Notification server, notification management method, and program

Abstract

When sending electronic data of notifications to users, it is possible to prevent situations where the notifications are not viewed by the users. [Solution] A notification server comprising: a notification method receiving unit that receives the selection of the desired notification method from the recipient of the notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which notifies the notification by mail, and electronic notification, which notifies the notification by sending electronic data; a notification confirmation determination unit that determines whether or not the electronically sent notification has not been confirmed by the recipient when the recipient has selected electronic notification; and a notification method switching unit that switches the notification method from electronic notification to postal notification if the notification has not been confirmed even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the electronic notification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification object server, a notification object management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, administrative agencies and private companies have notified users by mailing various notification objects in providing various procedures and services. When mailing a notification object, a person in charge of an administrative agency or a private company prints the notification object, performs a sealing operation, and then sends it. Therefore, the burden on the persons in charge of administrative agencies and private companies has been large.

[0003] Therefore, there is a desire in administrative agencies and private companies to switch operations from notification by mailing of notification objects (mailing notification) to notification by sending electronic data of notification objects (electronic notification). For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique related to a system that uses e-mail to transmit information to residents by a local public body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the case of electronic notification, there are cases where the electronic notification does not reach the user due to a system failure or a change in the notification destination, or the electronic notification is left unopened even if it reaches the user, and the user may not be able to reliably confirm the content of the electronic notification. In particular, when an important notification object is in a state where the user cannot confirm it, the user may suffer disadvantages.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a notification server, a notification management method, and a program that can prevent a notification from being left unconfirmed by the user when sending electronic data of the notification to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, a notification server according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a notification method receiving unit that receives a selection of a preferred notification method from the recipient of the notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which notifies the notification by mail, and electronic notification, which notifies the notification by sending electronic data; a notification confirmation determination unit that determines whether the notification sent electronically to the recipient has not been confirmed by the recipient when the recipient has selected electronic notification as the notification method; and a notification method switching unit that switches the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification if the notification has not been confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since electronic notification.

[0008] Furthermore, a notification management method according to one aspect of the present invention is a notification management method executed by a computer, which includes a notification method that includes postal notification, in which a notification is sent by mail, and electronic notification, in which a notification is sent by electronic data, and includes a notification method in which the recipient of the notification selects their preferred notification method; a notification confirmation determination process that determines whether or not the notification sent electronically to the recipient has not been confirmed by the recipient if the recipient has selected electronic notification as the notification method; and a notification method switching process that switches the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification if the notification has not been confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since electronic notification.

[0009] Furthermore, a program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as: a notification method receiving means that receives a selection of a preferred notification method from the recipient of a notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which notifies a notification by mail, and electronic notification, which notifies a notification by sending electronic data; a notification confirmation determination means that determines whether or not the notification sent electronically to the recipient has not been confirmed by the recipient, when the recipient has selected electronic notification as the notification method; and a notification method switching means that switches the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification if the notification has not been confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since electronic notification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As explained above, this invention makes it possible to prevent situations where electronic data of a notification is sent to a user and is not viewed by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of the notification management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows an example of the functional configuration of the user registration system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows an example of the functional configuration of the user management server according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of user information stored in the user information storage unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of employee information stored in the employee information storage unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the notification server according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of notification information stored in the electronic notification storage unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation of the notification item management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the usage registration process according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the notification item transmission process according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the notification item transmission process according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the notification item transmission process according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the browsing process according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the browsing process according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the notification method switching process according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the notification item management system according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the notification item management system according to this embodiment.

[0014] The notification management system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system for managing the notification of notifications to users of services. Service providers are, for example, administrative agencies or private companies (corporations). Administrative agencies are, for example, central government agencies or local governments (also referred to as "local autonomous bodies" or "local public entities"). Services (systems) provided by administrative agencies are, for example, various registration procedures, benefit systems, subsidy systems, grant systems, social security services, etc. Private companies are, for example, financial institutions such as banks, distribution companies, insurance companies, credit card companies, etc. Services provided by private companies are, for example, services for the consumers of those private companies, and are related to, for example, customer registration, account opening, various contracts, card issuance, etc.

[0015] In various services, there may be cases where notifications that need to be sent to users occur. Users who need to be notified of the notifications are hereinafter also referred to as "notification recipients". Notification methods for notifications include a notification method of notifying the notification by mail (hereinafter also referred to as "mail notification") and a notification method of notifying the notification by sending electronic data (hereinafter also referred to as "electronic notification"). When using the notification management system 1, users can select the notification method, i.e., whether to receive the notification by mail notification or electronic notification when a notification occurs.

[0016] ]> When the service provider is an administrative agency, the users of the service are, for example, residents or private companies within the jurisdiction of each administrative agency. When the service provider is a private company, the users of the service are, for example, consumers, but may also be other private companies, administrative agencies, etc. Hereinafter, an example where the service provider is a "local government" and the users of the service are "residents" belonging to the local government will be taken as an example to explain this embodiment. Here, residents belonging to a local government are residents belonging to the area unified by the local government, and are, for example, residents living in the area unified by the local government.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the notification management system 1 includes a user terminal 10, an IC (Integrated Circuit card) card 15, a data center server 20, a user registration system 30, management terminals 40a, 40b, and 40c, a notification creation terminal 45, a user management server 50, a notification server 60, a notification distribution server 70, a browsing web server 80, a data print service (DPS) server 90, and a file transfer server 100.

[0018] User terminal 10 is a terminal device used by residents (users). In this diagram, there is only one user terminal 10, but there may be two or more. If there are multiple user terminals 10, each will be used by a different resident. The user terminal 10 can use any one of the following: a tablet, smartphone, mobile phone, or computer. The user terminal 10 connects to the user registration system 30 and the browsing web server 80 via a network such as the internet.

[0019] The IC card 15 is issued and owned individually by each resident. The IC card 15 is a personal card that stores information unique to the resident. For example, the IC card 15 may be issued by a local government, and for example, a My Number Card can be used. The IC card 15 can be connected to the card reader 35 of the user registration system 30 via contact or contactless communication. The IC card 15 stores the resident's basic information and the password used for signing the My Number Card. The basic information is information about the individual resident, including, for example, name, address, date of birth, and gender. The password is used for authentication when using the basic information stored on the IC card 15.

[0020] The data center server 20 is connected to the user management server 50, the notification server 60, and the notification distribution server 70, enabling communication between them. When the data center server 20 connects to the user management server 50, the notification server 60, and the notification distribution server 70, it connects via the Local Government Wide Area Network (LGWAN). LGWAN is a network exclusively for government agencies and is a closed network isolated from the internet. The data center server 20 functions as a resident information storage server that stores resident information, which is information about residents belonging to at least one municipality. The resident information includes basic information. As mentioned above, the basic information is information about individual residents and includes name, address, date of birth, and gender. The resident information stored in the data center server 20 may be for one municipality or for multiple municipalities, with each municipality having its own information. This resident information can be accessed via the notification distribution server 70 by management terminals 40a, 40b, and notification creation terminals 45 belonging to the relevant municipality. However, management terminals 40a, 40b, and notification creation terminals 45 are configured not to be able to access resident information for municipalities other than those to which they belong.

[0021] The user registration system 30 is installed within the municipal government building and is connected to the user terminal 10 and the user management server 50 in a communication-enabled manner. The user registration system 30 allows residents to register to receive notifications from the local government electronically. The user registration system 30 has a card reader 35. When registering a user, the card reader 35 reads basic information from the IC card 15. When a resident registers, they bring the IC card 15, which contains their basic information, to the government building and register by having the card reader 35 read the IC card 15. However, if the user terminal 10 is equipped with the function of the card reader 35, or if a card reader with the same function as the card reader 35 is connected, the resident can also register via the web using their own user terminal 10 without having to go to the government building. In other words, even if a resident does not have a card reader, they can still register by going to the government building. During user registration, residents can choose whether to receive notifications from the local government by postal mail or electronically. If electronic notification is selected, residents can receive and view the electronic data of notifications via electronic notification using their own user terminal 10 after registration. Note that the notification method does not necessarily need to be set during user registration; it can be set or changed at any time after registration.

