Electronic contract processing method and electronic contract service system

Abstract

To provide an electronic contract processing method and a server system for making electronic contracts over a communication network while ensuring the legitimacy of the contracting parties' authority to conclude a contract.SOLUTION: A method includes a contract document receiving step of receiving contract document data from a sender terminal by a contract document receiving unit of a service server device, a contract authority designation receiving step of receiving from a second party a designation of an authority account having contract authority to make an electronic signature by a contract authority designation receiving unit, an electronic signature step of performing the steps of adding the electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in an electronic signature processing unit, and a step of adding the electronic signature information of the second party to the hash value based on the contract document data in any order when the account from the second party terminal and the authority account match, and a contract completion step of outputting a signal indicating that the electronic contract has been completed when the electronic signature information of the first and second parties has been added by an output unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic contract processing method and an electronic contract service system for making electronic contracts over a communication network, and in particular to a technology for verifying the contracting parties' authority to enter into a contract. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic contract services that use email authentication via the Internet are now available, and their use has been increasing in recent years. When one of the contracting parties uploads contract data to a server and digitally signs it, an email is sent to the other party requesting that they also digitally sign the uploaded contract data. The other party who receives the email digitally signs the contract data, thereby establishing the electronic contract.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic loan contract system that enables contract documents to be concluded electronically and is particularly suitable for financial institutions to conclude loan contracts with their business partners. When a financial institution employee uploads a contract file, the user reads the contract, checks its contents, and then executes an electronic signature using an IC card. In this case, the user's signature authority is confirmed by having a certification authority authenticate the electronic signature stored in the user's IC card.

[0004] In a contract between a financial institution and an individual user, if the user's identity is confirmed, the contract will be validly concluded as if the individual has agreed to the contract. However, if the contracting parties are corporations or if the contract is made by an agent, it is necessary to confirm whether the agent has valid signing authority.

[0005] In contrast, with conventional electronic contract services, if the recipient of an email requesting an electronic signature on a contract signs it, the contract is essentially established. However, if the sender misinterprets the recipient or if the recipient misunderstands their authority, the contract may be invalid as it was made by someone without the authority to enter into the contract.

[0006] Additionally, a method of recording information using blockchain is known as background technology related to the present invention. This technology is constructed in a decentralized manner using multiple computers on a network, and contracts for a certain period are organized into blocks, which are then recorded on a chain (4-chain) while being verified by the computers, thereby preventing tampering. Linked blocks each have the previous hash value, ensuring their continuity.

[0007] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that is applied as a record of contract agreement, and that efficiently leaves evidence of a contract on a blockchain even when multiple people are involved, while maintaining the format of one electronic signature per transaction. This disclosure discloses a procedure in which multiple devices each store a blockchain containing transactions broadcast to the network in a storage unit, monitor whether the blockchain stored in the storage unit contains a transaction addressed to a shared contract address corresponding to the contract to be agreed upon, and, when a transaction addressed to the contract address is detected, generate a transaction addressed to the contract address including evidence of whether or not to agree to the contract and the electronic signature of the user of the device, and broadcast this to the network.

[0008] Patent Document 3 discloses an example of an application to an authentication method for devices connected to a network, in which an authentication request device issues an authentication request transaction to a distributed ledger, and an authentication response device reads and authenticates the authentication request transaction in the distributed ledger.

[0009] Patent Document 4 discloses an information management platform system developed by the applicants, in which a platform server device handles registration and search in a blockchain while providing APIs to various service server devices. With this system, the platform server device can provide data authentication services by recording only hash values ​​on the blockchain without being involved in the content of the data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2005-222268 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2017-220710 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2020-178344 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. WO2022 / 097608 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention was created to solve the problems of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide an electronic contract processing method and an electronic contract service system that can enter into electronic contracts over a communication network while ensuring the legitimacy of the contracting parties' authority to enter into a contract. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following information management platform system. That is, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, an electronic contract processing method is provided in an electronic contract service system having a service server device for conducting electronic contracts over a communication network, a sender terminal of a sender that transmits contract document data to the service server device, a first party terminal of a first party that is one side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically, and a second party terminal of a second party that is the other side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically.

[0013] In this method, (S1) A configuration in which an account having a contract authority attribute is used when accessing a service server device from at least a second party terminal, wherein a contract document receiving unit of the service server device receives contract document data from a sender terminal; (S2) a contract authority designation receiving step in which a contract authority designation receiving unit of the service server device receives, from the second party, designation of an authority account of the second party that has contract authority to issue an electronic signature; (S3) a contract authority storage step in which a contract authority storage unit of the service server device stores the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in association with an authority account; (S4) a contract notification step of notifying at least the second party from the notification unit of the service server device that the contract document data has been accepted, as necessary; (S5) an electronic signature step in which, in an electronic signature processing unit of the service server device, in any order, a step of adding electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in response to a request from the first party terminal, and a step of checking whether the account being accessed from the second party terminal matches the authorized account in response to a request from the second party terminal, and adding electronic signature information of the second party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data if they match; (S6) A contract completion step in which the output unit of the service server device outputs information indicating that the electronic contract has been completed when the electronic signatures of the first and second parties have been attached. The process includes the following steps.

