KR20250128626A - An electronic device of a server providing a total service for managing an online shopping mall and operatiing method thererof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an operating method of an electronic device supporting the operation of an online shopping mall includes the steps of: receiving product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier; generating product sales information for the at least one product based on the product information; receiving a request for adding a product from a seller terminal through an online platform configured in advance to support the operation of an online shopping mall; generating product selection information based on at least one of the product information and the product sales information; and providing the generated product selection information to the seller terminal.

Description

An electronic device of a server providing a total service for managing an online shopping mall and an operating method thereof.

The present invention relates to an electronic device of a server that provides total services for opening and operating an online shopping mall and an operating method thereof.

Since the popularization of the Internet, online shopping malls have become a crucial part of commerce and have experienced significant growth. Consequently, services supporting the creation and operation of online shopping malls have also become a significant market.

Operating an online shopping mall can be broadly divided into five stages. The first stage is opening the online shopping mall, the second stage is product sourcing, the third stage is product sales, the fourth stage is product delivery management, and the fifth stage is customer service.

Opening an online store involves establishing the basic structure of an online store. This process involves developing a website or app, establishing a domain name to confirm the online store's address, and establishing the necessary server environment for stable service. This stage also requires establishing a basic operational framework, such as setting up a payment system and drafting terms of use.

The product sourcing stage involves securing products to sell on online shopping malls. To do this, contracts must be signed with suppliers, and product quality, price, and available quantities are reviewed. Next, photos of the products are taken, descriptions are written, and they are registered online.

The product sales stage involves selling products to customers. This stage involves setting product prices, implementing promotions based on market conditions, and receiving orders from customers. Furthermore, tasks such as adding products to customers' shopping carts, processing payments, and sending order confirmations are performed.

The product delivery stage manages the entire process of safely delivering the product ordered by the customer. The product is packaged and delivered to the customer using an efficient and reliable delivery service. Furthermore, the delivery status is tracked and the customer is notified of the completion of the delivery.

The customer service stage involves addressing customer inquiries and complaints after the sale and implementing activities to enhance customer satisfaction. Customer inquiries are responded to promptly and courteously, and solutions are provided when issues arise. Additionally, a series of tasks can be undertaken to manage product reviews and gather customer feedback to improve service.

Existing services to support online shopping malls are focused on one or only some of the various stages of online shopping mall operation described above.

For example, Company A provides solutions for opening an online shopping mall, but only provides limited support for operational functions like product sourcing through partnerships with other companies. This creates the inconvenience of requiring sellers to create their own product detail pages when sourcing products. Furthermore, Company B provides a service where sellers' online shopping malls are subordinated to its own platform, rather than opening separate online shopping malls. Most online shopping mall services focus on providing solutions for opening an online shopping mall, and after opening, they connect with specialized partners in each area, from product sourcing and sales to delivery and customer service.

For example, product sourcing and shipping are often integrated with specialized wholesale malls, while customer service is often handled directly by the seller. While these existing online shopping mall services may appear to support all the functions necessary for online shopping by offering integrations with other companies, the disparity between the operating company and the responsibility for operations at each stage still creates inconveniences for users. For example, when sourcing products through wholesale malls for consignment sales, real-time updates of inventory levels and other factors can lead to delivery delays.

An embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for providing an integrated service that supports all processes of operating an online shopping mall.

An embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for enabling a shopping mall operator to open and operate an online shopping mall independently without being dependent on a platform.

An embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for a product seller to easily source products or services supplied by multiple product suppliers/distributors.

An embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for managing a product seller and multiple product suppliers/distributors on a single platform.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for a product seller to conveniently select a product to sell.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an operating method of an electronic device supporting the operation of an online shopping mall includes the steps of: receiving product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier; generating product sales information for the at least one product based on the product information; receiving a request for adding a product from a seller terminal through an online platform configured in advance to support the operation of an online shopping mall; generating product selection information based on at least one of the product information and the product sales information; and providing the generated product selection information to the seller terminal.

Here, based on the product selection information, the method further includes a step of receiving information on a product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner, and a step of registering the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall.