[0022] The card reader 35 communicates with the IC card 15 and reads data from the IC card 15. The card reader 35 may also have a function to write data to the IC card 15. The card reader 35 can communicate with the IC card 15 by contact or contactless means.

[0023] Management terminal 40a, management terminal 40b, and notification creation terminal 45 are terminal devices used by local government employees. Management terminal 40a, management terminal 40b, and notification creation terminal 45 are connected to the notification distribution server 70 in a communication-enabled manner. The management terminal 40a has various functions for sending notifications from the local government to registered residents. The management terminal 40a is used by local government employees who are responsible for sending notifications. Notifications are documents that describe the content to be notified. Notifications can take the form of printed notifications, which are printed on a print medium, or electronic notifications, which are electronic data containing the notification content. The management terminal 40b is a terminal device used by an administrator (e.g., a supervisor) who manages the senders who use the management terminal 40a among the municipal employees. When the management terminal 40b receives an approval request from the management terminal 40a for electronically sending a notification, it is possible to input an approval instruction in response to the operation instructions entered by the administrator. The notification creation terminal 45 is a terminal device used by the person responsible for creating the notification, and is a terminal device for creating the electronic data of the notification. The notification creation terminal 45 is described as a separate terminal device from the management terminal 40a, but a single terminal device may be equipped with both the functions of the management terminal 40a and the functions of the notification creation terminal 45. These management terminals 40a, 40b, and notification creation terminal 45 are computers. Furthermore, multiple units of each of the management terminals 40a, 40b, and notification creation terminal 45 may be used.

[0024] The user management server 50 is connected to the user registration system 30, the data center server 20, the notification server 60, and the browsing web server 80 in a way that allows communication between them. The user management server 50 stores information about residents and staff who use the notification management system 1. For example, it stores information about residents who have registered using the user registration system 30, and information about staff who use management terminals 40a and 40b.

[0025] The notification server 60 is connected to the data center server 20, the user management server 50, the browsing web server 80, and the data print service server 90 so as to be able to communicate with them. The notification server 60 stores the electronic data of notifications (e.g., PDF data) and sends the PDF data to the browsing web server 80 in response to a viewing request from the browsing web server 80. The notification server 60 also sends the PDF data of notifications that are subject to postal notification and the recipient list data to the data print service server 90.

[0026] The notification distribution server 70 generates data showing the correspondence between information about the residents to whom notifications are sent and the electronic data of the notifications to be sent, and also generates the electronic data of the notifications. The notification distribution server 70 is connected to the management terminal 40a, the management terminal 40b, the notification creation terminal 45, and the data center server 20 so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0027] When the browsing web server 80 receives a request from the user terminal 10 to view the electronic data of a notification, the user management server 50 performs a login authentication process. If the login is permitted, the browsing web server 80 makes the electronic data of the notification available for viewing on the user terminal 10.

[0028] The data print service server 90 is a server for providing the data print service. The data print service is a comprehensive service that handles everything from designing various notices to printing, printing, processing, and mailing. The data print service server 90 is connected to the notification server 60 and the file transfer server 100 so that they can communicate with each other. After the notification items that are to be sent by mail have been dispatched, the data print service server 90 sends a notification indicating that the notification items have been dispatched, along with the electronic data of the dispatched notification items, to the management terminal 40c via the file transfer server 100.

[0029] The file transfer server 100 is a server that transfers files. The file transfer server 100 is connected to the data print service server 90 and the management terminal 40c so that they can communicate with each other. The file transfer server 100 transfers files received from the data print service server 90 to the management terminal 40c. For example, after a notification that is subject to postal notification has been sent, the file transfer server 100 receives a notification from the data print service server 90 indicating that the notification has been sent, along with the electronic data of the sent notification, and sends these to the management terminal 40c.

[0030] The management terminal 40c is a terminal device used by local government employees. The management terminal 40c has various functions for managing the electronic data of notices that are sent by mail. The management terminal 40c is used by local government employees who are responsible for managing the electronic data of notices. The management terminal 40c is connected to the file transfer server 100 in a communication-enabled manner. After the mailing of the notification item, the management terminal 40c receives a notification from the file transfer server 100 indicating that the notification item has been sent, along with the electronic data of the sent notification item.

[0031] Next, with reference to Figures 2 to 7, the user registration system 30, user management server 50, and notification server 60 described above will be explained further.

[0032] Referring to Figure 2, the functional configuration of the user registration system 30 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the user registration system 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the user registration system 30 comprises a user registration server 31 and a card reader 35. The user registration server 31 and the card reader 35 are connected to each other.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the user registration server 31 comprises a communication unit 311 and a control unit 312. The communication unit 311 communicates with the card reader 35 and the user terminal 10. The control unit 312 controls each part of the user registration server 31.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 312 includes an information acquisition processing unit 3121, a personal card reading processing unit 3122, and an authentication processing unit 3123.

[0035] The acquired information processing unit 3121 processes various types of information obtained from external devices such as the card reader 35 and the user terminal 10.

[0036] The personal card reading processing unit 3122 reads the information stored on the personal card. For example, the personal card reading processing unit 3122 performs processing to acquire information from the card reader 35 or the card reader installed on the user terminal 10.

[0037] The authentication processing unit 3123 performs various authentication processes. The authentication process referred to here is the process of determining whether the IC card 15 is genuine or not when a resident has the card reader 35 read the IC card 15. This is done by sending predetermined information stored in the IC card 15 (for example, basic information) and the public personal authentication (signature) password to the public personal authentication authority server, and making a determination based on the query results obtained from the public personal authentication authority server.

[0038] Here, the public personal authentication authority server is a server operated by an organization that issues personal cards used as IC cards 15 and manages the information stored on IC cards 15. For example, the public personal authentication authority server is operated by J-LIS (Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems). If the query result obtained from the public personal authentication authority server indicates that identity verification has been successful, it means that IC card 15 has been issued correctly and that the resident who intends to use IC card 15 is confirmed to be the owner of IC card 15. If IC card 15 is a My Number card, the public personal authentication (signature) password is the My Number card signature password. When using IC card 15, the resident is asked to enter this My Number card signature password, and by verifying it at the public personal authentication authority server, it is possible to confirm whether the resident of IC card 15 is the owner of IC card 15.

[0039] Next, the functional configuration of the user management server 50 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the user management server 50 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the user management server 50 has a communication unit 510, a control unit 520, and a storage unit 530.

[0040] The communications unit 510 communicates with the data center server 20, the user registration system 30, the notification server 60, and the browsing web server 80. The control unit 520 controls each part of the user management server 50.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the user management server 50 includes an acquisition unit 5201, a user information inquiry unit 5202, a user registration unit 5203, a terms of use management unit 5204, a local government group management unit 5205, a status management unit 5206, an authentication processing unit 5207, and an encryption management unit 5208.

[0042] The acquisition unit 5201 acquires personal information stored on the resident's personal card and the My Number Card signature password entered by the user.

[0043] The user information inquiry unit 5202 queries the public personal authentication authority server to determine whether the personal information obtained by the acquisition unit 5201 and the My Number Card signature password are stored in the public personal authentication authority server.

[0044] The user registration unit 5203 writes personal information to the user registration list data if the query result obtained from the public personal authentication authority server indicates that the user's identity has been verified.

[0045] The Terms of Use Management Unit 5204 determines whether the resident who made the viewing request has agreed to the Terms of Use by referring to the Terms of Use consent information stored in the User Information Storage Unit 5301.

[0046] The Local Government Group Management Unit 5205 identifies the relationship between local governments and their residents. For example, the User Information Storage Unit 5301 can store resident data for multiple local governments. Therefore, when the Local Government Group Management Unit 5205 reads resident information from the User Information Storage Unit 5301, it identifies the local government from which to read the information before doing so.

[0047] When an electronic notification is viewed by a resident's terminal device, the status management unit 5206 updates the viewing status stored in the notification server 60 (viewing information storage unit 6303) to a status indicating that it has been viewed, based on the resident's user identification information and the electronic notification identification information of the viewed electronic notification.

[0048] The authentication processing unit 5207 performs authentication for the user terminal 10, management terminal 40a, management terminal 40b, management terminal 40c, etc.

