JP4566347B2 - Product search apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product search server that cross-searches product information of a large number of electronic stores operated on the Internet and notifies a search client of the product information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Currently, electronic commerce using the Internet is actively performed. As the most common electronic commerce, there is a form performed between an individual and an electronic store server. An electronic store server is a website opened on a WWW server by a merchandise seller, and "exhibits" the merchandise handled by the merchant by listing the product name, price, etc. on many web pages. Yes.
[0003]
An individual (user) accesses the online store server using a browser of a computer (client) operated by the individual (user). Then, the user browses a Web page on which information about the desired product is posted. Normally, product related information such as product names, sales prices, and specifications are described on this Web page. If the user sees the product-related information and the conditions such as the price are met, the user performs an appropriate operation to purchase the product, and then specifies the payment method that can be handled on the e-shop server side. Proceed with the ordering procedure as appropriate by notifying the recipient of the destination using a form.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The purchaser wants to purchase the desired product at a lower price. Therefore, a search is made for a plurality of electronic store servers to find products that meet the desired conditions. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to arrive at a Web page on which conditions that meet the requirements are described.
[0005]
Therefore, there is a product search service for searching for Web pages on which products desired by the user are displayed. A computer (product search server) that provides this service is a WWW server with a search engine, and a form (query entry) that includes a search condition (product name, desired price, etc.) entry field in response to a request from a client browser. Form) and receive the contents (query contents) entered on the entry form. When a plurality of electronic store servers are searched and a Web page on which information matching the query content is found is searched, the search result is created in a standard Web page and sent to the browser.
[0006]
Certainly, this product search service reduces the user's search work. However, sales prices of products are updated sequentially, and this search service must be frequently used to obtain the latest information. Therefore, the frequency of access to the product search server increases, and the overall search time is not so short. In addition, this service usually has a search server administrator and an e-shop server administrator who have made a contract in advance, and all e-shop servers to be searched are displayed on a web page in accordance with a unified format. is doing. As a result, the search server acquires predetermined product related information from a predetermined information description position on the Web page, and can collate with the query content presented by the user. Therefore, it is not possible to appeal the product in a free display state on the electronic store server side. Therefore, the number of electronic store servers is naturally limited, and the information that the user can obtain is also limited.
[0007]
Accordingly, the present invention provides a product search in which the user can obtain the latest information about the desired product without taking time and effort, and can search the online store server without depending on the format of the Web page. It is intended to provide a server and method .
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention communicates with an electronic store server and a user terminal via a network, and cross-searches product information of a large number of electronic stores operated on the Internet and notifies the user of the product information. Because
For each Web page provided by each online store server, the URL is associated with a product description structure describing the description position of predetermined product related information including the product name and sales price described on the Web page. Product description structure storage means for storing
A query that receives a request from a user terminal and transmits screen configuration data of a query description screen including an entry field for an e-mail address and an entry field for inputting a query including a product name and a desired purchase price to the user terminal Input screen transmission means;
Query acquisition means for acquiring the email address and the query content entered in the entry field of the query description screen from the user terminal, and storing the email address and the query content in association with each other;
The URL for each Web page stored in the product description structure storage means and the product description structure associated with the URL of each Web page stored in the product description structure storage means are read, and the URL Product-related information acquiring means for acquiring each Web page based on the Web page and acquiring predetermined product-related information described in each Web page based on the product description structure associated with the URL;
The content of the query stored by the query acquisition unit is read, and the product related information that matches the query content is specified by comparing the query content with the product related information acquired by the product related information acquisition unit. A collating means for storing survey result data in which the specified product related information and the corresponding query are associated with each other,
Advertising information storage means for storing the advertisement information related to each electronic store server or each product related information providing each Web page in association with the URL of each Web page or each product related information;
Of the stored advertisement information, advertisement information acquisition means for acquiring the advertisement information corresponding to either the product related information that matches the query content or the URL of the web page describing the product related information;
When recognizing the notification timing for a query, an e-mail describing the product related information in the survey result data associated with the query and the acquired advertisement information is generated, and the e-mail is included in the query content. Search result notification means for transmitting to the e-mail address stored in association with each other;
It is characterized by providing.
