Server, method, and program

Abstract

To provide a consumer with a non-fungible token with which incidental data related to an alcoholic beverage product is associated, together with a non-fungible token with which a claim for delivery of the alcoholic beverage product is associated.SOLUTION: A server 20 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a non-fungible token issue unit 221, a transaction management unit 223, and a shipment management unit 225. The non-fungible token issue unit 221 issues, in a block chain, a first non-fungible token with which a claim for delivery of an alcoholic beverage product is associated, and a second non-fungible token with which incidental data related to the alcoholic beverage product is associated. The transaction management unit 223 manages a transaction in the block chain of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token. In response to a request for deletion of the first non-fungible token in the transaction, the shipment management unit 225 instructs a maker terminal of the alcoholic beverage product to dispatch the alcoholic beverage product to a delivery destination designated by a request source terminal of the request for deletion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server, a method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a technology that uses blockchain technology (for example, non-fungible tokens) to manage the transfer of ownership of individual barrels of alcoholic beverages such as whiskey and wine. A non-fungible token (NFT) is a type of token in which transactions are recorded on a blockchain, and is issued in accordance with the ERC (Ethereum Request for Comments) 721 standard, which is a standard for NFTs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6829927 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7389527 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, existing technologies using NFTs are limited to managing the transfer of ownership of alcoholic beverages (barrels), for example. Therefore, there is room for consideration in presenting additional information or data related to alcoholic beverages to consumers who hold ownership of the beverages.

[0005] One exemplary objective of the present disclosure is to enable consumers to be provided with a non-fungible token associated with a claim for delivery of an alcoholic beverage product, along with ancillary data related to the alcoholic beverage product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, a server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a non-fungible token issuing unit that issues, in a blockchain, a first non-fungible token associated with a right to claim delivery of an alcoholic product and a second non-fungible token associated with ancillary data related to the alcoholic product; a transaction management unit that manages transactions in the blockchain between the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token; and a shipping management unit that, when a request to delete the first non-fungible token is made in the transaction, instructs a manufacturer terminal of the alcoholic product to ship the alcoholic product to a delivery address specified by the terminal that requested the deletion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a consumer may be provided with a non-fungible token associated with a right to claim delivery of an alcoholic beverage product, along with a non-fungible token associated with ancillary data related to the alcoholic beverage product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an NFT service system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the NFT server illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of customer data illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of RWA (real world asset) related data illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of NFT management data illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of an NFT according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the overall operational flow in the case where a consumer consumes a product at home in the NFT service system illustrated in Figure 1. [Figure 8]This is a diagram showing the overall operational flow in the case where a consumer gifts a product to another consumer in the NFT service system illustrated in Figure 1. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of operation focusing on the NFT server in the flow of operation illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. Furthermore, more detailed descriptions than necessary may be omitted.

[0010] For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, identical or similar reference numerals indicate identical or similar elements, and repeated descriptions may be omitted. When numerical values ​​are described in the following description, the numerical values ​​are merely examples, and other numerical values ​​may be used in addition or instead.

[0011] <System configuration example> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an NFT service system 10 according to one embodiment. The NFT service system 10 (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "system 10") shown in Figure 1 includes, for example, a server computer 20 that provides an NFT service platform (PF), a blockchain system 40, and client computers 60, 80A, 80B, and 100.

[0012] For convenience, the server computer 20 may be referred to as the "NFT server 20" or the "NFT service PF20." The term "computer" may be replaced with other terms, such as "device," "terminal," "node," or "entity." One or more of the NFT server 20 and the client terminals 60, 80A, 80B, and 100 may correspond to nodes that make up the blockchain system 40.

[0013] The NFT server 20, the blockchain system 40, and the client terminals 60, 80A, 80B, and 100 are connected to a network (NW) 120 and can communicate with each other. The network 120 may be either a wired or wireless network, or may be a mixed wired and wireless network.

[0014] The wireless network may be a network conforming to standards established by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) (registered trademark), such as 3G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, 5G, or 6G, or a Wi-Fi network conforming to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 series standards. A non-limiting example of network 120 may include the Internet.

[0015] The blockchain system 40 (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "blockchain 40") is a computer system (or network) including, for example, multiple nodes (computers) connected by P2P (peer-to-peer). The blockchain 40 is illustratively configured to decentralize and record transactions related to NFTs between wallet addresses assigned to each user of the NFT service system 10.

[0016] Transactions involving NFTs may include, by way of example, issuing (or mapping) an NFT to a particular wallet address, transferring an NFT between wallet addresses, and / or "burning," which means deleting or deactivating an NFT. Issuing an NFT is also referred to as "minting."

[0017] Note that an NFT is one-of-a-kind, non-fungible digital data that is uniquely identified on the blockchain 40. For example, by being decentralizedly recorded on the blockchain 40, an NFT can function as digital data with an unforgeable certificate of authenticity and proof of ownership.

[0018] A wallet address is, for example, address information indicating the location of a wallet associated with a resource in the blockchain 40. In contrast to the digital space in the blockchain 40 and the real world, a "wallet" (or may also be referred to as a "wallet account") may correspond to, for example, a "bank account," and a "wallet address" may correspond to, for example, an "account number."

[0019] A "wallet address" may be a character string (e.g., a public key) paired with a character string (e.g., a private key) held by a user who has access rights to a "wallet," or a character string generated based on the public key. In this case, the private key represents legitimate access rights to a "wallet account," and may correspond to, for example, a password for logging in or signing in to a "wallet account."

[0020] The issuance and / or management of wallet addresses may be performed, for example, by the NFT server 20, or by a wallet management server (not shown) different from the NFT server 20 and connected to the NW120.

