JP7270587B2 - Information processing device and information processing system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus and an information processing system .

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, household electric appliances (home appliances) equipped with a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) function, so-called smart home appliances, have become widespread (Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.). For example, a washing machine, which is a smart home appliance, has a function that prompts the purchase of detergent via the user interface when it determines that the remaining amount of detergent is low from the output of the sensor installed in the tank that holds the detergent for automatic dispensing. I have something.

However, even if the amount of detergent remaining in the tank is small, it is not necessary to purchase detergent when there is a stockpile, for example, and the timing for prompting the purchase is inappropriate. If the purchase is urged at an inappropriate time, the user cannot be satisfied, and there is a possibility that the user will make unnecessary purchases, which is not preferable.

JP-A-2002-315079 JP 2003-228652 A

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to optimize the timing of prompting purchase of consumables for smart home appliances.

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a missing information acquisition section, a history acquisition section, and an information provision section. The shortage information acquisition unit acquires information about the shortage of consumables issued by the home appliance. The history acquisition unit acquires, from an external server, purchase history information of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit. The information providing unit prompts purchase of the consumable item through the external display unit when it is determined that the corresponding consumable item is not stocked based on the purchase history information acquired by the history acquisition unit. inform information.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the television apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration and an example function of a recommendation server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a television device displaying a recommendation notification according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission in an information processing system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission in an information processing system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission in an information processing system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1 according to the fifth embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a home appliance management server 200, a recommendation server 300, and each device in the house H (a television device 10, a home appliance 20, and a wireless LAN router 30, which will be described later), which are communicably connected. It is composed by being The information processing system 1 is also communicably connected to a cashless payment server 400 and an EC server 500, which are external servers. Such an information processing system 1 manages the electric home appliance 20 by transmitting and receiving information to and from the electric home appliance 20 .

The recommendation server 300 is an example of an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. Note that the home appliance management server 200, the recommendation server 300, the cashless payment server 400, and the EC server 500 are shown as a single device in FIG. A function may be realized by a plurality of devices.

In this embodiment, a case where a television device (receiving device) 10 is used in a house H of a general household will be described as an example. In addition, the house H is not limited to a detached house, and may be one residence in a collective housing.

In the house H, for example, a television device 10, a washing machine 20a, a refrigerator 20b, an air conditioner (air conditioner) 20c, and a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router 30 are installed.

The television device 10, the washing machine 20a, the refrigerator 20b, and the air conditioner 20c are smart home appliances having a wireless communication function. Hereinafter, when the washing machine 20a, the refrigerator 20b, and the air conditioner 20c are collectively referred to, they are simply referred to as the home appliances 20. FIG.

The wireless LAN router 30 is wirelessly connectable to the television device 10 and the home appliance 20 and relays communication connection between the television device 10 and the home appliance 20 and the network N. FIG. The wireless LAN router 30 is an example of a communication relay device in this embodiment. Note that the wireless LAN standard is not particularly limited, but is based on, for example, the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard.

Note that the wireless LAN router 30 may also function as a wired LAN router. The wireless LAN router 30 may also serve as a modem or an optical line termination device, or a modem or an optical line termination device may be installed separately from the wireless LAN router 30 .

Network N is, for example, the Internet. The home appliance 20 is connected to the network N via the wireless LAN router 30 by connecting to the wireless LAN router 30 via the wireless LAN. The home appliance 20 is managed and monitored by the home appliance management server 200 via the network N. FIG.

Also, the home appliance 20 functions as a wireless LAN access point when not wirelessly connected to the wireless LAN router 30 . More specifically, when the home appliance 20 is not wirelessly connected to the wireless LAN router 30, the home appliance 20 transmits a signal including the SSID (Service Set Identifier) of the home appliance 20 by wireless communication. For example, the washing machine 20a transmits the SSID "yyyzzz_bb_xxxx" of the washing machine 20a. The SSID is an example of identification information of the home appliance 20 in this embodiment.

