Digital product management support method, digital product management support device, digital product management support program and digital product management support system

Abstract

To provide a digital product management support method, a digital product management support device, a digital product management support program, and a digital product management support system that enable a business operator having a product to raise funds before selling the product.SOLUTION: A dealing terminal 20 requests a distributed ledger system 70 to register a transaction including owner information in which a purchaser of a digital product is an owner and a fact that a seller has a right to claim payment. When a deposit notification of a purchase amount of the digital product is received, the dealing terminal 20 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register a transaction including the fact that there is no right to claim payment. When an actual product is sold, the dealing terminal 20 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register a transaction including the fact that the purchaser of the actual product is the owner of the digital product and a location of the actual product is registered as a location of the digital product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a digital product management support method, a digital product management support device, a digital product management support program, and a digital product management support system. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various methods of raising funds, such as issuing corporate bonds, borrowing, financing, and factoring. For example, in the factoring technology of Patent Document 1, the procedure for purchasing accounts receivable is realized using a computerized digital product management support system.

[0003] Factoring is secured by accounts receivable. In other words, accounts receivable (receivables) arise when a business sells goods. A factoring company purchases these accounts receivable, allowing the business to raise funds. The funds raised in this case are the price minus a fee.

[0004] After the funds are raised, the business receives the accounts receivable from the purchaser of the product, and then the business pays the accounts receivable to the factoring company. The electronic commerce support system of Patent Document 1 makes it possible to reduce the manual administrative burden and quickly purchase accounts receivable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-109224 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As mentioned above, factoring assumes that an invoice will be issued after the goods are sold, so funds cannot be raised until accounts receivable (accounts receivable) are generated. Businesses that have products may want to raise funds before selling the products, but this is difficult to achieve with the above-mentioned factoring.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a digital product management support method, a digital product management support device, a digital product management support program, and a digital product management support system that enable businesses that own products to raise funds before selling the products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the digital product management support method of the present invention is a digital product management support method in which, when a digital product related to a real product is traded, a computer of a trading terminal executes the following steps, wherein, when a commercial transaction of the digital product is made, the computer makes a request to a database institution under the communication network to register a transaction including owner information that makes the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product and that the seller of the digital product has a right to claim payment; when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, the computer makes a request to the database institution to register a transaction including information that the seller of the digital product does not have a right to claim payment; when a sale of the real product is made, the computer makes a request to the database institution to register a transaction that makes the purchaser of the real product the owner of the digital product and registers the location of the real product as the location of the digital product; and when the payment date according to the sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product is due, the computer notifies a terminal of a financial institution via the communication network of payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product.

[0009] In this specification, transaction information for commercial transactions is called a transaction. Furthermore, the digital product management support device of the present invention is a digital product management support device that is capable of communicating with a plurality of terminals and database institutions via a communications network, and that supports the management of transactions of digital products related to physical products, and includes: a first registration request unit that, when a commercial transaction of the digital product occurs, requests the database institution under the communications network to register a transaction including owner information that makes the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product and information that the seller of the digital product has a right to claim payment; a second registration request unit that, when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communications network, requests the database institution to register a transaction including information that the seller of the digital product does not have a right to claim payment; a third registration request unit that, when a sale of the physical product occurs, requests the database institution to register a transaction that makes the purchaser of the physical product the owner of the digital product and includes information that the location of the physical product is registered as the location of the digital product; and a payment notification unit that, on the payment due date pursuant to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product, requests payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communications network to a terminal of a financial institution.

[0010] Furthermore, the digital product management support program of the present invention has the following functions: when a commercial transaction of a digital product related to a real product occurs, the program causes a computer that can communicate with a plurality of terminals and a database institution via a communication network to make a request to the database institution under the communication network to register a transaction, the request including owner information that makes the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product and that the seller of the digital product has a right to claim payment; when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, the program causes the database institution to make a request to register a transaction that includes information that the purchaser of the digital product does not have a right to claim payment; when a sale of the real product occurs, the program causes the database institution to make a request to register a transaction that makes the purchaser of the real product the owner of the digital product and registers the location of the real product as the location of the digital product; and when the payment date pursuant to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product occurs, the program causes a terminal of a financial institution to notify the purchaser of the digital product of payment to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network.

[0011] The digital product management support system of the present invention is a digital product management support system including a digital product management support device, a plurality of terminals, and a database institution, all connected via a communication network, wherein the digital product management support device includes a first registration request unit that, when a commercial transaction of a digital product related to a real product occurs, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution under the communication network, including owner information that designates the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product and information indicating that the seller of the digital product has a right to claim payment; and, when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution, including information indicating that the seller of the digital product has no right to claim payment. a second registration request unit that requests the database institution to register a transaction when the physical product is sold, including making the purchaser of the physical product the owner of the digital product and registering the location of the physical product as the location of the digital product; and a payment notification unit that requests payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network to a terminal of a financial institution on the payment due date pursuant to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product, and the database institution performs processing in accordance with the registration request of the first registration request unit, the registration request of the second registration request unit, and the registration request of the third registration request unit.

[0012] The database institution may be a distributed ledger system in which multiple node computers are connected to each other wirelessly or via wires via a P2P network and share a blockchain, and when a request to register the transaction is made, a timestamp is associated with the transaction.

[0013] The transactions may be associated with a timestamp, and the database authority may be a database management server. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the digital product management support method, digital product management support device, digital product management support program, and digital product management support system of the present invention, fundraising support can be provided via a communications network to merchants who own products before they sell the products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital product management support system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a transaction terminal and a terminal according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital product management support system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of digital product management support according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. (1. Digital product management support system) 1, the digital product management support system 10 includes a trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50, a wallet management device 60, and a distributed ledger system 70. For convenience of explanation, three terminals 30, 40, and 50 are shown as an example, but there may be four or more terminals.

[0017] The trading terminal 20, the terminals 30, 40, 50, the wallet management device 60, and the distributed ledger system 70 are connected via a communication network 80. The communication network 80 includes, for example, the Internet, a WAN, etc.

[0018] (1.1. Trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, 50) In this embodiment, the trading terminal 20 and the terminals 30, 40, and 50 are configured as personal computers. The trading terminal 20 and the terminals 30, 40, and 50 may also be configured as smartphones or tablet terminals. As shown in FIG. 2, the trading terminal 20 includes a processor 22, a memory unit 24, an input / output interface 26, and a communication interface 28. The trading terminal 20 corresponds to a digital product management support device. The personal computer configuring the trading terminal 20 corresponds to the computer of the present invention.

[0019] The processor 22 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM, RAM, and other memories (not shown). The processor 22 includes a ROM (not shown) that stores an OS (Operating System) program that manages the entire system of the device that is the trading terminal 20 itself, a RAM (not shown) that serves as a working memory, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown).

