JP2002117260A - Method and system for mediating electronic commercial transaction and database - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily perform a buying activity by simply retrieving a needed part in an electronic commercial transaction mediation system for mediating commercial transaction between a part and product supplier and a buyer. SOLUTION: This system stores the image data of the drawing of a product including a part or an intermediate product, data for reading attribute information including the detailed specifications of the part and an alternative, and transaction data of each part and the alternative (a). A business intermediary reads the drawings of a product or intermediate product desired by the buyer and presents the drawings to the buyer through a data communication network (b). The buyer selects his/her desired parts from the drawings and makes their transaction application (c). The business intermediary presents the attribute information of the parts that the buyer makes the transaction application for together with their alternatives to the buyer (d). The buyer selects parts to buy among the parts and the alternative presented in the process (d) (e). The business intermediary performs order receiving procedures with respect to the parts to buy, selected in the process (e) in the place of the buyer and the supplier (f).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a part or product between a supplier or a purchaser of a part or product connected through a digital data communication network such as the Internet using three-dimensional image data or the like. The present invention relates to an electronic commerce mediation method, system, and database for realizing electronic commerce.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 shows an example of a flow of a typical procedure of the current Internet electronic commerce. In this case, the seller (the supplier itself may be the seller) and the buyer directly conduct commercial transactions. An Internet company (sales company) distributes a product catalog (usually a genuine book) to users (purchasers) for the purpose of receiving orders via the Internet. Instead of a product catalog, an internet company (sales company) creates a homepage for each company, publishes product information on this homepage, and prepares for an order.

[0003] In a user section (general purchase, net purchase, purchaser), a manufacturer part number of a required product is selected with reference to a product catalog or a homepage distributed to each Internet trader. The user (purchaser) places an order for each company using an order number (product number) set for each company (company) using the Internet. The user (purchaser) orders the price, delivery date, and the like under the conditions set on the catalog or the homepage.

[0004] The order processing section of the Internet company (sales company side) performs order processing, and arranges products and ships them to the user by in-house delivery or home delivery. In many cases, a delivery note is also sent together with the product. The delivery date and price are determined according to the conditions specified on the product catalog or on the Internet homepage, and the invoice is issued individually or on a monthly basis. In the user department,
If there is no problem after receiving and receiving the goods, send the invoice to the accounting department and request payment processing. The accounting department pays according to the bill. In the accounting department of the Internet company (sales company), upon receiving a notice from the bank that payment has been made, the account receivable is cleared.

[0005] With the expansion of the scale of e-commerce, an intermediary business for mediating procedures between a supplier (manufacturer) and a purchaser (user) has been proposed on the Internet, and computer technology and communication technology for realizing this have been proposed. Many have been developed. FIG. 2 shows an outline of electronic commerce through the Internet. FIG. 3 shows the current state of the electronic commerce business through the Internet. At present, there are many Internet e-commerce such as general purchase nets and company homepages, but they can be roughly divided into a sales system (1) centered on companies (sellers and suppliers) and a sales system (2) centered on markets.

[0006] The sales system (1) centered on the first company (seller, supplier) is often adopted by a company with a strong sales force or a sales Internet company, and the Internet technology is used for conventional sales operations. In many cases, e-commerce can be performed. In Japan, a specific example of the introduction of such a company (seller) -centered sales system is the sales system of ASKUL Co., Ltd., which sells office supplies.

A second market-centric sales system (2) is:
Introduces an Internet intermediary business centering on a specific product market, and publishes a purchasing / sales network that has purchasing and sales functions in a specific product market. In this sales system, in many cases, market participants are members. As a specific example, in Japan, there is an electronic market having a SHOP function known by such names as Rakuten Ichiba (registered trademark) and YAHOO (registered trademark) auction. FIG. 4 shows the opening status of a content-centric portal site in operation in the United States, and a search screen and a search result screen of Chipcenter.com, which is a representative thereof.

[0008] Fig. 5 shows an example of a typical procedure flow of a general purchasing activity at the present time. Typical procedures of the current general purchasing activities can be roughly divided into a purchase request process (a) and a purchase management process (b). The first purchase request process (a) is a process from obtaining a product list, searching for a necessary product / part from the product list, deciding a purchase item, and searching for a supply destination. The second purchase management process (b) determines the supplier, requests the supplier to perform a quotation process, processes the order if the quotation is good, monitors the order, confirms the receipt when the purchase arrives, and checks if there is no problem. If accepted, it is recorded in inventory.

