment is also played according to the previously posted playback time. Therefore, the information of the comment will be shared between the poster and the subsequent playback viewer.

In this system 1, this comment function is used for word-of-mouth display. Details will be described later.

FIG. 9 schematically shows a situation in which the user has advanced to the display of the individual product information page using the first purchaser terminal 5 of the system 1, and the path display field 9b is displayed on the display unit 5f. , Product description 9c, button 9d to put in the shopping cart, producer's photo and comment 9e, etc. are displayed, which is the same as the online shopping in the prior art described above.

The characteristic point of this system 1 is that the avatar display button 9a is displayed on the screen.

When the user selects the avatar display button 9a by hovering the mouse cursor 9g and clicking the mouse 9f, as shown in FIG. 10, the display unit 5f of the first purchaser terminal 5 displays the virtual space 10f. Switch. In the present embodiment, the display unit 5f of the first purchaser terminal 5 displays both the explanation page 10b of the individual product, which is a WEB screen display, and the avatar, in this case, the avatar 10c of the producer of Aomori apple Tsugaru. Has been done. In addition, instead of or in addition to the avatar, a photographed image of a real person may be displayed. These explanation pages 10b and the avatar 10c may be displayed side by side in a plane on the display screen as they are, but each of them is displayed as a virtual object in the virtual space 10a having a depth composed of three dimensions. It may be. By displaying in this way, the avatar 10c and the like are recognized as a three-dimensional display to increase the reality, and the explanation page 10b displayed together is also recognized as a three-dimensional object. Therefore, the explanation page 10b and the avatar are displayed. When both 10c and 10c are displayed, there is no sense of discomfort from the viewing side. In this way, the description page of the individual product, which is the WEB screen display, and the avatar are both displayed on the display unit of the terminal, and a photographed image of a real person is displayed in place of or in addition to the avatar. The explanation page and the avatar may be displayed side by side on the display screen as they are, but each of them is used as a virtual object in a virtual space having a depth composed of three dimensions. The point that it may be displayed is common to other embodiments of the present invention.

In the virtual space 10a, the explanation page 10b of the individual product described above is displayed as a virtual object (object), and the home button 10d and the delivery button 10e are displayed in the explanation page 10b. , "Add to shopping cart" button 9d, etc., all buttons or some buttons are virtual operation units, and the user who is browsing this virtual space 10a moves the mouse cursor 9g with the mouse 9f to obtain the desired button. By clicking the mouse at the position, the operation can be performed in the same manner as the button selection operation in the normal browser screen display.

In addition, an avatar, in this case the avatar 10c of the producer of Aomori Ringo Tsugaru, is displayed in the virtual space 10a, and the avatar 10c is the goodness of this product, selection points, purchase method, and desirable purchase time (apple's). (Harvest time) etc. are explained not only by voice but also by gestures and facial expressions, so the goodness of the product is directly conveyed to the browsing user, the information on product selection increases for the user, and sales promotion for the seller. Leads to.

Since the avatar 10c performs movements including joints and skeletons and also performs vocalizations for explanations, the operator performing the operations for performing the movements and vocalizations may be optically, magnetically, acoustically or acoustically. It may be operated by moving one's body or making a voice so that it can be detected by a mechanical sensor (not shown), or for the movement, position, posture, or voice of the avatar 10c. Data is prepared in advance, and the avatar 10c may be configured to change its position or posture or utter according to the data. These configurations can be commonly applied when operating various avatars in carrying out the present invention.

Instead of the avatar 10c (virtual character), a photographed image of a real person may be used. This point is common to each embodiment of the present application. When a real portrait image is used, face-to-face sales in the real space can be reproduced more realistically.

In addition, the user can purchase this product or move to the search for other products by moving the mouse cursor 9g while keeping the virtual space 10a displayed, so the normal browsing screen (avatar is not displayed). There is an advantage that the operability is very good because there is no need to go back to.

Here, a configuration in which the user can operate the operation buttons in the page despite the page displayed in the virtual space 10a will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11A shows a situation in which the user is trying to select the shopping cart button by moving the mouse cursor on the individual product page of Aomori Ringo Tsugaru, which is a normal full-screen WEB screen. The first purchaser terminal 5 knows the absolute coordinates in the screen display of the mouse cursor 5g, and in FIG. 11A, it is displayed as a point P1 (X1, Y1). When the mouse is clicked at the position of the mouse cursor 5g, the above coordinate information "X1, Y1" is transmitted to the server 2. The server 3 knows the screen currently displayed by the first purchaser terminal 5, and it is predetermined on the screen which operation button is displayed on the screen with which absolute coordinate value. As a result, the server 2 can know that the button selected by the user is a shopping cart button.