[0020] It should be noted that an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Array) may be used instead of the CPU. The processor 22 corresponds to a first registration request unit, a second registration request unit, a third registration request unit, and a payment notifying unit.

[0021] The storage unit 24 is composed of a rewritable storage medium such as a hard disk, a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage unit 24 stores a digital product management support program, application programs such as a web browser, and various data acquired by executing the digital product management support program.

[0022] Various input devices and output devices (neither of which are shown) are connected to the input / output interface 26. The input devices include a keyboard, a touch panel, and a pointing device such as a mouse. The output devices include a display, a speaker, a printer, etc.

[0023] The communication interface 28 controls communication between the trading terminal 20 and the wallet management device 60 and the distributed ledger system 70 via the communication network 80. The communication interface 28 corresponds to a communication unit.

[0024] Since the terminals 30, 40, and 50 have the same configuration as the transaction terminal 20, as shown in FIG. 2, the description will be omitted by adding "(30, 40, 50)" after the reference numeral "20" of the transaction terminal 20.

[0025] The business operators using the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50 are all users eligible to participate in the distributed ledger system 70. The business operators may be individuals or corporations. These business operators can check the contents of transactions in the blocks of the blockchain by entering their business identifier and password using the input devices of the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50.

[0026] The password is preferably a public key cryptosystem. (1.2. Wallet Management Device 60) Wallet management device 60 is a management server of a financial institution such as a bank. For ease of explanation, one wallet management device 60 is representatively illustrated in FIG. 2 , but it should be understood that multiple wallet management devices 60 are connected to communication network 80. Suppose that a payment instruction from a merchant's account to another merchant's account in connection with a commercial transaction is sent to one wallet management device 60 from one of transaction terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50. In response to the payment instruction, that wallet management device 60 transfers money from the merchant's account that issued the transfer instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of the other merchant.

[0027] In this way, the wallet management device 60 is a device that manages the purchaser's account used to pay for the products and digital products associated with the products in commercial transactions, as described below.

[0028] (1.3. Distributed Ledger Systems70) In the distributed ledger system 70, multiple node computers are connected to each other wirelessly or via wires via a P2P network. The P2P network may be a public network, a dedicated line, a VPN, or a combination of these. The node computers are equipped with a processor, a memory unit, an input / output interface, and a communication interface similar to those of the trading terminal 20 shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50 are also included in the node computers that make up the distributed ledger system 70.

[0029] The distributed ledger system 70 corresponds to a database institution. The node computer manages a distributed ledger using a blockchain. That is, when the node computer acquires a transaction for which registration has been requested, it generates a block including the transaction and links the generated block to an already generated blockchain in a chain. As a result, the blockchain has a data structure in which the generated blocks are linked in chronological order. Examples of blockchains include Bitcoin (registered trademark) and Ethereum (registered trademark).

[0030] In the following, an example will be described in which the consensus algorithm is PoW (Proof of Work). Note that the consensus algorithm may also be PoS (Proof of Stake) or PoI (Proof of Importance).

[0031] A block has an area for storing various data such as the block identifier, transactions acquired during the block generation time interval, the timestamp when the transaction was acquired within the block, and hash values ​​of the block and the previously generated block.

[0032] The identifier is a serial number that is incremented by one each time a new block is added to the blockchain. By referencing the latest hash value of the blockchain, it is possible to publicly verify whether the blockchain has been tampered with.

[0033] The block contains multiple transactions, and is time-series data in which the transactions are arranged according to their timestamps. In this way, the transactions are associated with the timestamps.

[0034] The physical product and the digital product can be sold separately. The physical product and the digital product are also linked to each other, and when the physical product is sold and the payment of the sales price for the physical product is confirmed, the ownership of the digital product is transferred to the purchaser of the physical product.

[0035] Node computers generate blocks at predetermined time intervals by successfully searching (mining) for nonce values ​​that satisfy predetermined conditions. When a block generated by a node computer is approved by other node computers, it is linked to the existing blockchain in a chain. This updated blockchain is shared by node computers connected to the P2P network. This allows the blockchain to become a database that stores multiple transactions (transaction information (including transaction history)) on the P2P network.

[0036] The node computer that successfully searches for the nonce and generates the first block is awarded a mining reward. The mining reward may be, for example, but is not limited to, cryptocurrency. For example, the mining reward may be paid by a company that manages the blockchain.

[0037] (Regarding databases based on distributed ledger systems) The registration of transactions in the distributed ledger system 70 creates a database of physical and digital products available for sale.

[0038] The database includes, for each transaction, transaction-related information and digital product-related information, which will be described later.

[0039] <Operation of the First Embodiment> Next, the operations of the digital product management support system 10, the trading terminal 20, and the digital product management support program of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figures 3 and 4 are sequence diagrams showing an overview of digital product management support.

[0040] In the following, physical products will be marked with the symbol A. Digital products will be marked with the symbol A'. The location of the physical product will be marked with *α. Digital product A' is secured by physical product A. Furthermore, the operator of the trading terminal 20 is designated by the symbol α, the operator of the terminal 30 by the symbol β, the operator of the terminal 40 by the symbol γ, and the operator of the terminal 50 by the symbol β'. Furthermore, a trader using the trading terminal 20 is referred to as a seller who sells the real product A and the digital product A'. A seller is a trader who raises funds by selling the digital product A'. A trader using the terminal 30 is a person who provides funds to the seller by purchasing the digital product A'. A trader using the terminal 40 is a purchaser of the real product A.

[0041] (T0: Create transaction B0) As shown in Figure 3, transaction B0 is created in the trading terminal 20 of the seller (business operator α). Transaction B10 is created by inputting information into the input device of the trading terminal 20. Transaction B0 includes the following (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) physical product-related information.

[0042] Business operator α assigns an individual product management tag (unique serial number) such as an RFID tag or QR code (registered trademark) to physical product A, and manages the inventory of physical product A and digital product A'. In other words, physical product A and digital product A' are managed in a one-to-one relationship to prevent duplication.

[0043] (Transaction B0) (1) The various information included in the transaction-related information is default data because no sale or purchase has been concluded, unlike transaction B10 described below.

[0044] (2) Digital product-related information: image and identifier of the digital product, owner of digital product A', purchase price (sale price) of digital product A', location of the digital product. The image of the digital product may be any image that can identify the digital product, and is not necessarily limited to an image of the actual product.

[0045] (3) Physical product-related information: the name of the physical product related to the digital product, the physical product identifier, the purchase price of the physical product, the selling price of the physical product, and the location of the physical product. In B0, the owner of digital product A' is the seller (business operator α). Furthermore, the location of the digital product *α is the same as the location of physical product A. Therefore, in B0, the location of digital product A' is the location of the seller who owns the physical product. The location of the digital product corresponds to the location information of the digital product. The owner of the digital product corresponds to the owner information of the digital product.

