WO2023058807A1

WO2023058807A1 - Method and device for providing information on alternative item

Info

Publication number: WO2023058807A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/014555
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이유진; 양윤선; 나하나; 김하연; 안보현
Original assignee: 쿠팡 주식회사
Priority date: 2021-10-08
Filing date: 2021-10-19
Publication date: 2023-04-13
Also published as: TW202331619A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information providing method of a service server for providing information on an alternative item, the information providing method comprising the steps of: acquiring information of a first item; identifying whether the first item is an out-of-stock item on the basis of inventory information of the first item; providing a first page including the information of the first item; acquiring a user's first input corresponding to the first item; and displaying at least some of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input, wherein if the first item is an out-of-stock item, a first object for obtaining of the first input is displayed on the first page.

Description

Method and apparatus for providing information on alternative items

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing information on a substitute item, and more particularly, to check whether a first item is out of stock based on inventory information of the first item, and to purchase the first item. A method and apparatus for displaying at least some of one or more replacement items corresponding to a first item on a page according to a corresponding user's input.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As the use of the Internet becomes common, the e-commerce market is expanding. In particular, with the spread of infectious diseases, the proportion of purchasing products by visiting offline stores is decreasing, while the proportion of purchasing products through e-commerce using computers or smartphones is rapidly increasing.

As the number of users who purchase items through e-commerce increases, it is important to manage the inventory of items so that out-of-stock items do not occur. It is important to provide information on alternative items that can be presented as alternatives. Instead of not being able to purchase an item originally intended to be purchased, the user is provided with information on one or more alternative items corresponding to the item, and may decide whether or not to purchase the alternative item. In order to induce a user to purchase a replacement item, it will be important to efficiently display information on a replacement item on a page without interfering with the user's service use.

In addition, in offline or online commerce, it is common to put an item in the shopping cart before paying for the item to be purchased, and to intuitively indicate that the user puts the item in the shopping cart online as well as putting the item in the shopping cart in an offline store. Providing an interface would be advantageous in terms of user experience.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 1045587 relates to a product inventory management system and an inventory management method using the same. A replacement product list is configured for a predetermined unit code, and a unit code that is out of stock is sold out while a list of alternative products instead of the corresponding unit code product. Out-of-stock management in the form of adding one of the products is disclosed. However, prior literature describes a method of receiving an input for displaying an alternative product on a page in order to effectively provide information on an alternative product to a user, or a method of determining an alternative product to be displayed on a page among one or more alternative products. I never do that.

An embodiment of the present invention is proposed to solve the above-described problem, and based on inventory information of the first item, whether or not the first item is out of stock is checked, and a first page including information of the first item is provided. An object of the present invention is to acquire a user's input corresponding to a first item and display at least a part of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on a first page according to the user's input.

In order to achieve the above object, an information providing method in a service server according to an embodiment of the present invention includes obtaining information of a first item; checking whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item; providing a first page including information on the first item; obtaining a user's first input corresponding to the first item; and displaying at least a part of the one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input, and when the first item is an out-of-stock item, the first item A first object for acquiring an input is displayed on the first page.

According to an embodiment, the first page may include a first area displaying an image of the first item; and a second area in which the first object on the first area is displayed.

According to an embodiment, the first page may include a third area in which information of the first item is displayed; and a fourth area in which information on a second item under the third area is displayed, wherein at least a part of the one or more replacement items is displayed in an extended area between the third area and the fourth area. to be

According to an embodiment, the first page may include a first area displaying an image of the first item; a second area displaying the first object other than the first area; and a third area in which detailed information of the first item is displayed.

According to an embodiment, at least some of the one or more replacement items may be displayed in an extended area between the second area and the third area.

According to an embodiment, when an alternative item corresponding to the first item does not exist, the first object is omitted from the first page.

According to an embodiment, the displaying of at least some of the one or more replacement items may include arranging and displaying at least some of the one or more replacement items in order of sales profit.

According to an embodiment, at least some of the one or more replacement items may include an item selected from among the one or more replacement items based on a standard score.

According to an embodiment, the standard score is determined according to the score of the first item.

According to an embodiment, at least some of the one or more replacement items include an item selected from among the one or more replacement items based on a selling price, and the selected item is within a predetermined range from the selling price of the first item. It is characterized by being an item having a selling price.

According to an embodiment, the displaying of at least some of the one or more replacement items may include selecting a replacement item for which the user has a purchase history from among the one or more replacement items; and displaying the selected replacement item with priority over other replacement items.

According to an embodiment, when the first item is not an out-of-stock item, the first page displays a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item, and according to the user's second input corresponding to the shopping cart object. It is characterized in that the first item is added to the shopping cart.

According to an embodiment, the first page may include a first area displaying an image of the first item; and a second area in which the shopping cart object on the first area is displayed.

