JP2002183524A - Mail order system, server, terminal apparatus and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mail order system or the like having inexpensive usage charge and easy work for catalog production. SOLUTION: When a customer 10 connects to a WWW server 3 from a personal computer 11 via a network 13, downloads commodity data (image data 21 and character data 23) of the latest edition of a mail order catalog from the WWW server 3, and saves it in a prescribed folder of a database 17, the connection is cut off for the time being. The personal computer 11 of the customer 10 reads the commodity data by using a template 27, prepares ordering data off-line, re-connects to the network 13 and sends the ordering data to the WWW server 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to offline search, comparison,
The present invention relates to a mail order system and the like for conducting examination and creating order data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, mail order sales such as the Internet are
Users can search for products,
Compare, review, and place orders. In addition, a mail-order catalog is created by performing typesetting work for arranging image data and character information on products.

[0003]

However, if the number of products is large and the product switching cycle is relatively fast, for example, as in a catalog of co-op joint purchase, the user finds the target product, It takes time to compare and review, and Internet connection fees increase. Also,
For the catalog creator, there is a problem that the time required for the typesetting operation increases.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mail order system and the like which are inexpensive to use and facilitate catalog production work. .

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server having information on merchandise, and a customer terminal connected to the server via a network. The terminal accesses the server, and when information about a product is sent from the server, disconnects the connection, creates order data, connects to the server again, and sends the order data to the server. It is a mail order system.

[0006] In the first invention, upon receiving data relating to a product from the server, the terminal on the customer side once disconnects from the network, and searches for, compares, reviews, and examines the product offline regardless of time. Create order data,
The order data can be transmitted by connecting to the network again.

[0007] A second invention has information on a product,
A server connected to a terminal on the customer side via a network, wherein when the terminal accesses the server, the terminal sends information about a product to the terminal, disconnects the connection, and places order data on the terminal side. Is created again, is connected again, and receives the order data.

A third invention is a program for causing a computer to function as such a server and a recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mail order system 1 according to the present invention. The mail order system 1 downloads data (commodity catalog) about products from the catalog information provider 2 to the personal computer 11 owned by the customer 10, and the personal computer 11 of the customer 10 temporarily connects to the network 13 here. The search, comparison, examination, and creation of order data are performed off-line, and the order data is transmitted by connecting to the network 13 again.

As shown in FIG. 1, a mail-order sales system 1 comprises a WWW server 3, a database server 5, an order receiving server 7 operated by a catalog information provider 2, and a product provider 8
, A personal computer 11 as a terminal of a plurality of customers 10 (users of Internet shopping) and the like are connected via a network 13. The network 13 is, for example, the Internet. Note that a mobile phone, a mobile terminal, or the like may be used as the terminal in addition to the personal computer 11. Here, the product provider 8 is, for example, a supermarket,
It provides products such as retail stores and co-operatives.

The catalog information provider 2 creates a mail order catalog for the product provider 8. That is, catalog information provider 2
Creates a mail order catalog on a paper medium (magazine or the like) at the request of the product provider 8, and uses the print data for the paper medium to store image data 21 and character data 23 of a product for WEB such as the Internet. Generate

The WWW server 3 is a server that transmits the latest product data and receives order data. The latest product data is sent from the product provider 8 to the catalog information provider 2 via the network 13. That is, the product provider 8
If a new product or the like is to be placed in a catalog, the latest image data and price information of the product are provided to the catalog information provider 2.
Send to

The database server 5 is a server that manages the mail-order catalog database 15. The mail-order catalog database 15 stores image data 21 of various products.
And character data 23 such as a product name, an amount, and a description. The order receiving server 7 is a server that creates order data 25 based on the order data sent from the personal computer 11 of the customer 10 and transmits the order data 25 to the server 9 operated by the product provider 8. At this time, a billing process is also performed as needed.

The personal computer 11 is connected to the customer 10
Terminal and a software called a template (Jet Form template) 27 or a database 1
7 is held. This template is a WWW server 3
It has a function of displaying the image data 21 and the character data 23 sent from the server according to predetermined conditions.

The template 27 has a function of displaying detailed data of a product when a product image of a product group displayed in a list is clicked, and pressing an order button 33 (FIG. 3) corresponding to each product image. The function to transfer the data necessary for the order to the order form 41 (FIG. 4). When the quantity of the product to be ordered is input to the order form 41, the total amount including the consumption tax, the shipping fee, etc. is calculated, and the order date is automatically calculated. It has a function of performing setting, a function of connecting to the server again when the “order data transmission” button 43 is pressed, and sending the order data input to the order form 41 to the WWW server 3.

When the customer 10 connects to the WWW server 3 from the personal computer 11 and downloads the latest version of the merchandise catalog data and saves it in a predetermined holder of the database 17, the connection is temporarily cut off and the template 27 is used. After browsing the product data and creating the order data, the system automatically connects to the Internet again and transmits the order data to the WWW server 3.

Note that the customer's personal computer 11 needs web browsing software and a Jet Form component. The programs used for each server and template may be recorded on a CD-ROM or the like and distributed, or may be distributed via the network 9.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the mail order system 1
Will be described. In the following example, it is assumed that the mail-order catalog is a mail-order catalog of a co-op cooperative whose product group to be handled changes every week. The personal computer 11 of the customer 10 holds the template 27 distributed from the WWW server 3 in the database 17 after joining.

