JP2002123547A - System, server, device, and method for assisting commodity selection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system by which a commodity having a desired function is easily selected from an article group. SOLUTION: This system has a database 37 wherein information regarding respective plural kinds of commodities is managed while related to function points equivalent to the levels of the functions that the respective commodities have; and a user is made to input how important each function is and the importance that the user inputs is numerically represented to generate importance points. Commodity points of the respective commodities are calculated from the importance points and function points, a recommended commodity is elected according to the commodity points, and information regarding the recommended commodity is sent to the user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for providing product information to a user, and more particularly to a system capable of selecting a product from a group of products based on a function desired by the user. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to search for a product suitable for a user's purpose, a user has to prepare a catalog of printed materials related to the product, or to use the Internet or the like to list features and specifications of the product. They gathered information by browsing homepages, etc., compared multiple products released by various manufacturers, and selected the product that had the necessary functions and best suited their needs.

[0003] Alternatively, there is a method of actually going to the store to tell the store person the general product image desired by the store and to select the product.

[0004]

However, in recent years,
The functions of products have become diverse and sophisticated, and it has become a very difficult task to compare and evaluate which functions are included in which products when a user selects a product.

[0005] In particular, there are many opportunities for ordinary users to select automobiles, home appliances, personal computers, computer peripherals, information devices, and the like. It is developed and added to the next.

[0006] For example, suppose a case where a user replaces a video deck that has been used so far. Assuming that there was a function that was used conveniently until now, the latest function is added a lot when choosing the next replacement candidate, and interest shifts to the latest function, so select products from that viewpoint Suppose you have purchased it. After purchasing, when I was ready to use it, I realized that this function was not installed when I tried to use it, saying `` Let's use that function that was convenient until now, '' It can happen that you have to give up while regretting after purchasing.

Naturally, products of the same price range are generally sold by a plurality of manufacturers, so a purchase decision is made after a detailed and steady comparison of products and functions of a plurality of manufacturers. For example, the above will not happen, but the majority of people in the world will often choose without having to do this. Also, even for the same function, it is generally difficult to objectively compare and evaluate them because the names of the functions differ between manufacturers and the levels of the functions themselves vary between products. is there.

[0008] In addition, in the case where a product is selected at the store by asking a store clerk to select and purchase the product, the purchase is performed without confirming the detailed specifications. Become.

[0009] In addition, hating such a thing, the user's willingness to purchase has declined, and in some aspects, the growth of sales has been picked up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of easily selecting a product having a desired function from a product group. It is to provide a method.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, for a product group consisting of a plurality of types of products, information on each product is quantified by the level of functions provided by the product. Storage means for storing in association with function points, importance input means for inputting the importance of each function to a plurality of functions relating to the product group, and importance points by digitizing the importance input by the user And calculating means for obtaining the function points of each product from the storage means, calculating the product points of each product from the emphasis points and the function points, and selecting recommended products based on the product points. And product information transmitting means for transmitting information on the recommended product to the user.

Therefore, it is possible to objectively and easily select a product having a function desired by the user.

[0013] The calculating means may calculate a product of the function point and the emphasis point for each of a plurality of functions relating to one product, and a sum of the calculation results may be a product point of the product.

The importance input means includes means for grouping a plurality of functions relating to the product group by function field and allowing a user to input the importance for the function field, and means for inputting the plurality of functions in order of the function field having the highest importance. Means for rearranging the input order of the functions and allowing the user to input the degree of importance for each function.

[0015] When the recommended product does not have a function in which the user inputs an importance level higher than a predetermined value, the product information transmitting means may transmit the fact to the user.

[0016] The product selection support server of the present invention comprises:
For a product group including a plurality of types of products, storage means for storing information on each product in association with function points obtained by quantifying the level of a function of the product, and a function for each of a plurality of functions related to the product group. Importance level acquiring means for acquiring information on the importance level from the user, and generating the importance points by quantifying the importance degree acquired from the user, and acquiring the function points of the respective products from the storage means, Calculating means for calculating a product point of each product from points and the function points;
And a merchandise information transmitting means for selecting a recommended merchandise based on the merchandise points and transmitting information on the recommended merchandise to the user.

