JPH09223169A - Information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] The present invention reduces the time and effort required to check the specifications of computer products to be purchased, and eliminates the need for specialized knowledge to determine whether or not a connection is possible between computer products. It is another object of the present invention to provide a system capable of ordering products to be purchased selected according to the present invention online. According to the present invention, storage means for storing product information of a product and connection information regarding connection between different products, input means for allowing a user to input a plurality of different product information, and input by the input means. Extraction means for extracting a combination of products connectable between the products based on the connection information of the storage means, availability of connection between the products selected by the selection means, and a combination of the products extracted by the extraction means And an ordering means for creating a purchase order including information for identifying a product selected based on the display content of the display means and a purchaser of the product and transmitting the same to the contractor system. It consists of and.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing system, and more particularly, to an information processing system that can easily and easily construct a system that shows whether or not a computer product can be connected and that is consistent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when considering the purchase of a computer product such as a printer, a memory, and a SCSI card in order to configure a new system, the specifications of the candidate product for purchase,
The confirmation of the connection between the existing system and the product to be newly purchased has been performed manually by referring to an appropriate part of a paper medium such as a manual or a magazine. Even if the specifications of the product can be confirmed by such manual work, the estimate for the product to be purchased has been automatically issued by designating conditions such as manual work or system configuration. (JP-A-4-289966, JP-A-5-216897). The purchase order issued in this way was sent to the contractor on a paper basis.

On the other hand, even though the main body of the computer is bought, when searching for a printer to be connected to the main body of the computer, look up in a computer-related magazine or the like, ask a familiar expert, or call the customer service of the main body maker by telephone. By inquiring, the appropriateness of the connection was determined and the printer to purchase was determined.

[0004]

Therefore, the conventional technique has the following seven problems. In order to check whether or not it is possible to connect the computer products you plan to purchase, you have to check the specifications etc. stated in magazines and manuals, and it takes a lot of time to check them. It was Even if the specifications and the like can be confirmed, it may be necessary for the expert to determine whether or not the connection is possible between the computer products, and the layperson cannot easily judge. In the above-mentioned publicly known example, detailed items of the system configuration have to be input, and it cannot be said that the user interface is excellent. What the purchaser wants to know is whether or not the products can be connected or suitable for the connection, and the price, and other detailed specifications are not necessary. Even if an estimate or a purchase order is automatically generated as in the above-mentioned publicly known example, since the order is placed on a paper basis, it takes time to reach the order recipient. Even if you contact a customer service center or an expert close to you, the knowledge of the other party is biased and you cannot obtain a unified standard. Even for the staff of the customer service center, regarding unknown products, it was necessary to check the specifications of the products related to the inquiry from a paper manual or the like, which took time.

Therefore, the present invention aims to solve such a problem.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a storage means for storing product information of products and connection information regarding connection between different products, and a plurality of different products for users. Input means for inputting, a extracting means for extracting a combination of products connectable between the products input by the input means based on the connection information of the storage means, and a connection between the products input by the input means. An order including a display unit that displays information about the product and a combination of products extracted by the extraction unit based on the storage unit, and a product that is input based on the display content by the display unit and information that identifies a purchaser of the product An ordering means for creating a document and transmitting it to the contractor system (claim 11).
Equivalent).

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention corresponding to claim 11. In the figure, 1 is a storage means for storing product information between different kinds of products and connection information indicating whether or not a connection between the different kinds of products is possible, and 2 is an input means for allowing a user to input a plurality of different kinds of products. 3 is extraction means for extracting a combination of products connectable between the products input by the input means 2 based on the connection information of the storage means 1,
Reference numeral 4 is a display means for displaying whether or not the connection between the products inputted by the input means 2 is based on the storage means 1 and a combination of the products extracted by the extraction means 3, and 5 is inputted based on the display contents by the display means 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes an order acceptor system, which is an ordering means for creating a purchase order including information for identifying a product to be purchased and a purchaser of the product and transmitting the order to the order acceptor system. In the figure, reference numerals 1 to 5 represent the orderer's system.

