Program, method, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for facilitating determination as to whether to review the terms and re-execute an agreement (revision and re-execution of contract) for a concluded contract under management.SOLUTION: A program for operating a computer equipped with a processor that includes a storage unit storing data on concluded contracts including terms agreed between parties concerned, causes the processor to execute the steps of: evaluating terms in data of a contract; and presenting a result of evaluating the terms to a user of the party concerned with the data of the contract.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In conducting business activities, various contracts are concluded and the concluded contracts are managed. Electronic contract services are also used to approve document data between the parties, and the approved document data is managed on the service. For example, there are witness and party-based electronic signature methods.

[0003] Patent Document 1 addresses the issue of "ensuring the conclusion and cancellation of a contract and storing electronic contracts," and describes a technology that "includes a contract application client that sends contract application information to a contract acceptance server via a communications network and receives contract information from the contract acceptance server, a contract acceptance server that receives application information from the client via the communications network, generates contract information from the contract application information, and sends the contract information to the client, and a contract storage server that obtains communication messages between the client and the contract acceptance server, attaches electronic signatures to the communication messages, and stores the communication messages and the electronic signatures."

[0004] According to the technology of Patent Document 1, this has the effect of "ensuring the conclusion and cancellation of a contract, allowing the storage of the contract, and also making it possible to detect any misconduct by the contract recipient in the conclusion of an electronic contract." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-046590 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The document management system manages the contract date, contract period, etc., and can manage the deadlines for contracts that need to be renewed. For example, some contracts have been completed and the purpose of the contract has been achieved, while others need to be reviewed and revised.

[0007] When a contract term is about to expire, the business division can decide whether it should end when the purpose of the contract has been achieved, but when a contract period needs to be renewed, the decision of whether to renew it under the same terms or whether the terms should be changed is not necessarily made by someone with legal knowledge. In such cases, it is difficult for users (such as sales staff) who do not have sufficient criteria for making such decisions to decide whether to renew the contract as is.

[0008] As a result, it is possible that a contract may be renewed as is even if the content should actually be changed.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for technology that makes it easier to determine whether or not it is necessary to review the terms of contracts that have already been concluded and re-conclude them (re-contracts). [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for operating a computer having a processor, wherein a memory unit stores data of an concluded contract including clauses agreed upon between the parties, and the program causes the processor to execute the steps of evaluating each clause of the contract data and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to a user who is a party to the contract data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to more easily determine whether or not it is necessary to review the terms of a concluded contract that is under management and re-conclude the contract (re-contract). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of the user database 211. As shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the fastening management database 212. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of the document management database 213. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of the reference management database 214. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data structure of the review history database 215. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the flow of processing for notifying the user of the evaluation results of an already concluded contract upon expiration of the contract period, and for assisting the user in deciding whether to renew the contract. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that displays a list of managed contracts and information for deciding whether or not to renew a contract, and accepts user operations. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that displays a contract amendment proposal for a contract to be renewed with changes to the contents, and accepts an operation to execute the contract conclusion process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] <Outline of embodiment> <1.1 Overall system configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system 1.

[0015] 1 includes a contract conclusion and document management service server 20, a user terminal 10, a document review service server 93, a business information provision service server 94, a large-scale language model service server 95, and a user terminal 10A. These devices are connected for communication via a network 80.

[0016] In the illustrated example, terminals such as terminal 10 and terminal 10A are shown as terminals used by users of the contract conclusion and document management service provided by server 20, and each user operates their own terminal.

[0017] In this embodiment, each device (terminal device, server, etc.) can also be considered as an information processing device. That is, a collection of devices can be considered as one "information processing device," and system 1 can be formed as a collection of multiple devices. The way in which multiple functions required to realize system 1 according to this embodiment are allocated to one or multiple pieces of hardware can be determined appropriately in consideration of the processing capacity of each piece of hardware and / or the specifications required for system 1.

[0018] The terminal 10 is a device operated by a user. The terminal 10 is realized, for example, as follows. · Handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets Desktop PCs (Personal Computers), laptop PCs Wearable devices worn by users (wristwatches, glasses, etc.) The terminal 10 includes a communication IF (Interface) 12 , an input device 13 , an output device 14 , a memory 15 , a storage 16 , and a processor 19 .

[0019] The communication IF 12 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the terminal 10 can communicate with an external device.

[0020] The input device 13 is a device for receiving input operations from a user (for example, a touch panel, a touch pad, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, etc.).

[0021] The output device 14 is a device (such as a display or speaker) for presenting information to the user.

[0022] The memory 15 is for temporarily storing programs and data to be processed by the programs, and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0023] The storage 16 is for storing data, and is, for example, a flash memory or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0024] The processor 19 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, a register, a peripheral circuit, and the like.

[0025] Server 20 is a device that provides a service for electronically concluding contracts and a service for managing document data concluded through electronic contracts. In system 1, the contract conclusion service provided by server 20 and the document data management service may be provided by different devices or different businesses. For example, server 20 may provide a document management service and, in addition to data on electronically signed contracts, optically read paper contracts with stamps to extract information such as the contract period and whether the contract is automatically renewed, and manage this information together with the scanned data on the contract as management information. This allows users to be notified when the contract period expires.

[0026] The server 20 includes a communication IF 22 , an input / output IF 23 , a memory 25 , a storage 26 , and a processor 29 .

[0027] The communication IF 22 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the server 20 can communicate with external devices.

[0028] The input / output IF 23 functions as an interface with an input device for receiving input operations from the user and an output device for presenting information to the user.

