JP4228544B2 - Menu service method and menu service system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides menu button information for accessing a service provider's service server for Internet users, and a menu service method and menu service for charging the service provider for the provision of the menu button information. About the system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the spread of the Internet, it has become possible to easily search for various information and browse the contents. In addition, a service provider can disclose information to an unspecified number of Internet users by setting up a WWW site, and can also conduct commercial transactions such as Internet shopping on the site. became.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in order to obtain information provided by the service provider that the user needs, the storage location (URL (Uniform Resource Locators)) of the information is known and entered or linked from another site. There is a problem that it is necessary to access or search by a search service, which is complicated.
[0004]
On the other hand, service providers cannot provide information to target users, for example, those who have come to a store that they operate, and efficiently provide and market Internet services to target users. There is a problem that can not be.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. For the user, it is easy to obtain information on the service provider that the user is interested in, and the service provider is limited to the target user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a menu service method and a menu service system capable of realizing efficient provision of information and charging for profits obtained by service providers.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a menu service method according to claim 1 of the present application is based on a short-distance wireless communication from a communication device installed in a store of the service provider to a mobile terminal of a user who has visited the store of the service provider. The service provider identification information is transmitted, the service provider identification information acquired by the transmission from the user's mobile terminal via the client computer is transmitted to the menu server, and the menu server receives the received service Menu button information corresponding to the identification information of the operator is transmitted to the client computer, and the client computer that has received the menu button information displays the menu button on the display according to the menu button information based on a predetermined client application. The menu button Based on the operation it is characterized in the kite to allow access to the service server of the corresponding service provider.
[0007]
That is, when a user visits a service provider's store or the like with a mobile terminal, the service provider's identification information can be automatically collected. Further, by transmitting the service provider identification information from the user side to the menu server, menu button information for accessing the service provider's service server is acquired from the menu server. The user can easily access the service server of the corresponding service provider by operating the menu button displayed on the display based on the acquired menu button information. Thus, service providers, as possible out to provide good information efficient Search in user who has obtained the menu button information.
[0008]
As shown in claim 2 of the present application, the client computer transmits, to the menu server, a count request for the number of access times of a service provider corresponding to the menu button based on the operation of the menu button. In order to enable charging according to the number of accesses for each service provider, the service provider counts up the number of accesses each time the service provider counts the number of accesses from the client computer. It is characterized a call.
[0011]
When the menu update button displayed on the display is operated based on the client application, the client computer transmits the identification information of the service provider to the menu server as shown in claim 3 of the present application. It is characterized by.
[0012]
The menu server manages menu button information corresponding to the identification information of the service provider for each user as shown in claim 4 , and a menu update button displayed on the display based on the client application is provided. When the menu update request is received together with the user identification information, the menu button information corresponding to the user is transmitted to the user's client computer.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 5 of the present application is a menu service system comprising a user's mobile terminal, the user's client computer, and a menu server operator's menu server, wherein the mobile terminal is connected to the service business by the user. A wireless communication function for receiving short-distance wireless communication with the communication device of the service provider and receiving the identification information of the service provider when visiting the store of the service provider, and the identification information of the received service provider as the client - and a function of inputting into the computer, the client computer has a function of transmitting identification information of the service provider inputted from the portable terminal based on a predetermined client application to the menu server, from the menu server Menu button based on received menu button information A function to be displayed on the display, a function to access a service server of a corresponding service provider based on an operation of a menu button displayed on the display, and a time to access the service server of the service provider, A function of notifying service server identification information to the service server, and the menu server transmits menu button information corresponding to the service provider identification information received from the client computer to the client computer. to specific features and, a function of managing the count to the number of accesses to access notification for each service provider from the client computer, and characterized in that.
[0015]
When the menu update button displayed on the display is operated based on the client application as shown in claim 6 of the present invention, the client computer identifies the service provider identification information, the user identification information, and the menu. An update request is transmitted to the menu server.
[0016]
The menu server has a function of managing menu button information corresponding to the identification information of the service provider for each user as shown in claim 7 of the present application, and receives the identification information of the user and a menu update request. Menu button information corresponding to the user is transmitted to the client computer of the user.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of a menu service method and a menu service system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0018]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a menu service system according to the present invention. The menu service system shown in FIG. 1 includes a client computer 10 in which a client application (in this embodiment, image viewer software for displaying a list of images in a digital camera) is installed, and a menu server operator. It consists of a menu server 20.
[0019]
The client computer 10 can send and receive information such as images from the digital camera 12 via the camera cradle 14 and the USB cable 16, and can also provide a service server (WWW server) of a desired service provider on the Internet. ) The address of 30 is designated using a URL, and an image, sound, or other information is transmitted to the service server 30 so that the service provider can enjoy the service.
[0020]
Further, the client computer 10 automatically detects the connection of the digital camera 12 (using the Plug & Play function) when the digital camera 12 is mounted on the camera cradle 14, and displays a list of images in the digital camera 12. The image viewer, which is a client application, is automatically started.