[0046] (S10: Transaction B0 registration request) As described above, when transaction B0 is created, the digital product management support program causes the trading terminal 20 to request registration of transaction B0 to the distributed ledger system 70 via the communication network 80.

[0047] (T10: Blockchain generation) In the distributed ledger system 70, when a request to register transaction B0 is made, a block including transaction B0 and a blockchain are generated. As a result, the location *α of digital product A' and the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the seller (business α) are registered in the database of the distributed ledger system 70.

[0048] (S11: Sale of digital product A') As shown in Figure 3, when a sales contract is concluded between a seller (business operator α) and a trader (business operator β) who wishes to purchase digital product A', digital data including images of digital product A', etc., as well as an invoice and an invoice, are sent from the transaction terminal 20 to the terminal 30. This sending is executed by the processor 22 of the transaction terminal 20 when an input device connected to the input / output interface 26 is operated. The delivery of the digital data including images of digital product A', etc., as well as the invoice and invoice from the transaction terminal 20 to the terminal 30 signifies the sale of digital product A'.

[0049] The business transaction between the business operators α and β may be conducted in person or on a website provided by a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 80 .

[0050] Here, the data of digital product A' is stored in the distributed ledger system 70, and business operator β is a user who is eligible to participate in the distributed ledger system 70. Therefore, business operator β can check the transaction contents of the block in the blockchain by inputting the identifier and password of business operator β using the input device of terminal 30. In other words, business operator β can check the contents of digital product A' when purchasing digital product A'.

[0051] (T20: Create transaction B10) 3, after the sale of the digital product A' is completed, a transaction B10 is created in the trading terminal 20. The transaction B10 is created by inputting data into the input device of the trading terminal 20, for example.

[0052] The transaction B10 includes the following (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) physical product-related information. (Transaction B10) (1) Transaction-related information: transaction identifier, sales contract information between businesses α and β.

[0053] The contract information includes the following: Identifiers of businesses α and β, the date and time of transaction completion (date and time of purchase), the payment due date for the purchase price of digital product A' from business β to business α, and the payment due date for repayment amount X from business α to business β, the interest rate π to be paid to the purchaser of digital product A' (business β), and information that the seller has a right to claim payment (debt) for digital product A', etc.

[0054] (2) Digital product-related information includes an image and identifier of the digital product, owner information of digital product A', location *α of digital product A', and purchase price of digital product A' (sales price D: D=X(1-π)).

[0055] Here, X is the price of digital product A' and the amount to be repaid from the seller (business α) to the purchaser (business β) of digital product A'. π is the interest rate paid, i.e., the discount interest rate from the seller (business α) to the purchaser of digital product A'.

[0056] Transaction B10 indicates that the owner of digital product A' is business entity β. The owner of the digital product corresponds to the owner information of the digital product. (3) Physical product-related information: the name of the physical product related to the digital product, the physical product identifier, the purchase price of the physical product, the selling price of the physical product, and the location of the physical product.

[0057] In transaction B10, the location of actual product A is the location of the seller who owns actual product A * α. (S12: Request to register transaction B10) As described above, when transaction B10 is created, a registration request for transaction B10 is sent from the trading terminal 20 to the distributed ledger system 70 via the communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0058] This registration request includes a request to register the owner information of digital product A', making the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product, and a registration request that the seller has the right to claim payment from the seller of the digital product.

[0059] (T30: Blockchain generation) In the distributed ledger system 70, when a request to register transaction B10 is made, a block including transaction B10 and a blockchain are generated.

[0060] Transaction B10 registers in the database of the distributed ledger system 70 the location *α of digital product A', the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser of the digital product (business operator β), and the fact that the seller has the right to claim payment for the digital product.

[0061] Here, linking a transaction to the timestamp means that the location *α of digital product A' and owner information are linked to this timestamp. In the following explanation of the generation of the blockchain, please note that the location and owner information of digital product A' are linked to the timestamp assigned to the transaction in this way.

[0062] (S13: Payment instruction) In S13, assume that terminal 30 of business operator β issues a payment instruction to wallet management device 60 via communication network 80 to pay the purchase price (sales price D) of digital product A' to the seller (business operator α). In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business operator that issued the transfer instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of the seller (business operator α) in response to the payment instruction.

[0063] (S14: Payment notification) In S14, the other wallet management device notifies the user of the payment from Provider β via the communication network 80 (e.g., a push notification) to the user's account. The currency deposited into the account is stablecoin or cash. Stablecoin stabilizes price fluctuations by holding legal currency, virtual currency, gold, etc. as collateral. Deposits into the wallet in the following other steps are also made in stablecoin or cash.

[0064] (T40: Create transaction B20) As shown in FIG. 3, when a notification of payment from business operator β to the user's account is received via communication network 80, transaction B20 is created in the trading terminal 20 by the digital product management support program.

[0065] (Transaction B20) Transaction B20 differs from transaction B10 in that, while transaction B10 contains information indicating that the seller has the right to claim payment for the digital product, transaction B20 contains information indicating that the seller does not have the right to claim payment for the digital product. The information in transaction B20 other than the information indicating that the seller does not have the right to claim payment for the digital product, i.e., transaction-related information, digital product-related information, and physical product-related information, is the same as transaction B10, and therefore will not be described here.

[0066] Therefore, in transaction B20, the owner of digital product A' remains the purchaser (business owner β), just as in transaction B10. Also, in transaction B20, the location *α of digital product A' remains unchanged.

[0067] The location *α of the digital product A' corresponds to the location information of the digital product A'. (S15: Request to register transaction B20) As described above, when transaction B20 is created, the digital product management support program causes the trading terminal 20 to request registration of transaction B20 to the distributed ledger system 70 via the communication network 80.

[0068] This registration request includes a registration request to the effect that the seller does not have the right to claim payment from the seller of the digital product. (T50: Blockchain generation) At T50, when a request to register transaction B20 is received in the distributed ledger system 70, a block including transaction B20 is generated and a blockchain is created.

[0069] Transaction B20 registers in the database of the distributed ledger system 70 the location *α of digital product A', the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser of the digital product (business operator β), and the fact that the seller has no right to claim payment for the digital product.

[0070] (S16: Selling actual products) As shown in Figure 3, when a commercial transaction between a seller (business operator α) and a trader (business operator γ) wishing to purchase physical product A, i.e., a sales contract, is concluded, an invoice and a delivery note for physical product A are sent from the trading terminal 20 to the terminal 40. This sending is executed by the processor 22 of the trading terminal 20 by operating an input device connected to the input / output interface 26. The delivery of the invoice and the delivery note for physical product A from the trading terminal 20 to the terminal 40 signifies the sale of physical product A.

