Information processing method, information processing device, and program

Abstract

To simplify exchange of business documents online.SOLUTION: An information processing device executes a process of storing business document data transmitted from a terminal device, an arbitrary code associated with the business document data, and identification information about an issuer of the business document data in association with one another, storing identification information about a receiver of the business document data in association with the stored business document data when receiving the code and the identification information about the receiver, and displaying the details of the business document data on a terminal device which the receiver operates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 21

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a technique that enables viewing of business documents (such as invoices) of an entire company or an entire corporate group and centralized management of the information.

[0003] For example, there is known an information processing device that includes a first memory unit that stores user information in which user identification information that identifies a user is associated with at least one piece of unique information for each user; a generation unit that generates a code for each user based on a predetermined rule using the unique information and the user identification information stored in the first memory unit; a second memory unit that stores business document information including the user identification information of a first user contained in the user information stored in the first memory unit; and a processing unit that, upon receiving a request to access the business document information from a second user whose user information is stored in the first memory unit, determines whether a first code of the first user and a second code of the second user match, and if the first code and the second code match, grants the second user access authority to the business document information created by the first user and stored in the second memory unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 049948 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There are cases where the issuer of a business document knows the recipient's company name or trade name, but does not know the person in charge at the recipient's company. For example, if the business document is an invoice, even in such a case, the invoice issuer's accounting staff will still need to issue the invoice in order to proceed with their work. For this reason, invoices have been issued on paper, addressed to the company name and accountant, etc., and mailed to the company's address. After receiving the name and email address from the recipient's accounting staff, the issuer would register this information and move to online communication. However, there was a problem in that the accounting staff of the invoice issuing party had to take the time to input the information of the invoice's accounting staff. There is also the problem that the other party's accounting staff will not provide any information other than their address (such as an email address). In one aspect, the present invention aims to simplify online exchange of business documents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing method is disclosed, in which a computer executes a process of storing business document data transmitted from a terminal device, an arbitrary code associated with the business document data, and identification information of an issuer of the business document data in association with each other, and upon receiving the code and identification information of a recipient of the business document data, storing the identification information of the recipient in association with the stored business document data, and displaying the contents of the business document data on a terminal device operated by the recipient. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In one embodiment, online exchange of business documents can be simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an invoice management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a terminal device after login. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an invoice management device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the invoice management device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of invoice data. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information displayed in a summary display section. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information displayed in a summary display section. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the processing of returned invoice data. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of outside contact data. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of attached file data. [Figure 11] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a history data storage unit; FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a history data storage unit; FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of data displayed on the information display unit in a history display mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of memo data. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an external contact list. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an external contact list. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a management screen when creating invoice data according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an invoice data management table according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an initial input screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an invoice data management table. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a management screen after authentication is completed according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a bill management system according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an invoice management system according to an embodiment.

[0010] In a bill management system 10 according to an embodiment, a bill management device 1 is connected to terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c via a network such as the Internet or a dedicated line.

[0011] Terminal device 2a is located in the accounting department of company A, terminal device 2b is located in company B, terminal device 2c is located in company C, etc. Terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c are devices located in the accounting department of different companies. Examples of terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c include desktop PCs, notebook PCs, tablet terminals, and smartphones.

[0012] The invoice management device 1 and terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c implement Web programs. The terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c exchange invoice data related to invoices with the invoice management device 1 via a Web browser. Note that in the present embodiment, the exchange of invoice data is illustrated, but an invoice is an example of a business document, and the present invention is not limited to the exchange of invoices. Other examples of business documents include estimates, order forms, electronic medical records, prescriptions, blood test result reports, etc. The following description will be given on the assumption that the invoice management system 10 is used by accounting staff at companies A, B, and C.

[0013] Each accounting staff member at Company A, Company B, and Company C creates an environment for accessing the invoice processing system built by the invoice management device 1 by registering as a user on the invoice management device 1 using the email address assigned to them.

[0014] Thereafter, for example, an accounting clerk at Company A operates the terminal device 2a, causing the invoice management device 1 to display a login screen on a monitor connected to the terminal device 2a. The accounting clerk can log in to the service provided by the invoice management device 1 by entering an email address and password into the login screen. The email address is an example of identification information that identifies the accounting clerk.

[0015] After logging in, the terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c can execute processes related to invoice data, which is the electronic version of the original invoice, via the invoice management device 1. Types of processes include, for example, creating, sending and receiving, viewing, and editing invoice data.

[0016] For example, when an accounting clerk at Company A issues an invoice to Company B, the accounting clerk at Company A operates the terminal device 2a to create an invoice with Company B as the invoice recipient on the management screen that is displayed after logging in. Then, the accounting clerk transmits invoice data that specifies the email address of the accounting clerk (recipient) at Company B as the delivery address of the created invoice. The transmitted invoice data is stored by the invoice management device 1.

[0017] That is, instead of directly exchanging invoice data between terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c, all invoice data created by terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c and sent to the invoice recipient is stored by the invoice management device 1 and treated as shared data. Then, the invoice management device 1 gives the terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c the authority to view and edit the invoice data as necessary. In this way, the original invoice itself can be digitized and processed electronically, eliminating the need to manage and store paper or PDF invoices.