Further, the product selection support device of the present invention is a storage means for storing, for a product group consisting of a plurality of types of products, information on each product in association with function points obtained by quantifying the levels of functions provided by the product. And importance level input means for inputting the importance degree for each function for a plurality of functions related to the product group, and generating the importance points by quantifying the importance degree, and also storing the function points of the respective products from the storage means. Computing means for calculating the product points of each product from the emphasis points and the function points, a product information display means for selecting a recommended product based on the product points, and displaying information about the recommended product, It is characterized by having.

Further, the product selection support method of the present invention is a product selection method for selecting a recommended product matching a user's desire from a product group consisting of a plurality of types of products, and For the function, a step of allowing the user to input the degree of importance for each function, a step of quantifying the degree of importance input by the user to generate an important point, and a step of generating a function point quantifying the level of the function of each product Performing, calculating the product points of the respective products from the emphasis points and the functional points, selecting a recommended product based on the product points, and transmitting information on the recommended products to the user. It is characterized by including.

The step of calculating the product point of the product includes calculating a product of the function point and the emphasis point for each of a plurality of functions related to the product, and calculating a sum of the calculation results as a product point of the product. Good.

The step of allowing the user to input the degree of importance for each function includes the step of grouping a plurality of functions related to the product group by function field and allowing the user to input the degree of importance for the function field. Rearranging the input order of the plurality of functions in the order of functional fields.

In the step of transmitting information on recommended products to the user, when the recommended products do not have a function in which the user inputs a higher degree of importance than a predetermined value, the fact may be transmitted to the user.

According to the program of the present invention, for a plurality of functions relating to a product group, a step of allowing a user to input a degree of importance for each function, and quantifying the degree of importance input by the user to determine an important point. A step of generating, a step of calculating a product point of the product from the function points obtained by quantifying the importance points and the level of the function provided by the product, and selecting a recommended product based on the product point, and information on the recommended product. Transmitting to the user.

[0023]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, for the configuration described in this embodiment,
The scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

As the computer network, in addition to a wide-area network represented by the Internet, a LAN constructed only in a specific area such as a company.
(Local Area Network), BBS
There are various forms such as a personal computer communication network such as (Bulletin BoardSystem). The system according to the present invention can be constructed in any form of computer network. In this embodiment, an example in which the system is constructed on the Internet will be described.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a general Internet connection mode.

A plurality of servers 1 having functions such as a WWW server and an FTP server are provided on the Internet.
Are connected, and each server 1 provides various Internet services to a client 2 accessing the Internet.

The product selection support system 3 according to the present embodiment is constructed as one of the servers constituting the Internet, and operates within a homepage that can be accessed and browsed by an unspecified number of clients 2. It is implemented in the form of interactive software.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the product selection support system 3 according to the present embodiment.

The product selection support system 3 includes at least C
PU (Central Processing Uni)
t) A computer including a memory 31, an input unit 33, an output unit 34, a communication unit 35, and a storage unit 36, and can be configured using, for example, a server computer, a workstation, or the like. .

The CPU 31 is a member that can be thought of as an alias processing device, and is a portion that performs arithmetic processing of a program, sends an instruction to each device in the system, and controls its operation.

The memory 32 is also called a main storage device, and is an RA which can read and write by designating an arbitrary address.
M (Random Access Memory), read only ROM (Read Only Memory)
ory). The RAM temporarily reads data or programs from the storage unit 36 when the CPU 32 executes the arithmetic processing, and is used as a workspace for the arithmetic processing. The ROM stores a basic input / output system (BIOS: Basic I / O) of each device constituting the hardware.
This is a storage device for storing N Output System (Non Output System) and the like.

The input means 33 is a device for inputting various data, for example, an instruction input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, an electronic data input device such as a digital camera, a scanner, and a microphone, a CD-ROM, a DVD,
External storage devices such as FD and MO are included.

The output means 34 is a device for outputting the result of the operation of the CPU 31 and the like, and corresponds to, for example, a CRT, a plasma display panel, a liquid crystal display and other display devices, a printing device such as a printer, an audio output device, and the like.

