JP2003173412A - Commodity information distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily receive distribution of commodity information on arbitrary commodities without inputting any commodity name or manufacturer's name. <P>SOLUTION: When an image file (PF) in which a bar code (BC) indicating the commodity number (SN) is imaged is transmitted from a client (3), the commodity number (SN) is read from the bar code (BC) recorded in the image file (PF), and the commodity information (SI) corresponding to the commodity number (SN) is retrieved from the database (DB) and distributed to the client (3). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an arbitrary product requested by a client to a server via an internet communication network for its product name, manufacturer, characteristic,
The present invention relates to a product information distribution system configured to distribute product information such as usage information from the server to clients.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, demand for mail-order sales and Internet transactions has increased, but nowadays when a large number of products of the same type have been flooded, I want to make sure that I really like what I want before purchasing. There are also many consumers.

In this case, you go to a retail store such as a department store, a mass retailer, or a store to actually pick up the product and see it with your own eyes.
Furthermore, there is a demand for the salesclerk to fully hear the explanation about the product.

[0006] However, even if the staff member tries to hear the staff member's explanation, it is no longer possible to place a staff member who has sufficient product knowledge in order to reduce personnel costs. Because there are many things that are not done,
There is no choice but to collect product information from catalogs and pamphlets.

In particular, even cosmetics retailers, whose principle is face-to-face sales, are no longer able to have the necessary number of sales staff to reduce labor costs, and consumers are required to use catalogs and pamphlets for product information. Are offered.

In this case, the maker prepares catalogs or pamphlets for only some of the products, or even if all the products are prepared, they cannot be placed due to space problems in the retail store. The information that can be obtained from catalogs and pamphlets is often limited, such as the disappearance of product catalogs.

On the other hand, in recent years, with the spread of the Internet communication network, since each manufacturer publishes product information on the Internet, consumers access the search engine,
Product information can be obtained by entering the manufacturer's name and opening the page of the product to be handled from the homepage, or by entering the product name and searching.

[0008] In particular, if a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a handy computer is used, it is possible to connect to the Internet communication network from anywhere. Therefore, if there is product information that you want to know at the store, connect to the Internet communication network on the spot for details. It is possible to receive distribution of product information.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, it is difficult to know the exact maker name or product name at the store, or even if the maker name or product name is known, the input is troublesome on the mobile device. The more prestigious,
Also, the more popular products are, the more hits there are,
There was a problem that it was difficult to know which page the product information was posted on.

Since the button operation must be repeated many times until the target page is reached,
There is also a problem that a great deal of effort and time must be spent to obtain product information about one product.

Therefore, it is a technical object of the present invention to make it possible to receive the distribution of product information about an arbitrary product very easily without inputting the product name or the manufacturer name.

[0012]

In order to solve this problem, the invention of claim 1 makes a request when a client sends a request for product information to a server via an Internet communication network. A product information distribution system that distributes product information such as product name, manufacturer, characteristics, and usage method from the server to the client, wherein the client sends an image file of an arbitrary product to the server. According to the present invention, the server further comprises a product information distribution requesting unit for requesting distribution of product information about the product, the server includes a database in which product information of the product is recorded in association with a product number for identifying the product, and When the transmitted image file is received, it is imaged based on the image data recorded in the image file. And a product number specifying means for specifying the item number of the product is, and retrieving means for retrieving commodity information corresponding to the specified product ID from the database,
It is characterized in that a distribution means for distributing the searched product information to the client is provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, first, in a portable terminal device or the like having an image pickup camera as a client,
By capturing an image of a product and transmitting the image file to the server, distribution of product information regarding the product is requested. The server receiving the image file identifies the product number of the product imaged based on the image data recorded in the image file, retrieves the product information corresponding to the identified product number from the database, and sends it to the client. To deliver. Therefore, the client can obtain the desired product information only by an extremely simple operation of capturing an image of the product and transmitting the image file.