[0018] As described above, invoice data is not directly exchanged between the terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c. However, in the following description, for the sake of ease of understanding, for example, when an accountant at company A sends invoice data addressed to the email address of an accountant at company B, As with the general exchange of invoice data, the expression "the accounting staff receives the invoice data" may be used. It is preferable that when bill data is exchanged between the bill management apparatus 1 and each of the terminal devices 2a, 2b, 2c, the bill data is encrypted. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the terminal device after login. A management screen 110 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal device 2a. As shown in Figure 2, accounting staff can create, issue, view, edit, etc. invoice data in a manner similar to that of e-mail software.

[0019] In the above example, the accounting staff of Company A cannot rewrite invoice data once it has been sent. Also, the accounting staff of Company B cannot rewrite the invoice data. If there is a problem with the invoice data, a different version of the invoice data will be reissued. Also, the old version of the invoice data is not discarded but is stored in the invoice management device 1 and can be viewed at any time. Furthermore, the invoice management device 1 also manages the version number of the invoice data, making it easy to search for new version of invoice data from old version of invoice data and search for old version of invoice data from new version of invoice data. The management screen 110 will be described in detail later. The disclosed invoice management system will now be described in more detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the invoice management apparatus according to the embodiment.

[0020] The invoice management apparatus 1 is entirely controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to the CPU 101 via a bus .

[0021] The RAM 102 is used as the main storage device of the invoice management apparatus 1. The RAM 102 temporarily stores at least a part of the OS program and application programs executed by the CPU 101. The RAM 102 also stores various data used in processing by the CPU 101.

[0022] A hard disk drive (HDD) 103, a graphics processing unit 104, an input interface 105, a drive unit 106, and a communication interface 107 are connected to the bus 108.

[0023] The hard disk drive 103 magnetically writes and reads data to and from the built-in disk. The hard disk drive 103 is used as a secondary storage device for the invoice management device 1. The hard disk drive 103 stores the OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory can also be used as the secondary storage device.

[0024] A monitor 104a is connected to the graphics processing device 104. The graphics processing device 104 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 104a in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 101. Examples of the monitor 104a include a display device using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and a liquid crystal display device.

[0025] A keyboard 105a and a mouse 105b are connected to the input interface 105. The input interface 105 transmits signals sent from the keyboard 105a and the mouse 105b to the CPU 101. Note that the mouse 105b is an example of a pointing device, and other pointing devices can also be used. Examples of other pointing devices include a touch panel, a tablet, a touch pad, and a trackball.

[0026] The drive device 106 reads data recorded on a portable recording medium such as an optical disc on which data is recorded so as to be readable by reflection of light, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory. For example, when the drive device 106 is an optical drive device, it reads data recorded on an optical disc 200 using laser light or the like. Examples of the optical disc 200 include Blu-ray (registered trademark), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DVD-RAM, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and CD-R (Recordable) / RW (ReWritable).

[0027] The communication interface 107 is connected to a network 50. The communication interface 107 transmits and receives data via the network 50 to and from other computers or communication devices.

[0028] The processing functions of this embodiment can be realized with the above hardware configuration. Note that, although the hardware configuration of the invoice management device 1 is shown in Fig. 3, other computers such as the terminal device 2a can also be realized with a similar hardware configuration. The invoice management device 1 having the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3 has the following functions. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functions of the invoice management device according to the embodiment.

[0029] The invoice management device 1 has a data processing unit 11, an invoice data storage unit 12, an external contact data storage unit 13, an attachment data storage unit 14, a history data storage unit 15, and a memo data storage unit 16.

[0030] 2 on the terminal device 2a etc. in response to the operation of the accounting staff. The data processing unit 11 executes processing in response to the exchange of invoice data carried out via the management screen 110. For example, the data processing unit 11 distributes and stores in each storage unit the invoice data received by the invoice management device 1, external contacts (described later) and memos created by the accounting staff, etc.

[0031] The invoice data storage unit 12 stores invoice data received by the invoice management device 1 for each accounting clerk (specifically, for each email address of the accounting clerk). The invoice data received by the invoice management device 1 includes the contents of invoices sent by the invoice source accounting clerk to the invoice destination accounting clerk, and the contents of invoices created as a draft by the invoice source accounting clerk (issuer). FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the invoice data. In this embodiment, the data is stored in the form of a table.

[0032] The invoice data management table T1 has columns for invoice ID, transmission / reception, transmission / reception date and time, person in charge status, other party status, person in charge address, person in charge name, and other party address. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other.

[0033] The invoice ID field stores an ID unique to the invoice data for managing the invoice data. This invoice ID is assigned to the invoice data by the data processing unit 11 when the invoice management device 1 receives the invoice data.

[0034] In the transmission / reception column, a classification is set to indicate whether the invoice data is received or sent from the accounting staff. Specifically, if it is received invoice data, "received" is set, and if it is sent invoice data, "sent" is set. The transmission / reception date / time field stores the most recent date / time when the invoice data was transmitted or received. The status of the invoice data (progress regarding processing) as viewed from the accounting clerk is set in the person in charge status column. The other party status field indicates the status of the invoice data as viewed by the accounting staff of the other party with whom the invoice data is being exchanged.