[0029] The memory 25 is for temporarily storing programs and data to be processed by the programs, and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0030] The storage 26 is for storing data, and is, for example, a flash memory or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0031] The processor 29 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, and the like.

[0032] The document review service server 93 is a service that supports document data reviews by accepting document data such as contracts and term sheets that specify contract terms and providing users with information such as whether each clause is favorable or unfavorable to the company, whether there are any missing clauses, and the importance of review items. The document review service server 93 provides a service that supports the above review using a rule base or a trained model. For example, a rule base may be used to review document data by previously associating specific wording or expressions with favorable or unfavorable conditions and explanations. Furthermore, the above review service can be provided by using data obtained by experts reviewing contracts, term sheets, etc. as training data to generate a trained model that responds with review results in response to input document data. The document review service server 93 can also summarize the contents of contracts and generate review comments using a large-scale language model and provide the results to users.

[0033] The business information service server 94 is a service that collects information on organizations and groups such as business companies and provides information related to the credibility of these organizations. Information related to the credibility of organizations is accumulated by collecting publicly available information such as news articles and IR information, and also by the operator of the business information service independently collecting information through interviews, etc. Server 94 provides the following information related to the credibility of organizations. Whether the organization is (or may be) a party that falls under the conditions for contract termination, such as being an anti-social force. For example, there may be publicly available information, such as a database or news article, that indicates that the organization falls under the above conditions. The reputation of a business company or other organization, such as when consumers have a negative reaction and the information is spread in the news, on social media, etc. For example, information may be spread on social media with a certain number of impressions along with negative keywords. Information about business performance, such as sales, revenue (profit amount, profit margin, etc.), and assessment results regarding business continuity (continued losses, possibility of bankruptcy, bond ratings, etc.). The large-scale language model service server 92 is a server that executes language processing tasks using a language model constructed by a learning process including artificial intelligence (AI). An LLM (Large Language Model) is a server that has previously learned a large amount of large-scale data (text data, etc.), for example, web content on the Internet, or a large amount of data stored in a predetermined database, and can execute various language processing tasks by giving it tasks.

[0034] The large-scale language model service server 92 accepts prompt inputs such as text, images, and voice, and generates and responds to the prompts. Examples of LLMs include GPT-3 and GPT-4 developed by OpenAI, and BERT developed by Google.

[0035] <1.2 Functional configuration of server 20> 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 20 functions as a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203.

[0036] The communication unit 201 performs processing for the server 20 to communicate with external devices.

[0037] The storage unit 202 stores various databases such as a user database 211, a contract management database 212, a document management database 213, a reference management database 214, and a review history database 215.

[0038] The user database 211 is a database for managing users.

[0039] The user database 211 contains information such as the user's name, employee number, etc., for using the services provided by the server 20. Details will be described later.

[0040] The contract conclusion management database 212 is a database that manages the contract conclusion process carried out by the electronic contract service provided by the server 20. Details will be described later.

[0041] The document management database 213 is a database for managing document data, and includes information for managing document data concluded through the electronic contract service provided by the server 20. Details will be described later.

[0042] The reference management database 214 is a database for managing information that serves as a reference for determining whether or not renewal is necessary when the contract period for managed document data comes to an end. Details will be described later.

[0043] The review history database 215 is a database that manages the history of reviews of document data such as contracts, etc. Details will be described later.

[0044] The control unit 203 is realized by the processor 29 reading a program stored in the storage unit 202 and executing instructions included in the program. By operating in accordance with the program, the control unit 203 performs functions shown as a reception control module 2041, a transmission control module 2042, a user management module 2043, a conclusion processing module 2044, a document management module 2045, and a review processing module 2046.

[0045] The reception control module 2041 controls the process by which the server 20 receives signals from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0046] The transmission control module 2042 controls the process in which the server 20 transmits signals to external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0047] The user management module 2043 is a module for managing information about each user who uses the system 1. Specifically, the user management module 2043 accepts registration of information about each user and updates the user database 211.

[0048] The conclusion processing module 2044 controls the process of approving document data between the parties as a process for concluding a contract by electronic contract. Specifically, the conclusion processing module 2044 notifies each user who approves the document data, and updates the conclusion management database 212 in response to the operation of approving the document data.

[0049] The document management module 2045 controls the process of managing document data by referring to the document management database 213. Specifically, the document management module 2045 notifies the user whether to renew the contract when the contract period expires, based on the information about the contract period set in the document data, and updates the document management database 213 in response to the user's operation (such as renewal).

[0050] The review processing module 2046 causes the document review service server 93 or the like to review the contract conditions set forth in the document data, and updates the review history database 215 according to the review results. The review processing module 2046 accepts user comments and the like on the document data to be reviewed in accordance with user operations, and updates the review history database 215.

[0051] <1.3 Configuration of Terminal 10> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal 10. As shown in FIG.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 10 includes multiple antennas (antenna 111, antenna 112), communication units (first communication unit 120, second communication unit 121) corresponding to the respective antennas, an input device 130 (including a touch-sensitive device 131), a display 132, an audio processing unit 140, a microphone 141, a speaker 142, a position information sensor 150, a camera 160, a motion sensor 170, a memory unit 180, and a control unit 190. The terminal 10 also has functions and configurations (e.g., a battery for storing power, a power supply circuit for controlling the supply of power from the battery to each circuit, etc.) that are not specifically shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the blocks included in the terminal 10 are electrically connected by a bus or the like.

[0053] The antenna 111 emits a signal emitted by the terminal 10 as a radio wave. The antenna 111 also receives a radio wave from space and provides the received signal to the first communication unit 120.