Here, the preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for the product icon, or a click/touch method for the product selection button and the confirmation/apply button.

Here, the information on the product selected by the seller includes price information set by the seller for the product selected by the seller.

Here, the request for adding the product is performed by product category or by product name/brand, and the product selection information is configured by product category or by product name/brand in response to the request for adding the product.

An electronic device supporting the operation of an online shopping mall provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit that receives product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier, and receives a request for adding a product from a seller terminal through an online platform configured in advance to support the operation of an online shopping mall, and a processor that generates product sales information for the at least one product based on the product information, generates product selection information based on at least one of the product information and the product sales information, and provides the generated product selection information to the seller terminal through the communication unit.

Here, the communication unit receives information on a product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner based on the product selection information, and the processor registers the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall.

Here, the preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for the product icon, or a click/touch method for the product selection button and the confirmation/apply button.

Here, the information on the product selected by the seller includes price information set by the seller for the product selected by the seller.

Here, the request for adding the product is performed by product category or by product name/brand, and the product selection information is configured by product category or by product name/brand in response to the request for adding the product.

In a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions that cause an electronic device to perform an operation when executed by a processor of the electronic device supporting the operation of an online shopping mall provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the operation includes a step of receiving product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier, a step of generating product sales information for the at least one product based on the product information, a step of receiving a request for adding a product from a seller terminal through an online platform configured in advance to support the operation of the online shopping mall, a step of generating product selection information based on at least one of the product information and the product sales information, and a step of providing the generated product selection information to the seller terminal.

Here, the operation further includes a step of receiving information on a product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner based on the product selection information, and a step of registering the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall.

Here, the preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for the product icon, or a click/touch method for the product selection button and the confirmation/apply button.

Here, the information on the product selected by the seller includes price information set by the seller for the product selected by the seller.

Here, the request for adding the product is performed by product category or by product name/brand, and the product selection information is configured by product category or by product name/brand in response to the request for adding the product.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a server that supports the operation of an online shopping mall links with multiple product/service providers to obtain product/service information in advance, thereby providing integrated services through a single platform, including the opening of an online shopping mall, product/service sourcing, sales, delivery, and customer management, thereby enabling an online shopping mall operator to conveniently operate an online shopping mall. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention manages product/service sellers and multiple product/service providers through a single platform, thereby enabling product/service sellers to easily source the products/services they wish to sell and allowing other shopping malls to easily operate, thereby enhancing user convenience.

The effects that can be achieved through specific examples of this specification are not limited to the effects listed above. For example, a person with ordinary skill in the relevant technical field may understand or derive various technical effects from this specification. Accordingly, the specific effects of this specification are not limited to those explicitly described herein, but may include various effects that can be understood or derived from the technical features of this specification.

The following drawings are intended to illustrate specific examples of the present specification. The names of specific devices and the names of specific signals/messages/fields depicted in the drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the technical features of this specification are not limited to the specific names used in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an online shopping mall support system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation flow between entities in an online shopping mall support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a screen of a list of operating products in a shopping mall support platform according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an example of a 'home product management' screen in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an example of an 'Add Product' screen entered by clicking the Add Product button of FIG. 4 in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an example of a detailed screen of 'Add exhibition management (planned exhibition)', which is a sub-component of exhibition/menu management in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is an example of a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention implemented in a mobile environment.
Figure 8 describes the operation of a server for supporting an online shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a block diagram of a configuration of an electronic device of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Throughout the description of each drawing, similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components.

Although the terms "first," "second," "A," "B," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component could be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component could also be referred to as the first component. Furthermore, the term "and/or" includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any one of a plurality of related listed items.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, the terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings within the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the drawings, it should be clarified that the division of components in this specification is merely based on the primary function each component is responsible for. In other words, two or more components described below may be combined into a single component, or a single component may be further subdivided into two or more components with more specific functions.

Furthermore, each component described below may, in addition to its primary function, perform some or all of the functions assigned to other components. Furthermore, some of the primary functions assigned to each component may be dedicated to other components. Therefore, the existence of each component described herein should be interpreted functionally.