On the other hand, in FIG. 11B in which the individual product explanation page is displayed in the virtual space, the page is not displayed in full screen but is displayed in a slightly deformed state. Therefore, each point on the page displayed in FIG. 11 (A) has a point (P2 (X2, Y2)) corresponding to one-to-one in the page displayed in FIG. 11 (B), and the server 3 is virtual. When creating the space, we are creating a function or comparison table that associates the points P1 (X1, Y1) with the points P2 (X2, Y2), so the point P2 mouse-clicked in the virtual space is full screen. It can be known that it is the point P1 of the display, that is, the shopping cart button.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which a user can operate an operation button in a WEB page displayed as an object in a virtual space, which is a mode different from the configuration described above with reference to FIG. be. The user is trying to operate the "Add to shopping cart" button 9d, and when the mouse cursor 9g in the screen 5f is moved closer to the button 9d by operating the mouse 9f, a pop-up window 9d-1 appears, and " The URL (uniform, resource, locator) for performing the operation of "putting in the shopping cart" is displayed. This may be a method in which the system reads the operation URL of the button 9d embedded in the WEB page 10b in advance and the system generates a pop-up window 9d-1 according to the embedded URL, or another method. May be. Further, the pop-up window (not shown) may be similarly displayed by other buttons 10d, 10e, etc. other than the "Add to shopping cart" display button 9d used in the explanation.

Although the operation is realized by using the embedded URL, the pop-up window for displaying the URL is not displayed on the screen, and the operation button 9d on the WEB page 10b, which is an object in the virtual space 10a, is clicked with the mouse. By performing an operation or the like, an operation using the embedded URL may be executed.

By enabling the operation execution using the URL as shown in FIG. 12, the operation that attempts to operate the WEB page, which is an object displayed in the virtual space, is not restricted by the drawing accuracy. There is an effect that high-precision operation can be performed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing one mode of display when the home button 10d of the individual product explanation page shown in FIG. 10 is selected. In FIG. 13, the individual product explanation page of Aomori apple Tsugaru is created in the virtual space 10a. In addition to 10b, the portal screen 12a of this shopping site is superimposed and displayed. It should be noted that only the portal screen 12a may be displayed. Then, as the avatar, instead of the producer avatar 10c of Aomori apple Tsugaru, the shopping site common avatar 12b is displayed, and the main product of the site is explained, the usage of the site is explained, and the like. In this way, different avatars are displayed depending on the page for which display is selected, so the convenience of the user is increased, and from the interest of what kind of avatar or an image of a real person appears, the site It can also be expected to have the effect of increasing the utilization rate and browsing time.

In FIG. 14, as in FIG. 10, the individual product explanation page 10b of Aomori Ringo Tsugaru is displayed in the virtual space 10a, but the position of the virtual camera (not shown) in the virtual space 10a is determined by the user's operation. Instead, you can browse page 10b from different angles.

In FIG. 15, unlike the conventional aspects, the page is displayed in full screen on the display screen 5f instead of the virtual space.

In any of the embodiments described above, the user not only uses the mouse or the like, but also operates the operation buttons of the page by operating the avatar, for example, the hand of the avatar touches the operation buttons on the page. May be done.

FIG. 16 is a sequence chart for explaining a process in which a page is displayed in the virtual space according to the user's selection and the operation buttons of the page in the virtual space are operated, as described above.

First, the user requests the search and order server 2 to browse the desired page from the first purchase terminal 5 in order to request data transmission for displaying the portal screen of the online purchase site by knowing the URL in advance or by searching. It is transmitted as a signal (step S1).

The server 2 transmits the display data of the desired page to the first purchaser terminal 5 (step S2). When the user clicks the avatar display button 9a with the mouse, the search and order server 2 are delivered from the first purchaser terminal 5 as an avatar image delivery request signal (step S3). In response to this, the search and order receiving server 2 transmits an avatar image distribution request for the desired page to the moving image distribution server 3 (step S4), and the moving image distribution server 3 corresponding to this sends a search for drawing data in the virtual space. And the order server 2 is delivered, and the server 2 is further delivered to the first purchaser terminal 5 (step S6).