[0021] Note that each user of the NFT service system 10 may include, for example, a manufacturer that provides a product (or merchandise) as a real world asset (RWA), a product wholesaler, a product retail store, and a product consumer. Consumers may also include either or both of consumers who acquire products for personal consumption and consumers who acquire (transfer) products from other consumers, for example, as gifts. A non-limiting example of a product is an alcoholic beverage such as whiskey or wine.

[0022] In Fig. 1, for example, client terminal 60 corresponds to a "manufacturer terminal 60" that may be operated by a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. Client terminal 80A corresponds to a "wholesaler terminal 80A" that may be operated by a wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, and client terminal 80B corresponds to a "retailer terminal 80B" that may be operated by a retailer of alcoholic beverages. Because both wholesalers and retailers are sellers of alcoholic beverages, wholesaler terminal 80A and retailer terminal 80B may be collectively referred to as "seller terminal 80."

[0023] The client terminal 100 corresponds to, for example, a "consumer terminal 100" that can be operated by a consumer of alcoholic beverage products. Two or more of each of the manufacturer terminal 60, wholesaler terminal 80A, retail store terminal 80B, and consumer terminal 100 may be provided in the system 10.

[0024] Each of the client terminals 60, 80A, 80B, and 100 may be any type of apparatus or device having communication capabilities. As a non-limiting example, one or more of the client terminals 60, 80A, 80B, and 100 may be a laptop or desktop personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or any combination thereof.

[0025] The NFT server 20 is configured to be able to mint, for example, an NFT associated with (or representing) an exercisable right regarding an alcoholic beverage product provided by a manufacturer, such as a right to request delivery of the alcoholic beverage product (hereinafter also referred to as a "right to purchase"), to a wallet address to which a user who wishes to purchase the alcoholic beverage product has access.

[0026] The terminal operated to purchase alcoholic beverage products may be any of the wholesaler terminal 80A, the retail store terminal 80B, and the consumer terminal 100. In addition, multiple NFTs may be minted together as a virtual inventory of alcoholic beverage products into a wallet address to which the manufacturer terminal 60 has access.

[0027] An NFT with associated purchase rights is an example of a first NFT and may be conveniently referred to as an "purchase rights NFT." Purchase rights NFTs may be understood to function as a "voucher" for a physical alcoholic beverage product (hereinafter also referred to as a "product").

[0028] An "Access Right" may be, for example, a "Priority Access Right" (also referred to as an "Allow List") that may receive priority over an "Access Right" in terms of the purchase price and / or availability of alcoholic beverage products. A "Priority Access Right" may be understood to function as a "Pre-order Voucher."

[0029] The alcoholic beverage product associated with an access rights NFT (including a priority access rights NFT; the same applies below) may be an alcoholic beverage product (actual product) that actually exists as a finished product at the time the NFT is issued, or it may be an alcoholic beverage product that is scheduled to be manufactured or completed after the NFT is issued.

[0030] When a consumer wishes to purchase one or more alcoholic beverage products manufactured by a manufacturer, the alcoholic beverage product distributor terminal 80 purchases an access right NFT in place of the actual product. Similarly, the consumer terminal 100 purchases an access right NFT from the manufacturer terminal 60 or the distributor terminal 80 in place of the actual product.

[0031] In this way, NFTs that grant access to alcoholic beverage products are distributed from manufacturers to retailers and from retailers to consumers without the need for the actual product. In other words, each time a purchase (sales contract or transfer contract) of an access right NFT is completed, a transfer transaction of the access right NFT between wallet addresses is recorded in the blockchain 40.

[0032] A consumer of an alcoholic beverage product may, for example, operate the consumer terminal 100 to burn the minted purchase right NFT to the consumer's wallet address, thereby declaring or expressing to the NFT server 20 that he or she will exercise his or her right to request delivery of the actual alcoholic beverage product.

[0033] Upon receiving a declaration or representation of the exercise of the right to request delivery, the NFT server 20 instructs, for example, the manufacturer terminal 60 to deliver the alcoholic beverage product. As a result, the consumer obtains the actual alcoholic beverage product represented by the burned purchase right NFT.

[0034] The above-described transactions of the acquisition rights NFT on the blockchain 40 (e.g., minting, transferring, and burning) are sequentially recorded in an immutable state on the blockchain 40. For example, the NFT server 20 updates the ownership information of the acquisition rights NFT with new owner information each time the acquisition rights NFT is transferred between wallet addresses. The ownership information is also referred to as the owner (or holder) ID and can be represented, for example, by the wallet address where the NFT was minted.

[0035] Therefore, for example, the NFT server 20 or a manufacturer terminal 60 that cooperates with the NFT server 20 can check the distribution route of the acquisition right NFT by referring to the transaction history of the acquisition right NFT recorded in the blockchain 40.

[0036] Therefore, the manufacturer terminal 60 can, for example, obtain information about the customer who used (burned or transferred) the purchase right NFT, and can trace what transfer transactions were carried out and who ultimately consumed the alcoholic beverage product.

[0037] In this way, by distributing NFTs that are associated with the right to purchase a physical product in place of the actual product, it is possible to prevent, for example, deterioration in quality or the influx of counterfeits in the distribution route of the actual product. Popular alcoholic beverages (e.g., whiskey) are often subject to illegal resale at high prices that the manufacturer did not intend. For manufacturers, in a difficult-to-control distribution chain where illegal resale can occur, deterioration in the quality of alcoholic beverages during distribution (which may include, for example, illegal refilling of whiskey bottles) or the influx of counterfeits can damage the brand value.

[0038] According to the system 10 of the present disclosure, by distributing purchase right NFTs instead of actual products, a commercial flow can be formed that does not involve actual products and can be controlled or managed by the NFT server 20, thereby preventing deterioration in the quality of alcoholic beverage products and illegal resale, protecting the brand value of alcoholic beverage products, and ultimately protecting manufacturers and consumers.

