Product marked with product code, product information inquiry system, product information inquiry device and POS system

A product information inquiry system for supporting inquiry of information about a product, the system including a terminal device and a management device which are connected via a communication channel,

• wherein the product is source-marked with a product code including:
• an item code for specifying an item of the product;
• and
• an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item,
• the terminal device includes:
• a read-out unit operable to read out the product code marked on the product;
• a sending unit operable to send the read-out product code to the management device;
• a receiving unit operable to receive product information sent from the management device;
• and
• an output unit operable to output for displaying or printing the received product information, and
• the management device includes:
• a product information memory unit operable to memorize at least one of an item code, an individual article code and a detail code along with the corresponding product information indicating what at least one of the item code, the individual article code and the detail code means and manages;
• and
• a return unit operable to read out the corresponding product information from the product information memory unit and send the product information back to the terminal device when at least one of the item code, the individual article code and the detail code is sent from the terminal device.

A product information inquiry device that supports inquiry of information about a product,

• wherein the product is source-marked with a product code including:
• an item code for specifying an item of the product;
• and
• an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item, and
• the product information inquiry device comprises:
• a read-out unit operable to read out the product code marked on the product;
• an allergy information memory unit operable to memorize allergy information about a constitution which could develop allergic response to food;
• a constitution information acquisition unit operable to acquire information about a consumer's constitution;
• a judgment unit operable to predict and judge the consumer's development of allergic response to the product by referring to the allergy information memorized in the allergy information memory unit based on the acquired information about the consumer's constitution and an ingredient included in the product code read out by the read-out unit.

A product information inquiry device that supports inquiry of information about a product,

• wherein the product is source-marked with a product code including:
• an item code for specifying an item of the product;
• and
• an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item, and
• the product information inquiry device comprises:
• a read-out unit operable to read out the product code marked on the product;
• a side effect information memory unit operable to memorize side effect information about a constitution which could develop a side effect of a medicine;
• a constitution information acquisition unit operable to acquire information about a consumer's constitution;
• and
• a judgment unit operable to predict and judge the consumer's development of a side effect due to the product by referring to the side effect information memorized in the side effect information memory unit based on the acquired information about the consumer's constitution and an ingredient included in the product code read out by the read-out unit.

A POS system comprising a POS terminal system and a center device which are connected via a communication channel,

• wherein a product for sale is marked with an item code for specifying an item of the product and an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item,
• the center device includes:
• a center side description information holding unit operable to hold description information including a name and a price of the product for sale;
• and
• a resource information holding unit operable to hold resource information per product, that is the information including the product which is specified by a combination of a part of the item code or the entire item code and the individual article code and the corresponding information about resources of the product, and
• the POS terminal system includes:
• a terminal side description information holding unit operable to receive and hold description information transmitted from the center device;
• a read-out unit operable to read out the item code and the individual article code marked on the product;
• a reference unit operable to acquire the description information of the product, which is specified by a combination of a part of the item code or the entire item code and the individual article code, by referring to the description information which is held in the terminal side description information holding unit, and acquire the resource information of the product by referring to the resource information which is held in the resource information holding unit of the center device;
• and
• a print unit operable to print the acquired description information and resource information.

A POS system for a product on which an item code for specifying an item of the product and an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item are marked, the system comprising:

• a center device that provides a POS terminal device with information about the product;
• a product data generation device that generates product data including the individual article code and resource information that is information about resources of the product for manufacturing and sale;
• and
• an information service device that is a Web site which provides the center device with information by transferring the product data generated by the product data generation device to the center device,
• wherein the information service device includes:
• a data structure notice unit operable to notify the product data generation device of the data structure of the product data suitable for storage in the center device;
• a resource information service unit operable to receive the product data from the product data generation device and provide the center device with the product data as the resource information, and
• the product data generation device generates the product data of the product for manufacturing and sale based on the data structure notified from the information service device.

A POS system for a product on which an item code for specifying an item of the product and an individual article code for identifying the product uniquely among a group of products belonging to the same item are marked, the system comprising:

• a center device that holds resource information that is information about resources of the product and customer information that is information about a customer;
• and
• an information service device that is a Web site for providing the customer with the resource information held in the center device,
• wherein the information service device includes:
• a replication information holding unit operable to hold replications of the resource information and the customer information held in the center device;
• an authentication unit operable to authenticate the customer who accesses the information service device via the communication channel based on the customer information held in the replication information holding unit;
• and
• a search unit operable to read out the resource information of the product by searching for the resource information of a product specified by a combination of a part of the item code or the entire item code and the individual article code and send the read-out resource information back to the terminal device, when a search request of the resource information along with the combination of the item code and the individual article code is sent from the terminal device of the authenticated customer.

A POS system comprising:

• a center device that holds customer retail information that is information about a customer and retail at the time of selling the product;
• and
• an information service device that is a Web site for providing an manufacturer with the customer retail information held in the center device,
• wherein the center device includes a viewing right information holding unit operable to hold viewing right information that is information about a right for the manufacturer who manufactures the product to view the customer retail information, and
• the information service device includes:
• a replication information holding unit operable to hold replications of the customer retail information and the viewing right information held in the center device;
• an authentication unit operable to authenticate the manufacturer who accesses the information service device via a communication channel based on the viewing right information held in the replication information holding unit;
• and
• a search unit operable to read out the customer retail information of the product by searching the replication information holding unit for a product specified by the item code and send the read-out customer retail information back to the terminal device, when a search request of the customer retail information along with the item code is sent from the terminal device of the authenticated manufacturer.