The communication means 35 is a device for connecting this system to another server 1 or client 2 via a network. For example, in addition to a device used for connection to a backbone network such as a router or a switching hub,
An Ethernet (registered trademark) card (adapter) for connecting to a LAN is also included.

The storage means 36 is a device for storing and holding electronic data such as merchandise information and programs, and in this embodiment, a hard disk is used. It is preferable to use a large-capacity and high-speed hard disk to handle a large amount of electronic data, and to combine multiple hard disks in order to improve fault tolerance against troubles such as device failure and damage to electronic data. RAID
(Redundant Arrays of Indep
It is desirable to configure end disks, and to perform mirroring and backup.

As the storage means 36, besides a hard disk, a removable HD, CD-ROM, CD
-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, and the like can be suitably used.

The storage means 36 stores a database 37 relating to a plurality of types of products. In this embodiment, a database is created by classifying products by genre, and for each product, attributes such as product name, equipped functions, functional points obtained by quantifying the level of the function, and price. It is stored and managed in association with information.

The database generally means a set of a large number of information (data).
In addition to such a conceptual meaning, the term “database” includes a program for organically associating and managing such information (data), and further includes a recording medium such as a hard disk storing the information and a storage medium such as a hard disk. It also means a physical device (hardware) like a whole computer including a recording medium.

However, the conceptual division of information is important for the division of the database, and the distinction between physical recording media is irrelevant. Therefore, a plurality of databases may be conceptually an aggregate of a plurality of information stored on one magnetic disk or optical disk, for example.
One database may be a collection of conceptually single information stored in a plurality of magnetic disks or optical disks or a computer.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the flow of processing of the product selection support system of the present embodiment will be described. Here, for the sake of simplicity of the description, the operation of making a determination / response by executing a software program will be described in the form of “system performs”.

The user accesses the product selection support system 3 from the client 2 (step S101).

The product selection support system 3 transmits a product genre selection screen to the client 2 to urge the user to input a product genre (step S201). At this time, an example of a product genre selection screen displayed on the client 2 is shown in FIG.

When the user selects a desired product category and then clicks the "Next" button, request information including the product category is transmitted to the product selection support system 3 (step S102). FIG. 4 shows an example in which the user has selected a video deck.

The product selection support system 3 is a client 2
When the request information is received from the user, the main items (functional fields) of the function related to the product genre included in the request information are listed, and the user is requested to provide an answer for each item (step S202). FIG. 5 shows an example of the importance degree input screen for the function of the large item displayed on the client 2 at this time.

FIG. 5 shows the functions of the major items related to the VCR, including (1) a recording function, (2) a reproducing function, (3) an image / sound quality function, (4) a broadcast receiving function,
(5) Search function, (6) Comfort function, (7) For each of the seven major items of appearance, dimensions, and mass, according to the user's preference and desire from three ranks of A important, B intermediate, and C unnecessary The user is required to input the answer.

Of course, the rank of the degree of emphasis is not limited to three ranks, and it is possible to implement two ranks, four ranks or more. Further, the number and contents of the large items are not limited to the above.

Since the functions of the product are various, enumerating the detailed functions from the first step and letting the user respond to the degree of importance for each function results in an unnecessary burden on the user. In response, users are asked to respond to the degree of importance in general functional areas, and to grasp the general tendency of functions desired by users.

When the user clicks the “Next” button after inputting the degree of importance for each of the major item functions,
Request information including the degree of importance is the product selection support system 3
(Step S103). In FIG.
(1) -B, (2) -A, (3) -B,
An example is shown in which importance levels of (4) -A, (5) -C, (6) -B, and (7) -C are input.

The user need not input all the items, but only input the desired function items. This is because an item for which there is no input may be regarded as having a low degree of importance (C rank).

The product selection support system 3 is a client 2
When the request information is received, the functions of the small items are rearranged based on the importance of the functions of the large items included in the request information (step S203). And
The importance level input screen for the function of the small item is transmitted to the client 2 to urge the user to input the importance level for a more detailed function (step S204).

In step S204, step S204
A request for a more detailed function is requested for each of the 202 major items. In general, the number of questions will increase because more detailed small items will be listed from each large item, but in order to prevent users from feeling burdened, According to the rank of the answer answered in the above, questions are asked first from areas of high interest.

