JP2003058763A - Web shopping system and web shopping method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To constitute a web shopping system which enables the customer side to obtain many kinds of commodities extending a wide local regions easily and to obtain useful information and privileges such as points and which enables the store side to take prime customers, to issue effective information and privileges such as points and to improve the sales of commodities. SOLUTION: The web shopping system is provided with a network terminal for allowing the customer to order commodities, a web server for accepting the identification information of the customer, a card terminal device or the network terminal connected constantly to the card terminal device which accepts a point card and reads/writes customer information including the identification information and point information of the customer, a data base server for keeping various kinds of information such as the customer, commodities, etc., and constituted of together with a plurality of facilities provided with the card terminal device or the network terminal connected to the card terminal device to deliver and settle ordered commodities.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a web shopping system for placing an order on a network and delivering and paying merchandise at a registered facility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional shopping system using the Internet will be described below.

Stores that want to sell products send their product information to an unspecified number of customers by opening their own homepages or registering collectively at a network site that handles shopping and posting their own products. To do.

A customer connects to a network from a network terminal such as a personal computer or a mobile phone owned by the customer, browses a home page of a store or a shopping site, and finds a desired product.

Next, if there is a desired product, the customer connects to the home page of the store or the shopping site from the network terminal and orders the desired product.

[0006] The store receives an order from a customer directly or via a shopping site, issues an order slip, and carries out a procedure for sending out desired products. Then, the product is directly shipped to the ordered customer. The customer receives the products shipped from the store and confirms the receipt (eg, signs the product receipt), thereby completing the delivery of the series of products.

Here, although there are a plurality of types of methods used for the payment of the product, the payment is roughly divided into payment before the receipt of the product, payment of the product by cash on delivery, and payment after the receipt of the product. This is not limited to cash transfer and remittance,
Credit card payments are also being made.

[0008]

In such conventional shopping using a network, there are the following problems to be solved.

That is, since the product is posted on the network as a home page or on a shopping site, the customer operates the product at a store that is too far away for daily purchase to operate the personal computer or mobile phone while staying at his / her own house. However, it is difficult to obtain benefits (discount service, etc.) that can be obtained as the number of times of use increases, as in nearby stores.

Further, even if the privilege is obtained, it is not common to the entire network, and it is difficult to utilize the privilege because it is a privilege obtained for each store.

On the other hand, on the store side, although customer information can be obtained, there is no countermeasure against a malicious customer such as non-payment of money, and there is a risk of loss. On the other hand, on the other hand, for a good customer who uses customer information and has many orders, and has no problems, even if a benefit is provided to increase the number of uses, a special benefit system must be set up. It will cost you.

Furthermore, when an order is placed, it is shipped individually to each customer, which results in a significant delivery cost, which is also passed on to the product price.

The object of the present invention is that, on the customer side, a large number of types of merchandise over a wide area can be obtained easily and cheaply, and useful information and benefits can be obtained. It is to configure a web shopping system that improves sales of products by capturing customers, issuing effective information and benefits, and lowering product delivery costs.

[0014]

According to the present invention, a network terminal for a customer to place an order, a web server for accepting order information and customer identification information, and a point card for each settlement of customer identification information and ordered products. Read and write customer information including point information that is updated on the card terminal and the card terminal that is always connected to the network or the network terminal that is connected to the card terminal and ordering information, customer information, and all products that the customer can order. A database server that stores product information, group information including facilities, etc., and distribution information related to product distribution, including product distribution channels, and a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal. Also, a web shopping system is composed of a plurality of facilities for settlement. As a result, the customer can shop through the network, receive a privilege by points, the facility can identify the customer, surround the good customer, and prevent unsuccessful transactions such as non-performance of payment. Moreover, the delivery cost of the product can be suppressed and the product price can be lowered.

Further, according to the present invention, the facility is equipped with a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal, which performs read / write of the point information and the customer identification information and is always connected to the network. As a result, the customer easily issues a point card (membership card) at the card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal to register as a member, and receives points for each shopping.

The present invention also provides ordering information, customer information,
A database server for storing product information, group information, and distribution information is provided, and these pieces of information obtained from the network terminal, the card terminal, or the network terminal connected to the card terminal are constantly updated.

The present invention also includes a web server that receives ordering information from a customer and identification information of the customer and displays the information on the network terminal, and functions as an interface between the customer and the network.