Further, since the home appliance 20 operates as a wireless LAN client while wirelessly connected to the wireless LAN router 30, it does not transmit the SSID to the surroundings.

The number of wireless LAN routers 30 and home appliances 20 installed in the house H and the types of home appliances 20 are not limited to the example shown in FIG.

The television device 10 displays, for example, various video contents distributed via broadcast waves or the Internet.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the television device 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the television apparatus 10 includes, for example, an antenna 101, an input terminal 102a, a tuner 103, a demodulator 104, a demultiplexer 105, input terminals 102b and 102c, an A/D (analog /digital) converter 106, selector 107, signal processing unit 108, speaker 109, display panel (external display unit) 110, operation unit 111, light receiving unit 112, wireless communication device 113, CPU ( Central Processing Unit) 114 , memory 115 and storage 116 .

Antenna 101 receives a digital broadcast signal and supplies the received broadcast signal to tuner 103 via input terminal 102a. The tuner 103 selects a broadcast signal of a desired channel from the broadcast signals supplied from the antenna 101 and supplies the selected broadcast signal to the demodulator 104 . Broadcast signals are also referred to as broadcast waves.

Demodulator 104 demodulates the broadcast signal supplied from tuner 103 and supplies the demodulated broadcast signal to demultiplexer 105 . Demultiplexer 105 separates the broadcast signal supplied from demodulator 104 to generate a video signal and an audio signal, and supplies the generated video signal and audio signal to selector 107 .

The selector 107 is configured to select one from a plurality of signals supplied from the demultiplexer 105, the A/D converter 106, and the input terminal 102c, and supply the selected one signal to the signal processing section 108. ing.

The signal processing unit 108 is configured to perform predetermined signal processing on the video signal supplied from the selector 107 and supply the processed video signal to the display panel 110 . Further, the signal processing unit 108 is configured to perform predetermined signal processing on the audio signal supplied from the selector 107 and supply the processed audio signal to the speaker 109 .

The speaker 109 is configured to output voice or various sounds based on the audio signal supplied from the signal processing unit 108 . Also, the speaker 109 changes the volume of the output voice or various sounds based on the control by the CPU 114 .

The display panel 110 is configured to display images such as still images and moving images based on the image signal supplied from the signal processing unit 108 or control by the CPU 114 . Display panel 110 is an example of a display unit.

The input terminal 102b accepts an analog signal (video signal and audio signal) input from the outside. Also, the input terminal 102c receives digital signals (video signals and audio signals) input from the outside. The A/D converter 106 supplies the selector 107 with a digital signal generated by A/D converting the analog signal supplied from the input terminal 102b.

The operation unit 111 receives an operation input from a user (operator). Also, the light receiving unit 112 receives infrared rays from the remote controller 119 .

The wireless communication device 113 wirelessly communicates with the wireless LAN router 30 . The wireless communication device 113 is, for example, a wireless LAN module.

Also, the wireless communication device 113 detects a signal including the SSID emitted from the surrounding wireless LAN access points. For example, the wireless communication device 113 detects signals emitted from the home appliances 20 around the television device 10 . Wireless communication device 113 sends the SSID of home appliance 20 included in the detected signal to CPU 114 . The wireless communication device 113 is an example of a detection unit in this embodiment.

Note that the television apparatus 10 may have a network interface for wired connection. Further, if the wireless LAN router 30 also has a function as a wired LAN router, the television device 10 may be connected to the wireless LAN router 30 by wire. In addition, in this embodiment, the television device 10 may be connected to a router other than the wireless LAN router 30, a modem, or an optical network terminal.

The memory 115 is a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various computer programs executed by the CPU 114, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that provides a work area to the CPU 114, or the like.

The storage 116 is a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like. The storage 116 records, for example, the signal selected by the selector 107 as recording data. The memory 115 and storage 116 also store various types of information that the CPU 114 uses to execute processing.