[0071] The business transaction between the business α and the business γ may be conducted in person or on a website provided by a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 80 .

[0072] (S17: Payment instruction for purchase of actual product A) In S17, assume that terminal 40 of business operator γ issues a payment instruction to wallet management device 60 via communication network 80 to make a payment for the purchase price (sale price D) of physical product A to a seller (business operator α). In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business operator that issued the remittance instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of the seller (business operator α) in response to the payment instruction.

[0073] (S18: Notification of payment for actual product purchase) In S18, the other wallet management device notifies the user of the deposit of payment from the business operator γ to the user's account via the communication network 80 (for example, a push notification).

[0074] (T60: Create transaction B30) As shown in FIG. 3, when a notification of payment from business γ to the customer's account is received via the communication network 80, the digital product management support program creates transaction B30 in the trading terminal 20.

[0075] Transaction B30 includes the following (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) physical product-related information. (Transaction B30) (1) Transaction-related information: Transaction identifier, sales contract details between businesses α and β (including the identifiers of the seller and the buyer, the transaction completion date (purchase date), the date of payment of the purchase price of the physical product from the buyer to the seller, etc.). The transaction-related information also includes information indicating that there is no right to claim payment for the digital product.

[0076] (2) Digital product-related information: image and identifier of the digital product, owner of the digital product, purchase price (selling price) of the digital product, location of the digital product. Note that in transaction B30, the owner of the digital product is the purchaser of the physical product (business γ). Also, in transaction B30, the location of the digital product is the location of the purchaser (business γ) who purchased the physical product from the seller.

[0077] (3) Physical product-related information: the name of the physical product related to the digital product, the physical product identifier, the purchase price of the physical product, the selling price of the physical product, and the location of the physical product. (S19: Request to register transaction B30) As described above, when transaction B30 is created, the digital product management support program causes the trading terminal 20 to request registration of transaction B30 to the distributed ledger system 70 via the communication network 80.

[0078] This registration request includes a request to register owner information of the digital product A', which designates the purchaser of the physical product as the new owner of the digital product, and a request to register the location of the digital product.

[0079] (T70: Blockchain generation) In the distributed ledger system 70, when a request to register transaction B30 is made, a block including transaction B30 and a blockchain are generated.

[0080] Transaction B30 registers in the database of the distributed ledger system 70 the location *γ of digital product A' and the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser of physical product A (business γ).

[0081] (S20: Instruction to pay the repayment amount to business operator β on the repayment due date (payment date)) In S20, the digital product management support program executes the following: That is, on the due date for payment of repayment amount X to the purchaser (business operator β) of digital product A', the transaction terminal 20 of business operator α issues an instruction to the wallet management device 60 via the communication network 80 to pay the repayment amount of digital product A' to business operator β.

[0082] In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business that instructed the remittance to another wallet management device that manages the account of business operator β in response to the payment instruction.

[0083] (S21: Notification of repayment amount) In S21, the other wallet management device notifies the terminal 30 of the business operator β of the deposit of the repayment amount (for example, push notification) via the communication network 80.

[0084] The first embodiment has the following features. (1) The digital product management support method of this embodiment has the following features. At S12, the trading terminal 20 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register a transaction including owner information of the digital product, with the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner, and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment.

[0085] Also, when the purchaser notifies the communication network 80 that the purchase price of the digital product has been paid, in S15 the transaction terminal 20 (personal computer) requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register the transaction, including a notice that there is no right to claim payment.

[0086] Furthermore, when a physical product is sold, in S19, a transaction registration request is made to the distributed ledger system 70, which requests that the purchaser of the physical product be designated as the owner of the digital product and that the location of the physical product be registered as the location of the digital product. In addition, in S20, on the payment due date according to the sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product, the transaction terminal 20 (personal computer) notifies the financial institution's terminal via the communication network of the payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product.

[0087] As a result, the digital product management support method can support fund raising via a communication network before a merchant who owns a product sells the product. (2) The transaction terminal 20 (digital product management support device) of this embodiment has a processor 22 that functions as a first registration request unit, a second registration request unit, a third registration request unit, and a payment notification unit.

[0088] When a digital product transaction occurs, the processor 22 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register the digital product owner information, which identifies the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product, and the transaction stating that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment.

[0089] When the processor 22 receives a notification from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network 80 that the purchase price of the digital product has been paid, the processor 22 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register the transaction, including a statement that there is no right to claim the price.

[0090] In addition, when a physical product is sold, the processor 22 requests the distributed ledger system 70 to register a transaction that designates the purchaser of the physical product as the owner of the digital product and registers the location of the physical product as the location of the digital product.

[0091] In addition, the processor 22 requests payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network 80 to the terminal of the financial institution on the payment due date according to the sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product.

[0092] As a result, the transaction terminal 20 can support fund raising via a communication network before a merchant who owns a commodity sells the commodity. (3) The digital product management support program of this embodiment enables multiple terminals, a distributed ledger system 70, and a trading terminal 20 (personal computer) that is capable of communicating via a communication network 80 to realize the following functions.

[0093] First, when a digital product is traded, a request is made to the distributed ledger system 70 to register the transaction, which includes information on the digital product owner, making the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product, and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment.

[0094] Furthermore, when a digital product purchaser notifies the communication network 80 that the purchase price of the digital product has been paid, the distributed ledger system 70 is requested to register that there is no right to claim payment. Furthermore, when a physical product is sold, the distributed ledger system 70 is requested to register a transaction that designates the purchaser of the physical product as the owner of the digital product and registers the location of the physical product as the location of the digital product.

[0095] Furthermore, on the payment due date according to the sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product, a payment notice of the sales price of the digital product is sent to the financial institution's terminal via the communication network 80 to the account of the purchaser of the digital product.

[0096] As a result, the transaction terminal 20, which is executed by the digital product management support program, can support fund raising via a communication network before a trader who owns a product sells the product.

[0097] (4) The database authority is a distributed ledger system 70. When a transaction registration request is received, the distributed ledger system 70 associates a timestamp with each transaction. As a result, the distributed ledger system 70 can ensure that transactions associated with timestamps have not been tampered with.

[0098] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Note that the digital product management support system 10, trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, 50, wallet management device 60, distributed ledger system 70, and communication network 80 have the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0099] In this embodiment, transaction B50 (described later) can be created by executing a digital product management support program stored in the storage unit 24 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal 30 by the processor 22. Furthermore, by executing the digital product management support program by the processor 22, it becomes possible for the terminal 30 to request the distributed ledger system 70 to register transactions B40 and B50 via the communication network 80.