[0049] The encryption management unit 5208 encrypts and stores information stored in the user management server 50, and also performs decryption processing.

[0050] The memory unit 530 stores various types of information. As shown in Figure 3, the memory unit 530 includes a user information memory unit 5301 and an employee information memory unit 5302.

[0051] The user information storage unit 5301 stores the user information of residents in response to registration operations from residents who wish to receive electronic distribution. Now, with reference to Figure 4, the user information stored in the user information storage unit 5301 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of user information stored in the user information storage unit 5301 according to this embodiment.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, user information includes basic information, email address, phone number, login ID, password, user ID, and terms of service agreement information. This basic information is the same information (the same as the basic information) as the basic information stored in the data center server 20. The email address represents the email address that can be received by the user terminal 10 that the user uses. The telephone number is the telephone number assigned to the device owned by the user (smartphone, tablet, mobile phone, telephone, etc.). The login ID is identification information for logging into the service site to receive notifications electronically, and is assigned to each resident (user). The password is the password for logging into the service site. The user ID is identification information for identifying the user on the service site, and is assigned to each user. The terms of service agreement information includes information indicating whether or not a resident has agreed to the terms of service. If agreed, the date of agreement is recorded. If not agreed, this date is not recorded.

[0053] The employee information storage unit 5302 stores information about employees of local governments who use the user management server 50 and the notification server 60. Now, with reference to Figure 5, the employee information stored in the employee information storage unit 5302 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of employee information stored in the employee information storage unit 5302 according to this embodiment.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, employee information includes name, department, email address, and role. The name is the employee's name. The department is the department to which the employee belongs within the local government. The email address is the email address assigned to the employee by the local government for the purpose of performing their duties within the local government. The role is the position or role within the local government. For example, roles include "person in charge" and "administrator."

[0055] Next, the functional configuration of the notification server 60 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the notification server 60 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the notification server 60 comprises a communication unit 610, a control unit 620, and a storage unit 630.

[0056] The communications unit 610 communicates with the data center server 20, the user management server 50, and the browsing web server 80. The control unit 620 controls each part of the notification server 60.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 620 includes a recipient list data acquisition unit 6201, a user registration list data acquisition unit 6202, a determination unit 6203, a viewing management unit 6204, a consent management unit 6205, a notification method reception unit 6206, a notification item confirmation determination unit 6207, a reminder processing unit 6208, a notification method switching unit 6209, and a notification item processing unit 6210.

[0058] The recipient list data acquisition unit 6201 acquires recipient list data that includes information about the recipients to whom the notification is to be sent. For example, the recipient list data acquisition unit 6201 acquires this data by receiving recipient list data uploaded from a terminal device (for example, management terminal 40a or management terminal 40b) used by a local government employee based on the operation of the terminal device. The recipient list data acquired by the recipient list data acquisition unit 6201 includes notification identification information that identifies the electronic notification to be sent to each resident.

[0059] The user registration list data acquisition unit 6202 acquires user registration list data from the user information storage unit 5301, which stores user registration list data including the recipients of residents who have registered in response to user registration operations from residents who wish to receive electronic distribution (electronic notifications).

[0060] The determination unit 6203 compares the acquired recipient list data with the user registration list data and, based on the comparison result, determines whether or not electronic notices can be sent to residents included in the recipient list data (matching process). The data used by the determination unit 6203 when making this determination is the user registration list data that has been registered when identity verification has been obtained by the public personal authentication authority server based on the personal information stored on the personal card owned by the resident and the My Number Card signature password entered by the user. Furthermore, the determination unit 6203 compares the notification identification information included in the recipient list data with the notification identification information stored in the electronic notification storage unit 6301. Based on the comparison result, if an electronic notification corresponding to the notification identification information set as the recipient list data is stored in the electronic notification storage unit 6301, the determination unit 6203 determines that it is possible to send the electronic notification corresponding to the notification identification information.

[0061] The viewing management unit 6204 grants permission to view the electronic notification that the determination unit 6203 has determined can be transmitted to the corresponding resident's terminal device, based on the recipients included in the recipient list data. When the viewing management unit 6204 receives a request to view an electronic notification from a user terminal 10, it refers to the user information storage unit 5301 to determine whether the user of the user terminal 10 that made the viewing request has given consent, and if it determines that the resident has agreed to the terms of use, it permits viewing of the electronic notification. If the browsing management unit 6204 determines that the user has not agreed to the terms of use, it will inquire with the user terminal 10 that made the browsing request whether or not the user agrees to the terms of use. If the user terminal 10 responds with an agreement, the unit will allow the user to view the electronic notification.

[0062] When the consent management unit 6205 receives a request to view electronic notices from a resident's user terminal, it sends a request to the user management server 50 to determine whether the requesting resident has agreed to the terms of service for the service that allows them to view electronic notices, based on the terms of service agreement information stored in the user information storage unit 5301. When the consent management unit 6205 receives a response from the terminal device indicating that it agrees to the terms of service in response to an inquiry about whether or not the user agrees to the terms of service, it writes the result of the agreement as terms of service agreement information to the user information storage unit 5301.

[0063] The notification method receiving unit 6206 has the function of receiving the selection of a notification method from residents (notification recipients). The notification method receiving unit 6206 receives the selection of the desired notification method from residents, from among notification methods including postal notification, which sends notifications by mail, and electronic notification, which sends notifications by electronic data. For example, the notification method receiving unit 6206 refers to the user information registered in the user information storage unit 5301 of the user management server 50 when a resident registers to use the service, and receives the notification method selected by each resident based on the information indicating the notification method associated with each resident's user ID. The notification method is indicated, for example, by flag information, with a flag indicating that postal notification has been selected or a flag indicating that electronic notification has been selected being associated with the user ID.

[0064] The notification confirmation determination unit 6207 has the function of determining whether or not a notification sent electronically has been confirmed by the resident. If the resident has selected electronic notification as the notification method, the notification confirmation determination unit 6207 determines whether or not the notification sent electronically to the resident has not been confirmed by the resident.

[0065] A situation in which a notice is not seen by a resident is one of the following: the notice does not reach the resident, access to the notice cannot be confirmed, or the notice cannot be sent. A situation in which a notification does not reach a resident is, for example, when a notification sent electronically by a local government remains on the transmission server. This situation can occur, for example, when the power to the terminal used by the resident to receive electronic notifications is turned off. The notification confirmation and determination unit 6207 can check whether there are any notifications that have not reached the resident by checking whether there are any notifications remaining on the notification transmission server. A situation in which access to a notification cannot be confirmed is, for example, when a notification sent electronically to a resident remains unopened. This situation can occur, for example, when a resident is unaware that they have received an electronic notification. The notification confirmation determination unit 6207 can check whether there are any notifications in a state where access cannot be confirmed by referring to the browsing history of the browsing web server to determine whether the notification has been viewed. A notification being unable to be sent means, for example, that the notification cannot be sent to the electronic notification address registered by the resident. This can occur, for example, due to a malfunction (such as a failure) in a messaging app or email app, or due to a change in the recipient address by the resident. The notification confirmation and determination unit 6207 can determine whether there are any notifications that are unable to be sent by, for example, checking whether there are any notifications that have experienced a transmission error among the notifications that have undergone electronic notification processing.

[0066] The reminder processing unit 6208 has the function of reminding residents that there are electronically sent notifications. If the reminder processing unit 6208 determines that the notice has not been confirmed by the resident even after the reminder judgment period (second predetermined period) has elapsed since the electronic notification was sent, it will send a reminder to the resident at least once before the notification method switching judgment period (first predetermined period) has elapsed.

[0067] The reminder decision period is set to be shorter than the notification method change decision period. Both the reminder decision period and the notification method change decision period begin counting, for example, when an electronic notification is sent to a resident. Furthermore, each notification may be assigned an importance level according to its content. In this case, the reminder period and the notification method change decision period (a predetermined period) will be set for each notification according to its importance level. For example, a notification that requires action by the resident (such as sending documents) and has a deadline will be assigned a high importance level, and the reminder period and notification method change decision period will be set shorter. In the case of simple notices or advertisements, the importance level will be assigned a low importance level, and the reminder period and notification method change decision period may be set longer, or no period may be set at all.