The content of the virtual space image data can have several modes, and the first mode renders the image to the server 3 or the server 2 based on the shape and position information of each object in the virtual space. And the rendered image data is delivered to the first purchaser terminal 5.

The second aspect is the case where the rendering is performed on the first purchaser terminal 5, which is the final terminal of the flow. Therefore, the server 3 and the server 2 generate the drawing data of the object on the first purchaser terminal 5. Send to.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the concept of rendering data by taking an avatar as an example in a virtual object, and FIG. 17 (A) shows shape data of the outer shell (surface) of the avatar. Reference numeral 17 (B) also shows avatar skeleton data (also referred to as bone data and motion data). The terminal that has received the outer shell data and the skeleton data can generate avatar data (FIG. 17 (C)) including movements and postures from both data and perform rendering (drawing).

Returning to the sequence chart of FIG. 16 and continuing the explanation, if the operating user clicks the home button 10d with the mouse on the first purchaser terminal 5 to which the virtual space image data is distributed (step S7), the first step is As explained in the above, even if the page is displayed in the virtual space, the server 2 and the server 3 can know that the home button has been clicked, so that the representative avatar 12b of the online sales site and the portal screen 12a The display data distribution request from the server 2 reaches the server 3, and the rendered data of the portal screen 12a and the avatar 12b or the rendering data distributed from the server 3 is distributed to the first purchaser terminal 5. The desired display will be performed (steps S8 to S10).

The method of displaying the WEB display screen as an object in the virtual space, the operation buttons arranged on the WEB display screen, and the like described above using the sequence chart of FIG. 17 are photographed by an avatar or a real person. The method of manipulating the image is not limited to the example in the above description, and can be implemented in other display aspects and situations.

[Posting product word-of-mouth information using the comment function]
Online sales sites, online restaurant guides, as well as online medical institutions and job change evaluation sites often post and view reviews that are frank impressions of individual users, and are used for product selection. Has been done.

In the conventional word-of-mouth communication, a post button is placed on the WEB page, and the user who wants to post enters the word-of-mouth text in the text box and then presses the "post" (also written as "SUBMIT") button. On the server that is sent to and received from the server, the posted word-of-mouth communication is posted unconditionally or after being reviewed in a predetermined word-of-mouth communication bulletin board list on the WEB page.

The problems of such conventional word-of-mouth posting are as follows.

First of all, users write and post reviews as their impressions after using a restaurant or purchasing a product, so there is a large time delay and it is not certain who will read the posted reviews. The problem is that it is not possible to obtain an interactive, that is, real-time usability.

FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the status of word-of-mouth posting using the comment function of the conventional video distribution system executed by the present embodiment system 1, and is a display panel of the first purchaser terminal 5. On the 5th floor, the individual product description page of Aomori Ringo Tsugaru is displayed in full screen. The individual product description page may be displayed as an object in the virtual space 10a instead of the full screen display (FIGS. 10, 13, and 14).

On the display screen, Aomori Apple Tsugaru producer Avatar 10c explained, "This apple has a high sugar content, so it will be delicious to make jam and apple pie." The user who heard this explanation I also made jams in the past, so I typed in the text "It was very delicious when I made apple pie!" And clicked the word-of-mouth posting button (not shown), so I commented "To apple pie." Then, it was very delicious! "17a was superimposed on the individual product description page and the producer's avatar 10c and scrolled (text appears from the right edge of the screen, moves to the left, and disappears at the left edge of the screen). It shows where you are. With this configuration, word-of-mouth can be posted as a real-time response to the utterance explanation of Avatar 10c and published, so it feels like a dialogue, and the poster and this video are being watched. It's an interesting way for other users.

In the explanation of the avatar 10c, the operator of the avatar 10c plays in real time and is displayed in real time. In the so-called live broadcast, word-of-mouth is displayed in real time. Instead, when recording in the past or recording data for rendering in the past and playing it, another user who plays the explanation of this avatar 10c later also posts a comment 17a. The comment 17a is displayed and browsed at the same playback time, and the content of the comment 17a can be understood in the same situation as the poster.