FIG. 6 shows a typical example of a parts list used for searching for necessary parts from products and parts in the current purchase request process (a) in FIG. This example is a parts list of a clamp bracket of an outboard motor. In the parts list shown here, the seller (or supplier) distributes a thick service manual (paper base) to the purchaser for maintenance service, and conducts a direct order transaction for maintenance parts. The buyer searches for the necessary maintenance parts from the thick service manual and places an order.

FIG. 7 shows the current state of design data and parts ordering. In FIG. 7, the product fields are automobile, construction equipment,
Aircraft, plant equipment, etc. are assumed. Currently, 3D design tools (3D-CAD / EDA)
3D design data (3D data book), 3D design data (parts), 3D design data (parts), drawing data (units, etc.) There are many cases. The three-dimensional design data (three-dimensional data book), drawing data (parts), and drawing data (units, etc.) are not used in parts catalogs, electronic catalogs of parts, service manuals, and the like.

At present, the design department has 3
There is a large amount of data in the data format (IGES, etc.) of dimensional design tools (3D-CAD / EDA tools). With the current format of three-dimensional design tools (such as IGES), it takes too much time to exchange three-dimensional data on the Internet because of the large amount of data. Therefore, the data format of the current three-dimensional design tool (IGES
Etc.), the amount of data is large, and searching for three-dimensional part data on the Internet and ordering parts is not performed. For this reason, at present, a method of separately ordering parts by referring to a parts catalog, an electronic parts catalog, a service manual, and the like is adopted.

On the other hand, techniques for efficiently compressing three-dimensional data have recently been proposed. FIG. 8 shows an example of compression of three-dimensional data (Lattice Technology's XVL technology). Here is an example of a camera, but when you press the button in the box on the right side, the camera is disassembled and the internal structure is displayed,
Parts such as lenses are disassembled and displayed one by one. In this example, if the 3D data volume is IDES format, 2
Compressing data with XVL technology for 3,082 KB is 17
Reduced to 6KB. As shown in this example, the data amount after compression is 1
If it is 76KB, drawing search by the Internet can be practically used, and the screen can be displayed in a few seconds.

[0013]

Conventionally, when ordering a part, the identification number and manufacturer of the part are checked from the materials and design data of the design department, and the catalog of the part manufacturer is searched for the corresponding part. I have to put it out. Therefore, searching for parts is very troublesome. In addition, when another part that can be substituted for this part is supplied from the same manufacturer or another manufacturer, the specifications (attribute information such as dimensions) of each part must be compared, which is very troublesome. .

In the conventional Internet business, a system in which a user decides a product to be purchased on the Internet by a product catalog distribution or a guide through a homepage (a system in which a supplier and a purchaser make a direct transaction) or a company shown in FIGS. In the sales system (1) centered on (sales industry), users can use products (products / parts) in product catalogs and websites.
Must be compared, selected, and purchased, and the selection range of products is limited for the purchaser. In particular, in the method of pre-distribution of product catalogs, the use of the Internet is inadequate and the range of products is limited, and the printed materials used for catalog distribution etc. become outdated due to the long update cycle. There is a problem that it is easy to proceed.

[0015] In the market-centric sales system (2), e-commerce between companies is usually a membership system and the buyer side (user)
It is closed because only the members within the group between the members limited between the supplier and the supplier (supplier) perform the business transaction. Since commercial transactions only within the group by the limited members are closed, there is a problem that the product information (contents) in the electronic market tends to become obsolete. On the other hand, buyers (buyers) do not necessarily have detailed knowledge of the electronic market. Therefore, there is a problem that the search for product information (content) in the electronic market depends on the ability of the user who actually uses the product.

In the current Internet business, both the first company (seller, supplier) -centered sales system (1) and the market-centered sales system (2), the company (or the seller) has its own classification.・ Part number system is used. So simply search for the product you need and what
A function that simply selects products that meet the conditions such as who and how many (quantity). At present, there is no attribute item for products that can be compared with products of other companies, and a function that allows you to compare and examine products from multiple different manufacturers Is not used.