[0035] The statuses that can be set in the column of the person in charge status and the column of the other party status include "Unopened", "Returning", "Discarded by the other party", "Confirmed", "Paid", "Storage box", "Sent", "Returned", "Discarded", and "Payment completed". The contents of each status will be described in detail later. The person in charge address field stores the email address of the person in charge. The person in charge name column stores the department and name of the accounting person. The recipient address field stores the email address of the accounting person with whom the invoice data is exchanged.

[0036] In addition to the information shown in the figure, the information stored in the invoice data management table can include the company name of the accounting staff in question, the company name of the accounting staff with whom the invoice data is exchanged, the postal code, address, affiliation of each company, etc. <Management screen> The data processing unit 11 displays a management screen 110 shown in FIG. 2 on the terminal device 2a or the like in response to an operation by the accounting clerk.

[0037] The management screen 110 displays a user information display section 111, a status display section 112, a summary display section 113, an invoice display section 114, an external contact button 115, an attachment button 116, a history button 117, a memo button 118, an external contact list display button 119, a memo list display button 120, an information display section 121, and an information input section 122.

[0038] Information (user information) about the accountant who is logged in to the invoice management system is displayed on the user information display section 111. In Fig. 2, as an example, the name of the company to which the accountant belongs, the name of the department, the last name, and the email address of the accountant are displayed. The status display section 112 displays the number of invoice data handled by the accounting staff who are logged in to the invoice management system for each status. Roughly speaking, the status display section 112 has columns for the received box, drafts, sent box, and sent / received box. The data processing unit 11 assigns the invoice data addressed to the email address of the accounting staff to the inbox.

[0039] When the accounting staff selects the inbox, the data processing unit 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1. Then, among the invoice data whose staff address matches "bbb@xxmail.co.jp", the summary display unit 113 displays a summary of the invoice data whose transmission / reception column is "received".

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the status of invoice data assigned to the inbox can be "unopened," "in return," "discarded by recipient," "confirmed," "paid," or "stored."

[0041] The status "unopened" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been assigned to the inbox and that has not yet been confirmed by the accounting staff.

[0042] The status "Returning" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been assigned to the inbox and that the accounting clerk has returned to the accounting clerk who originally made the invoice.

[0043] The status "Discarded by other party" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been assigned to the inbox and that has been discarded by the billing accountant after the billing accountant returns the received invoice data to the billing accountant.

[0044] The status "Confirmed" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been assigned to the inbox and that has been viewed by an accounting staff member and for which the confirmation button (described later) has been selected.

[0045] The status "Paid" is assigned by the data processing unit 11 to invoice data assigned to the Inbox for which an accounting clerk has made a payment and selected the payment button (described later). Accounting staff can keep track of payment details by aggregating invoice data with a paid status.

[0046] The status "storage box" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has a status of "paid" and that the accounting staff moves to the storage box at any timing. The numbers displayed in the status display section 112 indicate the number of assigned statuses. For example, the unopened column of the status display section 112 displays the number of invoice data items that have not yet been checked by the accounting staff out of all the received invoice data items. It should be noted that no particular numbers are displayed in the storage box column of the status display section 112.

[0047] When the accounting staff wants to view the contents of the invoice data assigned to each box such as “Unopened”, “In return”, “Discarded by recipient”, “Confirmed”, “Paid”, and “Storage box”, they simply select the appropriate section in the status display section 112.

[0048] For example, when an accounting clerk selects the inbox, the data processing unit 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1. Then, the data processing unit 11 displays, in the summary display unit 113, a summary of the invoice data whose clerk address matches "bbb@xxmail.co.jp" and whose clerk status is "unopened." The data processing unit 11 assigns invoice data that has been created and saved by an accountant but has not yet been transmitted to the destination accountant to a draft. The data processing unit 11 assigns the invoice data sent by the accounting staff to a transmission box.

[0049] When the accounting staff member selects the transmission box, the data processing unit 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1, and displays in the summary display unit 113 an outline of the invoice data whose accountant address matches "bbb@xxmail.co.jp" and whose transmission / reception column is set to "transmission."

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the status of invoice data assigned to the Outbox includes "Sent," "Returned," "Discarded," "Payment," and "Storage."

[0051] The status "Sent" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been assigned to the Outbox and for which the accounting staff of the invoice recipient has not yet carried out the payment process.

[0052] The "returned" status is assigned by the data processing unit 11 to invoice data that has been assigned to the transmission box and that has been returned from the accounting staff of the invoice destination. The accounting staff can then process the invoice data that has been returned from the invoice destination.

[0053] The status "discarded" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has been returned from the invoice recipient's accounting clerk and that has been discarded by the invoice source's accounting clerk.

[0054] The status "paid" is assigned by the data processing unit 11 to invoice data assigned to the Outbox for which the billing accountant has confirmed the payment and selected the payment button (described later).

[0055] The status "storage box" is a status that the data processing unit 11 assigns to invoice data that has a status of "paid" and that the accounting staff moves to the storage box at any time. In the storage box column of the status display section 112, no particular number is displayed.