[0068] The notification method switching unit 6209 has a function to switch the notification method to postal mail if the notification has not been confirmed by the resident even after the notification method switching decision period has elapsed since the electronic notification was sent. For example, if the notification method switching unit 6209 has switched the notification method to postal mail if the notification has not been confirmed by the resident even after reminders have been sent between the time of the electronic notification and the time of the notification method switching decision period, and if the resident's mailing address information can be obtained.

[0069] The notification processing unit 6210 has a function to process notifications whose notification method has been switched from electronic notification to postal notification. The notification processing unit 6210 outputs a warning message for notifications that will be sent by postal notification due to the change in notification method, indicating that the electronically sent notification has not been confirmed by the recipient. This warning message is, for example, a message prompting the recipient to check whether there have been any changes to the telephone number or email address set as the recipient for electronic notifications.

[0070] The notification processing unit 6210 may send together notifications that have been accepted by the notification method reception unit 6206 to be sent by postal mail, and notifications whose notification method has been switched from electronic notification to postal mail by the notification method switching unit 6209. In this way, by coordinating the timing of sending notifications for which postal mail has been selected by residents and notifications whose notification method has been switched from electronic notification to postal mail, the person in charge of sending can perform their sending duties efficiently.

[0071] The storage unit 630 stores various types of data. As shown in Figure 6, the storage unit 630 includes an electronic notification storage unit 6301, a recipient list data storage unit 6302, and a browsing information storage unit 6303.

[0072] The electronic notification storage unit 6301 stores the electronic notification to be transmitted and notification identification information that identifies the electronic notification. Now, referring to Figure 7, the notification information stored in the electronic notification storage unit 6301 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of notification information stored in the electronic notification storage unit 6301 according to this embodiment.

[0073] As shown in Figure 7, the electronic notification storage unit 6301 stores the notification ID, the notification PDF data, the operation log, and the notification record. The notification ID is information that uniquely identifies an electronic notification. The notification PDF data is electronic data of an electronic notification, and the data format is PDF. An operation log is log data that shows the actions taken on an electronic notification. For example, an operation log may include a history of changes to the name of an electronic notification, or approval results indicating whether an approval request for an electronic notification was granted or not. A notification record shows the relationship between an original electronic notification and each individual electronic notification that was generated when the original electronic notification was edited to provide content tailored to each resident. For example, if there was an electronic notification titled "Notification Regarding XX Benefit Payment," and this electronic notification was edited to provide individual content for 10 residents, resulting in 10 different electronic notifications, then information that allows you to understand the relationship between the original electronic notification and each of the resulting electronic notifications is stored.

[0074] The recipient list data storage unit 6302 stores the recipient list data. The recipient list data is data that associates the basic information of the residents to whom the notifications are sent with the file names of the electronic notifications sent to each resident. The browsing information storage unit 6303 stores user identification information, electronic notification identification information, and a browsing status indicating whether or not the electronic notification has been viewed.

[0075] Next, the operation of the notification management system 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 15. The operation of Notification Management System 1 can be broadly divided into three parts: user registration, notification sending, and viewing. These will be explained in order below.

[0076] User registration process The user registration process is the process by which residents register to receive notifications from the local government either by mail or electronically (receive electronic data). Residents who wish to receive notifications in printed form (not electronic notifications) can select "mail notification" as the notification method during this user registration process to receive printed notifications. On the other hand, residents who wish to receive notifications electronically (not printed notifications) can select "electronic notification" as the notification method during this user registration process to receive electronic data of the notifications, which can then be viewed on the user terminal 10. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation of the notification management system according to this embodiment. Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the user registration process flow according to this embodiment.

[0077] Residents must first register to use the service. To register, residents can go to the government building and use the user registration system (Figure 8, Step S1). Alternatively, if their own user terminal 10 is equipped with a card reader, they can register using their own user terminal 10. This embodiment will describe the case where registration is performed using the user terminal 10. When registering for use, the user downloads and runs application software (hereinafter referred to as the user registration app) for electronically receiving notifications by inputting an operation on the user terminal 10. This starts the user registration procedure (Figure 9, step S101). The application software downloaded here is equivalent to the function of the user registration server 31 that performs the procedure for registering users. Therefore, it may be executed as application software, or user registration may be performed by communicating with the user registration server 31 and executing the functions of the user registration server 31 without using the application software.

[0078] When the user registration procedure is initiated, the user terminal 10 displays the terms of service and the terms of handling of personal information regarding the use of user information on its display screen. The user reviews these terms, and if they agree, they touch the "Agree" button displayed on the screen using the touch panel of the user terminal 10 (Figure 9, step S102).

[0079] When the user terminal 10 receives an input indicating agreement to the terms of service, it receives this as a consent instruction and displays an input screen on its display screen for entering the email address and phone number. The user then enters the email address and phone number via the touch panel (Figure 9, step S103). Once the email address and phone number are entered, the user terminal 10 passes the entered data and the consent instruction to the user registration application. When the user registration app obtains the email address, phone number, and consent instructions, it sends these data and a request to the user management server 50 to send a security code (Figure 9, step S180).

[0080] The communication unit 510 of the user management server 50 receives email addresses, telephone numbers, and consent instructions. The acquisition unit 5201 retrieves the email addresses, telephone numbers, and consent instructions received by the communication unit 510. The user registration unit 5203 writes the email addresses, telephone numbers, and consent instructions retrieved by the acquisition unit 5201 to the user information storage unit 5301. The user registration unit 5203 also issues a user ID and stores the issued user ID in the user information storage unit 5301, associating it with the email address, telephone number, and consent instructions. Furthermore, the user registration unit 5203 issues a security code and sends the issued security code via email to the received email address (Figure 8, step S2; Figure 9, step S201).

[0081] The user terminal 10 receives an email sent from the user management server 50. The user displays the body of the received email on the display screen of the user terminal 10 and confirms the security code written in the body. The user enters this security code into the security code input field of the user registration application and touches the execute button. In the user registration application, if the entered security code matches the security code received from the user management server 50, the application switches to the personal card reading mode. If the email sent from the user management server 50 contains a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for user registration, the user may authenticate by touching the URL in the email (Figure 8, step S3) and then proceed to reading the personal card.

[0082] When the system switches to personal card reading mode, the user terminal 10 displays a message on its screen such as "Please read your personal card with the card reader." The user then brings their personal card (IC card 15) close to the card reader 35 for reading. When the IC card 15 is brought within reading range of the card reader 35, the user terminal 10 reads the basic information stored in the IC card 15 via the card reader 35. In some cases, if the IC card 15 is a specific type of card, it may be necessary to enter the password set on the IC card 15 in order to read the data stored on the IC card 15 (for example, a My Number Card). In this case, the user terminal 10 displays a message such as "Please enter your password" on the display screen. Here, the password is set, for example, when the IC card 15 is issued, and the user is aware of it at the time of card issuance. Upon receiving this, the user operates the touch panel of the user terminal 10 to input the My Number Card signature password. This entered My Number Card signature password is sent to the IC card 15 via the card reader 35, and the IC card 15 checks if the password matches. If it matches, the IC card 15 outputs the basic information. The user terminal 10 obtains the basic information via the card reader 35 (Figure 9, step S105). The user registration application obtains basic information and the My Number Card signature password and sends them to the user management server 50 to request registration. Here, the user registration application encrypts the basic information and the My Number Card signature password according to a predetermined encryption method before sending them to the user management server 50 (Figure 9, step S182).

[0083] The user information inquiry unit 5202 of the user management server 50 sends an inquiry request to the public personal authentication authority server along with the basic information and the My Number Card signature password (Figure 9, step S202). This inquiry request asks to verify whether the combination of the basic information obtained from the IC card 15 and the My Number Card signature password is registered with the public personal authentication authority server. When the public personal authentication authority server receives basic information, a password, and a request for verification, it decrypts the basic information and password based on a predetermined encryption method, refers to the resident data stored in the public personal authentication authority server's storage device, and performs identity verification by determining whether the decrypted combination of basic information and password is stored in the storage device (Figure 9, step S401). If the requested combination of basic information and password is stored in the storage device, the public personal authentication authority server notifies the user management server 50 that it is registered.