On the other hand, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, from the current thick service manual, the buyer has the following inconveniences. That is, (a) it takes time to search for necessary parts. (B) The purchaser does not know at the time of ordering whether the part is available or in stock.
(C) The service manual has been revised and there is no guarantee that it is always the latest version.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. (A) A purchaser can easily and quickly search for a necessary part from a design drawing, an external view, an exploded view, or the like using three-dimensional data or the like. And (b) the purchaser has information on whether the part is available or in stock at the time of order,
(C) information (content) of products and services (hereinafter also referred to as products, etc.) can be prevented from becoming obsolete,
(D) It is possible to prevent the difference in the amount of information that can be obtained due to the difference in the search ability of the purchaser who seeks information on the product or the like, and (e) the search for the substitute product provides a purchase activity that is advantageous to the purchaser. A first object is to provide an electronic commerce intermediation method that is possible.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide an electronic commerce mediation system that can be used directly to implement this method.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a database (data storage device) that can be used directly for implementing the method.

[0021]

According to the present invention, a first object is an electronic commerce mediating method for mediating a commercial transaction between a supplier or purchaser of parts or products via a digital data communication network, wherein (a) Image data of a drawing of a product or an intermediate product incorporating the part, browsing data obtained by standardizing attribute information including detailed specifications of the part and its substitute shown in the drawing and making it possible to browse, and each part and Transaction data including transaction conditions for each substitute product is stored as a database; (b) an intermediary reads a drawing of a product or an intermediate product desired by the purchaser from the database via a data communication network and presents the drawing to the purchaser. (C) The purchaser selects a desired part from these drawings and makes an application for the transaction to the intermediary; (d) The intermediary makes a request for the parts that the buyer applied for the transaction in step (b). Presented to the purchaser and their attribute information and their trading conditions together with the replacement Te;
(E) The purchaser selects a purchase part from the parts presented in step (d) and its substitutes; (f) the broker performs the ordering procedure for the purchase parts selected in step (e). And on behalf of the supplier; each of the above steps (a) to
(F) is achieved by an electronic commerce mediation method.

The drawings include an external view (assembly drawing) and an exploded view of a product (final product) or an intermediate product, and these drawings are stored in a database as two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data. Here, the three-dimensional image data is compressed by a high-efficiency image compression technique. For example, using the technology of Lattice Technology's standard "XVL", image data created by existing CAD or CAM software can be automatically converted to three-dimensional computer graphics (CG) having a small data capacity. The three-dimensional image may be animated and displayed.

The browsing data includes not only a plurality of parts supplied by a single supplier but also attribute information (dimensions, specifications, characteristics, etc.) on parts of a plurality of suppliers. It is preferable that the attribute information is standardized and stored so as to be comparable. In this way, it is possible to compare alternative parts at the same time for parts of many suppliers, and to select parts having more advantageous purchase conditions.

Here, the process (step (b)) of presenting the drawing data to the purchaser and selecting parts from the drawing is described.
(C)) is defined as a drawing search site, and subsequent processes (steps (d) to (f)) such as comparison with substitutes, determination of transaction conditions, and ordering processing are defined as e-commerce sites. . If these two sites are divided into different servers, it is convenient to directly enter and use the electronic commerce site without using the drawing search site.
At this time, the contents of the database should also be divided into each site.

In this case, when the purchaser selects a part in the drawing, the part is transferred to the e-commerce site and its attribute is determined based on the part number of the selected part (using the supplier name as necessary). The information is read, and the transaction conditions are read from the purchaser name and presented to the purchaser. For this purpose, link information (for example, URL: Uniform Resource Locator), a part number, a supplier name, and the like for linking to the electronic commerce site may be embedded in the parts shown in the drawing.

A "simple explanation" may be stored in the database for each part, and the "simple explanation" may be displayed when the purchaser selects a part from the drawing. In this case, it is preferable to include information such as a name, a maker name, a format, dimensions, and specifications of the target component in the “simple description”. The purchaser can immediately know from the "simple explanation" whether or not the part meets the desired condition, which is convenient.

If the drawings can be changed step by step from an external view to a detailed exploded view, it is possible to easily and easily understand the positioning of components in a product and the situation of assembling. It is convenient.

In this case, for example, an exploded view is displayed by clicking once on the external view, and a "simple explanation" of this part is obtained by double-clicking once on the part desired to be purchased on this exploded view. Is displayed, and by double-clicking this part again, it can be configured to link (enter) the electronic commerce site.