As used herein, "A or B" can mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." In other words, as used herein, "A or B" can be interpreted as "A and/or B." For example, as used herein, "A, B or C" can mean "only A," "only B," "only C," or "any combination of A, B and C."

As used herein, a slash (/) or a comma can mean "and/or." For example, "A/B" can mean "A and/or B." Accordingly, "A/B" can mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." For example, "A, B, C" can mean "A, B, or C."

As used herein, “at least one of A and B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” Additionally, as used herein, the expressions “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of A and/or B” may be interpreted as equivalent to “at least one of A and B.”

Additionally, in the present specification, “at least one of A, B and C” may mean “only A”, “only B”, “only C”, or “any combination of A, B and C”. Additionally, “at least one of A, B or C” or “at least one of A, B and/or C” may mean “at least one of A, B and C”. Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

In general, the devices, systems, and methods disclosed in this application may include, and may be implemented within, a number of different devices and computer systems, including, for example, general-purpose computing systems, server-client computing systems, consumer-merchant computing systems, mainframe computing systems, cloud computing infrastructures, telephone computing systems, laptop computers, desktop computers, smart phones, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, and other mobile devices. The devices and computing systems may include one or more databases and other storage devices, servers, and additional components, such as processors, modems, terminals and displays, computer-readable media, algorithms, modules and applications, and other computer-related components. The devices and computer systems and/or computing infrastructure are configured, programmed, and adapted to perform the functions and processes of the systems and methods disclosed in this application.

In addition, various embodiments of the present invention, which will be described later, can be performed by artificial intelligence, or AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. Artificial intelligence refers to a computer artificially implementing human learning, reasoning, and perception abilities. The intelligence that enables artificial learning of AI can be implemented through machine learning. Specifically, deep learning, a type of machine learning, can include a process of learning by going down to a deep level in multiple stages based on data. Deep learning can refer to a set of machine learning algorithms that extract core data from data by increasing the level. A deep learning structure can include an artificial neural network (ANN), and for example, a deep learning structure can be composed of a deep neural network (DNN) such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a deep belief network (DBN). A deep learning structure according to various embodiments of the present invention can utilize various known structures. For example, a deep learning structure according to the present invention can include a CNN, an RNN, a DBN, etc. RNNs are widely used in natural language processing and are effective for processing time-series data that changes over time. They can be constructed by stacking layers at each moment to form an artificial neural network structure. DBNs can include a deep learning structure composed of multiple layers of Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs), a deep learning technique. By repeatedly training RBMs, a DBN with a certain number of layers can be constructed. CNNs can include a model that mimics human brain function, based on the assumption that when humans recognize objects, they extract the object's basic features, then perform complex calculations in the brain to recognize the object based on the results. Meanwhile, artificial neural networks learn by adjusting the weights of connections between nodes (and, if necessary, adjusting bias values) to produce the desired output for a given input. Furthermore, artificial neural networks can continuously update weight values through learning. Furthermore, methods such as backpropagation can be used for artificial neural network learning.

Below, an online shopping mall support system according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an online shopping mall support system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an online shopping mall support system (100) may include a seller terminal (110), an online shopping mall support server (120) (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as 'server'), and at least one product supplier terminal (130-1 to 130-n).

A seller is an individual (or corporation) who opens a shopping mall and sells or intends to sell products there. They can be considered a type of retailer. A product supplier can be an individual (or corporation) who supplies products and/or services to a seller, and can be considered a type of wholesaler.

The above seller terminal (110) may be multiple, but for convenience of explanation, only one is illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, the seller terminal (110) and at least one product supplier terminal (130-1 to 120-n) may be various electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, laptops, and PCs capable of running software programs, and may be connected to the server (120) via a network, either wired or wirelessly, and may perform at least one operation related to the online shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In addition, the server (120) may be an electronic device that performs operations for shopping mall support tasks related to a seller terminal (110) and/or at least one product supplier terminal (130-1 to 130-n) according to one embodiment of the present invention. In order to provide a comprehensive service that supports the operation of an online shopping mall in an embodiment of the present invention, the server (120) may provide a platform for supporting the online shopping mall. In an embodiment of the present invention, the server (120) may directly connect with the product supplier terminals (130-1 to 130-n) to obtain information on products supplied by the product supplier in advance, and based on this, may provide the seller with a simple user interface for sourcing products.

