JP2007087221A - Shopping mall system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shopping mall system easy to use and having a help function that can solve a problem on the spot. <P>SOLUTION: An operation server device 100 of a shopping mall comprises a Web page storing section 140 storing a plurality of Web pages, and a help information storing section 150 storing help information. Upon receiving a transmission request of help information on the predetermined Web page from a client device, a control section 110 reads help information on the Web page from the help information storing section 150, prepares a list page having the list, and transmits it to the client device. The client device controlls link information linked with each help information in the Web page to be viewed or not to be viewed in response to a user's operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a virtual shopping mall system on the Internet, and more particularly to a virtual shopping mall system having an excellent help function.

  A shopping mall system for operating a shopping mall (virtual shopping mall) on the Internet is known.

  When the user accesses using a WWW (World Wide Web) browser, the shopping mall system displays a guidance screen. This guidance screen includes a shopping mall introduction and a product category list. If the user selects an arbitrary category from the category list, for example, the shopping mall system displays a subcategory in a lower hierarchy of the selected category, a product belonging to the category, and a store name that sells the product.

  When a user finds a product to be purchased while strolling in a virtual mall (a group of virtual stores), the user performs shopping by putting it in a shopping cart and finally makes a settlement.

  In addition, a person who operates a virtual store in a shopping mall must maintain this by registering / deleting a product in his / her store in the mall.

Generally, the shopping mall system is devised by its operator and is becoming easier to use than before. However, it is not easy for general users and store staff who are not computer specialists to use them.
From this point of view, the importance of the help function that supports the contents and operation of the screen is increasing.

  Further, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a help function for explaining the contents is added to an input item on a customer needs organization screen in an intermediary system between a customer and a store. However, this help function does not make the entire shopping mall system easy to understand and use.

In addition, even if the user intends to understand by referring to the help information, when the work is actually started, there is a case where the memory is inaccurate and the work and the help reference must be repeated.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-150055

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a shopping mall system having an easy-to-use help function.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-understand help function.

In order to achieve the above object, the shopping mall system of the present invention provides:
A shopping mall system connected to a client device via a network,
Web page storage means for storing a plurality of Web pages to be transmitted to the client device in response to a request from the client device;
Regarding the shopping mall system, help information storage means storing help information;
Help list creation means for creating a list page in which a list of help information related to the predetermined Web page is posted when a request for help information related to the predetermined Web page is received from the client device;
Means for sending a list page of help information created by the help list creation means to the client device;
When information specifying help information on the list page from the client device is received, the help information is read from the help information storage means, and a web page on which the help information is posted is transmitted to the client device Information transmission means;
It is characterized by providing.

For example, each Web page stored in the Web page storage means indicates that help information exists for a predetermined item on the Web page and links to corresponding help information in response to a predetermined operation. When the predetermined operation is performed in a state where the information is embedded and the web page is displayed on the client terminal, the link information is revealed, and the link information is revealed. In response to the access, there may be provided means for reading corresponding help information from the help information storage means and providing it to the client terminal.
In addition, the client terminal displays, for example, the help information provided from the help information providing unit at a position on the Web page avoiding the accessed link information.

  For example, each of the web pages includes a first button and a second button, and in response to pressing of the first button, a request for transmitting help information related to the web page is transmitted to the shopping mall system. Then, in response to pressing of the second button, the link information is revealed.

  The help information storage means may include means for transmitting voice data for reading out the help information by voice to the client device.

  You may make it display synchronizing with audio | voice data on the page which displays help information as a text.

The computer program of the present invention is
Computer
Web page storage means for storing a plurality of Web pages to be transmitted to the client device in response to a request from the client device;
Help information storage means storing help information,
Association information storage means for storing association information for associating items in the page with help information stored in the help information storage means for each Web page stored in the Web page storage means;
When a request for help information related to a predetermined Web page is received from the client device, a list page is created in which a list of help information related to the predetermined page is posted based on the association information stored in the association information storage means Help list creation means,
Means for sending a list page of help information created by the help list creation means to the client device;
When information specifying help information on the help list page from the client device is received, the corresponding help information is read from the help information storage means, and a Web page on which the help information is posted is transmitted to the client device. Help information transmission means,
It is made to function as.

