JP2003223567A - Electronic card distribution method for distributing greeting card through communication network and system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To interlock the distribution of a greeting card through a communica tion network to a congratulatory gift. <P>SOLUTION: An electronic card distribution server makes a user perform desired card setting-up based on selectable card preparation information to generate electronic card information and apply an ID number to the electronic card information. The ID number is recorded on a physical medium. The physical medium is attached onto the congratulatory gift and physically distributed to a receiver. The receiver can receive the greeting card by the ID number through the communication network. Thus, the greeting card can be distributed interlocking with the delivery of the congratulatory gift. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for delivering an electronic card via a communication network, and more particularly to a system and a method for delivering the electronic card as a greeting card to be sent together with a gift.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when you want to give a gift to another person by attaching a greeting card to an item selected / purchased on an online shopping site via a communication network such as the Internet, conventionally, a paper card is attached to the gift item. Therefore, it was sent to the recipient along with the gift. By the way, in recent years, for example, Christmas cards, New Year's cards, and the like have been actively exchanged with electronic cards predesigned with images and the like via a communication network typified by the Internet. Such conventionally known electronic cards are purely for giving and receiving cards, and are used as greeting cards when, for example, presenting purchased items purchased by a user in online shopping to a third party. Electronic cards are never used. In order to use such an electronic card in conjunction with a gift, if the recipient's receipt of the gift and the receipt of the card are not synchronized, as is the case with ordinary physical means. This is because it does not fully fulfill the role of the greeting card as a gift attached to the gift.
For electronic cards delivered via a communications network, there was no way / service to synchronize such gift receipt and card receipt.

[0003]

As described above, even if a product is purchased through the communication network and a card is attached as a gift, the attached card is a physical card such as paper. It was a card, which was unattractive. There is a need for a message transmission method that can more effectively convey the feelings of the giver by utilizing the interactivity of the communication network, and it is highly effective in maximizing the advantages of the Internet that cannot be achieved with paper. If there is a communication method, it is expected that the number of times the shopping site will be used will increase and contribute to improving profits. Further, if a system / method for delivering an electronic card as a greeting card is realized, it becomes possible to attach a voice message to a greeting card and attach the voice message, thereby further enhancing the appeal and effect.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method capable of delivering a greeting card synchronized and linked with the delivery of gifts by an electronic card via a communication network. It is what

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an electronic card distribution method for distributing a greeting card attached to a gift as a gift via a communication network, and accepts an electronic card attachment request from a user. A step of causing a user to make desired card settings based on selectable card creation information; and a step of adding electronic card identification information unique to the electronic card information to the electronic card information generated based on the card settings. And delivering a physical medium recording greeting card notification information including at least the electronic card specifying information to the recipient of the gift together with the gift, wherein the recipient receives the electronic card specifying information. Receive a greeting card based on the identified electronic card information via the communication network. Characterized in that it can. By recording the greeting card notification information including the electronic card identification information on a physical medium and delivering the physical medium together with the gift, the recipient has the greeting card attached when the gift is received. Is notified, and the greeting card can be received through the communication network at the communication terminal of itself based on the electronic card specifying information. In other words, the electronic card can be delivered in synchronization with the delivery of gifts. Further, since the delivery of the greeting card is performed by the recipient's input of the electronic card identification information, the user (that is, the greeting card sender) has only to specify the recipient of the gift, such as the recipient's home address. Since it is not necessary to specify the recipient's email address, the convenience of the user can be greatly improved.

The present invention is also an electronic card distribution system for distributing a greeting card attached to a gift purchased by a user via a communication network, which is connected to a shopping site operating server via the communication network. It enables the user who has requested to attach an electronic card via the shopping site to perform desired card settings based on electronic card creation information, generates electronic card information based on the electronic card settings, and , An electronic card distribution server that assigns an ID number to the electronic card information and stores and manages the ID number. At the shopping site, at least the ID
The greeting card notification information including a number is recorded on a physical medium, and the physical medium is attached to the gift and physically delivered to the recipient, and the recipient inputs the ID number. The electronic card based on the electronic card information specified by the ID number can be reproduced and browsed. By synchronizing and linking the gift and the greeting card in this manner, the recipient desires to read the card more actively than simply notifying the gift delivery by e-mail. If such a card image is accompanied by a banner advertisement of the shopping site, for example,
A fairly high advertising effect is expected. In other words, such an electronic card plays the role of a so-called moving advertising tower, and is very effective as a means for acquiring customers.