[0054] The antenna 112 emits a signal emitted by the terminal 10 as a radio wave. The antenna 112 also receives a radio wave from space and provides the received signal to the second communication unit 121.

[0055] The first communication unit 120 performs modulation / demodulation processing and the like for transmitting and receiving signals via the antenna 111 so that the terminal 10 can communicate with other wireless devices. The second communication unit 121 performs modulation / demodulation processing and the like for transmitting and receiving signals via the antenna 112 so that the terminal 10 can communicate with other wireless devices. The first communication unit 120 and the second communication unit 121 are communication modules including a tuner, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) calculation circuit, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) calculation circuit, a high-frequency circuit, and the like. The first communication unit 120 and the second communication unit 121 perform modulation / demodulation, frequency conversion, and the like for wireless signals transmitted and received by the terminal 10, and provide the received signals to the control unit 190.

[0056] Input device 130 has a mechanism for accepting input operations by a user. Specifically, input device 130 is configured as a touch screen and includes touch-sensitive device 131. Touch-sensitive device 131 accepts input operations by a user of terminal 10. Touch-sensitive device 131 detects the user's touch position on the touch panel, for example, by using a capacitive touch panel. Touch-sensitive device 131 outputs a signal indicating the user's touch position detected by the touch panel to control unit 190 as an input operation.

[0057] The display 132 displays data such as images, videos, and text under the control of the control unit 190. The display 132 is realized by, for example, an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like.

[0058] The audio processing unit 140 modulates and demodulates audio signals. The audio processing unit 140 modulates a signal provided from the microphone 141 and provides the modulated signal to the control unit 190. The audio processing unit 140 also provides the audio signal to the speaker 142. The audio processing unit 140 is realized, for example, by a processor for audio processing. The microphone 141 accepts audio input and provides an audio signal corresponding to the audio input to the audio processing unit 140. The speaker 142 converts the audio signal provided from the audio processing unit 140 into audio and outputs the audio to the outside of the terminal 10.

[0059] The location information sensor 150 is a sensor that detects the location of the terminal 10, and is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module. The GPS module is a receiving device used in a satellite positioning system. The satellite positioning system receives signals from at least three or four satellites, and detects the current location of the terminal 10 equipped with the GPS module based on the received signals.

[0060] The camera 160 is a device that receives light with a light receiving element and outputs the received light as a captured image. The camera 160 is, for example, a depth camera that can detect the distance from the camera 160 to a subject being photographed.

[0061] The motion sensor 170 includes an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, etc., and detects the movement of the terminal 10 .

[0062] The storage unit 180 is configured with, for example, a flash memory, and stores data and programs used by the terminal 10. The various types of information stored in the storage unit 180 will be described later.

[0063] The control unit 190 controls the operation of the terminal 10 by reading a program stored in the storage unit 180 and executing instructions included in the program. The control unit 190 is, for example, an application processor. By operating in accordance with the program, the control unit 190 fulfills the functions of an operation reception unit 191, a transmission / reception unit 192, a data processing unit 193, a notification control unit 194, and a storage control unit 195.

[0064] Operation acceptance unit 191 performs processing to accept a user's input operation to an input device such as touch-sensitive device 131. Operation acceptance unit 191 determines the type of operation, such as whether the user's operation is a flick operation, a tap operation, or a drag (swipe) operation, based on information about the coordinates where the user has touched touch-sensitive device 131 with a finger or the like.

[0065] The transmitting / receiving unit 192 performs processing for the terminal 10 to transmit and receive data to and from an external device such as the server 20 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0066] The data processing unit 193 performs calculations on the data that the terminal 10 has received as input in accordance with a program, and outputs the calculation results to a memory or the like.

[0067] The notification control unit 194 performs processing for displaying a display image on the display 132, processing for outputting sound from the speaker 142, and processing for generating vibrations.

[0068] The storage control unit 195 controls the storage of data in the storage unit 180 .

[0069] A description will be given of various types of information stored in storage unit 180. In one aspect, storage unit 180 stores various types of information such as user information 181, confirmation criteria information 182, and the like.

[0070] The user information 181 is information about a user who uses the services of the server 20. The user information 181 includes, for example, information such as the employee number and name of the user.

[0071] The confirmation criteria information 182 is information that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not renewal is necessary when the contract period for the managed document data comes to an end.

[0072] <2 Data Structure> 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of the user database 211. The user database 211 includes the following items: "User ID," "Business Operator ID," "Name," "Email Address," "Department," "Position," "Date of Employment," and "Date of Resignation."

[0073] The item "user ID" is information that identifies each user.

[0074] The item "business operator ID" is information that identifies each business operator.

[0075] The item "Name" is information about the user's name.

[0076] The item "email address" is information that serves as the user's contact information.

[0077] The item "department" is information about the user's department.

[0078] Specifically, the item "department" may include the following as information about the department to which the user belongs: - Business departments, sales departments, etc. that do not primarily handle legal affairs Departments that primarily handle legal affairs, such as the legal department and intellectual property department The item "position" is information about the position of the user.

[0079] The item "Date of joining" is information about the date on which a user joined an organization.

[0080] The item "Retirement Date" is information about the date on which the user retired from the organization.

[0081] 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the agreement management database 212. The agreement management database 212 includes an item "agreement ID," an item "sender ID," an item "recipient ID," an item "data to be agreed upon," an item "first email address," an item "second email address," an item "sent date and time," an item "user signature date and time," an item "agreement completion date and time," and an item "status."

[0082] The item "contract ID" is information that identifies each contract conclusion procedure.