[0056] To view the contents of the invoice data stored in the "Sent", "Returned", "Discarded", "Payment" or "Storage" boxes, simply select the box.

[0057] As described above, summary display section 113 displays a summary of the invoice data corresponding to the status selected by the accounting staff in status display section 112. For received invoice data, the summary displayed includes the name of the billing company, the subject, the date and time of payment, and the status of the sender and receiver. These statuses are displayed identically on the management screens of both accounting staff who sent and received the invoice data. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information displayed in the summary display section.

[0058] Figure 6 shows a summary 113a of the invoice data displayed in the summary display section 113 of the management screen 110 viewed by the accounting clerk of the billing recipient, and a summary 113b displayed in the summary display section 113 of the management screen 110 viewed by the accounting clerk of the billing source.

[0059] That is, in the case of invoice data D1 shown in Fig. 6, in which the biller is ABC Co., Ltd. and the subject is XX work, the status is "Sent" in the status display section on the management screen of the terminal device operated by the biller's accounting clerk. When the biller's accounting clerk selects "Sent" in the status display section, the summary display section 113 displays that the billing destination is XX Co., Ltd., the subject is XX work, the billing destination's accounting clerk's status is "Sent", and the billing destination's accounting clerk's status is "Unopened".

[0060] In addition, by checking the status transition, the invoice source's accounting staff can easily check the progress of the invoice recipient's accounting staff. Therefore, accounting staff on both sides can check the current status of each invoice data in real time. The summaries 113c, 113d, and 113e shown in FIG. 7(a) all indicate summaries of the invoice data D2.

[0061] When the billing recipient's accounting clerk views the invoice data D2 and selects the confirmation button (described later), the data processing unit 11 changes the information displayed in the summary display section 113 of the management screen 110 of the terminal device operated by the billing source's accounting clerk from summary 113c to summary 113d.

[0062] Thereafter, when the billing recipient's accounting clerk performs the payment process for the invoice data D2 and selects the Paid button (described later), the data processing unit 11 changes the information displayed in the summary display section 113 of the management screen 110 of the terminal device operated by the billing source's accounting clerk from Summary 113d to Summary 113e. As another example, summaries 113f and 113g shown in FIG. 7(b) each indicate a summary of the invoice data D3.

[0063] When the accounting clerk of the billing recipient views the invoice data D3 and selects the return button (described later), the data processing unit 11 changes the information displayed in the summary display section 113 of the management screen of the terminal device operated by the accounting clerk of the billing recipient from summary 113f to summary 113g. Returning to FIG. 2 for further explanation.

[0064] When the accounting staff selects the summary of the invoice data displayed in the summary display area 113, the data processing unit 11 displays the details of the invoice data in the invoice display area 114. The contents of the invoice displayed in the invoice display area 114 are the same as existing (paper or PDF-based) invoices, except that it has an address display area 114a and various buttons described later.

[0065] When the accounting clerk views the invoice data assigned to the inbox, the data processing unit 11 displays the email address of the accounting clerk (from) who sent the invoice data in the address display unit 114a.

[0066] Furthermore, when an accounting clerk views invoice data assigned to the Drafts or Outbox, the data processing unit 11 displays the email address of the accounting clerk (to) who is the destination of the invoice. The data processing unit 11 may display the invoice ID of the invoice data on the invoice display unit 114. The accounting staff can process the invoice displayed in the invoice display section 114 on the management screen 110. Specifically, buttons for processing the invoice are displayed in the invoice display area 114 depending on the status of the invoice data. Figure 2 shows the buttons that are displayed when invoice data with a status of Unopened is selected. The invoice display section 114 is provided with a confirmation button 114b, a return button 114c, and a copy button 114d.

[0067] When the accounting staff member selects the Confirm button 114b, the data processing unit 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1. Then, the data processing unit 11 changes the staff member status of the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 to "Confirmed." The data processing unit 11 also decreases the number of "Unopened" in the status display unit 112 by one, and increases the number of "Confirmed" by one.

[0068] When the accounting staff selects the return button 114c, the data processing unit 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1. Then, it changes the staff status of the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 to "Returning" and the other party status to "Returned." The data processing unit 11 also decreases the number of "Unopened" in the status display unit 112 by one and increases the number of "Returning" by one. On the management screen of the accounting staff member who receives the returned invoice data, the returned number in the status display section will be incremented by one.

[0069] When the accounting staff selects the copy button 114d, the data processing unit 11 creates new invoice data in which the company names and addresses of the billing source and billing recipient of the invoice data are swapped. The data processing unit 11 then stores information about the created invoice data in the invoice data management table T1. At this time, the staff status of the invoice data becomes "draft" and the other party status becomes blank. <Return Processing> FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the processing of returned invoice data. The accounting clerk selects the status "Returned" and the invoice displayed in the summary display section 113

[0070] When an outline is selected, data processing unit 11 displays invoice data corresponding to the selected invoice outline in invoice display unit 114. In this case, the email address of the accounting clerk to whom the invoice is to be sent is displayed in address display unit 114a. The invoice display section 114 is provided with a correction button 114e and a discard button 114f.

