Information provision intermediation apparatus

• US 8,123,129 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Motonobu, Takita, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US12/057,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080245859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 235/375, 235/383, 705/28, 705/29, 340/572.1, 340/5.92
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An information provision intermediation apparatus is disclosed. An information provision intermediation definition table has stored therein, in correspondence with each other, an address of the information providing site of an information providing unit and an information provision condition required for the traceability data at the time of providing the information of the information providing site. A CPU acquires a traceability data group corresponding to the individual commodity ID acquired from a terminal. Based on the acquired traceability data group and the information provision condition, the CPU acquires the address of the information providing site of the information-available information providing unit, and using the acquired address, acquires the information from the information providing site and transmits it to the terminal.

Claims

1. An information provision intermediation apparatus adapted to be connected, through a communication path, to a terminal used by the consumer and an information providing unit having an information providing site providing information and adapted to provide the terminal with the information of the information providing site provided by the information providing unit, comprising:

a condition table storing, in correspondence with each other, an identifier of the information providing site and an information provision condition required for the distribution history information on a commodity in at least a part of the distribution path after manufacture at the time of providing the information of the information providing site;

a distribution history information acquisition unit acquiring the distribution history information on the commodity designated by the consumer;

an identifier acquisition unit acquiring the identifier of the information-available information providing site based on the acquired commodity distribution history information and the information provision condition;

an information intermediation unit acquiring, with an identifier acquired by the identifier acquisition unit, the information from the information providing site indicated by the identifier and transmitting the acquired information to the terminal;

wherein the commodity carries a RFID tag storing the distribution history information of the commodity; and

wherein the distribution history information acquisition unit acquires the distribution history information from the terminal.

2. An information provision intermediation apparatus adapted to be connected, through a communication path, to a terminal used by the consumer and an information providing unit having an information providing site providing information and adapted to provide the terminal with the information of the information providing site provided by the information providing unit, comprising:

a condition table storing, in correspondence with each other, an identifier of the information providing site and an information provision condition required for the distribution history information on a commodity in at least a part of the distribution path after manufacture at the time of providing the information of the information providing site;

a distribution history information acquisition unit acquiring the distribution history information on the commodity designated by the consumer;

an identifier acquisition unit acquiring the identifier of the information-available information providing site based on the acquired commodity distribution history information and the information provision condition;

an information intermediation unit acquiring, with an identifier acquired by the identifier acquisition unit, the information from the information providing site indicated by the identifier and transmitting the acquired information to the terminal;

wherein the distribution history information includes an individual commodity ID of the commodity, a strategic point ID for uniquely identifying the strategic point in the distribution path where the commodity of the individual commodity ID is located, and business event specifying information specifying a business event engaged in by the commodity of the individual commodity ID at the strategic point, and

wherein the information provision condition includes the condition for at least one of the individual commodity ID, the strategic point ID and the business event specifying information.

3. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the information provision condition includes the condition for the strategic point ID and the business event specifying information.

4. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the information provision condition includes the condition for the individual commodity ID and the business event specifying information.

5. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the distribution history information further includes the date/hour information at which the distribution history information is generated,

wherein the information provision condition includes the condition for the individual commodity ID and the latest business event specifying information, and

wherein the identifier acquisition unit specifies the latest business event specifying information in the distribution history information based on the date/hour information, and based on the condition for the specified business event specifying information and the business event specifying information for the information provision condition, acquires the identifier of the information providing site capable of providing the information.

6. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the condition for the latest business event specifying information is the business event specifying information for specifying the business event before the sale of the commodity, and

wherein the identifier of the information providing site corresponding to the information provision condition is the identifier of the information providing site providing the information in the commodity description.

7. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the information provision condition includes the term before which the information in the information providing site can be provided.

8. An information provision intermediation apparatus adapted to be connected, through a communication path, to a terminal used by the consumer and an information providing unit having an information providing site providing information and adapted to provide the terminal with the information of the information providing site provided by the information providing unit, comprising:

a condition table storing, in correspondence with each other, an identifier of the information providing site and an information provision condition required for the distribution history information on a commodity in at least a part of the distribution path after manufacture at the time of providing the information of the information providing site;

a distribution history information acquisition unit acquiring the distribution history information on the commodity designated by the consumer;

an identifier acquisition unit acquiring the identifier of the information-available information providing site based on the acquired commodity distribution history information and the information provision condition;

an information intermediation unit acquiring, with an identifier acquired by the identifier acquisition unit, the information from the information providing site indicated by the identifier and transmitting the acquired information to the terminal;

a plurality of the information providing sites,

a select screen transmitter transmitting a select screen for selecting any one of the plurality of information providing sites to the terminal in the case where the identifier acquisition unit acquires the identifiers of the plurality of the information providing sites, and

a select receiver receiving the information providing site selected from the select screen by the terminal,

wherein the information intermediation unit acquires the information from the information providing site received by the select receiver and transmits the information to the terminal,

wherein the information providing site includes an advertisement information providing site providing the advertisement information, and

wherein the select screen transmitter, upon acquisition of the identifiers of a plurality of the information providing sites other than the advertisement information providing site providing the advertisement information, transmits the select screen for selecting an information providing site from those other than the one providing the advertisement information.

9. The information provision intermediation apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the information intermediation unit, upon acquisition of the identifier of the advertisement information providing site by the identifier acquisition unit, acquires the information from the information providing site received by the select receiver, acquires the information also from the advertisement information providing site, and transmits the information from the information providing site and the information from the advertisement information providing site to the terminal.

10. An information provision intermediation apparatus adapted to be connected, through a communication path, to a terminal used by the consumer and an information providing unit having an information providing site providing information and adapted to provide the terminal with the information of the information providing site provided by the information providing unit, comprising:

a condition table storing, in correspondence with each other, an identifier of the information providing site and an information provision condition required for the distribution history information on a commodity in at least a part of the distribution path after manufacture at the time of providing the information of the information providing site;

a distribution history information acquisition unit acquiring the distribution history information on the commodity designated by the consumer;

an identifier acquisition unit acquiring the identifier of the information-available information providing site based on the acquired commodity distribution history information and the information provision condition;

an information intermediation unit acquiring, with an identifier acquired by the identifier acquisition unit, the information from the information providing site indicated by the identifier and transmitting the acquired information to the terminal; and

wherein the commodity is a book;

wherein the information providing site includes a site providing the information to receive the character string for retrieving the point of description in the book and the information on the point of description of the character string in the book by retrieving the point of description, and

wherein the information intermediation unit provides the terminal with the information for receiving the character string.

11. An information provision intermediation apparatus adapted to be connected, through a communication path, to a terminal used by the consumer and an information providing unit having an information providing site providing information and adapted to provide the terminal with the information of the information providing site provided by the information providing unit, comprising:

a condition table storing, in correspondence with each other, an identifier of the information providing site and an information provision condition required for the distribution history information on a commodity in at least a part of the distribution path after manufacture at the time of providing the information of the information providing site;

a distribution history information acquisition unit acquiring the distribution history information on the commodity designated by the consumer;

an identifier acquisition unit acquiring the identifier of the information-available information providing site based on the acquired commodity distribution history information and the information provision condition;

an information intermediation unit acquiring, with an identifier acquired by the identifier acquisition unit, the information from the information providing site indicated by the identifier and transmitting the acquired information to the terminal; and

wherein the commodity is a book,

wherein the information providing site includes an advertisement information providing site providing the advertisement information on the book, and

wherein the information intermediation unit provides the terminal with the advertisement information on the book.