Further, as in the third aspect of the present invention, if the product identification mark (for example, a trademark) attached to each product corresponding to the product number is imaged, the image data recorded in the image file can be used. When specifying the product number, the specifying accuracy is improved.

Further, as in the invention of claim 4, when a bar code representing a product number is used as a product identification mark, such a bar code (J
Since the AN code) is attached, it is not necessary to set the product number and the identification mark again, and the product number specifying means simply reads the product number from the bar code recorded in the image file to make the product more reliable and easy. The number can be specified.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a product information distribution system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a server, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a barcode reading means.

The product information distribution system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a distribution request for product information SI from the client 3 to the server 4 via the Internet communication network 2,
The product information SI such as the product name, manufacturer, characteristics, and usage method of the requested product is distributed from the server 4 to the client 3.

As the client 3, a handheld computer such as a PDA or a mobile phone is used, and an image pickup camera 3a is built in or an image pickup camera 3b can be connected to input an image, and at least the Internet communication network 2 can be used. It has a communication function of transmitting and receiving various data files via the Internet, and is equipped with a browser capable of browsing HTML documents downloaded via the Internet communication network 2.

The client 3 has cameras 3a, 3
The image file PF obtained by picking up an arbitrary product in b is stored in the server 4
By sending the product information to the product information SI
The product information distribution requesting means for requesting the distribution of
This product information requesting means is performed by transmitting an image file PF that images a product while the client 3 is connected to the server 4 via the Internet communication network 2.

The server 4 uses the product number SN for specifying the product.
In addition to the database DB in which the product information SI of the product is recorded as an HTML document in correspondence with the above, when the image file PF transmitted from the client 3 is received, the product information SI is searched from the image data and the client 3 An arithmetic processing unit 5 for executing a product information distribution program to be distributed to

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the product information distribution program. First, step ST
It waits until the image file PF is transmitted from the client 3 at P1, and when the image file PF is transmitted, it moves to step STP2 and stores the IP address which is the source of the client 3. Then, step STP3
The image file PF
The product number SN of the product being imaged is specified based on the image data PD recorded in.

In this case, a database in which the characteristic parts of the respective products are stored in advance corresponding to the product numbers SN set for the same products in the server 4 is constructed, and the characteristic parts extracted from the image file PF are stored. It is possible to search for a product having a matching characteristic portion, but in this case, not only is the processing cumbersome and time-consuming, but the search accuracy is not necessarily high.

Further, in the server 4, a database in which product identification marks such as trademarks of each product are stored in advance corresponding to the product number SN set for each same product is constructed, and an image of the product identification mark is picked up. If a product having a sign that matches the sign recorded in the file PF is searched, the search accuracy is improved as compared with simply transmitting the image file PF in which the product is imaged, but the process is still troublesome. take time.

Therefore, in this example, the image file PF, which is an image of the bar code BC attached to the product, is transmitted from the client, and the product number identification means in step STP3 uses the bar code B recorded in the image file PF.
Image processing is performed to read the product number SN from C and convert it into a character code.

This bar code BC is called a JAN code originally standardized for the introduction of the POS system, and represents the product number SN set for each same product by the bar code BC, and is currently used. It is attached to almost all products.

As a concrete means of image processing for reading the bar code BC, a conventionally known means can be adopted. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, after the image data PD recorded in the image file PF is simply binarized. Moreover, if the scanning line L is run from a plurality of directions, even if there is some deviation in the size, angle, or position of the barcode BC, the numerical value can be reliably read.

Therefore, if the image of the bar code BC is transmitted as the image file PF, it is not necessary to construct a database in the server 4 in which the features of products and the identification marks are associated with the product numbers. The processing is simple and the product number identification accuracy is high.

When the product number SN is specified, step S
Moving to the search means of TP4, the product information SI corresponding to the product number SN is searched from the database DB,
Then, the process proceeds to the communication means of step STP5, and the product information SI is distributed with the IP address of the client 3 as the destination.

