Computer implemented purchase support system that provides item and store search, anonymous reservation, and goods forwarding service
First Claim
1. A method for permitting a user to input user key words and for providing the user with information on at least one item that match(s) the user key words and, for each provided item, information on at least one store keeping a stock of the provided item in a system comprising a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores, a center apparatus capable of communicating with the store apparatuses, and a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus, wherein said at least one item may be article(s) or service(s), the method comprising the steps, executed by the center apparatus, of:
- generating a set of unique item codes collected from all stores involved;
assigning each item code item key words suitable to an item identified by the item code to generate a set of relations, each relation associating one of said unique item codes with item key words assigned to the unique item code;
collecting, from each store apparatus, a list of item codes of items kept in stock by the store having the store apparatus;
retrieving item codes from said set of relations by using said user key words;
obtaining store codes associated with each of said retrieved item codes by using all of said lists of item codes; and
providing the user terminal with at least a pert of said retrieved item codes and further providing, for each of at least a pert of said retrieved item codes, at least a part of said obtained store codes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An item and store retrieval method and system permits a user to input user key words and provides the user with information on at least one item that match(s) the user key words and, for each provided item, information on at least one store keeping a stock of the provided item. The system comprises a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores, a center apparatus communicating with the store apparatuses, and a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus. The items may be articles or services. An anonymous reservation scheme is also disclosed. This permits a user to have a desired item reserved by a store without letting the store know any private information.
25 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A method for permitting a user to input user key words and for providing the user with information on at least one item that match(s) the user key words and, for each provided item, information on at least one store keeping a stock of the provided item in a system comprising a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores, a center apparatus capable of communicating with the store apparatuses, and a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus, wherein said at least one item may be article(s) or service(s), the method comprising the steps, executed by the center apparatus, of:
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generating a set of unique item codes collected from all stores involved;
assigning each item code item key words suitable to an item identified by the item code to generate a set of relations, each relation associating one of said unique item codes with item key words assigned to the unique item code;
collecting, from each store apparatus, a list of item codes of items kept in stock by the store having the store apparatus;
retrieving item codes from said set of relations by using said user key words;
obtaining store codes associated with each of said retrieved item codes by using all of said lists of item codes; and
providing the user terminal with at least a pert of said retrieved item codes and further providing, for each of at least a pert of said retrieved item codes, at least a part of said obtained store codes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for permitting a user to have a desired item reserved by a store without letting the store know any private information in a system comprising a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores, a center apparatus capable of communicating with the store apparatuses, and a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus, wherein the desired item may be an article or service, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in response to a request from the user, the center apparatus presenting a plurality of item identifiers of items available from said respective stores and a store identifier of a store that keeps a stock of each of said available items;
(b) the center apparatus prompting the user to make a reservation for one of said retrieved item codes;
( c ) in response to a detection of a user'"'"'s intention of making a reservation, the user terminal sending a reservation request, a selected item code selected by the user and a store code of a store that keeps a stock of said selected item code to the center apparatus;
(d) in response to a reception of said reservation request, the center apparatus generating a unique reservation code for said reservation, sending said reservation code and said selected item code to the store apparatus identified by said store code;
(e) in response to a reception of said reservation code, said store apparatus identified by said store code storing a reservation record including said reservation code, said selected item code and a valid term associated with said selected item code, and sending said valid term to said center apparatus;
(f) in response to a reception of said valid term, the center apparatus sending said reservation code and said valid term to the user terminal; and
(g) in response to an input of a reservation code presented by a customer, said store apparatus deleting said record if said presented reservation code is identical to said reservation code of said stored reservation record and valid considering from said valid term of said stored reservation record. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for permitting a user to input user key words and for providing the user with information on at least one item that match(s) the user key words and, for each provided item, information on at least one store keeping a stock of the provided item, the system comprising:
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a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores;
a center apparatus capable of communicating with the store apparatuses; and
a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus, the center apparatus comprising;
means for generating a set of unique item codes collected from all stores involved;