Meanwhile, the term "product" is used hereinafter as a concept encompassing "service." Furthermore, for convenience, "seller terminal" may be abbreviated as "seller," and "product supplier terminal" may be abbreviated as "product supplier" or "supplier." Furthermore, "platform for supporting online shopping malls" may be abbreviated as "shopping mall platform" or "platform."

The basic concepts of embodiments of the present invention based on a shopping mall platform are as follows.

The basic concept of the embodiments of the present invention is to enable sellers who sell/provide (hereinafter collectively referred to as "sales") products/services (hereinafter collectively referred to as "products") to easily open an online shopping mall with a few clicks without having to manually enter complex information, and to have a single business operator handle the entire shopping mall operation process thereafter. To this end, a server (operable by the single business operator) connects multiple product suppliers and sellers. Through this, the server enables sellers to easily source desired products from multiple product suppliers. Furthermore, the server comprehensively supports product sales, delivery management, and customer service even after the product sourcing stage for sellers.

In particular, in embodiments of the present invention, the server can interact with multiple product suppliers. This allows the server to obtain information about products supplied by multiple product suppliers in advance and, based on this information, generate product sales information (e.g., a product order page) for the sale of those products.

Additionally, the server may generate product selection information based on the product information and/or product sales information, using various classification criteria (e.g., product category, product name/brand name, etc.) for selecting products for sale by the seller, and provide this information to the seller. The seller can select desired products with just a few clicks (or touches) using a simple user interface (UI), such as drag and drop, from the provided product selection information. The server automatically registers the selected products and their sales information on the seller's online shopping mall.

That is, in embodiments of the present invention, the server can very easily provide a product sourcing service to a seller by linking with a plurality of product suppliers, and can comprehensively support product sales, delivery management, and customer service based on linking with product suppliers.

Based on the basic concepts of the embodiments of the present invention described above, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation flow between entities in an online shopping mall support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It is assumed that a shopping mall support platform according to embodiments of the present invention is built on the server (120).

Referring to FIG. 2, the server (120) can obtain product information (which may include supplier information) from product suppliers (130-1 to 130-n) (S205, S210). Based on the obtained product information, the server (120) can generate product-specific sales information (S220). The product sales information is information provided to consumers, including the price of the product, detailed product information, etc.

Meanwhile, the seller (110) logs into the shopping mall support platform built on the server (120) (S230) and may request the addition of products for sale in his or her shopping mall from at least one specific menu within the shopping mall support platform (S240). The request for product addition may be made by product category (e.g., electronics, furniture, food, etc.), specific product name (e.g., laptop, apple, etc.), and/or specific brand (e.g., Samsung Electronics, Apple, etc.).

In response to the request for adding the above product, the server (120) can generate product selection information (S250) so that the seller can select the product, and provide the product selection information to the seller (110) (S260).

Here, product selection information can be generated based on at least one of product information of the product and product sales information of the product.

Additionally, product selection information can be provided in the form of a preset user interface (UI), such as by dragging and dropping product icons or by clicking (or touching) the "Select" and "Confirm" (or "Apply") buttons. Using this UI, sellers can easily select desired products in bulk on a single screen or in a series of screens.

Additionally, product selection information may be generated in response to a seller's (110) request to add a product. For example, if the request to add a product is based on a product category, the product selection information may include information on products belonging to that category. As another example, if the request to add a product includes products of a specific product name and/or brand, the product selection information may include information on products belonging to the requested product name and/or brand.

The seller (110) can select the desired product based on the product selection information and transmit the information of the selected product to the server (120) (S270). At this time, in the embodiments of the present invention, the product selection by the seller (110) can be performed by clicking (or touching) the 'Select' button and the 'Confirm' (or 'Apply') button of the product, or by dragging and dropping the product icon to add it to the shopping cart. Accordingly, the seller (110) can source the products by selecting the desired products in bulk on one screen or one connected screen. Here, one connected screen means a screen where, for example, when the number of selectable products is 100, 20 products are displayed on one screen because it is difficult to display all 100 products on one monitor screen, and a total of 100 products are displayed on 5 connected screens.

