Avatar management system, avatar management method, and avatar management program

Abstract

The avatar material information management device 1 includes an avatar material storage unit 3 that stores avatar material information, an avatar identification information input unit 4 that inputs identification information of an avatar to be generated, and a material selection information input unit 5 that inputs material selection information that is information about a combination of materials required to configure an avatar, etc. The avatar configuration information management device 2 includes an avatar configuration storage unit 14 that stores avatar configuration information, an avatar identification information input unit 15 that inputs identification information of an avatar, a configuration information input unit 16 that inputs avatar configuration information that is information about the configuration of the avatar corresponding to the avatar identification information, an avatar configuration extraction unit 25 that extracts avatar configuration information that corresponds to a usage instruction, a material selection information generation unit 28 that further extracts material selection information from the extracted avatar configuration information, and a material selection information output unit 30 that outputs the material selection information to the avatar material information management device 1, etc.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for restricting the creation and use by third parties of avatars used in external services, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the improvement of the processing power of electronic computers such as computers, many 2D and 3D computer graphics are being used in IT services such as games and SNS (Social Networking Services). In these services, not only are icons and avatars that imitate fictional characters used, but there are also increasing cases of using unique avatars that are based on the characteristics of real people such as users and are somewhat abstractly represented, depending on the characteristics of the users. This is expected to have the effect of improving the user's sense of immersion in the game world, for example, by having a protagonist made of an avatar that represents the user's characteristics fight against an enemy character in a game, and by using an avatar that abstractly represents the user as an icon representing the user in an SNS, it is expected to have the effect of promoting interaction between users in a virtual space in a similar way to the real world.

[0003] Patent documents 1 and 2 each disclose a technology that uses an avatar that resembles the actual appearance of the player or a co-player in a computer game that uses a head-mounted display to present a virtual space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-012509 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-139673 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, because avatars are composed of electronic data, they are technically easy to copy, and there is a risk that well-designed avatars will be copied by others. This issue is problematic not only in terms of design protection, but also from the perspective of personal rights, such as the possibility of others impersonating a specific user. However, neither Patent Document 1 nor Patent Document 2 discloses any technology to prevent imitation by others.

[0006] In addition, various services such as games and SNS are now available, and users are increasingly using the same avatar for multiple services. However, since the specifications (data format, data size, resolution, etc.) of the avatar generally differ between services, users are required to prepare an avatar for each service. This is also true, for example, when an avatar is designed to reflect the characteristics of a user and the user wishes to use an avatar with a common design for multiple services, which places an excessive burden on the user. Furthermore, an avatar designed to reflect the characteristics of a user needs to be modified after the fact in accordance with changes in appearance and hairstyle as the user grows, and in this case, the specific configuration of the avatar needs to be modified for each service, which is extremely cumbersome.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can efficiently prevent third parties who do not have the authority to use avatars from creating and using avatars when managing avatars used in external services, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an avatar management system according to claim 1 is an avatar management system for managing avatar material information, which is information on avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, and includes: avatar material storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state associated with identification information; avatar material extraction means for extracting avatar material information used for generating an avatar from the plurality of pieces of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage means, based on material selection information which is information regarding a selection of avatar material information; and material information output means for externally outputting output material information including the avatar material information extracted by the avatar material extraction means; and the avatar configuration information including at least identification information of avatar material information used to generate the avatar, in a state in which the avatar configuration information describes a configuration of the avatar generated based on the avatar configuration information is stored; an avatar configuration extraction means extracts avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar to be generated from the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage means based on the identification information of the avatar to be generated; an avatar configuration output means outputs information including the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction means to an external device; a material selection information generation means generates material selection information based on the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction means; extraction and a material selection information output means for outputting the material selection information to the material selection means.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the avatar management system according to claim 2 in the above invention comprises a transaction generation means for generating transaction information including information about a person who has the right to use the avatar to be generated, the transaction information being recorded in a distributed ledger on a distributed network corresponding to an avatar token, which is a non-fungible token in correspondence with the avatar to be generated; an output instruction means for instructing to output the transaction information to the distributed network; usage authority information acquisition means for acquiring usage authority information, which is information about a person who has the right to use the avatar to be generated, from the information recorded on the distributed network corresponding to the avatar token in correspondence with the avatar to be generated; Usage Rights The information acquisition system further includes an identity determination means for determining whether there is identity between the information acquired by the information acquisition means and a person who has the authority to use the specific avatar, and a processing stop instruction means for instructing at least one of the avatar material extraction means and the avatar configuration extraction means to stop the extraction processing when the identity determination means does not determine that there is identity.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the avatar management system according to claim 3 is the above invention, wherein the avatar configuration information management device comprises: configuration information input means for inputting new avatar configuration information to be stored in the avatar configuration storage means; information The system further comprises a similarity determination means for comparing new avatar configuration information input by the input means with other avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage means to determine whether they are similar, and a configuration information storage processing means for instructing the avatar configuration storage means to store the new avatar configuration information when the similarity determination means determines that the new avatar configuration information is not identical to and similar to the other avatar configuration information.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, an avatar management method according to claim 4 is an avatar management method for managing avatar material information, which is information on avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, the method including: an avatar material storage step of storing a plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state associated with identification information; an avatar material extraction step of extracting avatar material information used for generating an avatar from the plurality of pieces of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage step based on material selection information, which is information regarding selection of avatar material information; and a material information output step of outputting to the outside output material information including the avatar material information extracted in the avatar material extraction step; and the information described above includes an avatar configuration information management step including an avatar configuration storage step of storing the avatar configuration information, the avatar configuration information including at least information regarding identification information of avatar material information used for generating an avatar, in a state associated with identification information of an avatar to be generated based on the avatar configuration information; an avatar configuration extraction step of extracting, based on the identification information of the avatar to be generated, the avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar to be generated from the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage step; an avatar configuration output step of outputting to the outside information including the avatar configuration information extracted in the avatar configuration extraction step; and a material selection information generation step of generating the material selection information to be used in the avatar material extraction step, based on the avatar configuration information extracted in the avatar configuration extraction step.