[0084] When the user registration unit 5203 of the user management server 50 receives a notification from the public personal authentication authority server indicating that the user is registered, it writes basic information to the user information storage unit 5301 and notifies the user terminal 10 of the read confirmation result indicating that the user is registered via the communication unit 510 (Figure 9, step S203). When the user terminal 10 receives a read confirmation result indicating that it is registered (Figure 9, step S106), it displays input fields for the login ID and password on the screen along with the message, "Please enter the login ID and password you wish to register." This login ID and password are used to log in to the service site provided by the user management server 50 and the notification server 60. The user can choose their own login ID and password, but the user management server 50 may issue the login ID and password and notify the user terminal 10 of them. Note that the password used for this login is different from the password used for identity verification when using the IC card 15 (My Number Card signature password) mentioned above.

[0085] When the user inputs a login ID and password into the user terminal 10 (Figure 9, step S107), the user terminal 10 accepts the entered login ID and password. The user registration application obtains the entered login ID and password and sends them to the user management server 50 (Figure 8, step S4; Figure 9, step S183). When the user management server 50 receives the login ID and password, it encrypts the user information (Figure 9, step S204) and stores it in the user information storage unit 5301, associating it with the user ID (Figure 9, step S205).

[0086] When the user inputs a notification method (Figure 9, step S108), the user terminal 10 accepts the input notification method. The user registration application obtains the input notification method and sends it to the user management server 50 (Figure 8, step S4; Figure 9, step S184). When the user management server 50 receives the notification method, it stores it in association with the user ID in the user information storage unit 5301 (Figure 9, step S206). The notification method is indicated, for example, by a flag, and a flag indicating that postal notification is selected or a flag indicating that electronic notification is selected is associated with the user ID.

[0087] By performing this user registration process, residents can register to receive notifications from local governments via postal mail or electronic notification. Furthermore, since the information stored on the IC card 15 is compared with the information registered on the public personal authentication authority server, it is possible to register residents who possess the IC card 15 after confirming whether or not they are residents registered on the public personal authentication authority server. In addition, when reading basic information from the IC card 15 during registration, residents are required to enter their My Number Card signature password, so registration can be performed after authenticating the identity of the resident using the IC card 15. This prevents registrations that result in notifications being sent to residents other than the intended recipients (residents) who wish to receive notifications electronically.

[0088] Notification sending process Next, we will explain the notification transmission process. The notification transmission process is the process by which local government officials send notifications electronically to registered residents who have selected electronic notification as their notification method. For residents who are not registered, and for registered residents who have selected postal notification as their notification method, notifications will be sent by mail through a different procedure than this notification transmission process. Figures 10 to 12 are sequence diagrams showing an example of the flow of the notification transmission process according to this embodiment.

[0089] Local government employees access the notification server 60 and display the login screen by inputting commands into the management terminal 40a. Employees using the management terminal 40a have already registered for use (Figure 8, Step S5). Employees enter their assigned login ID and password using input devices such as a keyboard or mouse. When the management terminal 40a receives a login ID and password (Step S111 in Figure 10), it sends the entered login ID and password to the notification server 60. When the notification server 60 receives the login ID and password from the management terminal 40a, it sends the login ID and password to the user management server 50 along with a login authentication request (Figure 10, step S311).

[0090] When the user management server 50 receives a login authentication request, login ID, and password from the notification server 60, it performs login authentication by determining whether the received combination of login ID and password matches the combination of login ID and password stored in the user information storage unit 1031 (Figure 10, step S211). If the received combination of login ID and password matches the combination of login ID and password stored in the user information storage unit 5301, the user management server 50 sends an authentication result to the notification server 60 that permits login.

[0091] When the notification server 60 receives the authentication result for login permission, it sends login permission to the management terminal 40a (Figure 10, step S312). When the management terminal 40a receives the authentication result for login permission (Figure 10, step S112), it sends a request to the notification server 60 to download the list of registered users based on the operation input from the staff member (Figure 10, step S113). When the notification server 60 receives a request from the management terminal 40a to download the list of registered users, it sends a request to the user management server 50 to download the list of registered users (Figure 10, step S313). When the user management server 50 receives a request from the notification server 60 to download the user registration list, it generates the user registration list data (Figure 10, step S212). Here, the user management server 50 targets the municipality to which the management terminal 40a that made the request for the user registration list belongs, and generates the user registration list by extracting registered users from the residents belonging to that municipality using the user information storage unit 5301. As a result, residents belonging to municipalities other than the one to which the management terminal 40a belongs are excluded, and a user registration list is obtained that includes residents of the municipality to which the management terminal 40a belongs who are registered users (Figure 8, step S6).

[0092] The municipality group management unit 5205 may identify which municipality the management terminal 40a belongs to based on the login ID used when the management terminal 40a logged in, or it may identify the municipality based on terminal identification information individually assigned to the management terminal 40a. In this case, the user management server 50 may store municipality data in the storage unit 530 that associates municipality identification information with the login ID, or municipality data that associates municipality identification information with terminal identification information, and the municipality group management unit 5205 may identify the municipality by referring to this storage unit 530. Furthermore, to determine which municipality the management terminal 40a belongs to, the URL accessed when the management terminal 40a logs in may include a municipality code to identify the municipality. In this case, the municipality group management unit 5205 may identify which municipality it is by referring to the municipality code included in the accessed URL when the management terminal 40a accesses and is granted permission to log in. When including the municipality code as part of the URL, for example, a predetermined character (e.g., "?") and the municipality code may be written as parameters at the end of the URL. This allows the string after the predetermined character to be recognized as the municipality code.

[0093] The list of registered users generated here contains data that includes basic information about the residents. When the user management server 50 generates a list of registered users, it sends the list of registered users to the notification server 60. The data format of the registered user list sent may be any data format, but the data format may be, for example, a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) data format.

[0094] When the notification server 60 receives the list of registered users from the user management server 50, it converts the list of registered users into a data format usable by the management terminal 40a (Figure 10, step S314) and sends it to the management terminal 40a. Here, if the data format supported by the management terminal 40a is CSV (comma separated values) format, the notification server 60 converts the list of registered users from JSON data format to CSV format before sending it.

[0095] The list of registered users may also show the notification method (flag information) selected by each resident. When a sender using the management terminal 40a requests that the server extract residents who have selected electronic notifications, the notification server 60 sends a list of registered users to the management terminal 40a, which contains only the data of residents who have selected electronic notifications based on the flag information. This allows the sender using the management terminal 40a to easily distinguish residents who have selected each notification method and to perform their work efficiently. The notification server 60 may also send to the management terminal 40a a list of registered users, extracted only from the data of residents who have selected electronic notifications, and a list of registered users, extracted only from the data of residents who have selected postal notifications.

[0096] The management terminal 40a obtains the list of registered users sent from the notification server 60 (Figure 10, step S114). Here, since not all residents in the municipality to which the management terminal 40a belongs are registered users, the management terminal 40a can identify residents who have registered to receive electronic notifications based on the list of registered users. Furthermore, since residents who are not registered users are not included in the list of registered users, the process proceeds to send notifications (notifications printed on a print medium based on electronic notifications) by mail to such residents, while electronic notifications can be sent to residents included in the list of registered users.

[0097] The management terminal 40a uses the list of registered users to create a list of recipients containing basic information of the residents to whom notifications will be sent, as well as electronic data of the notification (for example, an electronic notification in PDF (Portable Document Format) format). The electronic notifications generated here are individual electronic notifications edited from the original electronic notification to have content tailored to the residents to whom they will be sent. Once an individual electronic notification is created, a file name is assigned to it. Here, the management terminal 40a generates a list of recipients by adding the filename of the PDF data of the notification to be sent to the resident to the resident's basic information based on the operator's input (Figure 10, step S115). In other words, in this list of recipients, the filename of the electronic notification to be sent is associated with each resident to be sent.