According to a second object of the present invention, there is provided an electronic commerce mediating system for mediating a commercial transaction between a component supplier and a purchaser via a digital data communication network,
(A) Browsing data in which compressed image data of a drawing of a product or an intermediate product incorporating the part and attribute information including detailed specifications of the part and its substitute shown in the drawing are standardized and made browsable. (B) a supplier computer connected to the digital data communication network; and (c) a supplier computer connected to the digital data communication network. (D) an intermediary computer connected to the digital data communication network; the intermediary computer distributes the browsing data to the purchaser computer for purchase. Prompts the customer to select a part to be purchased based on the drawing, and based on the selection of the part to be purchased by the purchaser, attribute information on this part and a substitute for this part Presents preliminary transaction conditions to the buyer side computer performs ordering procedure on the basis of the subscription transactions for the purchase parts from purchaser computers is accomplished by the electronic commerce mediation system, characterized in that.

According to the present invention, a third object is as set forth in claim 1
11. A database used in the electronic commerce intermediation method according to any one of items 11 to 11, wherein the image includes compressed image data of a drawing of a product or an intermediate product incorporating the part, and an attribute including detailed specifications of the part and its substitute shown in the drawing. This is achieved by a database that stores browsing data in which information is standardized and made browsable and transaction data including transaction conditions for each part and each alternative.

The database contains "simple explanations" for parts.
May be included. The drawings may include an external view of a product or an intermediate product and an exploded view thereof, and these may be sequentially displayed in a stepwise manner. The drawing may be two-dimensional image data, but if it is three-dimensional image data, the purchaser can more easily search for parts. For example, if a three-dimensional image is made rotatable or the viewpoint is changed so that animation can be displayed, it becomes easier to search for parts,
Interesting display is possible.

[0032]

FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of an Internet search and electronic commerce system using drawings of three-dimensional data and the like as an overall system outline of the present invention. A series of flows of the present invention is realized by the electronic commerce system shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a flow of Internet search and electronic commerce using drawings such as three-dimensional data as an overall flow.

A series of flows of Internet search and electronic commerce using drawings such as three-dimensional data shown in FIG. 10 are as follows. A supplier or an intermediary creates two-dimensional or three-dimensional image data (hereinafter simply referred to as three-dimensional data). The supplier or intermediary compresses the three-dimensional data or the like for the Internet, sets an index for search, sets an animation, and prepares a database for displaying the three-dimensional data or the like. For example, external views and assembly drawings of products and intermediate products,
Prepare compressed data for outputting a three-dimensional image of an exploded view, a development view, and the like. The purchaser searches the Internet for three-dimensional data and the like, and clicks on the three-dimensional data and the like to display the corresponding item (product, intermediate product, part, etc.). Therefore, the purchaser can easily and surely know the necessary items. The purchaser searches the Internet for three-dimensional data and the like, and, based on the search results, clicks on the item to be purchased to enter the electronic market (electronic commerce site) for the purchased item. This allows the purchaser to quickly and reliably enter the electronic marketplace for the items they need. The purchaser enters the electronic market for the purchased product and searches based on the attribute specifications for each required product category, and (a) what (part number, catalog part number, etc.) (b) from whom (manufacturer, trader, etc.)
(C) Compare and examine conditions (price, delivery date, payment method, etc.), select an item that meets the conditions, and store the selection result in the shopping cart. For this reason, the purchaser can carry out purchasing activities by selecting more advantageous conditions. The purchaser purchases the purchased items in the shopping cart by electronic commerce. At this time, the intermediary performs the ordering procedure. This facilitates subsequent processing for the supplier and the purchaser.

FIG. 11 shows an Internet search and electronic commerce business model diagram using three-dimensional data and the like.
Buyers and sellers respectively proceed with intermediaries (e-commerce market, e-commerce site). The flow of FIG. 10 and the business model of FIG. 11 can be roughly classified into (1) a drawing search process, (2) a purchase (advantageous purchase) activity (such as a search for an alternative product) that is advantageous to the purchaser, and ( 3) The process of selection and order processing, which consists of the above three processes.

FIG. 12 shows a flow from the production of three-dimensional contents (also referred to as 3D contents) to the setting of indexes after compression, and FIG.
3 shows a flow from the setting of the index after compression to the setting of the animation.