[0014] According to a second embodiment of the present invention, when accessing a service server device from a first party terminal, an account having a contract authority attribute is used, and in a contract authority designation acceptance step, a contract authority designation acceptance unit accepts from the first party the designation of an authority account of the first party that has contract authority to issue an electronic signature, and in a contract authority storage step, a contract authority storage unit associates the authority account related to the first party with the contract document data and further stores it, and in an electronic signature step, in response to a request from the first party terminal, compares whether the account being accessed from the first party terminal matches the authority account related to the first party, and if they match, adds the electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data.

[0015] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic contract processing method which, prior to the contract authority designation acceptance step, includes a step of sending a message from the service server device to the second party terminal confirming that the account belongs to the genuine owner, a step of sending from the second party terminal to the service server device a message indicating that the content of the message has been agreed to, and only if agreement is given, processes the account as a valid account to be verified in the electronic signature step.

[0016] According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the sender and the first party, and the sender terminal and the first party terminal may all be the same.

[0017] According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, a configuration may be adopted in which, each time the service server device receives contract document data or each time electronic signature information is added to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, a transaction related to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data is issued, and recording to the blockchain is performed based on the transaction.

[0018] According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, an electronic contract service system is provided which has a service server device for conducting electronic contracts over a communication network, a sender terminal of a sender which transmits contract document data to the service server device, a first party terminal of a first party which is one side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically, and a second party terminal of a second party which is the other side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically.

[0019] In this system, when accessing the service server device from at least the second party terminal, an account having a contract authority attribute is used, and the service server device comprises a contract document receiving unit that receives contract document data from the sender terminal, a contract authority designation receiving unit that receives from the second party the designation of an authority account among the second party that has contract authority to issue an electronic signature, a contract authority storage unit that stores the contract document data in association with the authority account, a notification unit that notifies at least the second party, as necessary, that the contract document data has been accepted, an electronic signature processing unit that, in response to a request from the first party terminal, adds the first party's electronic signature information to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, and, in response to a request from the second party terminal, verifies whether the account being accessed from the second party terminal matches the authority account, and, if they match, adds the second party's electronic signature information to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, and an output unit that outputs information that the electronic contract has been completed when the electronic signature information of the first and second parties has been added.

[0020] According to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, when accessing a service server device from a first party terminal, an account having a contract authority attribute is used, and the contract authority designation receiving unit receives from the first party the designation of an authority account among the first party that has contract authority to issue an electronic signature, the contract authority storage unit further stores the authority account related to the first party in association with the contract document data, and the electronic signature processing unit, in response to a request from the first party terminal, verifies whether the account being accessed from the first party terminal matches the authority account related to the first party, and if they match, adds the electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data.

[0021] According to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, the service server device may be configured to send a message to the second party terminal in advance to confirm that the account belongs to the genuine owner, receive consent to the contents of the message from the second party terminal, and process the account as a valid account to be verified by the electronic signature processing unit only if consent is given.

[0022] According to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, the sender and the first party, and the sender terminal and the first party terminal may all be the same.

[0023] According to a tenth embodiment of the present invention, each time the service server device receives contract document data or each time electronic signature information is added to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, a transaction related to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data may be issued, and recording to the blockchain may be performed based on the transaction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The present invention has the following advantages due to the above-described configuration. In a system that uses an account with a contract authority attribute when accessing a service server device, the second party specifies in advance the authority account of the second party that has the contract authority to issue an electronic signature, and the authority account is stored in association with the contract document data and a hash value based on the contract document data, so that the second party's contract conclusion authority is set at the second party's own responsibility. Therefore, when the contract document data is accepted and both parties sign, the legitimacy of the second party's authority to conclude the contract can be ensured, thereby ensuring the safety of the transaction.

[0025] Similarly, for the first party, the first party will designate in advance an authorized account within the first party that has the authority to enter into a contract by electronic signature.The first party's authority to enter into a contract will also be set at its own responsibility, ensuring the security of transactions between both parties.

[0026] In particular, by sending a message to the second party terminal confirming that the account belongs to the genuine owner and recording the second party's consent, it helps the second party accurately understand the legal implications of the establishment of the authority to enter into a contract. At the same time, it can store a record of the establishment of the power of attorney to enter into a contract based on this record.

[0027] Furthermore, by recording these contract procedures on the blockchain, tampering with the records can be prevented, improving the reliability of electronic contracts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic contract service system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a service server device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a first party terminal according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of an electronic contract processing method according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is an overall view of an information management platform system according to the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a platform server device according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a service server device according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart of an information processing method (contract document data registration) according to the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart of an information processing method (digital signature) of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart of an information processing method (data inquiry) of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples shown in the drawings, but the embodiments are not limited to the following. Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic contract service system (1) (hereinafter referred to as the present system) according to the present invention. The present system (1) comprises a service server device (10) for conducting electronic contracts over a communication network (N) such as the Internet, a sender terminal (20') of a sender that transmits contract document data to the service server device (10), a first party terminal (20) of a first party who is one side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically, and a second party terminal (30) of a second party who is the other side of the contract and signs the contract document data electronically.

[0030] Additionally, the present invention is preferably configured to store contract data on a blockchain (BC), and for this purpose, the platform server device (410) disclosed in Cited Document 4 can be used. This point will be described later.