[0039] Furthermore, information indicating whether or not genuine alcoholic beverage products manufactured by the manufacturer have been delivered to consumers through legitimate distribution channels can be confirmed on the NFT server 20 and provided to the manufacturer terminal 60. Therefore, for example, information regarding consumers who have purchased alcoholic beverage products at a fair price through legitimate distribution channels can be visualized on the manufacturer terminal 60. Therefore, manufacturers can use the provided information to, for example, develop strategies for sales promotion, advertising, and marketing of alcoholic beverage products.

[0040] Here, the NFT server 20 of this embodiment may also be configured to generate an NFT associated with (or representing) incidental data related to the alcoholic beverage product to be purchased with the acquisition right NFT (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "RWA-related data"), and issue the NFT together with the acquisition right NFT on the blockchain 40. The RWA-related data may include collectible data that has collectible value for consumers, and an NFT associated with such collectible data may be conveniently referred to as a "collectible NFT."

[0041] The collectible NFT is an example of a second NFT, and may be minted, for example, into the same wallet address as the acquisition rights NFT and circulated together with the acquisition rights NFT in the above-described non-physical commerce on the blockchain 40. The collectible NFT may be controlled or managed by the NFT server 20 so as to be circulated on the blockchain 40 together with the acquisition rights NFT until it reaches the final consumer.

[0042] For example, collectible NFTs may be transferred between wallet addresses while bound to a rights NFT as a bindable NFT that can be linked to other NFTs, such as those described in the ERC5700 standard, and the binding can be released at any time by the owner of the NFT.

[0043] Consumers can selectively burn or transfer the Acquisition Rights NFT and continue to hold the Collectible NFT without burning or transferring it. If the Collectible NFT is bound to the Acquisition Rights NFT, consumers can unbind the Acquisition Rights NFT and burn the Acquisition Rights NFT.

[0044] The RWA-related data may include, for example, data on the manufacturing process of the alcoholic beverage product, data showing the etiquette (or label) of the alcoholic beverage product, data on the history of the manufacturer of the alcoholic beverage product (which may include, for example, a factory and / or a brewery), data on the history of the alcoholic beverage product, data showing comments about the alcoholic beverage product (for example, tasting comments by a brewer), and other data related to the alcoholic beverage product. These data may be image data. The image data may be still image data or moving image data.

[0045] Data relating to the manufacturing process of alcoholic beverage products may include, for example, information indicating the aging period and / or the degree of aging (degree of aging) of whiskey (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "aging degree information"). The aging degree information is not limited to information on the stage at which whiskey is drawn from the aging barrel (cask) and commercialized as a finished product (e.g., bottled), but may also include information on the stages during aging before commercialization as a finished product.

[0046] Since the quality of whiskey can vary depending on the length of time it is aged in the cask and / or the amount removed from the cask for bottling, by converting maturity information before bottling (during the maturation stage) into NFTs, consumers can be provided with information about the maturity of a whiskey product before they receive the finished product.

[0047] Therefore, for example, a consumer can obtain a finished product with a maturity level that suits their taste by burning the acquisition right NFT at a timing of their choice regarding the maturity level of the whiskey. In other words, a consumer can select the timing for exercising the right to request delivery of the finished alcoholic beverage product based on the maturity level information at an intermediate stage of maturation, thereby instructing the manufacturer, for example, when the whiskey will be bottled as a finished product. Note that the maturation level information at an intermediate stage of maturation may be expressed as information indicating the expected time when maturation in the cask will reach the desired maturity level.

[0048] By circulating collectible NFTs associated with maturation information for each alcoholic beverage product together with NFTs that give the right to purchase the alcoholic beverage product, invisible value such as the degree of maturation can be visualized as additional value and presented to consumers.

[0049] Therefore, consumers can enjoy a new experience that differs from collecting etiquette in the real world. In addition, by converting the history of the maker and tasting comments about the whiskey product into NFTs and distributing them together with the NFTs that grant them the right to purchase, it is possible for the maker to directly communicate the message they want to convey to consumers.

[0050] <Configuration Example of NFT Server 20> Hereinafter, a configuration example of the NFT server 20 that can provide the NFT service as described above will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the NFT server (service PF) 20 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, the NFT server 20 illustratively includes a processor 202, a memory 204, a storage device 206, an input device 208, an output device 210, and a communication device 212. These components are communicably connected to each other, for example, by a bus 214.

[0052] In FIG. 2, the term "device" may be mutually read as other terms such as a circuit, a device, and a unit. The configuration of the NFT server 20 may be configured to include one or more of each device illustrated in FIG. 2, or may be configured without including some devices.

[0053] Each function in the NFT server 20 can be realized, for example, by the processor 202 reading and executing a program (or an application; the same applies hereinafter) 268 and / or data used in association with the execution of the program 268 from the storage device 206 via the memory 204. The processor 202 is an example of an arithmetic device having arithmetic capabilities, and is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU).

[0054] The program 268 may include instructions (for example, program codes) that cause the processor 202 to function or operate as an NFT issuance unit 221, an NFT management unit 222, a transaction management unit 223, a customer data management unit 224, and a shipping management unit 225 when read and executed by the processor 202.

[0055] The program 268 may be stored in advance in the storage device 206, or may be received by the NFT server 20 via a computer-readable storage medium or the network 120 (in other words, a telecommunications line). The program 268 may also be incorporated as part of the operating system (OS) of the NFT server 20.

[0056] The memory 204 and the storage device 206 are both examples of computer-readable storage media. The memory 204 may be configured with at least one of storage media such as a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and a random access memory (RAM).

[0057] The storage device 206 may be configured with at least one of storage media such as an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc), and a flash memory.

[0058] The input device 208 may correspond to an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, a camera, etc.) that receives input from an external device. The output device 210 may correspond to an output device (e.g., a display, a printer, a speaker, etc.) that outputs to an external device. The input device 208 and the output device 210 may be integrated into one device, such as a touch panel.