[0083] Specifically, the item "Conclusion ID" includes identification information issued by the server 20 when a new registration of a process for concluding an electronic contract by specifying an approver is accepted for document data to be approved by the parties.

[0084] The item "sender ID" is information for identifying the party who will be the sender when the party approves document data.

[0085] Specifically, the item "sender ID" may be associated with information about the business (business ID) or information about the user (user ID) managed in the user database 211.

[0086] The item "recipient ID" is information for identifying the party who will be the recipient when the party approves document data.

[0087] Specifically, the item "Receiver ID" is information that identifies the party designated by the sender's user as the receiver, and like the sender ID, may be associated with information about the business (business ID) or the user (user ID) managed in the user database 211.

[0088] The item "data to be concluded" is document data to be approved by the parties.

[0089] Specifically, the item "data to be concluded" indicates data (files such as PDF) of transaction documents such as contracts, applications, and estimates.

[0090] The item "primary email address" is an email address that serves as a contact point for the user who will be the sender in the process of concluding a contract by approving document data.

[0091] Specifically, the item "first email address" is the email address of the user who performs the operation to send document data as the sender.

[0092] The item "secondary email address" is an email address that serves as the contact address of the user who approves as a recipient in the process of concluding a contract by approving document data.

[0093] Specifically, the item "second email address" is the email address of the user who will approve the document data as the recipient. Note that there may be multiple users who approve the document data among the parties, and if the user who sends the document data specifies the email addresses of multiple users who will approve the document data, the specified email addresses are also managed in the agreement management database 212.

[0094] The item "transmission date and time" is information on the date and time when an operation to transmit document data was accepted from a user who will be the sender in order to request approval of the document data from each user.

[0095] The item "user signature date and time" is information on the date and time when the user performed an operation to approve the document data.

[0096] Specifically, the item "User Signature Date and Time" includes information on the timing when a user who has been requested to approve document data checks the document data, performs an operation to approve, and then digitally signs the document data by having the operation accepted by the server 20. The server 20 digitally signs the document data each time a user performs an operation to approve, and stores the timing information in the agreement management database 212.

[0097] The item "conclusion completion date and time" is information about the date and time when the conclusion of the contract was completed.

[0098] Specifically, when a contract is concluded using the electronic contract service provided by server 20, the item "Date and time of conclusion completion" stores the date and time information in the conclusion management database 212, assuming that the conclusion of the contract is completed when all users designated to approve the document data perform the approval operation.

[0099] The item "status" is information indicating the stage at which the contract conclusion work is currently underway.

[0100] Specifically, the item "status" may include the following as the stage of the contract conclusion process: Before sending: Indicates that the document data has been registered on the server 20 by the sender, but has not yet been sent to the recipient. - In Progress: Indicates that the document data has been sent and approval by each user has not yet been completed. Completed: Indicates that the contract has been concluded Rejected, returned: Indicates that the contract was not completed due to reasons such as the user not approving the document data, or a timeout occurring after a certain period of time had passed without approval being completed. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of the document management database 213. The document management database 213 includes an item "document management ID," an item "contract ID," an item "document title," an item "contract start date," an item "contract expiration date," an item "automatic renewal status," an item "confirmation required determination date and time," an item "confirmation required determination result," an item "designation of confirmation availability," an item "revision proposal," and an item "recontract processing ID."

[0101] The item "document management ID" is information for identifying each document data being managed.

[0102] The item "contract ID" is information that identifies each contract conclusion procedure that the parties have performed to approve the document data.

[0103] Specifically, the item "contract ID" may be associated with information (contract ID) that identifies each contract conclusion, which is managed in the contract management database 212.

[0104] The item "document title" is information about the title of the document data being managed.

[0105] Specifically, the item "document title" may be a word used as a type or name of a contract, such as a confidentiality agreement, a sales contract, or a license agreement.

[0106] The item "contract start date" is information indicated as the start date of the contract in the document data.

[0107] Specifically, the value of the item "contract start date" may be set as follows. When the contract is concluded, the server 20 reads the start date of the contract from the contract data. - Information entered by the user as the contract start date The same applies to the following items "Contract Expiration Date" and "Automatic Renewal Enabled."

[0108] The item "contract expiration date" is information indicated as the contract expiration date in the document data.

[0109] The item "automatic renewal" is information indicating whether the contract period is automatically extended (automatic renewal) when the contract period expires in the document data without the parties having to re-enter the contract.

[0110] The item "Confirmation determination date and time" is information set as the timing for confirming whether or not the contract needs to be renewed.

[0111] The item "verification determination result" is information indicating the result of determining whether the document data requires review of the conditions in connection with contract renewal.

[0112] Specifically, the item "Verification Determination Result" indicates the result of a determination as to whether or not the conditions for contract renewal need to be confirmed for each document data, based on the criteria set forth in the criteria management database 214 described below.

[0113] The item "Specify whether confirmation is possible" is information indicating whether the user has specified that the document data requires confirmation and review of the conditions when renewing the contract.

[0114] The item "Amendment" is information on the amended contract when the terms are changed and the contract is re-signed at the time of contract renewal.

[0115] Specifically, the item "Proposed amendments" may manage information on amended contracts as follows. A contract that reflects proposed amendments to the terms and conditions as presented during the review process by the document review service server 93 - Agreements in which the user has arbitrarily amended the terms The item "re-contracting process ID" is information that identifies each contract conclusion procedure when a contract is concluded again using a revised contract document in accordance with contract renewal.

[0116] Specifically, the item "re-contract processing ID" may be associated with information (contract ID) that identifies each contract conclusion, which is managed in the contract conclusion management database 212.