[0098] Here, we will explain step S115 in more detail. The recipient list data is a database that associates the basic information of the residents to whom notifications will be sent with the filenames of the PDF files to be sent. This recipient list is, for example, an electronic file in CSV format. The basic information of the residents to whom notifications will be sent can be taken from the basic information included in the registered user list. In this case, some notices are sent to all residents, while others are sent to residents who meet certain conditions. When sending notices to residents who meet certain conditions, it is necessary to extract the residents to be sent from the list of registered users received from the notice server 60. In such cases, the staff member operates the management terminal 40a and downloads the list of recipients to whom the notice will be sent from the business system, which is a separate system from the notice management system 1 and is part of the local government's business system. This recipient list includes the residents to whom the notice will be sent in this instance, and includes both residents to whom the notice will be sent by mail and residents to whom the notice will be sent electronically.

[0099] Staff members visually cross-reference the list of target individuals with the list of registered users, and manually extract residents from the target individual list who will receive notifications electronically. Based on the extraction results, a list of residents (electronically sent residents list) is generated by the management terminal 40a based on the staff member's instructions. In this case, the management terminal 40a generates this electronically sent residents list in its local environment, separately from the functions of the user management server 50 (Figure 8, step S7). Alternatively, the staff may have the notification server 60 perform the process of extracting residents corresponding to the registered user list from the target list. For example, the staff may operate the management terminal 40a to load the target list and the registered user list into the user management server 50. The control unit 520 of the user management server 50 matches the target list and the registered user list and extracts residents whose basic information matches, thereby extracting residents registered in the registered user list from the target list. The control unit 520 of the user management server 50 may then generate an electronic mailing resident list as the extraction result and display it on the screen of the management terminal 40a.

[0100] Furthermore, staff members generate electronic notifications by inputting information into the management terminal 40a (or notification creation terminal 45). Here, if the notification contains the same content uniformly for all residents to be sent to, the electronic data (PDF data) of that notification is used. On the other hand, the content of the notification may differ depending on the age and family structure of the residents to be sent to. In such cases, staff members use the management terminal 40a to process the electronic data of the notification and create electronic data (PDF data) of the notification with content appropriate for the recipient. Once the PDF data of the notification to be sent is created, the management terminal 40a, based on the operator's instructions, associates the file name of the PDF data of the notification with the recipient and generates a list of recipients.

[0101] Once the recipient list data is generated, the management terminal 40a accepts notification information input based on the operation input from the staff (Figure 10, step S116). As notification information, for example, titles (e.g., file names) can be used to sort the notifications in the recipient list data based on the file names of the notifications.

[0102] Next, the management terminal 40a uploads the recipient list data to the notification server 60 based on the input from the staff member (Figure 11, step S117). The recipient list data uploaded here is in CSV format. When the notification server 60 receives the uploaded list of recipients, it stores it in the recipient list data storage unit 6302 and requests the user management server 50 to send the list of registered users (Figure 8, step S8; Figure 11, step S315). When the user management server 50 receives a request from the notification server 60 to send the list of registered users, it generates a list of registered users from the user information storage unit 5301, corresponding to the municipality to which the management terminal 40a that requested the list of registered users belongs (Figure 11, step S213). The data format of the list of registered users generated here is JSON data type. When the user management server 50 generates a list of registered users, it sends it to the notification server 60.

[0103] When the notification server 60 receives the list of registered users from the user management server 50, it converts the list of registered users from JSON data format to CSV format. Then, the determination unit 6203 of the notification server 60 performs a matching process between the list of recipients and the list of registered users (Figure 11, step S316) to determine whether the basic information of residents included in the list of recipients corresponds to the basic information included in the list of registered users. By performing this matching process, it is possible to determine whether or not electronic notifications can be sent to residents included in the list of recipients, and it is possible to prevent residents who do not wish to receive notifications electronically (who have not completed the user registration process) from being set as targets for electronic notification transmission. In other words, by preventing notifications from being sent to residents who do not wish to receive notifications electronically (who have not completed the user registration process), transmission errors can be prevented. When the notification server 60 performs a matching process, it sends the result of the matching process to the management terminal 40a.

[0104] When the management terminal 40a receives the matching results from the notification server 60, it displays the matching results on the display screen (Figure 11, step S118). The staff member checks the contents displayed on this screen, and if there are any errors, they return to the process in step S115 by inputting an operation to the management terminal 40a and correct the list of recipients. For example, in step S115, even if the staff member mistakenly extracts residents who are not registered as users when manually extracting the list of recipients to whom electronic notifications will be sent, they can correct those residents to be included as recipients of notifications sent by mail. Furthermore, if a resident's name is incorrectly entered in the recipient list data, a matching result will be obtained indicating that the name does not match the resident's name listed in the recipient list. In such cases, staff can take corrective action, such as correcting the resident's name in the recipient list data. If there are no errors, proceed to the next step (Figure 11, step S119).

[0105] Next, the management terminal 40a uploads the electronic notification to the notification server 60 based on the input from the staff member (Figure 8, step S9; Figure 11, step S119). The electronic notification uploaded here is a PDF file of the electronic data of the notification created in step S115. If the notification differs for each resident, multiple types of notifications to be sent can be uploaded separately. In this case, the file names of the electronic notifications will be different for each.

[0106] When the notification server 60's determination unit 6203 receives an electronic notification, it stores it in the electronic notification storage unit 6301 and then performs a matching process between the file name of the received electronic notification and the file names included in the recipient list (Figure 11, step S317). This matching process allows the determination that it is possible to send the electronic notification corresponding to the notification identification information set as the recipient list if the electronic notification corresponding to that notification identification information is stored in the electronic notification storage unit 6301. In other words, it is possible to determine whether the electronic data of the notification corresponding to the electronic notification designated as the target to be sent in the recipient list has been uploaded. Therefore, if the electronic data of the notification corresponding to the electronic notification designated as the target to be sent in the recipient list has not been uploaded, it can be detected as an error. When the notification server 60 performs a matching process, it sends the result of the matching process to the management terminal 40a.

[0107] When the management terminal 40a receives the results of the matching process, it displays the matching results on the display screen (Figure 11, step S120). The staff member checks the contents displayed on this screen. If there are any errors, the staff member can return to the process in step S115 by inputting an operation to the management terminal 40a, and can correct the recipient list or re-upload the files so that the file names of the electronic data of the notifications included in the recipient list correspond to the electronic data of the uploaded notifications.

[0108] After confirming that there are no errors, the employee inputs instructions to the management terminal 40a, uses the workflow function to set the administrator (for example, the employee's supervisor) as the person to approve, and inputs instructions for the approval request. The administrator to be approved may also be specified by the employee by selecting from the workflow recipient list and inputting instructions from the management terminal 40a. Alternatively, the notification server 60 may identify the administrator corresponding to the employee who made the approval request by referring to the employee information stored in the employee information storage unit 5302. In response to the input of an approval request instruction from the staff member, the management terminal 40a sends an approval request notification to the administrator's management terminal 40b (Figure 11, step S121).

[0109] The administrator uses their own management terminal 40b to display the requested approvals on the screen. This screen displays recipient list data, electronic data of notifications, and other relevant information. The administrator reviews the content (Figure 12, step S122). If there are no problems, they press the approval button using a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel (Figure 12, step S123). If they determine that corrections are necessary, they press the rejection button. When the rejection button is pressed, the workflow is returned to the submitting employee, and the process moves to step S115.

[0110] When the administrator presses the approval button, a notification that the approval button has been pressed is sent from the management terminal 40b to the notification server 60. The notification server 60 then stores information indicating approval in the electronic notification storage unit 6301 as notification information (Figure 12, step S318). The notification server 60 then identifies the residents included in the recipient list data as recipients and sends the electronic notification using the email address based on the list of registered users of the residents as the destination (Figure 12, step S319). When sending the electronic data of the notification, an email containing a URL that allows access to the electronic data of the notification is sent to the email address as the destination. The electronic data of the notification may also be sent as an attachment to the email. The electronic data of this notification may be sent in batch processing when a predetermined time arrives.

[0111] 《Viewing Process》 Next, the viewing process will be explained. The viewing process is the process by which a resident views electronic data of a notification sent from the local government using their own user terminal 10. Figures 13 and 14 are sequence diagrams showing an example of the browsing process flow according to this embodiment.