That is, specific questions are issued in the order of A rank, B rank, and C rank. For example, for a user answer as shown in FIG. 5, (1) reproduction function (A) ( 2) Broadcast reception function (A) (3) Recording function (B) (4) Image / sound quality function (B) (5) Comfort function (B) (6) Search function (C) (7) Appearance, dimensions, and weight This is a process of asking questions by rearranging in the order of (C). FIG. 6 shows an example of the importance degree input screen for the function of the small item displayed on the client 2 at this time.

Regarding the first (1) reproduction function, for example, (1) -1 CM cut function, (1) -2 SV
Regarding the function of the small item such as the HS simple reproduction function, the user is asked to input an answer according to the user's preference or desire from among the three ranks of A important, B intermediate, and C unnecessary as in the case of the large item described above.

Next, regarding (2) the broadcast receiving function,
(2) -1 Small items such as BS reception function and (2) -2 CATV reception function are similarly answered. Less than,
(3) -1, (3) -2, ..., (4) -1, (4) -2
.., (5) −1,. In the present embodiment, step S
Regarding the large item for which “C unnecessary” was selected in 103, no question was asked about the function of the small item.

The user inputs the degree of importance for each of the functions of the above-mentioned small items in the client 2. As in step S103, it is not always necessary to input an item of no interest. When the “Next” button is clicked after the input, the request information including the importance of each function is transmitted to the product selection support system 3 (Step S).
104). In FIG. 6, (1) -1-A,
(1) -2-B, ..., (2) -1-A, (2) -2-
C, ..., (3) -1-A, (3) -2-B, ..., (4)
-1 -A,... Are input.

The product selection support system 3 is a client 2
When the request information is received, the functions are weighted based on the importance of the function of the small item included in the request information (step S205). For example, A rank: 3 points, B rank: 2 points, C rank: 0 points, and points are given.

On the other hand, the database 37 manages information on commodities to be sold classified by genre of commodities. When registering information of a product in the database 37, a survey or test is performed in advance as to how much the product has each function of the above-mentioned small items, and the level of the function is evaluated.

In this embodiment, the function levels are classified into four ranks of "high function", "medium function", "low function", and "no function", and the following points are given according to the rank. . This is referred to as a “functional point”. High function… 3 points Medium function… 2 points Low function… 1 point No function… 0 points

For example, it is assumed that three products, a product X, a product Y, and a product Z, are prepared for a product genre of “video deck”. If the product X is “highly functional”, the product Y is “medium function” and the product Z is “no function” for the function (1) -1, the function points are as follows. Product X: 3 points Product Y: 2 points Product Z: 0 points

In this way, function points are given to each function of the small item and registered in the database 37 as product attribute information.

In step S206, the product selection support system 3 acquires the function points of each product from the database 37. FIG. 7 shows an example of emphasis points and function points for each function of a small item.

Next, in step S207, the product of the "important point" and the "functional point" is obtained, and the total sum of the products is calculated for each product. This value is referred to as "product point". In this example, product X: 24 points Product Y: 28 points Product Z: 8 points (FIG. 8), the function required by the user and which product matches the request for that function This means that the degree of presence can be quantified in the form of “product points”. The higher the numerical value, the closer to the product image desired by the user, and the lower the numerical value, the farther from the desired product image.

Therefore, in the case of this example, Product Y2. Product X 3. This means that the user can objectively select a product to be recommended to the user in the order of the product Z.

Then, based on the result of the selection, the product selection support system 3 transmits an information screen of “recommended products for your request” to the client 2 (step S208). FIG. 9 shows an example of the information screen displayed on the client 2 at this time. In this example, products Y and X having high product points are introduced as recommended products.

By the way, the product Y selected as one of the recommended products does not have the function "(4) -1 front input terminal" for which the user has answered that the importance level is "A important". Therefore, although the product Y generally has many aspects that match the user's wishes, it does not have a certain “weighted function”.

In consideration of this point, in order to call attention to the user, the merchandise selection support system 3 determines whether the recommended merchandise has the function for which the user has answered the importance level A. It is checked whether or not the function is provided, and if the function is not provided, the fact is noticeably added to the information screen.

