Information sharing system, information sharing method, and program

Abstract

To appropriately share information about users in a plurality of processes.SOLUTION: An information sharing system S comprises a browsing condition management section 452, a determination section 453, and a browsing control section 454. The browsing condition management section 452 manages a browsing condition of health information, which is information about a user's health, on the basis of setting of the user. When a browsing request for first health information, which is at least part of the health information and health information used for processing by a first processing device 10, is received from a second processing device 20, the determination section 453 determines whether to permit browsing on the basis of the browsing condition managed by the browsing condition management section 452. The browsing control section 454 causes the second processing device 20 to browse the first health information if the determination section 453 permits the browsing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information sharing system, an information sharing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, techniques for managing various pieces of information relating to users and utilizing such information have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for analyzing a user's lifestyle pattern based on the user's health information. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 can score the quality of the user's lifestyle pattern based on information such as the user's exercise time and bedtime, and present this score to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-175337 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the general technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, information about a user is managed only for the purpose of performing a specific process (for example, a process of scoring a user's lifestyle pattern). In other words, when performing a variety of processes other than the specific process, it was not anticipated that information about the user would be shared among these processes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately share information about a user among a plurality of processes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, an information sharing system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a management means for managing viewing conditions of health information, which is information relating to the health of a user, based on settings of the user; a determination means for determining whether or not to permit the access based on the access conditions managed by the management means when a request to access first health information, which is at least a part of the health information and is health information used for processing by the first processing means, is received from the second processing means; a viewing means for allowing the second processing means to view the first health information when the viewing is permitted by the determination means; The present invention is characterized by comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately share information about a user among a plurality of processes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a process in which an information sharing system S according to an embodiment of the present invention appropriately shares information about a user among a plurality of processes. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an information sharing system S according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 8 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device 800 constituting each device included in an information sharing system S. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a first processor 10. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a second processing device 20. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a user terminal 30. [Figure 7] 10 is a table showing an example of viewing conditions that are set by the user terminal 30 and are managed by the information management device 40. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information management device 40. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the first processor 10 during processing for information sharing. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the second processor 20 during processing for information sharing. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of information sharing processing executed by the user terminal 30. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the information management device 40 during processing for information sharing. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a terminal operation screen 60 displayed on the user terminal 30 when registering user information or setting viewing conditions. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a viewing screen displayed on the second processing device 20 when viewing information is output. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the viewing screen displayed on the second processing device 20 when viewing information is output. [Figure 16] 13 is a table showing an example of user management information and an example of viewing conditions managed by the information management device 40 in Modification 5. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations during processing for information sharing executed by information management device 40 in Modification 6. [Figure 18] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations during processing for information sharing executed by the user terminal 30 in the sixth modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Processing overview] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a process in which an information sharing system S according to an embodiment of the present invention appropriately shares information about a user among multiple processes. Fig. 1 schematically shows the main components of the information sharing system S and the main information exchanged between these components.

[0011] The information sharing system S includes a first processing device 10, a second processing device 20, a user terminal 30, and an information management device 40. These components of the information sharing system S are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other.

[0012] Next, an overview of the processing performed by the information sharing system S will be described. The first processing device 10 controls the first processing executed by the user terminal 30 ("(1) Controls the first processing" in the drawing).

[0013] The user terminal 30 executes the first process based on the control of the first processing device 10, and in conjunction with this, acquires first information, which is at least a part of the information about the user ("(2) Acquire first information" in the drawing). User terminal 30 The first information obtained is First processing device 10 ("(3) Transmit first information" in the drawing). The first processing device 10 manages the acquired first information.

[0014] Furthermore, the user terminal 30 sets viewing conditions for viewing this first information in the information management device 40 ("(4) Set viewing information" in the figure). These viewing conditions can be set arbitrarily by the user who uses the user terminal 30 based on his or her own will.

[0015] Meanwhile, the second processing device 20 executes a second process that is different from the first process. In this case, the second processing device 20 may acquire second information that is at least a part of information about the user. This second processing device 20 is used, for example, by another person related to the user who uses the user terminal 30. Based on a request from this other person to view the first information, the second processing device 20 transmits a request to view the first information to the information management device 40 ("(5) Transmit View Request" in the figure).

[0016] When the information management device 40 receives the viewing request, it determines whether or not to permit viewing based on the set viewing conditions. If it determines that viewing is permitted, the information management device 40 transmits an instruction to transmit the information to be viewed to the first processing device 10 ("(6) Instruction to transmit information to be viewed" in the drawing).

[0017] The first processing device 10 generates the information to be viewed in response to the instruction to transmit the information to be viewed. This information to be viewed is generated by extracting at least a part of the first information and converting it into a predetermined format suitable for viewing. Then, the first processing device 10 transmits the generated information to the information management device 40 ("(7) Transmit information to be viewed" in the figure).

[0018] The information management device 40 transmits the received viewing information to the second processing device 20 ("(8) Transmit viewing information" in the figure). This allows other people to view the viewing information corresponding to the first information on the second processing device 20.

[0019] In this way, the information sharing system S realizes information sharing by allowing the first information handled by the first processing device 10 to be viewed by the second processing device 20, which performs other processing. In this case, the information sharing system S does not allow the second processing device 20 to view the information without any restrictions, but determines whether or not to allow viewing based on viewing conditions set by the user himself / herself. This allows the user to freely select where information related to him / her is viewed. Furthermore, the information sharing system S can share information among multiple processes while improving the confidentiality and availability of the information by reflecting such a selection based on the user's will.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the information sharing system S, the viewing conditions can be centrally managed by the information management device 40. Therefore, the first processing device 10 and the second processing device 20 do not need to perform processes such as managing the viewing conditions and determining whether or not to permit viewing.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the information sharing system S, the first information itself is not viewed, but rather the information for viewing that has been extracted and converted from the first information is viewed. This achieves the purpose of viewing on the second processing device 20, and also prevents the first health information itself from being erroneously edited in the information management device 40 or the second processing device 20, or from being tampered with in the communication path, etc. Therefore, the integrity of the information can be improved, and information about the user can be more appropriately protected.

[0022] In this way, according to the information sharing system S according to the embodiment of the present invention, information about a user can be appropriately shared among a plurality of processes.

[0023] The above has been a description of an overview of the processing by the information sharing system S. Next, the details of the information sharing system S for realizing such processing will be described below.

