JP2003271637A - Information providing method, information providing system, central unit, computer program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information providing method, information providing system, central unit, computer program and recording medium capable of providing to a consumer, providing information which reflects the consumer's taste without requiring the registration work of taste by the consumer. <P>SOLUTION: In a terminal device 20, the input from the consumer which is to transmit history information in order to receive the providing of providing information is accepted (S201), and instruction information stored in a prescribed storage position is transmitted to the central unit 10 as history information showing the history of communication (S202). In the central unit 10, browsing information stored in a communication device located on a communication network instructed by the instruction information such as URL is acquired on the basis of the instruction information received as the history information (S204), the history of communication is analyzed on the basis of the acquired browsing information (S205), and the providing information based on the analysis result is transmitted to the terminal 20 (S207). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention applies an information providing method for providing providing information such as advertisements from a central device such as a web server computer to a terminal device such as a personal computer via a communication network such as the Internet, and applies the method. The information providing system, the central device used in the system, the computer program for realizing the device, and the computer-readable recording medium having the program recorded therein, in particular, reflect consumer's preference. The present invention relates to an information providing method for providing additional provided information, an information providing system, a central device, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In communication networks such as the Internet, it has become common to provide information such as advertisements by communication methods such as web pages and electronic mail. However, in the present age when consumers' tastes are diversified and their lifestyles and ways of spending holidays are also diverse, advertising effects cannot be expected unless provided information is provided according to the tastes of the recipient consumers. It is in a state. Therefore, it has been developed into a form in which the preference of the consumer is registered in advance on the provider side of the provision information, and the provision information is provided according to the registered preference.

[0003]

However, there is a problem that it is troublesome for the consumer to perform the work of registering the taste.

Further, when the taste is registered, there is a problem that the change in the taste of the consumer cannot be followed.
For example, before an automobile is purchased, it is effective to provide an advertisement of the automobile as the provided information, but after the purchase, provided information such as a drive course and tourist spot information is effective.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and shows a history of browsed web pages recorded in the terminal device when a consumer operating a terminal device such as a personal computer browses the web page. History information,
It is assumed that consumers frequently browse web pages that they are interested in by sending them to a central device such as a web server computer, and the central device provides the provided information such as advertisements based on the received history information. Since it is possible to provide the provided information that reflects the taste of the consumer under the circumstances, it is not necessary for the consumer to register the taste, and it is possible to easily follow changes in the taste of the consumer. Of an information providing method, an information providing system to which the method is applied, a central device used in the system, a computer program for realizing the device, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the program For the purpose of provision.

[0006]

An information providing method according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided with a central device and a terminal device for communicating via a communication network, and the information providing method for providing the provided information from the central device to the terminal device. In the terminal device, the terminal device records history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in the communication device located on the communication network, and inputs the recorded history information to the central device. In the case of accepting, the history information is transmitted to the central device, the central device extracts the provision information from the database recording the provision information to be provided to the terminal device based on the received history information, It is characterized in that the extracted provision information is transmitted.

In the information providing method according to the first aspect of the invention, history information recorded when a consumer operating a terminal device such as a personal computer browses a web page is transmitted to a central device such as a web server computer, and the central device is operated. Then, by providing the provided information such as advertisements based on the received history information, the consumer's preference is reflected on the assumption that the consumer frequently browses the web page of interest. It is possible to send provided information with a high advertising effect, improve convenience by eliminating the need for consumers to register their preferences, and easily follow changes in consumer preferences. Can also be applied to businesses such as collecting advertising fees from advertisers and collecting information provision fees from consumers, and the history information must be actively manipulated by consumers. Since transmitted to the central unit, it is possible to prevent accidental leakage of personal information.

An information providing system according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a central device and a terminal device that communicate via a communication network, wherein the terminal device provides the additional information to the terminal device. A means for recording history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in a communication device located on the communication network, and a means for receiving an input for transmitting the recorded history information to the central device A means for transmitting history information to the central device based on the received input, the central device accessing a database recording provided information to be provided to the terminal device, and a received history. Based on the information
An extracting means for extracting the provided information from the database, and means for transmitting the extracted provided information to the terminal device,
The terminal device further comprises means for outputting the received provision information.