Although the processing flow of the commodity selection is completed as described above, if it is possible to subsequently shift to a screen for purchasing the selected commodity, sales promotion can also be achieved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user accesses the product selection support system via the Internet and answers the functional questions in an interactive manner, and the product having the desired function is provided. Can be easily selected.

Further, the functions of the products are grouped by functional field, the questions are hierarchized so as to be sequentially input from the outline function of the large item to the detailed function of the small item, and further, the user is asked based on the answer of the large item. Since the questions of the small items are rearranged in the order of the functional field of interest, the operation burden on the user can be reduced.

In response to the question, the user is given a "ranking" according to the degree of emphasis on the function so that the user can respond. In addition, the level of each function of the product is "ranked" in advance. Is evaluated by calculating the overall score of the product. By responding to the user as a "recommended product" in the order of the overall score, it is possible to prevent omission of confirmation for various functions and objectively select products that match the product image desired by the user be able to.

Further, when introducing the selected product, if the user does not have the function of responding to the priority level A, the product is marked in such a way as to be prominently described. Can be reconfirmed and used as a reference when purchasing.

As described above, the user can obtain information on a product having a desired function by a simple operation, and can objectively compare and examine the product to be purchased. It comes to think. On the other hand, the seller can recommend the product to the user with confidence. As a result, the customer satisfaction of the user is improved, which can lead to an increase in sales.

The configuration, processing flow and effects of the present embodiment have been described above. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible based on the technical idea described in the claims. Is recalled.

For example, the emphasis point and the function point may be set to different values from the above, or the weighting value may be set by the user himself.

Further, on the information screen of recommended products in step S208, a product point for each product may be added to indicate the basis for determining a recommended product. At this time, the merchandise points may be displayed as they are, but it is also conceivable that the merchandise points are displayed in a graph or normalized to a value range of 0 to 100 so that the user can intuitively grasp the merchandise points.

Also, various types of products, system configurations, and the like handled by the system can be considered depending on the type of business, scale, or purpose of building the system. For example,
If the manufacturer of a product builds a system to introduce its products, the products handled will be its own products.If a consumer electronics retailer or a car dealer builds a system, the manufacturers will It is desirable to use a system that can collect data on products of different manufacturers and compare products from multiple manufacturers.

Alternatively, it is also possible to implement as a portal site that introduces the products of each company to the user in cooperation with actual distributors and product manufacturers. Although the range of products that can be handled by a single company or manufacturer is limited, by acting as a portal site to serve as a bridge between companies and users, a network of unprecedented department stores from home appliances to automobiles can be networked Can be built on.

At this time, it is desirable to adopt a configuration in which the seller or the manufacturer can register his / her own product in the database of the product selection support system. In addition, by providing feedback to sellers and manufacturers about the functions that users value and information on products that are frequently selected,
It can be used as marketing information for product selection and product development.

Further, the system according to the present invention can be used as a substitute or assistant for a sales representative. For example, if client terminals are installed at several places in a home appliance retail store so that customers who visit the store can operate freely, the customers can narrow down products by themselves. If a more detailed functional description of the product is required, the selection result may be printed out and consulted with a sales representative based on the result, so that efficient decision-making can be performed for both.

Alternatively, the client terminal may be a portable small portable terminal, which may be carried by each sales representative. This is because new functions are added one after another in products with intense competition, so it is difficult for sales representatives to grasp the detailed functions of all products.

Further, as described above, when using within a limited range, such as in a home appliance store, the client /
A database that stores and manages product information and product function points, not to mention a server,
It is also possible to configure as a single device including an input unit for inputting the degree of importance to the function and a display unit for displaying information on the selected recommended product.

In the above-described embodiment, only the question about the function of the product is asked, but a question about the price range of the product may be made as information for narrowing down the selected product. In addition, to utilize as marketing information,
Questionnaires such as gender, age, and work place may be conducted.

