Electronic shop providing method, site search method, and bulletin board providing method

Abstract

A service provider places a server at a data center and a service user searches a website, connecting a terminal to the Internet. When the service user specifies URL of a website server via a terminal accessable to the Internet, data of content stored onto the server is read out and transmitted to the server of the service user. Content has seven classified categories such as a membership registration, all-new information, product information, a service/support, an on-line album, an on-line shop and a community.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to transmit information in order to solicit a purchase will of merchandise to a terminal of a user via a network;    a step to receive purchase information indicative of a purchase will of a commodity sent from the terminal of the user via the network;    a step to calculate a quantity of stock of the commodity in response to received purchase information by way of a computer; and    a step to transmit information about an out-of-stock of the commodity to the terminal of the user having transmitted purchase information via the network when the quantity of stock of the commodity is below a given quantity.    
     
     
         2 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 1 , wherein purchase information indicative of the purchase is transmitted from the terminal of the user when putting the commodity into an electric shopping cart.  
     
     
         3 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to transmit information in order to solicit a purchase will of merchandise to a terminal of a user via a network;    a step to receive purchase information indicative of a purchase will of a commodity sent from the terminal of the user via a network;    a step to calculate a quantity of stock of the commodity in response to received purchase information by way of a computer;    a step to detect whether or not the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below a first given quantity by a computer; and    a step to transmit information indicating that the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below the given quantity to the terminal of the manager of merchandise via the network when it is detected that the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below the first given quantity for the first time since a given time.    
     
     
         4 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 3 , wherein a computer detects whether or not the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below a smaller second given quantity than the first given quantity and every time the computer detects that the quantity of stock becomes below the second given quantity, information that the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below the second given quantity is transmitted to the terminal of the manager of the merchandise.  
     
     
         5 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in any of  claim 3  or  4 , 
 wherein transmission to the terminal of the manager is executed by electric mail.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in any of  claim 1 — 5 , 
 wherein the electric shop is run on a website.  
 
     
     
         7 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising; 
 a step to receive information demanding transmission of stock management information from a terminal of a stock manager of merchandise via a network;    a step to transmit stock management information for entering a fluctuation of the quantity of stock per each commodity to a terminal of the stock manager via a network;    a step to receive information about the fluctuation of the quantity of stock of a commodity from the terminal of the stock manager via a network; and    a step to calculate a quantity of stock of the commodity based upon received information about the fluctuation of the quantity of stock by a computer.    
     
     
         8 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 7 , wherein a quantity of stock is calculated by adding the received fluctuation of the quantity of stock to a quantity of stock preceding the received fluctuation.  
     
     
         9 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in any of  claim 7  or  8 , 
 wherein it is checked whether or not the quantity of stock becomes below a first given quantity and when the quantity of stock becomes below the first given quantity for the first time since a given time, information of a stock of the commodity being reduced is transmitted to the terminal of the stock manager.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 9 , wherein it is checked whether or not the quantity of stock become below a smaller second given quantity than the first given quantity and every time it is detected that the quantity of stock becomes below the second given quantity, information indicating that the commodity is out-of-stock is transmitted to the terminal of the stock manager.  
     
     
         11 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 10 , wherein, when the quantity of stock is below the second given quantity, information indicative of an out-of-stock of the commodity is be transmitted to a terminal of a user in response to information about a purchase will of the commodity sent from the terminal of the user.  
     
     
         12 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 7 , wherein a quantity of stock is calculated per the given commodities and it is checked whether or not the quantity of stock becomes below 0; and 
 (1) information about commodity in response to demand for information about the commodity sent from a terminal of a user is transmitted to a terminal of a user when the quantity of stock does not become below 0; and    (2) transmission of information about the commodity is halted when the quantity of stock becomes below 0.    
     
     
         13 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to store merchandise information about a plurality of commodities and various kinds of measures to be executed by a computer when a quantity of stock of per commodities becomes below a given quantity onto a memory;    a step to set a measure per commodities out of various kinds of measures;    a step to store a measure set per commodities onto a memory by being corresponded to per commodities;    a step to detect a quantity of stock of a commodity; and    a step to execute a measure applied to the commodity by the computer when the quantity of stock of the commodity becomes below the given quantity.    
     