[0071] When the accounting staff selects the correction button 114e, the data processing unit 11 changes the status of the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 to "Discarded." The data processing unit 11 also decreases the number in the "Returned" field in the status display unit 112 by one. History information is also added.

[0072] When the accounting staff selects the discard button 114f, the data processing unit 11 changes the status of the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 to "Discarded." This causes the numbers in the "Sent BOX" and "Returned" in the status display unit 112 to decrease by one. The accounting staff of the billing party and the accounting staff of the billed party can still view the destroyed invoice data even after it has been destroyed.

[0073] Specifically, the billing accountant can view the discarded invoice data by selecting "Discarded" in the status display section 112. The billing recipient's accountant can view the discarded invoice data by selecting "Discarded by recipient" in the status display section 112. Returning to FIG. 2 for further explanation.

[0074] The sending / receiving box is assigned with all the invoice data in the receiving box and sending box, excluding the discarded invoice data, the invoice data assigned to the storage box, and the invoice data assigned to the draft box. <External contact button>

[0075] When the accounting staff selects the external contact button 115, the data processing unit 11 switches the management screen 110 to an external contact input mode. In this external contact input mode, the data processing unit 11 stores a document (text data) that has been input to the information input unit 122 and confirmed by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard, etc., as an external contact in the external contact data storage unit 13 in association with the accounting staff's email address and the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of outside contact data. In this embodiment, the outside contact data is stored in the form of a table. The external contact data management table T2 has columns for ID, time, and text. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other.

[0076] The ID column stores the invoice ID of the invoice data (invoice data associated with the external contact data) that was displayed in the invoice display section 114 when the accounting staff created the external contact data. The contact address field stores the email address of the person who created the external contact data. The time column stores the date and time when the external contact data was created. The text column stores the content of the external communication.

[0077] In addition, in the external contact input mode, the data processing unit 11 refers to the external contact data management table T2 for the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114, and displays the external contacts entered so far in chronological order along with the confirmation date and time on the information display unit 121.

[0078] External contact information entered by the accounting staff of both the sender and the recipient of the invoice data is displayed on the information display section 121. Therefore, by using this external contact input mode, the accounting staff of both parties can communicate with each other like chatting.

[0079] In addition, other processes (downloading, converting to PDF) related to the invoice data displayed in the invoice data display area 114 by the accounting staff may be displayed in the information display area 121 together with the date and time when the process was performed. This allows both accounting staff to grasp the process history. <Attachment button>

[0080] When the accountant selects the attachment button 116, the data processing unit 11 switches the management screen 110 to attachment mode. In this attachment mode, the data processing unit 11 stores the attachment data that has been dragged and dropped into the information input unit 122 and confirmed by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard, in the attachment data storage unit 14 in association with the email address of the accountant and the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114. Examples of the attachment data include images, media, documents, contact information, etc. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the attached file data. In this embodiment, the attachment data is stored in the form of a table. The attachment data management table T3 has columns for ID, time, and attachment data. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The ID column stores the invoice ID of the invoice data that was displayed on the screen when the attached data was attached (the invoice data with which the attached data is associated). The time column stores the attachment date and time of the attached data. The name of the attached data is stored in the attached data column.

[0081] In addition, in the file mode, the data processing unit 11 refers to the attachment data management table T3 for the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114, and displays information about the attachments that have been attached so far in chronological order on the information display unit 121. <History button> The data processing unit 11 stores the operation history of both accounting staff in the history data storage unit 15. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of data stored in the history data storage unit. In this embodiment, the data is stored in the form of a table. The data processing unit 11 creates a history data management table T4 for each invoice data. If the version number is different, the history data management table T4 is different.

[0082] The history data management table T4 has columns for invoice ID, operation, transmission / reception date and time, person in charge status, other party status, person in charge address, and other party address. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other.

[0083] The operation column contains the operation performed by the accounting staff. The contents of the other columns are the same as those in the invoice data management table T1, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] 12, the version number data management table T5 has columns for a first version ID, a second version ID, and a third version ID. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other.

[0085] The first version ID field stores the invoice ID that is assigned by the data processing unit 11 when the accounting staff creates the invoice data and selects the save button (not shown) displayed on the management screen 110.

[0086] The second version ID column stores the invoice ID assigned by the data processing unit 11 when a second version of the invoice data to which a first version ID has been assigned is created and the save button (not shown) displayed on the management screen 110 is selected.

[0087] The third edition ID column stores the invoice ID assigned by the data processing unit 11 when a third edition of the invoice data to which a second edition ID has been assigned is created and the save button (not shown) displayed on the management screen 110 is selected.

[0088] 12 shows the columns for the first three versions, but when the fourth version of invoice data is created, the data processing unit 11 adds the invoice ID of the newly created invoice data to the column of the version data management table T5. The same applies to the fifth and subsequent versions.

[0089] When the accounting staff selects the history button 117, the data processing unit 11 switches the management screen 110 to a history display mode. Specifically, the data processing unit 11 refers to the history data management table T4 and the version number data management table T5, and displays the history of transactions of the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 in chronological order on the information display unit 121. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of data displayed on the information display section in the history display mode.

