JP2002133283A - System for providing commodity information based on environmental properties - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a product information offering system that provides users with commodity information about environmental properties for promoting the purchase of commodities based on environmental properties. SOLUTION: User stations 1 are interconnected through a communication network (the Internet) 3 with a service center 2 which the stations 1 can access. The service center 2 includes a product information registration means 5, a data production and registration means 6, and a commodity information retrieval means 7. The registration means 5 registers the commodity information about environmental properties into an environmental property information database 11, when the center 2 receives the commodity information from the station 1. The data production and registration means 6 is enabled by the registration means 5 to produce data representative of environmental properties of the commodities using the information stored in the database 11 and to register the produced data. The retrieval means 7 allows the station 1 to display the data when the station 1 accesses the center 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a merchandise information providing system for providing information on merchandise belonging to various merchandise categories based on environmental characteristics and purchase information of the merchandise to a user. The system is suitable for use in a system for searching for a product based on environmental characteristics, recording the purchase results, and browsing. The environmental characteristics mean the degree of consideration for the environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent advances in computer technology and network technology, and the rapid increase in the number of people using the Internet, commercial transactions using the Internet are expanding between companies and between companies and individuals. On the other hand, with the movement of environmental purification centered on the prevention of global warming and the reduction of carbon dioxide, the finite nature of resources
There is increasing interest in minimizing (reducing), reusing, and recycling resources. Under such social and economic conditions, both consumers and sellers are increasingly deciding what products to purchase as options based on the size of the load that the products have on the environment.

[0003] However, conventionally, even if it is attempted to purchase a product based on environmental characteristics, it is necessary to obtain comprehensive product information covering various product groups and listing the environmental characteristics of each product in an easy-to-understand manner. Was difficult. In addition, the process of selecting products based on environmental characteristics is difficult, and attempts have been made to provide information, such as creating a database for purchasing products based on environmental characteristics. It is difficult to select a product, and it is difficult to carry out such an attempt because it is separated from the actual product purchase process. There was also a problem that it was not possible to know whether or not the user purchased the product.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a user with environmental characteristic information data of a product, thereby facilitating the purchase of the product based on the environmental characteristics. It is another object of the present invention to provide a merchandise information providing system capable of grasping merchandise purchase results as needed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, at least one user terminal and a service center having a database accessible by the user terminal are connected via a communication network. A connected product information providing system, wherein the service center comprises:
Upon receiving information on the environmental characteristics of the product from the user terminal, the product information registering means for registering the information in the environmental characteristic information database, and activated by the product information registering device, and stored in the environmental characteristic information database. Data generating / registering means for generating and registering data representing environmental characteristics of the product using the information, and displaying the data on the user terminal when the user terminal accesses the service center. A product information providing system comprising:

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the service center further comprises a user registration means for receiving and registering information on a user of the product information providing system from the user terminal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a purchase information registering means for registering a purchase record of a product provided by the user in the service center, and the purchase record is stored in response to a request from the terminal. And a purchase information browsing unit for browsing.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a product information providing system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the system. . 1 and 2, a product information providing system according to the present invention comprises at least one user terminal 1, 1, a service center 2, and an Internet communication network 3 connecting the user terminal 1 and the service center 2. Be composed. The service center 2 includes a registrant registration / authentication unit 4, a product information registration unit 5, an inventory generation / registration unit 6, a product information search unit 7, and a database management unit 8. The database management unit 8 includes a registrant information database 9, The product basic information database 10 and the environmental characteristic information database 11 are managed. Hereinafter, the operation of the product information providing system will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0009] A product provider who wishes to provide product information through the product information providing system or to obtain a product sales opportunity as a result thereof is provided by the service center 2 from the user terminal 1 via the Internet communication network 3. Access the launched web page (hereinafter, simply referred to as a web page) and select “Register” on the screen. In response, the registrant registration / authentication means 4 of the service center 2 displays a screen for registration on the user terminal 1, so that the merchandise provider inputs a password and other necessary information at required places on the screen. I do. In response to this, the registrant registration / authentication unit 4 activates the database management unit 8 to store the registrant information input from the user terminal 1 in the registrant information database 9. This operation only needs to be performed once when registering the product information (described later) for the first time, and when providing the product information thereafter, it is only necessary to input the assigned password. , The reliability of the information about the registered product can be maintained.