[0010]
In addition, a method of cross-searching and notifying a user of product information of a large number of electronic stores operated on the Internet by a computer that can communicate with an electronic product server and a user terminal via a network is also within the scope of the present invention. The method includes the computer,
For each Web page provided by each online store server, the URL is associated with a product description structure describing the description position of predetermined product related information including the product name and sales price described on the Web page. Product description structure storing step
A query that receives a request from a user terminal and transmits screen configuration data of a query description screen including an entry field for an e-mail address and an entry field for inputting a query including a product name and a desired purchase price to the user terminal Input screen transmission step,
A query acquisition step of acquiring the email address and the query content input in the entry field of the query description screen from the user terminal, and storing the email address and the query content in association with each other;
The URL for each Web page stored in the product description structure storage step and the product description structure associated with the URL of each Web page stored in the product description structure storage step are read, and the URL is stored in the URL. A product related information acquisition step for acquiring each Web page based on the URL and acquiring predetermined product related information described in each Web page based on the product description structure associated with the URL;
The content of the query stored in the query acquisition step is read, and the product related information that matches the query content is specified by comparing the query content with the product related information acquired in the product related information acquisition step. And a matching step for storing survey result data in which the identified product related information and the corresponding query are associated,
Storing each of the electronic store servers that provide each Web page or advertisement information related to each product related information in association with the URL of each Web page or each product related information;
Obtaining the advertisement information corresponding to either the product-related information that matches the query content or the URL of the Web page on which the product-related information is described among the stored advertisement information;
When recognizing the notification timing for a query, an e-mail describing the product related information in the survey result data associated with the query and the acquired advertisement information is generated, and the e-mail is included in the query content. A search result notification step for transmitting to the e-mail address stored in association;
It is characterized by performing.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
=== Outline of the service ===
The product search server of the present invention provides a product search service according to the following procedure.
(1) Similar to conventional product search services, a user who wants to obtain information about a product (search requester) uses the inquiry information (query) such as the name, price, and specifications of the product as a search condition. Present.
(2) The location of a Web page on which information that matches the content of the query presented by the search requester is searched by cross-searching the Web pages exhibited by a large number of online store servers operated on the Internet. And information including the contents of publications as search results.
(3) Notify search requesters by e-mail in a timely manner.
[0012]
=== Composition of product search server ===
In the above procedure, (1) and (2) are the same as in the conventional product search service, but are characterized in that the search result output method is not a web page but an e-mail. The search requester only needs to access the product search server when presenting the search conditions, and the labor and time burdened by the user are extremely reduced.
Furthermore, according to the product search server of the present invention, it is possible to search virtually all electronic store servers without depending on the format of the Web page. Then, by making an extremely large number of electronic store servers searchable, the search requester can accurately obtain information that matches the query contents. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a product search server according to an embodiment of the present invention. The product search server 1 includes a computer main body 2, various databases (3 to 6), a router 7, and the like.
[0013]
<Database>
The product search server 1 includes a content database 3 that stores an HTML document constituting a Web page, image data and audio data inserted into the document, or a CGI program, and functions as a WWW server. Then, the Web page is sent to the browser of the user's computer (client) that has accessed by specifying the URL, or a program such as CGI specified by the URL is started, and the processing result is displayed in the form of the Web page. Or send it back to the browser.
[0014]
Further, the query database 4 storing the query contents presented by the search requester in association with the e-mail address of the requester, and the URL and the product description structure data in the HTML document for all Web pages to be searched And a product description structure database 5 stored in association with each other, and a survey result database 6 in which the product name and sales price acquired from the search target Web page are stored in association with the URL of the Web page. Yes. The product description structure data is data describing the display state of the product, that is, “where in the HTML document describing the Web page the product name and sales price are described”. FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic configurations of the query database and the survey result database in the present embodiment, respectively.
