JP2002015213A - Information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To structure an information providing system which can accurately inform a consumer of article information that the consumer desires. SOLUTION: Article information that an information mediator 2 receives from an article supplier 3 through a communication system 1 is edited in a specific format and registered in an article information database 45. The consumer of article information edited data is registered as a member 4 in a member database 33 and sent through a communication system 1 at a request made by the member 4. The record of the transmission of the article information edited data at the request of the member 4 is registered in a use history database 72.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information providing system for providing an information providing service.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a system which mediates between a person who desires to transmit specific information and a person who desires to obtain the information and transmits information from the former to the latter through a communication network is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-66168. No., published in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Customers who want to communicate their needs to multiple related companies and those who want to know their needs are users of this system.

[0003]

The above information providing system is aimed at transmitting the needs of the information consumers to the company, and it is necessary to confirm that there is a product that can meet the needs of the information consumers. Not to teach. The present invention
The present invention proposes an information providing system that can accurately convey product information requested by an information consumer to the information consumer.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, merchandise information from a merchandise supplier is registered in a merchandise information database as merchandise edit data edited in a predetermined format, and registered in the merchandise information database. Register the consumer of the edited product information data in the member database,
The product information editing data in the product information database is transmitted via the communication system in response to the request of the member. Then, the product information editing data transmission record based on the request of the member is registered in the use history database.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the registration data in the use history database includes data for specifying the member who has requested the product information editing data, Data that specifies the transmitted product information editing data is included.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect, when merchandise information editing data is transmitted to a member, this is charged as a charging factor to a merchandise supplier who is a merchandise information provider. Is determined and registered in the use history database.

In the invention according to claim 4, the merchandise information from the merchandise supplier is edited into a predetermined format and registered in the merchandise information database, and the consumer of the merchandise information edited data registered in the merchandise information database Is registered in the member database, the product information editing data in the product information database is output to a recording medium by the information output device to provide information to the member, and the output record of the information output device is stored in the use history database. I decided to register.

[0008] In the invention according to claim 5, in any one of claims 1 to 4, the product information editing data is the unedited product transmitted from the terminal on the product supplier side. The information is automatically edited into a predetermined format that can be transmitted to the member.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the merchandise information is edited at the terminal of the merchandise supplier.

[0010] According to the invention described in claim 7, in any one of claims 1 to 6, there are a plurality of editing formats of the merchandise information, and the information is provided in a format selected by the member. I decided that.

[0011] As described above, in the information providing system of the present invention, registered members can obtain product information via the communication system. The product information is edited in a predetermined format, and provides members with orderly information without excess or deficiency.

[0012]

FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a communication system. The communication system 1 generally indicates a communication infrastructure including a communication network, telephone, facsimile, postal service, and the like. In FIG. 1, a communication network such as the Internet is shown as a representative example. Connected to the communication system 1 are terminals or servers of an information broker 2, a product supplier 3 that is a supplier of goods or services, and a consumer 4 of a product information provided by the product supplier 3. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the product supplier 3 is a house facility maker, and that the product information consumer 4 is a house maker, a house remodeling company, a house magazine publishing company, a house catalog production company, or the like. Here, the term "product" is used not only for articles but also for a wide range of information and services relating to the construction of a construction shop and the like, including paid information and various services.

The information broker 2 has a server system 10 and a database system 11. The database system 11 is connected so as to be able to search other various databases. The product information sent from the product supplier 3 via the communication system 1 is taken into the server system 10 and stored in the database system 11. The product information in the database system 11 is transmitted from the server system 10 to the consumer 4 in response to a request.
The consumer 4 may store the received product information in its own database system 12. The database system 11 is also linked to various other databases 13. The provision of product information from the database system 11 to the consumer 4 may take the form of a recording medium 20 such as a CD or a DVD.

The configuration of the server system 10 and the database system 11 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 30 denotes an authentication management system for performing authentication processing of the consumer 4 of the product information, and 31 denotes an input system for inputting predetermined information (attribute) relating to the consumer 4 to the member information management system 32. 33 is a member database constituting a subsystem of the member information management system 32.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an authentication management system for performing authentication processing of the goods supplier 3, and reference numeral 41 denotes an input system for inputting predetermined information (attributes) relating to the goods supplier 3 to the company information management system 42. Reference numeral 43 denotes a company database constituting a subsystem of the company information management system 42.

Reference numeral 44 denotes a product information management system, and reference numeral 45 denotes a product information database constituting a subsystem of the product information management system 44. PDF sub-set database 46 and JPE as subsystems of product information database 45
There is a G subgroup database 47.