[0021]
FIG. 2 shows a display screen of the image viewer displayed on the display of the client computer 10.
[0022]
In the display screen 50 displayed by the image viewer, a file list display unit 53 that displays a folder structure and an image that displays a list of reduced images (thumbnail images) 54 of images stored in a folder specified by the user. A list display section 55 and a menu display section 56 for displaying a list of menu buttons 51 for various services are provided.
[0023]
Each menu button 51 is a link button for connecting to each service server 30. For example, a print service button, a photo CD creation service button, a photo release button, a photo contest posting button, an auction site selection button, a mobile phone Service selection buttons such as a display button and an Internet shopping site selection button.
[0024]
The user displays a desired one or more images from a file name displayed on the file list display unit 53 or a list of reduced images 54 displayed on the image list display unit 55 without using a pointing device such as a mouse or a keyboard. Sending information such as images necessary for ordering a print service, photo CD creation service, photo publishing service on the Internet, and the like by selecting using a representative input means and clicking a desired menu button 51, and You can upload image files and audio files for posting photo contests.
[0025]
Further, the image viewer 50 is provided with a menu update button 58, and when the user clicks the menu update button 58 as necessary, the menu server 20 is accessed to acquire the latest menu button information. Can do. Details of acquisition of menu button information will be described later.
[0026]
Next, a method in which the client computer 10 acquires menu button information customized for each user from the menu server 20 will be described.
[0027]
In FIG. 1, a menu server operator that manages the menu server 20 makes a use contract for a menu service system with a service operator (eg, store “ABC” in FIG. 1) of a company or a store that operates a WWW site. tie. With this usage contract, the menu server operator issues unique identification information (hereinafter referred to as “store ID”) for each service operator, and the menu button information (hereinafter referred to as “store ID”) corresponding to the store ID is displayed in the database 22 of the menu server 20. Store ID, WWW site URL, button image, etc.).
[0028]
On the other hand, a Bluetooth standard short-range wireless communication device (not shown) for wirelessly transmitting the store ID registered in the menu server 20 is installed in the store “ABC”, and the Bluetooth standard is also installed in the digital camera 12. It is assumed that a short-range wireless device is provided.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 1, when a user visits a store “ABC” with a digital camera 12 and the digital camera 12 enters a communication area of a wireless communication device installed in the store “ABC”, the wireless communication between the two is performed. Wireless communication is automatically started between the devices, and the store ID is input to the digital camera 12. Thus, when the user carries the digital camera 12 and visits the service provider, the store ID is automatically input to the digital camera 12 without the user being aware of it.
[0030]
After that, when the user returns home, the digital camera 12 with the store ID input is attached to the camera cradle 14, and when the client computer 10 is turned on, the images in the digital camera 12 are displayed as a list as described above. An image viewer that is a client application is automatically started, and the image viewer shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display of the client computer 10.
[0031]
Here, when the user clicks the menu update button 58, the menu server 20 is accessed, and a user ID is transmitted to the menu server 20 from the client computer 10 together with a menu update request. Further, the store ID is read from the digital camera 12, and this store ID is also transmitted to the menu server 20 at the same time.
[0032]
The menu server 20 manages the store ID for each user (user ID) as a database, and the store ID received as described above is additionally registered. As described above, the menu server 20 manages the menu button information corresponding to each store ID, reads the menu button information corresponding to the store ID managed by the user ID from the database, and stores the menu button information in the client. Send to computer 10
[0033]
The client computer 10 downloads the menu button information, displays a button image on the menu display unit 56 of the image viewer 50 based on the downloaded menu button information, and stores the downloaded menu button information in a storage area in the computer. Save to. Thereby, the list display of the menu button 51 in the image viewer 50 of the client computer 10 is updated.
[0034]
When the user presses a desired menu button 51 among the menu buttons displayed as a list on the image viewer 50 as described above, the service provider uses the access method and URL written in the menu button information. (For example, a WWW browser is started and the URL of the service server written in the menu button information is passed). Thereby, the user can access the service server of the desired service provider and enjoy the service of the service provider.
[0035]
Further, when the client computer 10 accesses the service server of the service provider by operating the menu button, the client computer 10 notifies the menu server 20 of the store ID and user ID of the service provider that operates the service server, and the number of accesses Request a count.
[0036]
The menu server 20 manages the number of accesses for each service provider (store ID), and counts the number of accesses of the corresponding service provider when receiving a service provider count request from the client computer 10. To do.
[0037]
Then, the menu server 20 charges the service provider according to the number of accesses counted for each service provider. The service provider may be charged by electronic payment, or by a payment method such as bank transfer or cash on delivery.