[0112] When the notification server 60 allows the user terminal 10 to view an electronic notification, an email is sent from the notification server 60 to the user terminal 10 indicating that the electronic notification has arrived (Figure 8, step S10). By receiving this email, the resident can know that the electronic notification has arrived. When the resident wants to view the electronic notification, they input the necessary information from the user terminal 10. When a user terminal 10 receives a viewing request from a resident (Figure 11, step S131), it sends a login request to the browsing web server 80. The browsing web server 80 then sends the login request to the user management server 50. When the user management server 50 receives a login request, it sends the login screen to the browsing web server 80. The browsing web server 80 sends the received login screen to the user terminal 10 (Figure 13, step S231). When the user terminal 10 receives the login screen, it performs the login process (Figure 13, step S132; Figure 8, step S11). Here, we will explain the case where two-factor authentication is performed during login as an example. In the login process, the user terminal 10 receives the login ID and password entered into the input fields by the user via the input device and the click of the "Next" button. The user terminal 10 then displays a screen that accepts input for selecting the two-factor authentication method. For example, two options for two-factor authentication methods are displayed: "email authentication" and "SMS (Short Message Service) authentication". When the user terminal 10 receives input from the user to select one of the two-factor authentication methods, it accepts the selection. The user terminal 10 then instructs the user management server 50 to use the two-factor authentication method via the browsing web server 80 according to the selection.

[0113] The user management server 50 processes the two-factor authentication method instructed by the user terminal 10. For example, if "email authentication" is selected, the security code is sent via email to the email address registered as the contact information of the user terminal 10 that requested the two-factor authentication. If "SMS authentication" is selected, the security code is sent as an SMS message to the phone number registered as the contact information of the user terminal 10 that requested the two-factor authentication. When user terminal 10 receives a security code sent via email or SMS, it displays it on its screen. The resident enters the security code displayed on the screen into the input field on the two-factor authentication screen and presses the "Next" button. User terminal 10 then sends the entered security code to the user management server 50. The user management server 50 grants permission for login if the security code entered from the user terminal 10 matches the security code sent to the user terminal 10 (Figure 13, step S232), and denies permission if they do not match. If the user management server 50 allows login, it redirects to the notification server 60 (Figure 13, step S233) to notify the notification server 60 that login has been permitted.

[0114] When the consent management unit 6205 of the notification server 60 obtains an authentication result indicating login permission, it sends a request to the user management server 50 requesting the date and time of agreement to the terms and conditions for the resident who has been granted login permission (Figure 13, step S131). In this case, a request for agreement to the terms and conditions is sent to the user management server 50, but if the confirmation process based on agreement to the terms and conditions has already been completed, the notification list screen can also be displayed in response to a request from the user terminal 10, as described later (proceed to Figure 14, step S336). The Terms of Use Management Unit 5204 of the User Management Server 50 refers to the Terms of Use consent information in the User Information Storage Unit 5301 based on the User ID of the resident who has been granted login permission, and determines whether the resident who made the viewing request has agreed to the Terms of Use. If the resident has agreed to the Terms of Use, the Terms of Use Management Unit 5204 determines to transmit the Terms of Use consent information to the Notification Server 60 (Figure 13, step S234), and sends the Terms of Use consent information to the Notification Server 60. The consent management unit 6205 of the notification server 60 determines whether the terms of service consent date and time obtained from the user management server 50 is earlier than the latest terms update date and time in the notification server 60 (Figure 13, step S232). Here, since the terms are often updated, the terms of service consent date and time sent from the user management server 50 is compared with the latest date and time when the terms were updated (the last update date and time).

[0115] If the date and time of agreement to the terms of service obtained from the user management server 50 is earlier than the update date and time of the latest terms in the notification server 60, or if it is the resident's first login, the notification server 60 displays the terms of service on the user terminal 10 (Figure 14, step S334). The user terminal 10 displays the terms of service on its screen, and when the resident touches the agreement button (Figure 14, step S133), it sends a message to the notification server 60 indicating that the user has agreed to the terms of service and the date and time of agreement. When the notification server 60 receives an instruction to agree to the terms of service and the date and time of agreement from the user terminal 10, it sends the instruction to agree to the terms of service and the date and time of agreement to the user management server 50 (Figure 14, step S335). When the user management server 50 receives an instruction to agree to the terms of service and the date and time of agreement, the user information storage unit 5301 writes the agreement information of the agreed resident, indicating that the agreement has been made and the date and time of agreement (Figure 14, step S235), and notifies the notification server 60 that the writing of the date and time of agreement has been completed.

[0116] When the notification server 60 receives a notification that the writing of the consent date and time has been completed, it generates a notification list screen and sends it to the user terminal 10 (Figure 14, step S336). The user terminal 10 displays a list of notifications received from the notification server 60. This displays a list of notifications sent to the logged-in resident. When the user inputs an instruction to specify the notification to be viewed from this list (Figure 10, step S134), the user terminal 10 sends a request to the notification server 60 to display the specified notification. The viewing management unit 6204 of the notification server 60 reads the electronic notification corresponding to the request received from the user terminal 10 from the electronic notification storage unit 6301 and sends it to the user terminal 10, making it viewable on the user terminal 10 (Figure 8, step S12; Figure 14, step S336). The user terminal 10 displays the electronic notification received from the notification server 60 on its display screen (Figure 14, step S135). This allows the resident to view the electronic notification. Meanwhile, when the viewing management unit 6204 of the notification server 60 sends the electronic notification to the user terminal 10, it notifies the user management server 50 that the electronic notification has been viewed (Figure 14, step S337). When the electronic notification is displayed (viewed) by the user terminal 10, the status management unit 5206 of the user management server 50 updates the viewing status in the viewing information storage unit 6303 by writing the viewing status, which corresponds to the resident's user identification information and the electronic notification identification information of the viewed electronic notification, as a status indicating that it has been viewed (Figure 14, step S236).

[0117] 《Notification method switching process》 Next, we will explain the notification method switching process. The notification method switching process is the process of switching the notification method to postal mail when the notification has not been confirmed by the resident even after the notification period for deciding on the notification method switching has elapsed since the electronic notification was sent. Figure 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the notification method switching process according to this embodiment.

[0118] As shown in Figure 15, the reminder processing unit 6208 of the notification server 60 checks whether the reminder judgment period has elapsed (Figure 15, step S341). If the reminder judgment period has elapsed (Figure 15, step S341 / YES), the process proceeds to step S342. On the other hand, if the reminder judgment period has not elapsed (Figure 15, step S341 / NO), the process repeats step S341.

[0119] If the process proceeds to step S342, the notification confirmation determination unit 6207 of the notification server 60 determines whether or not the electronically notified notification has not been confirmed by the resident (Figure 15, step S342). After the determination, the notification confirmation determination unit 6207 extracts residents corresponding to the notification that it determined to be in an unconfirmed state as targets for reminders (Figure 15, step S343). The reminder processing unit 6208 sends reminders to the identified recipients (Figure 15, step S344).

[0120] The notification method switching unit 6209 checks whether the notification method switching decision period has elapsed (Figure 15, step S345). If the notification method switching decision period has elapsed (Figure 15, step S345 / YES), the process proceeds to step S346. On the other hand, if the notification method switching decision period has not elapsed (Figure 15, step S345 / NO), the process repeats from step S341.

[0121] If the process proceeds to step S346, the notification confirmation determination unit 6207 determines whether or not the electronically notified notification has not been confirmed by the resident (Figure 15, step S346). After the determination, the notification confirmation determination unit 6207 extracts residents corresponding to the notification that it has determined to be in an unconfirmed state as targets for notification method switching (Figure 15, step S347). The notification confirmation determination unit 6207 sends a list of the extracted targets for notification method switching to the notification manager's management terminal 40b. The notification officer operates the management terminal 40b to confirm the recipients of the notification method change and instructs the notification server 60 to switch the notification method (Figure 15, step S141).