[0031] In this embodiment, the sender and the first party are the same entity, and hereinafter, the sender terminal (20') will be described as being the same terminal as the first party terminal (20). However, it is not necessarily the first party that sends the contract document data to the service server device (10), and it may be another sender.

[0032] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the service server device 10 according to the present invention. The service server device 10 is configured by a known computer. The CPU (100) has the following processing units: an account management unit (101), a contract document acceptance unit (102), a contract authority designation acceptance unit (103), a contract authority storage unit (104), a notification unit (105), an electronic signature processing unit (106), a message transmission / reception unit (107), and an output unit (108).

[0033] It also includes a network adapter (11) for communicating with a communication network (N), a contract authority DB (12) for storing authority accounts by a contract authority storage unit (104), and a contract document DB (13) for storing contract document data received by a contract document receiving unit (102) or a hash value calculated from the contract document data using a hash function.

[0034] The account management unit (101) performs login processing from the first party terminal (20) and the second party terminal (30) and manages the accounts of each user of the first party and the second party. The account to log in to can be one that provides a well-known login method, and various authentication methods can be applied, such as one that uses an ID and password, one that authenticates by sending an electronic certificate stored in the terminal, or two-step authentication using a smartphone.

[0035] The contract document receiving unit (102) receives contract document data from the first party terminal (20) (which may be another sender terminal as described above) and stores it in the contract document DB (13). (S1: Contract document receiving step) The contract authority designation receiving unit (103) receives, from the second party terminal (30), the designation of an authority account of the second party that has contract authority to issue an electronic signature (S2: contract authority designation receiving step).

[0036] Here, the order of the contract document acceptance step (S1) and the contract authority designation acceptance step (S2) does not matter, and the designation of the second party's contract authority may be generally defined regardless of the contract document data, so it may be performed prior to the contract document acceptance step (S1).

[0037] The contract authority storage unit (104) stores the contract document data in association with the designated authority account in the contract authority DB (12) (S3: contract authority storage step). Associating the contract document data with the authority account, a separate authority account may be defined for each contract document data, or a fixed authority account may be defined for the contract document data with which the second party enters into a contract.

[0038] The notification unit (105) notifies the second party when the contract document data is accepted or stored in the contract document DB (13) (S4: contract notification step).

[0039] The electronic signature processing unit (106) performs the following operations in any order in response to a request from the first party terminal (20): adding (including updating) the first party's electronic signature or electronic signature information, such as a flag indicating that an electronic signature has been made, to either the contract document data or a hash value calculated from the contract document data using a predetermined hash function; and in response to a request from the second party terminal (30), checking whether the account being accessed from the second party terminal (30) matches the authority account stored in the contract authority DB (12), and if they match, adding (including updating) the second party's electronic signature information to the contract document data (S5: Electronic Signature Step).

[0040] The message transmitting / receiving unit (107) performs the processes of transmitting a message to the second party terminal (30) confirming that at least the authority account belongs to the genuine owner, and receiving from the second party terminal an agreement to the contents of the message. In this case, the digital signature processing unit (106) effectively verifies whether the authority accounts match only when an agreement is received.

[0041] 3 is a block diagram of the first party terminal (20) according to the present invention. The second party terminal (30) is the same except that the contract document transmission unit (212) is not required. The first party terminal (20) can be implemented as a known personal computer, tablet, mobile phone terminal, or the like. The CPU (21) is connected to a network adapter (22) for communicating with known input means (not shown) and a communication network (N).

[0042] The CPU (21) has processing units including a contract authority designation transmission unit (211), a contract document transmission unit (212), a message transmission / reception unit (213), and a display unit (214).

[0043] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the electronic contract processing method according to the present invention. In the present invention, when a first party and a second party enter into an electronic contract via a service server device (10), an account management unit (101) of the service server device (10) manages the accounts of the first party terminal (20) and the second party terminal (30). The accounts are, for example, the email addresses of users.

[0044] The administrator of the first party terminal (20) logs in (S10). In this embodiment, the first party also designates the contract authority. At this time, the message transmitting / receiving unit (107) of the service server device (10) transmits the following message, which the display unit (214) displays on the screen of a display means (not shown).

[0045] TIFF2025022214000002.tif70166

[0046] Regarding this display, unless the administrator "approves" the contents of the message, contract authority cannot be specified. If approval is given, the contract authority can be set from the user's account on the first-party terminal. For example, a list of user accounts can be displayed, and an account with contract authority can be selected and specified from the list.

[0047] The information on the designated contract authority is transmitted from the contract authority designation transmitting unit (211) to the contract authority designation receiving unit (103) (S11). The order of the administrator's "approval" message and the designation of contract authority may be reversed; if the contract authority is designated first, the contract authority information will not be sent unless the administrator "approves."

[0048] Similarly, the administrator of the second party terminal (30) logs in (S12) to the service server device (10). As above, a message is sent from the message sending / receiving unit (107) of the service server device (10), and the display unit (214) displays the message on the screen. Furthermore, contract authority cannot be designated unless the administrator of the second party terminal (30) "approves" the contents of the message, and if approved, contract authority can be set from the user's account of the second party terminal.

[0049] The information on the designated contract authority is transmitted (S13) from the contract authority designation transmitting unit (211) to the contract authority designation receiving unit (103). The order of the administrator's "approval" message and the designation of the contract authority may be reversed, and if the designation of the contract authority is made first, the information on the contract authority will not be transmitted unless the administrator "approves."