After briefly explaining the processing flow of the present invention with reference to FIG. 2, the data structure used in this system and each processing of FIG. 2 will be described in detail. First, the system according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “the present system”)
A screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display means 4 and the user is prompted to input two or more product types (S1). The product type means, for example, a main body, a printer, or the like. The system stores the input product type in the buffer.
Next, the present system causes the display unit 4 to display all the models belonging to the type of the input product, and prompts the user to input the model of one or more products (S2). The product model refers to, for example, the main body A, the printer A, or the like. This system stores the input product model in a buffer. In the present system, the "compatibility" screen for displaying the compatibility judgment of whether or not the inputted different models can be connected to each other on the display means 4 and the "details" for displaying the function outline, performance, etc. of the inputted model. An icon for activating the screen is displayed (S3), and the user is prompted to input it. In the present system, when the "compatibility" icon is input, the recommended connection degree table (FIG. 5) is referred to, the "compatibility" screen is displayed on the display means 4 (S4), and the "details" screen is displayed. When the icon is input, the detailed information table is referred to on the display unit 4,
The "details" screen is displayed (S5). Also, the display means 4
If the "Extract" icon displayed in is input, the system refers to the connection recommendation table, deletes the combination of products that cannot be connected in the table, and combines the products that can be connected. Only the display means 4 is displayed (S6). The user appropriately refers to these screens, inputs the product to be purchased, and inputs the "confirm" icon in the screen (S7). The confirmed product is stored in a buffer different from the buffer used when the purchase candidate is input. When the "Order" icon on the display screen is entered, this system refers to the buffer that stores the product information for which the purchase has been confirmed, and displays the purchase order containing the necessary information for the product.
Send to the contractor system through the communication line (S8),
Finish the process.

Next, the data structure of the information stored in the storage means 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 3 is a table showing product summary information of products,
Specifically, it is a data structure diagram showing product summary information about the main body. The product summary information table in the figure shows the model name,
It consists of product code, price, and remarks fields, and is provided for each product type. The system uses the product code as a key for uniquely identifying the model when referring to the information in a plurality of tables.

FIG. 4 is a table showing product detailed information of a product (hereinafter referred to as "product detailed information table"). Detailed information such as functional outline and specifications of each product and an external image of the product. And data. This table is also provided for each type of product. FIG. 5 is a first example of a data structure relating to connection information between the main body and each peripheral device,
In other words, whether the connection between products of different types is 0 to 5 or 6
The table shown by graded evaluation is shown. This table is composed of connection recommendation levels for all combinations of products stored in the storage unit 1. In this compatibility, 5 represents a combination having a very good connection compatibility, a combination having a poor connection compatibility in descending order, and 0 represents a connection impossible connection. Therefore, the combination of the main body A and the printer P1 has a connection recommendation degree of “5”, which indicates that the compatibility of the connection is very good, and the combination of the main body F and the printer P1 has a connection recommendation degree of “0”. Therefore, it indicates that the connection is impossible. These connection recommendation levels are objectively determined by a plurality of experts based on, for example, product information announced by each manufacturer.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the data structure may be only a binary value of "0 (unconnectable)" and "1 (connectable)". Next, the processing flow of the present invention already outlined will be described for each processing. <S1> The present system causes the display unit 4 to display a screen (FIG. 7) for inputting the product, and prompts the user to input the product. In the figure, a screen when "main body" is input as the type of product is shown. When “main body” is input, the system refers to the product outline table (FIG. 3) in the storage means 1 and displays the product information in which the type of product belongs to “main body”. In this case, the number of products to be displayed may be narrowed down by designating conditions such as price range and maker name. In that case, the system searches for products that meet the conditions and displays only those products that have the conditions. This condition designation is performed, for example, by inputting an icon indicating "condition" designation in FIG. Further, a plurality of types of products may be input on this screen, and the present system stores the input product type in a main memory (not shown). For example, when "main body", "printer", and "display" are input on the screen of FIG. 7, the system displays the input product type as shown in the data on the first line of FIG. , Keep in its main memory.

<S2> When the user does not use the connection information between the products in this system, the user inputs the product to be purchased on the screen of FIG. 7 and inputs the “confirm” icon. , S7 (decision).
Although not shown, this system holds the input product model in its main memory. In this way, if the user is familiar with computer technology and the availability of connection is known, the ordering procedure can be directly performed without using the present invention. Needless to say, the confirmation of connection availability according to the present invention (described later) may be performed in order to confirm the connection availability.