As one embodiment of the present invention, the shopping site has a function of linking to the electronic card distribution server, and when the user who has accessed the shopping site makes an electronic card attachment request, the electronic card distribution server When the recipient who has been linked to, and has accessed the shopping site inputs the ID number, the recipient may be linked to the electronic card distribution server via the shopping site. Further, the present invention is applicable even if the user purchases a product at an actual store, and a terminal device provided in the actual store and an electronic card distribution server are connected via a communication network to perform mutual communication. Applicable. Further, when the recipient reproduces and browses the greeting card, the fact that the greeting card is browsed is automatically notified to the shopping site and the user, so that the greeting card can be delivered. You may make it double as confirmation.

The selectable electronic card creation information includes voice information, image information, and text information,
These can be combined arbitrarily. The image information includes a still image, a moving image, and a three-dimensional image, and is selected from a plurality of symbols provided in the electronic card distribution server,
Alternatively, the user can input the one prepared by himself, and the voice information can be selected from a plurality of voice patterns provided in the electronic card distribution server, or the user can input the voice by himself. The text information can be selected from a plurality of text patterns provided in the electronic card distribution server, or the user can input the text information himself / herself. As described above, by using the electronic card, it is possible to provide a greeting card having a large appeal and a large effect, which is an appropriate combination of voice, image, text, and the like. In other words, it is possible to create a greeting card that maximizes the advantages of the Internet that cannot be realized with paper.

The communication terminals of the user and the recipient may be fixed or wired information terminal devices such as personal computers, or portable or wireless devices such as mobile phones or handhelds. The information terminal device of

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a communication network configuration diagram showing the concept of the overall configuration of an electronic card distribution system according to the present invention. This electronic card distribution system is provided when the giver (first user) gives a gift purchased at the shopping site 10 on the Internet X to a third party (recipient, that is, second user). It is a system for delivering a greeting card to be given together with a product, that is, a gift, as an electronic card via the Internet X. A server that operates the shopping site 10 and an electronic card distribution server 10 that manages electronic card distribution
Are connected to the Internet X via a communication line such as ISDN or a dedicated line, and can communicate with each other via the Internet X. First user terminal 10
1 (sponsor) and second user terminal 102 (recipient)
As is well known, by connecting to the Internet X via a communication line and inputting a network address, it is possible to access many servers existing on the Internet. The shopping site 10 is the first user terminal 10
1 receives a greeting card sending request to the recipient from the giver, and the electronic card delivery server 10 creates and manages the electronic card desired by the user and delivers the electronic card. According to the present invention, an ID number for identifying an electronic card created by a user is given.
This ID number is written on a physical medium such as a paper card, and is attached to a gift and physically delivered to the recipient. The recipient who has received the gift and the physical medium including the ID number can access the shopping site 10 and input the ID number, and then the electronic card can be used in his communication terminal (second user person terminal 102). You can view (receive) playback. Further, the fact that the recipient has received the electronic card can be automatically notified to the giver and the shopping site 10.

The server devices of the shopping site 10 and the electronic card distribution site 11 are general-purpose computers, UNIX (registered trademark) type computers, and LI.
An appropriate terminal device such as a NUX (OS name) type computer, workstation, or personal computer can be used, and the specific processing capacity and scale can be appropriately changed depending on the number of clients (users) and the scale of the communication network. To be selected. Each of the user terminal 101 and the recipient terminal 102 is a wired fixed type personal computer or various types of wireless portable type terminal devices, each having a computer or a processor, and a CR.
It has a display device composed of T, LCD (liquid crystal) and the like, an input operation device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and further has an appropriate device necessary for sounding a voice.

[0012] The shopping site 10 provides various information related to product sales to the communication terminal of the user who has accessed the site 10 via the Internet, and the user purchases the product based on the information provided by the site 10. In short, it is a conventional Internet shopping website. A “gift corner” is provided on the shopping site 10, and the user at this “gift corner” purchases the goods purchased at the shopping site 10 by a third party (recipient).
Can be given as a gift to. This kind of "gift corner" is an online shopping website.
It is generally provided on the b site. In such a “gift corner”, if a user purchases a desired product and designates a delivery destination, the user's purchase item (hereinafter referred to as a gift) is physically delivered to the designated delivery destination. For example, it is delivered by courier or the like. The electronic card according to the present invention is a greeting card attached to this gift.