The CPU 114 functions as a control unit that controls the entire television apparatus 10 by executing programs stored in the memory 115 .

A control unit of the television device 10 functions as a display control unit. The display control unit causes the display unit (display panel 110) to display the information received from the recommendation server 300 superimposed on the video content being displayed (distributed via broadcast waves or the Internet).

Here, in this embodiment, the television device 10 is used as a display device for displaying information emitted by other smart home appliances. It may be applied to the application in place of the device 10 .

Note that the hardware configuration of the television apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and is not limited to this.

Returning to FIG. 1, the home appliance management server 200, the recommendation server 300, the cashless payment server 400, and the EC server 500 are general computer-configured information processing devices that include a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD (or SSD), and the like. .

Here, the washing machine 20a includes a tank that holds detergent and softener for automatic injection, and a sensor that detects the remaining amount in the tank. When it is determined that the amount of detergent (or softener) remaining is low based on the output of the sensor, the washing machine 20a generates and outputs information indicating that fact (information on shortage of consumables (equipment information)). do. The information output by washing machine 20 a is transmitted to home appliance management server 200 via wireless LAN router 30 and network N. FIG.

The home appliance management server 200 is communicably connected to each home appliance 20 via the network N and the wireless LAN router 30 and manages and monitors each home appliance 20 . In addition, when the home appliance management server 200 receives information about the shortage of consumables issued by the home appliance 20 , the home appliance management server 200 transfers the information to the recommendation server 300 .

The cashless payment server 400 manages electronic payment transaction information (purchase history). The transaction information is information about the product purchased by the user who is the subject of the transaction, and is stored in the cashless payment server 400 in association with the identification information of the user. Upon receiving a request from the recommendation server 300, the cashless payment server 400 transmits transaction information corresponding to the request as a response.

The EC server 500 provides an EC (Electric Commerce) site and manages transaction information (purchase history). The transaction information is information about the product purchased by the user who is the subject of the transaction, and is stored in the EC server 500 in association with the identification information of the user. Upon receiving the request from the recommendation server 300, the EC server 500 transmits transaction information corresponding to the request as a response.

The recommendation server 300 acquires information about the shortage of consumables issued by the home appliance 20 via the home appliance management server 200, acquires the purchase history and the like from the EC server 500 and the cashless payment server 400, and follows a predetermined rule (recommendation rule). ) is performed by the television device 10 .

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration and an example function of the recommendation server 300 according to the first embodiment. The recommendation server 300 includes a control unit 310 , a storage unit 320 , and a communication I/F (Interface) 301 .

The CPU of the recommendation server 300 implements various functional units 311 to 314 included in the control unit 310 by executing programs stored in the ROM or HDD. The storage unit 320 is an HDD (or SSD) or the like.

The communication I/F 301 connects to other devices included in the information processing system 1 via the network N so as to be communicable.

The storage unit 320 stores account information 321 and recommendation rules 322 . The account information 321 is information related to customer accounts, such as customer IDs and passwords, and is managed in association with customer (user) identification information. The customer ID and password are information for logging into the EC site as a customer. By logging in to the EC site as a customer, it is possible to make purchases, refer to purchase history, and the like.

The recommendation rule 322 stipulates that a recommendation notification is to be made when, for example, the following (1) to (3) are met.
(1) Information about shortage of consumables is output from the home appliance 20 .
As a specific example, in the case of the washing machine 20a, when it is determined that the amount of detergent remaining is low based on the output of the sensor installed in the detergent tank for automatic injection, information indicating that effect (information regarding shortage of consumables). was output.
(2) Based on the purchase history, etc., it was determined that there was no stockpile of the detergent in question.
For example, by using the rate of decrease in detergent estimated from the change in the output of the sensor of the washing machine 20a, the cycle at which the detergent needs to be replenished can be estimated, and by comparing the cycle with the purchase history, the presence or absence of stockpiles can be estimated. can.
(3) Furthermore, if the consumables indicated by the information on shortage of consumables are purchased regularly, the number of days until the next scheduled delivery date is equal to or longer than a predetermined number of days (N days).