[0083]

As described above, according to the present invention, the merchandise points are calculated from the emphasis points obtained by quantifying the functions desired by the user and the function points obtained by quantifying the levels of the functions of the merchandise. Since the recommended product is determined based on the information, the user can objectively and easily select a product that matches the product image desired by the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a general Internet connection mode.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a product selection support system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a product selection support system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an example of a product genre selection screen.

FIG. 5 is an example of an importance level input screen for a function of a large item.

FIG. 6 is an example of an importance degree input screen for a function of a small item.

FIG. 7 is an example of important points and function points for each function of each product.

FIG. 8 is an example of product points for each product.

FIG. 9 is an example of an information screen for introducing a selected recommended product.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Client 3 Product Selection Support System 31 CPU 32 Memory 33 Input Means 34 Output Means 35 Communication Means 36 Storage Means 37 Database

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A product group comprising a plurality of types of products,
A storage unit for storing information on each product in association with a function point obtained by quantifying the level of a function included in the product; and a degree of importance for allowing a user to input a degree of importance for each of a plurality of functions related to the product group. Input means, generating the important points by numerically converting the degree of importance inputted by the user, acquiring the function points of each product from the storage means, and obtaining the product points of each product from the important points and the function points. And a product information transmitting means for selecting a recommended product based on the product points and transmitting information about the recommended product to the user. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating means calculates a product of the function point and the emphasis point for each of a plurality of functions relating to one product, and sets a total sum of the calculation results as a product point of the product. The product selection support system according to claim 1, wherein 3. The importance level input means includes means for grouping a plurality of functions related to the product group by function field, and allowing a user to input a degree of importance for the function field; 3. A merchandise selection support system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for rearranging the input order of the functions and allowing the user to input a degree of importance for each function. 4. The product information transmitting means, if the recommended product does not have a function in which the user has input a higher priority than a predetermined value, transmits the fact to the user. The product selection support system according to claim 1, 2 or 3. 5. A product group comprising a plurality of types of products,
A storage unit for storing information on each product in association with a function point obtained by quantifying the level of a function included in the product; and acquiring, from a user, information on importance of each function for a plurality of functions related to the product group. Importance level obtaining means, and numerically converting the importance level obtained from the user to generate an importance point, obtaining the function points of each product from the storage means, and obtaining the function points of each product from the importance points and the function points. A product selection support server, comprising: a calculation unit for calculating a product point; and a product information transmitting unit for selecting a recommended product based on the product point and transmitting information on the recommended product to the user. 6. A product group comprising a plurality of types of products,
Storage means for storing information on each product in association with function points obtained by quantifying the levels of functions provided by the product, and importance input means for inputting the importance of each function for a plurality of functions relating to the product group Calculating means for quantifying the degree of importance and generating an important point, acquiring a function point of each product from the storage means, and calculating a product point of each product from the important point and the function point; and And a product information display means for selecting a recommended product based on the product points and displaying information on the recommended product. 7. A product group comprising a plurality of types of products,
A product selection method for selecting a recommended product that matches a user's desire, comprising: a step of allowing a user to input a degree of importance for each function for a plurality of functions related to the group of products; and quantifying the degree of importance input by the user. Generating a function point by quantifying the level of a function provided in each product; calculating the product point of each product from the focus point and the function point; Selecting a recommended product based on the points and transmitting information on the recommended product to the user. 8. The step of calculating a product point of a product includes calculating a product of the function point and the emphasis point for each of a plurality of functions related to the product, and calculating a sum of the calculation results as a product point of the product. The method according to claim 7, wherein: 9. The step of causing the user to input a degree of importance for each function, comprising: grouping a plurality of functions of the product group by function field; and allowing the user to input the degree of importance for the function field; 9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: rearranging the input order of the plurality of functions in the order of the highest functional field. 10. The step of transmitting information on recommended products to a user, if the recommended products do not have a function in which the user inputs a higher priority than a predetermined value, the fact is transmitted to the user. The product selection support method according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein: 11. A program for controlling a computer so as to select a recommended product that meets a user's desire from a product group consisting of a plurality of types of products, the program comprising: Causing the user to input the degree of importance to the user; quantifying the degree of importance input by the user to generate an important point; A program comprising: calculating product points; selecting recommended products based on the product points; and transmitting information on the recommended products to the user. 12. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 11.