The electronic card distribution server 11 supplies electronic card creation information to be provided to a user who requests a gift card attached to a gift purchased at the shopping site 10 and is created by an individual user. Store and manage electronic card information. The electronic card creation information is information such as pictures, text messages, voice messages, etc., which are components of the electronic card delivered to the recipient, and the user can combine, select, and input the electronic card creation information as appropriate. , Create the desired electronic card. The electronic card information is information for displaying and reproducing the electronic card created by the user, and the recipient can reproduce and browse the created electronic card based on the electronic card information. The picture, the text message, and the voice message as the electronic card creation information can be selected from a plurality of samples prepared in advance, or those created and input by the user can be used. For example, a still image, a moving image, a three-dimensional image, or the like can be selected as the form of the pattern, and the preset voice has various voice qualities such as male voice, female voice, old man, child, character, casual, and formal. Teyoshi, BG
Various sounds such as M music and sound effects may be added. It should be noted that transmission / reception of electronic cards via the Internet is widely practiced, and selection / input / transmission / reception of images, text messages and voices via the Internet, and a technique for attaching a voice message to image information and its Various methods have been conventionally known as a reproducing method and an audio data providing / supplying method via the Internet. However, those methods are not the object of the present invention, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, electronic card distribution performed by the system configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of various information flows performed in the system configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing electronic card distribution in the system configuration. In addition, the VM card shown in the accompanying drawings refers to an electronic card in which voices, images, sentences, and the like are appropriately combined in this specification, that is, a greeting card.
For the sake of convenience, it is described as a VM card based on the initial "VM" of each essage and Value Message. 2 and 3, the giver (first user) is the user terminal 1
After performing a predetermined initial setting at 01 (indicated by reference numeral (1) in FIG. 2), access the shopping site 10 on the Internet X, and at the gift corner provided at the shopping site 10, The gift information is searched (reference numeral (2) in FIG. 2). Upon receiving the gift item information search from the gift giver, the shopping site 10 controls the gift giver side (user terminal 101) to display the gift item information (reference numeral (3) in FIG. 2). The gift giver selects a desired gift (reference numeral (4) in FIG. 2), and as shown in FIG. 3, the gift is ordered and the use / non-use of the electronic card attached to the gift is checked. When the selection is made, the shopping site 10 carries out processing such as inventory allocation of the gifts and shipping procedure (reference numeral (5) in FIG. 2). Here, for example, the giver is made to input the recipient name of the gift and the delivery address. When the giver selects to use the electronic card, the shopping site 10
Is various information of the giver (such as the giver's net address,
Information of the card delivery destination, etc.) is transferred to the electronic card delivery server 11. That is, after the user purchases a gift at the shopping site 10, electronic card processing is started with the electronic card distribution server 11.

In the electronic card processing, the electronic card distribution server 11 provides the shopping site 10 with the content necessary for creating the electronic card (see FIG. 3), and, for example, inputs for creating the electronic card on the Web page of the shopping site 10. By displaying the format, selectable electronic card creation information such as a picture, a text message, and a voice message is presented to the giver (first user) (reference numeral (7) in FIG. 2), and the user can obtain the desired information. You can set up and create electronic cards. As mentioned above, the electronic card creation information is
It is possible to select from a plurality of samples prepared in advance and to use the one that the user creates and inputs by himself / herself. It should be noted that the creation and input of such an electronic card is performed using an appropriate input means such as a mouse and a keyboard in accordance with a predetermined screen display (input form) displayed on a display device provided in the user terminal 101, for example. .

For example, as a design of the electronic card by the giver, a certain design "Iroha" is selected from the samples prepared in advance.
2 is selected (designated by reference numeral (8) in FIG. 2) and the text message is designated to be created / input by itself, an instruction is given to prompt the giver to input the text message (reference numeral (9) in FIG. 2). . When a text message is input by the giver (reference numeral (10) in FIG. 2), a voice message is selected, that is, "whether to select a voice from an existing voice list" or "whether to input by my voice". The selection information of the voice message, ", is presented to the giver (Fig. 2
(11)). When the giver selects "input with own voice" (reference numeral (12) in FIG. 2), the giver is prompted to input a voice, and the electronic card distribution server 11 prepares to receive the voice file ( Reference numeral (13) in FIG. 2). The giver inputs a desired voice message through a voice input device such as a microphone (reference numeral (14) in FIG. 2).