[0012] In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the avatar management method of claim 5, in the above invention, further includes an output destination information acquisition step for acquiring output destination information, which is information regarding the output destination in the avatar material extraction step and the avatar configuration output step, and is characterized in that, in the avatar material extraction step, avatar material information that conforms to the specifications of the output destination is extracted based on the output destination information acquired in the output destination information acquisition step.

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, an avatar management program according to claim 6 is an avatar management program for causing a computer to manage avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, the program including an avatar material information management function including an avatar material storage function for storing a plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state associated with identification information, an avatar material extraction function for extracting avatar material information used for generating an avatar from the plurality of pieces of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage function based on material selection information, which is information regarding selection of avatar material information, and a material information output function for outputting to the outside output material information including the avatar material information extracted in the avatar material extraction function; and the information describing the configuration of an avatar, and which includes an avatar configuration storage function that stores the avatar configuration information, which includes at least information regarding identification information of avatar material information used to generate an avatar, in a state associated with identification information of an avatar to be generated based on the avatar configuration information; an avatar configuration extraction function that extracts the avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar to be generated from the avatar configuration information stored by the avatar configuration storage function based on the identification information of the avatar to be generated; an avatar configuration output function that outputs information including the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction function to the outside; and a material selection information generation function that generates the material selection information used in the avatar material extraction function based on the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction function. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, when managing avatars used in external services, etc., it is possible to efficiently prevent a third party who does not have the authority to use the avatar from creating and using the avatar. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an avatar management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an avatar management system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, examples considered to be the most appropriate embodiments of the present invention will be described, and it goes without saying that the contents of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific examples shown in the present embodiments. Of course, any configuration that achieves the same action and effect, even if it is a specific configuration other than that shown in the embodiments, is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0017] (Embodiment 1) First, an avatar management system according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the avatar management system according to the first embodiment includes an avatar material information management device 1 that manages avatar material information, which is information about materials that constitute an avatar, and an avatar configuration information management device 2 that manages avatar configuration information, which is information describing the configuration of each avatar. The avatars managed by the avatar management system according to the first embodiment adopt a configuration in which a single avatar is formed by combining a plurality of parts, and the avatar material information, which is information such as electronic data that constitutes the avatar element body, which is the plurality of parts, is managed by the avatar material information management device 1, and the avatar configuration information, which includes information on how to combine the plurality of parts to form a single avatar, is managed by the avatar configuration information management device 2.

[0018] The avatar material information management device 1 includes an avatar material storage unit 3 that stores avatar material information, an avatar identification information input unit 4 that inputs identification information of an avatar to be generated, a material selection information input unit 5 that inputs material selection information which is information regarding a combination of materials necessary to compose an avatar, a user information input unit 6 that inputs user information which is information regarding a user of the avatar to be generated, a usage authority information acquisition unit 7 that acquires usage authority information which is information regarding a person who has the authority to use the avatar from a distributed ledger associated with an avatar token described later, an identity determination unit 8 that determines whether the user information and the usage authority information are identical, and a processing unit 9 that performs a processing for determining whether the user information and the usage authority information are identical if the identity determination unit 8 does not determine that there is identity. the avatar material extraction unit 10 extracts necessary avatar material information from the avatar material storage unit 3 based on the material selection information; an output material information generation unit 11 generates output material information which is to be output to an external service in which the avatar is used and which includes at least the avatar material information extracted by the avatar material extraction unit 10; an encryption processing unit 12 encrypts the output material information; and a material information output unit 13 which outputs the encrypted output material information to an external service (for example, an external service in which the avatar is used).

[0019] The avatar configuration information management device 2 includes an avatar configuration storage unit 14 for storing avatar configuration information (or the revised avatar configuration information if revision information is input), an avatar identification information input unit 15 for inputting avatar identification information, a configuration information input unit 16 for inputting avatar configuration information that is information regarding the configuration of an avatar corresponding to the input avatar identification information, a revision information input unit 17 for inputting revision information that is information for revising the contents of previously input avatar configuration information, and a storage unit 18 for storing the avatar configuration information inputted via the configuration information input unit 16 (or the revised avatar configuration information after revision information has been input). a configuration information storage processing unit 19 that instructs the avatar configuration storage unit 14 to store the newly input avatar configuration information in a state associated with the avatar identification information based on a result of the determination by the similarity determination unit 18; an avatar token generation unit 20 that has a correspondence relationship with the avatar related to the avatar configuration information instructed to be stored by the configuration information storage processing unit 19 and generates an avatar token which is a non-fungible token corresponding to the avatar; the avatar configuration information management device 1 includes an avatar configuration information generating unit 21 that generates a transaction to be stored in a block in the distributed ledger corresponding to the avatar token as information including information about a person authorized to use the avatar; an electronic signature unit 22 that generates an electronic signature which is data proving that the generation and output of the information included in the transaction is in accordance with the intentions of the holder of the avatar token; an output unit 23 that outputs the transaction and the electronic signature to a distributed network associated with the avatar token; an avatar generation instruction input unit 24 that inputs an avatar generation instruction from a person who wishes to generate and use an avatar; an avatar configuration extraction unit 25 that extracts avatar configuration information corresponding to the usage instruction; an encryption processing unit 26 that encrypts the extracted avatar configuration information;

