Abstract:
In order to give a presentation of related information that unexpected a user, while maintaining some relevance to certain information, a method includes: a link information application step of applying any one of a plurality of link information items stored in a link information storage section for storing the plurality of link information items each associating one or more information items with one or more information items to select an information item related to a given information item; an information acquisition step of acquiring an information item which serves as a base point; a related information selection step of selecting, by repeatedly executing the link information application step a plurality of times, an information item which is indirectly related to the information item acquired in the information acquisition step; and an information presentation step of presenting the information item selected in the related information selection step to a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a related information presentation system, a related information presentation method, and an information storage medium, and more particularly, to presentation of related information to a user. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Conventionally, there is known an electronic commerce system in which a related item is introduced to a user who has purchased a certain item (see JP 2001-265853 A). With such a system, an unpurchased other item linked to a purchased item is presented to a user, which therefore increases the chance of selling items. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In the above-mentioned related art, an unpurchased item, which is directly related to a purchased item, is selected, and then presented to the user. Thus, the related art has the advantage of being able to avoid introducing, to the user, an item with little relevance. However, there is a problem that the related art is not suitable for stimulating the potential appetite for shopping, through the introductions of unexpected items to the user. Besides, apart from item information, such a problem may similarly occur in providing various kinds of information, such as content information like music, movies, and games, and service information like real estate and tourism. 
         [0006]    The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and has an object to provide a related information presentation system, a related information presentation method, and an information storage medium, which are capable of presenting related information which is unexpected for a user, while maintaining some relevance to certain information. 
         [0007]    In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a related information presentation system according to the present invention includes: link information storage means for storing a plurality of link information items each associating a plurality of information items with one another; link information application means for applying any one of the plurality of link information items stored in the link information storage means to select an information item related to a given information item; information acquisition means for acquiring an information item which serves as a base point; related information selection means for selecting, by repeatedly using the link information application means a plurality of times, an information item which is indirectly related to the information item acquired by the information acquisition means; and information presentation means for presenting the information item selected by the related information selection means to a user. 
         [0008]    Further, a related information presentation method according to the present invention includes: a link information application step of applying any one of a plurality of link information items stored in link information storage means for storing the plurality of link information items each associating a plurality of information items with one another to select an information item related to a given information item; an information acquisition step of acquiring an information item which serves as a base point; a related information selection step of selecting, by repeatedly executing the link information application step a plurality of times, an information item which is indirectly related to the information item acquired in the information acquisition step; and an information presentation step of presenting the information item selected in the related information selection step to a user. 
         [0009]    Further, an information storage medium according to the present invention is an information storage medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to function as: link information application means for applying any one of a plurality of link information items stored in link information storage means for storing the plurality of link information items each associating a plurality of information items with one another to select an information item related to a given information item; information acquisition means for acquiring an information item which serves as a basing point; related information selection means for selecting, by repeatedly using the link information application means a plurality of times, an information item which is indirectly related to the information item acquired by the information acquisition means; and information presentation means for presenting the information item selected by the related information selection means to a user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    In the accompanying drawings: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of a related information introduction system according to embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of link information; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an example of an introduction screen; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating processing of a related item introduction program; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a modification example of the link information; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a modification example of the introduction screen; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating processing of a related item introduction program according to the modification example. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Hereinbelow, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of a related information presentation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a related information presentation system  10  includes an electronic commerce server  12  configured using a known server computer, and a database  14  configured using a known mass storage device and connected to the electronic commerce server  12  via a local area network. The electronic commerce server  12  is connected to a communication network  24  such as the Internet, and further, a user computer  16  used by each of a large number of users is also connected to the communication network  24 . The user computer  16  is capable of accessing the electronic commerce server  12  via the communication network  24  to receive electronic commerce service. Further, the electronic commerce server  12  is capable of data communications with a news site  18 , a blog site  20 , another electronic commerce site  22 , and other sites, which are connected to the communication network  24 . Those sites are configured using known server computers, and deliver a news article, a blog article, item information, and the like in response to requests made from the electronic commerce server  12  and the user computer  16 . 
         [0020]    The electronic commerce server  12  is installed with a link information generation program  12   a , an electronic commerce program  12   b , and a related item introduction program  12   c . Those programs may be stored in various kinds of computer-readable storage media including a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM (not shown), and may be installed into the electronic commerce server  12  from the media. Alternatively, the programs may be downloaded from other computers via the communication network  24 . In addition to various kinds of information necessary for carrying out electronic commerce such as item names, prices, and quantity in stock, the database  14  stores a large number of link information items linking items to one another, which are used to introduce a related item of an item purchased by a user. 