According to an embodiment, the shopping cart object includes a sub-object representing a quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart, and the quantity increases in response to the second input.

According to an embodiment, when the quantity corresponds to the maximum quantity, the quantity is maintained at the maximum quantity regardless of the second input.

According to one embodiment, the maximum quantity is characterized in that it is determined according to the first item.

According to an embodiment, the information providing method may include displaying a message indicating addition to a shopping cart on the first page according to the second input; and providing a second page displaying one or more items included in the shopping cart according to the user's third input corresponding to the message.

A service server for providing information according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information with other devices; and controlling the transceiver, obtaining information of a first item, determining whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item, and including the information of the first item. Provides one page, obtains a first input from a user corresponding to the first item, and displays at least some of the one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input. and a processor for displaying, and when the first item is an out-of-stock item, a first object for obtaining the first input is displayed on the first page.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a medium configured to store computer readable instructions, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by a processor causes the processor to: first item Obtaining information of; checking whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item; providing a first page including information on the first item; obtaining a user's first input corresponding to the first item; and displaying at least a part of the one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input, When the item is out of stock, a first object for obtaining the first input is displayed on the first page.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the first item is out of stock, the service server displays information on alternative items that can replace the first item so that the user can use information on other items that can replace the first item. can be conveniently checked, the user can be induced to purchase other items, and the user experience can be improved.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the service server can efficiently deliver necessary information to the user by determining an order of displaying one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item or by displaying only some of the one or more alternative items. . Since it is impossible to display all of one or more alternative items within a limited screen size for displaying a page, the service server selects, for example, an item that is highly similar to the first item among one or more alternative items or is highly likely to be purchased by the user. By placing it in the foreground, necessary information can be efficiently displayed to the user.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a shopping cart object corresponding to each of one or more items displayed on a page exists, and a function of adding one or more corresponding items to the shopping cart one by one through an input corresponding to each shopping cart object is provided. Since the user interface to do this is similar to putting products in an actual shopping cart one by one in an offline store, it is possible to allow users to more intuitively use the function of adding to a shopping cart, and as a result, user experience can be improved.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a system for providing information on a substitute item in a service server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a sequence diagram illustrating information exchange and corresponding operations of nodes related to a method of providing information on a replacement item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3B are exemplary views illustrating a first page displaying information on a replacement item corresponding to a first item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4A to 4B are exemplary diagrams illustrating a first page displaying information on a replacement item corresponding to a first item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5A to 5D are exemplary diagrams illustrating a first page displaying a shopping cart object corresponding to a first item.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a method for providing information on a replacement item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a diagram illustrating some components of a system for providing information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical contents that are well known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to more clearly convey the gist of the present invention without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary description.

For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. Also, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. In each figure, the same reference number is assigned to the same or corresponding component.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only the present embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs It is provided to fully inform the holder of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification.

At this time, it will be understood that each block of the process flow chart diagrams and combinations of the flow chart diagrams can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be embodied in a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment are described in the flowchart block(s). It creates means to perform functions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular way, such that the computer usable or computer readable memory The instructions stored in are also capable of producing an article of manufacture containing instruction means that perform the functions described in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions can also be loaded on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-executed process to generate computer or other programmable data processing equipment. Instructions for performing processing equipment may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations it is possible for the functions mentioned in the blocks to occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on their function.

At this time, the term '~unit' used in this embodiment means software or a hardware component such as FPGA or ASIC, and '~unit' performs certain roles. However, '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. '~bu' may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium and may be configured to reproduce one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, '~unit' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, and procedures. , subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Functions provided within components and '~units' may be combined into smaller numbers of components and '~units' or further separated into additional components and '~units'. In addition, components and '~units' may be implemented to play one or more CPUs in a device or a secure multimedia card.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a user terminal 110 and a service server 120 .

An e-commerce user may access the service server 120 using the user terminal 110 . The user terminal 110 has an e-commerce application installed, can access the service server 120 according to the control of the application, and can use e-commerce based on information exchange with the service server 120 . The user terminal 110 may be a mobile device such as a smart phone and tablet PC or a static device such as a desktop PC, and any device capable of installing and running an e-commerce application may be used as the user terminal 110 without limitation.

The service server 120 may communicate with the user terminal 110 and provide information related to electronic commerce to the user terminal 110 . The service server 120 may provide a list of items as a database search result or provide detailed information of each item stored in the database. In the case of direct delivery items from e-commerce companies, entities related to the service operated by the service server 120 can purchase products and manage delivery. may transmit purchase information and delivery address information about the purchased item.