  A shopping mall system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shopping mall system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an operation server device 100 and client devices 200 (200A to 200N) connected to the operation server device 100 via a line network C. . In FIG. 1, only three client apparatuses 200 are shown, but the number of client apparatuses 200 is not limited.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the management server device 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication control unit 130, a web page storage unit 140, a help information storage unit 150, and a bus 190. . The control unit 110, the storage unit 120, the communication control unit 130, the web page storage unit 140, and the help information storage unit 150 are connected to each other via a bus 190.

  The control unit 110 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), performs arithmetic processing based on an operation program stored in the storage unit 120, and controls each unit.

  The storage unit 120 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) serving as a work area and a hard disk, and stores an OS (Operating System; Operating System), an application program, and the like for controlling the operation of the control unit 110. To do. The application program includes a program for accessing a file, a transmission / reception program, a text-to-speech conversion program, and the like.

  The communication control unit 130 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a communication device such as a network interface card (NIC), and performs data transmission / reception with the client device 200 under the control of the control unit 110.

  The web page storage unit 140 is constituted by, for example, a hard disk device, and stores a web page provided by the store for each store participating in the shopping mall, as shown in FIG.

  The Web page is set with link information such that when specific link information of a certain Web page is designated, the Web page specified by the link information is called. Each Web page is provided with various information items or input items to convey to the customer. The detailed configuration of the Web page will be described later.

The help information storage unit 150 is composed of, for example, a hard disk device, and stores various help information regarding main terms, functions, operations, etc. used in this shopping mall as shown in FIG.
The help information is composed of text information, and includes definitions and explanations of terms, explanations of functions, explanations of operation methods, explanations of what happens as a result of the operations, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the Web page.
This web page is used to narrow down the products (search for the desired product). . Items for selecting product categories (categories) such as “fossil”, items for “keyword input box” for searching by inputting keywords and searching for related information, and for executing search processing And an item of “search” button which is an instruction input button.

  A help function selection button is arranged on the upper right of the Web page. The selection button includes a “list display” button for selecting help list display, and a “symbol” button for displaying a symbol of a link to help information in the page.

  For example, when the “symbol” button is pressed, as shown in FIG. 6A, for each item for which help information is prepared, an “H” button (icon) in which link information to the corresponding help information is embedded. Is displayed (appears).

Here, for example, when the “H” button corresponding to “home appliance” is pressed, the help information of the link destination in the help information storage unit 15 is read, and the read help information is read as shown in FIG. The HM is displayed at a position where the original information is avoided (a position that does not overlap with the “home appliance”).
Similarly, for example, when the “H” button corresponding to the “Search” button is pressed, the link destination help information HM in the help information storage unit 15 is read and read as shown in FIG. Help information is displayed at a position avoiding the original information (a position not overlapping with the “search” button).

  When a “list display” button arranged at the upper right of the Web page is pressed, a list of item names is formed for all help information in the page as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5C, it is displayed on a pop-up screen PA.

That is, as apparent from the “H” button displayed in FIG. 6A, the link to the help information is provided in the Web page of FIG. ”,“ Household appliances ”,“ Food ”,. . . “Fossil”, “Keyword”, “Search button”.
Therefore, a list of these items is formed as shown in FIG. 5B, and this is displayed on a pop-up screen PA as shown in FIG. 5C.

  A client device 200 shown in FIG. 1 is used by a customer who uses a shopping mall (virtual store group) provided by the shopping mall system 1 or a store-related person, and includes a general personal computer or a mobile phone. A device on which a WWW browser or the like operates. The client device 200 has a function of instructing the operation server device 100 via the WWW browser and displaying data received from the operation server device 100.

  Next, operation | movement of the shopping mall system 1 of the said structure is demonstrated. Since the operation of the shopping mall itself is the same as that of a conventional general one, the explanation will focus on the help function unique to this embodiment.

  An operation when the user accesses the operation server device 100 from the client device 200 to select / purchase a product will be described.