Further, according to the present invention, the customer's identification information is registered at the card terminal connected to the network or the network terminal connected to the card terminal in response to the customer's registration application, and at the same time, the point card is issued. Then, when a customer places an order for a product via a network terminal under the control of a web server connected to the network, the product is delivered to a predetermined facility. And when the customer receives the product at the prescribed facility and makes a payment,
A point card is set in a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal to read / write customer information including customer identification information and point information updated by payment.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Regarding an embodiment according to the present invention,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a web shopping system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between each server and each group. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the information content of the database server. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a card terminal and a network terminal connected to the card terminal. (A) is a single card terminal, and (b) is a card terminal and a network terminal. FIG. 5 is an external view of the point card and a diagram showing information contents. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow of web shopping. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of registering customer information by the card terminal. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a process from ordering to receiving products and issuing points in the database server.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the steps of receiving goods, making payment, and issuing points at the facility. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the steps of receiving goods, making payments, and issuing points at the facility, which is the case where an existing point card is used. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display screen of the network terminal when placing an order and a display screen of the network terminal connected to the card terminal when receiving an item.

This system, as shown in FIG.
b server, database server, multiple facilities (stores, etc.)
The card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal, and the card and the network terminal owned by the customer. Each server and each terminal are connected to a network such as the Internet.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each facility constitutes a member group by a plurality of facility groups including the facility, and each member group has at least one physical distribution base. The affiliated group may be composed of a plurality of retail stores in the area, or may be composed of a single shopping chain that operates stores in a plurality of areas. Also, these may be configured together. Each customer is registered as a member under each of these facilities, and at the time of the first registration, the customer will receive a point card that stores the customer's identification information by the card terminal equipped in the facility or the network terminal connected to the card terminal. publish. The customer goes to a facility that is convenient for him or her, receives the ordered products, and pays them on the spot. At that time, the customer brings a point card at the time of receiving after ordering the product, issues points according to the settlement (purchase) amount, and is updated and stored in the point card.

Next, the individual elements will be described.

The personal computer and the mobile phone owned by the customer are not special ones dedicated to this network.
It is usually a commercial product and is easy to obtain. The customer inputs necessary information on the network terminal such as a personal computer or a mobile phone and sends it to the network.
Order the desired product.

As shown in FIG. 3, the database server stores customer information, merchandise information, group information, distribution information, and order information in a mutually related manner.

The customer information includes a membership number for identifying each customer, information on which facility or group the customer belongs to (group), the payment status indicating the payment history up to now, the number of points acquired, It consists of preference information and the like obtained by analyzing the product purchases up to. The product information includes a product photograph, a product code, a price, belonging area information indicating which group and which facility handles the product, sales, inventory, and the current delivery date. The group information includes area information indicating in which area the group exists, information on products for sale in the group, registered members, facilities, information about distribution bases, and the like. The distribution information includes distribution channels of products, information on work-in-progress, including ordered product information and in-delivery product information. What is ordering information?
It consists of the ordering date of each product, the ordering member number, the ordering party (product shipping source), the delivery destination distribution base, the delivery destination facility, the delivery date, and the like.

The Web server functions as an interface between the customer and the network. That is, at the time of ordering, an input confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 11A is displayed on the customer's network terminal, and the input confirmation result is obtained and transferred to the network database server. On the other hand,
At the time of receiving the product, a confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 11B is displayed to confirm the received contents and the point information. Further, the web server has a function of transmitting information to each network terminal when useful information is generated for the customer.

The card terminal and the network terminal connected to the card terminal are possessed by the customer, as shown in FIG. 4, a communication section connected to the network, an interface section such as a numeric keypad for taking in information directly inputted by the customer. It comprises a card read / write unit that reads the stored information of the point card and overwrites the updated points on the point card, and a control unit that totally controls these. The card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal is always connected to the network and can immediately respond if the information is updated.

For example, when a customer first registers as a member, when necessary information is input to a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal, it is immediately transmitted to the database server as customer information and registered. It
On the other hand, even when the product is received, it is possible to immediately update and inquire the earned points.

Further, when a network terminal such as a personal computer is connected to the card terminal, even a person who is not good at operating a personal computer can place an order at the facility.

The point card has an outer shape as shown in FIG. 5A, and is formed in a size that does not hinder carrying. The point card also includes a magnetic unit or an IC unit that stores a membership number for identifying a customer and the current points earned, and stores each as shown in FIG. 5B. These are the minimum necessary information, and it is possible to have other functions. For example, if a predetermined amount of money is paid in advance, the content can be stored and a prepaid function can be provided so that payment can be made with a point card as long as the predetermined amount of money is paid.

Next, the steps from member registration to receipt of goods and settlement will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10. The circled numbers (etc.) shown in the sentence correspond to those shown in FIG.

