Server apparatus and information providing method

• US 7,158,035 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kenichi, Sakamoto, Kenji, Kunito, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N.
• Application Number:
  US10/932,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 340/568.5, 340/5.9, 340/5.91, 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 705/14
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

When an information providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires attribute information items of RFID tags 51 to 59 detected in a shopping cart and in the vicinity thereof, it transmits these attribute information items to a rule server 30. When the received attribute information items satisfy a predetermined combination, the rule server 30 returns presentation information corresponding to the combination to the information providing server 20. When the information providing server 20 receives this presentation information, it sends the presentation information to a mail address of mobile equipment 70 acquired from the attribute information items. This permits the user to readily figure out a dish that can be made from cooking ingredients put in the cart.

Claims

1. A server apparatus, comprising:

attribute information acquiring means for acquiring attribute information items corresponding to each of a plurality of RFID tags associated with a user detected by at least one RFID tag reader;

presentation information acquiring means for acquiring presentation information determined according to a combination of the plural attribute information items acquired by the attribute information acquiring means; and

transmitting means for transmitting, to the user, the presentation information acquired by the presentation information acquiring means.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of RFID tags are RFID tags detected by a plurality of different RFID tag readers.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired presentation information is information of an object substantialized by a combination of objects related to the attribute information items.

4. An information providing method comprising the following steps executed by a server apparatus:

an attribute information acquiring step of acquiring attribute information items corresponding to each of a plurality of RFID tags associated with a user detected by at least one RFID tag reader;

a presentation information acquiring step of acquiring presentation information determined according to a combination of the plural attribute information items acquired in the attribute information acquiring step; and

a transmission step of transmitting, to the user, the presentation information acquired in the presentation information acquiring step.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the attribute information items correspond to a plurality of objects selected for purchase by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the presentation information acquiring step comprises determining presentation information based on the plurality of objects selected for purchase by the user.