[0059] The communication device 212 is an example of a hardware device for communicating with an external device (e.g., the blockchain 40, terminal 60, 80A, 80B, or 100 as a communication partner) via the network 120. The communication device 212 may be referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module.

[0060] In addition to the above-mentioned program 268, the storage device 206 stores, for example, customer data 262, RWA-related data 264, and NFT management data 266. An example of the customer data 262 is shown in FIG. 3, an example of the RWA-related data 264 is shown in FIG. 4, and an example of the NFT management data 266 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0061] <Example of customer data 262> As shown in FIG. 3, customer data 262 includes, as a non-limiting example, data associating, for each identifier for identifying a customer (customer ID #1 to #N; N is an integer greater than or equal to 1), information indicating the customer type (consumer, wholesaler, retail store, etc.), information indicating the customer's age or generation, wallet information (e.g., wallet address) identifying a wallet that the customer owns (or has access to) in blockchain 40, and delivery destination information (e.g., the customer's name or title, and address information that the customer has previously designated as the delivery destination for alcoholic beverage products, etc.).

[0062] In this embodiment, the customer data 262 is assumed to be KYC (Know Your Customer) data that has undergone a predetermined identity verification procedure between the customer and the manufacturer, or between the customer and the provider (or administrator, for example, the system of a financial institution such as a bank) of the NFT server 20. Furthermore, in the customer data 262, the wallet information may be wallet information that the manufacturer has opened as a KYC-completed wallet and provided to the customer, or it may be wallet information that the customer has opened independently and provided by the customer.

[0063] Furthermore, in the customer data 262, personal information such as, for example, the customer's age and / or address information may be limited to the personal information of customers who have consented to the acquisition of personal information in, for example, the KYC procedure. In cases such as when delivering alcoholic products to customers who have not consented to the acquisition of personal information, for example, the delivery destination may be transmitted to the delivery operator using zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology.

[0064] When using ZKP technology, the customer data 262 may be encrypted and stored in the storage device 206. Encryption and decryption of the customer data 262 may be performed, for example, in the processor 202 (for example, the shipping management unit 225). In other words, the processor 202 or the shipping management unit 225 may be provided with an encryption unit that encrypts the customer data 262 and a decryption unit that decrypts the encrypted customer data 262.

[0065] <Examples of RWA-related data 264> The RWA-related data 264 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes, as a non-limiting example, for each identifier (product ID) of an alcoholic product, a lot number, a cask number, aging degree information (for example, image data indicating the aging degree), label information (for example, label image data of the alcoholic product), comments on the alcoholic product (for example, tasting comments, etc.), and data associating the history information of the manufacturer or the product. The aging degree information and / or comments may be one or more for one alcoholic product. In FIG. 4, m, p, q, M, and K are all integers of 1 or more.

[0066] The "product ID" is information that uniquely identifies an alcoholic product and may be, for example, a serial number assigned to each individual alcoholic product. The "lot number (LOT No.)" is, for example, a number that identifies products manufactured (for example, bottled) at the same time. The "cask number (Cask No.)" is, for example, a number that identifies the cask used in the brewing of whiskey.

[0067] In whiskey products, whiskey brewed and aged in multiple different aging barrels may be blended to produce one product (e.g., a whiskey bottle). For example, in FIG. 4, the whiskey product with lot number #1 indicates that the whiskey drawn from one barrel identified by cask number #1 is bottled. On the other hand, the whiskey product with lot number #2 indicates that the whiskey drawn from two different barrels with cask numbers #1 and #2 is blended and bottled.

[0068] Note that the customer data 262 and the RWA-related data 264 are, for example, provided in advance from the manufacturer terminal 60 to the NFT server 20 and are shared (or rather, coordinated or synchronized) between the NFT server 20 and the manufacturer terminal 60.

[0069] <Example of NFT management data 266> The NFT management data 266 illustrated in FIG. 5 includes, as a non-limiting example, data associating the type of NFT (acquisition right or collectible), the owner ID identifying the current owner of the NFT, and the NFT status (e.g., valid or invalid) for each NFT issued by the NFT server 20. The owner ID can be represented, for example, by information of the wallet where the NFT was minted (e.g., wallet address).

[0070] For example, in FIG. 5, the acquisition right NFT identified by NFT ID#1, together with the collectible NFT identified by NFT ID#2, was minted to the wallet address #1 of the user (customer), and both NFTs are "valid" (or rather, not burned).

[0071] Note that, as illustrated by NFT ID#5 and NFT ID#n in FIG. 5, acquisition right NFTs without accompanying collectible NFTs may be issued by the NFT server 20.

[0072] Based on the above customer data 262, RWA-related data 264, and NFT management data 266, the NFT server 20 controls or manages transactions related to NFTs, such as the issuance, transfer, or burning of acquisition rights NFTs and collectible NFTs, in cooperation with the blockchain 40.

[0073] 2, for example, in response to receiving an NFT issuance request from the manufacturer terminal 60, the NFT issuing unit 221 issues an alcohol product purchase right NFT and a collectible NFT based on the customer data 262 and the RWA-related data 264. The issued NFT is minted to the destination wallet address specified in the NFT issuance request, for example, based on the wallet information in the customer data 262.

[0074] In addition, if the destination wallet address is not specified in the NFT issuance request, the NFT issuing unit 221 may, for example, mint the NFT set as part of the manufacturer's inventory of alcoholic beverage products to the wallet address of the manufacturer terminal 60 that made the NFT issuance request, based on the wallet information in the customer data 262.

[0075] 6 shows an example of a data structure 600 of an NFT. The data structure 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 may be common to both acquisition rights NFTs and collectible NFTs. The data structure 600 illustratively includes index data 602, metadata 604, and content data 606.