(1) In the drawing search process, FIG.
The process flow from the production of the three-dimensional content shown in FIG. 2 to the setting of the index after compression is as follows. Create 3D drawing data and the like (including 2D drawing data) using a design tool, a 3D camera and the like. Created 3D data file format (IGES file format, etc.) using Lattice (Lattice Technology) data compression technology
The data is converted into three-dimensional data in the XVL file format (referred to as XVL data). This processing reduces the amount of data such as three-dimensional data. An index (part name, manufacturer name) is set for each part such as the converted three-dimensional data in the XVL file format and stored in the database as three-dimensional data for display.

Subsequently, in the process of searching for the large classification (1) drawing, the flow of processes from setting of the index after compression to setting of the animation shown in FIG. 13 is as follows. An animation is described for each part stored in the database such as the display three-dimensional data to which an index (part name, manufacturer name) is set, and the setting is made such that each part is disassembled by clicking once on the screen. In order to display explanation text data, explanation text data is created so as to correspond to the index of each component. The description text contains the product name, manufacturer name,
Type, model number, specifications, etc. In order to display the explanation text data, an animation description is made, and the setting is made so that the explanation text data of each component is displayed when the user double-clicks once on the screen. Further, an animation description is made, and a setting is made so that when the user double-clicks on the screen again, the display screen for three-dimensional data or the like transits to an electronic commerce site URL (Uniform Resource Locator). At this time, an index (article name, manufacturer name, etc.) of the part or the like is provided as an argument of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to the inter-company electronic trading market (site), and a search UR of the inter-company electronic trading market (site) is provided.
If the user directly enters L, a search is made for the product name and the maker name, and a setting is made so as to transit to the item display screen of the search result.
It should be noted that, in the above description, it is also possible to omit the processing in some cases and then to perform the processing directly.

The broad classification (1) drawing search process of the present invention provides a powerful electronic catalog for electronic commerce. When searching for contents, the purchaser can check the parts on the electronic catalog drawing on the Internet, and can more easily and surely check the necessary parts. In addition, the position and shape of the component can be confirmed by partially expanding and displaying the component parts of the product, and by rotating it, and by displaying the product name, manufacturer name and technical specifications as text data, it is easier and more It leads to certain purchasing activities.

As an explanation of the process of the activity (replacement search, etc.) for the advantageous purchase of the large category (2) and the process of the selection and order processing of the large category (3), FIG. The flow until ordering is shown. The processing of these major categories (2) and (3) is performed on an electronic commerce site linked by link information (such as a URL) embedded in the drawing. A series of flows from comparative study for advantageous purchase of general contents to ordering shown in FIG. 14 is as follows.

An intermediary (e-commerce market) performs registration of a purchaser, registration of a supplier, registration of merchandise, etc., and prepares for e-commerce. By the process of the major classification (1) drawing search, the purchaser enters the electronic market (electronic commerce site) of the item by clicking on the required item from the search results such as three-dimensional data from the Internet. If a part is selected on the drawing search site, the part number of the part also enters the electronic commerce site, and the purchaser can search based on this part number without inputting the specification of the item. To change the required specifications, enter the desired specification value in the technical specification item and search for the relevant item. For other items, the supplier can search for different items with the same specification. Will be possible. When the purchaser inputs a specification value of an allowable range slightly different from that of the item in the technical specification item based on the specification of the item and searches for the item, the search result of the substitute is displayed. The suppliers compare and examine the search results of different items with the same specifications, search results of alternative products, prices, delivery dates, payment terms, etc., select the items to purchase, and put them in the Shopping Cart. Check the contents of the Shopping Cart and perform order processing.
After the order processing is performed, the distribution / settlement processing continues.

FIG. 15 shows a selection item diagram of products necessary for advantageous purchase as a supplementary explanation of the process of the major classification (2) activities for advantageous purchase (alternative product search, etc.). The selection items of products required for advantageous purchase shown in FIG. 15 are as follows. (1) Search for alternative products (including used products and surplus inventory products). Obtain technical specifications by specifying an existing manufacturer's part number. Tighten search conditions (reduce errors) for alternatives (equivalent, upper and lower compatibility) based on the specifications. (2) Study the latest technology and technology trends. Understand the latest information for each manufacturer / class from advertisements and news of manufacturers specialized for each category. Send a Q & A email to the manufacturer's expert. If there is no one with the specified technical specifications, send a survey request to an agent. (3) After determining the product number, compare the prices of the suppliers. Display the suppliers that can deliver the same item Display the price and the contract status of the company Compare the above and determine the product number, supplier and price (4) Search based on the attribute specifications for each required product classification Search for alternatives, compare and consider, and select the one that meets the conditions. The main conditions at this time are (a) what ... part number, item name (b) from whom ... maker, trader (c) price, delivery date, payment conditions, etc. store. By comparing and selecting each of the selection steps in this way, it is possible to select purchase conditions that are advantageous to the purchaser.

