On line shopping system using a communication system

• US 5,946,665 A
• Filed: 07/16/1996
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Fujii, Satoshi, Suzuki, Tetsujiro
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US08/680,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/5, 705/27, 395/187.1, 395/26, 395/200.33, 345/131, 345/351, 345/355, 345/435
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A search server system in an online shopping system uses a communications network to provide shopping information for a customer. When a customer wishes to refer to or buy goods, the name of the goods is used to automatically search for stores and/or malls which handle the goods. The thus obtained stores and/or malls are then indicated as a list so that the customer may easily recognize them. Further, detailed information of each store and/or mall is indicated, whereby the customer may appropriately select a store and/or mall and enter it. An indication unit in the search server system provides visual indication information to a client terminal. The visual indication information is produced from image information of the stores. The visual indication information may also be combined with respective image information of the goods from the stores.

Claims

1. A search server system in an online shopping system using a communications network, said search server system comprising:

search means, in response to purchase search conditions input through a client terminal, for providing to said client terminal information of stores which will provide goods which fulfill said purchase search conditions;

indication means for providing to said client terminal visual indication information produced of image information of said stores which have been obtained by said search means, in which visual indication information including respective image information of said stores are combined with each others;

log level storage means for storing log level information which was collected in the past for a customer; and

log level information search means which, in response to the purchase search conditions and the log level information, searches a database, obtains store information corresponding to the purchase search conditions and the log level information, and transmits the store information to the client terminal.

2. The search server system according to claim 1, wherein said indication means, in response to magnification indication instructions input through said client terminal, provides to said client terminal information concerning said stores together with said image information of said stores.

3. The search server system according to claim 2, wherein said indication means, in response to selection of a store from said visual indication information being indicated on said client terminal, uses address information of said store and thus connects said client terminal to a server of said store via said communications network.

4. The search server system according to claim 1, wherein said log level information search means transmits said log level information to said client terminal.

5. The search server system according to claim 4, wherein said log level information comprises names of stores which said customer entered, names of goods which were indicated on said client terminal and names of goods which said customer purchased.

6. A computer-implemented search service method, in an online shopping system using a communications network, said search service method comprising the steps of:

a) searching, in response to purchase search conditions input through a client terminal, for information of stores which will provide goods which fulfill said purchase search conditions;

b) providing visual indication information produced of pictures of said stores which have been obtained by said step a), in which visual indication information respective pictures of said stores are combined with each other;

c) storing log level information for a customer in the past; and

d) obtaining store information corresponding to the purchase search conditions and the stored log level information, and transmitting the store information to the client terminal.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

first program code means for searching, in response to purchase search conditions input through a client terminal, for information of stores which will provide goods which fulfill said purchase search conditions;

second program code means for providing visual indication information produced of pictures of said stores which have been obtained by said first program code means, in which visual indication information respective pictures of said stores are combined with each other;

storage means for storing log level information for a customer in the past; and

log level information search means which, in response to the purchase search conditions and the log level information, searches a database, obtains store information corresponding to the purchase search conditions and the log level information, and transmits the store information to the client terminal.