Legal affairs consultation visualization system

Abstract

To provide a legal affairs consultation visualization system for promoting the efficiency of legal affairs consultation cases including examination work on a contract and legal affairs consultation work.SOLUTION: A legal affairs consultation visualization system includes steps of: acquiring information on a contract from a user; analyzing contents of the contract; specifying information requiring visualization for the user; and visualizing the information. A step of specifying information required for the visualization may be included according to an attribute of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a legal consultation visualization system. [Background technology]

[0002] As so-called digital transformation (DX) technology in the legal field, technology that supports contract review work (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3) has been disclosed. On the other hand, technology for smooth communication between legal personnel and contract personnel (on-site personnel) has also been disclosed (Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-013524 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2021-174474 A [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-117844 [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-166870 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, for a user who is not familiar with reading contract documents regarding legal consultation, there are cases where the contents of a contract can be accurately understood by visualizing or illustrating them in an easily understandable manner.

[0005] The present invention enables anyone to understand the contents of a contract by illustrating the rights and business flow in an intuitive manner based on the natural language of the contract. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, obtaining contract information from a user; Analyzing the contents of the contract; identifying information that needs to be visualized to the user; visualizing said information. A legal consultation visualization system is obtained. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the rights relationships and business flows are illustrated in a manner that can be intuitively understood from the natural language of the contract, making it possible for anyone to understand the contents of the contract. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a legal consultation visualization system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be described below with reference to the preferred embodiments. [Item 1] obtaining contract information from a user; Analyzing the contents of the contract; identifying information that needs to be visualized to the user; Visualizing the information Legal consultation visualization system. [Item 2] The method further includes a step of identifying information required for the visualization according to an attribute of the user. Item 1. The legal consultation visualization system according to item 1.

[0010] <Details of the embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <Summary> The present invention relates to a legal consultation visualization system that can illustrate rights and business flows from the contents of a contract. In particular, the system uses natural language processing to analyze the contents of a contract and presents the results in a diagrammatic format that is easily understandable to users. It is important for legal personnel to illustrate rights and the like in order to clearly recognize the rights and risks of a transaction. However, the central viewpoint of the present invention is to make it easier for people in other departments who are not legal specialists to understand the transaction relationships and form a common understanding. Since a common understanding can be easily formed by illustrating, it contributes to smooth discussions between field personnel and legal personnel. Furthermore, it is considered that such illustrations can also be used to form a common understanding with a trading partner, for example.

[0012] The illustration of rights and the like according to this embodiment is useful in all situations involving contracts. This includes the creation and review of contracts, the conclusion of contracts, and confirmation of already concluded contracts. Furthermore, it is desirable that the illustration of rights not only expresses the contract itself, but also background information that is not included in the text of the contract. For this reason, comments such as the text of emails are utilized. In addition, when information is insufficient, it is also considered that the generation AI will conduct a hearing to collect additional information. With these elements, the present invention helps to form an overall understanding and common understanding of each transaction, enabling more efficient and effective transactions.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the legal consultation visualization system 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "system") according to the present invention comprises a user terminal 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "on-site", "on-site staff", etc.) and a legal consultation visualization server 100.

[0014] The present invention includes the following steps: The steps are merely examples, and similar steps or alternative steps may be appropriately employed alone or in combination.

[0015] <Step 1: Obtaining contract information> First, the system acquires contract information. This can be done by reading out a contract in electronic document format stored in an external storage device of the system or by having the user upload it. It may also be done by scanning a handwritten or printed contract and converting it into data. The acquired contract information is used as input data for analysis in the next step.

[0016] The function of step 1 in the present invention is not limited to one contract, but is also capable of comprehensively handling multiple contracts or contracts for different projects. For example, when a trading company purchases goods from a manufacturer and sells them to a retailer, each transaction is often regulated by a different contract. However, from the perspective of business operations, these should be treated as one commercial flow, and the present invention can meet such needs. Therefore, the information acquisition in step 1 may be capable of handling not only one contract, but multiple contracts or contracts between different projects as one piece of information, and illustrating the rights relationships and commercial flow of the entirety of them.