[0076] The index data 602 may include, for example, an NFT ID 622, an owner ID 624, and a uniform resource identifier (URI) 626 that indicates a link to the metadata 604. The NFT ID 621 is identification information for uniquely identifying the NFT, and the owner ID 624 may include the wallet address of the current owner of the NFT, etc. In the blockchain 40, the owner ID 624 is updated in response to the transfer of the NFT, thereby transferring ownership of the NFT in the blockchain 40.

[0077] The metadata 604 may include, for example, the name of the NFT 642, a description of the NFT 644, and a uniform resource locator (URL) 646 that provides a link to a location where the content data 606 is stored (e.g., a resource on the Internet).

[0078] The content data 606 linked to the metadata 604 by the URL 646 may include, for example, in the case of an access rights NFT, image data evidencing access to an alcoholic beverage product, or in the case of a collectible NFT, the RWA-related data described above.

[0079] A terminal 60, 80A, 80B or 100 that has access to the wallet address where the NFT was minted can, for example, display the metadata indicated by the URI 626 and the content data 606 indicated by the URL 646 on a display or print it using a printer.

[0080] In addition, for example, index data 602 of the NFT is recorded (on-chain) on the blockchain 40, and metadata 604 and content data 606 may be recorded (off-chain) on a storage medium different from the blockchain 40, for example, a distributed storage or network such as IPFS (InterPlanetary File System).

[0081] Returning to Figure 2, the NFT management unit 222, for example, in cooperation with the NFT issuing unit 221 and / or the transaction management unit 223, records and updates NFT management data 266 (see Figure 5) in units of NFTs in response to transactions related to NFTs on the blockchain 40 (such as issuance, transfer, or burning of NFTs).

[0082] The transaction manager 223, for example, manages transactions related to NFTs (issuance, burning, transfer, etc. of NFTs) in the blockchain 40. For example, the transaction manager 223 causes the NFT issuing unit 221 to issue an NFT in response to receiving an NFT issuance request from the manufacturer terminal 60. In response to the issuance of the NFT, the NFT manager 222 updates the NFT management data 266.

[0083] In addition, the transaction management unit 223, for example, in response to receiving an NFT transfer request or burn request from a client terminal 80A, 80B, or 100, transfers or burns the corresponding NFT in the blockchain 40.

[0084] In response to the transfer of the NFT, for example, the NFT management unit 222 updates the owner ID 624 (e.g., wallet address) of the NFT identified by the NFT ID 622 specified in the transfer request to the new owner ID 624 of the transfer destination. In addition, the NFT management unit 222 updates the status of the NFT identified by the NFT ID 622 specified in the NFT burn request to invalid.

[0085] The customer data management unit 224 manages, for example, customer data 262 (see FIG. 3) as exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3. As described above, the customer data 262 is linked or synchronized with the customer data held by the manufacturer terminal 60, and the customer data management unit 224 can update the customer data 262 in response to customer data provided by the manufacturer terminal 60, for example.

[0086] The shipping management unit 225, for example, in cooperation with the NFT management unit 222 and / or the transaction management unit 223, performs a process in which, when an acquisition right NFT is burned, an alcoholic beverage product associated with the burned acquisition right NFT is shipped to the customer who burned the acquisition right NFT.

[0087] For example, the shipping management unit 225 may identify the customer ID who burned the purchase rights NFT by referencing the customer data 262 based on the owner ID 624 (e.g., wallet address) of the burned (invalidated) NFT in the NFT management data 266. The shipping management unit 225 then performs shipping processing of the alcoholic beverage product to the shipping destination information corresponding to the identified customer ID in the customer data 262. The shipping processing may include, for example, instructing the manufacturer terminal 60 to ship the alcoholic beverage product, or requesting delivery of the alcoholic beverage product to a terminal (not shown) of a delivery company affiliated with the manufacturer.

[0088] The shipping process may also include, for example, verifying the age or generation of the customer who burned the purchase rights NFT. Verifying the age or generation of the customer can prevent alcohol products from being shipped to customers of an age or generation that is prohibited from purchasing alcohol.

[0089] The shipping instructions may include, for example, delivery address information identified in customer data 262. If delivery address information is not registered in customer data 262, for example, for a customer who has not consented to the collection of personal information, the delivery address information may be transmitted to the delivery company using ZKP technology.

[0090] In the configuration examples described above for the NFT server 20, the term "unit" can be interchangeably used with other terms such as "circuit," "block," "module," and "means." Some or all of the components or functions illustrated for the NFT server 20 may be integrated into a single component or function, or may be separated into multiple components or functions.

[0091] Furthermore, any one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned NFT issuing unit 221, NFT management unit 222, transaction management unit 223, customer data management unit 224, and shipping management unit 225 may be distributed and executed in a distributed manner across multiple NFT servers 20. The multiple NFT servers 20 may be, for example, a group of cloud servers virtualized using virtualization technology.

[0092] Furthermore, any one or more of the NFT issuing unit 221, NFT management unit 222, transaction management unit 223, customer data management unit 224, and shipping management unit 225 may be implemented (for example, as a smart contract) in the blockchain 40. In other words, the NFT server 20 may correspond to any one or more of the multiple computers (nodes) that make up the blockchain 40.

[0093] In addition, each client terminal such as the manufacturer terminal 60, wholesaler terminal 80A, retail store terminal 80B, and consumer terminal 100 may, as an example of a hardware configuration, be equipped with a processor, memory, storage device, input device, output device, and communication device, all interconnected by a bus, similar to the NFT server 20.

[0094] As an example of functional configuration, each client terminal 60, 80A, 80B and 100 may have functional units corresponding to an NFT management unit 222 and a transaction management unit 223, and a program that embodies the functional units by being read and executed by a processor may be stored in a storage device.