The client device 200 accesses the operation server device 100 in accordance with a user operation instruction on the WWW browser.
The control unit 110 of the management server device 100 accepts this access via the communication control unit 130 and returns a top page for product purchase processing prepared in advance to the client device 200. The client device 200 displays this top page on the WWW browser.

The user sequentially selects lower-level categories in accordance with the mall category system.
The user selects a product ID, a product name, a product photo, and the like that he / she likes, and registers the product to be purchased in the database (registers in the shopping cart). Finally, the destination, delivery method, and payment method are selected, the procedure up to the purchase is completed, and the purchase of the product is completed.

  Here, it is assumed that the page transmitted from the management server device 100 and displayed on the client device 200 during such an operation is the category selection screen shown in FIG.

  Here, it is assumed that the user presses the “symbol” button at the upper right of the screen. In response to this operation, the browser of the client device 200 starts the process shown in FIG. 7, and extracts link information embedded in the page (step S11).

Next, out of the extracted link information, the link destination that is the help information in the help information storage unit 150 is selected from the URL or the like (step S12).
Subsequently, an icon such as an “H” button that allows the user to visually recognize that a link to help information exists at the position of the selected link information is displayed (step S13). As a result, the Web page shown in FIG. 6A in which the existence of the link to the help information is formed is formed and displayed.

  Here, when the user clicks an arbitrary “H” button, that is, when requesting display of help information, the Web browser starts the processing of FIG. 8A, and first, the pressed “H” button. The address of the help information linked to is specified, and the transmission is requested to the management server device 100 (step S21). This request is received by the control unit 110 of the management server device 100 via the communication control unit 130, and the control unit 110 starts the process of FIG. 8B, and the address location notified by the help information storage unit 150. Help information (text information) is read out (step S31) and transmitted to the client device 200 via the communication control unit 130 (step S32). In addition, the control unit 110 executes a text-to-speech conversion program, converts help information (text) into speech information, and performs streaming delivery together with information indicating which part of the current text is converted into speech (step S33). .

  On the other hand, the client device 200 (the CPU thereof) determines an area (empty area) where help information can be displayed avoiding the clicked “H” button (step S22), and receives the help information HM from the management server apparatus 100 Wait. That is, the CPU of the client device 200 specifies the position of the clicked “H” button on the screen, and determines the display position of the help information while avoiding this position.

  Subsequently, when the help information is received, the browser displays the received help information HM in the free area determined by the CPU, as shown in FIGS. Further, when voice data is transmitted, it is emitted (step S23). At this time, it is displayed by color coding or the like so that the position of the text currently being emitted is known. Since the help information is displayed at a position that does not interfere with the work, the user can work while listening to the voice information.

  In order to stop displaying the help information, for example, a “stop” button added to each help information may be pressed. When the “symbol” button is pressed again, the display returns to the basic information illustrated in FIG.

  On the other hand, assume that the user presses the “list display” button on the upper right of the screen on the screen of FIG. In response to this operation, the browser of the client device 200 starts the process shown in FIG. 9A, and extracts link information incorporated in the page (step S41).

Next, out of the extracted link information, the link destination that is the help information in the help information storage unit 150 is selected from the URL or the like (step S42).
Subsequently, the management server device 100 is requested to transmit the item name of the selected linked help information (step S43).

  This request is received by the control unit 110 of the management server device 100 via the communication control unit 130, and the control unit 110 starts the process of FIG. 9B, and the address location notified by the help information storage unit 150. Then, the item name of the help information (text information) is read out (step S51) and transmitted to the client device 200 via the communication control unit 130 (step S52).

  On the other hand, the browser of the client device 200 receives the item name of the help information (step S44), lists it as shown in FIG. 5B (step S45), and pops up as shown in FIG. 5C. Displayed (step S46).