Reference numeral 50 denotes an information individualization system. In this case, if there is a product information requested by the member 4 and a product information provided by the product provider 3 that can find a correspondence, these are combined into an information package.

The information package compiled by the information individualizing system 50 is sent to the information transmitting device 60 for the member 4 through the individualized information managing system 51. A mail system 61, a WEB transmission system 62, an authentication management system 30 for managing information transmission destinations therefrom, a telephone information transmission system 63, a FAX information transmission system 64, a direct mail production system 65, and a disk medium production system 6.
6 constitutes the information transmitting device 60.

The mail system 61 sends information to the member 4 in the form of electronic mail. The WEB transmission system 62
Information is transmitted in the form of information disclosure to the homepage of the information brokerage company 2. The transmission is performed via the authentication management system 30.

In the telephone information transmission system 63, a person in charge of the information brokerage company 2 or a message generating device sends a message by telephone. The FAX information transmission system 64 organizes the information in a FAX transmission format, and the member 4 who owns the FAX
Send to The direct mail production system 65 prints the information as direct mail and sends it out by mail.
The disk medium production system 66 is a device for outputting information to a recording medium, and stores information in a recording medium such as a CD or DVD. Delivery of the recording medium is by mail or courier.

Reference numeral 70 denotes an overall information management system for transmitting information to all members. From the general information management system 70, information such as the member registration status, the company registration status, and the general status of the content stored in the product information database 45 is transmitted.

Reference numeral 71 denotes a use management system. This is to cooperate with the individualized information management system 51 to record and manage the product information editing data transmission record to the member 4. The usage management system 71 includes a usage history database 72 as a subsystem.

Reference numeral 73 denotes a company information system for transmitting information to the company 3. In response to a request from the company 3, a transmission record of the product information editing data to the member 4 is transmitted through the information transmission device 74. The information transmitting device 74 includes a mail system 75 and a WEB transmission system 76. Mail system 75
Transmits information by e-mail, and the Web transmission system 76
Transmits information in the form of information disclosure to the homepage of the information intermediary business 2.

Among the elements shown in FIG. 2, the following are the constituent elements of the server system 10: the authentication management system 3
0, input system 31, member information management system 32, authentication management system 40, input system 41, enterprise information management system 42, product information management system 44, information individualization system 50, individualization information management system 51, information transmission device 60 , An overall information management system 70, a usage management system 71, a company information system 73, and an information transmission device 74.

Of the elements shown in FIG. 2, the following are the constituent elements of the database system 11: a member database 33, a company database 43, a product information database 45, a PDF small group database 46, a JPEG small group database 47, and a usage history database. 72.

Hereinafter, the mechanism of system operation performed based on the above configuration will be described. The consumer 4 of the product information first applies for membership registration to the information brokerage company 2.
That is, when predetermined information (attribute) concerning the self is transmitted through the communication system 1, it is transmitted to the authentication management system 3.
0, the customer 4 is authenticated as a member,
A member ID such as a member number and a password is issued.
The information and ID of the customer 4 who has become a member is entered into the input system 31.
Is input to the member information management system 32 and is registered in the member database 33 which is a subsystem thereof.

FIG. 5 shows an example of items (data fields) registered in the member database 33. “Member number” “Member name” “Representative name” “Postal code” “Address” “Phone number” “FAX number” “E-mail address” “Web”
Site URL "," member type "," industry type "," occupation type ", and the like.

The goods supplier 3 also registers as a company with the information intermediary business 2. That is, when predetermined information (attribute) relating to itself is transmitted through the communication system 1, the information is received by the authentication management system 40, the commodity supplier 3 is authenticated, and a company ID such as a company number and a password are transmitted.
Is issued. The company information and ID are input to a company information management system 42 by an input system 41 and registered in a company database 43 which is a subsystem thereof. Items registered in the company database 43 are almost the same as those in FIG.

The product information sent by the company 3 through the communication system 1 is verified by the authentication management system 40 after confirming the source.
The product information is input to the product information management system 44 by the input system 41, and the product information database 45, which is a subsystem of the system, and the PDF small group database 46 or the JPEG small group database 4, which is a sub system thereof.
7 is registered.

The product information from the company 3 is edited in a predetermined format and registered in the product information database 45. As described above, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the company 3 is a housing equipment maker, and the members 4 are a housing maker, a housing renovation business, a housing magazine publishing company, a housing catalog production company, and the like. An example of information editing based on this assumption will be described below.

When an application for registration of merchandise information is made from the company 3 via the communication system 1, in this case, the communication network, it is confirmed whether or not the authentication management system 40 is a registered company 3. If there is no problem, a product information input screen as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 201 denotes a product image column. When an analog image read by a scanner or an image prepared as digital data is input, the input image is displayed here. A plurality of product images (four images 201a to 201d in this example) can be displayed, so that the same product can be viewed simultaneously from different angles.

