JP2002304394A - Product selection method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a computer utilization method allowing any one to easily identify an objective product from various kinds of products. SOLUTION: A product selection server 10 has a database 100 for storing part numbers of multiple products, appearance information expressing outside forms thereof and their appearance photographs. The selection server 10 receives an input of one or more words expressing the outside form of the product demanded by a user from a user terminal 30, retrieves the product having the outside form corresponding to the words inputted by the user from the database 100 and provides the part number and the appearance image of the retrieved product for the user terminal 30. The user can acquire the part number of the demanded product by seeing the part number and the appearance image displayed on the user terminal 30. The selection server 10 can send the display of an exploded diagram, a component list, failure analysis information and replacements of the product designated by the user to the user terminal 30. The selection server 10 can receive a purchase order of the product or a component of a part number designated by the user from the user terminal 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a computer-based system for selecting a specific product from a wide variety of products.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A faucet fitting will be described as an example.

[0003] When a faucet fitting in a kitchen or a bathroom breaks down, a failed part in the faucet fitting is replaced or the faucet fitting itself is replaced with a new one. In any case, first, it is necessary to specify the number of the failed faucet fitting.

[0004] However, many faucet fittings do not display the product number from the viewpoint of aesthetics and the like. Further, it is rare that the user stores materials such as a warranty card and an instruction manual which can specify the product number. Therefore, it is very difficult for the user to specify the part number of the faucet fitting.

[0005] In general, a faucet fitting is a product with a long life, and in many cases, a broken faucet fitting is an old product that has passed a long time since its release. Few construction shops keep old catalogs that list such old products. Therefore, it is difficult for the construction shop to specify the part number of the failed faucet. Even if the part number of the faucet fitting can be specified, if the part is to be replaced, the part number of the part must be specified. To specify the part number, a part drawing collection is required. However, even fewer construction shops keep old parts drawings. After all, you have to do troublesome things such as contacting the manufacturer.

[0006] Further, it is not rare that the part number of a failed faucet is already discontinued. In this case, the faucet must be replaced with another faucet fitting. Also, the user may wish to replace the old faucet with a differently designed faucet. In addition, new faucet fittings may be purchased for new construction or extension / remodeling. In such a case, it is not easy to select an optimal part number of the faucet fitting that meets conditions from a huge number of part numbers of various faucet fittings.

[0007]

Thus, in various situations such as repair and replacement of a broken faucet, purchase of a new faucet, etc., it is necessary to select a faucet fitting of a specific product number that meets conditions. Is generally difficult. Not only faucet fittings, there will be many products with similar problems.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a computer-based system that allows anyone to easily specify a target product from a wide variety of products.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based system that allows anyone to easily identify similar products.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a computer-based system that can easily determine a product number corresponding to a product appearance specified by a user.

[0011]

A product selection system according to the present invention provides a search condition input screen for inputting one or more words describing the appearance of a product desired by a user to the user. Step, a product search step of searching for a product having an appearance form corresponding to the word input by the user from a database storing appearance numbers and appearance images describing appearance forms of a plurality of products; And a product display step of providing the user with the display of the product number and the appearance image of the product.

The system according to a preferred embodiment provides the user with a product list display screen showing a list of the retrieved product numbers and a predetermined small-sized appearance image, and provides the user with the product list display screen. A product list display step for prompting the user to select one product from the products on the product list display screen, and a product enlarged display screen showing the part number of the one product selected by the user and a predetermined large-size appearance image And providing a product enlargement display to the user.

[0013] The system according to a preferred embodiment can provide a user with a term explanation screen explaining the meaning of words that can be input on the search condition input screen in response to a request from the user.

According to a preferred embodiment, when a plurality of similar products having similar appearances to each other are included in the searched products, the appearance of a predetermined representative product in the plurality of similar products is determined. An image is provided to the user, while for other products in the plurality of similar products, instead of an appearance image of the other product, a display of a difference of the other product from the representative product is displayed. Can be provided to the user.

The system according to a preferred embodiment can provide the user with information indicating whether or not each of the searched products is a discontinued number.

In a system according to a preferred embodiment, in response to a request from a user, a parts display step of providing an exploded view or a parts list display of a product selected by the user from the searched products to the user. Can be performed. In this case, the system can provide an exploded view in a data format designated by a user from among a plurality of exploded views in different data formats prepared in advance.

The system according to a preferred embodiment can receive a purchase order from the user for a product selected by the user from the searched products.

The system according to a preferred embodiment provides a user with a display of an exploded view or a parts list of a product selected by the user from the searched products in response to a request from the user, and An input of a purchase order for the part selected by the user from the exploded view or the part list can be received from the user.

[0019] The system according to the preferred embodiment provides to the user, in response to a request from the user, failure diagnosis information on a cause of failure or a repair procedure for a product selected by the user from the searched products. Can be.

