JP2001357050A - Retrieval supporting device for internet information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a retrieval supporting device for Internet information, with which an interface easy to use can be selected, the same simplified opera tion environment can be utilized regardless of Internet connection environment and guide data are put in order corresponding to the characteristics of each of users. SOLUTION: Concerning the device for supporting the retrieval of a WWW site when the user of the Internet is to utilize the Internet information by providing the Internet information matching with the hobby or Internet access conditions of each of users for the user of the Internet, when a client terminal is connected to a guide server, after the authentication of the user, a guide screen dedicated to the user or guide data of Internet information generated from registered information such as the hobby of the user or retrieval history are sent to the user and guided by a guide character different for each user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an Internet information search support apparatus for searching for Internet information that matches a hobby or an Internet access situation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional Internet information search system, there has been a mechanism for making WWW search convenient on a portal site such as "Yahoo (registered trademark)". There is also a service for changing recommended products for each customer at a specific WWW site. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional Internet information search system, which includes the Internet 201, a WWW site 301, a portal site 401, a client terminal 501, and the like. In the Internet information search system, the WWW site 301 is searched by the portal site 401 and classified by genre, or new arrival data is provided. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another Internet information search system, which includes the Internet 202, a WWW site 302, a storage device 303 of the WWW site 302, a client terminal 502, and the like. In this Internet information search system, the specific WWW site 302 changes the guidance based on the user's registration data and the purchase history by the user's graphic user interface so that the operability is improved.

[0003]

Since the conventional Internet information retrieval system is configured as described above,
In the former Internet information search system, only general screens for unspecified majority can be created, and there is a problem that the screens are uniform and do not always provide the information required by the user. . In addition, there is a problem that the operation is not always easy to understand because the screen is configured only with an interface that can be used with an ordinary browser because it is assumed to be used on various terminals. Furthermore, in the latter Internet information search system, the purpose of information provision is to sell products on your own site, so information that is not related to it is not provided, so the provided information is limited to products on your site, general information and There was a problem that it could not be used to search for product information on other sites.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to select an interface that is easy for the user to use, thereby facilitating detailed operations. Further, the same simple operation environment can be used anywhere regardless of the Internet connection environment, and the guide data can be used by the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a search support device for Internet information that is organized so as to be easy to use.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an Internet information search support apparatus for supporting a guide screen dedicated to each user for searching for Internet information, and a guide for each user-specific Internet information. And providing data to the respective users to assist the respective users in searching for Internet information.

[0006] An Internet information search support device according to the present invention comprises: a support means for supporting a guide screen dedicated to each user for Internet information search, the support means comprising a language independent of a device used by the user; By providing each user with the guide data of user-specific Internet information, use of an interface that is easy for the user to use, the same simple operation environment irrespective of the Internet connection environment, and organization for user convenience A search of the Internet information based on the provided guidance data is realized.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The present invention provides Internet users with Internet information that matches their individual hobbies and Internet access status, and supports Internet users searching for WWW sites when using the Internet information. When a client terminal connects to a guidance server (a search support device for Internet information), the user terminal is authenticated, and the user terminal is registered with information such as hobbies and a search history. A user-specific guide screen is sent to the user. The screen is not in the style of a normal homepage, but in a form in which different characters guide each other, and the user can give an instruction with simple input. The user can use this guidance at a terminal that can be connected to the Internet at home / workplace / convenience store. In this way, the same simple search interface can be used in various places regardless of the Internet connection environment.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a search system for Internet information according to the present embodiment. The guide server 1, a WWW site 3, a search server 4, a client terminal 5 connected to the Internet 2, and a guide A storage device 11 and the like connected to the server 1 are provided. The guidance server 1 includes a program (supporting means) 1a for supporting a dedicated guidance screen, and a function 1b for transmitting guidance data according to a user's hobby and search history to the client terminal 5. The WWW site 3 is a site where the user of the client terminal 5 can search according to the instruction of the guidance data. The search server 4 is the same as an existing portal site, and is a WWW site 3 classified into genres.
Has the list information. The client terminal 5 is for a user to log in to the guidance server 1 or the like. The storage device 11 connected to the guidance server 1 stores user's personal registration information and the like.

Next, the operation will be described. When the user logs in to the guidance server 1 from the client terminal 5, a program that supports a dedicated guidance screen and guidance data according to the user's hobby and search history are sent from the guidance server 1 to the client terminal 5. . FIG.
It is an explanatory view showing an example of a guidance screen, in which a character 21 as an Internet guide and operation icons for each search genre (operation icons 32 for searching for work, operation icons 3 for searching for life).
3, an operation icon 34 for searching for a hobby,
An operation icon 35 and a discard folder 36) for searching for newly arrived content are displayed. afterwards,
The user can easily search each WWW site 3 by giving an instruction according to the guide screen. Further, the guide server 1 patrolls each WWW site 3 at an appropriate timing to check whether new content is included in the site, or obtains information on newly arrived WWW from the existing search server 4. The search server 4 has list information of sites on the WWW classified by genre in the same manner as existing portal sites.

Next, the overall operation of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of personal registration information, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when the client terminal 5 connects to the guidance server 1, and FIG. 5 is a processing operation for editing the Internet information and transmitting it to the client terminal 5. It is a flowchart which shows.