The control unit 310 includes a shortage information acquisition unit 311, a history acquisition unit 312, an information provision unit 313, a purchase processing unit 314, and the like.

The shortage information acquisition unit 311 acquires information about the shortage of consumables issued by the home appliance 20 via the home appliance management server 200 . It should be noted that this acquisition may be based on a response obtained when the missing information acquisition unit 311 requests the home appliance management server 200 at a predetermined timing, or the home appliance management server 200 transmits the information at an arbitrary or predetermined timing. It may be due to coming.

The history acquisition unit 312 requests the external server (the cashless payment server 400 or the EC server 500) for purchase history information of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit 311, and receives a response to the request. to acquire purchase history information. In addition, the history acquisition unit 312 acquires the next scheduled delivery date when a regular purchase of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables is set. Note that the history acquisition unit 312 uses the account information 321 when making the above request.

The information providing unit 313 makes a recommendation notification based on the recommendation rule 322 . The recommendation notification is notification of information (notification information) prompting the purchase (replenishment) of deficient consumables (or similar products, etc.). The information providing unit 313 determines whether or not consumables need to be replenished based on the device information (information about the shortage of consumables) generated by detection of the shortage of consumables and the purchase history information generated by purchasing the consumables. Then, when it determines that replenishment is necessary, notification information is generated.

The purchase processing unit 314 orders the corresponding product from the EC site when a GUI (Graphic User Interface) displayed on a predetermined display unit (display panel 110) receives an operation indicating a purchase intention by a recommendation notification.

Here, the control section of the television apparatus 10 functions as management means, display information generation means, and processed signal generation means. The management means manages information (notification information) notified by the recommendation notification. The display information generating means generates display information based on the notification information. The processed signal generating means generates a processed signal based on the input received by the operator displayed based on the display information.

The information processing system 1 having such a configuration operates as follows. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1. As shown in FIG.

First, the control unit 310 of the recommendation server 300, as the shortage information acquisition unit 311, acquires information regarding shortage of consumables (for example, remaining amount) issued by the washing machine 20a based on the output of the remaining amount detection sensor via the home appliance management server 200. acquire (step S1). Here, information specifying consumables (brand, product name, size, etc.) is provided from the home appliance management server 200 to the recommendation server 300 together with information about the shortage of consumables.

The control unit 310 of the recommendation server 300 that has acquired the information in step S1 requests the purchase history of the corresponding consumable item from the cashless payment server 400 or the EC server 500 as the history acquisition unit 312 (step S2). As a response, the purchase history is acquired (step S3). In step S3, the history acquisition unit 312 acquires the next delivery date if there is a regular purchase schedule for the consumables indicated by the information regarding the shortage of consumables.

The control unit 310 of the recommendation server 300 that has acquired the information in step S3 first determines whether or not it is necessary to perform recommendation notification as the information providing unit 313 based on the recommendation rule 322 (step S4).

In step S4, if it is determined that there is no need for a recommendation notification (that is, there is a stockpile of the detergent in question from the purchase history or the next scheduled delivery date is less than N days), the control unit 310 performs recommendation notification. This process ends without

Further, in step S4, if it is determined that there is a need for a recommendation notification (that is, there is no reserve purchase of the detergent from the purchase history, or the next scheduled delivery date is N days or more), the control unit 310 provides information. The unit 313 notifies the television device 10 of the recommendation (step S5).

Upon receiving the received recommendation notification, the television device 10 displays the content of the recommendation notification superimposed on the image being displayed on the display panel 110 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the television device 10 displaying a recommendation notification. The recommendation notification includes, for example, an icon 1101, a speech bubble 1102, and buttons 1103 and 1104 as operators for accepting user operations. Icon 1101 indicates the source of the notification. A balloon 1102 displays the notification content. The content of the notification is, for example, "The detergent is about to run out. Would you like to purchase it?" A button 1103 accepts an operation indicating a purchase intention. A button 1104 accepts an operation to close the notification without purchasing.