[0020] The system according to the preferred embodiment can provide the user with substitute information on a substitute for a product selected by the user from the searched products in response to a request from the user.

[0021]

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a product selection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an unspecified number of people (users) can access the product selection server 10 from each user terminal 30, 30,... Using a communication network such as the Internet 20. Has become. The product selection server 10 includes user terminals 30, 30,
, For example, has a WWW (World Wide Web) server (not shown). Therefore, each user can receive services provided by the product selection server 10 using a general WWW browser mounted on each of the user terminals 30, 30,....

The product selection server 10 has a function of calculating the part number of the target product from the appearance characteristics of the target product input from each user, and notifying each user of the part number of the target product and related information. are doing. In addition, the product selection server 10 has a function of providing an exploded view of the product of each product designated by each user to each user terminal 30 and notifying each user of the product number of each part of the product. Have. Further, the product selection server 10 has a function of performing a failure diagnosis of a product having a product number designated by each user and notifying the user of the result of the diagnosis. Further, the product selection server 10 has a function of checking a substitute for a product having a product number designated by each user, and notifying each user of the product number of the substitute and related information. Also, the product selection server 10
Has a function of checking the stock status on the supplier side of a product or a part with a product number designated by each user or a part with the designated product number, and issuing a purchase order from each user to the supplier. Further, the product selection server 10 has a function of notifying each user of a company that repairs, installs, or sells the product or the part with the specified part number for the product or the part with the specified part number by each user. ing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the product selection server 10
Has a database 100 that stores data necessary for performing the above functions. The database 100 includes an appearance information database 110, an appearance photograph database 120, an exploded view database 130, a failure diagnosis database 140, a substitute product database 150, a parts database 160, a product database 170, an inventory management database 180, and a trader name database 190. It is.

Hereinafter, a specific description will be given of a case where a product of a faucet fitting is handled as an example.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the appearance information database 110.

In the appearance information database 110, all the faucet fittings handled by the product selection server 10 are classified into “article number”, “sales start year”, “sale end year”, and appearance forms classified into many items. Information about the function is recorded. As shown in FIG. 2, the items of the information regarding the appearance form and the function include “photograph”, “difference”, “use”,
"Mounting method", "Faucet type", "Temperature control handle position",
There are many items such as "shower presence / absence", "water stop handle color", "water stop handle shape", "curan sectional shape", "exploded view", and "additional function".

Here, in the "sale year" and "sale end year" columns, the year in which the sales of the faucet fitting of the part number was started and the year in which the sale was ended are recorded (both are in the Christian era) Last two digits). For products that do not have an “end of sale” recorded,
Products that are still on sale and have a “sales end year” recorded are discontinued in that year. In the example of FIG. 2, the product number “AA03” has been discontinued in 1999.

In the “photograph” column, information as to whether or not the external appearance photograph of the faucet fitting of the product number exists in the external appearance photograph database 120 is recorded. In the example of FIG. 2, the circle in the photo column indicates that the external appearance photograph of the faucet fitting of the product number is in the external appearance database 120, and the absence of the circle indicates that the external appearance photograph is in the external appearance database 120. Means not within. In the photo column, instead of the circle mark, another product number, for example, in the photo column of the product number "AA02", another product number "AA01",
Is written as an external photo of the "AA02",
This means that another external photograph of "AA01" is substituted. Substitution of such external photographs is mainly performed by substituting the external photograph of the parent product for that of the child product between similar products or family products having very similar appearances (or the same basic parts). It is performed in the form of doing. In the example of FIG. 2, for the family products of the product numbers “AA01” to “AA03”, the appearance photographs of the parent product “AA01” are typically used, and the product numbers “BB01” to “BB02” are used. Family products include
The outer photo of the parent product, part number "BB01", is typically used.

The column of "differences" records major differences in appearance or function of the child product among the above-mentioned family products from the parent product having an appearance photograph. For example, the product number "AA02" is the product number "AA01" that is the parent product.
Was changed to a cold district specification, and the product number "BB02"
Is the parent product, part number "BB01", with a click-type shower changed to a shower with a massage function.

In the column of "use", the place where the faucet fitting of the product number is to be installed, for example, "bathroom", "kitchen", "washroom" or "toilet / utility" is recorded. . For example, all product numbers illustrated in FIG. 2 are faucet fittings for "bathroom".

In the column of "attachment method", the attachment method (attachment mode) of the faucet fitting of the product number, for example, "with wall" or "with stand" is recorded.

In the column of "type of faucet", the type of the faucet fitting of the part number in the large classification, for example, "thermostat",
"Single lever", "2 handles", "mixing"
Or "a single faucet" is recorded.

In the column of "temperature control handle position", when the type of the faucet fitting of the part number is a type having a temperature control handle such as "thermostat" or "mixing", the temperature control handle is attached. The recorded position, for example, “right”, “left” or “middle” is recorded.