         [0021]    In accordance with contents of the database  14 , the electronic commerce server  12  provides information on a purchasable item to the user computer  16  by using the electronic commerce program  12   b , and when the user gives an instruction to purchase an item, carries out settlement processing. Further, the link information generation program  12   a  accesses such various kinds of computers as the news site  18 , the blog site  20 , and the electronic commerce site  22  to thereby collect various information (analysis object information) therefrom. Then, based on the collected analysis object information, the link information generation program  12   a  generates a large number of link information items which link items to one another, and stores those link information items in the database  14 .  FIG. 2  schematically illustrates the link information stored in the database  14 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , each link information item associates with one another a link ID for uniquely identifying an link information item, source information indicating one item linked using the link information item, target information indicating another item linked using the link information item, an explanatory text indicating why the source information is related to the target information, and attribute data indicating what user is likely to be convinced by the linking using the link information item. For example, item names stored in the database  14  are retrieved from among the analysis object information, and then a search is conducted for such a text that two of the item names are used within a predetermined interval of characters or words. Then, when such a text is present, data which has not been used yet as any “link ID” is newly generated and set as a new “link ID”, with one of the two items being a “source item” and the other being a “target item”. Further, the retrieved text is set as an “explanation”. In addition, the analysis object information containing the retrieved text is analyzed to know what word is constituting the analysis object information, whereby an attribute such as “sports”, “literature”, “science”, or “cooking” is determined. This attribute is set as “attribute data”. It should be noted that the link information items do not need to be generated automatically by the link information generation program  12   a  as described above, and some or all of them may be set manually. Further, when a text containing two item names is found, not only the link information item which sets one of the two items as the “source item” and the other as the “target item” but also another link information item which sets the one of the two items as the “target item” and the other as the “source item” may be generated conversely. 
         [0022]    The related item introduction program  12   c  is a program which selects, when the user purchases an item, an item indirectly related to the item, and presents the selected item to the user.  FIG. 3  is an example of an introduction screen which is displayed on a display of the user computer  16  and presented to the user. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the introduction screen includes a plurality of link texts  30   a  each reading “Speaking of . . . , . . . comes to mind”, explanatory texts  34   a  which are respectively displayed below each of the link texts  30   a  and each indicate a detailed description for the link text  30   a , and a related item name  32  indicating an item which the user is eventually recommended to purchase. The introduction screen further includes a purchase button  36  which is to be pressed when the user purchases the item indicated by the related item name  32 , and a return button  38  which is to be pressed when the user does not purchase the item. It should be noted that when the purchase button  36  is pressed using a pointing device such as a mouse, the electronic commerce processing including the settlement processing and other processing is executed by the electronic commerce program  12   b  with regard to the item associated with the related item name  32 . The related item introduction program  12   c  searches for a link information item in which the item purchased by the user (information serving as a source) is set in the entry of the “source item”, and then reads out the entry of the “target item” of the link information item. Further, the related item introduction program  12   c  searches for a link information item in which the read-out item name is set in the entry of the “source item”, and then reads out the entry of the “target item” of the link information item. In this manner, the link information items are applied a number of times that is set in advance (e.g., three times) to convert item names (e.g., three times), whereby an item name eventually acquired is determined as an item indirectly related to the item purchased by the user. 
         [0023]    As the related item name  32  of the introduction screen, the name of an item thus determined is embedded. Each of the link texts  30   a  is generated using the name set in the entries of the “source item” and the “target item” of the link information item used for the conversion of the item name. Each of the explanatory texts  34   a  is generated using a text set in the entry of the “explanation” of the link information item. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating introduction screen generation processing performed by the related item introduction program  12   c . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the name of an item purchased by the user is first acquired as the “source item” (S 401 ). Next, link information items in which that name is set in the entry of the “source item” are read out from the database  14  (S 402 ). Then, based on a predetermined criterion, one link information item is selected from among the link information items read out in S 402  (S 403 ). Here, when one link information item is read out in S 402 , the one link information item is selected. On the other hand, when a plurality of link information items are read out in S 402 , a degree of relevance (first degree of relevance) is calculated between the user&#39;s attribute data (including sex, taste, and age) transmitted in advance from the user computer  16  and the “attribute data” contained in each of the link information items, whereby a link information item having a higher degree of relevance is selected by priority. In this manner, it is possible to realize such conversion of item names that convinces the user. It should be noted that by conversely selecting a link information item having a lower degree of relevance by priority, conversion which is unexpected to the user may also be performed. Here, in the database  14 , attribute data is stored in advance for each item. By calculating a degree of relevance (second degree of relevance) between the attribute data of the user and the attribute data of the “target item” contained in each link information item, a link information item having a higher degree of relevance is selected by priority. In this manner, it is possible to realize conversion into an item name which is expected to attract higher interest from the user. Further, a link information item, in which an item name other than item names stored in the entries of the “source item” and the “target item” of the link information items which have already been selected in previous S 403  is stored in the entry of the “target item”, is selected by priority. In this manner, it is possible to prevent a problem where an item purchased by the user themselves or an item which has already been selected as the “target item” halfway through the processing is eventually introduced as the related item. 