Referring to FIG. 2, a method for exchanging information between a user terminal and a service server and operating at each node according to an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In step 205, the service server may obtain information on the first item. The information of the first item may be obtained from a database included in the server or may be obtained from a database outside the server through communication. In one embodiment, the user may input a keyword associated with the item into a search page provided by the service server in order to search for information on the first item to be purchased through the user terminal. The service server may obtain information on the first item by searching a database for a keyword acquired from the user. In another embodiment, the user may check the search result page of the keyword provided by the service server through the user terminal, and input the first item in the search result (eg, click or tap) to the first item. You can enter a page that displays detailed information about . The service server may obtain a user input corresponding to the first item and obtain information including detailed information of the first item from a database.

In step 210, the service server may check whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item. When displaying information on the first item on the page, the service server may check stock information of the first item from a distribution server associated with the distribution center in order to display whether or not the first item is out of stock. The distribution server may be a server associated with a distribution center that stores items and manages warehousing, inventory, and shipping information for items. The service server may request inventory information of the first item from the logistics server through the transceiver and receive information on whether the first item is an out-of-stock item. In one embodiment, the logistics server may be the same server as the service server.

In step 215, the service server may provide a first page including information on the first item. In one embodiment, the first page may include one of a page associated with a category of the first item, a page displaying a search result associated with the first item, and a page displaying detailed information of the first item. When the first page is a page associated with a category of the first item or a page displaying a search result of the first item, the first page may display information on a plurality of items including the first item as well as the first item. there is.

In step 220, the service server may obtain a user's first input corresponding to the first item from the user terminal. In one embodiment, the first input may be a user's input for displaying information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item. When the first item is an out-of-stock item, the service server may display information indicating that the first item is out of stock and that the first item is currently unavailable for purchase in an area displaying information on the first item. Since the user confirms that the first item to be purchased is out of stock and wants to purchase another item that can replace the first item, the service server allows the user to more conveniently find another item that can replace the first item. can check it out. The service server may display a first object for obtaining a user's first input for displaying information of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page. For example, the first object may include a button or icon clicked to display an alternative item corresponding to the first item on the user terminal.

In operation 225, the service server may display at least some of one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input. The service server may obtain information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item from a database, and display information on at least some of the one or more replacement items on the first page. In this way, when the first item is out of stock, the service server displays information on a substitute item that can replace the first item so that the user can conveniently check information on other items that can replace the first item. It can induce the user to purchase other items, and improve the user experience.

In an embodiment, the service server may display the first object for obtaining the first input on the first page only when an alternative item corresponding to the first item exists. That is, when an alternative item corresponding to the first item does not exist, the first object may be omitted from the first page. Depending on the characteristics of the first item, there may be cases where an appropriate item that can replace the first item does not exist. In this case, if an item with little relevance that is difficult to replace the first item is displayed as an alternative item, it is unnecessary. Space on the page is wasted and it may be difficult to efficiently deliver necessary information to users. In addition, displaying the first object for obtaining the first input for displaying the replacement item even when there is no replacement item corresponding to the first item may unnecessarily waste page space in terms of the user interface. . Accordingly, when an alternative item corresponding to the first item does not exist, the appearance of the page may be simplified and the user experience may be improved by not displaying the first object.

The service server may efficiently deliver necessary information to the user by determining a display order of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item or by displaying only some of the one or more alternative items. Since it is impossible to display all of one or more alternative items within a limited screen size for displaying a page, the service server selects, for example, an item that is highly similar to the first item among one or more alternative items or is highly likely to be purchased by the user. By placing it in the foreground, necessary information can be efficiently displayed to the user. In one embodiment, the service server displays an object indicating that the order of the one or more replacement items is sorted and displayed according to a specific criterion, or only a part of the one or more replacement items is displayed according to the specific criterion, together with the one or more replacement items, in one area. can be displayed on

In an embodiment, the service server may sort and display at least some of the one or more replacement items in order of sales profit. The service server may retrieve information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item from the database, and the information on the one or more replacement items may include data on sales profit considering the supply price and sales price of the replacement item. In this way, in displaying a plurality of alternative items corresponding to the first item to the user, the service server induces the user to purchase the item with high sales profit by prioritizing the replacement item with high sales profit over other items. and, consequently, contribute to an increase in total sales profit.

In one embodiment, at least some of the one or more replacement items may include an item selected from among the one or more replacement items based on a standard rating. The service server may retrieve information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item from a database, the information on one or more replacement items may include review information on replacement items obtained from a user who purchased the replacement item, The review information may include purchase reviews and rating (eg, 4 points out of 5 points) information of the item. The service server may determine a standard rating for alternative items to be provided to the user. For example, the standard rating may be determined as 4 points out of 5 points, and only alternative items with a rating of 4 points or more may be displayed on the first page. It can be displayed as one or more alternative items corresponding to one item. In this way, the service server may filter and display only alternative items having a rating equal to or higher than a predetermined standard to the user, thereby not displaying information on items with low ratings to the user, and as a result, the user's satisfaction with the service may be improved. .