After the registrant registration is completed, in step 1 of FIG. 3, the merchandise provider registers merchandise information. That is, the product provider accesses the web page from the user terminal 1 to register information on each of the products provided by the product provider, and selects “product registration” on the screen. Thereby, the database management means 8 is operated, and first, the registrant registration / authentication means 4 requests that the password of the goods provider be input. Then, when the product provider inputs his / her own password, the registrant registration / authentication unit 4 refers to the registrant registration database 9 and the password input from the product provider is already registered in the registrant information database 9. Check if it belongs to the product provider. Upon confirming that the information is registered, the registrant registration / authentication unit 4 notifies the product information registration unit 5 of the fact. Therefore, the merchandise information registration means 5 informs the merchandise provider of the user terminal 1
Prompts the user to input basic product information and environmental characteristic information, and the product provider inputs basic information and environmental characteristic information of the product provided by himself / herself at required places on the screen. In response to this, the product information registration means 5 stores the input product basic information in the product basic information database 10 and stores the environmental characteristic information in the environmental characteristic information database 11.
In addition, you may make it register information of several goods collectively on an input screen.

Specifically, the merchandise provider provides the merchandise provider's name, the code assigned to the merchandise, the merchandise name, the list price, the merchandise image, the actual sales price, the seller's name, and other necessary information as the merchandise basic information. Enter basic product items. As a result, the product information registration unit 5 in the service center 2 records the product information input from the product provider at a required location in the product basic information database 10. By repeating the above procedure for each product provider, the basic product information input from each registered product provider is accumulated in the basic product information database 10. The number of basic product items for each product may be constant, or may be increased or decreased for each product.

[0012] Next, the merchandise provider best describes the environmental characteristics for each individual product category in OA equipment, office supplies, home appliances, automobiles, facility equipment, materials and parts, various services, and the like as environmental characteristic information. The user inputs data such as appropriate numerical values to the item selected in advance. For example, in the case of a personal computer, the environmental characteristic information includes environmental characteristic items for each product such as energy consumption efficiency, usage rate of recycled plastic material, presence or absence of a function expansion board / slot, conformity to international Energy Star plan standards, and the like.
Includes corporate initiatives such as building a recycling system. For each merchandise category, an evaluation regarding the individual environmental characteristics of the merchandise included therein is registered for each merchandise. The number of items of the environmental characteristic included in each product category may be constant, or may be increased or decreased for each product category. In the following description, the number of environmental characteristic items increases or decreases depending on the product category.

When the storage of the basic information of the product in the product basic information database 10 and the storage of the environmental characteristic information in the environmental characteristic information database 11 are completed, step S2 in FIG.
, The commodity information registration means 5 activates the inventory generation / registration means 6. Therefore, the inventory generation / registration means 6 converts the information stored in the environmental characteristic information database 11 into a form capable of numerical calculation, creates a reference numerical table representing the environmental characteristics of the product, and stores the reference numerical table in the environmental characteristic information database 11. Store. FIG. 4 is an example of the reference value table created in this way. For example, if a certain product provider registers information on products a, b, c,... , The environmental characteristic items of those products are numerical values related to a, b, c,. For example, for the product a, the environmental characteristic item a is 0.18, and the environmental characteristic item a is 10. Thus, the inventory generation / registration unit 6 creates a reference numerical value table for each product and stores it in the environmental characteristic information database 11 every time the product provider registers the product information.

Next, in step S3 in FIG. 3, the inventory generation / registration means 6 extracts the best reference value for each product category from the created reference value table, and creates a best value table. When the best numerical value table is completed, in step S4, the inventory generation / registration means 6 compares each numerical value in the reference numerical value table of each product with the best numerical value in the corresponding best numerical value table to calculate a relative numerical value. A relative numerical value table including relative numerical values is created and stored in the environmental characteristic information database 11.

For example, if the reference numerical value table shown in FIG. 4 is obtained, the inventory generating / registering means 6
Create the relative numerical table shown in. In the reference numerical value table of FIG. 4, as for the environmental characteristic item a, the smaller the numerical value is, the more excellent the item is, and 0.04 of the product c is the best. Is converted to 22 and the numerical value.
51 is converted to 8, and the numerical value 0.24 of the product n is converted to 17. On the other hand, as for the environmental characteristic item a, the larger the numerical value is, the better it is. If the numerical value 50 is converted to 100, the numerical value 10 of the product a is converted to 20 and the numerical value 20 of the product b is converted to 40, The value 32 of c is converted to 64, and the value 5 of product n is converted to 10. The inventory generation / registration means 6 performs the same processing for the other environmental characteristic items, and converts the numerical value in the reference numerical value table of FIG. 4 into a relative numerical value when the best numerical value is set to 100. Create the relative numerical table shown in.