         [0025]    Next, a name stored in the entry of the “target item” of the link information item thus selected is acquired (S 404 ). Then, it is judged whether or not the number of times a series of the processing from S 402  to S 404  has been executed is equal to or larger than N (≧2) (S 405 ). When the number of times is less than N, the processing from S 402  to S 404  is executed again. It should be noted that in S 402 , a link information item in which the name acquired as the “target item” in S 404  which precedes S 402  is set as the “source item” is selected (S 402 ). Then, when the number of times the series of the processing from S 402  to S 404  has been executed becomes equal to or larger than N, by using a name eventually determined in S 404  and the link information items selected in the processing of S 403  which has been performed N times, the introduction screen exemplified in  FIG. 3  is generated, and then transmitted to the user computer  16  (S 406 ). 
         [0026]    In this manner, it becomes possible to present a name of a related item which offers unexpected interest to the user as well, while maintaining some relevance to an item purchased by the user. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0027]    Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. A system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is different from the system according to the first embodiment of the present invention in that changes are made to the link information generation program  12   a  and the related item introduction program  12   c , and in that a change is made to the link information stored in the database  14 . The remainder is similar to the system of the first embodiment of the present invention, and hence detailed description thereof is omitted herein. 
         [0028]    In the second embodiment of the present invention, link information illustrated in  FIG. 5  is stored in the database  14 . A link information item is configured associating with one another a link ID, source information, an item flag indicating whether or not the source information is an item name, target information, an item flag indicating whether or not the target information is an item name, an explanation, and attribute data. The link ID, the explanation, and the attribute data are similar to those of the first embodiment of the present invention. As the source information and the target information, an item name may be stored as in the case of the first embodiment of the present invention, and also, a character string other than an item name, such as place name, season name, calendar information such as calendar event&#39;s name or season name, or a known-person&#39;s name, may be stored. When an item name is stored, “1” is also set as the item flag, whereas when a name other than an item name is stored, “0” is set as the item flag. Similarly to the case of the first embodiment of the present invention, the link information generation program  12   a  according to the second embodiment of the present invention accesses such various kinds of computers as the news site  18 , the blog site  20 , and the electronic commerce site  22  to thereby collect various analysis object information therefrom. Then, based on the collected analysis object information, the link information generation program  12   a  generates a large number of link information items which link information items to one another, and stores those link information items in the database  14 . For example, the analysis object information is searched for such a text that one character string and another character string are used within a predetermined number of characters or words. Then, when such a text is present, data which has not been used yet is newly generated and set as the “link ID”, with one of the two information items being the “source information” and the other being the “target information”. Further, the retrieved text is set as the “explanation”. Then, based on whether or not the “source information” and the “target information” are item names, the item flags are respectively set. It should be noted that the link information items do not need to be generated automatically by the program, and some or all of them may be set manually. 
         [0029]    When the user purchases an item, the related item introduction program  12   c  selects an item indirectly related to the item in accordance with the link information items illustrated in  FIG. 5 , and presents the selected item to the user.  FIG. 6  is an example of an introduction screen which is displayed on a display of the user computer  16  and presented to the user. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the introduction screen includes a plurality of link texts  40   a  each reading “Speaking of . . . , . . . comes to mind”, explanatory texts  44   a  which are respectively displayed below each of the link texts  40   a  and each indicate a detailed description for the link text  40   a , and a related item name  42  indicating an item which the user is eventually recommended to purchase. The introduction screen further includes a purchase button  46  which is to be pressed when the user purchases the item indicated by the related item name  42 , and a return button  48  which is to be pressed when the user does not purchase the item. The related item introduction program  12   c  searches for a link information item in which the item purchased by the user is set in the entry of the “source information”, and then reads out the entry of the “target information” of the link information item. Further, the related item introduction program  12   c  searches for a link information item in which the read-out character string is set in the entry of the “source information”, and then reads out the entry of the “target information” of the link information item. In this manner, the link information items are applied repeatedly until information selected in advance based on predetermined criteria is acquired as the “target information” to convert information, whereby information eventually acquired, that is, the information selected in advance, is determined as an item indirectly related to the item purchased by the user. 