Reference numeral 202 denotes a product name input field, in which product names such as “system kitchen”, “exterior / exterior material”, and “fittings” are input in accordance with the classification designated by the information intermediary business operator 2. It is desirable to set up the device so that a pull-down menu opens on the screen and the product name selected by the click operation is input. Reference numeral 203 denotes a product number input field for inputting a product number, and reference numeral 204 denotes a price input field for inputting a unit price of the product.

The product image, product name, product number, and unit price are required input items. Input box 20 for inputting other information
5 is provided. This can be assigned to, for example, a function description of the product. Further, it is also possible to input chart data such as a product specification list and a characteristic graph. When the input is completed, a “register” button 206 is clicked. This is an indication of intention of the company 3 that "product information can be registered". Information on who supplies this product is automatically extracted from the company database 43 and combined.

The product information registered in the product information database 45 has a data field illustrated in FIG.
Data of items such as “data number”, “manufacturer name”, “article name”, “article number”, “price”, “unit”, and “spec” are registered.

The product information is unedited data including image data, text data, and chart data. This is automatically edited by the editing device into a predetermined format. In this embodiment, the merchandise information management system 44 plays the role of an editing device, and edits the data into a “small set data” format.
The “small set data” is image data in which images, texts, and charts are laid out at predetermined positions, and the product information management system 44 has an automatic editing program for the data.

FIG. 4 shows an example of small group data. Type A,
Three examples of type B and type C are shown. 301 is a product image, 302 is a product number, 303 is a product name, 304 is a price,
305 is a product description. While using the same material, the arrangement of images and text and the display items are different for each type.

The product information management system 44 generates a small set of data of the set format and the number of types. FIG. 2 shows the PDF format and the JPEG format as data formats. For example, when three types are set in the PDF format and three types are set in the JPEG format, six types are set for one set of product information.
Sub-set data of the type is generated. These are registered in the PDF small group database 46 and the JPEG small group database 47, which are subsystems of the product information database 45, respectively. These small group data can be searched using the product number as a main key.

As a data format, in addition to PDF and JPEG, XML and a commercially available one (for example, Quark Express) are used. Then, a small group database for the data format is prepared.

FIG. 7 shows the data structure of the product information. That is, in addition to the product number, the product name, the price, the maker, and other attributes, the image material, the diagram material, the text material, and all the generated small group data are associated with each other to form one record.

The procedure when the member 4 searches for small group data from his / her own terminal will be described. The member 4 first accesses the authentication management system 30 and inputs a member ID. When it is confirmed that the user is a registered member, access to the product information management system 44 becomes possible. After selecting the format of the product information to be obtained, inputting a search item, and executing a search, the member information database 45 and its subsystems, such as the PDF small-group database 46 and the JPEG small-group database 47, among the small-group databases, are members 4
Is searched in the data set of the data format selected by. The hit information is sent to the information individualization system 50, and is combined with a request (search item) of the member 4 into a predetermined answer format. The compiled answer is transmitted from the information transmitting device 50 to the member 4 via the individualized information management system 51.

Transmission from the information transmitting device 50 to the member 4 is as follows.
It is performed in a format selected by the member 4. Usually mail system 6
1 or a direct response on the communication system 1, but a means such as facsimile communication from the facsimile information transmission system 65 and delivery of a recording medium from the disk medium production system 66. Can also.

Although various types of data are prepared as sub-set data, transmission of all types increases the communication cost borne by the member 4, so only the type selected by the member 4 is transmitted.

In preparing a response to the member 4, if necessary, the database 13 other than the product information database 45 is searched, and the extracted information is collected by the information individualizing system 50 into the same information package as the small group data.

The record that the small group data has been searched and transmitted based on the request from the member 4 is registered in the use history database 72 by the use management system 71. The items registered in the usage history database 72 include data specifying the member 4 who has requested the small group data and data specifying the small group data transmitted to the member 4. The former is a member number and the like, and the latter is a data number and the like.

The use history registered in the use history database 72 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 8, “use number”, “use date”, “use time”, “use member number”, “use data number”.
It has a data field such as "purpose of use". When there is an inquiry from the company 3 about the search log of the product information, this content is output.

In the case where a fee is charged for a member's information search or a fee is charged for outputting and providing merchandise information as a recording medium or printed matter,
The accounting information is also registered in the usage history database 72.

The above description is about the case where the member 4 arbitrarily searches for the small group data. However, the member 4 may, for example, say, "I want the small group data of this product to be transmitted when registered." It is also possible to add a mechanism in which transmission conditions are registered in advance, and transmission is automatically performed when data meeting the conditions is registered.