Upon receiving the seller's product selection, the server (120) registers the selected product and product sales information of the selected product in the seller's shopping mall (S280).

In this way, in embodiments of the present invention, a shopping mall support platform for comprehensive shopping mall support services is built on the server (120). In addition, the server (120) provides sellers with an intuitive and simple user interface (UI) on the built platform, such as by clicking (or touching) a product's 'select' button and a 'confirm' (or 'apply') button, or by dragging and dropping a product icon to add it to a shopping cart, so that sellers can select the products they need all at once on a single screen or a single connected screen. Sellers can easily source the products they want using this UI.

Below, the main configuration of the online shopping mall support platform according to embodiments of the present invention is described.

Sellers wishing to operate a shopping mall can access the shopping mall support platform, register as a member, and log in. The platform can provide various menu screens and user interfaces to help sellers easily source products to sell on their online store and manage their online store.

The menu for managing the above shopping mall may include, for example, an 'order management' menu for managing products ordered by buyers, a 'list of operating products' menu for managing products being sold in the shopping mall, a 'design setting' menu for setting the design of the shopping mall, a 'home screen management' menu for setting product display on the home screen, an 'exhibition/menu management' menu for managing specific special exhibitions of the shopping mall, a 'coupon management' menu for managing coupons issued by the shopping mall, a 'member status' menu for managing members of the shopping mall, a 'my mall settlement' menu for settling profits of the shopping mall, a 'bulletin board management' menu for managing the bulletin board of the shopping mall, and a 'my mall setting' menu for setting other shopping mall settings. The contents of the above menus are described below.

With respect to the above 'Order Management' menu, in one embodiment, the 'Order Management' menu may include 'Order List' and 'Cancellation/Return/Exchange List' menus as submenus. The seller may check the current status of the corresponding order (awaiting payment, awaiting order, order completed, preparing for delivery, delivery completed, purchase confirmed) by entering at least one of the order date, order product name, and order number into a dialog box and searching through the order list screen (not shown). In addition, the seller may check the cancellation/return/exchange status of the corresponding order by entering at least one of the order date, order product name, and order number into a dialog box and searching through the cancellation/return/exchange list screen (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a screen of a list of operating products in a shopping mall support platform according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Sellers can check the list of products currently being sold in their online store from the list of products in operation (300). For example, sellers can check the product name, product number, category, regular price, sale price, sales profit, operating status, sales status, etc. of the products in operation from the list of products in operation (300).

In relation to the above 'Design Settings' menu, in one embodiment, the seller can decorate his/her shopping mall by setting the color, logo, cover image, etc. of his/her shopping mall screen in the design settings screen (not shown).

In relation to the above ‘Home Screen Management’, in one embodiment, the ‘Home Screen Management’ menu may include a ‘Home Product Management’ menu as a submenu.

FIG. 4 is an example of a 'home product management' screen in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Sellers can configure product display settings on the home screen through the home product management screen (400). Specifically, they can select a product list or advanced display mode in the screen layout (410), and choose whether to display products one at a time or two per line in the product display mode (420). Furthermore, sellers can add desired products up to a preset number in the product (430) section. To do so, sellers can click the product addition button (440) to access the product addition screen.

FIG. 5 is an example of an 'add product' screen (500) entered by clicking the add product button (440) of FIG. 4 in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the product addition screen (500) includes a ‘Popular products by category’ button (510) or a ‘Product, brand search’ button (520).

Sellers can select a desired product from the menu of one of two buttons (510, 520). The example in Fig. 5 illustrates the case where the "Popular Products by Category" button (510) is selected. In this case, products are sorted by category, and sellers can select up to a preset number of product categories (e.g., three).

As the seller selects a category, products within the selected categories are displayed. The seller can select the desired products from the displayed list. When the "Apply Selected Products" button (530) is clicked, the selected products are automatically applied for sale on the seller's online store. Specifically, the selected products are automatically uploaded to the seller's online store, and the product information (=product order page) for the selected products is automatically registered on the seller's online store.