         [0030]    As the related item name  42  of the introduction screen, the information thus determined is embedded. Each of the link texts  40   a  is generated using the character strings set in the entries of the “source information” and the “target information” of the link information item used for the conversion of the information. Each of the explanatory texts  44   a  is generated using a text set in the entry of the “explanation” of the link information item. 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating introduction screen generation processing performed by the related item introduction program  12   c . As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the name of an item purchased by the user is first acquired as the “source information” (S 701 ). Further, a plurality of item names which are to be eventually selected as the related items are determined based on the predetermined criteria (S 702 ). For example, those item names include the name of an item which an administrator of the electronic commerce server  12  currently particularly wants to sell, and the name of an item which is considered to be o interest to the user based on the attribute data of the user. Next, link information items in which the information acquired in S 701  is set in the entry of the “source information” are readout from the database  14  (S 703 ). Then, it is judged whether or not, among the link information items read out in the above-mentioned manner, there is any link information item in which any one of the item names determined in S 702  is set as the “target information” (S 704 ). When such a link information item is present, that link information item is selected (S 706 ). On the other hand, when such a link information item is not present, based on the predetermined criteria, one link information item is selected from among the link information items read out in S 703  (S 705 ). Here, when one link information item is read out in S 703 , the one link information item is selected. On the other hand, when a plurality of link information items are read out in S 703 , a link information item which has the above-mentioned first degree of relevance set higher, or has the above-mentioned second degree of relevance set higher, is selected by priority. Further, a link information item, in which information other than information stored in the entries of the “source information” and the “target information” of the link information items which have already been selected in previous S 705  is stored in the entry of the “target information”, is selected by priority. 
         [0032]    Next, a character string stored in the entry of the “target information” of the link information item thus selected is acquired (S 707 ). Then, it is judged whether or not the character string acquired in S 707  is among the names of the related items, which are acquired in S 702  (S 708 ). When the character string is not among the names of the related items, the processing from S 703  to S 708  is executed again. It should be noted that in S 703 , a link information item in which the character string acquired as the “target information” in S 707  which precedes S 703  is set as the “source information” is selected. Then, when a character string determined in S 707  corresponds to any one of the names of the related items, by using an item name eventually determined in S 707  and the link information items selected in the processing of S 705  and S 706 , the introduction screen exemplified in  FIG. 6  is generated, and then transmitted to the user computer  16  (S 709 ). In this manner, it becomes possible to introduce any item to the user while showing some relevance to the item purchased by the user. 
         [0033]    It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications may be made. For example, in the embodiments described above, a link information item links one information item before conversion (“source item” or “source information”) to one information item after conversion (“target item” or “target information”), but there may be a plurality of information items before conversion and/or a plurality of information items after conversion, which are linked to each other using the link information item. In addition, there is no need to discriminate between information items before and after conversion. 
         [0034]    Further, such a configuration may be employed in which an item having too high a relevance or too low a relevance to the item purchased by the user is not introduced to the user as a related item. For example, between S 405  and S 406  of  FIG. 4 , a degree of relevance may be calculated between the item purchased by the user and the item eventually selected in S 404 . Then, when the relevance is too high (when the degree of relevance is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value) or when the relevance is too low (the degree of relevance is less than a second predetermined value (&lt;first predetermined value)), the processing may be configured to return to S 402  again. In this manner, it becomes possible to introduce an unexpected item to the user, and avoid introducing an item which is obviously of no interest of the user. 
         [0035]    Further, in the description made above, only an item which is stored in the entry of the “target item” or the “target information” of an eventually-applied link information item is recommended to the user. However, the “target item” or the “target information” (only when the item flag is “1”) of a link information item acquired halfway through the processing may be recommended to the user. Further, by calculating a degree of relevance between the item purchased by the user and the related item eventually selected, control may be performed as to whether or not to recommend the related item in accordance with the degree of relevance. For example, when the degree of relevance is equal to or larger than a fixed value (when the relevance is high), it is judged that the related item lacks unexpectedness for the user, and hence the item is not displayed in the entries of the related item name  32  and  42 . 
         [0036]    Further, the following configuration may be employed. The link information items are managed by type of analysis object information, which is used as a basis of the link information items. One type of the analysis object information is selected based on the user&#39;s attribute, and then the link information items managed correspondingly to that type are applied, whereby a related item for the item purchased by the user is selected. In this case, by selecting such an analysis object information type that matches the user&#39;s attribute, information conversion which convinces the user may be performed. Alternatively, by selecting such an analysis object information type that does not match the user&#39;s attribute, information conversion which is unexpected to the user may be performed. 
         [0037]    While there have been described what are at present considered to be certain embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto, and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.