[0024] [System Configuration] 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an information sharing system S according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the information sharing system S includes a plurality of first processing devices 10, a plurality of second processing devices 20, a user terminal 30, and a plurality of information management devices 40. These components of the information sharing system S are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network N. This network N is realized by, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0025] Here, i, j, and k written at the end of the reference numerals of these components are each any integer value equal to or greater than 1. That is, the number of first processing devices 10, second processing devices 20, and information management devices 40 is not particularly limited. Also, although only one user terminal 30 is shown in the figure, the number is not particularly limited. In the following description, when multiple identical components are described without distinguishing between them, the suffix of the reference numeral will be omitted. For example, when first processors 10-1, ..., first processors 10-i are described without distinguishing between them, the suffix of the reference numeral will be omitted and they will simply be referred to as the first processor 10.

[0026] As an example for the purpose of explanation, it is assumed that the information about the user (corresponding to the first information and second information described above with reference to Figure 1) is "health information," which is information about the user's health. Here, health information is assumed to include not only information obtained from general health checkups, such as the user's height, weight, and blood pressure, but also a variety of other health and medical information, such as information on daily life such as diet, sleep, and exercise intensity, various measured biometric information, instructions regarding medical diagnosis and treatment, pharmaceutical instructions and instructions regarding medication, and observations regarding rehabilitation and daily living assistance.

[0027] Among various types of personal information, health information of this kind is required to be handled with particular care. For this reason, it is desirable to process information about users in a system that can appropriately share information about users across multiple processes, such as information sharing system S. For this reason, it is assumed that health information is the information about users. However, this is merely an example for the purpose of explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of this embodiment.

[0028] The first processing device 10 is used by a business that provides application software (hereinafter referred to as "app") corresponding to the first process, and is configured by an information processing device such as a server computer managed by the business. As the first process, the first processing device 10 executes control related to the app executed on the user terminal 30. As a result, the first processing device 10 acquires first health information (corresponding to the first information described above with reference to FIG. 1) via the user terminal 30.

[0029] Here, the multiple first processing devices 10 each control different apps provided by the same or multiple providers. For example, the first processing device 10-1 controls a first app, while the first processing device 10-2 controls a second app. Therefore, the multiple first processing devices 10 each acquire different first health information corresponding to a different app.

[0030] The second processing device 20 is used by medical professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, and physical therapists, family members of the user who uses the user terminal 30, and the user himself or herself who uses the user terminal 30 (hereinafter referred to as "viewers"). The second processing device 20 is configured by an information processing device such as a server computer managed by a business provider that provides a business program corresponding to the second process (hereinafter referred to as "business program"), or a personal computer owned by the viewer. The second processing device 20 then executes the business program as the second process. As a result, the second processing device 20 acquires second health information (corresponding to the second information described above with reference to FIG. 1).

[0031] Here, the multiple second processing devices 20 execute different business programs provided by the same or multiple providers. For example, the second processing device 20-1 executes a first business program, while the second processing device 20-2 executes a second business program. Therefore, each of the multiple second processing devices 20 acquires different second health information corresponding to the business program it has executed.

[0032] The user terminal 30 is used by a user who uses the user terminal 30, and is configured by information processing devices such as a smartphone or wearable device owned by the user, and a measuring device installed in a predetermined facility (for example, a sports club, a nursing home, a municipal health facility, a pharmacy, or a hospital). The user terminal 30 then executes an app under the control of the first processing device 10 as a first process. That is, the first process is realized by the first processing device 10 and the user terminal 30 working together. As a result, the first processing device 10 acquires the first health information.

[0033] As described above, there are a plurality of apps corresponding to the plurality of first processing devices 10. Therefore, the user terminal 30 acquires different first health information corresponding to each of the plurality of apps executed by the user terminal 30.

[0034] In this way, in the information sharing system S, there are a plurality of applications executed by the user terminal 30 under the control of the first processing device 10 and a plurality of business programs executed by the second processing device 20. That is, in the information sharing system S, a plurality of applications are executed as a first process, and a plurality of business programs are executed as a second process. Then, the user can set a viewing condition as to whether or not to permit viewing for each combination of each application (corresponding to the first processing device 10) and each business program (corresponding to the second processing device 20). This allows the information sharing system S to share information about users more appropriately in a greater number of processes.

[0035] The information management device 40 is used by a business that supports the provision of information between businesses that provide applications and business programs, and is configured as an information processing device such as a server computer managed by the business. The information management device 40 manages the viewing conditions set by the user and performs processing to realize viewing based on the viewing conditions.

[0036] Here, multiple information management devices 40 are connected to each other via P2P (Peer to Peer) so that they can communicate with each other, and this P2P network forms a blockchain BC, which is a distributed ledger. This blockchain BC stores viewing conditions in a distributed manner across multiple information management devices 40, and manages the viewing conditions based on the consistency between the distributed and stored information. In this way, by using blockchain BC to manage the database (a registry, so to speak) in which viewing conditions are stored as a distributed ledger, businesses that support the provision of information between businesses function as information providers.

[0037] Here, such a blockchain BC can be realized based on existing blockchain technology. In this case, for example, when the viewing conditions are stored in a distributed manner, the viewing conditions are encrypted by calculating a hash value, and tampering or damage to the viewing conditions is detected. Furthermore, the blockchain BC uses digital signatures to prevent spoofing and other attacks. Furthermore, the blockchain BC verifies the validity of the distributed and stored viewing conditions based on a consensus algorithm such as PoW (Proof of Work). Through this series of processes, the blockchain BC properly manages the viewing conditions.

[0038] As explained above with reference to Fig. 2, the information sharing system S not only provides the effects described above with reference to Fig. 1, but also allows the user to set viewing conditions for a combination of multiple applications and multiple business programs, determining whether to allow viewing. This allows information about users to be shared in a greater number of processes.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the information sharing system S, multiple information management devices 40 work together to form a blockchain BC, which ensures higher security and reduces management and operational costs compared to when viewing conditions are managed using a typical server-client system. Therefore, according to the information sharing system S, information about a user can be shared more appropriately in a plurality of processes.

[0040] [Hardware configuration] Next, the hardware configuration of each device included in the information sharing system S will be described. As described above, each device and terminal included in the information sharing system S is composed of an information processing device such as a server computer, a personal computer, a smartphone, a wearable device, or a measuring device installed in a facility, and each device and terminal has the same basic configuration.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of information processing device 800 constituting each device included in information sharing system S. As shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 800 that constitutes each device includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 811, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 812, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 813, a bus 814, an input unit 815, an output unit 816, a memory unit 817, a communication unit 818, a drive 819, and a sensor unit 820.