First, membership registration is carried out in the process shown in FIG.

When the customer wants to use this shopping system, he first performs member registration. A customer visits a facility that is a member of a network that is convenient for himself / herself and registers at a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal. The procedure is as follows.

The customer inserts the point card with no stored information delivered from the facility into the card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal. The card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal receives the insertion of the point card and starts the registration procedure. Upon receiving a key operation from a customer or a facility, customer information is input (s1 → s2). Examples of this information include a mail address and a mobile phone number. This information is immediately transferred to the database server and stored as customer information in the database server (s3 → s4). At the same time, the database server issues member information (customer identification information such as a membership number) and sends it to the card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal (s5 → s6). The card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal receives the member information and stores it in the point card to issue the point card (s7 → s
8).

Next, the ordering, receiving, and settlement of products will be described with reference to FIG.

The customer connects to the network from his or her own personal computer or the like and browses the products posted on the net. When the customer finds the desired product, the customer transfers the customer identification information such as the membership number and the inquiry signal of the desired product to the database server (s31). The database server receives the signal and extracts the stock and the available delivery date (s11 → s12 → s13). This information is transferred to the customer's personal computer and introduced on the screen (s14). Based on this content, the customer confirms the product, delivery date, and price, performs ordering processing, and immediately transfers it to the database server (s3).
2 → s33,). The database server receives the order, registers it in the order information, and sends the shipping procedure to the facility C that handles the desired product based on the product information, the group information, and the distribution information (s15 → s16 → s17).

In the facility C, an instruction for shipping arrangement is received from the database server, and based on the customer information and the order information,
The product is shipped to the distribution base B to which the facility A designated by the customer belongs, and the shipped information is sent to the database server (s
41 → s42 → s43, →). The database server receives the shipped information and stores it as shipping information and distribution information (s18 → s19).

At the distribution base B, similarly to the facility C, the delivery arrangement instruction is received from the database server, the product received from the facility C is delivered to the facility A, and the delivery completion information is transmitted to the database server (s20 → s51 → s52 →
s53 → s54, →). On the database server,
The delivery information is received, and the shipping information and the distribution information are overwritten (s21 → s22).

In the facility A, similarly to the facility C and the physical distribution base B, the delivery arrangement instruction is received, the product is received, and the delivery completion information is transmitted to the database server (s20 → s61).
→ s62 → s63 → s21 → s22,).

Next, delivery and settlement of products between the customer and the facility will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

The customer goes to the facility A and inserts the medium such as his or her own point card into the card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal at the customer or the facility (s71 → s81 → s82). This information is immediately transferred to the database server, which confirms the customer,
The receipt information and the settlement information of the ordered product are transmitted to the card terminal of the facility A or the network terminal connected to the card terminal (s64 → s23 → s24). The facility A receives this information, hands over the product to the customer, and makes payment (s6).
5 → s66 → s72 → s73 → s67 → s83,).

After making the payment, the facility A receives and sends the payment confirmation information to the database server (s68,).
Upon receipt of this information, the database server issues points according to this payment amount, overwrites this information on the customer information, and sends it to the card terminal of facility A or the network terminal connected to the card terminal ( s
25 → s26 → s27 → s84). The card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal updates and stores this point information in the inserted point card, and returns the point card to the customer (s85 → s8
6).

Here, when the existing point card is used, the process is as shown in FIG. That is, when the point information is transmitted from the card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal to the database server, the database server adds the points acquired this time to the card terminal or the network terminal connected to the card terminal. To overwrite the point information (s84a → s85). The other steps are the same as those shown in FIG.

By accumulating this point, the customer
You can receive a specific privilege product or get a discount according to points.

By constructing the web shopping system in this way, the customer can easily purchase products in a wide range of areas that are difficult to purchase in the area in which he / she lives, and can be shared by a plurality of facilities. Since you can use existing point cards, it is easy to accumulate points and receive points benefits. Also,
Since common or existing point cards can be used at multiple facilities, there is no need to have a card for each facility, and management is easy.

Since the customer information is accumulated in the database server in this way, the taste of each customer can be analyzed, and useful information (discount information etc.) corresponding to this can be analyzed.
Can be transmitted to the network terminal of each customer, and the customer can easily obtain useful information to be obtained.

Since the customer can register at the card terminal provided in the facility or the network terminal connected to the card terminal, the customer can easily register as a member without any troublesome operation.

On the other hand, the facility side receives the goods,
Since payment is made at the facility, it is possible to prevent unpaid charges. In addition, for customers who only place an order and do not come to pick up, a good customer can be selected because the customer information is accumulated. Therefore, it is possible to preferentially carry out transactions with good customers.