In the information providing system according to the second aspect of the present invention, history information recorded when a consumer operating a terminal device such as a personal computer browses a web page is transmitted to a central device such as a web server computer, and the central device is operated. Then, by providing the provided information such as advertisements based on the received history information, the consumer's preference is reflected on the assumption that the consumer frequently browses the web page of interest. It is possible to send provided information with a high advertising effect, improve convenience by eliminating the need for consumers to register their preferences, and easily follow changes in consumer preferences. Can also be applied to businesses such as collecting advertising fees from advertisers and collecting information provision fees from consumers, and the history information is actively manipulated by consumers. Since it transmitted to the central device and it is possible to prevent accidental leakage of personal information.

The information providing system according to the third aspect of the present invention is the second aspect.
In the invention, the history information is instruction information for instructing browsing information recorded in the communication device, and the central device provides means for acquiring browsing information from the communication device based on the instruction information. It is characterized in that the extraction means is configured to extract the provided information based on the acquired browsing information.

In the information providing system according to the third invention, H
By transmitting, as history information, instruction information such as a URL for instructing browsing information that forms a web page such as an HTML file described in a markup language such as TML, the browsing information itself is transmitted from the terminal device to the center. It is possible to reduce the communication load between the central device and the terminal device as compared with the case of transmitting to the device.

A central device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a central device for transmitting provision information to a terminal device that communicates via a communication network, and means for accessing a database that records provision information to be provided to the terminal device. And means for receiving, from the terminal device, history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in a communication device located on the communication network, and provision information from a database based on the received history information. And means for transmitting the extracted provision information to the terminal device.

In the central device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the consumer operating the terminal device such as the personal computer receives the history information recorded when the browsing information such as the web page is browsed, and based on the received history information. By providing provided information such as advertisements, on the premise that consumers frequently browse web pages that they are interested in, provide provided information with high advertising effectiveness that reflects consumer preferences. Therefore, it is possible to improve convenience by eliminating the need for the consumer to register the taste, and to easily follow changes in the taste of the consumer.

A computer program according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer that communicates with a terminal device via a communication network to provide provision information to the terminal device, the communication device being located on the communication network. When the history information indicating the communication history of the browsing information recorded in is received from the terminal device, based on the received history information, from the database recording the provided information to be provided to the terminal device. It is characterized by including a procedure for extracting the provided information and a procedure for causing the computer to transmit the extracted provided information to the terminal device.

In the computer program according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer operates as a central device by being executed by a computer such as a web server computer, so that a consumer operating a terminal device such as a personal computer creates a web page or the like. By receiving the history information recorded when the browsing information is browsed and providing the provided information such as advertisements based on the received history information, consumers frequently browse the web pages of interest. Based on the premise, it is possible to provide information with high advertising effectiveness that reflects consumer preferences, which improves convenience by eliminating the need for consumers to register their preferences, and consumer preferences. Can be easily followed.

The computer-readable recording medium according to the sixth aspect of the present invention has a computer program for causing a computer communicating with a terminal device via a communication network to provide the terminal device with provision information. When receiving from the terminal device history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in a communication device located on the communication network in a computer-readable recording medium, A computer program including a procedure for extracting provision information from a database that records provision information to be provided to the terminal device based on the history information that has been recorded, and a procedure for causing a computer to transmit the extracted provision information to the terminal device. Is recorded.

In the computer-readable recording medium according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the computer operates as a central unit by executing the recorded computer program on a computer such as a web server computer. By receiving history information recorded when a consumer who operates a terminal device such as a computer browses browsing information such as a web page, and provides provided information such as advertisements based on the received history information. , On the assumption that consumers frequently browse web pages that they are interested in, it is possible to provide advertisement-provided information that reflects consumer preferences, and consumers register their preferences. To improve convenience by eliminating the work of
In addition, it is possible to easily follow changes in consumer preferences.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view conceptually showing the information providing system of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 is a central device of the present invention using a computer such as a web server computer. The central device 10 is connected to a communication network NW such as the Internet, and a computer such as a personal computer is connected via the communication network NW. To communicate with the terminal device 20 using.