In one embodiment, the standard rating may be determined according to the rating of the first item. For example, if the first item has a rating of 3 points, only replacement items with a rating of 3 points or more can be displayed as replacement items, and if the rating of the first item is 5 points, a replacement item with a rating of 5 points (perfect score) can be displayed. can only be marked as an alternative item. In this way, information can be provided to the user more efficiently by displaying only alternative items having a rating equal to or higher than that of the first item based on the rating of the first item.

In one embodiment, at least some of the one or more replacement items may include an item selected from among the one or more replacement items based on a selling price, and the selected item has a selling price within a predetermined range from the selling price of the first item. It may be an item with For example, an alternative item corresponding to the first item displayed on the first page may be limited to an item having a selling price ranging from -30% to +30% from the selling price of the first item. Even if it is an item of a similar type to the first item, since there is a possibility that the user does not want to purchase an item having a significant difference in selling price from the first item as an alternative item, the service server determines a price range similar to that of the first item. Only items can be marked as replacement items.

In an embodiment, the service server may select a replacement item for which the user has a purchase history from among one or more replacement items, and display the selected replacement item in preference to other replacement items. For example, if there is a replacement item with a purchase history among one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item, the service server places the replacement item at the front of the list of replacement items so that the user can check it first. can do. In an embodiment, the service server may display an indicator indicating that the user has a purchase history of the replacement item along with information on the replacement item having a purchase history. When a desired item is out of stock, a user may want to purchase an item with a previous purchase history instead, so by displaying an item with a purchase history before other items, the information the user wants can be efficiently provided. can

In an embodiment, the service server may select a replacement item sold by the same seller as the seller of the first item from among one or more replacement items, and display only the selected replacement item on the first page. In an embodiment, the service server may select a replacement item sold by the same seller as the seller of the first item from among one or more replacement items, and display the selected replacement item in preference to other replacement items. Since alternative items sold by the same seller may include relatively more items similar to the first item, the alternative item sold by the seller of the first item is displayed prior to other alternative items, thereby providing information desired by the user. can be provided efficiently.

3A shows an exemplary first page 300 displaying information about a category associated with a first item. In the example shown in FIG. 3A , the first page 300 may include information on the category “fresh food” associated with the first item “steak”, and the information may include other items included in the category of “fresh food”. ("apple", "tomato", "sapphire grape", etc.) The first page 300 may include an area 310 displaying an image of an item included in the category and an area 320 displaying information such as the name of the item, sale price, review, and out-of-stock status.

In an embodiment, the first page 300 may include a first area displaying an image of a first item and a second area displaying a first object on the first area. The first object may include an object for obtaining a first input for displaying one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item. In the example shown in FIG. 3A , an image of a first item “steak from Company B” is displayed in area 310, and area 310 includes area 311 displaying a first object. The first object may include a button providing a “view alternative product” function when clicked. In the example shown in FIG. 3A , the region displaying images of items other than the first item “B Company Steak” displays a shopping cart icon that performs an “Add to Cart” function when clicked, while the first item temporarily out of stock is displayed. In the item “B company steak”, the image display area 310 includes an area 311 displaying a “substitute product view” button. As such, by conspicuously displaying a button for confirming an alternative item corresponding to an out-of-stock item in an area displaying an item image, the user can conveniently check an alternative item that can be purchased instead of an out-of-stock item. It can induce the purchase of alternative items.

3B shows an exemplary first page 300 displaying information of a substitute item corresponding to the first item. In an embodiment, the first page may include a third area displaying information on a first item, and a fourth area displaying information on a second item below the third area, and at least one of one or more replacement items. Some may be displayed in the extended area between the third area and the fourth area. In the example shown in FIG. 3B , the first page 300 includes an area 331 displaying information on the first item “Company B Steak” and an area 332 displaying information on other items, At least some of the one or more alternative items corresponding to the item "Company B steak" are displayed in the expanded area 330 between

areas

331 and 332 . If a new page displaying information of an alternative item corresponding to the first item is created and provided to the user, the user may be disturbed unnecessarily while using the e-commerce service, and may have difficulty returning to the original page. . In addition, hiding information on another item by displaying information on an alternative item corresponding to the first item prevents the user from checking information on the other item and may interfere with the user's smooth use of the e-commerce service. Accordingly, the service server expands the area between the third area and the fourth area without creating a new page or covering other information to display the information of the replacement item, so that the user can view the replacement item corresponding to the first item in a more intuitive and intuitive manner. It is possible to effectively check and use the e-commerce service smoothly without any interruption even after checking the information of the alternative item.