Thus, the giver can set the desired electronic card. The information set / created by the user in this way is filed as electronic card information by the electronic card distribution server 11 and is stored and managed as a database (reference numeral (15) in FIG. 2). A predetermined ID number is given to this electronic card information as electronic card specifying information for specifying each electronic card information. This ID number makes it possible to identify each electronic card. Then, this ID number is transferred to the shopping site 10 (reference numeral (16) in FIG. 2). At this time, together with the ID number, for example, the setting information of the electronic card and the information such as the recipient name, the recipient address, and the attached gifts are also transferred. FIG. 3 conceptually shows information that is made into a database and transferred to the shopping site 10.

At the shopping site 10, in order to notify the recipient of the ID number, greeting card notification information including at least the ID number is recorded on some physical medium such as a paper card. For example, the ID number is printed and recorded on a paper card together with the net address of the shopping site 10, the name of the giver, the destination (name, address, etc.), and this paper card (notice of greeting card notification). Affixed to the gift packaging,
Attach it to the gift without enclosing it in the package ((17) in FIG. 2). In this way, the gift with the greeting card notification information attached is physically delivered to the recipient by, for example, a courier service (“delivery of gift and guide text of card shown in FIG. 3”). Therefore, the recipient receives the greeting card notification information at the same time as receiving the gift. The recipient can browse the electronic card based on the ID number included in the greeting card notification information, and as a result, the delivery of the gift and the delivery of the electronic card (greeting card) are synchronized and linked.

The recipient who received the gift with the greeting card notification information attached thereto makes a shopping from the communication terminal (second user terminal 102 in FIG. 1) based on the net address of the shopping site 10 included in the greeting card notification information. Visit site 10,
Input the ID number described in the greeting card notification information ((18) in FIG. 2). The shopping site 10 that has received the ID number input from the recipient notifies the electronic card distribution server 11 of the input ID number ((19) in FIG. 2). Upon receiving the notification of the ID number, the electronic card distribution server 11 searches the database for electronic card information corresponding to the ID number, and distributes the corresponding electronic card information (that is, electronic card) to the recipient (FIG. 2).
(20)). Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the recipient's terminal that has received the electronic card information can view / view the electronic card (greeting card) given by the giver. Note that the shopping site 10 may post the company advertisement attached to an electronic card (greeting card). Since greeting cards are expected to have a high browsing rate, they have a great advertising effect, and the recipient may be a customer who uses the same type of service. In other words, the electronic card becomes a "moving advertising tower".

When the recipient views / views the electronic card (greeting card), it is preferable that the opening notice is automatically transmitted to the electronic card distribution server 11.
As shown in Figure 4, when the recipient opens the electronic card,
The electronic card opening notification is automatically transmitted to the electronic card distribution server 11 (reference numeral (21) in FIG. 2). Receiving this, the electronic card distribution server 11 notifies the gift recipient and the shopping site 10 that the recipient has opened the electronic card, that is, the gift and the greeting card have been delivered, and sends them to the recipient. Delete the created electronic card information from the database (reference numeral (2 in FIG. 2
2)).

In the above example, the electronic card processing (specifically, the processing corresponding to the reference numerals (7) to (16) in FIG. 2) is the electronic card creation on the Web page of the shopping site 10. It has been made. That is, the user
The contents provided from the electronic card distribution server 11 were browsed through the shopping site 10, and the desired electronic card creation information was selected and input through the shopping site 10. Also, the recipient accesses the shopping site 10 and uses the ID number accepted by the shopping site 10 from the recipient as the electronic card distribution server 1.
By notifying 1, the corresponding electronic card was delivered to the recipient, but not limited to this, the shopping site 1
By providing the link function to the Web page of the electronic card distribution server 11 in 0, the giver (user) creates the electronic card on the Web page of the electronic card distribution server 11, and the recipient is the shopping site. I at 10
If you enter the D number, the Web of the electronic card distribution server 11
You may link to the page and browse the electronic card here.