[0090] The information display section 121 displays a version number display section 121a that displays the version number of the invoice data, and a history display section 121b that displays the history of exchange of the invoice data.

[0091] The data processing unit 11 refers to the history data management table T4 and displays the exchange of invoice data in chronological order in the history display unit 121b. In the example shown in Fig. 13(a), it is described that the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114 was created and sent by Saito, the accountant at the sending end, that Teshima, the accountant at the receiving end, returned the invoice data, that Saito corrected the invoice data and created the second version of the invoice data, and that Saito discarded the first version of the invoice data.

[0092] Furthermore, when the accounting staff selects another version number, the data processing unit 11 refers to the version number data management table T5 to identify the corresponding invoice data. In the example shown in FIG. 12, for example, if the invoice ID of the first version of invoice data is "001", when the accounting staff selects the second version of invoice data, the data processing unit 11 identifies the invoice data with the invoice ID of "015". Then, the data processing unit 11 refers to the history data management table T4 to display the exchange of invoice data in chronological order in the history display unit 121b. In the example shown in FIG. 13(b), it is stated that the second version of invoice data created by Saito is in the draft stage. <Memo button>

[0093] When the accounting clerk selects the memo button 118, the data processing unit 11 switches the management screen 110 to memo input mode. In this memo input mode, the data processing unit 11 stores, as memos, characters entered into the information input unit 122 and confirmed by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard, or attached data attached to the information input unit 122 by drag-and-drop or the like, in the memo data storage unit 16 in association with the accounting clerk's email address and the invoice data displayed in the invoice display unit 114. This memo can only be viewed by the person who created it. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of memo data. In this embodiment, the memo data is stored in the form of a table.

[0094] The memo data management table T6 has columns for ID, time, text, attached data, and address. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The ID column stores the invoice ID of the invoice data (the invoice data to which the memo is associated) that was displayed on the screen when the accounting staff created the memo. The time column stores the creation date and time of the memo data. The text column stores the contents of the memo associated with the invoice data. The attached data column stores attached data associated with the invoice data.

[0095] The address column stores the email address of the person in charge of accounting who created the message or attached the attached data. That is, in the memo data management table T6, memo data is managed for each person in charge of accounting.

[0096] In addition, in the memo input mode, the data processing unit 11 refers to the memo data storage unit 16 and displays the memos that have been input so far in chronological order on the information display unit 121 regarding the invoice data displayed on the invoice display unit 114. <External Contact List Display Button>

[0097] When the accounting staff selects the external contact list display button 119, the data processing unit 11 refers to the external contact data memory unit 13 in which data related to external contacts is stored, and displays a list screen of external contacts (external contact list screen) related to invoices handled by the accounting staff in chronological order on the management screen 110. 15 and 16 are diagrams showing an example of the outside contact list.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 15, assume that accounting staff X exchanges external communications with accounting staff Y regarding invoice data α at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00 on the same day, and accounting staff X exchanges external communications with accounting staff Z regarding invoice data β at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30 on the same day.

[0099] In this case, an external contact list screen 119a as shown in Fig. 17 is displayed on the management screen of the terminal device operated by accounting staff X. This external contact list screen 119a displays records of external contacts exchanged with other accounting staff in chronological order, not in invoice data units.

[0100] This outside contact list screen 119a includes a search input section 119b. When the accounting staff X inputs a search word and presses the enter key (search request), the data processing section 11 identifies outside contacts that include matching documents.

[0101] 16, for example, when accounting staff X inputs "Thank you" into the search input section 119b and presses the Enter key, the data processing section 11 displays "Thank you" at 12:00 and "Thank you" at 12:30 as search results. When accounting staff X selects and clicks "Thank you" at 12:00, for example, the data processing section 11 displays the contents of invoice data α associated with the external contact data including the wording in the invoice display section 114. This allows easy locating of invoice data based on terms used in external communications.

[0102] The accounting staff may directly click on a word found on the external contact list screen 119a without inputting a search word in the search input section 119b. This operation also causes the data processing section 11 to display the contents of the invoice data associated with the external contact data including the word in the invoice display section 114. Next, the process for new registration will be described.

[0103] For example, if the email address of the billing recipient's accountant is unknown, the billing source's accountant creates bill data associated with a unique code on the management screen 110. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a management screen when creating invoice data according to the embodiment.

[0104] In the management screen 110 in FIG. 17, it is assumed that Mr. Suzuki, who is the billing accountant (the sender of the bill), does not know the name or email address of the accountant at X Corporation, the billing recipient company.

[0105] Suzuki-san inputs a code he has decided arbitrarily (hereinafter referred to as authentication code) "Xcorporation keiri" into the address display section 114a. The authentication code may include numbers and symbols and may be decided by anyone. It may also be automatically generated by a computer. It may also be a business partner code, a payee code, etc.

[0106] The invoice display section 114 is provided with a send button 114g, a delete button 114h, and a copy button 114d. When Suzuki selects the send button 114g, the data processing section 11 stores the entered information in the invoice data management table T1. When Suzuki selects the delete button 114h, the data processing section 11 deletes the draft without storing the entered information in the invoice data management table T1. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the invoice data management table according to the embodiment.