[0042] The CPU 811 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 812 or a program loaded from the storage unit 817 into the RAM 813 . The RAM 813 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 811 to execute various processes.

[0043] The CPU 811, ROM 812, and RAM 813 are connected to one another via a bus 814. To the bus 814, an input unit 815, an output unit 816, a storage unit 817, a communication unit 818, a drive 819, and a sensor unit 820 are connected.

[0044] The input unit 815 is configured with various buttons and the like, and inputs various information in response to instruction operations. The input unit 815 also includes a microphone for collecting voice. The output unit 816 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds.

[0045] The storage unit 817 is configured with a hard disk or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 818 controls communication with other devices via the network N.

[0046] Removable media 831, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 819. A program read from the removable media 831 by the drive 819 is installed in the storage unit 817 as needed.

[0047] The sensor unit 820 is configured with various sensors and measures various pieces of information corresponding to the sensors. For example, the sensor unit 820 is configured with sensors that measure biological information such as the user's heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor that measures position information, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor that measure the state of motion, and the like.

[0048] When the information processing device 800 is configured as the first processing device 10 or the information management device 40, it is also possible to omit the sensor unit 820. When the information processing device 800 is configured as a smartphone or the like, it is also possible to configure the input unit 815 as a touch sensor and place it over the display of the output unit 816, thereby providing a touch panel.

[0049] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of each device and each terminal in the information sharing system S will be described.

[0050] [Functional configuration of the first processing device 10] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first processor 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, in the CPU 811 of the first processing device 10, a first processing control unit 151 and a browsing information generating unit 152 function. As shown in FIG. 4, in the storage unit 817 of the first processing device 10, a user information storage unit 171 and a first health information storage unit 172 are formed.

[0051] As a first process, the first process control unit 151 executes control related to an app executed in the user terminal 30. This control related to the app includes, for example, a process of providing the app to the user terminal 30 and installing the app in the user terminal 30, and a process of managing various types of information related to the operation of the app by sending and receiving the information to and from the user terminal 30.

[0052] The app controlled by first processing control unit 151 is not particularly limited as long as it uses the first health information. For example, the app may simply perform processing to acquire the first health information, or may perform predetermined processing such as managing the acquired first health information or performing statistical analysis. For example, the app may be an app for managing health status or lifestyle status, or an app for an electronic medicine record.

[0053] The various types of information managed by first process control unit 151 include, for example, user information and first health information. The user information includes information such as an identifier that identifies the user, and information that indicates the user's attributes, such as the user's name, password, email address, etc. This user information is used for user registration in the app and for associating the first health information with the user. The first health information varies depending on the type of app, but may be, for example, biometric information indicating the user's health condition, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, information indicating the user's lifestyle, such as exercise, sleep, and diet, information included in a medication history, or other information acquired in connection with the app's functions. This first health information is not only used in the app, but is also used as a subject for viewing by the second processing device 20, as described above.

[0054] In conjunction with control related to the app, first process control unit 151 acquires user information through communication with user terminal 30 and stores the acquired user information in user information storage unit 171. That is, user information storage unit 171 functions as a storage unit that stores user information. Similarly, first process control unit 151 acquires first health information through communication with user terminal 30 in conjunction with control related to the app and stores the acquired first health information in first health information storage unit 172. That is, first health information storage unit 172 functions as a storage unit that stores user information.

[0055] The viewing information generating unit 152 generates viewing information when receiving an instruction to transmit viewing information from the information management device 40. Then, the viewing information generating unit 152 transmits the generated viewing information to the information management device 40.

[0056] This viewing information is generated by extracting at least a portion of the first health information and converting it into a predetermined format suitable for viewing. The information to be extracted from the first health information and the predetermined format suitable for viewing (e.g., file format) are defined in advance based on the type of app, etc. This definition is determined, for example, by the business providing the app, the business providing the business program, or the business managing the information management device 40 that serves as a provider between these businesses. In this way, rather than disclosing all information related to the app as viewing information, the scope of information to be disclosed as viewing information can be determined depending on the app. This makes it easier for app providers to allow information they manage to be disclosed to other companies' business programs. In other words, it becomes easier for app providers to participate in the information sharing system S.

[0057] [Functional Configuration of Second Processing Device 20] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the second processing device 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, in CPU 811 of second processing device 20, second processing execution unit 251, second health information acquisition unit 252, and access request unit 253 function. As shown in FIG. 5, in the storage unit 817 of the second processing device 20, a user information storage unit 271 and a second health information storage unit 272 are formed.

[0058] The second process execution unit 251 executes a business program as the second process. The execution of this business program includes, for example, a process of acquiring the business program from an external server (not shown) managed by a business provider that provides the business program and installing the business program in the second processing device 20, a process of realizing a function corresponding to the business program, a process of managing various information related to the operation of the business program, and a process of viewing the first health information by making a request to view the first health information to the information management device 40.

[0059] The business program executed by second processing execution unit 251 is not particularly limited as long as it uses the second health information. For example, the business program may simply perform processing to acquire the second health information, or may perform predetermined processing such as managing the acquired second health information or performing statistical analysis. For example, the business program may be a business program for managing electronic medical records or medical history in a hospital, or a business program for mutually checking the first health information and the second health information among family members.

[0060] The various types of information managed by second health information acquisition section 252 include, for example, user information and second health information. The user information includes information such as an identifier that identifies the user, and information that indicates the user's attributes, such as the user's name, password, email address, etc. This user information is used for user registration in the business program and for associating the second health information with the user. The second health information varies depending on the type of business program, but may be, for example, information acquired in connection with the functions of the business program, such as biometric information indicating the user's health condition, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, information contained in electronic medical records, information contained in medication history, etc. This second health information is used by the business program.

[0061] In conjunction with the execution of the business program, second process execution unit 251 acquires user information through an input operation for user information or communication with user terminal 30, information management device 40, etc., and stores the acquired user information in user information storage unit 271. That is, user information storage unit 271 functions as a storage unit that stores user information. Similarly, second process execution unit 251 acquires second health information from second health information acquisition unit 252 in conjunction with the execution of the business program, and stores the acquired second health information in second health information storage unit 272. That is, second health information storage unit 272 functions as a storage unit that stores user information.