[0122] When the notification method switching unit 6209 receives a notification method switching instruction from the notification officer, it switches the notification method for the person whose notification method is to be switched from electronic notification to postal notification (Figure 15, step S348). When the notification method is switched from electronic notification to postal notification, the notification processing unit 6210 creates data for postal notification (electronic data of the notification, list of recipients for postal notification, etc.) (Figure 15, step S349). The notification processing unit 6210 then sends the created data for postal notification to the notification officer's management terminal 40b. The notification officer operates the management terminal 40b to check the data for postal notification, and if there are no problems with the content, instructs the notification server 60 to send the notification by mail (Figure 15, step S142).

[0123] When the notification processing unit 6210 receives an instruction from the notification officer to send a notification by mail, it sends the data for the notification to the data print service server 90 (Figure 15, step S350; Figure 8, step S13). When the data print service server 90 receives an instruction from the notification server 60 to send a postal notification, it sends the notification by mail (Figure 15, step S501; Figure 8, step S14). As a result, notifications are sent by mail to residents who have not yet confirmed the electronically sent notification. After the mailing of the notification, the data print service server 90 transmits the electronic data of the notification sent by mail to the delivery person's management terminal 40c via the file transfer server 100 for delivery (Figure 15, step S502; Figure 8, step S15).

[0124] According to the embodiments described above, the following effects are achieved. Benefits for local government employees: mailing tasks Notifications are sent electronically as digital notices. Therefore, the process of printing notifications on paper, enclosing them in envelopes for mailing, and sealing them is eliminated. In addition, the system automatically verifies whether the electronic notice corresponds to the intended recipient, making it easier to confirm whether the correspondence between the recipient and the electronic notice is correct. Furthermore, since the sending and management of notifications can be centralized on the notification server 60, operational efficiency can be improved and the total number of days required for processing can be reduced. In addition, since the entire process of sending notifications can be completed by the local government, there is no risk in the exchange of sensitive information with the delivery company that delivers the notifications. Furthermore, when notifications are sent electronically, it is possible to determine whether or not residents have viewed the notification. If the notification remains unviewed for a certain period, the notification method can be switched to postal mail, and the notification can be sent again by post. In addition, the postal notification can include a message prompting residents to check if there have been any changes to the telephone number or email address set as the recipient for electronic notifications. This prevents situations where electronic notifications are sent to residents but are not viewed by them.

[0125] Benefits for residents: Access When you want to check the list of notifications, you can do so on the notification list screen, and electronic notifications can also be easily viewed, making it easier to manage notifications. Furthermore, since electronic notifications are sent using a user ID issued and authenticated via a personal card as the key, delivery errors can be eliminated compared to delivering printed materials. Furthermore, if you have selected electronic notification as your notification method, and you are unable to check the electronic notification due to a change in your mailing address or other reasons, the local government will resend the notification by postal mail, thus avoiding the risks associated with not checking the notification. In addition, the resent notification will include a message prompting you to check whether your mailing address has changed, thus preventing you from being unable to check any subsequent electronic notifications.

[0126] Benefits for local government employees: Subsequent administrative tasks You can now view a list of past notifications and a list of notifications you've opened, reducing the effort required for management.

[0127] In the embodiments described above, an example was given where the user is a resident, but the system is not limited to this example. For example, the user may be a business (corporation). In this case, the notification management system 1 imports the company master (ID) held by the local government. Based on the company master, the notification management system 1 generates an arbitrary ID for registration (such as a corporate number). The notification management system 1 notifies the business of the generated arbitrary ID and registers an account. In order to link it with the local government information, the notification management system 1 matches the generated arbitrary ID for registration with the ID in the company master. As a result, the notification management system 1 can manage notifications for businesses in the same way as when the user is a resident.

[0128] Some or all of the functions of the user registration server 31, user management server 50, notification server 60, data print service server 90, and file transfer server 100 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by a computer. In that case, the functions may be implemented by recording a program for implementing these functions on a computer-readable recording medium, loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system, and executing it. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such a case. Furthermore, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing some of the functions described above, or it may be for the purpose of realizing the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be for the purpose of realizing using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0129] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1...Notification Management System, 10...User Terminal, 15...IC Card, 20...Data Center Server, 30...User Registration System, 31...User Registration Server, 35...Card Reader, 40a, 40b, 40c...Management Terminal, 45...Notification Creation Terminal, 50...User Management Server, 60...Notification Server, 70...Notification Distribution Server, 80...Web Browsing Server, 90...Data Print Service Server, 100...File Transfer Server, 311, 510, 610...Communication Unit, 312, 520, 620...Control Unit, 530, 630...Storage Unit, 1031...User Information Storage Unit, 3121...Acquired Information Processing Unit, 3122...Personal Card Reading Processing Unit, 3123...Authentication Processing Unit, 5201...Acquisition Unit, 52 02...User Information Inquiry Unit, 5203...User Registration Unit, 5204...Terms of Use Management Unit, 5205...Local Government Group Management Unit, 5206...Status Management Unit, 5207...Authentication Processing Unit, 5208...Encryption Management Unit, 5301...User Information Storage Unit, 5302...Employee Information Storage Unit, 6201...Recipient List Data Acquisition Unit, 6202...User Registration List Data Acquisition Unit, 6203...Determination Unit, 6204...Viewing Management Unit, 6205...Consent Management Unit, 6206...Notification Method Reception Unit, 6207...Notification Confirmation and Determination Unit, 6208...Reminder Processing Unit, 6209...Notification Method Switching Unit, 6210...Notification Processing Unit, 6301...Electronic Notification Storage Unit, 6302...Recipient List Data Storage Unit, 6303...Viewing Information Storage Unit

Claims

1. A notification method receiving unit that accepts the selection of the preferred notification method from the recipient of the notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which involves sending the notification by mail, and electronic notification, which involves sending the notification by electronic data. If the person to be notified has selected electronic notification as the notification method, the notification confirmation determination unit determines whether or not the notification sent electronically to the person to be notified has not been confirmed by the person to be notified. If the notification has not been confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the electronic notification was sent, the notification method switching unit switches the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification. A notification server equipped with the following features.

2. A notification processing unit that, due to the change in the notification method, causes the notification to be sent by mail to output a warning message indicating that the electronically sent notification has not been confirmed by the recipient. The notification server according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. If the notification is not confirmed by the notified person even after a second predetermined period shorter than the first predetermined period has elapsed since the electronic notification was sent, a reminder processing unit will send a reminder to the notified person at least once before the first predetermined period has elapsed. Furthermore, The notification method switching unit switches the notification method to postal mail from electronic notification to postal mail if, even if a reminder is issued within a first predetermined period after electronic notification, the notification is not confirmed by the recipient, and the recipient's mailing address information can be obtained. The notification server according to claim 1.

4. The state in which the notification is not acknowledged by the notified person is one of the following states: the notification does not reach the notified person, access to the notification cannot be confirmed, or the notification is undeliverable. The notification server according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned notices are assigned an importance level according to the content of the notice. The aforementioned predetermined period is set for each of the aforementioned notices according to its importance. The notification server according to claim 1.

6. A notification processing unit that dispatches together the notification items that have been accepted by the notification method reception unit to be notified by postal mail, and the notification items whose notification method has been switched from electronic notification to postal mail by the notification method switching unit. The notification server according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. A notification method acceptance process that accepts the selection of the preferred notification method from the recipient of the notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which involves sending the notification by mail, and electronic notification, which involves sending the notification by electronic data. If the person to be notified has selected electronic notification as the notification method, a notification confirmation determination process is performed to determine whether or not the notification sent electronically to the person to be notified has not been confirmed by the person to be notified. If the notification is not confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the electronic notification, a notification method switching process is performed to switch the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification. A computer-based notification management method that includes the following.

8. Computers, A notification method receiving means that accepts the selection of the preferred notification method from the recipient of the notification, among notification methods including postal notification, which involves sending a notification by mail, and electronic notification, which involves sending the said notification by electronic data. If the person to be notified has selected electronic notification as the notification method, a notification confirmation determination means for determining whether the notification sent electronically to the person to be notified has not been confirmed by the person to be notified, If the notification is not confirmed by the recipient even after a first predetermined period has elapsed since the electronic notification, a notification method switching means is provided to switch the notification method to the recipient from electronic notification to postal notification. A program designed to function as such.

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