In the column of "shower presence / absence", it is recorded whether or not the faucet fitting of the product number has a shower.

In the column of "water stop handle color", the color of the water stop handle of the faucet fitting of the product number, for example, "white",
"Black", "transparent" or "metal" is recorded.

In the column of "water stop handle shape", the shape of the water stop handle of the faucet fitting of the product number, for example, "triangle", "cross", "button" or "hollow in cylinder" is recorded. ing.

In the column of "curan cross-sectional shape", the cross-sectional shape of the curan (faucet) of the faucet fitting of the product number, for example, "corner", "circle", "inverted triangle" or "ellipse" is recorded. ing.

In the “exploded view” column, information indicating whether or not an exploded view of the faucet fitting of the product number exists in the exploded view database 130 is recorded. A circle in the figure means that there is an exploded view.

In the column of "additional functions", if the faucet fitting of the product number has a specific function, the specific function, for example, "auto stop" (automatic water stop) or the like is recorded.

The above-mentioned items are merely examples, and other items may be used. In addition, since the appearance or function of the faucet differs depending on the “use” (installation location), unique items can be used for each “use”, and even if the same item is used, The items recorded there can be different for each "use". For example, the item "number of mounting holes for faucets" can be provided only for faucets for "kitchen". In addition, as items recorded in the column of “type”, for example, a “shower head” is provided only for a faucet fitting for a “bathroom”, and a “faucet for a toothpaste” and an “eyewash faucet” are included in a “washroom”. Or a faucet fitting for "toilet / utility".

The external appearance photograph database 120 includes, for all of the faucet fittings registered in the above-described appearance information database 110, those having a circle in the photograph column, their product numbers, and appearance photographs of the faucet fittings. Is recorded. For each part number, there are two types of appearance photos registered: small-sized exterior photos suitable for index display and high-speed display, and large-sized exterior photos suitable for displaying the external shape accurately and in detail. I have.

The exploded view database 130 contains, for most of the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110, the product number and the exploded view of the faucet fitting (the faucet fitting is disassembled into individual parts, and And a part list (a list describing part names and part numbers of all parts described in the exploded view). The exploded view also shows the part number of each part, so that the correspondence between the exploded view and the component parts list for each part can be understood. In the parts list, a link for proceeding to a process for performing inventory confirmation, ordering, and the like of each part described below is embedded.

An exploded view of a plurality of data formats is stored in the exploded view database 130 as an exploded view of each faucet fitting. One is exploded view data in a standard format, for example, a GIF format, which can be always displayed by a general WWW browser. Another format is exploded view data in, for example, TIFF format, which can store a plurality of exploded views having different resolutions and the number of colors and can be easily rotated. Another format is exploded view data in, for example, a PDF format, which can be enlarged / reduced and can store a plurality of pages suitable for printing. Still another format is vector-type image data of an exploded view created by the draw-type (vector data type) graphical tool such as CAD when the exploded view is created by the tool, for example, CAD data. As described later, the user can receive an exploded view of a desired format from these data formats.

In the failure diagnosis database 140, for most of the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110, the product number, the cause of the faucet fitting failure (for example, water leakage, poor temperature control, etc.) and Data such as texts and drawings indicating repair procedures and the like are stored.

The substitute product database 150 contains, for most of the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110, their product numbers and the product numbers, appearances and functions of other faucet fittings that can be substitutes for the faucet fittings. And information on recommended products, such as accessories recommended by the supplier in relation to the faucet fittings of the product number, and the product number, appearance, function, etc. of other types of products are stored. .

The parts database 160 contains the part numbers of most of the parts used in the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110 and sales information such as the current price, stock availability, delivery date, and the like. Is stored.

The product database 170 stores the product numbers of most of the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110 and sales information such as current price, availability of stock, delivery date, and the like.

The stock management database 180 contains most of the faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110,
For most of the parts used in the faucet fittings, the product numbers, distribution information such as order quantities, stock locations, shipping bases, and the like are stored.

In the trader name database 190, information such as trader names, locations, contact information, and the like of a large number of traders (construction shops) that perform installation, repair, and the like of faucet fittings registered in the appearance information database 110 are stored. Is stored.

The operation performed by the product selection server 10 under the above configuration will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 shows an overall operation flow of the product selection server 10.

For example, when the faucet fitting used by the user is out of order and the user wants to repair or replace the faucet fitting, in step S1 in FIG.
The user logs in to the product selection server 10 using “0”. When the user logs in, in step S2, the product selection server 1
0 performs a process for the user to specify the desired faucet part number.

As a result of the part number specification process, it is found that the faucet is discontinued, or if the faucet is not a discontinued but the user desires replacement (YES in step S3). ), The product selection server 10 performs a process of specifying an alternative faucet, as shown in step S13.