[0050] The contract authority account designation for the first party terminal (20) and the contract authority account designation for the second party terminal (30) are both accepted by the contract authority designation acceptance unit (103), and then the contract authority storage unit (104) stores them in the contract authority DB (12) (S14). The contents of the contract authority DB (12) are as follows:

[0051] [Table 1]

[0052] The contract authority database defines the name, email address, and scope of authority for each party. For example, when Company A is the first party, contract authority is granted only when they log in with the email addresses of Director X and President Y. Similarly, when Company B is the second party, contract authority is granted only when they log in with the email addresses of Section Manager X and President Y.

[0053] Let's continue the explanation as an electronic contract between Company A and Company B. The contract document data to be concluded with Company B is transmitted (S15) from the contract document transmission unit (212) of the first party terminal (20) of Company A to the contract document reception unit (102) of the service server device (10). The contract document data may be stored in the contract document DB (13) immediately, or the user of Company A at X@aaa.com or Y@aaa.com may digitally sign (S16) the transmitted contract document data before storing (S17).

[0054] When the contract document data is stored (S17), the notification unit (105) notifies the second party terminal (30) that the contract document data has been accepted (S18). This notification is sent, for example, by e-mail. The notification unit (105) can refer to the contract authority DB (13) and send the notification to users who have been designated as contract authorities at Company B, Section Manager X, and President Y.

[0055] The contract amount included in the contract document data may be compared with the conditions of the authority range set in the contract authority DB, and the data may be sent to an authorized account that meets the conditions according to the contract amount. The authority range is not limited to the amount, and for example, the name of the other party, region, contract object, contract date, contract period, etc. may be set for each authorized account, allowing for flexible specification of the range in which electronic signatures are permitted.

[0056] The contract document data sent from the first party terminal (20) may include the designated person in charge of signing at Company B. For example, if X@bbb.com is designated and sent, it is possible to notify only X@bbb.com that the contract document data has been stored (S17).

[0057] Upon receiving the notification, either Section Manager X or President Y of Company B logs into the service server device (10) using their own email address and affixes an electronic signature (S19). The electronic signature processing unit (106) checks (S20) whether the account used to affix the electronic signature is an authorized account, and if they match, adds the second party's electronic signature information to the contract document data. This adds electronic signature information from both parties, and the contract is considered complete (S21).

[0058] The output unit (108) can notify the first and second party terminals of the completion of the contract by email (S22) (S23). Note that the output from the output unit (108) is not limited to email, and the service server device (10) may simply display on its screen that the digital signature information of both parties has been added to the contract document data and that the contract has been concluded, and any output method is acceptable.

[0059] As is clear from the above procedure, according to the electronic contract method of the present invention, if the first party, Company A, mistakenly specifies the email address of Company B's Z (Z@bbb.com) as the person in charge of the electronic contract, even if Z attempts to sign an electronic signature, since Z is not specified in the contract authority DB, the electronic signature cannot be performed, and fraudulent contracts can be eliminated. Furthermore, when combined with a blockchain, smart contracts in the blockchain prevent unauthorized signatures from being made. This point will be discussed later.

[0060] Previously, if Company A mistakenly designated Z of Company B as the person in charge of electronic signatures, and Z signed, the contract would appear to be concluded regardless of whether Company B had the authority to act on behalf of Z, which could have compromised the safety of the transaction. According to the present invention, when setting up contract authority, the administrator of Company B agrees to the message and specifies an authorized account with contract authority, so from Company A's perspective, whether or not contract authority exists is the responsibility of Company B, and transactions can be carried out with peace of mind.

[0061] In this system (1), assuming that each party is responsible for managing their own account on the service server device (10), there is no need to confirm contract authority outside this system (1) as in the past, and a highly practical electronic contract method can be provided.

[0062] In the present invention, it is desirable to record the contents of the contract document in a blockchain in order to prevent tampering and to preserve the history of the person who signs the electronic signature. The service server device (10) may be provided with a known block chain recording processing unit. In this embodiment, an example using an information management platform system provided by the applicant is shown.

[0063] 5 is an overall diagram of an information management platform system (41) according to the present invention. This system (41) comprises a plurality of service server devices (10) (420) that provide management services for desired data, a platform server device (410) that receives registration information, including hash values ​​of data, from the service server devices (10) (420), registers and queries the information in a blockchain (430), and authenticates the information, and a communication network (N), such as the Internet, that connects the service server devices (10) (420) and the platform server device (410). In the information management platform system (41), the service server device described in the claims of the present invention is realized by separating it into a service server device (10) and a platform server device (410) in the following embodiments.

[0064] The service server device can be connected to the service server device (10) of the electronic contract service system of the present invention as well as to a service server device (420) that provides management services for managing various data, and generally manages data sent from the user terminal (450) of a member who uses the management service and from connected devices (451)(451).

[0065] In this invention, data management is defined to encompass a variety of data-related processes, such as saving and storing data, searching, extracting, and transmitting data on request, authenticating the authenticity of data, and providing information such as the date of creation by referencing a timestamp and whether it has been updated since then.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the platform server device (410). The platform server device (410) provides an API (Application Programming Interface) to a plurality of service server devices (10) (420). Here, the platform server device (410) has a known web server function, and it is preferable that the API be a highly versatile web API. In other words, the API that receives data required for implementing the present invention from the service server devices (10) (420) can flexibly accommodate the higher-level services of various service server devices (10) (420).