[Downloading data of avatars or captured images of real people]
The photographed image (not shown) of the avatars 10c and 12b described above, or the actual person who explains the product in place of the avatars 10c and 12b, itself attracts the customer and induces the customer to listen to the explanation to the end. It can be made to have a catchy appearance, design and form to do so. Therefore, the user who browses the photographed image of the avatars 10c and 12b or the actual person who explains the product instead of the avatars 10c and 12b not only listens to the description of the product but also has an object having such a catchy appearance. May have a desire to reuse. Therefore, the administrator of this sales site or the seller of this product, who has the management right for the photographed image of the avatar 10c, 12b, or the actual person who explains the product in place of the avatar 10c, 12b, approves. In this case, the user can download and reuse the photographed image of the avatars 10c and 12b or the actual person who explains the product in place of the avatars 10c and 12b from this sales site. As a result, users can use their favorite avatars on their homepages, SNS (social networking services), e-mail attachments, etc. There is a merit that it can be used for publicity (promotion) of sales sites.

[Second Embodiment of the Present Invention-Use of Face Tracking Technology]
Next, the online sales system 18, which is the second embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21.

The main difference from the online sales system 1 which is the first embodiment described above is that in the present embodiment system 18, the avatar realized by a smartphone or the like is shown in the overall configuration diagram of FIG. It is equipped with a distribution terminal 18a, which controls the facial expressions and movements of the avatar using face tracking technology, which tracks changes in the face and upper body of the avatar operator (Fig. 21 20-3) with a camera. be. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment system 1 of the present invention described above, the description of the overlapping portion may be omitted for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the avatar distribution terminal 18a included in the present embodiment system 18, and the avatar distribution terminal 18a realized by a smartphone or other information terminal transmits data inside and outside the terminal. The output interface 18a-1, the control unit 18a-2 which is a CPU (central processing unit) that controls and controls the entire terminal 18a, the individual product explanation page drawing data to be explained using the avatar, etc. are recorded. Content recording unit 18a-3 for displaying the page content (content) on the display unit 20-2 of the avatar distribution terminal 18a when the operator 20-3 operates the avatar, and the avatar operator 20-3. First of all, it is equipped with a face tracking unit 18a-4 that captures the facial expressions and upper body movements of the avatar, obtains these facial expressions and movements from the shooting results, and reflects them on the avatar's facial expressions and movements.

Face tracking technology is to shoot the face of a person who is the subject to be photographed, first identify where the eyes and mouth are from the captured image data, and then identify the coordinates of the identified target's eyes and mouth. It can be used to know the position and shape and change the appearance shape of the avatar to be drawn so as to match the known coordinate position and shape.

For example, "faceig", a site that can be accessed at the time of filing the application.
https: // facerig. On com /, a sample moving image in which the movement of the character is controlled by using the face tracking technology is posted and published. In addition, there are many known examples and application examples.

Returning to FIG. 20, the program storage unit 18a-5 has a configuration for storing a computer program and related data for making the smartphone or the like function as the avatar distribution terminal 18a. You may memorize and use an application program, a so-called "app", which is downloaded and used from.

The display unit 18a-6 is a display function unit realized by an LCD (liquid crystal display) panel or the like, and the operator 20-3 operates the avatar while viewing the contents displayed on the display unit 18a-6. Performs facial expression changing movements, upper body changing movements, etc. The avatar generation and distribution unit 18a-7 has a configuration in which data such as the posture, movement, and facial expression of the avatar is generated based on the information obtained by the performance of the operator 20-3 and distributed to the video distribution server 3. The video distribution server 3 that has received these data has the same functions and processes as the system 1 of the first embodiment described above, and the content including the avatar is displayed on the display unit 5f of the first purchaser terminal 5. Is displayed. The bus 18a-8 connects each configuration inside the terminal 18a with each other.

FIG. 21 schematically shows a situation in which the avatar operator 20-3 operates the avatar using the avatar distribution terminal 18a, and the avatar distribution terminal 18a realized by the smartphone is also called an in-camera. , A lens unit 20-1 having a shooting optical axis toward the operator is built in, and the upper body of the operator 20-3 centered on the operator's head 20-3a is photographed, and the face described above is described. The movement of the avatar is controlled based on the tracking technology.

[Third Embodiment of the present invention-application to other uses]
The above description has focused on a configuration in which the present invention is applied to an online shopping system, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to such an online shopping system, but is not limited to such an online shopping system, but also a hotel accommodation and transportation ticket application reception system, and various other systems. A product support system for users that browses and provides product manuals for inquiries and displays frequently asked inquiries (FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions), or local government offices for resident services provide taxes and subsidies. There are numerous services and targets that can be applied, such as the concierge system for local governments that provides various information such as garbage collection rules or accepts applications for various services.