<S3> When using the connection availability information between products in this system, the user inputs it on the screen of FIG. This system refers to the product outline information table (FIG. 3) in the storage means 1 and causes the display means 4 to display a screen as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a diagram in which the product models belonging to the product type “main body” input in S1 are displayed on the display means 4 together with their prices and the like. The user refers to the screen in the figure and inputs the product model for which connection availability information and the like are desired for each product type. This system uses the product model entered here as the 9th
The data is held in the main memory like the data on the second and subsequent rows in the figure. FIG. 9 shows product models “main body A”, “main body C”, “main body E” and “main body G” for the product type “main body”.
Is input, the product types “printer P1”, “printer P2” and “printer P4” are input for the product type “printer”, and “display D2”, “display D3” for the product type “display”. ] And "Display D8" are input, the data held in the main memory are shown.

<S4>"Details" on the screen of FIG.
When the icon is input, the system shows a screen as shown in FIG. The left side of the screen of FIG. 8 shows the model group input in S3, and the right side of the screen of FIG. 8 shows detailed information of the model on which the cursor is placed on the left screen of FIG. This system is based on the input product group stored in the main memory, and the product summary table in the storage means 1 (FIG. 3).
With reference to FIG. 3, the screen on the left side of the drawing is displayed on the display unit 4 with reference to the product detail table (FIG. 4) in the storage unit 1. As shown in the figure, the right side of the screen is composed of detailed information of the model and an image diagram of the product appearance. The user refers to this product detailed information to change the product model using the connection availability information. By inputting the “end” icon on the screen of FIG. 8, the screen returns to the screen of FIG. 7, and the user inputs again whether to enter the model or to use the connection availability information.

<S5> In FIG. 8, when the “compatibility” icon is input, this system extracts the display product based on the input product model information (FIG. 9) held in the main memory, and the storage means Referring to the connection propriety information table in FIG. 1, the screen as shown in FIG. 10 or FIG.
To be displayed. FIG. 10 shows connection availability information between the main body which is the input product model and the printer, and FIG. 11 shows a screen which displays connection availability information between the main body which is the input product model and the display.

In FIG. 10, "Main body A-Printer P"
The combination of "4", "main body C-printer P4" and "main body G-printer P1" indicates that connection is impossible because the display information is "0". In addition, in FIG. 11, "main body A-display D3", "main body C-display D2" and "main body E-display D3" are also
Similarly, it indicates that connection is impossible.

<S6> When the "Candidate List" icon is input on the screen of FIG. 10 or FIG. 11, the present system displays the input product model information (FIG. 9) and the connection availability information table (5th). Based on the drawing or FIG. 6), connectable combinations are presented on the display means 4 among all the combinations that can be input. This processing will be described later with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

<S7> The present system stores the product model (hereinafter, referred to as “fixed product group”) and the number of ordered products input by inputting the “fixed” icon in FIG. 8 or FIG. Memorize it in the internal buffer,
A screen as shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the display means 4 in order to perform the ordering procedure for the confirmed product group. Referring to the fact that the user has a recommended connection degree of “main body E-printer P1” is 4 and a recommended connection degree of “main body E-display D2” is 5 (see FIG. 13 etc.), the product group is decided. , "Main body E", "Printer P1", and "Display D2" are input respectively, the contents of the buffer are not shown in the figure, but each of "Main body E", "Printer P1", and "Display D2". It is the product code and the quantity ordered.

<S8> FIG. 14 shows a screen showing the ordering procedure. The ordering details screen on the left side showing the specification of the fixed product group to be ordered by the processing of S7, the orderer and the payment method, etc. are shown. It consists of the ordering procedure screen on the right for specifying. The present system refers to the product outline information table in the storage means 1 by using the product code of the confirmed product group in the main memory as a key, and calculates the total price of the ordered products based on the price per unit, The screen on the left side of FIG. 14 is created. Further, the present system calls the screen definition object in the storage means 1 to display the screen on the right side of the figure.