[0100] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> 5 to 7 are sequence diagrams showing an outline of the digital product management support according to the second embodiment.

[0101] In the first embodiment, after the digital product A' is transferred to the business operator β, the business operator β remains the owner until the day the physical product A is sold. In contrast, in this embodiment, a case will be described in which, after digital product A' has been transferred to business operator β, digital product A' is transferred from business operator β to business operator β' before the day on which physical product A is sold. Specifically, a case will be described in which digital product A' is transferred to business operator β between (T50: generation of blockchain) in the sequence of Fig. 6 and (S16: sale of physical product) in Fig. 7. Note that in the sequence diagrams of Figs. 5 to 7, the same processes as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0102] (S30: Selling digital product A') 6, when a sales contract is concluded between business operator β and a trader (business operator β') who wishes to purchase a new digital product A', digital data including images of digital product A', an invoice, and an invoice are sent from terminal 30 to terminal 50. The delivery of the digital data including images of digital product A', an invoice, and an invoice from terminal 30 to terminal 50 signifies the sale of digital product A'.

[0103] The business transaction between the business operators β and β′ may be conducted in person or on a website provided by a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 80 .

[0104] (T80: Create transaction B40) 6, after the sale of digital product A' is completed, transaction B40 is created at terminal 30. Transaction B40 is created by inputting data into an input device of terminal 30, etc.

[0105] Transaction B40 includes the following (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) physical product-related information. (Transaction B40) (1) Transaction-related information: transaction identifier, sales contract information between businesses β and β' (identifiers of businesses β and β', transaction completion date and time (purchase date and time), payment due date for the purchase price of digital product A' from business β' to business β.

[0106] (2) Digital product-related information includes the image and identifier of the digital product, the owner information of digital product A', the location of digital product A' * α, and the purchase price of digital product A' (sales price D': D' = X(1 - π')).

[0107] Here, X is the price of digital product A' and the amount to be repaid from the seller (business α) to the purchaser (business β) of digital product A'. π' is the interest rate to be paid, i.e., the interest rate from the seller (business α) to the purchaser of digital product A', and can take a positive or negative value depending on the market price.

[0108] Transaction B40 indicates that the owner of digital product A' is business operator β'. The owner of the digital product corresponds to the owner information of the digital product. (3) Physical product-related information: the name of the physical product related to the digital product, the physical product identifier, the purchase price of the physical product, the selling price of the physical product, and the location of the physical product.

[0109] In transaction B10, the location of actual product A is the location of the seller who owns actual product A * α. (S31: Request to register transaction B40) As described above, when transaction B40 is created, the terminal 30 uses the digital product management support program to request the distributed ledger system 70 to register transaction B40 via the communication network 80.

[0110] (T90: Blockchain Generation) In the distributed ledger system 70, when a request to register transaction B40 is made, a block including transaction B40 and a blockchain are generated.

[0111] Transaction B40 registers in the database of the distributed ledger system 70 the location *α of digital product A' and the fact that the owner of digital product A' is business β'.

[0112] (S32: Payment instruction) In S32, assume that terminal 50 of business operator β' issues a payment instruction to wallet management device 60 via communication network 80 to pay the purchase price (sales price D') of digital product A' to the seller (business operator β). In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business operator that issued the remittance instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of the seller (business operator β) in response to the payment instruction.

[0113] (S33: Payment notification) In S33, the other wallet management device sends a payment notification (for example, a push notification) to the user's account from the business operator β′ via the communication network 80. The currency to be deposited into the account is stable coin or cash.

[0114] (T100: Create transaction B50) As shown in FIG. 6, when a notification of payment from business operator β' to the customer's account is received via communication network 80, transaction B50 is created in terminal 30 by the digital product management support program.

[0115] (Transaction B50) In transaction B50, history information is created indicating that payment has been received from business entity β', and (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) real product-related information are also created. The (1) transaction-related information, (2) digital product-related information, and (3) real product-related information of transaction B50 are the same as those of transaction B40, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0116] (S34: Request to register transaction B50) As described above, when transaction B50 is created, terminal 30 uses the digital product management support program to request registration of transaction B50 to distributed ledger system 70 via communication network 80.

[0117] (T110: Blockchain Generation) As shown in Figure 7, in a distributed ledger system 70, when a request to register transaction B50 is made, a block including transaction B50 and a blockchain are generated.

[0118] Transaction B50 registers in the database of the distributed ledger system 70 historical information indicating that payment has been made from business operator β', as well as the location *α of digital product A', and the fact that business operator β' is the owner of digital product A'.

[0119] In the sequence of FIG. 7, the processes of S16 to S21, T60, and T70 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. The second embodiment has the following advantages.

[0120] (1) The second embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment. According to the above digital product management support method, if business operator β is a financial company or financial intermediary, the product of business operator α will be liquidated and turned into a financial product such as securitization. As a result, if business operator β' is a general investor, business operator β will be able to sell the financialized digital product A' to this general investor.

[0121] In addition, business operator β', who is a general investor, can either wait for the collection of funds from end-user business operator γ, or become one of the end-user business operator γ group and purchase actual product A, thereby completing the financial product transaction.

[0122] Furthermore, business operator γ, who will be the end user, can also take over the payment that it is due to make to business operator α as its own debt. In this case, business operator α's obligation to perform its obligations (the obligation to complete the sale of the actual product and the obligation to collect payment) is transferred to business operator γ. In such a case, business operator β simply needs to approve it. However, since this action is premised on the approval of business operator β, if business operator γ does not have the ability to pay, there will be no fraudulent act by business operator γ.

[0123] <Modifications of the First and Second Embodiments> Although not shown, a modified example of the first and second embodiments will be described in which the location of the physical product A is changed before (S11: sale of digital product A').

[0124] 3 and 5 (S11: Selling digital product A'), each time there is a change in the location of the physical product A, a new transaction B0 is created in the trading terminal 20. This new transaction B0 includes digital product-related information including the new location of the digital product, physical product-related information including the new location of the physical product, and transaction-related information.

[0125] Then, the trading terminal 20 uses the digital product management support program to request the distributed ledger system 70 to register a new transaction B0 via the communication network 80. In response to this request to register the new transaction B0, the distributed ledger system 70 generates a blockchain.

[0126] As a result, the new location *α of digital product A' and the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the digital product seller (business α) are registered on the blockchain. <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0127] (2.1. Digital Product Management Support System 10) 8, the digital product management support system 10 of this embodiment includes a trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50, a wallet management device 60, a database management server 90, and a time-stamping authority 100. For convenience of explanation, three terminals 30, 40, and 50 are shown as an example, but there may be four or more terminals.