[0067] The platform server device (410) has a general configuration of a server device placed on a known network, and can be configured by any computer such as a server, personal computer, workstation, etc. These hardware components are known, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] The platform server device (410) implements a processing unit that performs various processes using its CPU (411). That is, the minimum processing units required to record registration information in the blockchain are an information receiving unit (4111) that receives registration information through an API, a transaction issuing unit (4112) that issues a transaction related to the registration information upon receiving the registration information, and a smart contract processing unit (4113) that records the registration information in the blockchain based on the transaction from the transaction issuing unit (4112).

[0069] Furthermore, when registering data in the blockchain (430), a timestamp obtained from a time-stamp authority (not shown) can also be registered, thereby authenticating the time of the registered data and whether it has been altered. For this purpose, a time-stamp acquisition unit (4114) that acquires a timestamp from the time-stamp authority may be provided.

[0070] Furthermore, in order to search for data stored in the blockchain (430), the CPU (411) is provided with a query reception unit (4115) that provides an API to the service server device (10) (420) and receives at least a hash value for the registered information through the API, a search processing unit (4116) that searches whether a transaction of the queried hash value is recorded on the blockchain, and a result notification unit (4117) that notifies the service server device of the search results.

[0071] Blockchain (430) is a well-known technology, so a detailed explanation will be omitted, but it is a technology that makes tampering extremely difficult by linking multiple blocks like each other in a chain on a network such as the Internet, and the next block has a hash value that is a highly complex calculation of the information of the previous block.

[0072] Because blockchain (430) is often used for virtual currency transactions, the data stored therein is generally called a transaction record, but in this invention, this is applied to the storage of hash values ​​calculated from various data, and these hash values ​​are stored in chronological order in each block, which is a collection of records. In addition to the hash value, each block also stores the hash value of the block generated immediately before.

[0073] If someone were to attempt to tamper with the information in a previously generated block, the hash value calculated from the changed block would be different from the previous one, and the hash values ​​of all subsequent blocks would also have to be changed. Because blockchain blocks are distributed across the network and authenticity is determined by majority vote, such changes are practically difficult, resulting in a system that does not allow tampering.

[0074] FIG. 7 shows an additional configuration for the service server device (10) of the present invention to communicate with the information management platform system (41). The CPU (100) includes a hash calculation unit (109) that calculates a hash value from data using a predetermined formula, and a registration information transmission unit (111) that transmits at least the calculated hash value to a platform server device (410) as registration information.

[0075] Furthermore, in order to search for data stored in the blockchain (430), a hash value related to the registration information is sent from the registration information inquiry unit (112) using an API provided by the platform server device (410).The platform server device (410) then displays the search results for the hash value on the blockchain (430).For example, a list generation unit (113) that searches multiple data items at once and displays them in a list may also be provided.

[0076] In addition, data (1141) transmitted from a user terminal or connected device, additional information (1142) such as an ID or other information, and a hash value (1143) calculated by the hash value calculation unit (109) can be stored in a storage means (114) such as a hard disk. This allows the member to log in and refer to the data, and the registration information reference unit (112) can extract the hash value (1143) and perform processing.

[0077] The platform server device (410) and the service server device (10) are each equipped with a network adapter (415) (11) and communicate with each other via a communication network (N). The platform server device (410) can also communicate with the blockchain (430) via the communication network (N).

[0078] Conventionally, authentication systems using blockchain have consistently stored data, calculated hash values, executed smart contracts, and recorded them on the blockchain, but this system can provide a new system that provides a similar authentication process to end users through a separate operator.

[0079] FIG. 8 shows a processing method for registering contract document data. First, we will explain an example in which the first party terminal (20) has a contract sending person and a contract authorized person who signs electronically separately from the sending person, and the second party terminal (30) has a contract receiving person and a contract authorized person who signs electronically separately from the receiving person, and the sending person registers the contract document and sends it to the receiving person.

[0080] When the person in charge of transmission logs in to the service server device (10) from the first party terminal (20) (S30), since user management is performed on the platform server device (410) in this embodiment, an authentication request (S31) is sent to the platform server device (410), and if the authentication process is OK, a response to that effect is sent (S32).

[0081] When the user logs in and sends contract document data (PDF data) to the service server device (10), the blockchain is queried to determine the next step based on the contents of the contract document data. To do this, the hash value calculation unit (109) calculates a hash value using a predetermined hash function. The hash function can be determined arbitrarily, but well-known examples include SHA256 and RIPEMD160.

[0082] The hash value calculated at this time (hereinafter referred to as the first hash value) is used as the primary key on the blockchain.

[0083] Only the hash value is transmitted (S34) from the service server device (10) to the platform server device (410). In this way, it is not necessary to pass the contract document data to the platform server device (410), which is also a feature of the present invention. The platform server device (410) queries the blockchain for the first hash value (S35), and a search for the hash value is performed.

[0084] If the result shows that the first hash value has not been registered, the process proceeds to the next step, registration processing. If the first hash value has been registered but not signed (the signature flag is 0), the process responds that the first hash value has been registered, and the process proceeds to signature processing. Once the first hash value is registered and the signature is complete (if the signature flag is 1), an alert is returned indicating that the signature has been completed. In the present invention, the digital signature information is not limited to the digital signature data itself, and a signature flag may also be used.