[0016] By such a procedure, inventory generation and
When a certain product provider finishes inputting product information, the registration unit 6 creates and holds a relative numerical value table for each product category for all products that have been input. Each created relative numerical value table indicates whether one product belonging to the product category is superior or inferior to other products with respect to individual environmental characteristic items.

When it is desired to obtain environmental characteristic information, a user including a product provider, a wholesaler / distributor, a seller and a general consumer accesses the service center 2 from the user terminal 1 via the Internet communication network 3. Then, select "Product Search" on the web page. In response, the database management means 8 activates the product information search means 7,
The user terminal 1 displays a screen on which individual product categories in OA equipment, office supplies, home appliances, automobiles, facility equipment, materials and parts, various services, and the like are displayed. Therefore, when the user specifies a certain product on the screen, the product information search means 7 calls a relative numerical value table for the product category to which the product specified by the user belongs, and in step S5 of FIG. An environmental characteristic graph as shown in FIG. 6A is displayed on the user terminal 1 by using, for example, the relative numerical values shown in FIG.
By repeating these operations, the user can obtain information on the environmental characteristics of various products and, through comparison between products, find out which of the product categories is more environmentally friendly. Can be. If necessary, the user terminal 1 may be able to display the environmental characteristic graphs of a plurality of desired products.

As described above, since the content and number of environmental characteristic items differ for each product category, the degree of environmental consideration of each product can be relatively grasped within each product category. It is difficult to grasp the position in the product category. In order to solve this, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a common environmental contribution item is set for all the product categories, and the inventory generation / registration means 6 determines in step S6 of FIG. The correspondence between each environmental characteristic item and environmental contribution item in the category is determined, and the numerical value in the relative numerical value table already created for each product category is
An environment contribution item table is created by converting into a numerical value related to the environment contribution item set in this way, and stored in the environment characteristic information database 11. The product information search means 7 displays an environmental contribution graph on the user terminal 1 based on the numerical value relating to the environmental contribution item (step S7 in FIG. 3). In addition,
The environmental total score can also be calculated using the numerical value of the environmental contribution item table (step S8 in FIG. 3).

FIG. 6B shows an example of the environmental contribution graph. The graph of (b) in FIG. 6 shows (1) energy, (2) resource consumption,
(3) Waste, (4) Emissions to water, air, and soil.
And how many points it will take. (B) of FIG.
The generation of the numerical values used for the environmental contribution graph and the display of the graph are performed in the procedure described below.

In FIG. 3, when the relative numerical value table is created in step S4, the inventory generating / registering means 6 proceeds to step S6, where the relative numerical value table created for the product category to which the designated product belongs belongs to the environment. It reads from the characteristic information database 11 and acquires numerical values in each environmental characteristic item of the product. For example,
Assuming that the product specified by the user is the product a in the relative numerical value table shown in FIG. 5, the inventory generation / registration means 6 sets each of the environmental characteristic items a, a,
..., numerical values in e, 22, 20, 53, ...
.., 68 are obtained.

Next, in step S6, each environmental characteristic item in the relative numerical value table read from the environmental characteristic information database 11 is converted into an environmental contribution item using a conversion table indicating the correspondence between the environmental characteristic item and the environmental contribution item. Using the numerical value in each environmental characteristic item, a numerical value representing the evaluation of the corresponding environmental contribution item is calculated, and stored in the environmental characteristic information database 11. For example, in the relative numerical value table shown in FIG.
, Inventory generation and registration means 6
Calculates the average value 21 of the numerical values 22 and 20 of the environmental characteristic items a and b in step S6, and sets this value as a numerical value representing the evaluation of energy consumption. At this time, an average value may be calculated after multiplying each environmental characteristic item by a weight in consideration of the degree of environmental consideration. Using the numerical values calculated in this way, when a product is specified by the user terminal 1 in step S11 of FIG. 7, the product search means 7 reads the environment contribution item table in step 12 and reads the numerical value of the product. In step 13, an environment contribution graph using a quadrilateral as shown in FIG. 6B is displayed on the user terminal 1 in step 13.

It should be noted that the environmental contribution graph may be created and stored at the time of product information registration, or a value required for graph creation may be created at the time of product registration, and the product information search means 7 may add the value to the numerical value. Create a graph based on the user terminal 1
May be displayed.

Further, if desired, the inventory generation / registration means 6 may be configured to calculate the area of a quadrilateral of the displayed environmental contribution graph and display the value. For example, in FIG. 6B, if the value of “energy” is A, the value of “resource consumption” is B, the value of “waste” is C, and the value of “emission” is D, Area is (A + B
+ C + D) × (１ ／).