In any of these application systems, all or any of the configurations of the online shopping system described above can be applied mutatis mutandis.

For example, when these application systems use a WEB screen as shown in FIG. 9, a button 9a for displaying an avatar is provided on the WEB screen, and by selecting and operating this button 9a, the figure is shown. 10 As shown in the figure, the virtual space (virtual space) 10a is displayed on the display unit of the display terminal instead of the WEB screen, and the virtual object 10b and the avatar 10c based on the previous WEB screen are displayed in the virtual space 10a. It can be configured to be included.

Further, in the virtual object 10b based on the WEB screen possessed by the virtual space 10a, buttons and the like 10d and 10e for performing various operations are displayed as in the previous WEB screen, and these virtual objects are used. When the buttons, etc. 10d and 10e, which are virtual operation units on the WEB screen, are selected and operated by mouse click operation, the same actions as when the operation unit on the previous WEB screen is operated are executed. Can be configured in. As a part of the action corresponding to such an operation, the portal screen 12a of the site, which is different from the previous WEB screen, is displayed on the WEB screen which is a virtual object, for example, by selecting and operating the home button. Similarly, another WEB screen may be displayed as a virtual object, such as being displayed as a virtual object in the virtual space 10a. If the plurality of WEB screens 10b and 12a are displayed in one virtual space 10a at the same time in this way, the user can have an effect of improving the visibility of the operation as to which screen is to be displayed and selected.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 21 and the description of the corresponding embodiment, the operator 20-3 operates the movement and facial expression of the avatar by using the face tracking means provided in the mobile terminal 18a, so that the user can use the face tracking means. Can make the avatar easier to understand and improve the operability of the system.

(Explanation of the effect of the invention)
By having the above-described configuration, the present invention can provide an online sales system, an online sales method, and a computer program that clearly convey the goodness of the product to the customer and have high operability and convenience. ..

Online purchasing system 1
Search and order server 2
Video distribution server 3
Internet communication network 4
First purchaser terminal 5
Virtual space 10a
Individual product description page 10b
Producer's avatar 10c

Claims (7)

It is an online sales system that displays the explanation of the target product on the WEB screen online and accepts the purchase application of the target product.
An explanatory data distribution server that distributes WEB screen display data for explaining the target product to a purchaser terminal that connects online to the system.
An avatar distribution server that distributes data for displaying both the WEB screen display and the avatar or the photographed image object of a real person who performs the explanation operation of the target product to the purchaser terminal, and ,
In an online sales system characterized in that an order server that receives a purchase application for the target product from the purchaser terminal is provided as one or separately, the data distributed by the avatar distribution server is described in the above. A virtual object based on a WEB screen display and a photographed image object of the avatar or a real person are arranged and displayed in the virtual space.
The description operation of the target product by the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person is executed as a live broadcast displayed in real time by the operator of the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person. Online sales system. The virtual object based on the WEB screen display displayed in the virtual space is characterized by having a virtual operation unit that can be operated by a purchaser terminal that browses the display of the virtual space. , The online sales system according to claim 1. The online sales system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the avatar is configured to change its display mode according to an operation performed by the operator of the avatar. An online sales system that displays a description of a target product online on a WEB screen and accepts purchase applications for the target product is an online sales method that is executed by using one or more servers of its own.
An explanatory data distribution step, in which at least one of the servers distributes WEB screen display data for explaining the target product to a purchaser terminal connected to the online sales system.
Data for at least one of the servers to further display the WEB screen display and the photographed image object of the avatar or the actual person who performs the explanation operation of the target product on the purchaser terminal. avatar distribution step for distributing, and, any of the server, characterized in that with the orders step, to accept the purchase application of the subject merchandise from the purchaser terminal, in online sales method, the avatar distribution step The data distributed in the above is configured to display a virtual object based on the WEB screen display and a photographed image object of the avatar or a real person arranged in a virtual space.
The description operation of the target product by the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person is executed as a live broadcast displayed in real time by the operator of the photographed image object of the avatar or the real person. Online sales method. The virtual object based on the WEB screen display displayed in the virtual space is characterized by having a virtual operation unit that can be operated by a purchaser terminal that browses the display of the virtual space. , The online sales method according to claim 4. The online sales method according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the avatar is configured to change its display mode according to an operation performed by the operator of the avatar. A computer program for executing the online sales method according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

Images