[0128] The storage unit 24 (see FIG. 2) of the transaction terminal 20 stores a digital product management support program, application programs such as a web browser, and various data acquired by executing the digital product management support program.

[0129] The trading terminal 20, the terminals 30, 40, 50, the wallet management device 60, the database management server 90, and the time-stamping authority 100 are connected via a communication network 80. The communication network 80 includes, for example, the Internet, a WAN, and the like.

[0130] (2.2. Transaction terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, 50) The hardware configuration of the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. The business operators using the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50 are all users qualified to access the database management server 90. These business operators can use the input devices of the trading terminal 20, terminals 30, 40, and 50 to input the business operator's identifier and password to check the transaction contents of the digital product management database stored in the database management server 90. The password is preferably a public key cryptosystem.

[0131] The transaction terminal 20 of this embodiment corresponds to a digital product management support device, and the personal computer constituting the transaction terminal 20 corresponds to a computer of the present invention. (2.3. Database Management Server 90) The database management server 90 stores a digital goods management database containing the transaction history of digital goods.

[0132] The digital product management database is a database that manages the transaction history for each digital product. The database contains time-series data in which digital product transactions are arranged according to timestamps. In other words, transactions are associated with timestamps.

[0133] The database management server 90 corresponds to a database institution. (2.4. Time Stamp Authority 100) The time-stamping authority 100 is an organization certified by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for time-stamping services. In this embodiment, the time-stamping authority 100 authenticates data related to digital product transactions by assigning a timestamp to the data, thereby making it possible to obtain high reliability for the data related to digital product transactions.

[0134] (2.5. Wallet Management Device 60) The wallet management device 60 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. <Operation of the Third Embodiment> Next, the operations of the digital product management support system 10, the transaction terminal 20, and the digital product management support program of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. Figures 9 to 11 are sequence diagrams showing an overview of digital product management support.

[0135] (T0: Create transaction B0) 9, transaction B0 is created in the trading terminal 20 of the seller (business α). The creation of transaction B0 and the contents of transaction B0 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0136] (S100: timestamp request, and S110: timestamp reply) In S100, the transaction terminal 20 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the transaction B0 with the digital signature. This request is made by operating the input device of the transaction terminal 20.

[0137] In S110, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B0 to which the timestamp is linked to the transaction terminal 20. (S120: Transaction B0 registration request) As described above, when transaction B0 with a time stamp is returned, a request to register transaction B0 is made from the trading terminal 20 to the database management server 90 via the communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0138] (T210: Registering default data for digital product A') In the database management server 90, when a registration request for transaction B0 is received, default data for digital product A' is registered in the digital product management database.

[0139] As a result, the location *α of digital product A′ and the fact that the owner of digital product A′ is the digital product seller (business operator α) are registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0140] (S130: Sale of digital product A') As shown in Figure 9, when a sales contract is concluded between a seller (business operator α) and a trader (business operator β) who wishes to purchase digital product A', digital data including images of digital product A', etc., as well as an invoice and an invoice are sent from the transaction terminal 20 to the terminal 30. This sending is executed by the processor 22 of the transaction terminal 20 when an input device connected to the input / output interface 26 is operated. The delivery of the digital data including images of digital product A', etc., as well as the invoice and invoice from the transaction terminal 20 to the terminal 30 signifies the sale of digital product A'.

[0141] The business transaction between the business operators α and β may be conducted in person or on a website provided by a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 80 .

[0142] (T20: Create transaction B10) 9, transaction B10 is created at the trading terminal 20 of the seller (business α). The creation of transaction B10 and the contents of transaction B10 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0143] (S140: timestamp request, and S150: timestamp reply) In S140, the transaction terminal 20 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the transaction B0 with the digital signature. This request is made by operating the input device of the transaction terminal 20.

[0144] In S150, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B0 to which the timestamp is linked to the transaction terminal 20. (S160: Request to register transaction B10) As described above, when transaction B10 with a time stamp is returned, a request to register transaction B10 is made from the trading terminal 20 to the database management server 90 via the communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0145] This registration request includes a request to register the owner information of digital product A', making the purchaser of the digital product the new owner of the digital product, and a registration request that the seller has the right to claim payment from the seller of the digital product.

[0146] (T220: Additional registration of digital product A' data) As shown in FIG. 10, when a registration request for transaction B10 is received, the database management server 90 additionally registers the data of digital product A' in the digital product management database.

[0147] Transaction B10 registers the location *α of digital product A', the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser of the digital product (business operator β), and the fact that the seller has the right to claim payment for the digital product in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0148] (S170: Payment instruction) In S170, assume that terminal 30 of business operator β issues a payment instruction to wallet management device 60 via communication network 80 to pay the purchase price (sales price D) of digital product A' to seller (business operator α). In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business operator that issued the remittance instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of seller (business operator α) in accordance with the payment instruction.

[0149] (S180: Payment notification) In S180, the other wallet management device sends a payment notification (e.g., a push notification) to the user's account from business operator β via communication network 80. The currency to be deposited into the account is stable coin or cash.

[0150] (T40: Create transaction B20) As shown in FIG. 10, when a notification of payment from business operator β to the customer's account is received via communication network 80, transaction B20 is created in the trading terminal 20 by the digital product management support program.

[0151] (Transaction B20) The creation of transaction B20 and the contents of transaction B20 are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0152] Therefore, in transaction B20, the owner of digital product A' remains the purchaser (business owner β), just as in transaction B10. Also, in transaction B20, the location *α of digital product A' remains unchanged.

[0153] The location *α of the digital product A' corresponds to the location information of the digital product A'. (S190: timestamp request, and S200: timestamp reply) In S190, the transaction terminal 20 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the transaction B20 to which the digital signature has been attached. This request is made by operating the input device of the transaction terminal 20.

[0154] In S200, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B20 to which the timestamp is linked to the transaction terminal 20. (S210: Request to register transaction B20) As described above, when transaction B20 with a time stamp is returned, a request to register transaction B20 is made from the trading terminal 20 to the database management server 90 via the communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0155] This registration request includes a registration request to the effect that the seller does not have the right to claim payment from the seller of the digital product. (T230: Additional registration of digital product A' data) As shown in FIG. 11, when a registration request for transaction B20 is received, the database management server 90 additionally registers the data of digital product A' in the digital product management database.

[0156] As a result, the location *α of digital product A', the fact that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser (business operator β), and the information that the seller does not have the right to claim payment for the digital product are registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0157] (S220, S230, S240 and T60) 11 are the same as (S16: sale of actual product), (S17: instruction to pay the purchase price of actual product A), (S18: payment notice), and (T60: creation of transaction B30) in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of S220, S230, S240, and T60 will be omitted.