  The operation when the item of help information on the pop-up display is selected (clicked) is the same as the operation described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the help information related to the currently focused Web page is extracted and displayed, so that the use and identification of the help information is easy and easy to use. In addition, link information to help information can be displayed / not displayed, and can be displayed as a list, and can be used appropriately by switching.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate as long as an easy-to-use help function can be provided. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the help system of the present invention has been described by taking the web page on which a general user selects a product as an example, but the web page on which the help system is used is arbitrary. For example, the present invention can be similarly applied to a Web page for registering products and a maintenance Web page for updating registration information by the manager of each store.

  Further, for example, the help information storage unit 250 stores voice data that reads out the help information together with the text help information, and reproduces the voice data to generate voice help information. Good.

  The management server device 100 according to the present invention can be realized using a normal computer system, not a dedicated system. For example, by storing a program for executing the above-described operation on a computer-readable recording medium (flexible disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.) and installing the program in the computer, You may comprise the server apparatus and client apparatus which perform the above-mentioned process. Further, the server device and the client device may be configured by storing the program in a storage included in a server device on a communication network such as the Internet and downloading it by a normal computer system.

  Further, when the above-described function is realized by sharing of the OS and the application or by cooperation between the OS and the application, only the application part may be stored in a recording medium or storage. It is also possible to superimpose a program on a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, the program may be posted on a bulletin board (BBS, Bulletin Board System) on a communication network, and the program may be distributed via the network. The program may be started and executed in the same manner as other application programs under the control of the OS, so that the above-described processing can be executed.

1 is an overall view of a shopping mall system. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a management server (shopping mall management server) apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the web page classified by store stored in the web page preservation | save part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the help information stored in the help information storage part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a web page. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a web page. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of a browser. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of a browser and a management server apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of a browser and a management server apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shopping mall system 100 Management server apparatus 110 Control part 120 Storage part 130 Communication control part 140 Web page preservation | save part 150 Help information preservation | save part 200 Client apparatus

Claims (7)

A shopping mall system connected to a client device via a network,
Web page storage means for storing a plurality of Web pages to be transmitted to the client device in response to a request from the client device;
Regarding the shopping mall system, help information storage means storing help information;
Help list creation means for creating a list page in which a list of help information related to the predetermined Web page is posted when a request for help information related to the predetermined Web page is received from the client device;
Means for sending a list page of help information created by the help list creation means to the client device;
When information specifying help information on the list page from the client device is received, the help information is read from the help information storage means, and a web page on which the help information is posted is transmitted to the client device Information transmission means;
A shopping mall system comprising In response to a predetermined operation, each Web page stored in the Web page storage means indicates that help information exists for a predetermined item on the Web page, and link information linked to the corresponding help information is displayed. Embedded and configured,
When the predetermined operation is performed in a state where the web page is displayed on the client terminal, the link information is revealed, and corresponding help information is displayed in response to access to the revealed link information. Read out from the help information storage means, provided with the help information providing means to provide to the client terminal,
The shopping mall system according to claim 1. The client terminal displays the help information provided from the help information providing means at a position avoiding the accessed link information on the Web page;
The shopping mall system according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the web pages includes a first button and a second button,
In response to pressing of the first button, a request for transmission of help information regarding the Web page is transmitted to the shopping mall system,
In response to pressing of the second button, reveals the link information;
The shopping mall system according to claim 1, 2, or 3.   The shopping mall system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the help information storage unit includes a unit that transmits voice data for reading out the help information by voice to the client device.   6. The shopping mall system according to claim 5, wherein the help information is displayed in synchronization with the voice data on a page for displaying the help information as text. Computer
Web page storage means for storing a plurality of Web pages to be transmitted to the client device in response to a request from the client device;
Help information storage means storing help information,
Association information storage means for storing association information for associating items in the page with help information stored in the help information storage means for each Web page stored in the Web page storage means;
When a request for help information related to a predetermined Web page is received from the client device, a list page is created in which a list of help information related to the predetermined page is posted based on the association information stored in the association information storage means Help list creation means,
Means for sending a list page of help information created by the help list creation means to the client device;
When information specifying help information on the list page from the client device is received, the help information is read from the help information storage means, and a web page on which the help information is posted is transmitted to the client device Information transmission means,
Computer program to function as.

Images