Further, when the stock of the product owned by the user becomes excessive, the customer who purchases the specified product can be extracted, and privilege information such as discount information and point premium can be transmitted to promote the purchase. You can prevent having bad stock.
This allows the customer to purchase the product of his / her preference at a low price and also earn points. In addition, by using a common or existing point card and managing it with a database server, it is not necessary to issue an individual card for each facility, and more customer information can be obtained, and repeat customers can be efficiently received. Can be secured.

Since each group has one physical distribution base, it is not necessary to directly deliver the merchandise from each facility to the customer, and the distribution cost can be reduced. Also, if this is not added to the product price, the customer can purchase the product substantially cheaply.

Regarding the effect regarding the point privilege, not only for the tangible products (articles) that are actually traded as shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, but also for the intangible products (services such as utilizing facilities). ) Can also be applied.

[0052]

According to the present invention, a customer can buy goods in a wide area through a network at a low price, receive a privilege by points, and can easily use the product. Further, the facility can provide the product at a low price because the delivery cost of the product can be suppressed, and at the same time, the facility can identify the customer and enclose the excellent customer. In this way, the purchase incentive for the product can be increased.

Further, according to the present invention, the point information and the customer's identification information are read and written, and the facility is provided with a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal which is always connected to the network. As a result, the customer can easily issue a point card (membership card) at the card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal to register as a member, and receive points for each shopping.

Further, according to the present invention, by providing the database server for storing the order information, the customer information, the product information, the group information, and the distribution information, the network terminal or the card terminal or the network connected to the card terminal is connected. These pieces of information obtained from the terminal can be constantly updated and new information can be referred to at any time.

Further, according to the present invention, by providing the web server which receives the order information from the customer and the customer identification information and displays the information on the network terminal, the function of the interface between the customer and the network is fulfilled, and the customer You can easily order products.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a web shopping system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between each server and each group.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the information content of the database server

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a card terminal and a network terminal connected to the card terminal.

FIG. 5 is an external view of a point card and a diagram showing information contents

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow of web shopping.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of registering customer information by a card terminal.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a process from ordering to receiving products and issuing points in the database server.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process of receiving goods, making payment, and issuing points at the facility.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of receiving a product, making a payment, and issuing points at a facility when an existing point card is used.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display screen of a network terminal when placing an order and a display screen of a network terminal connected to a card terminal when receiving a product.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Fujii             2-177 Sakurabashi, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture Co., Ltd.             Mie Electronic Computing Center (72) Inventor Goura Miura             3-1-1, Maize, Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture             Wa New Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Ritsuo Ando             3-1-1, Maize, Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture             Wa New Tech Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A web shopping system for receiving an order for a product from a customer on a network and delivering and paying the product at a registered facility, wherein a network terminal for the customer to place an order and a customer A Web server that receives ordering information and customer identification information via the network terminal, and a point card,
A card terminal connected to the network for reading and writing customer information including identification information of the customer and point information updated for each payment for the ordered product, or a network terminal connected to the card terminal, and the ordering information , The customer information, product information of all products that the customer can order, group information including the facilities, and the like,
From a plurality of facilities that include a database server that stores distribution information related to the distribution of products including the distribution route of the products, a card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal, and that performs delivery and settlement of the ordered products A web shopping system characterized by: 2. A communication unit used in the web shopping system according to claim 1, which is connected to the network, an interface unit for inputting information from a customer, a card read / write unit for reading / writing the point card, and The card terminal according to claim 1, comprising a control unit for controlling the whole, which is provided in the facility, reads and writes the point information and customer identification information, and is connected to a network. Or a network terminal connected to a card terminal. 3. The database server according to claim 1, which is used in the web shopping system according to claim 1, and stores the order information, the customer information, the product information, the group information, and the distribution information. 4. The web according to claim 1, which is used in the web shopping system according to claim 1, accepts order information from the customer and customer identification information, and displays the information on the network terminal. server. 5. A web shopping method using the web shopping system according to claim 1, comprising the following steps. (1) In response to a customer registration application, the customer's identification information is registered at a card terminal connected to the network or at a network terminal connected to the card terminal,
At the same time, issue a point card. (2) From the customer, who is connected to the network
When an item is ordered through the network terminal under the management of the eb server, the item is delivered to a predetermined facility. (3) When the customer receives the product at the predetermined facility and makes a payment, a point card is set on the card terminal or a network terminal connected to the card terminal to identify the customer and the payment. Read / write customer information including point information to be updated.