[0020] Next, the components of the avatar material information management device 1 will be described. The avatar material storage unit 3 is for storing avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are materials that constitute an avatar, in a state associated with the identification information. The avatar material is a component-like material that becomes a component of an avatar, and includes, for example, components corresponding to bodily parts such as eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hairstyle, skin, and a base body related to the entire body type (basic structure including head, torso, limbs, etc., preferably including not only skin, which is information about the surface shape, but also information about bones and weights related to the internal structure), components corresponding to body attachments such as clothes, shoes, hats, and accessories, a background displayed together with the avatar body when the avatar is used, special items displayed apart from the avatar body, music data such as BGM that is played when the avatar is displayed, etc., and the avatar material information refers to electronic data of these components. Preferably, one or more pieces of avatar base information are prepared for each component, and preferably multiple pieces of avatar base information are prepared. Avatar material storage unit 3 has a function of storing avatar material information in a state associated with identification information, and outputting avatar material information necessary to compose an avatar, based on the identification information provided by avatar material extraction unit 10.

[0021] The avatar identification information input unit 4 is used to input avatar identification information, which is identification information of an avatar to be generated. The avatar identification information input to the avatar identification information input unit 4 is used for target identification when the usage authority information acquisition unit 7 acquires usage authority information.

[0022] The material selection information input unit 5 is for inputting material selection information, which is information regarding a combination of avatar materials used as components of an avatar. Specifically, the material selection information is made up of information including identification information associated with each piece of avatar material information used as a component of an avatar, and in the present embodiment 1, the material selection information output from the material selection information output unit 30 included in the avatar configuration information management device 2 is used. The input material selection information is output to the avatar material extraction unit 10 and used in the process of extracting avatar material information from the avatar material storage unit 3.

[0023] The user information input unit 6 is for inputting user information, which is information relating to the user of the avatar to be generated. The user information inputted in the user information input unit 6, together with the avatar identification information inputted in the avatar identification information input unit 4 and the usage authority information acquired in the usage authority information acquisition unit 7, is used by the identity determination unit 8 as material for determining the identity between the person who requested the generation of the avatar and the person who has the usage authority.

[0024] The usage authority information acquisition unit 7 is for acquiring usage authority information, which is information on the usage authority of the avatar to be generated. Specifically, the usage authority information acquisition unit 7 has a function of acquiring usage authority information related to the avatar to be generated by referring to the contents of a transaction recorded in a block in the distributed ledger corresponding to an avatar token that is in a corresponding relationship with the avatar to be generated. The usage authority information acquisition unit 7 outputs the acquired usage authority information to the identity determination unit 8, and the identity determination unit 8 determines whether or not the user related to the user information inputted by the user information input unit 6 is the same as the person having the usage authority included in the usage authority information.

[0025] The identity determination unit 8 is for determining whether or not there is identity between a person who has requested the generation of a specific avatar identified by the identification information input via the avatar identification information input unit 4 (in the present embodiment 1, the person identified by the user information input via the user information input unit 6 is presumed to be the person who has requested the avatar generation, but such a person may be identified by other means) and a person who has usage rights for the specific avatar. Specifically, the identity determination unit 8 has a function of comparing the usage rights holder identified by the usage rights information with the person who has requested the avatar generation presumed from the user information input via the user information input unit 6, determining whether or not there is identity between the two, and outputting the determination result to the processing stop instruction unit 9.

[0026] The processing stop instruction unit 9 is for instructing at least one of the avatar material extraction unit 10 and the avatar configuration extraction unit 25 to stop the extraction process according to the result of the determination by the identity determination unit 8. When the processing stop instruction unit 9 issues an instruction, the avatar material extraction unit 10 stops the extraction process of the avatar material information, and the avatar configuration extraction unit 25 also stops the extraction process of the avatar configuration information. The functions of the identity determination unit 8 and the processing stop instruction unit 9 make it possible to prevent the creation and use of avatars by those who do not have the right to use them in the avatar management system according to the first embodiment. Note that the instruction from the processing stop instruction unit 9 may be output to both the avatar material extraction unit 10 and the avatar configuration extraction unit 25. However, since it is possible to prevent illegal creation and use of avatars by external services by preventing the output of either the avatar material information or the avatar configuration information to external services, a processing stop instruction may be output to only either the avatar material extraction unit 10 or the avatar configuration extraction unit 25.

[0027] The avatar material extraction unit 10 is for extracting avatar material information used for generating an avatar from the information stored in the avatar material storage unit 3, based on the material selection information inputted by the material selection information input unit 5. Specifically, the avatar material extraction unit 10 has a function of extracting, based on identification information associated with each piece of avatar material information included in the material selection information, from the avatar material storage unit 3, avatar material information that matches the identification information.