[0117] 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of the standards management database 214. The standards management database 214 includes an item "business operator ID," an item "time to notify whether update is necessary," an item "disadvantageous to the company," an item "change in conditions," an item "conditions not conforming to the company's standards," and an item "change in information of the parties involved."

[0118] The item "business operator ID" is information that identifies each business operator.

[0119] The item "renewal necessity notification timing" is information set by the user as the timing for sending a notification prompting the user to confirm whether or not the contract needs to be renewed.

[0120] The item "unfavorable to our company" is information indicating whether or not the setting is such that if the terms agreed upon in a concluded contract are unfavorable, the document data will be notified as requiring confirmation of the terms when the contract is renewed.

[0121] Specifically, the item "unfavorable to the company" includes a designation of whether or not to enable the notification. If the notification is enabled, the server 20 notifies the user that the contract is due for renewal and the contract has unfavorable terms, requiring confirmation of whether or not to renew the contract.

[0122] The item "Changes in conditions" is information that indicates whether or not the setting is set to notify that the document data requires confirmation of conditions when renewing the contract if the conditions agreed upon in the concluded contract have changed since the conclusion.

[0123] Specifically, the item "Change in Conditions" includes a designation as to whether or not to enable notification. If notification is enabled, when the time for contract renewal arrives and the conditions agreed upon in the contract for renewal have subsequently changed, the server 20 notifies the user that confirmation of whether or not to renew the contract is required.

[0124] Examples of agreed terms that subsequently change include the following: Purchase conditions: If the purchase price changes after the contract is concluded (for example, if the purchase price is reduced), a separate contract is concluded and managed in the document management database 213. Conditions of intermediary fees: In the case of recruitment services, etc., after a contract is concluded, the commission for the introduction has changed (in the case of the recruitment agency, the commission for the introduction has been increased, etc.), and a separate contract is concluded and managed in the document management database 213. The item "Conditions do not conform to company standards" indicates whether or not the setting is such that if the conditions agreed upon in a concluded contract do not conform to the standards set by the parties, the document data will be notified as requiring confirmation of the conditions when the contract is renewed.

[0125] Specifically, the item "Conditions do not conform to company standards" includes a designation of whether to enable notification. If notification is enabled, when the time for contract renewal arrives and the conditions agreed upon in the contract for renewal do not conform to the standards set by the parties, the server 20 notifies the user that confirmation is required as to whether to renew the contract.

[0126] The server 20 may perform the above process by acquiring information on the criteria established by the parties when renewing the contract, etc. The criteria may include the following: The contract period is too long (there is a standard contract period) · The conditions for contract termination / cancellation are not met (there are grounds for contract termination / cancellation as stipulated in the standards) · Contract renewal procedures do not meet company standards (there may be standards such as not allowing automatic renewal) The item "change in party information" is information indicating whether or not a setting is made to notify the party of any change in their circumstances as document data that requires confirmation of conditions when the contract is renewed.

[0127] Specifically, the item "change in party information" can be set to notify in the following cases: - There was an incident that affected the reputation of consumers by referencing the information of the parties provided by the server 94 of the business information service (reputation risk increased). - The contract termination clause, such as an anti-social clause, was subsequently violated after the contract was concluded. - There was information about the company's performance, such as the possibility of bankruptcy - The item corresponds to a check item for a business partner (for example, a check item used when registering a business partner) 8 is a diagram showing the data structure of the review history database 215. The review history database 215 includes an item "review ID," an item "document data," an item "document management ID," an item "review date and time," an item "review result," and an item "revision proposal data."

[0128] The item "review ID" is information that identifies each review performed on document data.

[0129] The item "Document Data" is information about the document data to be reviewed.

[0130] The item "document management ID" is information for identifying each document data being managed.

[0131] Specifically, the item "document management ID" may be associated with information (document management ID) that identifies each piece of document data, which is managed in the document management database 213.

[0132] The item "review date and time" is information about the date and time when the review was performed.

[0133] The item "review result" is information indicating the result of the review.

[0134] Specifically, the item "review result" may include the following as the results of the review: - Review results by the document review service server 93 (advantages and disadvantages of the conditions, importance, proposed revisions, etc.) Comments and suggested corrections entered by users (including information about users who enter review comments) The item "Proposed revision data" is information on proposed revisions to document data that are proposed by review.

[0135] <3 operations> FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the flow of processing for notifying the user of the evaluation results of an already concluded contract upon expiration of the contract period, and for assisting the user in deciding whether to renew the contract.

[0136] In step S921, the server 20 refers to the document management database 213 and evaluates each clause of the contract data it manages based on the review function provided by the document review service server 93, the information of the parties provided by the business information provision service server 94, and other information, as the contract period approaches expiration.

[0137] The server 20 refers to the standard management database 214 and the document management database 213, and evaluates whether or not each clause of the document data requires user confirmation by requiring a review of the content of the agreement stipulated in the clause. Specifically, the server 20 evaluates the following: Whether the terms of the agreement set out in the clauses are unfavorable to the user who is a party to the agreement · Whether there have been any changes in the terms agreed upon between the parties when they concluded the contract and the terms at the time of comparison ·Compare the terms agreed upon between the parties when they concluded the contract with the standard of agreement of the terms at the time of comparison and determine whether they meet the standard of agreement. The server 20 refers to the standard management database 214 and the document management database 213 and evaluates whether or not each clause in the document data requires user confirmation due to changes in the circumstances of the parties. Specifically, the server 20 evaluates the following: · Whether or not there have been any changes in the information of the parties in the contract between the time the contract was concluded and the time of comparison.