4A shows an exemplary first page 400 displaying detailed information of a first item. In the example shown in FIG. 4A , the first page 400 includes an area 410 displaying an image of a first item and detailed information such as the name, weight, selling price, review, shipping information, and membership benefit information of the first item. An area 420 displaying information may be included. In one embodiment, the first page includes a first area displaying an image of a first item, a second area displaying a first object other than the first area, and a third area displaying detailed information of the first item. can do. In the example shown in FIG. 4A , the first page 400 includes an area 430 displaying a first object for obtaining an input for displaying an alternative item outside an area 410 displaying an image of the first item. includes The first object may include a button providing a “view alternative product” function when clicked. Compared to a page displaying information about a category (eg, the first page 300 of FIG. 3A ) or a page displaying search results, a page displaying detailed information of an item does not include information of other items. Therefore, unlike the area 311 of the first page 300 shown in FIG. 3A, the area 430 of the first page 400 shown in FIG. It is not necessary to be placed in the area 410 displaying . In this way, by adaptively determining an arrangement of an object for obtaining an input for displaying an alternative item according to a page type, information may be efficiently provided to a user and user experience may be improved.

4B shows an exemplary first page 400 displaying information of a substitute item corresponding to the first item. As shown in FIG. 4B , at least some of the one or more replacement items may be displayed in an extended area 440 between

areas

430 and 420 . If a new page displaying information of an alternative item corresponding to the first item is created and provided to the user, the user may be disturbed unnecessarily while using the e-commerce service, and may have difficulty returning to the original page. . Also, hiding other information displayed on the page by displaying information of an alternative item corresponding to the first item prevents the user from checking other information and may interfere with the user's smooth use of the e-commerce service. Accordingly, the service server expands the area between the area where the first object is displayed and the area where detailed information of the item is displayed, without creating a new page or covering other information, thereby displaying the information of the alternative item so that the user can view the first item. It is possible to more intuitively and effectively check the replacement item corresponding to the item, and to use the e-commerce service smoothly without any interruption even after checking the information of the replacement item.

5A shows an exemplary first page 500 displaying information about a category associated with a first item. In the example shown in FIG. 5A , the first page 500 may include information on the category “fresh food” associated with the first item “B Company Shine Muscat”, and the information is included in the category of “fresh food”. It may include information about other included items ("apple", "tomato", "sapphire grape", etc.). The first page 500 may include an area 510 displaying an image of an item included in the category and an area 520 displaying information such as the name of the item, sale price, review, and out-of-stock status.

In one embodiment, when the first item is not an out-of-stock item, the first page may display a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item, and the first item is displayed according to a user's second input corresponding to the shopping cart object. Can be added to cart. In the example shown in FIG. 5A , the first page 500 may display a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item "Company B Shine Muscat", and when the shopping cart object is clicked, the service server performs an "add to cart" function. may include a shopping cart icon that allows Compared to existing user interfaces that provide the ability to select one or more items to add to the cart, and add the selected items to the cart in bulk by clicking the "Add to Cart" button, each of the one or more items displayed on the page Corresponding shopping cart objects exist, and the user interface that provides a function of adding one or more corresponding items to the shopping cart one by one through input corresponding to each shopping cart object is similar to adding products to the actual shopping cart one by one in an offline store. Users can use the function to add to the shopping cart more intuitively, and as a result, the user experience can be improved.

In one embodiment, the first page may include a first area displaying an image of a first item, and a second area displaying a shopping cart object on the first area. In the example shown in FIG. 5A , the first page 500 has a first area 510 displaying an image of a first item "Company B Shine Muscat", and a shopping cart object on the first area 510 is displayed. A second area 511 is included. By displaying the shopping cart object corresponding to each of the one or more items on the image of each of the one or more items, the user can more intuitively understand that the item can be added to the shopping cart through the user's input corresponding to the shopping cart object, and the selected item You can use the add-to-cart function more conveniently than adding items to the cart in bulk.

5B depicts an exemplary first page 500 providing information according to a second input corresponding to a shopping cart object. In one embodiment, the shopping cart object includes a sub-object representing the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart, and the quantity may increase in response to the second input. In the example shown in FIG. 5B , an area 512 displays a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item “Shine Muscat, Company B” and a sub-object representing the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart. 5B shows that a first item has been added to the shopping cart according to a user's second input corresponding to the shopping cart object displayed on the first page 500 through the shopping cart object and sub-objects displayed on the area 512, and currently one Indicates that the first item is included in the shopping cart.

5C depicts an exemplary first page 500 providing information according to an additional second input corresponding to a shopping cart object. In the example shown in FIG. 5C , an area 513 displays a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item “Shine Muscat, Company B” and a sub-object representing the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart. FIG. 3C shows that an additional first item has been added to the shopping cart according to a user's additional second input corresponding to the shopping cart object displayed on the first page 500 through the shopping cart object and sub-objects displayed on the area 513, and is currently Indicates that the first two items are included in the shopping cart. In this way, by providing a user interface that increases the number of items added to the shopping cart through sub-objects whenever an input corresponding to the shopping cart object comes in, the user can intuitively recognize the number of added items, and It is possible to check the number of items currently added to the shopping cart without moving to the shopping cart page, and even if the shopping cart object is clicked by mistake, the mistake can be recognized quickly through the number of items displayed in the sub-object.