[0042]

FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram of drawing search and electronic commerce using three-dimensional data in a Web environment. This e-commerce market is in a Web environment on the Internet, so anyone can access it. In addition, EDI (E
It can be accessed from electronic data interchange (electronic data exchange). Further, the electronic commerce market has a function of transferring the contents of the electronic commerce from the electronic open market operation company to the purchaser (user) and the sales company (supplier). For example, this electronic open market operating company (intermediary) has functions such as issuing and receiving order slips, counting slips, and further processing payment.

FIG. 17 shows an outline of a classification system and a company code system for content management. Content such as product information is centrally collected and stored and managed in a server according to a classification system. A method of searching for the centrally collected content based on product attributes and specification information is adopted. When there are a plurality of candidates, specifications can be compared. For this reason, the user can narrow down and select candidates based on the difference in specifications.

In electronic commerce using the Internet, security is important. Suppliers, manufacturers,
The user's company code uses the DUN's No system, and in the actual e-commerce, trusted companies that have passed the screening standards, such as credit bureaus, participate. In addition, in order to prevent transaction data from leaking from the security aspect, the pre-setting file such as the company code is separately registered by the electronic market operating company based on the prior agreement and managed separately from the Web environment on the Internet. After e-commerce commences, make sure that the information does not leak to others, and use e-mail etc. to purchasers (users) and suppliers (suppliers)
Will proceed with the transaction individually while recognizing each other between the parties.

FIG. 18 is an overall schematic diagram of an embodiment of Internet search and electronic commerce such as three-dimensional data. FIG. 19 shows an embodiment in which a homepage such as three-dimensional data is provided. The entrance to the three-dimensional data or the like is set at the upper right of FIG.

FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 show an embodiment of searching the Internet such as three-dimensional data. It is a figure showing an example of search of a crankshaft bearing from a motorcycle engine. FIG.
When the part of the crankshaft is clicked, a transition is made to a screen in which the diagram of FIG. 20 is disassembled as shown in FIG. The search flow in FIG. 21 is as follows. The part is disassembled and displayed when the part to be viewed in the figure is clicked once. The part name is displayed when the required part in the figure is double-clicked for the first time. In this example, a pop-up window opens, in which a component name, a manufacturer name, and the like are displayed. Double-clicking the part in the figure once more will bring up Figure 21
A search result screen for parts of an e-commerce site of general content such as is displayed.

FIG. 22 shows an example of a bearing search result on an e-commerce site for general contents. FIG. 22 is a continuation of FIG. 21. The crankshaft bearing is double-clicked from the drawing of FIG. 21, and the search result screen of the general content e-commerce site of FIG. 22 is displayed. From this search result screen, search by specification
Comparison becomes possible. In this embodiment, for example, "crankshaft bearing" is designated as the search result of the component description information, and the search result is displayed. It is also possible to display a substitute product by designating a specification as a substitute product search. Further, detailed accompanying documents can be displayed from this screen.

FIG. 23 is an embodiment showing a search for alternative names of suppliers and a search for technical specifications as types of search. In this example, as a search for a supplier alternative name candidate, a case is shown in which a supplier name starting with “AM” is displayed, and a desired one is selected. Also, as a technical specification comparison,
An example of comparing the technical specifications when there are a plurality of candidates as a search result will be described. Different parts of other items are displayed in different colors based on the specifications of the leftmost item. Based on this difference, candidates are narrowed down and advantageous purchase items are selected.

FIG. 24 shows an example of a search item input screen of a search screen based on specifications. FIG. 25 is an example of an input screen of classification / specification items of content registration for enabling a search by specifications.