[0138] Specifically, whether the parties to the concluded contract are specific organizations, businesses, etc. that may be subject to anti-social clauses. Specifically, whether the parties to a concluded contract are in doubt about the continuity of their business or whether there is a certain level of risk of bankruptcy. The server 20 evaluates each clause of the contract data under its management using the review function provided by the document review service server 93 as follows: Importance, which indicates the degree to which the evaluated viewpoint is important · Whether the conditions set out in the clause are favourable or unfavourable ·Any missing clauses? The server 20 evaluates each clause of the contract data and outputs a proposed amendment for each clause depending on the result of the evaluation of each clause. For example, the proposed amendment for each clause is obtained by a review function provided by the server 93 of the document review service.

[0139] In step S923, the server 20 presents the results of evaluating each clause to the user.

[0140] The server 20 refers to the document management database 213, and for one or more contract data items managed, for contracts whose contract periods are due to expire, displays those that require user confirmation and those that do not, according to the evaluation results in step S921. Specifically, the server 20 presents the evaluation results of each clause as follows: · Whether the above conditions are unfavorable -Results of evaluation of whether the above changes have occurred · Whether or not the above agreement criteria are met · Whether there have been any changes in the information of the above parties (whether there is a possibility of falling under the anti-social clause, whether there is doubt about the continuity of the business, or whether there is a certain level of risk of bankruptcy) - The results of evaluating each of the above clauses (whether they are important or not, whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable, whether there are any missing clauses) The server 20 presents the results of an evaluation of the contract, determining whether to renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause (no user confirmation required) or to renew the contract with changes to the contents of each clause.

[0141] The server 20 presents the results of evaluating each clause and a proposed revision for each clause.

[0142] In step S911, the terminal 10 displays the evaluation results for each clause of the contract and proposed amendments for each clause. The terminal 10 receives a designation from the user as to whether to renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause, to renew the contract with changes to the contents of each clause, or to terminate the contract without renewing the contract.

[0143] In step S925, the server 20 stores in the document management database 213 the user's designation of whether to renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause, to renew the contract with changes to the contents of each clause, or to terminate the contract without renewing the contract.

[0144] In step S913, the terminal 10 accepts an operation by the user to confirm the proposed revision.

[0145] In step S927, the server 20 saves the proposed amendment in the document management database 213 and executes the process of concluding the contract by electronic contract, addressed to the parties to the contract. The server 20 may set the information (conclusion management database 212) of the user who was set as the approver when the document data that was the basis for concluding the new contract based on the proposed amendment was concluded as the address, and may send a notification to each user requesting approval of the contract data that will become the proposed amendment.

[0146] In step S915, the terminal 10 accepts an operation to approve the document data while checking the document data as an operation for concluding a contract by electronic contract.

[0147] In step S929, the server 20 applies an electronic signature to the document data in response to the operation for concluding the contract by electronic contract (in response to the operation for approving by the user), and updates the conclusion management database 212.

[0148] <4 Screen example> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that displays a list of managed contracts and information for deciding whether or not to renew a contract, and accepts user operations.

[0149] A screen 1000 is an operation screen that displays a list of concluded contracts and assists in determining whether to renew the contract as is or to review the conditions.

[0150] The account display area 1010 is an area for displaying information about the account of a user who has logged in to a service provided by the server 20.

[0151] The list display area 1020 is an area for displaying a list of contracts whose contract terms are about to expire and whose renewal date is approaching.

[0152] The period designation receiving unit 1021 is an operation member that receives a designation of the length of the period until expiration for a contract whose contract term is about to expire, thereby receiving a designation of the range from which the contract is to be extracted.

[0153] The target specification receiving unit 1022 is an operating element for receiving a specification as to whether, when displaying a list of contracts, to extract those that meet the criteria set forth in the criteria management database 214 (criteria for determining whether conditions must be confirmed when renewing a contract), or to extract contracts including those that do not meet the criteria.

[0154] The extracted contract display area 1023 is an area that displays contracts extracted based on the conditions specified in the period specification receiving section 1021 and the target specification receiving section 1022, and receives from the user the specification of the contract whose details are to be displayed.

[0155] As shown in the figure, the extracted contract display area 1023 displays the following to help the user decide whether to renew the contract as is or to change the conditions and re-conclude the contract. Evaluation result: Displays the result (or a summary) of the evaluation of each clause by the server 20 in the process of step S921 etc. Whether or not to update: In the processes of steps S911, S925, etc., the user specifies whether to update the contract without changing the conditions, or to update the contract with changes to the conditions. The server 20 updates the document management database 213 in accordance with the user's specification. The details display area 1030 is an area that displays the evaluation results and contract data for the contract specified in the extracted contract display area 1023, and accepts user operations.

[0156] The target specification receiving unit 1031 is an operating element for receiving a specification as to whether, when displaying a list of contracts, to extract those that meet the criteria set forth in the criteria management database 214 (criteria for determining whether conditions must be confirmed when renewing a contract), or to extract contracts including those that do not meet the criteria.

[0157] The contract data 1032 is an area that displays each clause stipulated in the contract.

[0158] The contract data 1032 displays each clause of the contract as a preview of a file in PDF format or the like, or in a format in which the review results of each clause by the review service server 93 are added as comments.

[0159] The management information display area 1033 is an area for displaying information managed in the document management database 213, such as the parties to the contract and the contract expiration date.

[0160] In the illustrated example, the management information display area 1033 accepts an operation to switch the range of display of review results from the review service server 93 (such as switching according to importance) as information to be displayed in the confirmation item display area 1034.