means for assigning each item code item key words suitable to an item identified by the item code to generate a set of relations, each relation associating one of said unique item codes with item key words assigned to the unique item code;
means for collecting, from each store apparatus, a list of item codes of items kept in stock by the store having the store apparatus;
means for retrieving item codes from said set of relations by using said user key words;
means for obtaining store codes associated with each of said retrieved item codes by using all of said lists of item codes; and
means for providing the user terminal with at least a pert of said retrieved item codes and further providing, for each of at least a pert of said retrieved item codes, at least a part of said obtained store codes. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52, 55, 56, 57)
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27. A system for permitting a user to have a desired item reserved by a store without letting the store know any private information, wherein the desired item may be an article or service, the system comprising:
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a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores;
a center apparatus capable of communicating with the store apparatuses; and
a user terminal used by the user and capable of communicating with the center apparatus, the system further comprising;
(a) means, provided in the center apparatus and responsive to a request from the user, for presenting a plurality of item identifiers of items available from said respective stores and a store identifier of a store that keeps a stock of each of said available items;
(b) means, provided in the center apparatus, for prompting the user to make a reservation for one of said retrieved item codes;
(c) means, provided in the user terminal and responsive to a detection of a user'"'"'s intention of making a reservation, for sending a reservation request, a selected item code selected by the user and a store code of a store that keeps a stock of said selected item code to the center apparatus;
(d) means, provided in the center apparatus and responsive to a reception of said reservation request, for generating a unique reservation code for said reservation, sending said reservation code and said selected item code to the store apparatus identified by said store code;
(e) means, provided in each store apparatus and responsive to a reception of said reservation code, for storing a reservation record including said reservation code, said selected item code and a valid term associated with said selected item code, and sending said valid term to said center apparatus;
(f) means, provided in the center apparatus and responsive to a reception of said valid term, for sending said reservation code and said valid term to the user terminal; and
(g) means, provided in each store apparatus and responsive to an input of a reservation code presented by a customer, for deleting said record if said presented reservation code is identical to said reservation code of said stored reservation record and valid considering from said valid term of said stored reservation record.
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41. A center apparatus for use in a system for permitting a user to input user key words and for providing the user with information on at least one item that match(s) the user key words and, for each provided item, information on at least one store keeping a stock of the provided item, wherein the system comprising a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores and communicating with the center apparatus and a user terminal used by the user and communicating with the center apparatus, the center apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a set of unique item codes collected from all stores involved;
means for assigning each item code item key words suitable to an item identified by the item code to generate a set of relations, each relation associating one of said unique item codes with item key words assigned to the unique item code;
means for collecting, from each store apparatus, a list of item codes of items kept in stock by the store having the store apparatus;
means for retrieving item codes from said set of relations by using said user key words;
means for obtaining store codes associated with each of said retrieved item codes by using all of said lists of item codes; and
means for transmitting, to the user terminal, at least a pert of said retrieved item codes and at least a part of said obtained store codes to cause the user terminal to display information on said transmitted retrieved item codes and, for each of said transmitted retrieved item codes, information on said transmitted obtained store codes. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 53, 54)
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47. A center apparatus for use in a purchase support system for permitting a user to have a desired item reserved by a store without letting the store know any private information, wherein the desired item may be an article or service, and wherein the purchase support system comprising a plurality of store apparatuses provided in respective stores and communicating with the center apparatus and a user terminal used by the user and communicating with the center apparatus, the center apparatus comprising:
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(a) means responsive to a request from the user, for presenting a plurality of item identifiers of items available from said respective stores and a store identifier of a store that keeps a stock of each of said available items;
(b) means for prompting the user to make a reservation for one of said retrieved item codes;
(c) means, responsive to a reception of a reservation request, a selected item code selected by the user and a store code of a store that keeps a stock of said selected item code which are transmitted by the user terminal in response to a detection of a user'"'"'s intention of making a reservation, for generating a unique reservation code for said reservation, sending said reservation code and said selected item code to the store apparatus identified by said store code, which store apparatus responsively stores a reservation record that includes the received information and a valid term associated with the reservation code; and
(d) means, responsive to a reception of said valid term for the reservation identified by said reservation code, for sending said reservation code and said valid term to the user terminal.
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Specification