[0107] In the invoice data management table T1 shown in Figure 18, Mr. Suzuki's email address is set in the person in charge address field. Mr. Suzuki's name is set in the person in charge name field. The recipient address and recipient name fields are left blank. An authentication code is set in the authentication code field.

[0108] After that, Suzuki can mail a paper invoice to the accounting person at X Co., Ltd. Whether or not to mail a paper invoice is optional. When mailing the invoice, Suzuki encloses a document containing the URL for the invoice management system's initial screen (the screen used for initial registration) and an authentication code with the invoice. Note that the timing of mailing the invoice management system's initial screen URL and authentication code is optional, and it is not necessary to enclose the document.

[0109] Furthermore, the method of notifying the accounting staff of X Co., Ltd. of the URL and the authentication code is not limited to mailing, but various notification methods can be selected, such as telephone, fax, or inquiries on X Co., Ltd.'s website. Hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as "notification."

[0110] Mr. Sato, the accounting officer (recipient of the invoice) of X Corporation, who receives the notification, opens a browser and enters the URL for the initial input screen of the invoice management system. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the initial input screen. The initial input screen 130 is provided with an email address input section 131, an authentication code input section 132, and a new registration button 133.

[0111] Mr. Sato inputs the company email address assigned to him / her in email address input section 131. Mr. Sato also inputs the authentication code he / she received in authentication code input section 132. After that, he / she presses new registration button 133. The data processing unit 11 refers to the bill data management table T1 and searches for bill data in which an authentication code matching the input authentication code is set. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating the invoice data management table.

[0112] When the data processing unit 11 finds invoice data with a matching authentication code, it displays the found invoice data on the monitor of the terminal device operated by Mr. Sato. The data processing unit 11 also sets the email address entered in the email address input unit in the recipient address field of the invoice data management table T1. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a management screen after authentication is completed according to the embodiment.

[0113] The management screen 110 that can be viewed by Mr. Sato displays the "unopened" invoice issued by Mr. Suzuki. Mr. Sato can select the summary display section 113 to display the contents of the invoice data in the invoice display section 114.

[0114] By inputting user information such as company name and department name via management screen 110 at any time, Mr. Sato can store this information in the recipient name, department, etc. fields of invoice data management table T1.

[0115] As described above, according to the invoice management system 10, the invoice management device 1 stores in advance the invoice data sent from the terminal device 2a, the authentication code associated with the invoice data, and the identification information of the issuer of the invoice data in association with each other, and upon receiving the authentication code and the identification information of the recipient of the invoice data, it executes the following process: it associates the identification information of the recipient with the stored invoice data and stores it, and displays the contents of the invoice data on the terminal device operated by the recipient.

[0116] As a result, Mr. Suzuki only needs to transmit the URL and authentication code after sending the invoice data, and is freed from the troublesome procedures that follow. In other words, Mr. Sato, who receives the URL and authentication code, enters his own information into the invoice management system 10, saving Mr. Suzuki the trouble of having to enter Mr. Sato's information. Also, Mr. Suzuki can easily determine whether Mr. Sato of X Co., Ltd. has completed the procedure or not just by checking the status of the invoice he sent. Also, Mr. Sato can indicate to Mr. Suzuki that he has received the invoice data without sending a receipt confirmation email or the like.

[0117] Furthermore, even if Mr. Suzuki does not receive Mr. Sato's email address, Mr. Suzuki can exchange invoice data by Mr. Sato making a new registration on the initial input screen 130. Therefore, online exchange of business documents can be simplified.

[0118] Also, if Suzuki enters the company name "X Corporation" when inputting the authentication code in the address display section 114a, the authentication code "Xcorporation keiri" previously set by the data processing section 11 may be displayed in the address display section 114a. In this way, when sending invoice data to a company with multiple accounting staff, if the email address of the accounting staff of the invoice destination is known, it is sufficient to create invoice data addressed to that email address, and if the email address of the accounting staff of the invoice destination is unknown, the authentication code can be entered to create invoice data, which will automatically be assigned to the company.

[0119] Also, by inputting "Xcorporation keiri" in the address display section 114a, Mr. Sato and other accounting staff of X Corporation may be able to easily view all invoices that Mr. Suzuki issued to X Corporation using the authentication code "Xcorporation keiri". In this case, the data processing section 11 refers to the invoice data management table T1, and compiles all invoice data in which "Xcorporation keiri" is set in the authentication code field, and displays it on the management screen 110. As a result, the accounting staff of X Corporation can share the invoice data with other accounting staff of X Corporation as long as they know the authentication code.

[0120] Furthermore, once Sato has entered his email address and authentication code into the initial input screen 130 and is able to view the invoice data issued by Suzuki, he may use the invitation email function of the invoice management system 10 to send invitation emails to the email addresses of n accounting staff within X Co., Ltd., in order to have them join the group, thereby making it possible to share the invoice data issued by Suzuki with the n people.

[0121] In addition, accounting staff at ABC Co., Ltd. can share invoice data issued by each other by, for example, applying a certain regularity to the authentication code information (for example, the authentication code for Y Co., Ltd. may be "Ycorporation keiri") and sharing the authentication codes among themselves.