[0015]
=== Product Search Service Flow ===
FIG. 3 shows the flow of the product search service in the embodiment of the present invention. The product search server 1 executes various processes related to the product search service while communicating with the computer (client) 10 of the search requester and many electronic store servers 11 via the Internet.
[0016]
<Receive Query>
The merchandise search server 1 sends a form (query entry form) including a required item entry field to the browser through an HTTP request / response with the browser (s1, s2). In this embodiment, the manufacturer of the product, the genre of the product (computer main body, peripheral device, etc.), the product name and the desired purchase price are entered in this form. As a method for filling in the entry column, a well-known “pull-down menu method” for selecting one from a plurality of lists prepared in advance is adopted. Of course, the required items may be directly input from the keyboard of the client 10 . In addition, an e-mail address used by the client as a search result notification destination is entered in a predetermined entry field. This e-mail address may be an address corresponding to a mailbox that can be accessed by the e-mail transmission / reception software of the client 10 by the POP procedure, or may be a mobile phone equipped with an e-mail transmission / reception function used by the search requester. It may be an assigned address.
[0017]
When the product entry server 1 returns a query entry form in which necessary information is entered by the client 10 (s3), the contents of the entered query (manufacturer, product genre, product name, desired purchase price) and e-mail address Are associated with each other and stored in the query database 4 (s4).
[0018]
<Cross-search>
The product search server 1 reads the URL of the search destination Web page and the corresponding product description structure data from the product description structure database 5 (s5). Then, by accessing the appropriate electronic store server 11 and sequentially obtaining the search destination Web pages (s6, s7), predetermined product related information (product name, sales price, etc.) based on the product description structure data corresponding to each page. ) Is acquired (s8).
[0019]
<Storage of survey result data>
The query content received from each search requester is read from the query database 4 and compared with the product related information acquired from the search destination Web page (s9, s10). If the product name indicated in the query content matches the acquired product name and the sales price is equal to or less than the desired purchase price, the URL of the Web page from which the information is acquired and the acquired product related information (product Name and price) are associated with the corresponding query and stored in the survey result database 6 (s11).
[0020]
<Notification of survey results>
When an appropriate notification timing is recognized, such as when the number of survey result data corresponding to a certain query content exceeds a predetermined number or a predetermined period elapses after receipt of a query, the corresponding survey result data is extracted from the survey result database 6 (s12). ). An e-mail in which the investigation result is described in the e-mail text is created, and the e-mail is sent to the Internet addressed to the e-mail address associated with the query (s13, s14).
[0021]
In addition, the e-mail text, in addition to selling the URL of the Web page you are me for a matching product information to the search condition and the name of the product price, the online shopping server 11, which exhibited a Web page that has been searched advertising information of the seller (shop) and the product itself to manage also to be in the e-mail text. As a result, the search requester can find other “bargains” at the electronic store server 11 and obtain detailed information about the product. For the merchandise seller side or manufacturer side, an advertisement related to the product is shown to the individual who actually designated the product. Therefore, a higher advertising effect is expected.
[0022]
In addition, as a specific process for describing the advertisement information in the e-mail body, appropriate advertisement information is stored in an appropriate database in association with the URL or product name of the Web page, and the search result is obtained. in describing the URL and product name in the email body, it appends the advertisement information that is associated with them. The advertisement information may be information obtained by adding an appropriate advertisement to the electronic store server 11 or the homepage address of the manufacturer.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present onset bright, it is possible to receive the goods information that match the criteria search requester has been presented in the e-mail. Therefore, the search requester can obtain the desired product related information without labor and time. In addition, since the product description information of the Web page to be searched is examined in advance and the format of the Web page to be searched is recognized, so many electronic products with different product description formats are used. The store server can be a search target, and the search requester can accurately obtain information that matches the query content.