[0161] The confirmation item display area 1034 is an area for displaying details of the results of evaluating each clause, as in the process of step S923.

[0162] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that displays a contract amendment proposal for a contract to be renewed with changes to the contents, and accepts an operation to execute the contract conclusion process.

[0163] The proposed amendment display area 1130 is an area that displays proposed amendments to the contract when the conditions are changed and the contract is re-signed, as in the processes of steps S913 and S927, and accepts an operation by the user to confirm them.

[0164] The confirmation operation receiving unit 1131 is an operating member that receives an operation to confirm the content of amendments to the contract as shown in an amended contract 1132 (to be described later), such as the process in step S913.

[0165] The amended contract 1132 is an area that displays each clause of the proposed amendment to the contract.

[0166] The amendment confirmation area 1134 is an area that displays the amendments made to the proposed contract with respect to the contract before amendment (that is, the contract due for renewal).

[0167] The amendment confirmation area 1134 is an area where the server 20 generates amendments shown in the amended contract 1132 based on amendments included in a review by the review service server 93, for example, and displays the amended content itself.

[0168] The re-conclusion acceptance area 1135 is an area for accepting an operation to start the process of concluding a contract with the revised contract.

[0169] As shown in the figure, the re-contract acceptance area 1135 displays information for advancing the contract conclusion process, such as the user approving the revised contract.

[0170] The agreement operation button 1136 is an operation member that receives an operation from the user to request the destination user indicated in the re-agreement receiving area 1135 to approve the revised contract.

[0171] <Modification> In addition to the aspects described in the above embodiment, the following may be adopted. In the above embodiment, each business provides its own service using the server 93 for the document review service, the server 94 for the business information provision service, etc. However, a single business may provide multiple services. For example, a single business may provide a contract conclusion service, a document management service, and a document review service.

[0172] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, these embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are intended to be included in the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the inventions.

[0173] The functions performed by the components described herein may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, programmed to perform the described functions. A processor includes transistors and other circuits and is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes programs stored in memory.

[0174] In this specification, a circuitry, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize or performs the described functions, which may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions.

[0175] If the hardware is a processor considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit is a combination of the hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0176] <Additional Notes> The matters explained in the above embodiment will be supplemented below.

[0177] (Appendix 1) A program for operating a computer having a processor, the program storing in a memory unit data of a concluded contract including clauses agreed upon between the parties, the program causing the processor to execute the steps of evaluating each clause of the contract data and presenting the results of the evaluation of each clause to the users of the parties to the contract data.

[0178] (Appendix 2) A program as described in Appendix 1, in which a memory unit manages information on the contract period of a contract, and in a presentation step, presents the results of evaluating each clause to the user as the contract period expires.

[0179] (Appendix 3) A program as described in Appendix 2, in which, in the evaluation step, it evaluates for each clause whether user confirmation is required due to at least one of the following: the need to review the content of the agreement set forth in the clause; or a change in the circumstances of the parties; and in the presentation step, for one or more contract data stored in the memory unit, for contracts whose contract period is about to expire, it displays those that require user confirmation and those that do not, depending on the results of the evaluation in the evaluation step.

[0180] (Appendix 4) A program according to any one of appendices 2 to 3, wherein in the evaluation step, the program evaluates whether the contents of the agreement set out in the clauses are unfavorable conditions for the users who are parties to the agreement, and in the presentation step, the program presents the results of evaluating each clause as to whether the conditions are unfavorable conditions.

[0181] (Appendix 5) A program according to any one of Appendices 2 to 4, wherein in the evaluating step, each clause is evaluated by comparing the conditions agreed upon when the parties entered into the contract with the conditions at the time of comparison to evaluate whether any changes have occurred, and in the presenting step, the results of evaluating whether any changes have occurred as a result of evaluating each clause are presented.

[0182] (Appendix 6) A program according to any one of Appendices 2 to 5, wherein in the evaluating step, each clause is evaluated by comparing the conditions agreed upon when the parties entered into the contract with the agreed criteria for the conditions at the time of comparison to evaluate whether or not the clause meets the agreed criteria, and in the presenting step, the results of evaluating each clause as to whether or not the clause meets the agreed criteria are presented.

[0183] (Appendix 7) A program described in any of Appendices 2 to 6, wherein in the evaluating step, the program evaluates whether or not there has been any change in the information of the parties to the contract between the time the contract was concluded and the time of comparison, and in the presenting step, the program presents the results of the evaluation of whether or not there has been any change in the information of the parties to the contract.

[0184] (Appendix 8) A program as described in Appendix 7, which, in the evaluation step, evaluates whether the parties to a concluded contract are specific organizations, businesses, etc. that may be subject to anti-social clauses, and, in the presentation step, presents the results of an evaluation of whether the contract may be subject to anti-social clauses, assuming that there has been a change in the information of the parties to the contract.

[0185] (Appendix 9) A program as set forth in any of Appendices 7 to 8, wherein in the evaluating step, the program evaluates whether the parties to a concluded contract are in doubt about the viability of their business or are at a certain level or higher in the likelihood of bankruptcy, and in the presenting step, the program presents the results of the evaluation that there is a change in the information of the parties to the contract, which indicates that there is a doubt about the viability of their business or that the likelihood of bankruptcy is at a certain level or higher.