Further, communication devices 30, 30, ... Using web server computers are connected to the communication network NW, and the communication devices 30, 30, ... Are described in a markup language such as HTML. Information for browsing that forms a web page such as an HTML file is recorded. Then, based on the instruction information such as the URL for instructing the recording position on the communication network NW and the browsing information from the terminal device 20, the communication device 3
By accessing 0, the terminal device 20 acquires the browsing information and outputs it as a web page.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information providing system of the present invention. The central device 10 includes a CPU 11 for controlling the entire device, a computer program PG for the central device of the present invention, and a CD recording various information such as data.
-CD for reading information from recording medium REC such as ROM-
Auxiliary storage means 12 such as a ROM drive, auxiliary storage means 1
2, a recording means 13 such as a hard disk for recording various information such as a computer program PG read by the computer 2 and data, a RAM 14 for temporarily storing information, and a communication means 15 for connecting to a communication network NW. Then, the computer program PG for the central apparatus of the present invention and various information such as data are read from the recording means 13, and R is read.
By storing it in the AM 14 and executing it by the CPU 11, the web server computer becomes the central unit 10 of the present invention.
To work as.

Further, a part of the recording area of the recording means 13 is used as various databases such as an additional information database (an additional information DB) 10a for recording additional information such as advertisements, and is accessed as necessary. , Information is extracted. Note that instead of using a part of the recording area of the recording means 13 as various databases such as the provided information database 10a, other devices connected via the communication network NW may be used as various databases such as the provided information database 10a. .

The terminal device 20 includes a CPU 21 and a recording means 2.
2, a RAM 23, a communication unit 24, an input unit 25 such as a mouse and a keyboard, and an output unit 26 such as a monitor and a printer. The recording unit 22 acquires browsing information and outputs it as a web page for browsing. Various computer programs such as a computer program (hereinafter referred to as a browser) are recorded.

The communication device 30 includes a CPU 31 and a recording means 3.
2, a RAM 33, and a communication unit 34, and the recording unit 32 records browsing information forming a web page.

Next, the history recording process of the terminal device 20 provided in the information providing system of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The consumer who operates the terminal device 20
The terminal device 20 is operated to connect to the communication network NW, a browser is activated, and an operation of outputting a web page based on the instruction information is performed.

The terminal device 20 accesses the communication device 30 based on the instruction information and acquires the browsing information recorded in the communication device 30 indicated by the instruction information (S1).
01), the acquired browsing information is output as a web page by the browser (S102). Then, as history information indicating the history of communication of the browsing information recorded in the communication device 30 located on the communication network NW, the instruction information is recorded at a predetermined recording position in association with the communication date and time (S10).
3).

Next, FIG. 4 shows the provided information providing processing of the central device 10 and the terminal device 20 provided in the information providing system of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in. When the consumer desires to provide the additional information based on the analysis of the history of browsing the web page, the consumer operates the terminal device 20 to communicate with the communication network NW.
To access the central device 10 to input history information.

The terminal device 20 accepts an input for transmitting history information (S201), and based on the accepted input, one or a plurality of instruction information recorded at a predetermined recording position is recorded as a history indicating a communication history. The information is transmitted to the central device 10 (S202). Note that the history information to be transmitted may be limited to information in which the associated communication date and time is within a predetermined period, so that the provision of the provided information that is of the highest interest to the consumer at this point in time can be provided. Can receive.

The central unit 10 receives the history information (S
203), based on the instruction information received as history information, accesses the communication devices 30, 30, ... Positioned on the communication network NW indicated by the instruction information to access the respective communication devices 30,
The information for browsing recorded in 30, ... Is acquired (S2
04). Then, the communication history is analyzed based on the acquired browsing information (S205), and based on the analyzed result,
The provision information is extracted from the provision information database 10a (S
206), and transmits the extracted provision information to the terminal device 20 (S207).

The analysis of the communication history performed in step S205 means that the words included in various acquired browsing information are extracted, and the words with high appearance frequency are the information that the consumer is interested in. Interpret and provide information database 10
It shows processing such as processing as a keyword when extracting the provided information from a.

The terminal device 20 receives the provided information (S
208), and outputs the received provision information (S209).
Then, the consumer confirms the provided information output. Note that the consumer may pay the information providing fee to the administrator who manages the central device 10 each time the provided information is provided, or the advertiser who provides the provided information manages the central device 10 by the advertiser. You may pay the advertisement fee to.