The small group data can be searched from the company 3 side. In this case, from the standpoint of the information provider, only data provided by the company can be searched, but data of other companies cannot be searched. In order to search data of other companies, it is necessary to register as a member 4.

The company 3 first accesses the authentication management system 40 and inputs a company ID. If it is confirmed that the company is a registered company, access to the product information management system 44 becomes possible. When a search item is entered and a search is performed, the product information database 45 and its subsystem P
A small group database such as the DF small group database 46 and the JPEG small group database 47 is searched. The hit information is sent to the information individualization system 50, compiled into a predetermined answer format together with the request (search item) of the company 3, and directly responded on the communication system 1 or via the company information system 73. Then, the information is transmitted from the information transmitting device 74 to the company 3. Alternatively, transmission from the mail system 75 may be used.

After searching and browsing the small group data registered by the company 3, the company 3 takes the following actions such as updating old data and registering new data.

The record that the small group data has been searched and transmitted based on the request from the company 3 is registered in the use history database 72 by the use management system 71 in the same manner as the member 4. The registration items include data (such as a company number) that specifies the company 3 that has requested the small group data and data (such as a data number) that specifies the small group data transmitted to the company 3.

The information intermediary business 2 sets the following as pillars of profit. Charging for registration of merchandise information Charging for editing merchandise information Charging for member information search Charging for outputting and providing merchandise information as a recording medium or printed matter Charging for corporate information search Introducing the following charging system In addition, the burden on the member 4 can be reduced. Charges the data provider company for member information output (download)

The billing information may be billed for registration of merchandise information, billed for editing merchandise information, billed for information retrieval of a company, or output of member information. download)
On the other hand, if the user is to be charged to the data providing company, it is registered in the usage history database 72.

The company 3 can edit the small group data at its own terminal instead of entrusting the editing to the information intermediary company 2. In this case, the "charging for editing the product information" is avoided.

[0056]

The effects of the information providing system of the present invention are as follows. The merchandise information from the merchandise supplier is edited into a predetermined format and registered in the merchandise information database, which is convenient for consumers of the merchandise information. For example, if the product supplier is a house equipment manufacturer and the consumer of the product information is a house manufacturer, a house renovation company, a house magazine publishing company, or a house catalog production company, the house manufacturer and house remodeling company will use this system. Presenting products from participating home equipment manufacturers to customers eliminates the hassle of preparing a complete product catalog for each company. Product information is also available in the format of your choice, making sales talks easier and closing deals faster. Housing magazine publishers and housing catalog production companies can easily obtain articles and catalog materials. Also,
We can expect that the registered product information is updated by the manufacturer. The merchandise supplier also has the advantage of being able to promote their products to consumers simply by registering it in the merchandise information database. In addition, since the product information is edited in a predetermined format, it is easy to compare with other companies' products and have the difference read.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an information providing system.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a product information registration screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of small group data (product information editing data);

FIG. 5 is a diagram exemplifying data fields for member registration;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a data field of product information;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a data configuration of product information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a data field of a usage history.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication system 2 Information intermediary company 3 Merchandise supplier (company) 4 Consumer of goods information (member) 10 Server system 11 Database system 33 Member database 43 Corporate database 44 Merchandise information management system (editing device) 45 Merchandise information database 60 Information transmission device 72 Usage history database

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An information providing system including the following components: (a) a product information database for registering product information from a product supplier as product information edited data edited in a predetermined format; and (b) the product information database. (C) Connect to the member's terminal via a communication system and transmit the product information editing data in the product information database in response to a request from the member. Information transmitting means (d) A usage history database for registering a product information editing data transmission record based on the member's request. 2. The data registered in the use history database includes data specifying a member who has requested the product information editing data and data specifying the product information editing data transmitted to the member. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. When the product information editing data is transmitted to the member, charging is determined as a charging factor for a product supplier, which is a product information provider, and registered in the use history database. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein 4. An information providing system including the following components: (a) a merchandise information database for editing merchandise information from a merchandise supplier into a predetermined format and registering this merchandise information edited data; and (b) the merchandise information. A member database for registering a consumer of the product information editing data registered in the database as a member; (c) an information output unit for outputting the product information editing data in the product information database to a recording medium in order to provide information to the member; d) A usage history database for registering output records of the information output means. 5. The product information editing data is obtained by automatically editing unedited product information transmitted from a terminal of a product supplier into a predetermined format that can be transmitted to a member. The information providing system according to claim 1. 6. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the editing of the merchandise information is performed at a terminal of the merchandise supplier. 7. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of product information editing formats, and the information is provided in a format selected by the member.