First, before a user uses a search service, personal information is registered. WWW of your choice in this registration
Indicate the genre of the site and how to display it. FIG.
Indicates an example of personal registration information, in which a guide character, a screen design, and main input / output means (voice, touch, key input) can be selected. For the genre, a classification code in the search server 4 is selected.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when the client terminal 5 connects to the guidance server 1 after registering the personal information. After the user authentication, the personal registration information of the user is fetched from the storage device 11 in the guidance server 1. Then, the program 1a that provides an interface corresponding to the program is downloaded to the client terminal 5 (step S1). It is assumed that the screen is an applet made in Java to provide guidance as shown in FIG.

The following step S2 is a process for editing the Internet information and transmitting it to the client terminal 5, which is shown in the flowchart of FIG. When a user first connects to the search service, there is no search history,
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the WWW site recommended by the search server 4 is selected as it is (step S2).
1). After the second time, the searched WWW sites are displayed in descending order of the access frequency (step S2).
2). Also, since only the display of the sites searched in the past has little change, new information is obtained from the search server 4, and when it is likely to be related to a hobby or a past search history, the user is notified as a new site (step S23). Further WWW
The display of the site is displayed with a description of the content and a comment indicating whether or not there has been an update since the last search (step S24). The WWW site information generated by the guidance server 1 in this way is sent to the client terminal 5, and the Java applet displays it on the screen (step S3).

Thereafter, the user can perform the following three operations. The first operation is to specify information to be viewed from the displayed list of WWW sites (click or point).
This operation jumps to the corresponding WWW site. 2
The second operation is to input a related keyword or a part of a URL when looking for information not in the list. This information is passed to the guidance server 1, and the searched information is returned. The third operation is to change the display.

[0015] In addition, WWW sites that have been visited in the past and are boring can be deleted from the guide. In the screen of FIG. 2, the display of the corresponding WWW may be dragged and dropped to the discard folder 36. By this operation, the personal information in the guidance server 1 sets the number of times of search for the WWW site to 0, and the guidance is stopped.

The categorization can be changed according to the purpose of use, as well as using the classification of the search server 4 as it is. In the screen shown in FIG. 2, the user may drag and drop the button (operation icon) of the genre intended to display the corresponding WWW. For example, a "fishing" corner can contain a weather forecast or a drive map, and a "rock" can include a new music guide or ticket sales.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, an easy-to-understand screen called a guide character is adopted, and for a detailed operation method, a user selects a program that provides an easy-to-use interface and downloads the program to the client terminal 5 side. Therefore, there is an effect that a search system for Internet information that can be freely set such as screen layout and input / output can be provided.

Also, the personal registration information of the user is managed by the guidance server 1, and a program for providing an interface that is easy for the user to use is made in a language independent of a model such as Java, and operates on any client terminal 5. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to provide an Internet information search system that can use the same simple operation environment anywhere regardless of the Internet connection environment.

Also, the searched WWW sites are displayed in the order of the most frequently accessed frequency, the WWW sites are displayed by adding a description of the contents and comments such as whether or not the contents have been updated since the previous search, and the search server 4 Provide a search system for Internet information that can provide guidance data that is organized in a way that is easy for users to use, such as receiving new information from users and guiding users to new sites if it is likely to be related to hobbies or past search history. There is an effect that can be done.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the screen layout and input / output of the guide screen for searching for Internet information can be freely set, a screen easy for the user to understand can be adopted, and an interface easy for the user to use. This has the effect of facilitating the operation for searching for Internet information. Also, by registering the user's personal information, the user can use it from anywhere, and since the support means is made in a language independent of the model used by the user, it operates on any model, regardless of the Internet connection environment, The same simple operation environment can be realized anywhere. In addition, the guidance data of the Internet information provided on the guidance screen is automatically updated according to the search history and the presence / absence of the corresponding Internet information, and the contents of the user's customization are reflected. There is an effect that organized guidance data can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an Internet information search system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a guide screen in the Internet information search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of personal registration information in the Internet information search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when the client terminal is connected to the guidance server in the Internet information search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing operation in which a guide server edits Internet information and transmits it to a client terminal in the Internet information search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional Internet information search system.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional Internet information search system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Guide server (internet information search support device), 1a... A program (support means) for supporting a dedicated guide screen, 2... Internet, 11.

Claims (8)

[Claims] The present invention provides support means for supporting a guide screen dedicated to each user for retrieving Internet information, and guide data of Internet information unique to each user to each user, and providing Internet information by each user. A search support device for Internet information, which assists in searching for information. 2. The support means supports the user-specific guide screen generated based on personal information registration performed by the user, and provides the support means and the guide data to each user. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search is performed. 3. The user-specific guide generated based on registration of personal information including a favorite guide character selected by the user, a genre of Internet information, a display method thereof, and input / output means. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus supports a screen. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means is configured by a language independent of a device used by said user. 5. A search for Internet information according to claim 4, wherein guidance data of Internet information that matches a user's hobby or search history is provided to each of said users on a guidance screen supported by said support means. Support equipment. 6. The Internet information according to claim 4, wherein guidance data of the Internet information searched by the user is provided to each of the users on a guidance screen supported by the support means in the order of access frequency. Search support device. 7. New arrival information of new Internet information is generated on the basis of the newly arrived information of Internet information and a genre of Internet information selected by a user, and the guide screen supported by the support means generates each of the new arrival information. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is provided to a user. 8. Searching for related Internet information based on keyword information and URL information sent from the user, and providing the guide data to the respective users on a guide screen supported by the support means. The search support apparatus for Internet information according to claim 7, wherein