[0158] (S250: timestamp request, and S260: timestamp reply) 11, in S250 after T60, the transaction terminal 20 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the transaction B30 to which the digital signature has been attached. This request is made by operating the input device of the transaction terminal 20.

[0159] In S260, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B30 to which the timestamp is linked to the transaction terminal 20. (S270: Request to register transaction B30) When transaction B20 with the timestamp is returned, the digital product management support program causes the trading terminal 20 to request the database management server 90 via the communication network 80 to register transaction B30.

[0160] This registration request includes a request to register owner information of the digital product A', which designates the purchaser of the physical product as the new owner of the digital product, and a request to register the location of the digital product.

[0161] (T240: Additional registration of digital product A' data) When the database management server 90 receives a registration request for transaction B30, the data for digital product A' is additionally registered in the digital product management database.

[0162] As a result, the location *γ of digital product A′ and the fact that the owner of digital product A′ is the purchaser of physical product A (business operator γ) are registered in the database of the database management server 90.

[0163] (S280 and S290) 11 are the same as (S20: instruction to pay the repayment amount on the repayment due date (payment date) to business operator β) and (S21: notification of receipt of the repayment amount) in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of S280 and S290 will be omitted.

[0164] The third embodiment has the following features. (1) The digital product management support system 10 of this embodiment requests the database management server 90 to register a transaction to which a timestamp has been linked by the timestamp authority 100. The database management server 90 then registers the transaction to which the timestamp has been linked in the digital product management database. As a result, the transaction registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90 is free from tampering because it is linked with a timestamp.

[0165] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. The digital product management support system 10, the trading terminal 20, the terminals 30, 40, 50, the wallet management device 60, the database management server 90, and the communication network 80 have the same configurations as those in the third embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0166] In this embodiment, transaction T270, which will be described later, can be created by the processor 22 executing a digital product management support program stored in the storage unit 24 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal 30. Furthermore, by the processor 22 executing the digital product management support program, it becomes possible for the terminal 30 to request the database management server 90 to register transactions T250 and T270 via the communication network 80.

[0167] <Operation of the Fourth Embodiment> Next, the operations of the digital product management support system 10, the transaction terminal 20, and the digital product management support program of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. Figures 12 to 15 are sequence diagrams showing an overview of digital product management support.

[0168] The following steps from (T0: creation of transaction B0) in FIG. 12 to (T230: additional registration of data of digital product A') in FIG. 13 are the same processes as in the third embodiment, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0169] (T0: Create transaction B0) (S100: timestamp request, and S110: timestamp reply) (S120: Transaction B0 registration request) (T210: Registering default data for digital product A') (S130: Sale of digital product A') (T20: Create transaction B10) (S140: timestamp request, and S150: timestamp reply) (S160: Request to register transaction B10) (T220: Additional registration of digital product A' data) (S170: Payment instruction) (S180: Payment notification) (T40: Create transaction B20) (S190: timestamp request, and S200: timestamp reply) (S210: Request to register transaction B20) (T230: Additional registration of digital product A' data) (S300: Sale of Digital Product A') 13, when a sales contract is concluded between business operator β and a trader (business operator β') who wishes to purchase a new digital product A', digital data including images of digital product A', an invoice, and an invoice are sent from terminal 30 to terminal 50. The delivery of the digital data including images of digital product A', an invoice, and an invoice from terminal 30 to terminal 50 signifies the sale of digital product A'.

[0170] The business transaction between the business operators β and β′ may be conducted in person or on a website provided by a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 80 .

[0171] (T250: Create transaction B40) 13, after the sale of digital product A' is completed, transaction B40 is created at terminal 30. Transaction B40 is created by inputting data into an input device of terminal 30, etc.

[0172] The contents of transaction B40 are the same as those of transaction B40 in the second embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. (S301: timestamp request, and S302: timestamp reply) In S301, the terminal 30 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the transaction B40 to which the digital signature has been attached. This request is made by operating the input device of the terminal 30.

[0173] In S302, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B40 to which the timestamp is linked to the terminal 30. (S303: Request to register transaction B40) As described above, when transaction B40 with a time stamp is returned, a request to register transaction B40 is made from terminal 30 to database management server 90 via communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0174] (T260: Additional registration of digital product A' data) When the database management server 90 receives a registration request for transaction B40, the data for digital product A' is additionally registered in the digital product management database.

[0175] As a result, the location *α of the digital product A′ and information indicating that the owner of the digital product A′ is the purchaser (business owner β′) are registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0176] (S304: Payment instruction) In S304, assume that terminal 50 of business operator β' issues a payment instruction to wallet management device 60 via communication network 80 to pay the purchase price (sales price D') of digital product A' to the seller (business operator β). In response to this payment instruction, wallet management device 60 transfers money from the account of the business operator that issued the remittance instruction to another wallet management device that manages the account of the seller (business operator β) in accordance with the payment instruction.

[0177] (S305: Payment notification) In S305, the other wallet management device sends a payment notification (e.g., a push notification) to the user's account from the business operator β′ via the communication network 80. The currency to be deposited into the account is stable coin or cash.

[0178] (T270: Create transaction B50) As shown in FIG. 14, when a notification of payment from business operator β' to the customer's account is received via communication network 80, transaction B50 is created in terminal 30 by the digital product management support program.

[0179] The contents of transaction B50 are the same as those of transaction B50 in the second embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. (S306: timestamp request, and S307: timestamp reply) In S306, the terminal 30 requests the TSA 100 to add a timestamp to the transaction B50 with the digital signature. This request is made by operating the input device of the terminal 30.

[0180] In S307, the TSA 100 returns the transaction B50 to which the timestamp is linked to the terminal 30. (S308: Request to register transaction B50) As described above, when transaction B50 with a time stamp is returned, a request to register transaction B50 is made from terminal 30 to database management server 90 via communication network 80 by the digital product management support program.

[0181] (T280: Additional registration of digital product A' data) As shown in FIG. 15, when a registration request for transaction B50 is received, the database management server 90 additionally registers the data of digital product A' in the digital product management database.

[0182] As a result, historical information indicating that payment has been made from business operator β', the location *α of digital product A', and information indicating that the owner of digital product A' is the purchaser (business operator β') are registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0183] (Regarding S220 to S290 and (T240: Additional registration of digital product A' data)) 15 are the same as S220 to S290 and (T240: additional registration of data of digital product A') in the third embodiment, respectively, and therefore will not be described further.

[0184] The fourth embodiment has the same effects as the third embodiment. <Modifications of the third and fourth embodiments> Although not shown, a modified example of the third and fourth embodiments will be described in which the location of the physical product A is changed before (S130: sale of digital product A').