[0085] If the contract document data (the hash value calculated from it) is not registered, the result of no hash value (no duplicate) is sent from the blockchain to the platform server device (410) (S36), and then sent from the platform server device (410) to the service server device (10) (S37), and the sending person proceeds to a screen where they can specify the receiving user, i.e., specify the recipient (S38).

[0086] A simple method for specifying the recipient is to register the email address of the person in charge of receiving the message. However, this is not limited to an email address; any other method can be used, such as selecting from a list screen or specifying an ID. In this embodiment, when an email address is entered, the service server device (10) queries the platform server device (410) for user information (S39).

[0087] The platform server device (410) searches for user information based on the user information it manages, and extracts information on the contract authorized person on the first party terminal (20) side from the email address of the person in charge of sending in the first party terminal (20) and the contract authorized person on the second party terminal (20) side from the email address of the person in charge of receiving, and returns the information as user information (S40).

[0088] The service server device (10) creates a signer list in accordance with the received user information. Through the above process, the contract document data corresponding to the first hash value is associated with the signatory list, and preparations are completed on the service server device (10) side. The result may be sent to the first party terminal (20) so that the sender can verify the displayed signer.

[0089] When the person in charge of transmission transmits this confirmation to the service server device (10) (S41), the process proceeds to the creation of a coded contract document to be sent to the person authorized to contract. The service server device (10) creates PDF data of the contract document by adding an identifiable QR code (registered trademark) to the contract document data. Then, a hash value calculation unit (109) calculates a hash value of this coded document. The calculated hash value is called a second hash value.

[0090] Next, the service server device (10) transmits the first hash value, the second hash value, and the signer list (S42) to the platform server device (410). The signer list can be transmitted as an email address or an ID on the platform server device.

[0091] The platform server (410) obtains the email addresses (if received as IDs, converted to email addresses) of the contracting authorities of the first party terminal (20) and the second party terminal (30) from the signatory list, and calculates the hash value of the email addresses. In addition, the IDs on the platform server device (410) are further converted into IDs for identifying users on the blockchain.

[0092] Now that the necessary information to write to the blockchain is gathered, the smart contract is activated. The smart contract transaction includes the first hash value, the second hash value, the ID of each contracting authority, the ID on the blockchain, and the hash value of the email address, and is written using the private key of the sender (S43).

[0093] In this embodiment, specific examples of data to be registered in the blockchain are as follows: TIFF2025022214000004.tif77166

[0094] The result of writing to the blockchain (success) is sent from the blockchain to the platform server device (410) (S44), and then sent from the platform server device (410) to the service server device (10) (S45). When the service server device (10) recognizes that the writing was successful, the contract document with the code becomes available for download to the person in charge of sending.

[0095] The person in charge of sending downloads the contract document with the code from the service server device (10), attaches it to an email or the like to the person authorized to contract within the company (first party terminal), and requests that the contract document data be digitally signed. This completes the registration of the contract document data.

[0096] In this embodiment, the contract document data is not stored for a long period of time in the service server device 10, but is stored for a short period of time until the authorized person for the contract issues an electronic signature. Of course, the data may be stored in the service server device 10 even after the contract is completed, or conversely, it may be deleted when the person in charge of transmission downloads the coded document.

[0097] The service server device (10) can store contract information and information on parties involved in the contract (person in charge of transmission, person authorized to contract) as appropriate. For example, the calculated hash value may be stored in the hash value data (1143) of the storage means (114) in association with the data (1141) related to the contract document data.

[0098] The service server device (10) can store not only the electronic file and hash value of the document but also various other data in association with it in order to provide the user with a contract document data management service. Table 2 shows an example.

[0099] [Table 2]

[0100] In Table 2, from the left, there is a management number as a serial number of the data, the date the contract document data was registered, the calculated hash value, the signature status, the file name of the electronic file, the transaction date if a transaction was made, and the transaction amount. The additional information generation unit (110) of the service server device (10) generates and records each piece of information. The signature status is entered as the email address of the party who signed the contract document data.

[0101] When recording in the blockchain, additional information can be selected appropriately from among such various additional information (1142). In this embodiment, the registration information includes an email address designated for signing. That is, the registration information sending unit (111) sends the hash value "1234abc" and the signature "X@aaa.com, Y@bbb.com" to the platform server device (410).

[0102] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart for a person authorized to sign a contract to sign an electronic signature. When the contract authority of the first party terminal logs in to the service server device (10) (S50), an authentication request (S51) is sent to the platform server device (410), and if the authentication process is successful, a response to that effect is returned (S52).

[0103] Then, while logged in, the contract authority uploads the code-attached contract document sent by the sender via email or the like to the service server device (10) (S53). The service server device (10) uses the hash value calculation unit (109) to calculate a hash value from the PDF file of the uploaded code-attached contract document. This hash value is confirmed with the platform server device (410) (S54), and the platform server device (410) queries the blockchain (S55). At this time, since the hash value corresponds to the second hash value, the service server device (10) may convert it to the first hash value as a primary key based on the hash value data (1143).