5D depicts an exemplary first page 500 providing information according to an additional second input corresponding to a shopping cart object. In the example shown in FIG. 5D , an area 514 displays a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item “B Company Shine Muscat” and a sub-object representing the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart. In one embodiment, when the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart corresponds to the maximum quantity, the quantity may be maintained at the maximum quantity regardless of the second input. In the example shown in FIG. 5D , area 514 indicates that the first item added to the shopping cart through a plurality of second inputs is the maximum quantity of 99, even if a second input corresponding to the shopping cart object is received from the user. It indicates that the shopping cart icon is deactivated so that the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart no longer increases from the maximum quantity. In one embodiment, when the service server receives the second input even after the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart reaches the maximum quantity, the service server sends a message including information that the additional second input can be input on the shopping cart page. can provide In this way, the maximum quantity of items that can be added to the shopping cart is determined in advance through the input corresponding to the shopping cart object, and inputs exceeding this are not accepted. can be induced to enter.

In one embodiment, the maximum quantity may be determined according to the first item. The maximum quantity of items that can be added may vary according to the second input corresponding to the shopping cart object according to the type of the first item, and this may be determined in advance by the service server. For example, based on purchase history data of a plurality of users who have purchased items, the maximum quantity corresponding to items that users tend to purchase in large quantities is determined to be 99, while users generally purchase items in small quantities (eg For example, 1 item or 2 items) may be determined as a maximum quantity corresponding to items that tend to be purchased as 10 items. In one embodiment, the maximum quantity may be determined based on inventory information of the first item. The service server may check inventory information of the first item from the distribution server and determine the maximum quantity of the first item that can be added according to the second input. By determining the maximum quantity of items that can be added to the shopping cart by reflecting inventory information of items obtained from the distribution server associated with the distribution center in real time, only the orderable quantity of items can be added to the shopping cart.

In one embodiment, the service server may display a message indicating addition to the shopping cart on the first page according to the second input. Returning to FIG. 5B , FIG. 5B may include an area 512 displaying a shopping cart object for obtaining the second input and an area 532 displaying a message indicating addition to the shopping cart according to the second input. By displaying a message indicating addition to the shopping cart along with the second input for adding to the shopping cart, the user can more reliably confirm that the item has been added to the shopping cart according to the user's input, and when an input to add to the shopping cart is made by mistake, the message This allows you to quickly recognize your mistakes.

Also, returning to FIG. 5C , FIG. 5C may include an area 533 displaying a message indicating addition to a shopping cart according to the second input along with an area 513 displaying a shopping cart object for obtaining the second input. there is. Compared to the message “A product has been added to the cart.” You can see that the information that one more item has been added is explicitly displayed. In this way, the service server displays messages differently when the input corresponding to the shopping cart object is input once and when the input corresponding to the shopping cart object is input twice in succession, so that the user accidentally inputs the input corresponding to the shopping cart object twice. When you do, you can quickly recognize your mistakes.

In an embodiment, the service server may provide a second page displaying one or more items included in the shopping cart according to the user's third input corresponding to the message. In the example shown in FIG. 5B , the service server may display a message indicating addition to the shopping cart in the area 532 according to the second input for adding the shopping cart, and the user inputs the input corresponding to the area 532 (for example, , Click “View” in the message of area 532) to enter a second page displaying one or more items included in the shopping cart, and the second page may include a shopping cart page. In this way, the user can be assured that the item has been normally added to the shopping cart through the message indicating the addition of the shopping cart, and can conveniently enter the shopping cart page through an input corresponding to the message.

In step S610, the service server may acquire information on the first item. The information of the first item may be obtained from a database included in the server or may be obtained from a database outside the server through communication. In one embodiment, the user may input a keyword associated with the item into a search page provided by the service server in order to search for information on the first item to be purchased through the user terminal. The service server may obtain information on the first item by searching a database for a keyword acquired from the user. In another embodiment, the user may check the search result page of the keyword provided by the service server through the user terminal, and input the first item in the search result (eg, click or tap) to the first item. You can enter a page that displays detailed information about . The service server may obtain a user input corresponding to the first item and obtain information including detailed information of the first item from a database.

In step S620, the service server may check whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item. When displaying information on the first item on the page, the service server may check stock information of the first item from a distribution server associated with the distribution center in order to display whether or not the first item is out of stock. The distribution server may be a server associated with a distribution center that stores items and manages warehousing, inventory, and shipping information for items. The service server may request inventory information of the first item from the logistics server through the transceiver and receive information on whether the first item is an out-of-stock item. In one embodiment, the logistics server may be the same server as the service server.