[0185] 9 and 12 (S130: Selling Digital Product A'), every time there is a change in the location of the physical product A, a new transaction B0 is created in the trading terminal 20. This new transaction B0 includes digital product-related information including the new location of the digital product, physical product-related information including the new location of the physical product, and transaction-related information.

[0186] Thereafter, the transaction terminal 20 requests the TSA 100 to assign a timestamp to the new transaction B0 to which the digital signature has been attached. This request is made by operating the input device of the transaction terminal 20.

[0187] Then, the TSA 100 returns the new transaction B0 to which the timestamp is linked to the transaction terminal 20. When the transaction terminal 20 receives the transaction B0 with the time stamp attached, the transaction terminal 20 requests the database management server 90 to register the transaction B0 via the communication network 80 using the digital product management support program.

[0188] When a request to register a new transaction B0 is received, the database management server 90 registers default data of the digital product A' in the digital product management database. As a result, the new location *α of digital product A′ and the fact that the owner of digital product A′ is the digital product seller (business operator α) are registered in the digital product management database of the database management server 90.

[0189] This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0190] Although the distributed ledger system 70 of the first and third embodiments employs a blockchain, the present invention is not limited to this. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) may be employed instead of a blockchain.

[0191] In DAG, when a trader creates a new transaction, it links it to a previously published unconfirmed transaction and approves the previously published unconfirmed transaction. Therefore, a transaction created by a trader will also be approved due to the existence of a later published unconfirmed transaction.

[0192] In DAG, a consensus algorithm is used in which a new transaction created by a user is considered to be agreed upon by the network if it is approved directly or indirectly by a threshold number of unconfirmed transactions.

[0193] Although DAG differs from blockchain in its consensus algorithm, the same transaction structure can be used. In other words, processes using blockchain as a distributed ledger system and processes using DAG can be performed using the same transactions.

[0194] In the second and fourth embodiments, digital product A' is transferred by purchase from business operator β to a single business operator β', but business operator β' is not limited to a single entity and may be multiple entities.

[0195] In the above embodiment, the deposit into the account is made in the form of stable coins or cash, but this is not limited to these and may be made in the form of credits or points. In the modified example of the above embodiment, we have explained the case where the location of actual product A changes. If the owner changes, the new owner simply updates and registers the new owner information in the distributed ledger system 70 or the database management server 90.

[0196] In the above embodiment, the actual product A is described as a single item, but even if there are multiple actual products, it is the same as the case of a single item if each actual product A is individually managed for sale by multiple businesses γ.

[0197] If business operator α has multiple physical products A for sale and these physical products A are not sold to business operator γ, business operator α may buy back the sold digital product A' from business operator β based on the sales contract between business operators α and β. Alternatively, business operator β may continue to store digital product A' and continue to consign the sales of the multiple physical products A.

[0198] In addition, this does not mean that there is only one physical product A and that there is only one digital product A' related to the physical product A. If there is only one physical product A and there are multiple digital products A' related to the physical product A, the total price of the multiple digital products A' should be the same as the price of the physical product A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 10. Digital product management support system 20...Trading terminal (digital product management support device) 22...Processor (first registration request unit, second registration request unit, third registration request unit, payment notification unit) 24...Storage section 26...Input / output interface 28...Communication interface (communication unit) 30...Terminal 40...Terminal 50...Terminal 60...Wallet management device 70...Distributed ledger system (database institution) 80...Communication Network 90...Database management server (database institution)

Claims

1. A digital product management support method in which, when trading digital products related to real products, a computer of a trading terminal executes the following steps: When a commercial transaction of the digital product occurs, the computer sends a transaction registration request to a database institution under a communication network, the transaction registration request including owner information that identifies the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment; When a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, the computer requests the database institution to register a transaction including a statement that the purchase price has been paid; When the real product is sold, a transaction registration request is made to the database institution, which requests that the purchaser of the real product be designated as the owner of the digital product and that the location of the real product be registered as the location of the digital product; A digital product management support method including a step in which, on the payment due date according to a sales contract with a purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product, the computer notifies a terminal of a financial institution via the communication network of payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product.

2. The digital product management support method described in claim 1, wherein the database institution is a distributed ledger system in which multiple node computers are connected to each other wirelessly or wired via a P2P network and share a blockchain, and when a request to register the transaction is made, a timestamp is linked to the transaction.

3. The transaction is associated with a timestamp, 2. The digital product management support method according to claim 1, wherein the database institution is a database management server.

4. A digital product management support device that is capable of communicating with a plurality of terminals and a database institution via a communication network and supports management of transactions of digital products related to real products, comprising: a first registration request unit that, when a commercial transaction of the digital product occurs, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution under the communication network, including owner information that identifies the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment; a second registration request unit that, when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution, including a notification that the purchase price has not been claimed; a third registration request unit that, when the real product is sold, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution to register the purchaser of the real product as the owner of the digital product and to register the location of the real product as the location of the digital product; A digital product management support device including a payment notification unit that requests payment of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network to a terminal of a financial institution on the payment due date pursuant to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product.

5. A computer that can communicate with a plurality of terminals and a database institution via a communication network, a function of making a request to the database institution under the communication network to register a transaction when a commercial transaction of a digital product related to a real product occurs, the request including owner information that identifies the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment; a function of making the database institution request the registration of a transaction including a statement that the purchase right of the digital product is not valid when a notification of payment of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network; a function of making a transaction registration request to the database institution when the real product is sold, which requests that the purchaser of the real product be designated as the owner of the digital product and that the location of the real product be registered as the location of the digital product; A digital product management support program that realizes the function of sending a payment notification of the sales price of the digital product to the account of the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network to a terminal of a financial institution on the payment due date pursuant to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product.

6. A digital product management support system including a digital product management support device, a plurality of terminals, and a database connected via a communication network, The digital product management support device includes: a first registration request unit that, when a commercial transaction of a digital product related to a real product occurs, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution under the communication network, including owner information that identifies the purchaser of the digital product as the new owner of the digital product and information that the seller of the digital product has the right to claim payment; a second registration request unit that, when a payment notification of the purchase price of the digital product is received from the purchaser of the digital product via the communication network, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution, including a notification that the purchase price has not been claimed; a third registration request unit that, when the real product is sold, makes a transaction registration request to the database institution, which requests that the purchaser of the real product be designated as the owner of the digital product and that the location of the real product be registered as the location of the digital product; a payment notification unit that sends a request for payment of the sales price of the digital product to an account of the purchaser of the digital product to a terminal of a financial institution via the communication network on the payment due date according to a sales contract with the purchaser of the digital product based on the transaction of the digital product; The database institution performs processing in accordance with the registration request of the first registration request unit, the registration request of the second registration request unit, and the registration request of the third registration request unit.

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