[0104] The hash value is searched for in the blockchain, and if the search result shows that the data is present and unsigned (signature flag is 0), a hash confirmation (S56) is returned, and the platform server device (410) notifies the service server device (10) of the result OK (S57). At this point, the service server device (10) displays a signature screen on the first party terminal, and the contracting authority presses a button to agree to the signature to sign electronically (S58).

[0105] Once the electronic signature is made, the service server device (10) sends the second hash value (which may be the first hash value as described above) and information indicating that the signature has been made with a signature flag set to 1 to the platform server device (410). The platform server device (410) encrypts the second hash value and the signature flag 1 with the private key of the contract authority as a transaction (S60) and executes the smart contract.

[0106] The blockchain identifies the ID on the blockchain: C-HLFID by decrypting it with the attached certificate, and if it matches the ID in the hash information on the blockchain that was stored during the contract document data registration process, it updates the signature information. As is well known, registration on the blockchain means that a new block is linked. From then on, the latest information in this smart contract will have the signature flag for the contract authority set to 1, so even if the contract authority on the first party terminal tries to sign again, the hash value query (S55) will result in a signed alert.

[0107] If the writing to the blockchain is successful, the result is returned to the platform server device (410) and the service server device (10) in turn (S61) (S62), and the digital signature processing is completed. At the second party terminal (30), the person authorized to contract similarly processes the electronic signature according to the flowchart of FIG. 9, and both parties to the contract can sign.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, the service server device (10) sends (S63) a second hash value (which may be the first hash value as described above) to the timestamp API of the platform server device (410) to assign a timestamp. The platform server device (410) obtains the timestamp by querying the time server.

[0109] As a transaction (S64), the acquired timestamp token, the first hash value, and the second hash value are encrypted with the contract authority's private key, and the smart contract is executed. The blockchain again identifies the ID on the blockchain: C-HLFID by decrypting it with the attached certificate, and if it matches the ID in the hash information on the blockchain stored during the contract document data registration process, the signature information is updated. If the writing to the blockchain is successful, the result is returned to the platform server device (410) and the service server device (10) in turn (S65) (S66), and the process of adding the timestamp is completed.

[0110] Regarding transactions to the blockchain, when registration information is received through an API provided by an information receiving unit (4111) of the platform server device (410), a transaction issuing unit (4112) issues a transaction related to the registration information. Furthermore, a smart contract processing unit (4113) records the registration information to the blockchain (430) based on the transaction from the transaction issuing unit.

[0111] As a result of this series of steps, the hash value and signature status of the contract document data stored in the service server device (420) are recorded in the blockchain (430), making it impossible to change, for example, the content of the contract document data or the signatory. At the same time, the platform server device (410) only temporarily receives the hash value and the signer's information, so it does not incur the cost or risk of storing data, and the server can be operated with a very low load.

[0112] In addition, the hash value of the contract document data and the signature status are recorded on the blockchain (430), which can have the same effect as a so-called electronic signature. As mentioned above, even if you only store an email address in the signature status, it is recorded as information that cannot be tampered with, so it is possible to preserve the fact that the transaction was genuine.

[0113] The transaction date may be acquired by the time stamp acquisition unit (4114) of the platform server device (410) from a time stamp authority and stored together in the blockchain (430). Alternatively, the service server device (10) may transmit the registration information including the signed date to the platform server device (410) and record it on the blockchain (430).

[0114] The registration result, whether registration was successful or failed, in the record of the registration information in the blockchain (430) is sent to the service server device (10) and further notified to each party terminal.

[0115] Next, a processing method for inquiring about management data managed on the service server device (10) will be described with reference to FIG. The management data is queried in the logged-in state after logging in from the first party terminal (20) or the second party terminal (30). Specifically, the procedure can be considered to queried by opening the contract list screen or by pressing the update button.

[0116] When an inquiry is received, the registration information inquiry unit (112) of the service server device (10) calculates a hash value of the coded document and sends it to the inquiry reception unit (4115) of the platform server device (410). Here too, only the hash value is sent, so the platform server device (410) is not involved in the content of the data being handled at all.

[0117] The search processing unit (4116) searches the blockchain (430) to see if the hash value is recorded, and if a match is found, the result notification unit (4117) sends the information recorded therein, such as the signature flag, as the search result.

[0118] In the service server device (10), the list generation unit (113) updates the list of management data whose authenticity has been verified by the blockchain, and transmits it to the first party terminal (20) or the second party terminal (30). This result can be considered similar to that shown in Table 2. In other words, the management data recorded at the time of registration is searched for in the blockchain (430) and displayed as authenticated information.

[0119] In the present invention, the contract document data is not continuously stored in the service server device (10), and the contract information stored in the blockchain can be returned by sending the contract document data from each party terminal. The information sent to the platform server device (410) can be only a hash and does not include data. However, part or all of the data (1141) may be stored in the platform server device (410). For example, the database (414) of the upper level service may be stored in a storage means.