In step S630, the service server may provide a first page including information on the first item. In one embodiment, the first page may include one of a page associated with a category of the first item, a page displaying a search result associated with the first item, and a page displaying detailed information of the first item. When the first page is a page associated with a category of the first item or a page displaying a search result of the first item, the first page may display information on a plurality of items including the first item as well as the first item. there is.

In step S640, the service server may obtain a user's first input corresponding to the first item from the user terminal. In one embodiment, the first input may be a user's input for displaying information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item. When the first item is an out-of-stock item, the service server may display information indicating that the first item is out of stock and that the first item is currently unavailable for purchase in an area displaying information on the first item. Since the user confirms that the first item to be purchased is out of stock and wants to purchase another item that can replace the first item, the service server allows the user to more conveniently find another item that can replace the first item. can check it out. The service server may display a first object for obtaining a user's first input for displaying information of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page. For example, the first object may include a button or icon clicked to display an alternative item corresponding to the first item on the user terminal.

In step S650, the service server may display at least a part of one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input. The service server may obtain information on one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item from a database, and display information on at least some of the one or more replacement items on the first page. In this way, when the first item is out of stock, the service server displays information on a substitute item that can replace the first item so that the user can conveniently check information on other items that can replace the first item. It can induce the user to purchase other items, and improve the user experience.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a system for providing information according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, and the system includes a user terminal 710 and a service server 720 capable of communicating with each other.

The user terminal 710 may execute an e-commerce client program or a food delivery client program, and may include a transceiver 712, a controller 714, an input unit 716, and a display unit 718.

The transmission/reception unit 712 may transmit/receive information with other nodes including the service server 720 . The transceiver 712 may perform communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The transceiver 712 may include at least one of a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a wireless communication chip, and an NFC chip. The Wi-Fi chip and the Bluetooth chip may perform communication using a WiFi method and a Bluetooth method, respectively. In the case of using a Wi-Fi chip or a Bluetooth chip, various types of connection information such as an SSID and a session key are first transmitted and received, and various types of information can be transmitted and received after communication is connected using the same. The wireless communication chip refers to a chip that performs communication according to various communication standards such as IEEE, ZigBee, 3rd Generation (3G), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and Long Term Evolution (LTE). The NFC chip refers to a chip that operates in a Near Field Communication (NFC) method using a 13.56 MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 860 to 960 MHz, and 2.45 GHz.

The input unit 716 may receive a user's input and may include a touch screen, a microphone, and buttons. The input unit 716 may receive various commands from the user. The input unit 716 may be implemented in various ways, such as a key or a touch panel. The keys may include various types of keys such as mechanical buttons and wheels formed in various areas such as the front, side, or rear surfaces of the main body of the user terminal 710 . The touch panel may detect a user's touch input and output a touch event value corresponding to the sensed touch signal. When a touch screen is configured by combining a touch panel with a display panel, the touch screen may be implemented with various types of touch sensors such as a capacitive type, a resistive type, and a piezoelectric type. The capacitive type is a method of calculating touch coordinates by detecting microelectricity caused by a user's body when a part of the user's body touches the touch screen surface by using a dielectric coated on the surface of the touch screen. The pressure-sensitive type includes two electrode plates embedded in the touch screen, and calculates touch coordinates by sensing that when a user touches the screen, the top and bottom plates of the touched point are in contact and current flows. A touch event occurring in a touch screen may be mainly generated by a human finger, but may also be generated by an object made of a conductive material capable of applying capacitance change.

The display unit 718 may display information related to the operation of the user terminal 710 and may display a page including the information described in the embodiment. In one embodiment, the display unit 718 may include various types of components such as liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED). According to an embodiment, the display unit 718 may be configured in a form connected to internal components of the user terminal 710 by wire, and may be configured in a wireless communication mode through a configuration such as the transmission/reception unit 712 included in the user terminal 710. It may be configured in a form connected to.

The control unit 714 may perform control to perform the operation of the user terminal 710 described in the embodiment. Also, the controller 714 may include at least one processor configured to perform the operation of the user terminal 710 .

The processor may include at least one of RAM, ROM, CPU, GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and bus (BUS). RAM, ROM, CPU and GPU, etc. can be connected to each other through a bus. The CPU accesses the memory and performs booting using the O/S stored in the memory. In addition, various operations are performed using various programs, contents, data, etc. stored in the memory. The ROM stores instruction sets for system booting. For example, when a turn-on command is input to the user terminal 710 and power is supplied, the CPU may copy the OS stored in the memory to the RAM according to the command stored in the ROM, and execute the OS to boot the system. When booting is completed, the CPU copies various programs stored in the memory to the RAM, and executes the programs copied to the RAM to perform various operations. When booting of the user terminal 710 is completed, the GPU displays the UI screen in the area of the display unit 718 . Specifically, the GPU may create a screen displaying an electronic document including various objects such as content, icons, and menus. The GPU calculates attribute values such as coordinate values, shape, size, and color of each object to be displayed according to the layout of the screen. Also, the GPU may generate screens of various layouts including objects based on the calculated attribute values. The screen generated by the GPU may be provided to the display unit 718 and displayed in each area of the display unit 718 .