[0028] The output material information generating unit 11 is for generating output material information that is information including the avatar material information extracted by the avatar material extracting unit 10. The output material information generating unit 11 preferably generates output material information that includes the output material information, identification information associated therewith, and identification information of the avatar to be generated. By including the identification information of the avatar, it becomes possible to facilitate matching processing with the material selection information separately output from the avatar configuration information management device 2 at the external service that is the output destination.

[0029] The encryption processing unit 12 is for encrypting the output material information generated by the output material information generation unit 11. Specifically, the encryption processing unit 12 has a function of encrypting the output material information by using, for example, a secret key. The secret key used for encryption is preferably unique to the avatar material information management device 1, and is preferably separate from the secret key used for encryption by the encryption processing units 26 and 29 of the avatar configuration information management device 2, which will be described later. By using different secret keys for encryption, even if one of the secret keys is leaked and either the output material information or the avatar configuration information is decrypted, it is possible to prevent the avatar itself from being illegally generated.

[0030] The material information output unit 13 is for outputting the output material information encrypted by the encryption processing unit 12 to an external service where an avatar is to be generated and used. The output material information output by the material information output unit 13 is decrypted using a public key in the external service as the output destination, and is combined with avatar configuration information separately output from the configuration information output unit 27 of the avatar configuration information management device 2 to perform an avatar generation process, and the generated avatar is used in the external service.

[0031] Next, the components of the avatar configuration information management device 2 will be described. The avatar configuration storage unit 14 is for storing avatar configuration information, which is information on the configuration of an avatar that was previously input and whose registration was approved by the similarity determination unit 18. The avatar configuration information refers to all information necessary for configuring an avatar using avatar material information, and for example, includes at least material selection information, which is information on which avatar material information is to be selected from the avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage unit 3, and preferably also includes information on the position of each avatar material when configuring the avatar, information on the attitude of each avatar material (orientation of placement, rotation, etc.), information on enlargement / reduction when enlarging / reducing each avatar material, and information on color to change the color tone. However, for avatar material information corresponding to the eyes, nose, mouth, etc., whose position and attitude (orientation of placement, rotation) in the avatar are predetermined, the avatar material information may be configured with a simple configuration of only material selection information. Specifically, the avatar configuration storage unit 14 has a function of storing avatar configuration information that is input via the configuration information input unit 16 described later and is determined by the similarity determination unit 18 to be non-identical or dissimilar to other avatar configuration information, and also has a function of outputting the avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar when an avatar generation instruction is given by the avatar generation instruction input unit 24.

[0032] The avatar identification information input unit 15 is used to input identification information corresponding to an avatar to be generated by the avatar configuration information when registering new avatar configuration information. When avatar configuration information is determined to be non-identical / dissimilar to other avatar configuration information and stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14, the avatar identification information is also stored in a format associated with the avatar configuration information. The avatar identification information is used to specify an avatar to be a target in each process in the avatar material information management device 1 and the avatar configuration information management device 2. For example, the avatar identification information input unit 4 provided in the avatar material information management device 1 is input via the avatar identification information input unit 15, and avatar identification information corresponding to a specific avatar is input from among the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14 in association with the avatar configuration information.

[0033] Configuration information input unit 16 is used to input avatar configuration information to be registered when new avatar configuration information is to be registered. After similarity determination unit 18 determines that the avatar configuration information is not identical or similar, the input avatar configuration information is stored in avatar configuration storage unit 14 in a form associated with the avatar identification information.

[0034] Modification information input unit 17 is used to input modification information, which is information necessary for modification, when modifying avatar configuration information stored in avatar configuration storage unit 14. For the modification information input by modification information input unit 17, similarity determination unit 18 performs a process of determining whether the modified avatar configuration information is identical to other avatar configuration information, and if it is determined to be dissimilar or not identical, avatar configuration storage unit 14 stores the avatar configuration information modified based on the modification information in place of the previous avatar configuration information.

[0035] The similarity determination unit 18 is for determining whether or not an avatar configured based on newly input avatar configuration information can be registered when the avatar configuration information is newly input. Specifically, the similarity determination unit 18 compares the input avatar configuration information with all the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14 to determine whether or not the avatar configuration information is similar. If the result of the similarity determination shows that the avatar configuration information is completely identical to other avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14, or that the avatar configuration information is similar overall despite some differences, the determination result to that effect is output to the configuration information storage processing unit 19. Also, if the result shows that the avatar configuration information is neither identical to nor similar to other avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14, the determination result to that effect is output to the configuration information storage processing unit 19.

[0036] Note that the similarity determination unit 18 may use any criterion for determining whether or not the avatar configuration information is similar, and may, for example, determine that the avatar configuration information is similar when the ratio of identical information between the avatar material information included in the avatar configuration information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or may determine that the avatar configuration information is similar when a plurality of pieces of avatar configuration information corresponding to parts that give a strong visual impression (eyes, hair (hairstyle), etc.) match. Furthermore, the similarity determination unit 18 according to the first embodiment preferably has a function of determining whether or not the avatar configuration information after correction is identical or similar to other avatar configuration information not only when new avatar configuration information is input, but also when correction information for avatar configuration information that has already been determined to be non-identical or dissimilar and stored is input, and outputting the determination result to the configuration information storage processing unit 19.

