US 10,380,635 B2 · Information providing method and information providing device

Abstract

A first user among a plurality of users is associated with a second user having an evaluation tendency similar to evaluation data of the first user for management. Further, a third user is selected by a terminal device of the first user as a user having preference information that suits preference of the first user. The third user is associated with the first user and the second user for management. This configuration makes it possible to select not only a user automatically selected by a system but also another user whom a targeted user is interested in as a similar user, allowing provision of information that better suits hobby and preference of the targeted user.

An information providing method, controlled by a first processor, for displaying recommendation information on a display of a terminal device of a first user also having a first memory, the information providing method comprising:

requesting, with the first processor of the terminal device of the first user, the acquiring of first recommended restaurant information about a first restaurant;
receiving and storing data of a plurality of users of a system, from a network with a second processor and a second memory, including first, second, and third users and evaluation values of the updated evaluation data evaluating a plurality of restaurants, the evaluation data being stored in the second memory in the form of a user ID and an associated evaluation value, the evaluation data being based on at least one of cuisine, food ingredients, a cooking style, and a store size, from a terminal device of each of the plurality of users via a network;
extracting, with the second processor, from the stored data of the plurality of users, stored in the second memory, fewer than all of the plurality of users comprising those users whose evaluation values will serve as the basis for providing the first recommended restaurant information about the first restaurant for the first user, the extracting being performed based on comparing evaluation values of the plurality of users with an evaluation value of the first user for the same restaurant, the extracted users including the second user;
associating, with the second processor, the first user with the extracted users including the second user;
determining, with the second processor, the first recommended restaurant information about the first restaurant based on evaluation values of the associated and extracted users including the second user about the first restaurant;
providing the terminal device of the first user with the second processor via the network, with the first recommended restaurant information about the first restaurant;
displaying the first recommended restaurant information about the first restaurant in a store display area of a first screen of the display of the terminal device of the first user,
receiving, with the second processor, information about users not extracted from the stored data and not associated with the first user from a predetermined terminal device via the network,
the information about the non-extracted and non-associated users including a user name and preference information of each of the received non-extracted and non-associated users,
the non-extracted and non-associated users including the third user,
the preference information of each non-extracted and non-associated user including at least one of:
a favorite type of cuisine;
a favorite food ingredient;
a favorite cooking style;
a favorite food characteristic;
a favorite staple food;
and
an allergy-causing substance;
providing, with the second processor, the terminal device of the first user with the user name and preference information of at least some of the received non-extracted and non-associated users including the third user via the network;
displaying on the first screen of the display of the first user's terminal device, with the first recommended restaurant information
the user name and the preference information of the provided non-extracted and non-associated users whose evaluation values were not used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, in a user display area of the first screen, and
a user-selectable input button on the first screen;
displaying a second screen on the display of the first user's terminal device in response the selection of the user-selectable input button on the first screen, the displayed second screen displaying
the user name and the preference information of the provided non-extracted and non-associated users whose evaluation values were not used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, including the name and the preference information of the third user,
a selectable area associated with each displayed user name permitting selection of the non-extracted and non-associated user associated with the displayed user name, and
a user-selectable add button for adding the selected non-extracted and non-associated user, whose evaluation values were not used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, to the extracted and associated users whose evaluation values were used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, to update the users to generate a corrected or improved first set of users including the selected non-extracted and non-associated user, including the selected non-extracted and non-associated third user, whose evaluation values will be used to determine corrected or improved store recommendation information based on evaluation data of the corrected or improved first set of users about a different restaurant than the first restaurant,
adding, with the second processor, the non-extracted and non-associated third user, whose evaluation data was not used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, to the extracted and associated users whose evaluation values were used to determine the first recommended restaurant information, to update the users whose evaluation values will be used to determine the corrected or improved store recommendation information about the different restaurant in response to
selection of the third user in the selectable area associated with the displayed name of the third user on the second screen, and
selection of the user-selectable add button;
obtaining with the second processor, the corrected or improved store recommendation information about the different restaurant based on information of the updated users including the extracted and associated users whose evaluation values were used to determine the first recommended restaurant information and the non-extracted and non-associated third user whose evaluation data was not used to determine the first recommended restaurant information;
providing, with the second processor, the terminal device of the first user via the network with the corrected or improved store recommendation information about the different restaurant;
and
displaying the corrected or improved store recommendation information on a third screen of the display of the terminal device of the first user.

30 more elements

Information providing method and information providing device

Life of this patent

Information providing method and information providing device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18