In the example described above, the first user purchased the gift at the shopping site 10 on the Internet, but the present invention can be applied to the gift purchase at the actual store. The electronic card distribution in this case is conceptually shown in FIG. That is, in this case, except that the giver verbally instructs the store clerk to purchase a gift, request a card to be attached, etc., the same processing and input as in the example of FIG. So do
The detailed description is omitted by using the above description. As described above, if the present invention is carried out in an actual store, the real business and the online business are fused through the electronic card, and the excellent effect is exerted in new customer development and sales expansion.

In the above example, the electronic card delivery server 11 delivers the electronic card in response to the ID number input from the recipient, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the giver selects and creates the electronic card. It is also possible that the electronic card delivery server 11 delivers the mail to the recipient immediately after performing the above.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, an electronic card can be presented via the Internet in synchronization with and interlocked with a gift, and because the recipient's e-mail address is not required and the effort is low. It has an excellent effect that
Therefore, it has an excellent effect that it is extremely effective in expanding the sales of gifts at shopping sites on the Internet.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a connection configuration of an Internet gift greeting card delivery service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow of various kinds of information performed between each device in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing electronic card distribution according to the embodiment, showing a case where gifts are purchased and a card is selected via a shopping site on the Internet.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing opening / browsing of the card of the recipient according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing electronic card distribution according to the embodiment, showing a case where gifts are purchased and a card is selected at an actual store.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 shopping sites (server) 11 Card management server (server) 101 Presenter (first user terminal) 102 Recipient (second user terminal)

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An electronic card delivery method for delivering a greeting card attached to a gift as a gift via a communication network, the card creation information being selectable for the user upon receiving an electronic card attachment request from the user. A step of performing a desired card setting based on the above, a step of adding electronic card specifying information unique to the electronic card information to the electronic card information generated based on the card setting, and at least the electronic card specifying information Recording the greeting card notification information including the physical medium on a physical medium and physically delivering the physical medium to the recipient by attaching the physical medium to the gift, the recipient being identified by the electronic card identifying information. A greeting card based on the electronic card information to be received via a communication network Electronic card delivery method. 2. An electronic card distribution system for distributing a greeting card attached to a gift purchased by a user via a communication network, which is connected to a shopping site management server via the communication network. It enables the user who has requested to attach an electronic card via the shopping site to perform desired card setting based on electronic card creation information, generates electronic card information based on the electronic card setting, and ID number is given to card information,
The shopping site includes an electronic card distribution server, which stores and manages the greeting card notification information including at least the ID number on a physical medium, and the physical medium is attached to the gift and received. An electronic card distribution system, wherein the electronic card is physically delivered to a person, and the recipient can reproduce and browse the electronic card based on the electronic card information specified by the ID number by inputting the ID number. 3. The shopping site has a function of linking to the electronic card distribution server, and is linked to the electronic card distribution server when the user who has accessed the shopping site makes an electronic card attachment request. 3. When the recipient who has accessed the site inputs the ID number, the recipient is linked to the electronic card distribution server via the shopping site.
Electronic card distribution system described in. 4. The user purchases a product in a physical store, and a terminal device provided in the physical store and the electronic card distribution server are connected via a communication network to perform mutual communication. The electronic card distribution system according to claim 2 or 3. 5. The shopping site and the user are automatically notified that the greeting card is browsed when the recipient replays and browses the greeting card. The electronic card distribution system according to item 4. 6. The selectable electronic card creation information includes voice information, image information, and text information, which can be arbitrarily combined by a user. Electronic card delivery system. 7. The image information includes a still image, a moving image and 3
The electronic card distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the electronic card distribution system includes a three-dimensional image and can be selected from a plurality of symbols provided in the electronic card distribution server, or can be input by the user. 8. The electronic card distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the audio information can be selected from a plurality of audio patterns provided in the electronic card distribution server or can be input by the user himself / herself. 9. The electronic card distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the text information can be selected from a plurality of text patterns provided in the electronic card distribution server, or can be input by the user himself / herself. 10. The communication terminals of the user and the recipient are:
The system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, which is a fixed or wired information terminal device such as a personal computer. 11. The communication terminals of the user and recipient are:
7. The system according to claim 2, which is a portable and wireless information terminal device such as a mobile phone or a handheld.