FIG. 26 mainly shows an embodiment of a machine configuration for forming a drawing search site. An NT / UNIX server for the Web server and a UNIX server for the database are used. In this embodiment, for search
Since the Web server and the database server are separated, security on the Web and a large number of accesses can be adequately handled. In the Web server environment, a system for network management is adopted as Web Front for Web search. UN for database
IX server has 3D data and general content
DB, search engine, animation object model, Shopping Cart, etc. are stored.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be listed below. (A1) A method for retrieving parts, products or services (hereinafter referred to as parts and the like) from two-dimensional or three-dimensional data (hereinafter referred to as three-dimensional data and the like) via a digital data communication network on the Internet, comprising: ) The product is disassembled into parts etc. by clicking once on the screen display part such as three-dimensional data. (B) When the disassembled parts etc. are confirmed on the screen and the necessary parts are double-clicked once A brief explanation document of the part or the like is displayed. (C) When the part or the like is double-clicked once more, the screen is changed to an electronic commerce site of the part or the like. (D) The part or the like is displayed on the electronic commerce site. An e-commerce mediation method that enables comparison with alternative products. (A2) The parts disassembled in the step (b) of A1 are checked on the screen, and once a necessary part is double-clicked once, A is displayed without displaying a simple explanation document of the part or the like.
An electronic commerce intermediation method in which a screen is shifted to an electronic commerce site for the part or the like, which is the step (c) of item 1, and the part or the like can be continuously compared with a substitute product on the electronic commerce site. (A3) Search for parts or products from three-dimensional data or the like via a digital data communication network on the Internet
In order to realize the steps (a) to (c), the data file such as three-dimensional data is compressed into a data file.
How to set dex. (A4) Searching for parts or products from three-dimensional data or the like via a digital data communication network on the Internet
In order to realize (d) of A1 from the process of (a) to (c) of (1), the URL of the e-commerce site (part number as a Uniform Resource Locator argument, manufacturer To have a name).

[0052]

According to the present invention, image data of a drawing showing a product or an intermediate product is presented to a purchaser via a digital data communication network such as the Internet.
The purchaser enters the e-commerce site by selecting the necessary parts on the drawing, and can determine the parts to purchase while comparing and comparing the parts with their substitutes. For this reason, it is possible to easily search for parts without checking a large amount of paper design drawings and the like. At this time, since the flow of processing from the search for parts to the electronic commerce is continuously and smoothly performed, work efficiency is high.

Further, since the purchaser can immediately enter the electronic commerce from the drawing search, the purchaser can immediately know whether or not the target part can be supplied, which is convenient. Further, the electronic trading market is open because participating buyers and suppliers are not limited, and product information is less likely to become obsolete.

Anyone can participate in this electronic trading market,
Since it is not required to have specific knowledge in a specific market, the difference in the amount of information available due to the difference in the ability of buyers does not increase, and anyone can participate under equal participation conditions. Furthermore, since alternative parts can be compared with the parts searched for in the drawings, it is possible to easily determine the parts that are the most advantageous purchase conditions for the purchaser.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the current state of electronic commerce

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the concept of the current Internet e-commerce

[Figure 3] Diagram showing the current state of the Internet business (general purchasing net, corporate homepage, etc.)

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the opening status (operating) of a content-centric portal site in the United States

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a typical procedure flow of a general purchasing activity.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a current parts list (BRACKET).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the current state of design data and parts ordering.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of compressing three-dimensional data (XVL technology of Lattice Technology).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an Internet search and electronic commerce system using drawings of three-dimensional data and the like according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of Internet search and electronic commerce using drawings of three-dimensional data and the like according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an Internet search and e-commerce business model using drawings of three-dimensional data and the like according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a flow from production of three-dimensional data and the like to setting of an index after compression according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a flow from setting an index of three-dimensional data or the like to setting an animation according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a flow from a search of general content to an order placement according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing selection items of products required for advantageous purchase according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a view showing the concept of retrieval of drawings such as three-dimensional data and electronic commerce according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an outline of a classification system and a company code system according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an embodiment of Internet search and electronic commerce such as three-dimensional data according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an embodiment of providing a homepage such as three-dimensional data according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram (1) showing an embodiment of an Internet search such as three-dimensional data according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram (2) showing an embodiment of an Internet search such as three-dimensional data according to the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a search result display example of Internet search according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing search types (supplier alias candidate search, technical specification search) according to the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a search screen based on specifications according to the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting classification / specification items of content registration according to the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mechanical configuration according to the present invention.