[0122] Furthermore, after sending the invoice addressed to X Co., Ltd. (even before Sato enters his email address and authentication code), Suzuki can use the invitation email function of the invoice management system 10 to send invitation emails to the email addresses of x in-house accounting staff at ABC Co., Ltd., to have them join the group, thereby enabling the invoice data addressed to X Co., Ltd. to be shared with x people.

[0123] Furthermore, even after the sender of the invoice (Mr. Suzuki) has confirmed the email address of the recipient (Mr. Sato), he or she may use the authentication code (by entering the authentication code in the address display section 114a) to create and send invoice data addressed to X Co., Ltd.

[0124] This means that, for example, Suzuki will not be affected even if Sato's email address changes, or if X Corporation's name changes, or if the companies merge, etc. In other words, by continuing to send invoice data using the authentication code "Xcorporation keiri", Sato can continue to receive invoice data even after the company name changes or mergers, etc.

[0125] Furthermore, by using a creative authentication code, for example, the scope of sharing of invoice data can be set to any scope, such as the entire company, a department, or a specific person in charge (shared by both the issuer and the recipient).

[0126] Also, instead of directly exchanging invoice data between the terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c, all invoice data created on the terminal devices 2a, 2b, and 2c and sent to the invoice recipient is stored by the invoice management device 1 and treated as shared data. Therefore, the accounting staff at the invoice recipient can obtain the original invoice by printing out the invoice data. In addition, since there is no need to perform electronic signature processing or time stamp processing, the hassle of converting paper invoices into PDF files for tax audits can be reduced. Furthermore, by providing a memo button 118, it is possible to centrally manage the common invoice data by associating the unique memos and attached data of the accounting staff with the common invoice data.

[0127] Furthermore, external contact information entered by the accounting staff of both the sender and receiver of the invoice data is displayed on the information display section 121. Therefore, by using this external contact input mode, the accounting staff of both parties can communicate with each other in a chat-like manner.

[0128] When the invoice data is sent, the information is stored in the invoice data management table T1, and the status of subsequent transactions is managed in this invoice data management table T1. This relieves the accounting staff from the task of manually inputting invoices into data sheets. The processing performed by the invoice management device 1 may be distributed among a plurality of devices.

[0129] In addition, in this embodiment, the invoice management device 1 is configured to include various storage units such as the invoice data storage unit 13, but this is not limited to the above, and each storage unit may be cloud-based and located in a separate location from the data processing unit 11.

[0130] Although the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other configuration or process may be added to the present invention.

[0131] The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In that case, a program is provided that describes the processing contents of the functions possessed by the invoice management device 1, 1a. The above processing functions are realized on the computer by executing the program on the computer. The program describing the processing contents can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and semiconductor memories. Examples of magnetic storage devices include hard disk drives, flexible disks (FDs), and magnetic tapes. Examples of optical disks include DVDs, DVD-RAMs, and CD-ROM / RWs. Examples of magneto-optical recording media include MOs (Magneto-Optical disks).

[0132] When distributing a program, for example, the program is recorded on a portable recording medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM and then sold. The program can also be stored in a storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0133] A computer that executes a program stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server computer in its own storage device. The computer then reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing according to the program. The computer can also read the program directly from a portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer can also execute processing according to the received program each time a program is transferred from a server computer connected via a network.

[0134] At least a part of the above processing functions can also be realized by electronic circuits such as a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a programmable logic device (PLD). [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1 Bill management device 2a, 2b, 2c Terminal equipment 10. Invoice Management System 11 Data Processing Section 12 Invoice data storage unit 13 External Contact Data Storage Unit 14 Attachment data storage unit 15 History data storage unit 16 Memo data storage section 130 Initial input screen 131 Email address input section 132 Authentication code input section 133 New registration button T1 Invoice data management table T2 External contact data management table T3 Attachment Data Management Table T4 History Data Management Table T5 Version number data management table T6 Memo data management table

Claims

1. The computer It functions as a system for managing business document data sent from terminal devices, When an issuer of the business document data creates the business document data using a terminal device, the issuer inputs an arbitrary code instead of the identification information of the recipient of the business document data, storing the business document data transmitted from the terminal device, the code, and the identification information of the issuer in association with each other; When input of the code and the recipient's identification information of the business document data is accepted, the recipient's identification information is stored in association with the stored business document data, and the contents of the business document data are displayed on a terminal device operated by the recipient, thereby enabling the recipient to access the business document data using the recipient's identification information from the second time onwards.

2. An information processing method comprising:

2. A storage unit which stores business document data transmitted from a terminal device operated by an issuer of the business document data, an arbitrary code which the issuer inputs in place of identification information of a recipient of the business document data when creating the business document data using the terminal device, and identification information of the issuer of the business document data in association with each other; a control unit that, upon receiving an input of the code and the identification information of a recipient of the business document data, stores the identification information of the recipient in association with the business document data stored in the storage unit and displays the contents of the business document data on a terminal device operated by the recipient, thereby enabling the recipient to access the business document data using the identification information of the recipient from the second time onwards; 13. An information processing device comprising:

Images