As a result of the part number specifying process, if the faucet is not a discontinued part and the user desires repair (NO in step S3), the product selection server 10 proceeds to step S4. Then, a failure diagnosis process is performed on the specified part number, or the process proceeds to step S7 to perform a process of specifying the part number of the failed part. Which process to proceed depends on the selection of the user.

After performing the failure diagnosis process, if the user receives a result of the diagnosis and desires to repair the product himself (YES in step S5), the product selection server 10 proceeds to step S7, where Perform the process of specifying the part number. On the other hand, if the user desires to request a contractor for repair (NO in step S5), the product selection server 10
Goes to step S6 to perform a process of requesting a repair to a trader. After requesting the dealer to repair, the product selection server 10 proceeds to the part number specification process in step S7 if the user desires.

As a result of the part number specification process in step S7, if it is determined that the specified part is a discontinued part (YES in step S8), repair is impossible.
The product selection server 10 proceeds to the process of identifying a substitute for the failed faucet fitting, as shown in step S13. On the other hand, if the specified part is not a discontinued part, the product selection server 10
Proceeds to step S9 to perform a process of ordering the specified part.

After ordering parts, the product selection server 10
Further, as shown in step S10, processing for managing the delivery status of the ordered parts, processing for managing the repair status as shown in step S11, and processing for collecting the price as shown in step S12. It also processes accounting information.

When the process of specifying a substitute in step S13 is performed, and the user desires replacement by purchase based on the result (YES in step S14), the product selection server 10 proceeds to step S15. Perform the process of ordering the faucet fitting desired by the user.

After ordering the faucet, the product selection server 1
0 further includes processing for managing the delivery status of the ordered faucet fitting, as shown in step S16, and step S17.
As shown in (1), processing for managing the status of the replacement work of the faucet fittings, as shown in step S12, processing of accounting information for payment collection, and the like are also performed.

The flow shown in FIG. 3 is a typical example, and is not necessarily performed in the above order in the processes S42 and S42.
S4, S6, S7, S9, and S13 are not performed. In each of the above processes S42, S4, S6, S7, S9, S13, the product selection server 10 sends the GUI screen written in HTML to the user terminal 30. When the user clicks a link embedded in the GUI screen with a mouse or the like, the user operates the product selection server 10 to execute the processes S42, S4, S6, S7, S9, and S13.
Can be executed in an arbitrary order to some extent, and the user can log out of the product selection server 10 in any of the processes S42, S4, S6, S7, S9, and S13.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the flow of the product part number specifying process in step S2 and the part part number specifying process in step S9 in FIG. 5 to 12 show various GUs sent to the user terminal 30 and displayed in these processes.
Shows an example of the I screen.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S20, the product selection server 10 sends a start screen to the user terminal 30 for display.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the start screen.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the start screen 200, in a region 201, a plurality of places (zones, “uses” in the appearance information database 110 in FIG. 2) in which a target faucet is used, for example, "Bathroom", "washroom", "kitchen", "toilet / utility", "various facilities"
Is described. Regarding the faucet fittings for “Toilet / Utility”, as special application (zone) names,
"Faucet,""urinal flush valve,""urinal flush valve" and the like are described. There is also an input box 202 and a search button 203 for entering a part number.

Referring again to FIG. 4, if the user knows the part number of the desired faucet, the user enters the part number in input box 202 in start screen 200 in FIG. 5, as shown in step S21 in FIG. Enter the product number and search button 20
Mouse-click 3 Then, the product selection server 10
Retrieves the product number from the appearance information database 110 as shown in step S24.

If the user does not know the part number of the target faucet, as shown in step S22 in FIG.
From the various zone names written on the start screen 200 of the above, the name of the zone in which the desired faucet is used is selected by mouse clicking. Then, step S2 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the product selection server 10 sends a search condition input screen for the selected zone to the user terminal 30 for display, and the user uses the search condition input screen to purchase a desired faucet fitting time. And feature points of the appearance form are input as search conditions.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a search condition input screen for a bathroom, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, a search condition input screen 21
In the area 0, there are, in an area 211, an input box for inputting a type of purchase time and a plurality of combo boxes for inputting feature points of the appearance shape over a plurality of items. Items of appearance features that can be entered in those combo boxes are
Specifically, "mounting method", "kind", "temperature adjustment handle position", "shower presence", "water stop handle color",
There are a "water stop handle shape" and a "curan cross-sectional shape", which are all the same as the items registered in the appearance information database 110 shown in FIG. In the area 212 of the search condition input screen 210, among the items described above, there are several items that the user seems to be difficult to understand, for example, “attachment method”, “faucet type” and “water stop handle shape”. Corresponding to each of them, there is a description of “explanation of terms”. In this “explanation of terms”, a link to an explanation screen described later is embedded. At the bottom of the search condition input screen 210, there is a search button 213.