Returning to FIG. 4, the user's operation (step S6) is received by the remote controller 119, for example. In this embodiment, this operation is accepted by the remote controller 119, but in practice, a microphone or the like may be used to implement operation acceptance through voice interaction.

When the user selects the button 1103 to indicate the purchase intention, the operation is transmitted from the television device 10 to the recommendation server 300 . The control unit 310 of the recommendation server 300 that has received the operation indicating the purchase intention places an order for the corresponding product to the EC server 500 as the purchase processing unit 314 (step S7).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when it is detected that the amount of detergent remaining in the washing machine 20a is low, there is a possibility that the recommendation notification, which was conventionally sent at this time, is not stocked from the purchase history. If it is considered high, it will be possible to do so. This makes it possible to optimize the timing of prompting purchase of consumables for smart home appliances. In the past, recommendations were notified regardless of the presence or absence of stock purchases, so there was a risk of making the user feel dissatisfied, such as purchasing at an unnecessary timing. It eliminates recommendation notifications at unnecessary timings, improving convenience.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the period until the next scheduled delivery date is taken into consideration when making a recommendation notification for consumables purchased on a regular basis. , further timing optimization and convenience improvement can be achieved.

In the present embodiment, an operation for purchasing consumables is accepted in the recommendation notification, and the purchase procedure is performed if there is an indication of intention to purchase. It is not necessary to accept the purchase operation, etc., until it is notified that the purchase time has come.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a recommendation notification for a consumable item with a purchase history is sent, and a purchase operation is accepted by an operator included in the display of the recommendation notification. It is also possible to recommend products that are physically similar (similar products, improved products). Such processing is suitable when consumables with a purchase history are out of stock or out of production.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the display panel 110 of the television device 10 is used as a display unit for notifying recommendations. A display panel included in a communicable device may be used.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, consumables (detergent and softener) for the washing machine 20a have been described as an example, but for consumables for other electrical appliances 20, the timing of purchase recommendations for shortages can be similarly optimized. can be done. Other consumables for the home appliance 20 include, for example, toner and ink for printers, filters for air purifiers, paper packs for vacuum cleaners, and kerosene for stoves.

Regarding printer toner and ink, the recommendation server 300, for example, receives a notification that the remaining amount of toner or ink output by the printer is low, and when it is estimated that there is no stockpile from the purchase history, the recommendation server 300 sends a recommendation notification. I do.

In the case of a printer that does not output a notification that the remaining amount is low, the recommendation server 300 estimates the remaining amount of toner or ink by comparing the number of printable pages predicted from the capacity with the actual number of printed pages. do. Then, the recommendation server 300 issues a recommendation notification when it is estimated that the remaining amount of toner or ink has fallen below a predetermined threshold and when it is estimated that there is no stock purchase from the purchase history.

As for the filter of the air purifier, the recommendation server 300, for example, receives a notification output by the air purifier indicating that it is time to replace the filter, and if there is no purchase history after the previous replacement, the recommendation server 300 recommends purchasing the filter. Send a recommendation notification that prompts you to

In the case of an air purifier that does not output a replacement time notification, the recommendation server 300 determines that the next replacement time predicted from the operating period after replacement will be less than N days, and the purchase history after the previous replacement is If there is no filter, a recommendation notification is sent to encourage purchase of the filter.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Since this embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, detailed description of the same parts as in the first embodiment is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1 according to the second embodiment.

The history acquisition unit 312 of the present embodiment sends an external server (the cashless payment server 400, the EC server 500) a bargain sale of consumables that match the information about the shortage of consumables (shortage information) acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit 311. is set (step S2a).