[0024]
Further, by describing the advertisement information related to the search condition in the e-mail body in addition to the search result, the search requester can also obtain other information related to the desired product. For the advertiser side, since an advertisement related to the product is shown to the individual who actually specified the product, a higher advertising effect is expected.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a product search server in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic configurations of a query database and a survey result database in the above embodiment, respectively.
FIG. 3 shows a flow of a product search service in the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Product Search Server 4 Query Database 5 Product Description Structure Database 6 Survey Result Database

Claims (2)

A device that communicates with an electronic store server and a user terminal via a network, cross-searches product information of a large number of electronic stores operated on the Internet, and notifies the user of the product information,
For each Web page provided by each online store server, the URL is associated with a product description structure describing the description position of predetermined product related information including the product name and sales price described on the Web page. Product description structure storage means for storing
A query that receives a request from a user terminal and transmits screen configuration data of a query description screen including an entry field for an e-mail address and an entry field for inputting a query including a product name and a desired purchase price to the user terminal Input screen transmission means;
Query acquisition means for acquiring the email address and the query content entered in the entry field of the query description screen from the user terminal, and storing the email address and the query content in association with each other;
The URL for each Web page stored in the product description structure storage means and the product description structure associated with the URL of each Web page stored in the product description structure storage means are read, and the URL Product-related information acquiring means for acquiring each Web page based on the Web page and acquiring predetermined product-related information described in each Web page based on the product description structure associated with the URL;
The content of the query stored by the query acquisition unit is read, and the product related information that matches the query content is specified by comparing the query content with the product related information acquired by the product related information acquisition unit. A collating means for storing survey result data in which the specified product related information and the corresponding query are associated with each other,
Advertising information storage means for storing the advertisement information related to each electronic store server or each product related information providing each Web page in association with the URL of each Web page or each product related information;
Of the stored advertisement information, advertisement information acquisition means for acquiring the advertisement information corresponding to either the product related information that matches the query content or the URL of the web page describing the product related information;
When recognizing the notification timing for a query, an e-mail describing the product related information in the survey result data associated with the query and the acquired advertisement information is generated, and the e-mail is included in the query content. Search result notification means for transmitting to the e-mail address stored in association with each other;
A product search device comprising: A method of cross-searching and notifying a user of product information of a large number of electronic stores operated on the Internet by a computer capable of communicating with an electronic product server and a user terminal via a network, the computer comprising:
For each Web page provided by each online store server, the URL is associated with a product description structure describing the description position of predetermined product related information including the product name and sales price described on the Web page. Product description structure storing step
A query that receives a request from a user terminal and transmits screen configuration data of a query description screen including an entry field for an e-mail address and an entry field for inputting a query including a product name and a desired purchase price to the user terminal Input screen transmission step,
A query acquisition step of acquiring the email address and the query content input in the entry field of the query description screen from the user terminal, and storing the email address and the query content in association with each other;
The URL for each Web page stored in the product description structure storage step and the product description structure associated with the URL of each Web page stored in the product description structure storage step are read, and the URL is stored in the URL. A product related information acquisition step for acquiring each Web page based on the URL and acquiring predetermined product related information described in each Web page based on the product description structure associated with the URL;
The content of the query stored in the query acquisition step is read, and the product related information that matches the query content is specified by comparing the query content with the product related information acquired in the product related information acquisition step. And a matching step for storing survey result data in which the identified product related information and the corresponding query are associated,
Storing each of the electronic store servers that provide each Web page or advertisement information related to each product related information in association with the URL of each Web page or each product related information;
Obtaining the advertisement information corresponding to either the product-related information that matches the query content or the URL of the Web page on which the product-related information is described among the stored advertisement information;
When recognizing the notification timing for a query, an e-mail describing the product related information in the survey result data associated with the query and the acquired advertisement information is generated, and the e-mail is included in the query content. A search result notification step for transmitting to the e-mail address stored in association;
A method for searching for products, characterized in that

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