[0095] <Example of operation> Next, an example of the operation of the system 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to Figures 7, 8, and 9. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the overall operational flow of the system 10 in a case where a consumer consumes an alcoholic beverage product (for example, a whiskey product) at home, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing the overall operational flow of the system 10 in a case where a consumer gives a whiskey product as a gift to another consumer. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation focusing on the NFT server 20 in the operational flow exemplified in Figures 7 and 8.

[0096] <Self-consumption case> In FIG. 7, the manufacturer terminal 60 provides the customer data 262 and the RWA-related data 264 to the NFT server 20, and data linkage is performed between the manufacturer terminal 60 and the NFT server 20 (S702).

[0097] Thereafter, for example, when a purchase request for a whiskey product is received from the wholesaler terminal 80A (S704), an NFT issuance request for the whiskey product is sent to the NFT server 20 (S706).

[0098] In the NFT issuance request, for example, information about the whiskey product associated with the acquisition rights NFT (e.g., product ID, quantity, etc.), RWA-related data to be associated with the collectible NFT (e.g., maturity, manufacturer history, etc.), a mint wallet address, etc. may be specified by the manufacturer terminal 60. In this example, the mint wallet address is the wallet address of the wholesaler terminal 80A that sent the NFT issuance request.

[0099] 9, the NFT server 20 checks whether an NFT issuance request has been received (S902; NO). If an NFT issuance request has been received (S902; YES), the NFT server 20, for example, in the NFT issuing unit 221, generates a right-of-purchase NFT and a collectible NFT based on the information specified in the NFT issuance request, the customer data 262, and the RWA-related data 264.

[0100] Then, the NFT issuing unit 221 issues (mints) the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT as a set to the wallet address of the wholesaler terminal 80A that sent the NFT issuance request, for example (S708 in FIG. 7 and S904 in FIG. 9). In response to the issuance of the NFT, the NFT server 20, for example, updates the NFT management data 266 via the NFT management unit 222 (S906 in FIG. 9).

[0101] Then, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, when a purchase request for a whiskey product is sent from the retail store terminal 80B to the wholesaler terminal 80A (S710), the wholesaler terminal 80A sells a set of the purchase rights NFT and the collectible NFT to the retail store terminal 80B in place of the actual whiskey product (S712).

[0102] For example, the wholesaler terminal 80A requests the NFT server 20 to transfer each of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT to the retail store terminal 80B. This transfer request specifies, for example, the ID 622 of the NFT to be transferred and the wallet address of the transfer destination (in this example, the retail store terminal 80B).

[0103] The NFT server 20 (e.g., the transaction management unit 223) checks whether a request for transferring or burning an NFT is received by the client terminal 80A, 80B, or 100 (NO in S908 and S912), for example, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0104] When an NFT transfer request is received by the NFT server 20 from the wholesaler terminal 80A (S908; YES), the transaction management unit 223, for example, updates the owner ID 624 of the acquisition right NFT and collectible NFT related to the transfer request in the blockchain 40 to the wallet address of the retail store terminal 80B.

[0105] As a result, the ownership of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT is transferred from the wholesaler terminal 80A to the retail store terminal 80B. In response to the transfer of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT, for example, the NFT management unit 222 updates the owner ID of the NFT in question in the NFT management data 266 (S910).

[0106] Then, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, if a purchase request for a whiskey product is sent from the consumer terminal 100 to the retail store terminal 80B (S714), the retail store terminal 80B, like the wholesaler terminal 80A, sells a set of a purchase right NFT and a collectible NFT to the consumer terminal 100 in place of the actual whiskey product (S716).

[0107] For example, the retail store terminal 80B requests the NFT server 20 to transfer each of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT to the consumer terminal 100. This transfer request specifies, for example, the ID 622 of the NFT to be transferred and the wallet address of the transfer destination (in this example, the consumer terminal 100).

[0108] When an NFT transfer request is received by the NFT server 20 from the retail store terminal 80B (S908 in Figure 9; YES), for example, the transaction management unit 223 updates the owner IDs of the acquisition rights NFT and collectible NFT related to the transfer request in the blockchain 40 to the wallet address of the consumer terminal 100.

[0109] As a result, the ownership of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT is transferred from the retail store terminal 80B to the consumer terminal 100. In response to the transfer of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT, for example, the NFT management unit 222 updates the owner ID of the NFT in question in the NFT management data 266 (S910 in FIG. 9).

[0110] In the above-mentioned transfer transactions of acquisition rights NFTs and collectible NFTs, the method of settling the purchase price (in other words, the establishment of a sales contract or transfer contract) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, by transferring virtual currency corresponding to the purchase price between wallet addresses. The virtual currency transfer process may be realized, for example, by a smart contract on the blockchain 40.

[0111] 7, the consumer terminal 100 can exercise the right to request delivery of the whiskey product associated with the purchase right NFT by requesting the burning of the purchase right NFT, out of the purchase right NFT and the collectible NFT, at any time from the NFT server 20. When requesting the burning of the purchase right NFT, for example, the ID 622 of the NFT to be burned is specified in the consumer terminal 100.

[0112] In the NFT server 20, for example, the transaction management unit 223 checks whether a request to burn the acquisition right NFT has been received from the consumer terminal 100 (NO in S908 and YES in S912 in FIG. 9).

[0113] When a burning request is received by the NFT server 20, the NFT server 20, for example, in the shipping management unit 225, identifies the owner ID by referring to the NFT management data 266 based on the NFT ID 622 specified in the received burning request.

[0114] Then, the shipping management unit 225 identifies the customer ID by referring to the customer data 262 illustrated in Figure 3 based on the identified owner ID, and confirms whether the user of the consumer terminal 100 identified by the identified customer ID is an appropriate purchaser of the whiskey product (S914 and S916 in Figure 9).