[0017] The contracts may be of various types, such as, for example, employment contracts, sales contracts, lease agreements, NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), partnership agreements, etc. The contracts may also be in various formats, and may be electronic documents in PDF, Word, JPEG, etc. In the case of handwritten or printed contracts, they may be digitized and obtained by scanning or photographing them.

[0018] The user terminal 10 may be, for example, a personal computer, a mobile device (such as a smartphone, tablet, etc.), a workstation, etc. On this user terminal, the user provides the contract information to the system. The user may provide the information by directly inputting the text, uploading the contract in electronic document format, or sending an image of the digitized contract.

[0019] The provided contract information is transmitted to a legal consultation visualization server via the Internet or other networks. This server may be a cloud-based server or a dedicated physical server. The server software may be open source (e.g., Apache, Nginx, etc.) or commercial (e.g., Microsoft IIS, etc.).

[0020] The server stores the received contract information and moves on to the next step of analyzing the contents of the contract. This process may be performed in real time or at regular intervals as a batch process.

[0021] <Step 2: Analyzing the contents of the contract> Next, the system uses natural language processing technology to analyze the contents of the contract. In this step, machine learning algorithms extract important information from the contract text, such as rights, obligations, and business flow, and then classify and link that information. As a result, the contents of the contract are structurally understood.

[0022] In this step, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) technologies are mainly used. The information to be analyzed includes various clauses described in the contract, such as the rights and obligations between the parties, the contract period, termination conditions, penalties in the event of violation, and compensation (amount, method, timing, etc.).

[0023] NLP technology is used to convert the contract text into a format that machines can understand. This conversion may include processes such as morphological analysis, syntactic analysis, and semantic analysis. Particularly important keywords and phrases are also extracted in this step. ML technology is then used to understand the rights and trade flow from this information. The ML models used may be diverse, including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning, and specific models include decision trees, random forests, neural networks, SVMs, and K-nearest neighbor methods.

[0024] In order to realize step 2, it is expected that a legal consultation visualization server will be mainly used. This is because analysis using natural language processing and machine learning requires a large amount of computing power and is usually processed on the server side. This server may be a high-performance physical server equipped with a GPU, or a virtual server on the cloud. In addition, Python libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, NLTK, etc.) can be used as analysis tools. However, some processing may be performed on the user's terminal. For example, initial preprocessing steps (e.g., text cleaning and noise removal) and the execution of some lightweight ML models may be performed on the user's terminal.

[0025] <Step 3: Identify the information that needs to be visualized> In this step, based on the results of the above analysis, the system identifies which information should be illustrated to the user. This is done based on the importance of the information based on the user's request or specific rules, or the evaluation results of a machine learning model. Specifically, the following information may be identified:

[0026] [Rights and Obligations] It generates a flowchart or matrix showing the rights and obligations of each party, allowing the user to see at a glance what role each party plays in the contract and what they should and shouldn't do. [Commerce] A flow chart showing the flow of goods and services is generated, allowing users to understand the overall picture of the transaction and visually see what process is passed through to ultimately provide value to the consumer. [Money flow] A flow chart is generated showing the direction and timing of payments, allowing users to clearly understand the financial implications of the agreement. [Agreement Term and Important Dates] A timeline is generated showing the contract's validity period, cancellation conditions, renewal conditions, etc. This allows users to efficiently manage contract periods. [Confidentiality obligation] Flowcharts and tables are generated that indicate the scope of confidential information included in the contract, the confidentiality period, penalties for breach of confidentiality, etc. This allows users to clearly understand the precautions and risks involved in handling confidential information. [Handling of intellectual property rights] It generates flowcharts and tables showing the handling of intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, allowing users to visually understand the contents of the terms regarding the licensing, assignment, and infringement of intellectual property rights. [Dispute Resolution Procedure] A flowchart is generated to show the procedure for resolving disputes in the event of a dispute. This allows users to visually understand the process, such as mediation, arbitration, and litigation, and to confirm the course of action to take when a dispute occurs. [Multi-party relationships] When there are three or more contracting parties, a network diagram showing the relationships is generated. This allows users to visually grasp the complex relationships between multiple parties and the position of each party. For example, in joint development contracts and collaboration contracts, it is important to clearly understand the roles, responsibilities, and burdens of each party. [Subcontracts and chain contracts] Flowcharts are generated that show the contractual relationships and business flows when sub-contracts (individual contracts) are concluded based on a main contract (basic contract) and when multiple contracts are concluded in a chain. This allows users to visually understand the chain structure of contracts and the overall picture of the business flow. [Working conditions] Flowcharts and tables are generated that show the terms of the labor contract, such as working hours, holidays, wages, overtime, and occupational safety and health, allowing users to understand the working conditions at a glance and check compliance with labor laws. [Business conditions] If the transaction includes amounts and payment terms (such as performance-based payments, revenue shares, or other special payment methods), identifying this information and making it appropriately visible allows all parties involved in the contract to clearly understand the financial terms of the transaction. [Procedural conditions] These may detail the procedures and steps required to carry out a particular task (for example, taking minutes or holding a meeting in a specific location), and by identifying and illustrating those requirements, it is possible to clearly understand the steps and carry them out properly. [Measures in case of violation] By identifying and visualizing the penalties that will be imposed in the event of a breach of the contract (whether a penalty will be imposed, whether damages will be sought, whether injunctions will be issued, etc.), the parties can understand the risk of breach and take preventive measures.

[0027] A legal consultation visualization server is mainly used to realize step 3. The AI ​​engine running on the server identifies the various pieces of information mentioned above based on the contents of the contract analyzed in step 2, and converts them into a visual format. Various visualization tools may be used for this conversion.

[0028] On the other hand, an interface for displaying the generated visualized information is provided on the user terminal. This interface may be based on a Web browser or may be a dedicated application. Through this interface, the user can understand the visualized contract contents and perform further operations (for example, displaying details of a specific item, displaying a comparison of specific items, etc.).

[0029] <Step 4: Visualize information> Finally, the identified information is visualized in a format that is easily understandable to the user. As a visualization method, graphs, charts, maps, flow charts, etc. are used, and each right relationship, obligation relationship, and business flow are displayed in a form that can be intuitively understood. Specifically, the following visualization methods can be adopted.

[0030] [flowchart] It illustrates rights and trade flows in chronological order and causal relationships. For example, it is useful for showing dispute resolution procedures and the chain relationships between multiple contracts. [Network diagram] It clearly shows the relationships between multiple parties. It is possible to visually understand the rights, obligations and roles of each party. [Table format] Organize and display contract contents by item. For example, this is useful for clearly indicating the details of a confidentiality agreement or working conditions. [Timeline] Shows the progression of contractual items over time. For example, it is useful for visualizing project schedules, lease terms, etc.

[0031] The visualization methods described above are appropriately selected depending on the user's requirements and the contents of the contract, and multiple methods may be combined as necessary.

[0032] The method of realizing the method in the user terminal and the legal consultation visualization server is realized by the legal consultation visualization server processing the data for visualization and transmitting the result to the user terminal. Specifically, the legal consultation visualization server selects an appropriate visualization method based on the information obtained in steps 2 and 3, and performs the data processing. This processing may be software written in a programming language, such as Python or Java. Furthermore, a library for visualization, such as Matplotlib or D3.js, may be used. The visualization data generated in this way may be in an image file format, such as JPEG or PNG, or in a vector data format, such as SVG. These data are transmitted to the user terminal through network communication. In the user terminal, the visualization data is displayed to the user via a browser or a dedicated application.