[0062] Second health information acquisition unit 252 acquires second health information in association with execution of the business program by second processing execution unit 251. Then, second health information acquisition unit 252 outputs the acquired second health information to second processing execution unit 251. For example, if the second health information is various types of biometric information of the user, second health information acquisition unit 252 acquires the various types of biometric information by controlling measurement by sensor unit 820. Furthermore, for example, if the second health information is information included in an electronic medical record or information included in a medication history, second health information acquisition unit 252 acquires this information via input unit 815 and communication unit 818.

[0063] When the viewing request unit 253 receives an instruction to send a request to view the first health information from a viewer using the second processing device 20, it transmits the request to view the first health information to the information management device 40. This viewing request includes information for identifying which second processing device 20 has sent the viewing request, and information specifying which user's and which first processing device 10's app the first health information of which user is to be viewed is provided for.

[0064] Furthermore, when the viewing request unit 253 receives viewing information from the information management device 40 in response to the viewing request, it outputs the viewing information to the viewer. On the other hand, when the viewing request unit 253 receives a message from the information management device 40 that viewing is not permitted in response to the viewing request, it outputs a message that viewing is not permitted to the viewer. Such output to the viewer is realized, for example, by displaying the information on a display included in the output unit 810, or by printing the information on a paper medium from a printing device (not shown) connected via the communication unit 818.

[0065] [Functional configuration of user terminal 30] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the user terminal 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in CPU 811 of user terminal 30, first process execution unit 351, first health information acquisition unit 352, and viewing condition setting unit 353 function. As shown in FIG. 6, in storage unit 817 of user terminal 30, user information storage unit 371 and first health information storage unit 372 are formed.

[0066] As a first process, the first process execution unit 351 executes an app under the control of the first processing device 10. Execution of this app includes, for example, a process of acquiring the app from the first processing device 10 and installing the app on the user terminal 30, a process of realizing a function corresponding to the app, a process of managing various information related to the operation of the app, and a process of transmitting this various information to the first processing device 10. As described above, the app executed by the first process execution unit 351 is not particularly limited as long as it uses the first health information.

[0067] The various types of information managed by first process execution unit 351 include user information and first health information, similar to first process control unit 151 of first processing device 10. In conjunction with the execution of the app, first process execution unit 351 acquires user information through an input operation for user information, and stores the acquired user information in user information storage unit 371. That is, user information storage unit 371 functions as a storage unit that stores user information. Similarly, in conjunction with the execution of the app, first process execution unit 351 acquires first health information from first health information acquisition unit 352, and stores the acquired first health information in first health information storage unit 372. That is, first health information storage unit 372 functions as a storage unit that stores user information. Furthermore, first process execution unit 351 transmits the acquired user information and first health information to first processing device 10.

[0068] First health information acquisition unit 352 acquires the first health information in response to execution of the app by first process execution unit 351. Then, viewing condition setting unit 353 outputs the acquired first health information to first process execution unit 351. For example, if the first health information is various types of biometric information of the user, first health information acquisition unit 352 acquires the various types of biometric information by controlling measurements by sensor unit 820. Furthermore, for example, if the first health information is information indicating the user's living conditions such as exercise, sleep, and diet, first health information acquisition unit 352 statistically analyzes the various types of biometric information to acquire this information. Furthermore, for example, if the first health information is information included in a medicine notebook, first health information acquisition unit 352 acquires the information included in the medicine notebook via input unit 815 and communication unit 818.

[0069] When receiving an instruction to set viewing conditions for viewing the first health information from a user using user terminal 30, viewing condition setting unit 353 sets the viewing conditions in information management device 40. These viewing conditions can be set arbitrarily by the user using user terminal 30 based on their own will. An example of these viewing conditions will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Here, FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of viewing conditions set by user terminal 30 and managed by information management device 40.

[0070] 7, in this table, a column (row) is provided for each of the plurality of first health information as the information to be viewed, and a record (column) is provided for each of the plurality of second processing devices 20 that can view the information to be viewed.

[0071] Here, the correspondence between the first processing device 10 and the first health information may be a one-to-one relationship, or may be a one-to-many relationship as shown in the figure. That is, whether or not to allow viewing may be set for the entire first health information obtained by one application executed by one first processing device 10, or whether or not to allow viewing may be set for units into which this first health information is further divided. By being able to set whether or not to allow viewing for such divided units, settings can be made that more precisely reflect the user's intentions.

[0072] Then, the viewing condition setting unit 353 sets information indicating whether viewing is permitted, such as "viewable" or "not viewable," in each field (cell) where a column and a record intersect, based on a setting instruction from the user using the user terminal 30. In this way, the viewing conditions are set including whether viewing is permitted for a combination of which first processing device 10 (which first health information acquired by it) and which second processing device 20.

[0073] The viewing conditions set in this manner are managed in the information management device 40 in the format of, for example, this table. Note that this table corresponds to the viewing conditions set for one user, and if there are multiple users, multiple tables similar to this table are created corresponding to each of the multiple users.

[0074] [Functional configuration of information management device 40] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information management device 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, in the CPU 811 of the information management device 40, a user information management section 451, a viewing condition management section 452, a determination section 453, and viewing control sections 454 and 455 function. As shown in FIG. 8, the storage unit 817 of the information management device 40 includes a user management information storage unit 471 and a viewing condition storage unit 472.

[0075] The user information management unit 451 integrates user information from the entire information sharing system S and manages it as user management information. To this end, the user information management unit 451 periodically communicates with the first processing device 10, the second processing device 20, and the user terminal 30 at predetermined update times to acquire user information stored in these devices. The user information management unit 451 then updates the user management information based on the user information acquired from these devices. Here, the first processing device 10, the second processing device 20, and the user terminal 30 each manage user information corresponding to a different application or a different business program. Therefore, the content of the user information is not necessarily identical. Therefore, the user information management unit 451 identifies which user each piece of user information acquired through communication from each device belongs to, for example, by assigning unique identification information to each user, and updates the user management information so that the user information is consistent. Then, every time the user management information is updated, the user information management unit 451 stores the updated user management information in the user management information storage unit 471. That is, the user management information storage unit 471 functions as a storage unit that stores the user management information.