[0115] In addition, if consent to the collection of personal information has not been obtained from the user, age or generation verification may be carried out between the NFT server 20 and the consumer terminal 100, for example using ZKP technology.

[0116] If, as a result of this age or generation confirmation, the user of the consumer terminal 100 is of an age or generation that is permitted to be served alcoholic beverages, the shipping management unit 225 determines that the user of the consumer terminal 100 is an appropriate purchaser of whiskey products (S916; YES).

[0117] In response to determining that the purchaser is appropriate, the shipping management unit 225 instructs the manufacturer terminal 60, for example, to ship the actual whiskey product associated with the burned NFT to the user of the consumer terminal 100 (S720 in Figure 7 and S918 in Figure 9).

[0118] The shipping instruction includes, for example, delivery destination information identified in the customer data 262 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the shipping management unit 225 instructs the transaction management unit 223 to invalidate the burned NFT, for example.

[0119] In response to an instruction from the shipping management unit 225, the transaction management unit 223, for example, burns and invalidates the acquisition right NFT of the NFT ID specified in the burn request in the blockchain 40. In response to the invalidation of this acquisition right NFT, for example, the NFT management unit 222 updates the status of the burned acquisition right NFT to invalid (burned) in the NFT management data 266 (S920 in FIG. 9).

[0120] When the manufacturer terminal 60 receives a shipping instruction from the NFT server 20, it ships the burned whiskey product to the delivery destination indicated by the delivery destination information specified in the received shipping instruction (S722 in FIG. 7). Note that delivery of the whiskey product to the delivery destination may be performed, for example, by the manufacturer's delivery department or by a delivery company affiliated with the manufacturer.

[0121] When delivery of the whiskey product is completed, the delivery company terminal (not shown) may notify, for example, the NFT server 20, of the completion of delivery. When the NFT server 20 (for example, the shipping management unit 225) receives the delivery completion notification, it may transmit the delivery completion notification to, for example, the manufacturer terminal 60.

[0122] In addition, at S916 in Figure 9, if the user of the consumer terminal 100 is not of the age or generation at which provision of alcoholic beverages is permitted (S916; NO), the shipping management unit 225 will perform NG processing, such as notifying the consumer terminal 100 that provision of alcoholic beverages is not permitted, without performing shipping processing of the whiskey product (S922 in Figure 9).

[0123] <Gift case> In the gift-giving case, for example, as shown in Figure 8, a first consumer terminal 100 that has acquired a set of acquisition rights NFTs and collectible NFTs requests the NFT server 20 to transfer (assign) the set of NFTs to another (second) consumer terminal 100A, for example, for gift purposes (S802).

[0124] This transfer request specifies, for example, the ID 622 of the NFT to be transferred and the wallet address of the transfer destination (consumer terminal 100A). The flow up to when the first consumer terminal 100 acquires the acquisition right NFT and collectible NFT may be the same as that shown in FIG.

[0125] When the NFT server 20 receives an NFT transfer request from the first consumer terminal 100 to the second consumer terminal 100A (S908 in Figure 9; YES), for example, the transaction management unit 223 updates the owner ID 624 of each of the acquisition right NFT and collectible NFT related to the transfer request to the wallet address of the consumer terminal 100A.

[0126] As a result, the ownership of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT is transferred from the first consumer terminal 100 to the second consumer terminal 100A (S802 in FIG. 8). In response to the transfer of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT, for example, the NFT management unit 222 updates the owner ID of the NFT identified by the NFT ID in the NFT management data 266 (S910 in FIG. 9).

[0127] 8, the second consumer terminal 100A can exercise the right to request delivery of the whiskey product associated with the acquisition right NFT by requesting the NFT server 20 to burn the acquisition right NFT at any time, out of the acquisition right NFT and the collectible NFT. When requesting to burn the acquisition right NFT, for example, the ID 622 of the NFT to be burned is specified on the second consumer terminal 100A.

[0128] As shown in Figure 9, the NFT server 20, for example, confirms that the request to burn the acquisition right NFT has been received in the transaction management unit 223 (NO in S908 and YES in S912). After that, processing is carried out in the same manner as in the processing of the "self-consumption case" illustrated in Figure 7, except that the "consumer terminal 100" is replaced with the "consumer terminal 100A."

[0129] For example, when the NFT server 20 receives a request to burn a purchase right NFT (S912 in Figure 9; YES), the transaction management unit 223 performs processing such as age verification, as in the case of personal consumption, and then instructs the manufacturer terminal 60 to ship the actual whiskey product associated with the burned purchase right NFT to the delivery address specified by the second consumer terminal 100A (S806 in Figure 7 and S918 in Figure 9).

[0130] Thereafter, as in the "self-consumption case" (Figure 7), the burned whiskey product is shipped to the delivery destination identified by the delivery destination information specified in the shipping instruction (S808 in Figure 8).

[0131] There may also be cases where the user of the second consumer terminal 100A, who is the subsequent acquirer of the purchase right NFT, transfers (assigns) the purchase right NFT to another (third) consumer terminal for gift purposes without burning it. Even in such cases, the final acquirer of the purchase right NFT can burn the purchase right NFT, and the whiskey product can be delivered to the final acquirer in the same manner as in the above-described example operation.

[0132] As explained above, according to the system 10 of this embodiment, by using the right-to-obtain NFT to create a commercial flow without the need for physical products, and distributing NFTs instead of physical products, it is possible to prevent deterioration in the quality of whiskey products and illegal resale, thereby protecting manufacturers and consumers.

[0133] In addition, by circulating collectible NFTs that are linked to the maturation information of each whiskey product together with NFTs that give the right to purchase that whiskey product, intangible value such as the degree of maturation can be visualized as additional value and presented to consumers.

[0134] Therefore, consumers can enjoy a new experience value that is different from collecting etiquette in the real world. Also, by converting the maturity information of the maturation stage before bottling into NFT, it is possible to present information about the maturity to consumers before purchasing the finished product.