[0120] As described above, the service server device (10) according to the present invention may be operated in cooperation with the platform server device (410) to record contract document data in the blockchain. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1. Electronic Contract Service System 10. Service server device 100 CPU 101 Account Management Department 102 Contract Document Reception Department 103 Contract Authority Designation Reception Department 104 Contract authority storage unit 105 Notification Department 106 Electronic signature processing unit 107 Message sending and receiving unit 108 Output section 109 Hash value calculation unit 111 Registration Information Transmission Department 112 Registration Information Inquiry Department 113 List Generation Unit 114 Memory means 11 Network Adapters 12 Contract Authority DB 13 Contract Document DB 13 Contract Authority DB 20' Sender terminal 20 First party terminal 21 CPU 211 Contract Authority Designation Transmission Department 212 Contract Document Transmission Department 213 Message sending and receiving unit 214 Display section 22 Network Adapters 30 Second party terminal 41 Information Management Platform System 410 Platform server device 411 CPU 414 Database 415 Network Adapter 420 Service server device 430 Blockchain 450 user terminals 451 devices 4111 Information Reception Department 4112 Transaction Issuance Department 4113 Smart contract processing unit 4114 Time authentication acquisition unit 4115 Inquiry Reception Department 4116 Search processing unit 4117 Result Notification Department N Communication Network

Claims

1. A service server device for making electronic contracts over a communication network; a sender terminal of a sender that sends contract document data to the service server device; a first party terminal of a first party which is one of the parties to a contract and which electronically signs contract document data; a second party terminal of a second party which is the other party of the contract and which electronically signs the contract document data; An electronic contract processing method in an electronic contract service system having A configuration in which an account having a contract authority attribute is used when accessing the service server device from at least the second party terminal, a contract document receiving step in which a contract document receiving unit of the service server device receives contract document data from the sender terminal; a contract authority designation receiving step in which a contract authority designation receiving unit of the service server device receives, from the second party, designation of an authority account of the second party that has contract authority to make an electronic signature; a contract authority storage step in which a contract authority storage unit of the service server device stores the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in association with the authority account; In the electronic signature processing unit of the service server device, adding electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in response to a request from the first party terminal; In response to a request from the second party terminal, checking whether the account being accessed from the second party terminal matches the authorized account, and if they match, adding electronic signature information of the second party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data. and the electronic signature steps, in any order, a contract completion step in which an output unit of the service server device outputs information indicating that the electronic contract has been completed when the electronic signature information of the first party and the second party is added; The electronic contract processing method includes:

2. When the first party terminal accesses the service server device, an account having a contract authority attribute is used, In the contract authority designation receiving step, the contract authority designation receiving unit receives, from the first party, a designation of an authority account of the first party that has contract authority to make an electronic signature; In the contract authority storage step, the contract authority storage unit further stores the contract document data and the authority account related to the first party in association with each other; In the electronic signature step, In response to a request from the first party terminal, checking whether the account being accessed from the first party terminal matches the authorized account related to the first party, and if they match, adding electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data. The electronic contract processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. Prior to the step of accepting the contract authority designation, sending a message from the service server device to the second party terminal confirming that the account belongs to a genuine owner; a step of transmitting, from the second party terminal to the service server device, a notice of agreement with the contents of the message; Only if the consent is given, the account is processed as a valid account for verification in the electronic signature step.

3. The electronic contract processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The sender and the first party, and the sender terminal and the first party terminal are all the same; 3. The electronic contract processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

5. Each time the service server device receives the contract document data or each time electronic signature information is added to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, A transaction related to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data is issued, The transaction is recorded on the blockchain.

3. The electronic contract processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A service server device for making electronic contracts over a communication network; a sender terminal of a sender that sends contract document data to the service server device; a first party terminal of a first party which is one of the parties to a contract and which electronically signs contract document data; a second party terminal of a second party which is the other party of the contract and which electronically signs the contract document data; An electronic contract service system having: When accessing the service server device from at least the second party terminal, an account having a contract authority attribute is used; The service server device includes: a contract document receiving unit for receiving the contract document data from the sender terminal; a contract authority designation receiving unit that receives, from the second party, a designation of an authority account of the second party that has contract authority to make an electronic signature; a contract authority storage unit that stores the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data in association with the authority account; an electronic signature processing unit which, in response to a request from the first party terminal, adds electronic signature information of the first party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, and, in response to a request from the second party terminal, checks whether the account being accessed from the second party terminal matches the authority account, and, if they match, adds electronic signature information of the second party to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data; an output unit that outputs information indicating that the electronic contract has been completed when the electronic signatures of the first and second parties are added; An electronic contract service system comprising:

7. When accessing the service server device from the first party terminal, an account having a contract authority attribute is used, The contract authority designation receiving unit receives, from the first party, a designation of an authority account of the first party that has contract authority to make an electronic signature; the contract authority storage unit further stores the contract document data and the authority account related to the first party in association with each other; The electronic signature processing unit In response to a request from the first party terminal, a check is performed to determine whether the account being accessed from the first party terminal matches the authority account related to the first party, and if they match, electronic signature information of the first party is added to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data. The electronic contract service system according to claim 6.

8. the service server device transmits a message to the second party terminal in advance, the message confirming that the account belongs to a genuine owner; receiving from the second party terminal an agreement with the contents of the message; Only when the consent is given, the electronic signature processing unit processes the account as a valid account for verification.

8. An electronic contract service system according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The sender and the first party, and the sender terminal and the first party terminal are all the same; 8. An electronic contract service system according to claim 6 or 7.

10. Each time the service server device receives the contract document data or each time electronic signature information is added to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data, A transaction related to the contract document data or a hash value based on the contract document data is issued, The transaction is recorded on the blockchain.

8. An electronic contract service system according to claim 6 or 7.

Images