[0038]
In this way, service providers such as companies and stores that operate the WWW site can efficiently guide users who have once visited a store to the WWW site, and efficiently market users who have visited the store. can do. On the other hand, the user can easily access the WWW site of the store that he / she actually went to, and the search work and the work of following links can be reduced. In addition, the menu server operator can make a profit by charging the service operator who desires to register the menu button according to the number of accesses.
[0039]
In this embodiment, the store ID of the service provider is acquired through the digital camera 12 owned by the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other portable devices such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone are available. You may make it acquire service shop's shop ID via a terminal. In addition, the store ID of the service provider is automatically input to the mobile terminal of the user who visits the store or a certain point by the short-range wireless communication of the Bluetooth standard. When the portable terminal is electrically connected to the installed terminal and the store ID of the service provider is taken into the portable terminal, or the portable terminal has means for inputting the store ID manually, the service provider You may make it take in the portable terminal by manual input the shop ID described in the posting in a shop, a flyer, etc. Further, the client application may be provided with a function for manually inputting the store ID.
[0040]
Further, in this embodiment, when the menu update button 58 of the image viewer 50 is pressed, the store ID captured by the mobile terminal (digital camera 10) is read and transmitted to the menu server 20. However, when the mobile terminal directly has a communication function with the menu server 20, the menu server 20 may be directly accessed from the mobile terminal, and the store ID may be notified to the menu server 20 together with the user ID.
[0041]
Further, the client application is not limited to the image viewer, but may be a launcher having a menu display unit for displaying a list of menu buttons for various services.
[0042]
Furthermore, the menu server operating company charges the service company that wants to register the menu button according to the number of accesses, but instead of this or at the same time, the menu is operated on a monthly, annual basis, etc. You may make it collect the registration fee of a button.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the identification information of the service provider is transmitted from the user side to the menu server so that the menu button information of the service provider can be acquired from the menu server, and according to the menu button information By operating the menu button displayed on the display, the service server of the corresponding service provider can be accessed, so that service providers such as companies and stores that operate the WWW site can efficiently target users. It can lead to the WWW site and can be marketed efficiently. In addition, the user can easily access a WWW site such as a shop that he / she actually went to, and the search work and the work of following links can be reduced. Furthermore, the menu server operator can make a profit by charging the service operator who wants to register the menu button.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a menu service system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display screen of an image viewer displayed on a display of a client computer shown in FIG.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Client computer, 12 ... Digital camera, 20 ... Menu server, 30 ... Service server

Claims (7)

Transmitting identification information of the service provider to the mobile terminal of the user who visited the service provider's store by short-range wireless communication from a communication device installed in the service provider's store,
The service provider identification information acquired by the transmission from the user's mobile terminal via the client computer is transmitted to the menu server,
The menu server transmits menu button information corresponding to the received identification information of the service provider to the client computer,
The client computer that has received the menu button information displays a menu button on the display according to the menu button information based on a predetermined client application, and the service server of the corresponding service provider based on the operation of the menu button menu service wherein the kite to allow access to. The client computer transmits a request for counting the number of access times of a service provider corresponding to the menu button to the menu server based on the operation of the menu button,
Each time the menu server receives a request for counting the number of access times of the service provider from the client computer in order to enable billing according to the number of accesses for each service provider, menu service method of claim 1, wherein that you count up the number of times. Said client computer, when the menu update button displayed on the display based on the client application is operated, according to claim 1, characterized in that for transmitting identification information of the service provider to the menu server or 2. Menu service method. The menu server manages the menu button information corresponding to the identification information of the service provider for each user, and the menu update button displayed on the display is operated based on the client application, together with the identification information of the user 4. The menu service method according to claim 3 , wherein when a menu update request is received, menu button information corresponding to the user is transmitted to the client computer of the user. In a menu service system comprising a user's mobile terminal, the user's client computer, and a menu server of a menu server operator,
The mobile terminal, when the user visits the service provider's store, performs a short-range wireless communication with the service provider's communication device to receive the identification information of the service provider, A function of inputting the received identification information of the service provider to the client computer;
Said client computer has a function of transmitting identification information of the service provider inputted from the portable terminal based on a predetermined client application to the menu server, the menu button on the basis of the menu button information received from the menu server A function to be displayed on the display, a function to access a service server of a corresponding service provider based on an operation of a menu button displayed on the display, and a time to access the service server of the service provider, A function of notifying service server identification information to the service server,
The menu server counts, for each service provider, a function of transmitting menu button information corresponding to service provider identification information received from the client computer to the client computer, and an access notification from the client computer. to have a the ability to manage the number of accesses Te,
Menu service system characterized by this. When the menu update button displayed on the display is operated based on the client application, the client computer transmits the service provider identification information, the user identification information, and the menu update request to the menu server. 6. A menu service system according to claim 5 . The menu server has a function of managing, for each user, menu button information corresponding to the identification information of the service provider, and receives menu button information corresponding to the user by receiving the identification information of the user and a menu update request. 7. The menu service system according to claim 6 , wherein the menu service system is transmitted to the client computer of the user.

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