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Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An electronic commerce intermediation method for mediating a commercial transaction between a supplier of a part or a product and a purchaser via a digital data communication network, the method comprising: (a) a product or an intermediate product incorporating the part; Image data of drawings, browsing data in which attribute information including detailed specifications of parts and their substitutes shown in the drawings are standardized and made browsable, and transaction data including transaction conditions for each part and substitute. (B) The intermediary reads out the drawing of the product or the intermediate product desired by the purchaser from the database via the data communication network and presents the drawing to the purchaser; Select the desired parts from the drawing and apply for the transaction to the intermediary; (d) The intermediary applies the parts for which the purchaser has applied for the transaction in step (b) together with the substitutes. (E) the purchaser selects a purchase part from the parts presented in step (d) and its substitutes; (f) the broker selects the step An electronic commerce intermediation method comprising the steps (a) to (f) of performing the ordering process on behalf of a purchaser and a supplier for a purchase part selected in (e). 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (a), the drawings stored in the database include an external view or an exploded view of a product or an intermediate product. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drawing is stored in a database as three-dimensional image data. 4. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 1, wherein the browsing data of the database stores attribute information about a plurality of substitutable parts supplied by a plurality of suppliers in a comparable manner. . 5. A step (d) in which the purchaser selects the parts to be purchased in steps (b) and (c), and the drawing search site and the steps (d) until the selected parts and their substitutes are presented in a comparable manner to determine the transaction. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electronic commerce site is divided into a server different from the electronic commerce site of (f). 6. In step (c), when the purchaser selects a purchased part from the drawing presentation site, a transition is made to an e-commerce site for the purchased part, and the intermediary is based on the part number and the purchaser name of the selected purchased part. 6. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 5, wherein the attribute information and the transaction conditions are read out and presented to the purchaser. 7. A part shown in a drawing stored in a database in step (a) is embedded with link information and a part number for linking to an e-commerce site, and in step (c), a purchaser is required to enter the part number in the drawing. 7. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 5, wherein a part can be linked to an electronic commerce site by selecting a part. 8. In step (a), the database further includes a brief description of the part appearing in the drawing,
8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in the step (b), the mediator enables the purchaser to present the simple explanation about the selected component to the purchaser by selecting the component based on the drawing. Commerce brokerage method. 9. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 8, wherein the brief description of the part includes any one of the name of the part, a maker name, a model name, and performance. 10. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 2, wherein in the step (b), the purchaser can change the display step by step from the external view of the product or the intermediate product to a detailed exploded view. . 11. In step (b), an exploded view is shown in which the purchaser has disassembled the external view by clicking on the external view of the product. The electronic commerce intermediation method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein a description is displayed, and the same part is clicked again to link to an electronic commerce site. 12. An electronic commerce mediation system for mediating a commercial transaction between a component supplier and a purchaser via a digital data communication network, comprising: (a) a drawing of a product or an intermediate product incorporating the component; , Compressed image data, browsing data obtained by standardizing attribute information including detailed specifications of parts and their substitutes shown in the drawings and making them comparable for browsing, and transaction data including transaction conditions for each part and substitute. (B) a supplier computer connected to the digital data communication network; (c) a purchaser computer connected to the digital data communication network; and (d) the digital data. And an intermediary computer connected to a communication network, wherein the intermediary computer distributes the browsing data to the purchaser computer, and the purchaser draws the drawing data. , And based on the purchaser's selection of the purchased part, presents attribute information and transaction conditions relating to this part and a substitute for this part to the purchaser's computer. An electronic commerce mediation system that performs ordering procedures based on a transaction application for a purchased part. 13. A database used for the electronic commerce intermediation method according to claim 1, wherein compressed image data of a drawing of a product or an intermediate product in which the part is assembled, a part shown in the drawing, and a part thereof. A database for storing browsing data in which attribute information including a detailed specification of a substitute is standardized and made browsable, and transaction data including a transaction condition for each part and each substitute. 14. The database according to claim 13, wherein the database further includes a simple explanation about a part appearing in the drawing. 15. The database according to claim 13, wherein the drawing includes an external view of the product or the intermediate product and an exploded view thereof. 16. The database according to claim 13, wherein the compressed image data of the drawing is three-dimensional image data.