In step S23 shown in FIG. 4, the user inputs the purchase timing and appearance characteristics of the target faucet fitting on the search condition input screen of FIG. It is not necessary to input all the items, but only the items that the user can understand.
For input of each item of the appearance feature, a corresponding item may be selected from a pull-down menu displayed by clicking a triangle mark at the right end of the combo box of the item.

If the user does not understand the meaning of the item appearing in the pull-down menu of each item of the appearance feature, the user can click “explanation of terms” corresponding to the item. Then, the product selection server 10 sends an explanation screen corresponding to the item to the user terminal 30 for display.

FIG. 7 shows an example of an explanation screen of the “mounting method” for a bathroom, for example. FIG. 8 shows an example of a description screen of “faucet type” for a bathroom, for example. FIG. 9 shows an example of an explanation screen of “water stop handle shape” for a bathroom, for example.

The attachment method explanation screen 220 shown in FIG. 7 shows two kinds of attachment methods, “with wall” and “with stand”. The description of each method includes a description 222 and a photograph 22 of a typical example of a faucet fitting attached by the method, as in the case of “with a wall” 221.
3 are included.

The faucet type description screen 230 shown in FIG. 8 includes various faucet fittings such as “thermostat”, “single lever”, “two handles”, “mixing”, “single faucet”, and “water spout”. Explanations are given for the various types. Each type of description includes a description 232 and a photograph 233 of a typical example of a faucet fitting corresponding to the type, as in the case of “thermostat” 231, for example.

The water stop handle shape description screen 240 shown in FIG. 9 includes “triangle”, “cross”, “button”, and “hollow in cylinder”. Various water stop handle shapes such as "lever" and "hole lever" are described. For explanation of each shape, as in the case of “triangle” 241, for example, a description 242 and a photograph 243 of a typical example (two examples in this example) of a faucet fitting having a water stop handle of that shape. And are included.

By looking at the explanation screen of the items (terms) included in each item as described above, the user can easily determine which item of the item the target faucet fitting corresponds to. . The explanation screen illustrated above is "Bathroom"
For other zones, the content of each zone is unique to each zone, using photographs of actual examples of faucet fittings used in that zone and items and descriptions specific to that zone. An explanation screen is provided.

Referring again to FIG. 4, in step S23, the user inputs the purchase timing and appearance characteristics of the desired faucet fitting on the search condition screen of FIG. 6, and clicks search button 213. Then, as shown in step S24 in FIG. 4, the product selection server 10 determines the part number of the faucet fitting corresponding to the purchase time and the appearance feature inputted by the user, into the appearance information database 11.
Search from 0. In this search, the sales period (“start year” and “end year”), “photo”
Information such as “difference” and “exploded view” is acquired from the appearance information database 110. When comparing the purchase time input by the user with the sales period in the database 101, the sales period is set to the “start year” between the sales so that the user can safely misunderstand the purchase time. Appropriate years are added before and after the "end year".

When the above search is completed, the product selection server 1
In step S25 of FIG. 4, the process proceeds to step S25 in FIG. 4, and based on the information of the "photograph" of the part number hit in the search, the storage address of the external appearance photograph (small size photograph) of the faucet fitting corresponding to the hit part number is displayed. Obtained from the photo database 120,
A product list screen in which the photographs are embedded is created using the storage addresses, and the product list screen is transmitted to the user terminal 30 and displayed.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a product list screen.

As shown in FIG. 10, the product list screen 251
In the list, information obtained from the appearance information database 110 and the appearance photograph database 120 for the product numbers hit in the above search is displayed in a list. That is, the hit product numbers are classified into groups of similar products (family products), and the product numbers of parent products (representative products) of those similar product groups (for example, reference number 251) are displayed at the top of the product list screen 251. Hereinafter, a parent part number) and a small-sized external photograph of the parent product (that is, a representative photograph of the group) (for example, reference numeral 252) are displayed as indexes. A list of parent product numbers (dotted on the left side) and child product numbers of the similar product groups is displayed in an area 253 below the photo index. In addition, on the right side of each product number, the sales period, (for child products)
Displays the differences from the parent product. Further, in the product list screen 250, there is a description “Description of terms” 254.

On the product list screen 250, the user can select a small-size photograph of an arbitrary parent part number (for example, reference numeral 25).
2) Click to display a large-sized external photo of the parent product number. When an arbitrary parent part number (for example, reference number 251) is clicked, detailed information of a similar part of the parent part number can be displayed. Further, when the user clicks the term explanation 254, explanations of various terms described in the difference can be displayed.

Referring again to the flowchart of FIG. Product list display screen 25 of FIG. 10 displayed in step S25
0, the user estimates the part number of the desired faucet fitting,
In step S26, the parent part number of the estimated faucet fitting is selected by clicking the corresponding small-sized photograph (for example, reference numeral 252). Then, the product selection server 10 acquires the storage address of the large-sized external photograph of the selected parent product number from the external photograph database 120, and already reads out the storage address of the large-sized photograph and the external information database 110 in step S24. Using the information of the similar article group of the parent part number
To create a product enlarged display screen and send it to the user terminal 30 for display.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an enlarged product display screen.