[0033] As described above, the legal consultation visualization system of the present invention analyzes the natural language in a contract and illustrates the results, thereby helping to understand the content of the contract and making it possible to provide legal consultations more efficiently and effectively.

[0034] <Example> The implementation process when this system is introduced on the terminals of company field staff will be explained in detail.

[0035] The field staff inputs the contract information by sending the scanned image file of the physical contract or the digital text file to the legal consultation visualization server via their own terminal.

[0036] The contract information is then analyzed by the legal consultation visualization server, which uses natural language processing technology to identify important keywords, phrases, and clauses in the contract.

[0037] The field staff requests visualization of specific information from the legal consultation visualization server through their own terminals by specifying the contract details they wish to understand, such as rights, business flow, and contract period.

[0038] The specified contract details are visualized in an appropriate format on the legal consultation visualization server, such as a flowchart, network diagram, table format, or timeline, making it easy for on-site personnel to understand.

[0039] Finally, the generated visualized data is sent to the terminal of the on-site worker and displayed. Through this visualization, the on-site worker can gain a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the contents of the contract.

[0040] Through the above process, on-site personnel can visualize the contents of the contract on their own devices and deepen their understanding. This is expected to help with understanding of the contract contents, ensure compliance with the contract, and reduce risks in corporate activities.

[0041] <Application to other fields> The system of the present invention can be widely applied to other fields by utilizing its technical features. In particular, the ability to perform the processing required for analyzing document information and visualizing its contents can be utilized to promote information understanding in many fields. For example, the system is also useful for documents that require specialized knowledge, such as medical, scientific, technical, and economic documents. By analyzing the contents of such documents and visualizing specific information, it is possible to make the specialized contents easier to understand for ordinary people and beginners. The system of the present invention can be widely applied to deepen information understanding in many fields and promote knowledge sharing by utilizing its natural language processing ability and information visualization ability.

[0042] <Modification> This system is a technology that illustrates the rights and business flows based on the contents of a contract, but it can also be applied as a technology that illustrates the conversations between on-site staff and legal staff.

[0043] In this case, step 1 involves capturing conversations between field and legal personnel, either in real time using voice recognition technology or from pre-recorded audio or transcribed conversation logs, and then converting the captured information into text for further analysis.

[0044] In step 2, the content of the conversation is analyzed. In this step, natural language processing techniques are used to extract important information from the acquired text data, including the topic, roles between participants, information flow, points of disagreement, and points of agreement.

[0045] In step 3, the user identifies the information that needs to be visualized. In this step, the user tells the system what type of information they want to visually represent. This could include a particular picture of the conversation that the user wants to understand, such as the progression of topics, how much each person said, or points of conflict and agreement.

[0046] In step 4, the specified information is visualized. Depending on the type of information, the most appropriate visualization technique is selected, such as a flowchart, bar graph, heat map, or network diagram.

[0047] As such, this technology can illustrate conversations between field and legal personnel, thereby improving communication between the two parties and avoiding misunderstandings.

[0048] <Hardware configuration example> This system comprises a legal case management server, a legal affairs terminal, and a contracting terminal, which are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the Internet. This system may be configured as a cloud / network type system provided by a specified business operator, or as an on-premise type system independently operated within the company that introduces the system.

[0049] Each of the above-mentioned functional blocks can be configured, for example, by hardware provided in a server device (terminal device), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or software. For example, when configured by software, each of the above-mentioned functional blocks is actually configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. of a computer, and is realized by the operation of a program stored in a recording medium such as the RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory.

[0050] The above-described embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 User terminal 100 Legal consultation visualization server

Claims

1. obtaining contract information from a user; Analyzing the contents of the contract; identifying information that needs to be visualized to the user; visualizing said information. Legal consultation visualization system.

2. Further comprising a step of identifying information required for the visualization according to an attribute of the user. The legal consultation visualization system according to claim 1 .

Images