[0076] The viewing condition management unit 452 manages the viewing conditions set from the user terminal 30. The viewing condition management unit 452 distributes and stores the set viewing conditions in the viewing condition storage units 472 of the multiple information management devices 40 that form the blockchain BC, for example, in a format like the table shown in Fig. 7. In other words, the viewing condition storage unit 472 functions as a storage unit that stores the set viewing conditions. Furthermore, the viewing condition management unit 452 manages the set viewing conditions using the blockchain BC as described above. That is, the viewing conditions are appropriately managed by the cooperation of multiple information management devices 40.

[0077] When the determination unit 453 receives a request to view the first health information from the second processing device 20, it determines whether to permit viewing based on the viewing conditions managed by the viewing condition management unit 452 using the blockchain BC. As described above, the viewing request includes information for identifying which second processing device 20 has sent the viewing request, and information specifying which user and which first processing device 10 provides the app for which the first health information is to be viewed. Based on this information, the determination unit 453 identifies the user, first processing device 10, and second processing device 20 corresponding to the viewing request. Then, it determines whether the second processing device 20 is permitted to view at least a portion of the first health information of the first processing device 10 under the viewing conditions of the user.

[0078] The viewing control unit 454 controls viewing of the first health information based on the determination result of the determination unit 453. When the determination unit 453 determines that viewing is permitted, the viewing control unit 454 transmits an instruction to transmit the information to be viewed to the first processing device 10 corresponding to the viewing request. Then, when the viewing control unit 454 receives the information to be viewed from the first processing device 10, it transmits the information to be viewed as a response to the viewing request to the second processing device 20 that is the sender of the viewing request.

[0079] In this way, in the information sharing system S, the first health information is managed by the first processing device 10, and when viewing is permitted, the viewing control unit 454 acquires the first health information from the first processing device 10 and allows the second processing device 20 to view the acquired first health information. As a result, the information management device 40 and the second processing device 20 do not need to manage the first health information that is processed by the first processing device 10. As a result, the information management device 40 and the second processing device 20 do not need to store the first health information or update the first health information in synchronization with the first processing device 10.

[0080] In this case, the viewing control unit 454 may transmit the received viewing information to the second processing device 20 as is, or may convert the received viewing information before transmitting it to the second processing device 20. For example, if the viewing information is editable text data, the viewing information may be erroneously edited in the second processing device 20. Therefore, the viewing control unit 454 may convert the viewing information into image data that is difficult to edit, or data in a portable document format (PDF) that does not allow editing, before transmitting it to the second processing device 20. This makes it possible to prevent the viewing information from being erroneously edited in the second processing device 20. Then, the viewing information corresponding to the first health information is output to the viewer by the second processing device 20, as described above. This realizes viewing in this embodiment.

[0081] On the other hand, when the determination unit 453 determines that viewing is not permitted, the viewing control unit 454 transmits a message indicating that viewing is not permitted to the second processing device 20 that is the sender of the viewing request as a response to the viewing request. Then, as described above, this message indicating that viewing is not permitted is output to the viewer by the second processing device 20. In this way, a restriction on viewing that reflects the user's intention in this embodiment is realized.

[0082] [Operation] Next, the operation of each device included in the information sharing system S during processing for information sharing will be described.

[0083] [Operation of the first processing device 10] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the first processing device 10 during processing for information sharing. The operation of the first processing device 10 starts when the first processing device 10 is started.

[0084] In step S11, the first process control unit 151 determines whether or not user information of the user who uses the user terminal 30 is registered. If the user information is registered, the result of the determination in step S11 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if the user information is not registered, the result of the determination in step S11 is No, and the process proceeds to step S12.

[0085] In step S12, the first process control unit 151 acquires user information through communication with the user terminal 30, and stores the acquired user information in the user information storage unit 171. In this way, the first process control unit 151 registers the user information.

[0086] In step S13, the first process control unit 151 executes control related to an application executed on the user terminal 30 as a first process.

[0087] In step S14, first process control unit 151 acquires first health information from user terminal 30, and stores the acquired first health information in first health information storage unit 172.

[0088] In step S15, the viewing information generation unit 152 determines whether or not an instruction to transmit the viewing information has been received from the information management device 40. If an instruction to transmit the viewing information has been received, the determination in step S15 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if an instruction to transmit the viewing information has not been received, the determination in step S15 is No, and the process proceeds to step S17.

[0089] In step S16, the browsing information generating unit 152 generates browsing information, and then transmits the generated browsing information to the information management device 40.

[0090] In step S17, the first process control unit 151 determines whether or not to end the first process (here, control related to an application executed on the user terminal 30). If the first process is to be ended, the determination in step S17 is Yes, and this process is temporarily ended. Then, this process is started again from step S11. On the other hand, if the first process is not to be ended, the determination in step S17 is No, and the process is repeated again from step S13.

[0091] [Operation of the second processing device 20] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the second processor 20 during processing for information sharing. The operation of the second processing device 20 starts when the second processing device 20 is started.

[0092] In step S21, the second process execution unit 251 determines whether or not user information of the user who uses the user terminal 30 is registered. If the user information is registered, the result of the determination in step S22 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if the user information is not registered, the result of the determination in step S21 is No, and the process proceeds to step S22.

[0093] In step S22, the second process execution unit 251 acquires user information through an input operation of the user information or communication with the user terminal 30 or the information management device 40, etc., and stores the acquired user information in the user information storage unit 271. In this way, the second process execution unit 251 registers the user information.

[0094] In step S23, the second process execution unit 251 executes the business program as the second process.

[0095] In step S24, second health information acquisition section 252 acquires the second health information, and stores the acquired second health information in second health information storage section 272.

[0096] In step S25, the view request unit 253 determines whether or not an instruction to send a view request has been received from a viewer using the second processing device 20. If an instruction to send a view request has been received, the result in step S25 is determined as Yes, and the process proceeds to step S28. On the other hand, if an instruction to send a view request has not been received, the result in step S25 is determined as No, and the process proceeds to step S30.

[0097] In step S26, the access request unit 253 transmits a request to access the first health information to the information management device 40.

[0098] In step S27, the view request unit 253 determines whether the response to the view request includes view information. If the response includes view information, the determination in step S27 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S28. On the other hand, if the response does not include view information, the determination in step S27 is No, and the process proceeds to step S29.

[0099] In step S28, the view request unit 253 outputs the view information to the viewer, thereby realizing the view in this embodiment.