[0037] Configuration information storage processing unit 19 is for instructing avatar configuration storage unit 14 to perform storage processing for avatar configuration information that has been determined by similarity determination unit 18 to be neither identical nor similar to other avatar configuration information already stored in avatar configuration storage unit 14. Specifically, configuration information storage processing unit 19 outputs avatar configuration information that has been determined to be non-identical / dissimilar by similarity determination unit 18 to avatar configuration storage unit 14, and instructs avatar configuration storage unit 14 to store the avatar configuration information. Note that, preferably, even when similarity determination unit 18 determines that avatar configuration information that has been modified by applying modification information is non-identical / dissimilar, configuration information storage processing unit 19 in the first embodiment generates avatar configuration information that reflects the contents of the modification information, and outputs the modified avatar configuration information to avatar configuration storage unit 14 to perform storage processing.

[0038] Duplicate registration of avatar configuration information that is identical or similar to each other as avatars is prevented by configuration information storage processing unit 19 issuing necessary instructions based on the result of the determination by similarity determination unit 18. This protects the person who first came up with the idea of ​​an avatar design, etc., and prevents a third party from improperly using an avatar with a superior design, etc.

[0039] The avatar token generating unit 20 generates an avatar token, which is a non-fungible token corresponding to an avatar generated by the avatar configuration information inputted through the configuration information input unit 16 and determined by the similarity determining unit 18 to be non-identical or dissimilar to other avatar configuration information and stored in the avatar configuration storage unit 14. The "non-fungible token" means a so-called NFT (Non-Fungible Token), that is, a token having a property of being non-fungible with other tokens by having unique data, and is issued based on, for example, ERC721, which is a standard of Ethereum (registered trademark). The avatar token in the present embodiment 1 is issued based on ERC721 or other predetermined standard, and is configured such that information on the user of the corresponding avatar and information such as feature point information extracted from the original image of the corresponding avatar are stored on the blockchain.

[0040] The avatar token generated by the avatar token generating unit 20 represents the use authority of the corresponding avatar, and the person who has the use authority of the corresponding avatar holds the avatar token. Specifically, the holder at the time of generation by the avatar token generating unit 20 is the person who created the avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar, and this is recorded. When the use authority is subsequently set to a third party, the avatar token is transferred to the third party, and it is recorded that the ownership authority of the avatar has been transferred. Note that, when a single use authority is set for a single avatar, only one avatar token is generated, but when multiple use authority users are set or will be set in the future, it is preferable to generate multiple avatar tokens according to the number of use authority users.

[0041] "Blockchain" is a technology that uses encryption technology to synchronize data between multiple computers that make up a distributed network. Specifically, each block is made up of a collection of information about tokens, such as agreed-upon transaction records, and information for connecting to other blocks (information from the previous block), and a blockchain is made up of multiple blocks that are linked together. Even if data is tampered with on some of the computers, the correct data is selected by majority vote among the other computers, making it extremely difficult to destroy or tamper with data.

[0042] The correspondence between the avatar token and the avatar is in the form of associating the identifier of the avatar token with the identification information of the avatar (identification information may be attached to each avatar, or identification information (such as name) of the person the avatar is intended for may be used). Note that the correspondence between the avatar and the avatar token is generally one-to-one, but for example, when granting usage rights to multiple people, it is preferable to generate multiple avatar tokens according to the number of rights granted to one avatar.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the blocks constituting the distributed ledger corresponding to the generated avatar token preferably record the contents of the usage rights of the avatar (such as the period of use and the range of services that can be used) in addition to the transaction records related to the transfer of ownership of the avatar token. These pieces of information are converted into transactions, which are information output to the distributed network by the transaction generation unit 21.

[0044] The avatar token may be generated by the avatar token generation unit 20 itself, or may be generated by an external system that is directly or indirectly connected to the avatar token generation unit 20 by issuing a predetermined command to the external system. The specific format of the avatar token is not limited to one that complies with ERC721, the standard of Ethereum (registered trademark), and may be any format as long as it has non-fungible properties and the transaction history is stored on the blockchain.

[0045] The transaction generation unit 21 has a function of generating transactions to be stored in blocks in the distributed ledger, and corresponds to an example of an information generation means in the claims. Specifically, the transaction generation unit 21 generates, as the contents of the transaction, information on the change of the name of the holder of the avatar token, as well as information on the contents of the usage rights of the avatar (such as the period of use and the range of services that can be used).

[0046] The electronic signature generating unit 22 has a function of generating an electronic signature, which is data that proves that the creation and output of information included in a transaction is in accordance with the intention of the holder of the avatar token. Specifically, the electronic signature generating unit 22 has a function of generating a hash value of the transaction generated by the transaction generating unit 21, and generating an electronic signature by encrypting the hash value with a private key held by the holder of the avatar token. The "hash value" is a fixed-length value obtained by performing a certain calculation procedure on the original data. Since the calculation procedure is irreversible, it is considered impossible to restore the original data from the hash value. The "private key" is a sequence of numbers used in the encryption process, and is configured to be decryptable by a corresponding "public key." In the first embodiment, the transaction generating unit 21 and the electronic signature generating unit 22 are configured to generate the transaction and electronic signature, which are one aspect of the ownership change information, by themselves, but this is not necessary, and the transaction generating unit 21 and the electronic signature generating unit 22 may have a function of only instructing an external predetermined device to generate the transaction and electronic signature.