In the above embodiment, the instruction information is transmitted as history information, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the browsing information is transmitted as history information from the terminal device 20 to the central device 10. As a result, the central device 10 does not need to acquire browsing information from the communication devices 30, 30, ..., It is possible to improve the processing speed, and the browsing information is deleted from the communication device 30. Or, even if it is updated, it is possible to deal with it.

[0032]

As described above in detail, in the information providing method, the information providing system, the central unit, the computer program and the recording medium according to the present invention, when a consumer operating a terminal device such as a personal computer browses a web page. By transmitting the history information to be recorded to a central device such as a web server computer, and the central device provides provided information such as advertisements based on the received historical information,
Under the assumption that consumers frequently browse web pages that they are interested in, it is possible to send advertisement-provided information that reflects the consumer's preference and the consumer registers the preference. It is possible to improve convenience by eliminating the need for work, and to easily follow changes in consumer preferences, and since history information is transmitted to the central device by the consumer's active operation, It has excellent effects such as prevention of unexpected leakage of personal information.

Further, according to the present invention, the browsing is performed by transmitting the instruction information such as the URL for instructing the browsing information forming the web page such as the HTML file described in the markup language such as HTML as the history information. Compared with the case where the usage information itself is transmitted from the terminal device to the central device, the communication load between the central device and the terminal device can be reduced, and other excellent effects are exhibited.

Further, the present invention has an excellent effect such that it can be applied to the business of collecting advertisement charges from advertisers and collecting information provision charges from consumers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing an information providing system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information providing system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a history recording process of a terminal device included in the information providing system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a provided information providing process of a central device and a terminal device included in the information providing system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Central device 20 terminal devices 30 communication devices NW communication network PG computer program REC recording medium

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An information providing method, comprising: a central device and a terminal device that communicate via a communication network, wherein the central device provides the provided information to the terminal device, wherein the terminal device is located on the communication network. History information indicating the history of communication of browsing information recorded in the communication device is recorded, and when the input for transmitting the recorded history information to the central device is accepted, the history information is transmitted to the central device. The central device extracts the provided information from the database that records the provided information to be provided to the terminal device based on the received history information, and transmits the extracted provided information. Method. 2. An information providing system, comprising: a central device and a terminal device that communicate via a communication network, wherein the central device provides the additional information to the terminal device, wherein the terminal device is located on the communication network. Means for recording history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in the communication device, means for receiving an input for transmitting the recorded history information to the central device, and based on the received input, Means for transmitting history information to the central device, wherein the central device provides a means for accessing a database that records provision information to be provided to the terminal device, and a database provided based on the received history information. The terminal device further includes an extraction unit that extracts information, and a unit that transmits the extracted provision information to the terminal device. The terminal device further outputs the received provision information. Information providing system characterized in that it comprises means for. 3. The history information is instruction information for instructing browsing information recorded in the communication device, and the central device acquires the browsing information from the communication device based on the instruction information. 3. A means, wherein the extracting means is configured to extract the provided information based on the acquired browsing information.
Information provision system described in. 4. A central device for transmitting provision information to a terminal device that communicates via a communication network, and means for accessing a database that records provision information to be provided to the terminal device; The history information indicating the communication history of the browsing information recorded in the communication device located is extracted from the terminal device and the means to extract the provided information from the database based on the received history information. A central device comprising: means for transmitting provision information to the terminal device. 5. A computer program for causing a computer, which communicates with a terminal device via a communication network, to provide provision information to the terminal device, the browsing program being recorded on the communication device located on the communication network. When history information indicating a history of communication of information is received from the terminal device, a procedure for extracting the provided information from the database recording the provided information to be provided to the terminal device based on the received history information, , A procedure for causing a computer to transmit the extracted provision information to the terminal device. 6. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program for providing provision information to the terminal device is recorded in a computer that communicates with the terminal device via a communication network. Provided, when history information indicating a history of communication of browsing information recorded in a communication device located on a communication network, is received from the terminal device, based on the received history information, the history information is provided to the terminal device. A computer program including a computer program including a procedure for extracting the provided information from a database storing information and a procedure for causing the computer to transmit the extracted provided information to the terminal device. Recording media that can