[0100] In step S29, the view request unit 253 outputs a message to the viewer that the view is not permitted, thereby realizing a view restriction that reflects the user's intention in this embodiment.

[0101] In step S30, the second process execution unit 251 determines whether or not to end the second process (here, execution of the business program). If the second process is to be ended, the determination in step S30 is Yes, and this process is temporarily ended. Then, this process is started again from step S21. On the other hand, if the second process is not to be ended, the determination in step S30 is No, and the process is repeated again from step S23.

[0102] [Operation of user terminal 30] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the user terminal 30 during processing for information sharing. The operation of the user terminal 30 is started in response to the user terminal 30 receiving an instruction to start the application from the user.

[0103] In step S31, the first process execution unit 351 determines whether or not user information of the user who uses the user terminal 30 is registered. If the user information is registered, the result of the determination in step S31 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S33. On the other hand, if the user information is not registered, the result of the determination in step S31 is No, and the process proceeds to step S32.

[0104] In step S32, first process execution unit 351 acquires user information through an input operation of the user information, and stores the acquired user information in user information storage unit 371. In this way, first process execution unit 351 registers the user information.

[0105] In step S33, the first process execution unit 351 executes the application as the first process.

[0106] In step S34, first health information acquisition section 352 acquires the first health information and stores the acquired first health information in 373. In addition, first health information acquisition section 352 transmits the acquired first health information to first processing device 10.

[0107] In step S35, viewing condition setting unit 353 determines whether or not an instruction to set viewing conditions for viewing the first health information has been received from the user using user terminal 30. If an instruction to set viewing conditions has been received, step S35 returns Yes, and the process proceeds to step S36. On the other hand, if an instruction to set viewing conditions has not been received, step S35 returns No, and the process proceeds to step S37.

[0108] In step S36, the viewing condition setting unit 353 communicates with the information management device 40 to set viewing conditions in the form of a table such as that shown in FIG.

[0109] In step S37, the first process execution unit 351 determines whether or not to end the first process (here, execution of the app). If the first process is to be ended, the determination in step S37 is Yes, and this process is temporarily ended. Then, this process is started again from step S31. On the other hand, if the first process is not to be ended, the determination in step S37 is No, and the process is repeated again from step S33.

[0110] [Operation of information management device 40] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the information management device 40 during processing for information sharing. The operation of the information management device 40 starts when the information management device 40 is started.

[0111] In step S41, the user information management unit 451 determines whether a predetermined update timing for updating the user management information has arrived. If the update timing has arrived, the determination in step S41 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S42. On the other hand, if the update timing has not arrived, the determination in step S41 is No, and the process proceeds to step S43.

[0112] In step S42, the user information management unit 451 acquires the user information stored in the first processing device 10, the second processing device 20, and the user terminal 30. Then, the user information management unit 451 updates the user management information based on the user information acquired from these devices.

[0113] In step S43, the viewing condition management unit 452 determines whether or not new viewing conditions have been set from the user terminal 30. If new viewing conditions have been set, the determination in step S43 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if new viewing conditions have not been set, the determination in step S43 is No, and the process proceeds to step S45.

[0114] In step S44, the viewing condition management unit 452 adds the newly set viewing conditions as new management targets. Specifically, the viewing condition management unit 452 distributes and stores these newly set viewing conditions in the viewing condition storage units 472 of the multiple information management devices 40. Then, the viewing condition management unit 452 manages these set viewing conditions using the blockchain BC, which is a distributed ledger, as described above.

[0115] In step S45, determination unit 453 determines whether a request to view the first health information has been received from second processing device 20. If a request to view the first health information has been received, step S45 is determined as Yes, and processing proceeds to step S46. On the other hand, if a request to view the first health information has not been received, step S45 is determined as No, and this processing ends for the time being. Then, this processing starts again from step S41.

[0116] In step S46, the determination unit 453 determines whether or not to permit browsing based on the browsing conditions managed by the browsing condition management unit 452 using the block chain BC.

[0117] In step S47, viewing control unit 454 determines whether or not viewing has been permitted by determination unit 453. If viewing has been permitted, step S47 returns Yes, and the process proceeds to step S48. On the other hand, if viewing has not been permitted, step S47 returns No, and the process proceeds to step S50.

[0118] In step S48, if the determination unit 453 determines that the viewing is permitted, the viewing control unit 454 transmits an instruction to transmit the viewing information to the first processing device 10 corresponding to the viewing request. Then, the viewing control unit 454 receives the viewing information from the first processing device 10.

[0119] In step S49, the viewing control unit 454 transmits the received viewing information to the second processing device 20 that sent the viewing request. This ends the process for now. Then, the process starts again from step S41.

[0120] In step S50, the viewing control unit 454 transmits a message that viewing is not permitted to the second processing device 20 that is the sender of the viewing request. This ends the process for now. Then, the process starts again from step S41.

[0121] According to the above-described operation of each device included in the information sharing system S during information sharing processing, information sharing is realized by allowing the first health information processed by the first processing device 10 to be viewed by the second processing device 20, which performs other processing. In this case, the information sharing system S does not allow unlimited viewing by the second processing device 20, but determines whether or not viewing is permitted based on viewing conditions set by the user himself / herself. This allows the user to freely select where information related to him / her is to be viewed. Furthermore, the information sharing system S reflects such user-initiated selections and can share information across multiple processes while increasing the confidentiality and availability of the information. Therefore, according to the information sharing system S, information about a user can be appropriately shared among a plurality of processes.

[0122] [Display example] Next, a display example of a screen including various information and a user interface displayed in the information sharing system S will be described. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a terminal operation screen 60 displayed on the user terminal 30 when registering user information (corresponding to step S32 in FIG. 11) or when setting viewing conditions (corresponding to step S36 in FIG. 11). In FIG. 13, three examples of operation screens are shown as examples. 13(A), 13(B), and 13(C), a terminal operation screen 60 includes, as display areas, an operation instruction area 61, a main operation area 62, and a transition button display area 63. Note that the transition button display area 63 is omitted in FIG. 13(A).

[0123] The terminal operation screen 60 shown in FIG. 13(A) is a menu screen. In this case, text prompting the user to select a menu is displayed in the operation instruction area 61. The user selects a menu by selecting various buttons displayed in the main operation area 62 in accordance with this text. These various buttons include, for example, a "Start App" button for selecting an app to be executed, a "Check Health Information" button for checking the acquired first health information on the user terminal 30, a "User Registration" button for registering user information, and a "Viewing Conditions" button for setting viewing conditions. Here, when the user selects the "User Registration" button, the screen transitions to a user information registration screen shown in FIG. 13(B). Furthermore, when the user selects the "Set Viewing Conditions" button, the screen transitions to a viewing condition setting screen shown in FIG. 13(C).