When the history acquisition unit 312 receives from the external server that a bargain sale of consumables that match the shortage information is set (step S3a), the information providing unit 313 of the present embodiment stores the stock of consumables. Information (recommendation notification) that prompts the purchase of consumables is sent regardless of the presence or absence of the consumables. The content of the notification displayed in the balloon 1102 for the recommendation notification of the present embodiment is, for example, "The detergent that you normally use is on sale. There may be a reserve, but would you like to purchase it?"

According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the purchase of consumables for special sales.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. Since this embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, detailed description of the same parts as in the first embodiment is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1 according to the third embodiment.

The history acquisition unit 312 of the present embodiment acquires external information that affects the consumption speed of consumables (step S3b). External information is, for example, weather information. The history acquisition unit 312 of this embodiment acquires weather information from, for example, a website that displays a weather forecast.

When it is estimated from external information (weather information) that the consumption rate of consumables will increase, the information provision unit 313 of the present embodiment notifies information prompting purchase of consumables ( recommendation notification). For the recommendation notification of the present embodiment, the content of the notification displayed in the balloon 1102 may be, for example, ``It looks like the weather for selection will continue in the future. be. Another example of the content of the notification displayed in the balloon 1102 is "It looks like it's going to rain for a while. Would you like to buy some detergent for drying the room?"

According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the purchase of consumables according to external information such as weather.

(Modification)
Another example of external information is information regarding store inventory of consumables. The history acquisition unit 312 further acquires information on store inventory of consumables that match the information on the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit 311 . The information providing unit 313 notifies (recommendation notification) of information prompting purchase of consumables regardless of the presence or absence of stock purchases when it is determined that the store inventory is below the threshold based on the information on the store inventory. For the recommendation notification of this embodiment, the content of the notification displayed in the balloon 1102 may be, for example, "Store inventory is low. be.

According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to easily avoid the inconvenience that the store stock is out of stock at the timing when consumables need to be replenished.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Since this embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, detailed description of the same parts as in the first embodiment is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1 according to the fourth embodiment. The information processing system 1 of the present embodiment further includes a pressure sensor for detecting the presence or absence or remaining amount of pre-purchased detergent. The pressure sensor may be provided at the bottom of the stock detergent station or may be attached to the bottom of the stock detergent bottle.

The output of the pressure sensor is transferred to the recommendation server 300 via the home appliance management server 200 (step S1a). When there is an input in step S1a, the information providing unit 313 of the present embodiment provides information (recommendation notification) that prompts purchase of consumables. The content of the notification displayed in the balloon 1102 in the recommendation notification of the present embodiment is, for example, "It is likely that there will be no stock of detergent. Would you like to purchase it?"

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. Since this embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment, detailed description of the same parts as in the first embodiment is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically explaining information transmission of the information processing system 1 according to the fifth embodiment. The information processing system 1 improves purchase management through learning. Improvements in purchase management are realized, for example, by updating recommendation rules 322 . The control unit 310 of the recommendation server 300 of this embodiment includes a rule adjustment unit that adjusts the recommendation rule 322 .

First, based on the purchase history, the rule adjustment unit analyzes and quantifies the relationship between consumable parameters (for example, brand and price) and purchase (step S11). Specifically, the parameters that led to (or did not lead to) the purchase from the recommendation notification are indicated by numerical values.

Next, the rule adjusting section uses the numerical value indicating the relationship between the parameter and the purchase obtained in step S11 to create a personal profile (step S12). In other words, the rule adjustment unit quantifies and compiles information on product preferences, such as the brand and price of consumables.

Then, the rule adjustment unit adds, for example, the following to the above-described recommendation rules (1) to (3).
(4) Refrain from recommending consumables such as brands, prices, and stores that tend not to lead to purchases from recommendation notifications.
(5) Recommend consumables such as brands, prices, and shops that tend to lead to purchase from the recommendation notification.
(6) If there is a high tendency to purchase a new product after receiving a recommendation notification, a recommendation notification is sent regardless of whether or not there is a stockpile.
(7) If there is a high tendency to purchase from a bargain sale recommendation notification, a recommendation notification is issued regardless of whether or not there is a stockpile.