Meanwhile, when a seller selects a desired product, they can set the selling price for that product (540). Once the seller sets the selling price, the shopping mall support platform automatically calculates the sales amount and/or profit based on the product sales results and provides the seller with the settlement results.

In this way, in embodiments of the present invention, sellers are provided with a preset user interface (UI) that allows them to select desired products in bulk on a single screen or a single linked screen. This allows them to do so by clicking (or touching) the "Select" and "Confirm" (or "Apply") buttons for each product, or by dragging and dropping product icons into a shopping cart. This allows sellers to easily source desired products.

In relation to the above 'Exhibition/Menu Management' menu, in one embodiment, the 'Exhibition/Menu Management' menu may include a sub-menu, 'Add Exhibition Management (Special Exhibition)' menu.

FIG. 6 is an example of a detailed screen of 'Add exhibition management (planned exhibition)', which is a sub-component of exhibition/menu management in a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the seller can add product special exhibitions and product display pages to be linked to menus and banners through the 'Exhibition Management (Special Exhibition) Addition' screen (600). Specifically, the seller can set the exhibition/special exhibition name (601), enter a description (603) of the exhibition/special exhibition, select whether to use the exhibition/special exhibition (605), and select the screen composition method (607) and product display method (609).

Additionally, sellers can add products for exhibitions/promotions by clicking the Add Product button (611). Here, sellers can source desired products using a preset user interface (UI), such as by clicking (or touching) the "Select" and "Confirm" (or "Apply") buttons for products, as described in FIG. 5, or by dragging and dropping the product icon into the shopping cart.

Regarding the "Order Management" menu mentioned above, in one embodiment, a seller can manage coupons available for use in their online store through a coupon management screen (not shown). For example, the seller can set a coupon name, select the coupon type, set a discount benefit, and select the products to which the coupon will be applied. Additionally, the seller can configure the coupon issuance method, coupon issuance period, coupon expiration date, coupon display, coupon issuance quantity, and whether to limit coupon issuance per person.

In relation to the above 'Member Status' menu, in one embodiment, the seller can check the list of members registered in his/her shopping mall through the member status screen (not shown).

In relation to the above 'My Mall Settlement' menu, in one embodiment, the seller can check the revenue (settlement amount) for products sold in his/her shopping mall on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and check detailed settlement details.

In relation to the above 'Bulletin Board Management' menu, in one embodiment, the seller can create notices through the bulletin board and check product reviews from buyers.

In relation to the above 'My Mall Settings' menu, in one embodiment, the seller can set the basic information of his/her shopping mall (shopping mall name and address) and manage the shopping mall's sub-operators.

Meanwhile, the shopping mall support platform described so far can be implemented in a similar manner in a mobile environment.

Figure 7 is an example of a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention implemented in a mobile environment.

In FIG. 5 above, the seller selected a product to be sold in his or her shopping mall from among products searched by category or product name/brand name and clicked the apply button (530).

Figure 7 illustrates an example in which a seller performs product selection through a shopping mall support platform on a seller's terminal device, such as a smartphone.

For example, when a seller touches a button (or icon) labeled "MyWishShop" on the screen (710), a screen containing categories of products available for sale may be displayed. In FIG. 7, product categories are exemplified as "Instant Food (721)", "Bakery (722)", "Fashion (723)", "Fresh Food (724)", and "Candy & Snack (725)". A seller may touch one of the categories to enter a screen displaying products within that category. In FIG. 7, the seller touches the "Fashion (723)" category.

Afterwards, sellers can select the desired products from the screen for the selected category. The selected products will automatically be applied to the seller's online store, allowing them to be sold there. This means the selected products will be uploaded to the seller's online store, and their sales information (=product order page) will be automatically registered.

Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, even in a mobile environment, a product selection screen is provided to sellers via a preset user interface, such as by touching the "Select" button (or icon) and the "Apply (or Confirm)" button (or icon) for the product, or by dragging and dropping the product icon, allowing sellers to select the desired products simultaneously on a single screen. This allows sellers to easily source desired products using a simple selection method.