In addition, the user terminal 710 may further include a speaker for event output, and a storage unit (not shown) for storing at least some of the information transmitted and received through the transceiver 712 and information for operation of the user terminal 710. city) may be further included.

The service server 720 is a device on which an electronic commerce server program or a food delivery service program is executed, and may include a transmission/reception unit 722, a control unit 724, and a storage unit 726.

The transmission/reception unit 722 may transmit/receive information with other nodes including the user terminal 710 .

The control unit 724 may perform control to perform the operation of the service server 720 described in the embodiment. Also, the controller 724 may include at least one processor.

In addition, the service server 720 may include a storage unit 726 that stores at least a part of information transmitted and received through the transmission and reception unit 722 and information for operation of the server 520 .

On the other hand, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the present specification and drawings, and although specific terms have been used, they are only used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and help understanding of the present invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modified examples based on the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

As an information providing method in the service server,

obtaining information of a first item;

checking whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item;

providing a first page including information on the first item;

obtaining a user's first input corresponding to the first item; and

displaying at least a part of the one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input;

If the first item is an out-of-stock item, a first object for obtaining the first input is displayed on the first page.
According to claim 1,

The first page is

a first area displaying an image of the first item; and

A second area in which the first object on the first area is displayed

Including, information providing method.
According to claim 2,

The first page is

a third area displaying information on the first item; and

A fourth area in which information of a second item under the third area is displayed

including,

At least some of the one or more replacement items are displayed in an extended area between the third area and the fourth area.
According to claim 1,

The first page is

a first area displaying an image of the first item;

a second area displaying the first object other than the first area; and

A third area in which detailed information of the first item is displayed

Including, information providing method.
According to claim 4,

At least some of the one or more replacement items are displayed in an extended area between the second area and the third area.
According to claim 1,

If an alternative item corresponding to the first item does not exist, the first object is omitted from the first page.
According to claim 1,

Displaying at least some of the one or more alternative items may include:

and arranging and displaying at least some of the one or more replacement items in order of sales profit.
According to claim 1,

At least some of the one or more replacement items

An information providing method comprising an item selected from among the one or more alternative items based on a criterion rating.
According to claim 8,

The reference rating is determined according to the rating of the first item, information providing method.
According to claim 1,

At least some of the one or more replacement items

an item selected from among the one or more alternative items based on a selling price;

The selected item is an item having a selling price within a predetermined range from the selling price of the first item.
According to claim 1,

Displaying at least some of the one or more alternative items may include:

selecting an alternative item for which the user has a purchase history from among the one or more alternative items; and

and displaying the selected alternative item in preference to other alternative items.
According to claim 1,

When the first item is not an out-of-stock item, the first page displays a shopping cart object corresponding to the first item;

Wherein the first item is added to the shopping cart according to the user's second input corresponding to the shopping cart object.
According to claim 12,

The first page is

a first area displaying an image of the first item; and

And a second area in which the shopping cart object on the first area is displayed.
According to claim 12,

The shopping cart object includes a sub-object representing the quantity of the first item added to the shopping cart;

Wherein the quantity increases in response to the second input.
According to claim 14,

When the quantity corresponds to the maximum quantity, the quantity is maintained at the maximum quantity regardless of the second input.
According to claim 15,

Wherein the maximum quantity is determined according to the first item.
According to claim 12,

displaying a message indicating addition to a shopping cart on the first page according to the second input; and

and providing a second page displaying one or more items included in the shopping cart according to the user's third input corresponding to the message.
As a service server that provides information,

transceivers that send and receive information to and from other devices; and

Controlling the transceiver, obtaining information of a first item, determining whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item, and including the information of the first item Provide a page, obtain a user's first input corresponding to the first item, and display at least some of the one or more alternative items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input. Including a processor that

If the first item is an out-of-stock item, a first object for obtaining the first input is displayed on the first page.
As a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium,

a medium configured to store computer readable instructions;

The computer readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

obtaining information of a first item;

checking whether the first item is an out-of-stock item based on inventory information of the first item;

providing a first page including information on the first item;

obtaining a user's first input corresponding to the first item; and

displaying at least a part of the one or more replacement items corresponding to the first item on the first page according to the first input;

If the first item is an out-of-stock item, a first object for obtaining the first input is displayed on the first page.