Patent ID: 7580865

Claim:
A customer solicitation support system, comprising: a portable apparatus which is carried by a customer; a plurality of client computers which are installed in shops and wirelessly communicate with the portable apparatus; and an information provision server which communicates with the plurality of client computers, the portable apparatus comprises: a portable apparatus transmission device which sends desired product information which indicates a desired product which the customer who carries the portable apparatus desired to purchase and customer information for specifying the customer to one of the client computers which is closest to the customer who carries the portable device; a portable apparatus reception device which receives shop information which indicates shops having stock of the desired product indicated by the customer information from said one of the client computers; a portable apparatus display device which displays the shop information which is received by the portable apparatus reception device; and a portable device input device which inputs the desired product information associated with the product desired by the customer wherein the portable device input device enables inputting a face image of the customer together with the desired product information and the customer information, and wherein the portable apparatus transmission device sends the inputted face image together with the desired product information and the customer information to said one of the client computers; each of the client computers comprises: a first client computer reception device which receives the desired product information and the customer information from the portable apparatus; a first client computer transmission device which sends the desired product information and the customer information to the server; a second client computer reception device which receives the shop information which indicates the shops having stock of the desired product indicated by the customer information from the server; and a second client computer transmission device which sends the shop information to the portable apparatus, the server comprises: a server reception device which receives the desired product information and the customer information from said one of the client computer; a customer information database which stores the desired product information in association with the customer information of each customer; a stock information database which stores stocked product information indicating stocked products of each shop in association with the shop information of each shop in which the client computer is installed; a retrieving device which retrieves the stocked product information which coincides with the desired product information from the stock information database; and a server transmission device which sends the shop information associated with the retrieved stocked product information which is retrieved by the retrieving device to said one of the client computers.