The customer's personal computer 11 accesses the WWW server 3 via the network 13 and
When requesting the product data (mail order catalog) from the WW server 3 (step 201), the WWW server 3 transmits the latest version of the product data from the mail order catalog database 15 in accordance with the product switching timing (step 202). . Here, the product data is data such as a catalog of the product, such as image data 21 and character data 23 of the product. The personal computer 11 stores the downloaded product data in a predetermined folder of the database 17 and temporarily disconnects from the network 13 (step 203).

The personal computer 11 stores a database 1 based on the product data sent from the WWW server 3.
The product list 31 is displayed using the template 27 held in the step 7 (step 204). FIG. 3 is a display example of the product list 31. A product number button 32 is displayed in the product list 31, and when clicked, the image data 21 of the product related to the product number and the character data 23 such as the price 23a are displayed at predetermined positions defined by the template 27. Further, when the product image 21 is clicked, detailed data of the corresponding product is displayed.

Customers can search, compare,
A study is performed (step 205). That is, the user sequentially turns the pages of the product list 31 and, if there is a favorite product, presses an “order” button 33 corresponding to the product image. When the “order” button 33 is pressed, data necessary for ordering the corresponding product is transcribed to the order form 41 created by the template 27. FIG. 4 shows the order form 41
It is a figure showing an example of.

When all products have been browsed and examined, order data is created (step 206). That is, when the “order” button 35 is pressed, the order form 41 is displayed.
In the order form 41, for example, the order date 44 is automatically set, and data on the product for which the "order" button 33 has been pressed has been written. That is, a product number 45, a product name 46, a unit price 47, and the like are displayed. When the quantity 48 etc. is input, the amount 49, the subtotal 51, the consumption tax 52, the shipping fee 5
3. The total amount 54 is automatically calculated.

When the order form 41 is completed, the order data is
The data is transmitted to the WW server 3 (step 207). That is, when the “order data transmission” button 43 of the order form 41 is pressed, the network 13 is connected again and the order data input to the order form 41 is transmitted to the WWW server 3. Here, the order data is data generated in the order form 41 shown in FIG. 4, and is data such as a quantity 48 and a total amount 54. The WWW server 3 creates order data based on the received order data (step 208). here,
The order data is data on the customer 10, such as the name, address, and telephone number of the customer 10, and data on the name of the product purchased by the customer 10.

The catalog information provider 2 receives the order data 25
To the product provider 8 via the network 13. The merchandise provider 8 determines the customer 10 based on the order data 25.
Deliver goods to That is, the goods provider 8 receives the order data 2
5. Read the name and address of the customer 10 and the products purchased by the customer 10 from 5 and request, for example, a shipping company to transport the products,
The carrier delivers the goods to the customer 10.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a customer can slowly compare and examine products in a mail order catalog offline and place an order without worrying about the connection fee (time) of the Internet or the like. . Also, the catalog provider 2 can easily create catalog data for WEB using image data of a catalog on a paper medium or the like.
Note that the present invention can be variously modified. For example, the merchandise provider 8 itself may create the mail-order catalog database 15 from image data of the merchandise.

In this case, the customer 10 accesses the product provider 8, the communication catalog is sent from the product provider 8 to the customer 10, and the customer 10 looks at the catalog, determines the product to be purchased, and stores the order data in the product. The goods are sent to the provider 8 side, and the goods provider 8 delivers the goods to the customer 10 via a carrier or the like. Further, the configurations of the product list 31 and the order form 41 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. For example, the number of items to be ordered on the item list 31 may be input.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a mail order system or the like in which the usage fee is low and the work of the content provider is easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a mail order system 1;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the mail order system 1.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a display example of a product list 31;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a display example of a purchase order 41;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mail-order sales system 3 ... WWW server 3 5 ... Database server 7 ... Order receiving server 9 ... Server 11 ... Personal computer 13 ... Network 15 ... Mail-order catalog database 17 ... Database

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A server having information on a product, and a terminal on the customer side connected to the server via a network, wherein the terminal accesses the server and transmits information on the product from the server. Upon receipt of the request, the mail order system disconnects the connection, creates order data, connects to the server again, and sends the order data to the server. 2. A terminal device on the customer side, comprising: display means for displaying information on the product sent from the server; and order data for the product displayed by the display means, the order data being automatically sent. The mail order system according to claim 1, further comprising: order data creating means for creating the order data. 3. The information on the product includes an image of the product,
2. The data of a price of a product or the like.
Mail order system described in. 4. The mail order system according to claim 3, wherein the information on the product is created based on information on a product provider. 5. A server having information on a product and connected to a terminal on the customer side via a network, and after transmitting information on the product in response to access from the terminal, Disconnecting the connection and generating order data on the terminal side, and then connecting to the terminal again to receive the order data. 6. The terminal device on the customer side, a display means for displaying information on the product sent from the server, and automatically instructs order data when the product displayed by the display means is ordered. The server according to claim 5, further comprising: order data creating means for creating the order data. 7. The information on the product includes an image of the product,
6. The data of a price of a product or the like.
Server described in. 8. A customer terminal connected via a network to a server having information relating to a product, wherein when the server is accessed and information relating to the product is sent from the server, the connection is cut off and the product is connected. A terminal for displaying information, creating order data, connecting to the server again, and sending the order data to the server. 9. A display means for displaying information on the product sent from the server, and an order data creating means for automatically creating order data when an order is given for the product displayed by the display means. The terminal of claim 8, further comprising: 10. A program for causing a computer to function as the server according to claim 5. 11. A recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to function as the server according to claim 5 is recorded.