[0047] The output unit 23 is for instructing to output the transaction generated by the transaction generation unit 21 and the electronic signature generated by the electronic signature generation unit 22 to the distributed network associated with the avatar token. The output unit 23 functions as one aspect of the output instruction means in the claims, and in this embodiment, it is configured to directly output the transaction and the electronic signature, but it may be configured to only instruct other components (including those provided outside the avatar management system) to output them. In this embodiment 1, the output unit 23 is directly or indirectly connected to the distributed network and is configured in a manner that allows it to output predetermined data to the distributed network. The distributed network generates a hash value of the output transaction and compares it with data obtained by decrypting the electronic signature with a public key (= hash value of the transaction). If the two values ​​are different, it is determined that the transaction is not made by the owner of the target tangible object and rejects the registration, and if the two values ​​match, it is determined that the transaction is made by the owner, and stores the information constituted by the transaction in a block that constitutes the distributed ledger. The transaction output by the output unit 23 includes information regarding the change of ownership, and by outputting the transaction to the distributed network, this information is stored in the blocks that make up the distributed ledger established on the distributed network.

[0048] The avatar generation instruction input unit 24 is for inputting an avatar generation instruction from a person who generates an avatar using an external service and wishes to use the generated avatar. In the present embodiment 1, it is preferable that the input to the avatar generation instruction input unit 24 is a mode in which, in addition to the avatar generation instruction itself, information for identifying the person giving the instruction is also input. In the present embodiment 1, preferably, user information is generated based on information regarding the person giving the instruction, and is output to the user information input unit 6.

[0049] When an avatar generation instruction is input via the avatar generation instruction input unit and a stop instruction is not issued by processing stop instruction unit 9, avatar configuration extraction unit 25 extracts avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar related to the generation instruction, from the avatar configuration information stored in avatar configuration storage unit 14. Specifically, avatar configuration extraction unit 25 has a function of extracting, based on the identification information of the avatar related to the generation instruction, the avatar configuration information stored in association with the identification information.

[0050] Encryption processing unit 26 is for encrypting the avatar configuration information extracted by avatar configuration extraction unit 25. Specifically, encryption processing unit 26 has a function of encrypting the avatar configuration information by using, for example, a private key. The private key used for encryption is preferably unique to avatar configuration information management device 2, and is preferably separate from the private key used by encryption processing unit 12. By performing encryption using different private keys on both sides, even if one of the private keys is leaked and either the output material information or the avatar configuration information is decrypted, it is possible to prevent the avatar itself from being illegally generated.

[0051] Configuration information output unit 27 is for outputting information including the avatar configuration information extracted by avatar configuration extraction unit 25, specifically, information obtained by encrypting the avatar configuration information, to an external service that generates and uses an avatar. The information output by configuration information output unit 27 is decrypted using a public key at the destination external service, and is combined with avatar material information (output material information) separately output from material information output unit 13 of avatar material information management device 1 to perform an avatar generation process, and the generated avatar is used in the external service.

[0052] Material selection information generation unit 28 is for generating material selection information, which is information regarding a combination of materials necessary to compose an avatar, based on the avatar configuration information extracted by avatar configuration extraction unit 25. The avatar configuration information includes information regarding avatar material information used to generate the avatar, and preferably information regarding the arrangement of the avatar material information in the avatar, and material selection information generation unit 28 has a function of extracting information regarding the avatar material information from the above information, and generating material selection information in a state in which it is associated with identification information of the avatar to be generated.

[0053] The encryption processing unit 29 is for performing encryption processing on the material selection information generated by the material selection information generation unit 28. Specifically, the encryption processing unit 29 has a function of encrypting the avatar configuration information by using, for example, a private key. As with the encryption processing unit 26, it is desirable that the private key used for encryption by the encryption processing unit 29 is unique to the avatar configuration information management device 2, and is preferably separate from the private key used by the encryption processing unit 12.

[0054] The material selection information output unit 30 outputs information including the material selection information generated by the material selection information generation unit 28, specifically, information obtained by encrypting the material selection information, to the material selection information input unit 5 of the avatar material information management device 1. The output information is decrypted by the material selection information input unit 5 and used as the material selection information.

[0055] Next, advantages of the avatar management system according to the first embodiment will be described. The avatar management system according to the first embodiment does not manage the avatar itself to be used, but adopts a configuration in which avatar material information related to the components of the avatar and avatar configuration information describing the configuration of the avatar are separately managed. Since an avatar cannot be generated with only one of the pieces of information, the avatar management system according to the first embodiment has the advantage that, by managing the two pieces of information separately, even if one of the avatar material information and the avatar configuration information is leaked, it is possible to efficiently prevent an avatar from being generated and used by an unauthorized third party. From the viewpoint of ensuring such advantages, it is preferable that the avatar material information management device 1 and the avatar configuration information management device 2 are configured to be physically separated from each other, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, they may be configured on the same computing device (such as a server) with a firewall function. Also, some of the components of avatar material information management device 1 and / or avatar configuration information management device 2 may be provided on a separate device, or all of the components of transaction generation unit 21, output unit 23, identity determination unit 8 and processing stop instruction unit 9 may be included in avatar material information management device 1 or avatar configuration information management device 2, or a separate device consisting of only these components may be provided. Also, as a method of handling avatars in an external service, it is preferable to store data related to the avatar only while the external service is being used, and delete all of the data on the generated avatar itself, the avatar material information, and the avatar configuration information after use of the external service has ended.