As shown in FIG. 11, the product enlarged display screen 2
At 60, the parent part number 261 selected by the user, the sales period 262, the presence / absence of the similar part number 263, the description (if there is an exploded view) 264 of "exploded view", and the description of "failure diagnosis" 268 and a large-sized appearance photograph 265 of the parent part number are displayed. Further, a list of similar part numbers is displayed in an area 266 below the large-sized appearance photograph 265 (if there is a similar part to the parent part number). On the right side of each similar part number, the sales period of each similar part number, the difference from the parent part number, and whether or not it is a discontinued number are displayed. Further, the presence or absence of an exploded view of each similar part number is further displayed in an area 267 on the right side. In the area 269 on the right side, “failure diagnosis” for each similar part number is displayed.

On the product enlarged display screen 260, the user
When "similar part number: available" 263 is clicked, detailed information on the similar part number is displayed. Clicking “Exploded View” 264 displays an exploded view of the parent part number, or
In the area 267, when the user clicks “Yes” in the exploded view of each similar part number, an exploded view of each similar part number is displayed. Also,
When "failure diagnosis" 268 or 269 is clicked, a failure diagnosis can be performed on the parent part number or the similar part number, respectively, as described later.

Referring again to the flowchart of FIG. In step S28, the user sets the above-described product enlarged display screen 26
It is determined whether any of the faucet fittings indicated by 0 is the target. If not, step again
It is sufficient to return to the product list display screen 250 of S25 and select another part number. If the user wants to see the exploded view of the desired faucet fitting, the user, in step S29, displays the “exploded view” 264 on the product list display screen 250 (for the parent part number) or (for the similar part number). Clicks on "Yes" in the area 267 corresponding to it. Then, the product selection server 1
0 reads out the exploded view and the parts list of the clicked faucet fitting from the exploded view database 130, and executes step S30.
Then, an exploded view screen is created from the exploded view and sent to the user terminal 30 for display.

FIG. 12 shows an example of an exploded view screen.

As shown in FIG. 12, the exploded view screen 270 includes a product number 271, a name 272, a sales period 273,
An exploded view 274 is displayed. The exploded view 274 is a perspective view in which a plurality of parts constituting the faucet fitting are drawn so that the mutual positional relationship can be understood, and the part numbers of the respective parts are also described.

The part number 271, the name 272, the sales period 273, and the exploded view 27 in the exploded view screen 270 displayed first.
Reference numeral 4 denotes one image in a standard data format, for example, a GIF format, which can be always displayed in the window of the WWW browser of the user terminal 30. In the exploded view screen 270, buttons for downloading exploded views in other data formats, such as a download button 275 for exploded views in TIFF format, a download button 276 for exploded views in PDF format, and CAD data There are download buttons 278, and those download buttons 275, 2
If the user clicks on 76 or 278, the product selection server 10 sends TIFF format data, PDF format data or CAD data of the exploded view from the product selection server 10 to the user terminal 30.

The exploded view screen 270 further has a parts list button 277 for displaying a parts list.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the user
In S31, a parts list button 277 on the exploded view screen 270 is displayed.
If you click, in step S32, the product selection server 1
From 0, the part list screen of the faucet fitting is displayed on the user terminal 3
It is sent to 0 and displayed. In the parts list, parts names, part numbers, buttons for checking inventory and ordering, and the like of the parts constituting the faucet fitting are displayed.

The above is the details of the process for specifying the product number in step S2 and the process for specifying the part number in step S7 in the overall flow of FIG.

Next, the failure diagnosis process in step S3 in the overall flow of FIG. 3 will be described.

FIG. 13 shows the flow of the failure diagnosis process.

In step S41 shown in FIG. 13, the user looks at the product enlarged display screen 260 shown in FIG. 11, indicates the target faucet, and wants to receive a failure diagnosis of the faucet. Then, the user clicks “failure diagnosis” 268 or 269 in this screen 260. Then, the product selection server 10, from the failure diagnosis database 140, failure diagnosis information including a failure cause and a repair procedure of a faucet fitting of a parent part number or a similar part number corresponding to the clicked “failure diagnosis” 268 or 269. And obtain the step S42
As shown in (1), a failure diagnosis screen (not shown) displaying the failure diagnosis information is created and sent to the user terminal 30 for display. In addition, the failure diagnosis information of the parent part number is displayed on the failure diagnosis screen of the parent part number, and the failure diagnosis information of the parent part number is opened by embedding the link to the failure diagnosis information peculiar to each similar part number. For example, it is possible to access the failure diagnosis information of all similar product numbers from there.