The user inputs the ordering method, own information, payment method, etc. according to the ordering procedure screen shown in FIG. For example, when ordering by e-mail, the user must specify the e-mail address of the contractor or select it from the candidate list (not shown), and send an e-mail with the order statement enclosed to the contractor. This completes the ordering procedure. When ordering by FAX, the user must
The FAX number of the contractor is designated or selected from the candidate list (not shown), the contractor is specified, and the ordering procedure is performed with the electronic information as it is through the FAX modem.

Next, referring to FIGS. 12 and 13,
A process S6 of extracting a combination of connectable products will be described. FIG. 12 shows a processing flow for extracting a combination of connectable products based on the internal connection availability information table of the input product group. When the user inputs the "candidate list" icon from the screen of FIG. 10 or FIG. 11 (S61),
The present system refers to the connection propriety information table in the storage unit 1 for all combinations of the models shown in the input product model information in the buffer area (S62). The present system stores the product code and the recommended connection degree thereof in a specific buffer area for the combination of which the recommended connection degree does not include "0" among all the combinations (S63). Among the combinations, for the combination including the connection recommendation degree of “0”,
No data is stored in the buffer area. This system is
Based on the combination information stored in this buffer area, the product summary table in the storage means 1 is referred to, and the display means 4 displays
Display the product name, recommended connection level, and total price (S6)
4).

FIG. 13 shows a "list of connectable candidates" in the present embodiment extracted by the processing from S61 to S64. In the figure, "<-" connecting products
The number enclosed by “->” indicates the numerical value of the combination in the connection propriety information table in the storage unit 1. For example, the first
In FIG. 3, the connection recommendation degree of “printer P1-main body A” is “5”, similar to that shown in FIG. Further, in FIG. 13, as a result of the processing from S61 to S64, "printer P1-main body A-display D3" is displayed.
A combination that includes “0” as the connection recommendation degree such as “0” is not included. The user determines the product model to be ordered with reference to this screen and inputs the “confirm” icon to confirm the ordered product.

The present system can be used not only for inputting the purchased product described here, but also for inputting a computer product to be connected to an already purchased product. That is, in the screen of FIG. 8, the purchased product and the product to be purchased are input, and after referring to the connection recommendation degree between them, the order can be placed, so that the product suitable for the purchased product can be input. .

Further, here, regarding the input product combinations, regardless of whether or not they can be connected, the recommended connection level is displayed, and then only the connectable combinations are displayed.
Although the description has been made with the display of the stepwise configuration, the processing of the first step may be omitted and only the combinations that can be connected from the beginning may be displayed. Further, FIG. 15 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows a CD-R which is a recording medium storing product information and connection information between products, for example, product outline information (FIG. 3), product detail information (FIG. 4) and connection information (FIG. 5).
OM is shown. An embodiment in this case will be described below. A third party purchases the CD-ROM distributed in the market and installs the packaged software including the CD-ROM and the input means, the extraction means, and the ordering means of the present invention in his or her system. This system configuration is basically the same as the system configuration shown in FIG. 1, and its processing is as described above.

FIG. 16 shows a storage medium storing product information and connection information between products, which is a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a storage medium, DASD, 7
Indicates the terminal of the operator of the customer service center. The DASD 1 stores various product information and connection information between products as shown in FIG. The DASD 1 stores, for example, the latest product information and connection information between the new product and products belonging to other types every time a new product is released.

When a customer makes an inquiry to the customer service center regarding whether or not the product can be connected, the staff of the customer service center uses the search tool from the terminal 7 (for example, the storage device from claim 1). To start. The staff specifies the product related to the customer's inquiry by using the search tool. The search tool converts the specified product into information specifying the specified product (for example, product code), and accesses the DASD 1. The search tool retrieves the connection recommendation degree from the table of FIG. 5 using the product code or the like as a key, and displays the connection recommendation degree on the terminal 7. Based on the display, the staff advises the customer of the telephone line of the purchase.