[0056] Moreover, the avatar management system according to the first embodiment employs a configuration in which information about persons having the right to use avatars is recorded in a distributed ledger on a distributed network corresponding to the avatar token. The name of the holder of the avatar token is transferred in response to the setting and transfer of the right to use, and information about the transfer of the name of the holder is recorded in the distributed ledger. This configuration has the advantages that the destruction and tampering of information is prevented by the blockchain technology, authentic information can be obtained when obtaining the right to use information, and fraudulent processing by unauthorized persons can be effectively stopped.

[0057] Furthermore, the avatar management system according to the first embodiment employs a configuration in which, when storing new avatar configuration information in avatar configuration storage unit 14, a similarity determination is performed between the new avatar configuration information and existing avatar configuration information, and only when the new avatar configuration information is determined to be dissimilar or non-identical, the new avatar configuration information is stored in avatar configuration storage unit 14. By employing such a configuration, the first embodiment has the advantage of preventing avatar configuration information relating to an avatar with inappropriate content, such as a design that has been stolen from another person, from being stored, thereby preventing an avatar that has stolen the design of another person from being generated and used in an external service or the like.

[0058] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of an avatar management system according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, components having the same names and reference numerals as those in embodiment 1 will perform the same functions as those in embodiment 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0059] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an avatar management system according to embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 2, in addition to the configuration of embodiment 1, the avatar management system according to embodiment 2 includes an avatar material information management device 31 including an avatar material storage unit 32 that stores avatar material information corresponding to the specifications of each of a plurality of external services for which the avatar is expected to be used, an output destination information acquisition unit 33 that acquires output destination information that is information regarding the output destination of the avatar material information and the avatar configuration information, and an avatar material extraction unit 34 that extracts avatar material information corresponding to the specifications of the output destination (for example, the external service in which the avatar is used) based on the acquired output destination information.

[0060] The avatar material storage unit 32, like the avatar material storage unit 3 in the first embodiment, has a function of storing avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are materials that constitute an avatar, and also has a function of storing avatar material information corresponding to the specifications of each of multiple external services for which the avatar is expected to be used, for the avatar material information to be stored. For avatar material information that is prepared in plurality according to external services but has the same identity as a component of an avatar, each is associated with the same identification information as the identification information in the first embodiment, and is stored in a state associated with information indicating which external service the information corresponds to in addition to the identification information. For example, when two types of avatar material information corresponding to the specifications of external services A and B are stored for an "eye" design of the same shape and color, the identification information (e.g., 001) for the "eye" design and information identifying external services A and B (e.g., A and B, respectively) are combined, and the former is stored in association with the information (001, A), and the latter is stored in association with the information (001, B).

[0061] The output destination information acquisition unit 33 is for acquiring output destination information, which is information for identifying an external service in which the avatar is used. As an information acquisition mode by the output destination information acquisition unit 33, for example, when an instruction to generate an avatar is given by the avatar generation instruction input unit 24, information for identifying an external service in which the avatar is used is input together, and the input information is transferred to the output destination information acquisition unit 33, whereby the output destination information acquisition unit 33 acquires information. More preferably, the output destination information acquisition unit 33 may acquire information by detecting that a person using the avatar has started to use a specific external service. As a method for detecting the start of use of an external service, information may be transmitted from a terminal of the user used to use the external service, or a notification may be given from an operator of the external service.

[0062] Like avatar material extraction unit 10 in the first embodiment, avatar material extraction unit 34 is for extracting avatar material information used for generating an avatar from avatar material storage unit 32. In the second embodiment, avatar material extraction unit 34 extracts avatar material information based on output destination information acquired by output destination information acquisition unit 33 in addition to material selection information acquired via material selection information input unit 5. In the second embodiment, a plurality of pieces of avatar material information having the same function, shape, etc. are stored according to the specifications of the external service, and avatar material information cannot be identified only by the identification information included in the material selection information. Therefore, avatar material information is identified taking into account the output destination information, and appropriate avatar material information is extracted.

[0063] Next, advantages of the avatar management system according to the second embodiment will be described. The avatar management system according to the second embodiment employs a configuration in which, based on output destination information, which is information about an output destination (for example, an external service), avatar material information that conforms to a specification determined by the output destination is extracted and output from the avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage unit 32. Some external services in which avatars are used generate and use avatars with specifications different from those of other external services. When an avatar with the same design is used in a plurality of external services, it is necessary to prepare a large number of avatars that conform to different specifications despite having the same design. In contrast, by adopting a configuration in which avatar material information corresponding to each specification is stored in advance for avatars with the same design while using common avatar configuration information, the avatar management system according to the second embodiment has the advantage of being able to efficiently manage avatars without the need to prepare a large number of avatar configuration information and without increasing the capacity of management data. [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as a technology for efficiently preventing the creation and use of avatars by third parties who do not have the authority to use them when managing avatars used in external services, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1, 31 Avatar material information management device 2. Avatar configuration information management device 3, 32 Avatar material storage section 4. Avatar identification information input section 5 Material selection information input section 6 User information input section 7. Usage rights information acquisition unit 8 Identity determination section 9 Processing stop instruction section 10, 34 Avatar material extraction section 11 Output material information generation section 12, 26, 29 Encryption processing unit 13 Material information output section 14 Avatar configuration memory unit 15 Avatar identification information input section 16 Configuration information input section 17 Correction information input section 18 Similarity determination section 19 Configuration information storage processing unit 20 Avatar Token Generator 21 Transaction Generation Unit 22 Electronic signature generation section 23 Output section 24 Avatar generation instruction input section 25 Avatar configuration extraction unit 27 Configuration information output section 28 Material Selection Information Generation Unit 30 Material selection information output section 33 Output destination information acquisition unit