In step S43, the user sees the failure diagnosis screen to understand the cause of the failure or the repair procedure.
Judge whether to repair yourself. In the case of repairing by himself / herself, if necessary, the user can use the product enlarged display screen 2 shown in FIG.
Returning to 60, an exploded view of the desired faucet fitting can be requested in step S44. Step S44 is the same as step S29 of FIG. 4 already described. If the user does not want to repair it himself, the process proceeds to step S45, and a process of requesting a dealer to repair (step S6 in FIG. 3) can be performed.

The above is the details of the failure diagnosis process in step S3 in the overall flow of FIG.

Next, a description will be given of a process of requesting a contractor to repair in step S6 in the overall flow of FIG.

FIG. 14 shows the flow of a process for requesting a dealer to repair.

In step S51 of FIG. 14, the user
1) Check the product enlarged display screen 260 to see if the target faucet fitting is a discontinued number. If not, if you want to introduce a repairer to the product selection server 10 As shown by YES in step S52, a request is made to the product selection server 10 for a trader inquiry. Then, the product selection server 10 searches for some suitable traders (for example, traders near the user's address) from the trader database 190,
As shown in step S53, the name, location, and the like of the found trader are sent to the user terminal 30 and displayed for use by the user. In step S54, the user selects an appropriate company from among several companies displayed on the user terminal 30 and requests repair.

Next, steps in the overall flow of FIG.
A description will be given of a process of confirming a substitute product of S13.

FIG. 15 shows a flow of a substitute product confirmation process.

As shown in FIG. 15, in step S61, the user checks whether the target faucet fitting is a discontinued number by looking at the product enlarged display screen 260 of FIG. If it is desired to consider replacing the bracket, a request for replacement is sent to the product selection server 10 in step S62. Then, the product selection server 10 acquires, from the substitute product database 150, substitute product information and recommended product information for the faucet fitting of the parent part number and the similar part number displayed on the product enlargement display screen 260, and shows it in step S63. In this way, a screen (not shown) for displaying the substitute product information and the recommended product information is created and sent to the user terminal 30 for display. On this screen, the priorities set in advance by the supplier for each of the substitute products and the recommended products are also displayed.

The user proceeds to step S65 (step S65 in FIG. 3).
In 14), by looking at the substitute information and the recommended product information displayed on the user terminal 30, it is determined whether or not to buy a new one. If so, the fact is notified to the product selection server 10 and the process shown in FIG. It is possible to proceed to the product ordering process of step S15.

Next, steps in the overall flow of FIG.
The product ordering process of S15 will be described.

FIG. 16 shows the flow of the product ordering process.

As shown in FIG. 16, the user specifies the part number of the faucet to be ordered in step S71, and sends an inquiry about the price and delivery date of the faucet to the product selection server 1.
Send to 0. Then, the product selection server 10 reads the price of the faucet fitting of the designated product number from the product database 170,
The sales information such as availability and delivery date is obtained, and as shown in step S72, a screen (not shown) for displaying sales information such as the price, availability and delivery date is created, and is displayed on the user terminal 30. To be displayed.

At step S73, the user sets the user terminal 3
After confirming the sales information displayed at 0, a purchase order for the product is sent to the product selection server 10. Then, the product selection server 10 receives the order, and executes the inventory check database 1
From 80, the distribution information such as the order quantity, the stock location, and the shipping base of the faucet fitting of the designated product number is obtained, and step S74 is performed.
As shown in, the shipping faucet is requested to ship to the distribution warehouse in stock, as a result, as shown in step S75,
The faucet fitting is shipped to the user.

Next, steps in the overall flow of FIG.
The S9 parts ordering process will be described.

FIG. 17 shows the flow of the parts ordering process.

[0111] As shown in FIG.
In S81 (step S8 in FIG. 3), it is checked whether or not the target faucet is discontinued on the product enlarged display screen 260 in FIG. 11, and if not, an order is placed from among the faucet components in step S82. The part number of the part to be selected is selected, and an inquiry about the price and delivery date of the part of the part number is sent to the product selection server 10. Then, the product selection server 10 acquires sales information such as the price of the designated part number, the availability of the part, and the delivery date from the parts database 160, and as shown in step S83, obtains the price, availability of the part, and A screen (not shown) for displaying sales information such as a delivery date is created and sent to the user terminal 30 for display.

At step S84, the user sets the user terminal 3
After confirming the sales information displayed in “0”, a purchase order for parts is sent to the product selection server 10. Then, the product selection server 10 receives the order, and executes the inventory check database 1
From 80, distribution information such as the order quantity, stock location, and shipping base of the specified part number is acquired, and as shown in step S85, a shipment is requested to a distribution warehouse where the part is stocked. Then, as shown in step S86, the part is shipped to the user.