Note that, depending on the product category, the number of environmental characteristic items is three or less, and these environmental characteristic items do not correspond to at least one of the environmental contribution items in the environmental contribution graph of FIG. Sometimes. In such a case, in the environmental contribution graph of FIG.
The evaluation for any of the environmental contribution items is zero. However, even if the number of environmental characteristic items is three or less, at least one environmental characteristic item may correspond to a plurality of environmental contribution items. Displayed in the graph. The environmental contribution items are not limited to those shown in (b) of FIG. 6, and other items can be set as environmental contribution items.
Still another environmental contribution item may be displayed at the center of the four items shown. In this case, the volume of the quadrangular pyramid is displayed instead of the area of the quadrilateral.

In the embodiment described so far, the person who provides the product information is registered and authenticated. However, the system is simplified, and as shown in FIG. The registrant information database 9 can be omitted, and the system can be used without receiving registration as a product provider. The operation of the system shown in FIG. 8 is the same as the operation after the input of the commodity basic information and the environmental characteristic information in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIGS. 9 and 10 schematically show the configuration and operation of a product information providing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that only a person who has been registered as a user is permitted to use the system. A user registration / authentication unit 21 and a user information database 22 are provided instead of the user registration / authentication unit 4 and the registrant information database 9. Furthermore, the service center 2 is different from the first embodiment in that the service center 2 includes a purchase information registration unit 23, a purchase information browsing unit 24, and a purchase information database 25. The “user” here is a person who needs to register product information and a registrant of purchase information (described later), such as a product provider, a product wholesaler / distributor, and a product seller. Thus, users include users and unregistered consumers. As a result, when the user registers the purchase information after searching for the product, the service center 2 uses the information stored in the user information database 22 to store the information on the purchase of the product in the purchase information database 25. The service center 2 allows the purchase information database 25 to be browsed.

The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. First, as one feature of the second embodiment, a user such as a product provider registers for using the product information providing system. For this purpose, the user accesses a web page from the user terminal 1 via the Internet communication network 3 and selects “user registration”. In response to this, the user registration of the service center 2
Since the authentication means 21 displays a screen for user registration on the user terminal 1, the user can identify his / her own identification code, ie, user ID, user name, user classification, user attribute, postal code,
Enter the required information, including address, telephone number, fax number, email address, registration date, etc. In response, the user registration / authentication means 21 in the service center 2
Converts the input user information into the user information database 2
Record in the required place in 2. The information on each user whose registration has been completed in this way is stored in the user information database 22.
Is accumulated in

Therefore, once registration as a user is completed, the merchandise provider stores the basic information and environmental characteristic information of the merchandise to be provided in the merchandise basic information database 10 and the environmental characteristic information database 11 in the service center 2.
You can register to. That is, after user registration is completed,
When the product provider accesses the web page and selects “product basic information registration”, the product information registration unit 5 displays a screen for product basic information registration on the terminal of the product provider.
First, the product provider inputs a user ID on the screen.
Therefore, the user registration / authentication means 21 of the service center 2
Checks whether the user ID input from the product provider is already registered with reference to the user information database 22, and when it is confirmed that the user ID is registered,
Prompt for basic product information. Therefore, the product provider inputs predetermined product basic information in the same procedure as described in the first embodiment. As a result, the product information registration unit 5 in the service center 2 records the product information input from the product provider at a required location in the product basic information database 10. By repeating the above procedure for each product provider and each product, the basic product information input from each registered product provider is accumulated in the basic product information database 10. Note that information on a plurality of products may be input on the screen and registered collectively.

Further, the product provider can register the environmental characteristic information on the provided product in the service center 2. For this purpose, after the user ID is confirmed by the user registration / authentication means 21 by inputting the user ID, the merchandise provider performs the same procedure as described in the first embodiment, The user inputs predetermined environmental characteristic information on a screen for inputting environmental characteristic information on a web page. As a result, the product information registration means 5 in the service center 2
The environmental characteristic information input from the product provider is recorded at a required place in the environmental characteristic information database 11. In this way, the environmental characteristic information input from the registered product provider is stored in the environmental characteristic information database 11 for each product.

The event re-creation after the commodity basic information and the environmental characteristic information are stored in the corresponding databases, respectively.
The operations of the registration unit 6 and the product information search unit 7 are the first
This embodiment has been described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7 and will not be described again here.