Figure 8 describes the operation of a server for supporting an online shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It is assumed that the server according to an embodiment of the present invention has built a shopping mall support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the server can obtain product information on products supplied by a product supplier from at least one product supplier (S810).

Thereafter, the server can use the acquired product information to generate product sales information (S820). This product sales information is information provided to product consumers, including the product's price, detailed product information, etc.

The server can receive a request to add a product from a seller through a shopping mall support platform (S830).

Upon receiving a request to add a product, the server generates product selection information corresponding to the request and provides it to the seller (S840). The product selection information may be generated based on at least one of the product information and product sales information for the product.

In addition, product selection information is provided to sellers in the form of a preset user interface (UI), such as by clicking (or touching) the 'Select' button and the 'Confirm' (or 'Apply') button for the product, or by dragging and dropping the product icon to add it to the shopping cart, so that sellers can select the products they need in bulk on one screen or one connected screen.

Additionally, product selection information can be generated in response to a seller's request to add a product. For example, if the request to add a product is based on a product category, the product selection information may include information about products within that category. Alternatively, if the request to add a product includes products of a specific product name and/or brand, the product selection information may include information about products corresponding to the requested product name and/or brand.

Afterwards, the server can receive information about the product selected by the seller (S850). At this time, the seller can select the desired product by clicking the "Select" and "Confirm" (or "Apply") buttons for the desired product as described above, or by using a preset user interface, such as dragging and dropping the product icon to move it to the shopping cart.

The server that receives information about the product selected by the seller can automatically register the selected product and product sales information (=product order page) of the product in the seller's shopping mall (S860).

In this embodiment of the present invention, a shopping mall support platform is built on the server to support comprehensive shopping mall support services. On this platform, sellers are provided with a user interface (UI) using preset methods, such as clicking (or touching) the "Select" and "Confirm" (or "Apply") buttons for each product, or dragging and dropping product icons into a shopping cart, to enable them to select the products they need simultaneously on a single screen or a single linked screen. Sellers can easily select products they wish to sell using this interface, and the server automatically registers product sales information so that the selected products can be sold on the seller's shopping mall, facilitating easy sourcing of the products selected by the seller.

Figure 9 is a block diagram of a configuration of an electronic device of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the electronic device (900) of the server may include a communication unit (910), a processor (920), and a storage unit (930).

The storage unit (930) can store a pre-built shopping mall support platform to provide comprehensive services for online shopping malls. Furthermore, it can store information required for the shopping mall support platform, such as product information from product suppliers (which may include "supplier information") and information entered by sellers to manage online shopping malls through the shopping mall support platform.

The communication unit (910) can perform wired/wireless communication with external entities, particularly sellers or product suppliers. Specifically, the communication unit (910) can transmit and receive various information related to the establishment and operation of an online shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For example, the communication unit (910) may obtain product information on products supplied by at least one product supplier. Furthermore, the communication unit (910) may receive a request to add a product from a seller via the shopping mall support platform, and subsequently receive a request to select a product from the seller.

The processor (920) controls the electronic device (900) of the server according to the embodiment of the present invention to support the opening and operation of a shopping mall using a shopping mall support platform.

For example, the processor (920) can generate product sales information using product information acquired through the communication unit (910). The product sales information is information to be provided to product consumers, including the price of the product, detailed product information, etc.

In addition, when a request for adding a product is received through the communication unit (910), the processor (920) can generate product selection information corresponding to the request for adding a product and provide it to the seller through the communication unit (910).

Here, product selection information is provided to sellers in the form of a user interface (UI) in an intuitive and simple preset manner, such as by clicking (or touching) the 'Select' button and the 'Confirm' (or 'Apply') button of a product, or by dragging and dropping the product icon to add it to the shopping cart, so that sellers can select the products they need in bulk on one screen or one connected screen.

Additionally, product selection information can be generated in response to a seller's request to add a product. For example, if the request to add a product is based on a product category, the product selection information may include information about products within that category. Alternatively, if the request to add a product includes products of a specific product name and/or brand, the product selection information may include information about products corresponding to the requested product name and/or brand.

Meanwhile, when the processor receives a product selection request through the communication unit (910), it registers the selected product and product sales information (=product order page) in the seller's shopping mall.