Claims

1. An avatar management system that manages avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, comprising: an avatar material storage means for storing the plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state in which the pieces of avatar material information are associated with identification information; an avatar material extraction means for extracting avatar material information to be used for generating an avatar from among the plurality of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage means, based on material selection information which is information regarding selection of avatar material information; a material information output means for outputting output material information including the avatar material information extracted by the avatar material extraction means to an outside; an avatar material information management device including: an avatar configuration storage means for storing the avatar configuration information, which describes a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, and which includes at least identification information of the avatar material information used to generate an avatar, in a state associated with identification information of an avatar to be generated based on the avatar configuration information; an avatar configuration extraction means for extracting avatar configuration information corresponding to an avatar to be generated from the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage means based on identification information of the avatar to be generated; an avatar configuration output means for outputting information including the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction means to an outside; a material selection information generating means for generating material selection information based on the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extracting means; a material selection information output means for outputting information including the material selection information generated by the material selection information generating means to the avatar material extracting means; An avatar configuration information management device including: An avatar management system comprising:

2. A transaction generating means for generating transaction information including information on a person having the right to use the avatar to be generated, the transaction information being recorded in a distributed ledger on a distributed network corresponding to an avatar token, which is a non-fungible token corresponding to the avatar to be generated; an output instruction means for instructing the distributed network to output the transaction information; A usage authority information acquisition means for acquiring usage authority information, which is information about a person who has the right to use the avatar to be generated, from information recorded on a distributed network corresponding to the avatar token that is in a corresponding relationship with the avatar to be generated; an identity determination means for determining whether or not there is identity between a person who has requested the generation of a specific avatar and a person who has the usage authority for the specific avatar included in the information acquired by the usage authority information acquisition means; a process stop instruction means for instructing at least one of the avatar material extraction means and the avatar configuration extraction means to stop extraction processing when the identity determination means has not determined that there is identity; 2. The avatar management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The avatar configuration information management device comprises: a configuration information input means for inputting new avatar configuration information to be stored in said avatar configuration storage means; a similarity determining means for comparing new avatar configuration information inputted by said configuration information input means with other avatar configuration information stored in said avatar configuration storage means to determine whether they are similar or not; a configuration information storage processing means for instructing the avatar configuration storage means to store the new avatar configuration information when the similarity determination means determines that the new avatar configuration information is not identical to and similar to the other avatar configuration information; 3. The avatar management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. 1. An avatar management method for managing avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, comprising: an avatar material storage step of storing the plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state in which the pieces of avatar material information are associated with identification information; an avatar material extraction step of extracting avatar material information to be used for generating an avatar from the plurality of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage step, based on material selection information which is information regarding selection of avatar material information; a material information output step of outputting output material information including the avatar material information extracted in the avatar material extraction step to an outside; An avatar material information management step including: an avatar configuration storage step of storing the avatar configuration information, the avatar configuration information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, the avatar configuration information including at least information regarding identification information of the avatar material information used to generate an avatar, in a state associated with identification information of an avatar to be generated based on the avatar configuration information; an avatar configuration extraction step of extracting, based on identification information of an avatar to be generated, from the avatar configuration information stored in the avatar configuration storage step, avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar to be generated; an avatar configuration output step of outputting information including the avatar configuration information extracted in the avatar configuration extraction step to an outside; a material selection information generating step of generating the material selection information used in the avatar material extraction step based on the avatar configuration information extracted in the avatar configuration extraction step; An avatar configuration information management step including:

2. An avatar management method comprising:

5. The method further includes an output destination information acquisition step of acquiring output destination information, which is information regarding an output destination in the avatar material extraction step and the avatar configuration output step; 5. The avatar management method according to claim 4, wherein in said avatar material extraction step, avatar material information conforming to specifications of the output destination is extracted based on the output destination information acquired in said output destination information acquisition step.

6. An avatar management program that causes a computer to manage avatar material information, which is information about avatar materials that are components of an avatar, and avatar configuration information, which is information describing a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, comprising: an avatar material storage function for storing the plurality of pieces of avatar material information in a state in which the pieces of avatar material information are associated with identification information; an avatar material extraction function that extracts avatar material information to be used for generating an avatar from the plurality of avatar material information stored in the avatar material storage function based on material selection information which is information regarding selection of avatar material information; a material information output function that outputs output material information including the avatar material information extracted in the avatar material extraction function to an outside; Avatar material information management function including an avatar configuration storage function for storing the avatar configuration information, which describes a configuration of an avatar using the avatar material information, and which includes at least information regarding identification information of the avatar material information used to generate an avatar, in a state associated with identification information of an avatar to be generated based on the avatar configuration information; an avatar configuration extraction function for extracting, based on identification information of an avatar to be generated, from the avatar configuration information stored by the avatar configuration storage function, avatar configuration information corresponding to the avatar to be generated; an avatar configuration output function for outputting information including the avatar configuration information extracted by the avatar configuration extraction function to an outside; a material selection information generating function that generates the material selection information used in the avatar material extraction function based on the avatar configuration information extracted in the avatar configuration extraction function; An avatar configuration information management function including:

4. An avatar management program comprising:

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