Another feature of the second embodiment of the present invention resides in that information on product purchase is stored in the service center 2. Hereinafter, this will be described. First,
If the user is a product provider, the product provider accesses the web page and selects the item “Purchase information registration”. In response to this, the purchase information registration unit 23 is activated, and a screen for inputting purchase information is displayed on the user terminal 1, so that the product provider can obtain information on the purchase results of the products provided or handled by himself, for example, who The user inputs on the screen whether the product to be provided has been purchased, to whom, when, how much, how much, and how much. Therefore, the purchase information registration unit 23 registers the input purchase result in the purchase information database 25. The above procedure is repeated every time a product provided or handled by a product provider is purchased or at a predetermined interval, so that the latest sales performance for each product provider and purchase for each user The results are stored in the purchase information database 25.

Also, in the case where the user is a company or individual consumer other than the product provider, by inputting his / her own purchase results from the user terminal 1 into the “purchase result registration” item on the web page, The purchase result can be registered in the same procedure as the above procedure.

When browsing the purchase information stored in the purchase information database 25 in this way, the user accesses a web page from the user terminal 1 and performs "Browse purchase information".
Select the item. In response to this, the purchase information browsing means 24 in the service center 2 is activated, and urges the accessing user to select either the information on the product or the product provider or the information on the purchaser. When the user selects information on the product, the purchase information browsing means 2
4 prompts the user to select a product on the web page for which he / she wants to obtain purchase information. In response to this, the user designates a product on the web page. The purchase information browsing means 24 accesses the purchase information database 25, Is displayed on the user terminal 1 together with the product basic information and the environmental characteristic information, such as purchase information related to the product specified by the user, for example, who the product is, how many purchases have already been registered, and the like.

On the other hand, when the user selects information on the purchaser on the web page, the purchase information registration means 2
3 is configured to also create and accumulate a purchase information summary for the entire user.
Can use the item in the user information database 22 in which an individual purchaser is not specified to browse the purchase information summary of the entire purchaser. Further, by inputting the identification information and the password of the user, the purchase information browsing means 24 accesses the purchase information database 25 and purchase information of the user, for example, what kind of merchandise the user purchased and when. Can be displayed on the user terminal 1.

As described above, although some embodiments of the product information providing system according to the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example,
The Internet communication network used to couple the user terminal and the service center in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is merely an example of a high-frequency communication line. Other communication networks such as telephone lines can be used. Further, in the second embodiment, information regarding purchase of a product is input from a user terminal and registered in a service center.
Assuming application to an electronic commerce system, the purchase information may be transmitted online to the service center every time a product is purchased, and the purchase information registration means may register in response.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a user with information on the environmental characteristics of a product, so that the user can determine whether or not the product contributes to environmental conservation. This makes it possible to easily perform the determination of the above. In addition, the invention of claim 2 has an extraordinary effect that as a result of such determination, it is possible to obtain purchase information of a product having desired environmental characteristics.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a product information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation conceptual diagram of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reference numerical value table.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a relative numerical value table.

FIG. 6A shows an example of an environmental characteristic graph, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an environmental contribution graph.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for displaying an environmental contribution graph.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a modification of the system shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a product information providing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an operation conceptual diagram of the system of FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

1: user terminal, 2: service center, 3: internet communication network, 4: registrant registration / authentication means, 5: product information registration means, 6: inventory generation / registration means,
7: product information search means, 8: database management means, 9: registrant information database, 10: product basic information database, 11: environment characteristic information database, 21: user registration / authentication means, 22: user information database, 23: Purchase information database, 2
4: Purchasing information browsing means, 25: Purchasing information database

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yuki Sakuragi 2-14-11, Yatocho, Tanashi-shi, Tokyo Stock Company Social Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Satoshi Narita 2-14-11, Yatocho, Tanashi-shi, Tokyo Stock F-term in Corporate Social Research Institute (reference) 5B049 AA02 BB11 CC08 DD01 EE05 FF03 GG02 GG04 GG07 5B075 ND04 NK02 NK43 PP02 PP12 PP22 PQ02 PQ15 UU40

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A merchandise information providing system in which at least one user terminal and a service center having a database accessible by the user terminal are connected via a communication network, wherein the service center includes: Upon receiving information on the environmental characteristics of the product, a product information registration unit for registering the information in the environment characteristic information database, and the information stored in the environment characteristic information database activated by the product information registration unit. A data generation / registration unit for generating and registering data representing environmental characteristics of the product, and a search for displaying the data on the user terminal when the user terminal accesses the service center. Means for providing product information. 2. The service center according to claim 1, wherein said service center further comprises a user registration means for receiving and registering information on a user of said product information providing system from said user terminal. Product information providing system. 3. The service center, further comprising: a purchase information registration unit for registering a purchase result of a product provided by the user; and a browsing unit for browsing the purchase result in response to a request from the terminal. The merchandise information providing system according to claim 2, further comprising: purchase information browsing means.