Embodiments of the present invention have been described so far. Existing shopping mall support services do not provide sellers with a convenient user interface during the product sourcing stage. Furthermore, even if a user interface for product sourcing exists, it often presents inconveniences for sellers, such as requiring sellers to enter a large amount of information and having image size restrictions when registering images. Furthermore, sellers must manually enter a large amount of required information, and the user interface for product registration is often inconvenient.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in opening and operating a shopping mall, the user interface provided to a seller for sourcing products/services is very simple and intuitive, and there are few items that the seller must directly input, so user convenience can be greatly improved.

The methods proposed in this specification may also be performed by an apparatus configured to control the electronic device, which comprises, in addition to the electronic device, at least one computer-readable recording medium containing instructions based on being executed by at least one processor, and one or more processors and one or more memories executable by the one or more processors and storing the instructions, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to perform the methods proposed in this specification.

The claims set forth in this specification may be combined in various ways. For example, the technical features of the method claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a method. Furthermore, the technical features of the method claims and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the method claims and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a method.

Claims (15)

In the method of operation of an electronic device supporting the operation of an online shopping mall,
A step of receiving product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier;
A step of generating product sales information for at least one product based on the product information;
A step of receiving a request to add a product from a seller terminal through a pre-configured online platform to support the operation of an online shopping mall;
A step of generating product selection information based on at least one of the above product information and the above product sales information; and
An operating method of an electronic device, comprising a step of providing the generated product selection information to the seller terminal. In the first paragraph,
A step of receiving information on a product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner based on the product selection information; and
An operating method of an electronic device, further comprising a step of registering the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall. In the second paragraph,
An operating method of an electronic device, wherein the above preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for a product icon or a click/touch method for a product selection button and a confirmation/apply button. In the second paragraph, the information of the product selected by the seller is:
A method of operating an electronic device, comprising price information set by the seller for a product selected by the seller. In the first paragraph,
Requests to add the above products are made by product category or by product name/brand.
The above product selection information is configured by category of the above product or by name/brand of the above product, in response to a request to add the above product, and the method of operation of the electronic device. In electronic devices that support the operation of online shopping malls,
A communication unit that receives product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier and receives a request for adding a product from a seller terminal through a pre-configured online platform to support the operation of an online shopping mall; and
An electronic device comprising a processor that generates product sales information for at least one product based on the product information, generates product selection information based on at least one of the product information and the product sales information, and provides the generated product selection information to the seller terminal through the communication unit. In paragraph 6,
The above communication unit receives information on the product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner based on the product selection information,
The above processor is an electronic device that registers the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall. In paragraph 7,
An electronic device, wherein the above preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for the product icon, or a click/touch method for the product selection button and the confirmation/apply button. In paragraph 7, the information of the product selected by the seller is:
An electronic device that includes price information set by the seller for a product selected by the seller. In paragraph 6,
Requests to add the above products are made by product category or by product name/brand.
The above product selection information is an electronic device that is organized by product category or by product name/brand in response to a request to add the above product. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device that supports the operation of an online shopping mall, cause the electronic device to perform an operation, wherein the operation is:
A step of receiving product information of at least one product supplied by at least one product supplier;
A step of generating product sales information for at least one product based on the product information;
A step of receiving a request to add a product from a seller terminal through a pre-configured online platform to support the operation of an online shopping mall;
A step of generating product selection information based on at least one of the above product information and the above product sales information; and
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a step of providing the generated product selection information to the seller terminal. In the 11th paragraph, the operation is:
A step of receiving information on a product selected by the seller using a user interface in a preset manner based on the product selection information; and
A non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising a step of registering the product selected by the seller and product sales information regarding the product selected by the seller in the seller's shopping mall. In Article 12,
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the preset method includes one of a drag and drop method for a product icon, or a click/touch method for a product selection button and a confirmation/apply button. In paragraph 12, the information of the product selected by the seller is:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing price information set by the seller for products selected by the seller. In Article 11,
Requests to add the above products are made by product category or by product name/brand.
The above product selection information is a non-transitory computer-readable medium, organized by product category or by product name/brand, in response to a request to add the above product.