     
         14 . The method for providing the electric shop using a network set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the measure is to halt providing merchandise information.  
     
     
         15 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the measure is to present information indicative of an out-of-stock together with merchandise information.  
     
     
         16 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the measure is to exclude the commodity from a target of a merchandise search.  
     
     
         17 . A method for providing an electric shop that manages merchandise based upon merchandise identifier information given per commodities comprising: 
 a step to register different merchandise identifier information varying with a given measure to be taken to even identical commodity onto a memory; and    a step to manage identical commodity as different commodity based upon the merchandise identifier information by a computer.    
     
     
         18 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the given measure is a wrapping against commodity.  
     
     
         19 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the given measure is to describe a text on commodity.  
     
     
         20 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to transmit information for soliciting a purchase will of merchandise to a terminal of a user via the network;    a step to receive purchase information indicative of a purchase will of a commodity sent from the terminal of the user via the network;    a step to calculate a stock of the commodity in response to the received purchase information; and    a step to transmit information advising an advance order for the commodity to the terminal of the user via a network, when a quantity of stock of the commodity is below a given quantity.    
     
     
         21 . The method for providing the electric shop according to  claim 20 , wherein information indicating an expected available date of the commodity is transmitted to the terminal of the user.  
     
     
         22 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to transmit information prompting more participation in a lottery for a winning prize on a network to a terminal of a user that purchases a commodity on the electric shop;    a step to receive participation information sent from the terminal of the user via the network;    a step to carry out a lottery in response to the participation information by a computer; and    a step to instruct to deliver the commodity and the winning prize to the user at the same time by a computer, when a prize is won.    
     
     
         23 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to receive purchase information of purchasing a plurality of commodities from a same user from a terminal of a user via the network;    a step to judge whether or not a deliverable date of the plurality of commodities varies with each commodity by a computer; and    a step to transmit information asking if the plurality of commodities are delivered at a time or separately to the terminal of the user via the network, when the deliverable date of the plurality of commodities varies with each commodity.    
     
     
         24 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to receive purchase information of purchasing a plurality of commodities from a same user from a terminal of a user via the network;    a step to judge whether or not a deliverable date of the plurality of commodities varies with each commodity by a computer; and    a step to transmit information asking if a payment of the plurality of commodities is made at a time or separately to the terminal of the user via the network, when the deliverable date of the plurality of commodities varies with each commodity.    
     
     
         25 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to store 3-D image data corresponding to a plurality of commodities onto a memory;    a step to receive information of selecting a first commodity and a second commodity different from the first commodity from a terminal of a user;    a step to read out a first 3-D image data corresponding to the first commodity and a second 3-D image data corresponding to the second commodity out of the memory only when a combination of the first commodity and the second commodity is usable;    a step to process the first 3-D image data and the second 3-D image data in an integrated manner so as to enable to use the combination of the first commodity and the second commodity; and    a step to transmit to the terminal of the user image data that was processed in the integrated manner.    
     
     
         26 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 25 , wherein a turn process is further performed on image data that was processed in the integrated manner in response to information indicative of a turn instruction sent from the terminal of the user and image data performed by the turn process is transmitted to the terminal of the user.  
     
     
         27 . A method for providing an electric shop using a network comprising: 
 a step to record onto a memory information about related commodity prepared every a plurality of commodities and registration information about a plurality of users;    a step to authenticate a user based upon authentication information sent from a terminal of the user via the network by a computer;    a step to search for commodity information owned by the user out of registration information of an authenticated user by a computer;    a step to search for related commodity in relation to commodity the user owns by a computer; and    a step to transmit information about related commodity in relation to commodity the user owns to the terminal of the user via the network.    
     
     
         28 . The method for providing the electric shop set forth in  claim 27 , wherein, in response to purchase information indicative of a purchase will of commodity sent from the terminal of the user, information about related commodity in relation to this commodity is further transmitted to the terminal of the user.  
     