[0124] The terminal operation screen 60 shown in FIG. 13(B) is a screen for registering user information (corresponding to step S32 in FIG. 11). In this case, text prompting the user to register user information is displayed in the operation instruction area 61. The user follows this text to input their own information into each field displayed in the main operation area 62. For example, the user inputs information indicating user attributes such as name, reading, and date of birth, as well as information such as a password and email address. After completing the input, the user selects the "Register" button displayed in the transition button display area 63. This causes the user information to be registered in the user terminal 30. On the other hand, if the user wishes to cancel the registration of user information midway, the user selects the "Menu Screen" button displayed in the transition button display area 63. This causes the screen to transition to the menu screen shown in FIG. 13(A).

[0125] The terminal operation screen 60 shown in FIG. 13(C) is a screen for setting the viewing conditions (corresponding to step S36 in FIG. 11). In this case, text prompting the user to set the viewing conditions is displayed in the operation instruction area 61. The user sets the viewing conditions by following this text and making a selection from each item displayed in the main operation area 62. As shown in FIG. 6, the viewing conditions include whether or not viewing is permitted for a combination of which first processing device 10 (which first health information acquired by that device) and which second processing device 20. In this display, to make it easier for the user to understand, the name of the application provided by the first processing device 10 is displayed instead of the name of the first processing device 10 (e.g., information corresponding to a reference number such as 10-1). Similarly, the name of the business program provided by the second processing device 20 is displayed instead of the name of the second processing device 20 (e.g., information corresponding to a reference number such as 20-1).

[0126] The user selects the viewed application and also selects the viewing business program that will allow viewing of the first health information acquired by the viewed application. This determines the combination to be permitted for viewing this time. Furthermore, the user selects the range of first health information to be permitted for viewing from the first health information acquired by the viewed application. After completing the selection, the user selects the "Execute Settings" button displayed in the transition button display area 63. This executes the setting of viewing conditions on the user terminal 30. By repeating this operation, the user can permit viewing of various combinations in any range of viewing. On the other hand, if the user wishes to cancel the setting of viewing conditions midway, for example, the user selects the "Menu Screen" button displayed in the transition button display area 63. This causes the screen to transition to the menu screen shown in FIG. 13(A). In this way, by providing various screens on the user terminal 30, the user can easily register user information and set viewing conditions.

[0127] 14 and 15 are schematic diagrams showing examples of the viewing screen displayed on the second processing device 20 when the viewing information is output (corresponding to step S28 in FIG. 10).

[0128] The viewing screen 70 shown in Fig. 14 is a menu screen. As shown in Fig. 14, the viewing screen 70 includes a login status display area 71 and a target person selection area 72 as display areas. The login status display area 71 displays a viewer (here, "Mr. △") who has logged in to the business program being executed on the second processing device and is about to view the first health information. In this example, it is assumed that the first health status of each family member is being viewed, and the logged-in viewer is one of the family members. This viewer selects, from the target selection area 72, whose first health information is to be viewed. In this case, the target viewer may be the viewer himself or herself, or a family member of the viewer. In this case, the target viewer can view the information and the range of first health information that can be viewed by the viewer are determined by the viewing conditions set by each family member as a user.

[0129] In this example, let us assume that the viewer selects the "△Futoshi-kun" button. Then, the screen transitions to the viewing screen 80 shown in Fig. 15. If the viewer selects the "Logout" button from the target user selection area 72, the login state is cancelled and viewing ends.

[0130] Viewing screen 80 shown in Fig. 15 is a viewing screen for the first health information. As shown in Fig. 15, viewing screen 80 includes a login status display area 81 and an information display area 82 as display areas. In login status display area 81, similar to login status display area 71 described above, the viewer (here, "Mr. △") who is attempting to view the first health information is displayed.

[0131] The information display area 82 displays the first health information of "△Futoshi-kun," who has been selected as the person whose first health information will be viewed. As described above, the first health information in this embodiment is expected to include not only information obtained through tests in a general health checkup, but also a variety of other health and medical information, such as information on daily life such as diet, sleep, and exercise intensity, various measured biological information, medical diagnosis and treatment guidance, pharmaceutical guidance and medication guidance, and observations related to rehabilitation and daily life assistance. Therefore, the information display area 82 displays a list of this variety of first health information, categorized into categories such as "basic information," "lifestyle information," and "medical information."

[0132] In this case, the first health information may be displayed as a numerical value indicating the value, or may be displayed as words indicating the state such as "abnormal" or "normal." Alternatively, the first health information may be displayed in the form of a graph, such as illustrated as "height transition" or "weight transition," so that changes over time can be easily grasped. It may also be displayed in the form of a sentence, such as illustrated as "Message from the pharmacist." Furthermore, in this case, a message intended to facilitate communication may also be displayed in the form of a sentence.

[0133] In addition, only the first health information may be displayed, or the second health information acquired by the business program may also be displayed. Also, a button such as a "Detailed Information" button for transitioning to a screen displaying more detailed information may be displayed in the information display area 82. If the viewer selects the "Logout" button in the information display area 82, the login state is cancelled and viewing ends. If the viewer selects the "Menu Screen" button in the information display area 82, the screen transitions to the menu screen shown in FIG. 14.

[0134] By viewing the first health information and the second health information in this way, the viewer (here, "Mr. △") can understand not only his own health condition but also the health conditions of his family members. This allows family members to monitor each other's health conditions and manage their health more appropriately. Furthermore, by viewing the first health information and the second health information in this way, medical professionals (e.g., doctors, pharmacists, visiting caregivers (home helpers), and medical therapists) can share various medical information among themselves and provide more appropriate medical guidance and treatment. Therefore, for example, the information sharing system S can be effectively used when family members check each other's health status, or when various medical professionals and family members are involved in providing comprehensive care to a single person in the community.

[0135] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. In this case, the above-described embodiments and their modifications and improvements are included in the scope and spirit of the invention described in this specification, etc., and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. As an example, the above-described embodiment of the present invention may be modified as follows.