As shown in step S87 in FIG. 17, the product selection server 10
The distribution information of various faucet fittings and parts stored in the storage unit 0 can be fed back to a system that manages inventory, delivery, production, and the like of the faucet fittings and parts. It can be used for optimal control of delivery and production.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this is an exemplification for describing the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to this embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented in other various forms without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to faucet fittings but also to other products. The present invention can be applied not only to the identification of the product number when a used product breaks down, but also to the case of selecting an optimal product when a new product is to be purchased. A person who uses the system of the present invention does not necessarily need to be an end user of a product, but may be a company that sells or repairs a product.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a product selection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an appearance information database 110.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the overall operation flow of the product selection server 10;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing in detail a flow of a product part number specifying process in step S2 and a part part number specifying process in step S9 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a start screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition input screen for a bathroom.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of an explanation screen of “attachment method” for a bathroom.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a description screen of “faucet type” for a bathroom.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a description screen of “water stop handle shape” for a bathroom.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a product list screen.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a product enlarged display screen.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an exploded view screen.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a failure diagnosis process.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process for requesting a dealer to repair.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substitute product confirmation process.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of a product ordering process.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of a part ordering process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Product Selection Server 20 Internet 30 User Terminal 100 Database 110 Appearance Information Database 120 Appearance Photo Database 130 Exploded View Database 140 Fault Diagnosis Database 150 Replacement Product Database 160 Parts Database 170 Product Database 180 Inventory Management Database 190 Vendor Name Database 200 Start Screen 210 Search Condition input screen 220 Installation method explanation screen 230 Water faucet type explanation screen 240 Water stop handle shape explanation screen 250 Product list display screen 260 Product enlarged display screen 270 Exploded view screen

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B075 ND06 PP13 PQ46 UU22

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A method for operating a computer for selecting a product desired by a user, the search condition providing a search condition input screen for inputting one or more words describing the appearance of the desired product to the user. An input step; a product search step of searching for a product having an appearance form corresponding to the word input by the user from a database storing appearance information and appearance images describing a plurality of product part numbers and appearance forms; And a product display step of providing the user with a display of the product number and the appearance image of the product. 2. The product display step provides the user with a product list display screen showing a list of the product numbers of the searched products and a predetermined small-sized appearance image, and provides the user with the product A product list display step for prompting a user to select one product from the products on the list display screen; and a product enlarged display screen showing a part number of the one product selected by the user and a predetermined large-size appearance image. 2. The product selection method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of enlarging and displaying a product provided to the user. 3. The term explanation step according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a term explanation screen explaining the meaning of a word that can be input to the search condition input screen to the user in response to a request from the user. Product selection method. 4. When a plurality of similar products having similar appearances to each other are included in the searched products, the product display step includes an appearance image of a predetermined representative product in the plurality of similar products. Is provided to the user, and for other products in the plurality of similar products, display of the difference of the other product from the representative product is provided to the user in place of the appearance image of the other product. The method for selecting a product according to claim 1. 5. The product selection method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing the user with information indicating whether or not each of the searched products is a discontinued number. 6. A parts display step of providing an exploded view or a parts list display of a product selected by the user from the searched products in response to a request from the user, and disassembly of each product. When providing a diagram to the user, from among a plurality of exploded views of different data formats prepared in advance,
2. The product selection method according to claim 1, wherein an exploded view in a data format specified by a user is provided. 7. The product selection method according to claim 1, further comprising a product ordering step of receiving a purchase order from the user for a product selected by the user from the searched products. 8. A parts display step of providing an exploded view or a parts list display of a product selected by the user from the searched products in accordance with a request from the user to the user; 2. The product selection method according to claim 1, further comprising: a parts ordering step of receiving, from the user, a purchase order for a part selected by the user from the parts list. 9. In response to a request from the user, regarding a product selected by the user from the searched products,
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the user with fault diagnosis information regarding a fault cause or a repair procedure. 10. The product according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, in response to a request from the user, providing the user with substitute information on a substitute for a product selected by the user from the searched products. Selection method. 11. A computer-based system for selecting a product desired by a user, wherein a search condition input screen for inputting one or more words describing the appearance of the desired product is provided to the user. Input means; a product search means for searching for a product having an appearance form corresponding to the word input by the user from a database storing appearance information and appearance images describing the product numbers and appearance forms of a plurality of products; A product selection system comprising: a product display unit that provides the user with a display of the product number and the appearance image of the product. 12. A computer program for causing a computer to execute a method for selecting a product desired by a user, wherein a search condition input screen for inputting one or more words describing the appearance of the desired product is provided. A program code for a search condition input step to be provided to a user, a plurality of product numbers, a database storing appearance information describing appearance forms and an appearance image are used to determine an appearance form corresponding to a word input by the user. A computer program comprising: a program code for a product search step of searching for a product that the user has; and a program code for a product display step of providing a display of a product number and an appearance image of the searched product to the user.