     
         29 . A method for searching a plurality of content registered onto a website comprising: 
 a step to search for a search text or a search character string sent from a client on the plurality of content;    a step to classify information indicative of a location where a retrieved text or character string is registered per each of content;    a step to rearrange information classified per each of the content;    a step to extract a given number of information in high order per each of content with regard to rearranged information classified per each of the content; and    a step to transmit extracted information to the client.    
     
     
         30 . The method for searching the plurality of content set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the given number is determined per each of the content.  
     
     
         31 . A method for searching a plurality of content registered onto a website comprising: 
 a step to regard a text or a character string as a search text or a search character string when a text or a character string related to a provider of the content is included in information for creating a page screen to be sent to a client;    a step to search for the search text or the search character string on the content respectively in response to information indicative of a search instruction;    a step to classify information indicative of a registration location of a retrieved search text or character string per each of content;    a step to rearrange information classified per each of the content;    a step to extract a given number of information in high order per each of content with regard to rearranged information classified per each of the content; and    a step to transmit extracted information to the client.    
     
     
         32 . A method for searching a plurality of content registered onto a website comprising: 
 a step to include information about a search text or a search character string in advance into information for creating a page screen to be transmitted to a client;    a step to search for the search text and the search character string on each of a plurality of the content in response to information indicative of a search instruction to be transmitted from the client;    a step to classify information indicative of a registration location of a retrieved text or character string per each of content;    a step to rearrange information that was classified per each of content;    a step to extract a given number of information in high order per each of content with regard to post-rearranged information classified per each of content; and    a step to transmit extracted information to the client.    
     
     
         33 . The method for searching the plurality of content set forth in  claim 32 , wherein information about the search text or the search character string is created in relation to content of the page screen and included into information for creating the page screen.  
     
     
         34 . A method for searching a plurality of content registered onto a website comprising: 
 a step to search for a search text and a search character string sent from a user on each of a plurality of the content respectively;    a step to classify information indicative of a registration location of a retrieved text or character string per each of content; and    a step to transmit the classified information to the user.    
     
     
         35 . The method for searching the plurality of content set forth in  claim 34 , wherein a given number of information per each of content is extracted and transmitted to the user.  
     
     
         36 . The method for searching the plurality of content set forth in  claim 34 , wherein content to be searched for is selected out of the plurality of the content.  
     
     
         37 . The method for searching the plurality of content set forth in  claim 36 , wherein a given number is determined in response to a selected number of search content and the given number of information per each of selected content is extracted and transmitted to the user.  
     
     
         38 . A method for searching a plurality of pages comprising: 
 a step to provide a start device to command a search on a given page;    a step to receive a signal indicative of the start device being turned on by the user;    a step to search for a page related to the given page in response to the signal reception; and    a step to transmit a search result to the user.    
     
     
         39 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 38 , wherein a text or a character string as a search keyword is set in advance in the given page.  
     
     
         40 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 39 , wherein a given description is performed in advance in the page so as to enable to specify a text or a character string of a search keyword.  
     
     
         41 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 40 , wherein the page is written in HTML and a text or a character string of a search keyword is caught between given tags.  
     
     
         42 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 38 , wherein a predetermined point in the given page is searched for as a search keyword.  
     
     
         43 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 42 , wherein the predetermined point in the given page is a title in the given page.  
     
     
         44 . The method for searching the plurality of pages set forth in  claim 42 , wherein the given page is written in HTML and a text or a character string in the given page is caught between given tags.  
     
     
         45 . A method for providing an electric bulletin board carrying an article sent from a user comprising: 
 a step to make an article in the electric bulletin board classifiable per a plurality of categories in order to enable the article to be browsed per a category and store the classifiable article per the plurality of categories onto a memory;    a step to make image data in an electric album classifiable per a plurality of same categories as those in the electric bulletin board in order to enable image data to be browsed per a category and store the classifiable image data per the plurality of categories onto a memory;    a step to receive an instruction to browse an article falling under the given category in the electric bulletin board sent from a terminal of a use via a network; and    a step to transmit to a terminal of a user via the network bulletin board information added by article information classified into a category as per instructed and album information in order to enable image data in a same category as per instructed to be browsed.    
     
     
         46 . The method for providing the electric bulletin board set forth in  claim 45 , wherein the category is prepared in order to classify the article and the image data per an area on a map.