[0027]

The present invention having the above-mentioned constitution has the following effects. Since the purchaser displays the connection availability information or the connection suitability between products with a simple operation, it is possible to omit the troublesome work of referring to the manual or the like of the product to be purchased in the manual or the like. Even if you are not familiar with computer technology, even if you do not know detailed information such as specifications about the product you plan to purchase, even if you are not familiar with computer technology, you can easily and easily configure the system. Can be considered. The user of this system does not need to enter detailed information about the system configuration, but only needs to enter the type of product to be purchased (for example, a printer) or the product to be purchased from the displayed products. Since it is possible to know whether or not the connection is possible or the suitability of the connection, it is possible to improve the user interface as compared with the related art. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the type of the product and the product model belonging to the product are separately input, so that the user interface can be improved. In the inventions of claims 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, and 12, only the combinations of connectable products are displayed among the combinations of products input by the user, so that the user can see the combinations of connectable products at a glance. Can be grasped at. In the invention described in claims 5 to 12,
Because the purchase order that is automatically generated for the product to be purchased is electronically requested to the contractor, it will be delivered to the contractor instantly, and it is possible to greatly reduce the time required to send the order sheet using the conventional paper. . By distributing the inventions of claims 13 and 14 to the secondary market, even a person who does not have knowledge about the connection between computer products can easily determine whether or not the connection is possible. By providing the inventions of claims 13 and 14 in a customer service center or the like and utilizing them for inquiries about product connection from customers, uniform and accurate advice can be given to the inquiries.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the present invention.

[Figure 3] Data structure diagram showing product summary information of each product

FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram showing detailed product information of each product.

FIG. 5: Theta structure diagram (1) showing the recommended degree of connection between the main unit and each peripheral device.

FIG. 6 is a data structure diagram (2) showing the degree of recommended connection between the main unit and each peripheral device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a screen for inputting a product.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a screen when “details” is input in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a data structure relating to an input model.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen (1) when “compatibility” is input on the screen of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a screen (2) when “compatibility” is input on the screen of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a process of extracting a combination of connectable products.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen when a “candidate list” is input in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a screen showing an ordering procedure.

FIG. 15 is a storage medium (1) that stores information on the degree of recommendation of connection between different products.

FIG. 16 is a storage medium (2) that stores information on the degree of connection recommendation between different products.

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. An information processing system for processing information about products, comprising: storage means for storing product information about products and connection information about connections between the different products; and information for specifying a plurality of different products for a user. Enter the input means to be input and whether or not the product input by the input means can be connected,
An information processing system comprising: a display unit that displays based on the storage unit. 2. The input means according to claim 1, wherein first input means for inputting information for identifying a product type and for inputting information for identifying a model of a product of the type input by the first input means. The information processing system according to claim 1, comprising a second input means. 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein based on the connection information of the storage means described in the same paragraph, a combination of products connectable between the products input by the input means described in the same paragraph is extracted. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: an extraction unit and a display unit described in the same paragraph for displaying a combination of products extracted by the extraction unit. 4. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein, based on the connection information of the storage means described in the same paragraph, a combination of products connectable between the products input by the second input means described in the same paragraph is selected. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising: an extracting unit that extracts and a display unit that displays the combination of products extracted by the extracting unit. 5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein a purchase order form is created that includes a product input based on the display content by the display means according to the same item and information specifying the purchaser of the product. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an ordering means for placing an order with respect to. 6. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein a purchase order form is created that includes a product input based on the display content by the display means according to the same item and information specifying the purchaser of the product. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising an ordering means for placing an order with respect to. 7. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein a purchase order form is created which includes a product input based on the display content of the display means according to the same item and information identifying the purchaser of the product, and a contractor system. 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, further comprising an ordering means for placing an order with respect to. 8. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein a purchase order form including a product input based on the display content by the display means according to the same item and information identifying the purchaser of the product is created, and a contractor system is created. 5. The information processing system according to claim 4, further comprising an ordering means for placing an order with respect to. 9. The information processing system according to claim 5, further comprising an order acceptor system that receives an order form transmitted by the ordering means according to the above item. 10. The information processing system according to claim 6, further comprising an order acceptor system for receiving an order form transmitted by the ordering means according to the above item. 11. The information processing system according to claim 7, further comprising an order acceptor system that receives an order form transmitted by the ordering means according to the same claim. 12. The information processing system according to claim 8, further comprising an order acceptor system that receives an order form transmitted by the ordering means according to the same claim. 13. A storage medium for storing product information about a plurality of different types of products and connection information indicating whether or not a connection between different types of products is possible. 14. The storage medium according to claim 13 is a CD-ROM.
A storage medium characterized by being.