The above is the configuration of the present invention, and its operation will be described below. When it is desired to obtain detailed product information SI for a product at a store, the barcode 3 attached to the product is imaged by the PDA or the like serving as the client 3. In this case, the barcode 3 is not limited to being directly attached to the product, but may be attached to the product packaging, label, tag, or the like.

Then, by connecting to the server 4 via the Internet communication network 2 and transmitting the image file PF in which the bar code BC is imaged to the server 4, the product information distribution program is executed in the server 4 and the image file 4 is executed. The product number SN is read from and the product information SI retrieved from the database DB is distributed to the client 3.

Since the product information SI is created as an HTML document, the client 3 who downloaded it,
It can be displayed on the display and viewed by the browser.

Not only the product information SI is distributed from the server 4 to the client 3 by transmitting the image file PF to the server 4, but the product number SN is directly keyed in and transmitted to the server 4 as in the conventional case. It goes without saying that, by doing so, the server 4 may also have a function of searching the server 4 for the required product information SI and delivering it to the client 3.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is no troublesome operation of inputting a maker name or a product name or searching for necessary information from a large amount of information, and a bar code is used. The excellent effect that detailed product information of the product can be obtained simply by transmitting the captured image file.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a product information distribution system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a server.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a barcode reading means.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Product information distribution system 2 ... Internet communication network 3 ... Client 4 ... Server SI …… Product information RF: image file SN: product number DB: Database BC: Bar code

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tsutomu Tanaka             2-25-4 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Limited             Company Aku Machine (72) Inventor Masakazu Fukuoka             443-10 Iwasawa, Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture F term (reference) 5B075 KK07 KK40 ND20 NK02 PP05                       PP22 PQ02 UU40

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Product information (S) from a client (3) to a server (4) via an internet communication network (2).
Product information for distributing product information (SI) such as product name / maker name / feature / usage of the requested product from the server (4) to the client (3) when the distribution request of I) is made. A distribution system, wherein the client (3) requests distribution of product information (SI) regarding the product by transmitting an image file (PF) obtained by capturing an arbitrary product to the server (4). The server (4) comprises a distribution requesting means, and the server (4) specifies a product number (SN).
The image file (PF) transmitted from the client (3) is received, and the database (DB) recording the product information (SI) of the product is provided in the image file (PF). Product number identification means (STP3) for identifying the product number (SN) of the product imaged based on the recorded image data (PD),
Search means (STP) for searching the database (DB) for product information (SI) corresponding to the product number (SN).
4) and a distribution means (STP5) for distributing the product information (SI) to the client (3). 2. When a client (3) requests distribution of product information (SI) via the Internet communication network (2), the requested product is the product name, maker name, characteristics, and usage method. Is a product information distribution system that distributes product information (SI) such as to the client (3), and a database in which product information (SI) of the product is recorded in association with a product number (SN) that specifies the product ( A product of a product that is equipped with a DB and is imaged based on the image data (PD) recorded in the image file (PF) when the image file (PF) transmitted from the client (3) is received. The product number specifying means (STP3) for specifying the product number (SN) and the product information (SI) corresponding to the product number (SN) are stored in the database (DB).
1. A product information distribution system comprising: a search means (STP4) for searching from the product and a distribution means (STP5) for distributing the product information (SI) to the client (3). 3. The client (3) is adapted to transmit an image file (PF) obtained by imaging a product identification mark attached to each product corresponding to the product number (SN),
The product number identification means (STP3) uses the image data (P) of the product identification mark recorded in the image file (PF).
The product information distribution system according to claim 1 or 2, which is an image processing unit that specifies the product number (SN) from D). 4. The product identification mark is a bar code (BC) representing a product number (SN), and the bar code (BC) recorded in the image file (PF) by the product number identification means (STP3). The product information distribution system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product information (SN) is read from the image and image processing is performed to convert it into a character code.