[0135] Therefore, consumers can control the timing of exercising their right to request delivery of the finished whiskey product based on, for example, the maturation level information during the maturation stage, allowing them to obtain the finished product at the desired maturation level at a time of their choosing.

[0136] In addition, by converting the manufacturer's history and comments about the whiskey product into NFTs and distributing them together with the NFT acquisition rights, it is possible for the manufacturer to directly convey the message they want to convey to consumers.

[0137] <Additional information> In the operational example described above with reference to Figures 7 to 9, the wholesaler terminal 80A is the terminal from which a purchase request for a whiskey product is made to the manufacturer terminal 60, but the terminal from which a purchase request for a whiskey product is made to the manufacturer terminal 60 may be the retail store terminal 80B or the consumer terminal 100.

[0138] In other words, there may be cases where the retail store terminal 80B makes a purchase request for a whiskey product to the manufacturer terminal 60 without going through the wholesaler terminal 80A, or there may be cases where the consumer terminal 100 makes a purchase request for a whiskey product to the manufacturer terminal 60 without going through the distributor terminal 80.

[0139] In either case, the manufacturer terminal 60, for example, when requesting the NFT issuance from the NFT server 20, specifies the wallet address to which the NFT is to be issued as the wallet address of the terminal from which the product purchase request was made, and the purchase right NFT and collectible NFT are minted from the NFT server 20 to the wallet address of the terminal from which the product purchase request was made.

[0140] It is also possible that one or more sets of purchase rights NFTs and collectible NFTs may be minted into the wallet address of the manufacturer terminal 60 as a virtual inventory of, for example, whiskey products.

[0141] In such a case, in response to a purchase request for a whiskey product, the manufacturer terminal 60 may send an NFT transfer request to the wallet address of the purchase requestor to the NFT server 20, for example, at S706 in Figures 7 and 8, instead of a request to issue an NFT to the wallet address of the purchase requestor.

[0142] The update of the NFT owner ID associated with such an NFT transfer transaction from the manufacturer terminal 60 to the purchase request terminal may be similar to the update associated with an NFT transfer transaction between the wholesaler terminal 80A and the retail store terminal 80B, or between the retail store terminal 80B and the consumer terminal 100.

[0143] In the above-described embodiment, there may be multiple blockchains 40. For example, the NFT server 20 (e.g., the transaction manager 223) may be configured to manage transactions of right NFTs and / or collectible NFTs based on a protocol called ILP (InterLedger Protocol) that links tokens between different blockchains 40.

[0144] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, various embodiments may be implemented that are modified in structure and detail without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 10. NFT Service System 20 NFT Servers 40 Blockchain System 60 Client terminals (manufacturer terminals) 80A Client terminal (wholesaler terminal) 80B Client terminal (retail store terminal) 100 Client terminals (consumer terminals) 120 Network (NW) 202 processors 204 memory 206 Storage device 208 Input Device 210 Output Device 212 Communication equipment 214 Bus 221 NFT Issuance Department 222 NFT Management Department 223 Transaction Management Unit 224 Customer Data Management Department 226 Shipping Management Department 262 Customer Data 264 RWA related data 266 NFT Management Data 268 Programs 602 Index Data 604 Metadata 606 Content Data 622 NFT ID 624 Owner ID 626 NFT URI 642 NFT Name 644 NFT Explained 646 URL

Claims

1. a non-fungible token issuing unit that issues, on a blockchain, a first non-fungible token associated with a right to claim delivery of an alcoholic beverage product and a second non-fungible token associated with incidental data related to the alcoholic beverage product; a transaction manager that manages transactions of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token on the blockchain; a shipping management unit that, when a request for deletion of the first non-fungible token is made in the transaction, instructs a manufacturer terminal of the alcoholic beverage product to ship the alcoholic beverage product to a delivery address specified by the requesting terminal of the deletion request; A server equipped with

2. The alcoholic beverage product is a whiskey product, The server according to claim 1 , wherein the additional data includes information on the stage of maturation of the whiskey product before it is commercialized as a finished product.

3. 3. The server of claim 2, wherein the ancillary data includes one or more of data indicating a label of the whiskey product, data regarding the history of the manufacturer of the whiskey product, data regarding the history of the whiskey product, and data indicating tasting comments about the whiskey product.

4. A server described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shipping management unit checks whether the user is of an age or age group permitted to purchase the alcoholic product based on the user's age or age group pre-registered for the requesting terminal, and if it is confirmed that the user is of an age or age group permitted to purchase the alcoholic product, it instructs the manufacturer terminal to ship the alcoholic product.

5. 4. The server of claim 1, wherein the requesting terminal is a first consumer terminal that receives the transfer of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token in the transaction, or a second consumer terminal that receives the transfer of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token from the first consumer terminal in the transaction.

6. 1. A method performed by a server, comprising: issuing, on a blockchain, a first non-fungible token associated with a right to claim delivery of an alcoholic beverage product and a second non-fungible token associated with ancillary data related to the alcoholic beverage product; Managing transactions of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token on the blockchain; When a request for deletion of the first non-fungible token is made in the transaction, instructing a manufacturer terminal of the alcoholic beverage product to ship the alcoholic beverage product to a delivery address specified by the requesting terminal of the deletion request; A method comprising:

7. On the server, issuing, on a blockchain, a first non-fungible token associated with a right to claim delivery of an alcoholic beverage product and a second non-fungible token associated with ancillary data related to the alcoholic beverage product; managing transactions of the first non-fungible token and the second non-fungible token on the blockchain; When a request for deletion of the first non-fungible token is made in the transaction, instructing a manufacturer terminal of the alcoholic beverage product to ship the alcoholic beverage product to a delivery address specified by the requesting terminal of the deletion request; A program that executes a process including:

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