[0186] (Appendix 10) A program according to any one of Appendices 2 to 9, wherein in a step of evaluating each clause of the contract data, the evaluation includes evaluating and presenting the importance indicating the degree to which the evaluated viewpoint is important, whether the conditions set forth in the clause are favorable or unfavorable, and whether there are any missing clauses, and presenting the results of the evaluation of each clause, including whether to renew the contract without changing the content of each clause or by changing the content of each clause, depending on whether the importance is high or low, whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable, and whether there are any missing clauses.

[0187] (Appendix 11) The program described in Appendix 10 further causes the processor to receive from the user a specification of whether to renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause, to renew the contract with changes to the contents of each clause, or to terminate the contract without renewing, and stores the received result in the memory unit.

[0188] (Appendix 12) A program described in any of Appendices 10 to 11, wherein in the step of evaluating each clause of the contract data, a revision proposal for each clause is output depending on the result of evaluating each clause, and in the presentation step, the result of evaluating each clause and the revision proposal for each clause are presented.

[0189] (Appendix 13) A program as described in Appendix 12, which, when it receives an operation by a user to confirm the proposed amendment, executes the process of concluding a contract by electronic contract, addressed to the parties to the contract.

[0190] (Appendix 14) A method for operating a computer having a processor, wherein a memory unit stores data of an concluded contract including clauses agreed upon between the parties, and the method includes the steps of the computer processor evaluating each clause of the contract data and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to a user of the party to the contract data.

[0191] (Appendix 15) An information processing device having a control unit, wherein the memory unit stores data of a concluded contract including clauses agreed upon between the parties, and the control unit executes the steps of evaluating each clause of the contract data and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to the users of the parties to the contract data.

Claims

1. A program for operating a computer having a processor, The storage unit stores data of a concluded contract including the terms agreed upon between the parties, The program causes the processor to: evaluating each clause of the contract data; and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to users of the contract data.

2. The storage unit manages information about the contract period of the contract, 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein in the presenting step, the results of evaluation of each clause are presented to the user in response to the expiration of the contract period.

3. In the step of evaluating, for each clause, whether confirmation by the user is required due to at least one of the following reasons: the need to review the content of the agreement set forth in the clause; and a change in the circumstances of the parties.

3. The program according to claim 2, wherein, in the presenting step, for contracts whose contract period is about to expire, among the data of one or more of the contracts stored in the memory unit, those that require the user's confirmation and those that do not are displayed separately depending on the results of the evaluation in the evaluating step.

4. In the step of evaluating, the content of the agreement stipulated in the clause is evaluated as to whether or not the terms are unfavorable to the user who is a party to the agreement; 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the step of presenting presents, as a result of evaluating each clause, a result of evaluating whether or not the clause is an unfavorable condition.

5. In the step of evaluating, the evaluation of each clause is performed by comparing the terms agreed upon when the parties concluded the contract with the terms at the time of comparison to evaluate whether any changes have occurred; 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the step of presenting comprises presenting a result of evaluating each clause to see whether the change has occurred.

6. In the step of evaluating, the evaluation of each clause is performed by comparing the terms agreed upon when the parties concluded the contract with the terms agreed upon criteria at the time of comparison, and evaluating whether or not the terms meet the agreed criteria; 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the step of presenting comprises presenting a result of evaluating each clause as to whether it meets a standard for agreement.

7. In the step of evaluating, whether or not there has been a change in the information of the parties to the contract between the time the contract was concluded and the time of comparison is evaluated; 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the step of presenting presents a result of evaluating whether or not there has been a change in the information of the parties to the contract.

8. In the step of evaluating, it is evaluated whether the parties to the concluded contract are specific organizations, businesses, etc. that may be subject to anti-social clauses; 8. The program according to claim 7, wherein in the presenting step, the results of an evaluation of whether or not the contract may be subject to the anti-social clause are presented as a change in the information of the parties to the contract.

9. In the step of evaluating, the parties to the concluded contract are evaluated as to whether there is doubt about the continuity of the business or whether there is a certain level of possibility of bankruptcy; The program described in claim 7, wherein in the presenting step, an assessment result is presented indicating that there is a change in the information of the parties to the contract, which raises doubts about the continuity of the business or indicates that there is a certain level of risk of bankruptcy.

10. In the step of evaluating each clause of the contract data, the evaluation includes: importance, which indicates the degree to which the evaluated perspective is important; whether the conditions set out in the clause are favourable or unfavourable; Evaluate whether there are any missing clauses, In the step of presenting, a result of evaluating each clause is presented, Whether it is important or not, Whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable Depending on whether there are any missing clauses, 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the program presents a result of evaluation of whether to renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause or to renew the contract with changes to the contents of each clause.

11. The program further causes the processor to Regarding the above contract, Renew the contract without changing the contents of each clause, Renew the contract by changing the contents of each clause, or Terminate the contract without renewing it, 11. The program according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving a designation from a user; and causing the storage unit to store the designation.

12. In the step of evaluating each clause of the contract data, a revision proposal for each clause is output according to the evaluation result of each clause; 11. The program according to claim 10, wherein the step of presenting includes presenting a result of evaluating each clause and a proposed modification for each clause.

13. The program according to claim 12 , wherein, when an operation by the user to confirm the proposed amendment is accepted, a process for concluding the contract by electronic contract is executed with the parties to the contract as the destination.

14. 1. A method for operating a computer having a processor, comprising: The storage unit stores data of a concluded contract including the terms agreed upon between the parties, The method further comprises: evaluating each clause of the contract data; and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to a user of the contract data party.

15. An information processing device including a control unit, The storage unit stores data of a concluded contract including the terms agreed upon between the parties, The control unit evaluating each clause of the contract data; and presenting the results of evaluating each clause to users who are parties to the contract data.

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