According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to perform recommendation notification according to user's preference.

It should be noted that the programs executed by the information processing systems 1 of the above-described first to fifth embodiments and modified examples are preinstalled in a ROM or the like and provided.

Programs to be executed in the information processing systems 1 of the above-described first to fifth embodiments and modifications are stored as installable or executable files on CD-ROMs, flexible disks (FDs), and CD-Rs. , DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) or other computer-readable recording medium.

Furthermore, the programs executed by the information processing systems 1 of the above-described first to fifth embodiments and modifications are stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet, and provided by being downloaded via the network. It may be configured as follows. Further, the programs executed by the information processing systems 1 of the above-described first to fifth embodiments and modified examples may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

The program executed by the information processing system 1 of the above-described first to fifth embodiments and modifications includes the above-described units (insufficient information acquisition unit 311, history acquisition unit 312, information provision unit 313, purchase processing unit 314). ), and as actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads out the program from the ROM and executes it, and the above parts are loaded on the main storage device, and the missing information acquisition part 311, the history An acquisition unit 312, an information provision unit 313, and a purchase processing unit 314 are generated on the main storage device.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 ... Information processing system 10 ... Television device (receiving device)
110 Display panel (external display unit)
114...CPU, 115...Memory, 116...Storage 119...Remote controller,
20 ... home appliances, 20a ... washing machine, 20b ... refrigerator, 20c ... air conditioner 30 ... wireless LAN router,
200... Home appliance management server,
300 Recommendation server 301 Communication I/F
310... Control unit 311... Insufficient information acquisition unit, 312... History acquisition unit,
313... Information providing unit 314... Purchase processing unit 320... Storage unit 321... Account information 322... Recommendation rule 400... Cashless payment server (external server)
500 ... EC server (external server)
1101... Icon, 1102... Balloon, 1103, 1104... Button

Claims (6)

a shortage information acquisition unit that acquires information about a shortage of consumables emitted by home appliances;
a history acquisition unit that acquires, from an external server, purchase history information of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit;
Information for notifying information prompting the purchase of the consumables via the external display unit when it is determined that the consumables are not stocked based on the purchase history information acquired by the history acquisition unit. a provider;
Information processing device. The history acquisition unit acquires the next scheduled delivery date when a regular purchase of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit is set in the external server, and
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information providing unit stops providing information prompting purchase of the consumable item when the number of days until the scheduled delivery date is less than a predetermined number of days. The history acquisition unit inquires of the external server whether or not a bargain sale for consumables matching the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit is set,
When the history acquisition unit receives from the external server that a bargain sale of consumables matching the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit is set, the information providing unit 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information prompting purchase of said consumable item is notified regardless of whether or not the consumable item is stockpiled. The history acquisition unit acquires external information that affects the consumption speed of consumables,
4. The information providing unit, when it is estimated from the external information that the speed of consumption of the consumables will increase, notifies information prompting purchase of the consumables regardless of whether or not the consumables are stockpiled. The information processing device according to any one of . The history acquisition unit further acquires information on store inventory of consumables that matches the information on the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit,
1. When it is determined from the information on the store inventory that the store inventory is below a threshold value, the information providing unit notifies information prompting purchase of the consumables regardless of whether or not the consumables are stocked. 5. The information processing device according to any one of 4 to 4. An information processing system for managing a home appliance by transmitting and receiving information to and from the home appliance,
a shortage information acquisition unit that acquires information about a shortage of consumables emitted by home appliances;
a history acquisition unit that acquires, from an external server, purchase history information of consumables that matches the information about the shortage of consumables acquired by the shortage information acquisition unit;
Information for notifying information prompting the purchase of the consumables via the external display unit when it is determined that the consumables are not stocked based on the purchase history information acquired by the history acquisition unit. a provider;
Information processing system including;

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