[0136] [Variation 1] The configuration of the information sharing system S in the above-described embodiment is merely an example and is not limited thereto. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an operator functioning as a provider manages multiple information management devices 40, and the multiple information management devices 40 form a blockchain BC. In other words, the blockchain BC is formed only by devices managed by the operator in a manner known as a private type. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the blockchain BC may also be formed by including devices managed by operators other than the operator (e.g., the first processing device 10 and the second processing device 20) and devices used by users (e.g., the user terminal 30). In other words, the blockchain BC may be formed in a manner known as a consortium type or a public type. Alternatively, the information management device 40 may manage viewing conditions in a secure manner other than the blockchain BC. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an application is executed as the first process and a business program is executed as the second process, but this is not limiting. The first process and the second process may be realized by the execution of software other than the application or the business program.

[0137] [Variation 2] In the above-described embodiment, the first health information acquired by the first processing device 10 is viewed on the second processing device 20 based on the viewing conditions set by the user, but this is not limiting. For example, the first health information acquired by the first processing device 10 may be viewable on another first processing device 10 based on the viewing conditions set by the user. Alternatively, the second health information acquired by the second processing device 20 may be viewable on another second processing device 20 or the first processing device 10 based on the viewing conditions set by the user.

[0138] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the user using the user terminal 30 sets the viewing conditions, and that the user arbitrarily sets the viewing conditions for his or her own first health information based on his or her own will. However, this is not limiting, and for example, for some of the first health information, viewing conditions may be set by a person other than the user. This allows other people, such as a medical professional who provides medical guidance or treatment to the user, or the user's family, to set the viewing conditions. Therefore, for health information that is not desirable for the user to manage themselves (for example, the name of a disease that has not yet been notified to the user, or test results from specialized tests that the user does not need to know), other people can set viewing conditions and manage the information appropriately.

[0139] [Variation 4] In the above-described embodiment, the viewing conditions were set by including whether or not viewing is permitted for a combination of which first processing device 10 (which first health information acquired by that device) and which second processing device 20. However, the viewing conditions may be set in more detail. For example, the first health information that can be viewed may differ depending on the viewer using the second processing device 20.

[0140] 14 and 15, in a case where the first health information is viewed among family members using the second processing device 20, the first health information that can be viewed may differ depending on which family member the viewer identified as the logged-in user is. For example, if the viewer is a father, he or she may be able to view the first health information of all family members, but if the viewer is a child, he or she may only be able to view his or her own first health information. Similarly, if the viewer is a medical professional, he or she may only be able to view first health information related to his or her job. This makes it possible to set viewing conditions that better reflect the purpose for which the viewer is viewing the content and the user's intentions.

[0141] [Variation 5] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, whether or not to allow viewing for each combination of each application (corresponding first processing device 10) that acquires the first health information and each business program (corresponding second processing device 20) that views this first health information was set as a viewing condition based on the user's will. The viewing conditions may be set using other information, such as whether or not to permit viewing based on the "attributes" of the viewer who has made a viewing request using the second processing device 20.

[0142] In this case, attribute information, which is information indicating the attributes of the viewer, is first included in the user information stored in the user information storage units 171, 271, and 371. Then, the user information management unit 451 integrates the user information including this attribute information and stores it in the user management information storage unit 471 as user management information. An example of the user management information in this case will be described with reference to Fig. 16(a). Here, Fig. 16(a) is a table showing an example of the user management information managed by the information management device 40.

[0143] 16(a), in this table, a column (row) is provided for each of multiple users as user management information. Also, a record (column) is provided for each user identifier and attribute information. In this case, the multiple users include not only users who use the user terminal 30, but also other people who request to view the first health information using the second processing device 20.

[0144] The user identifier is unique identification information assigned to each user to identify each of multiple users. The attribute information is information indicating the attributes of each user. There are no particular restrictions on the type of information that can be used as attribute information, and it can be determined arbitrarily depending on the purpose of the information sharing system S. For example, as illustrated in the above-mentioned embodiment, if the first health information is viewed by a medical professional, each piece of information indicating the characteristics of the medical professional, such as the medical qualifications held by the medical professional, the medical department, the length of time the medical professional has worked in the medical field, the location of the medical facility where the medical professional works, and the gender, is considered to be attribute information.

[0145] Furthermore, the correspondence between users and attribute information may be a one-to-one relationship, or a one-to-many relationship as shown in the figure. In other words, it may be possible to set only one piece of attribute information (for example, only medical qualification) for one user, or it may be possible to set multiple pieces of attribute information (for example, medical qualification, medical department, and location of the medical facility where the user works). This makes it possible to set viewing conditions from various perspectives based on various attribute information, allowing settings to be made that more precisely reflect the user's wishes.

[0146] Then, the user information management unit 451 sets attribute information indicating the attributes of each user in each field (cell) where a column and a record intersect, based on the user information acquired from each device, such as the first processing device 10, the second processing device 20, and the user terminal 30. For example, if attribute A is "medical qualification," attribute information indicating the medical qualification held by each user (for example, "A-1" for a doctor, "A-2" for a pharmacist, ..., "A-10" for a home helper, etc.) is set in the column of attribute A and the field (cell) of each user.

[0147] The user management conditions set in this manner are managed in the information management device 40, for example, in the format of this table. Although not shown in the figure, authentication information such as a password and information such as a contact email address may also be included in the user management information.

[0148] Next, the viewing conditions in this modification will be described. When a viewing condition setting unit 353 receives an instruction from a user using the user terminal 30 to set viewing conditions for viewing the first health information, the viewing condition setting unit 353 sets the viewing conditions in the information management device 40. The user using the user terminal 30 can set these viewing conditions arbitrarily based on their own will. An example of these viewing conditions will be described with reference to FIG. 16(b). Here, FIG. 16(b) is a table showing an example of viewing conditions set by the user terminal 30 and managed by the information management device 40 in this modification.

[0149] 16(b), in this table, a column (row) is provided for each of the plurality of first health information as the viewed information, and a record (column) is provided for each attribute of a viewer who may view the viewed information using second processing device 20.

[0150] Then, the viewing condition setting unit 353 sets information indicating whether viewing is permitted, such as "viewable" or "not viewable," in each field (cell) where a column and a record intersect, based on a setting instruction from the user using the user terminal 30. For example, if the user wishes to allow doctors and pharmacists to view the first health information a, but not allow other medically qualified persons to view it, the user sets the attributes A-1 and A-2 to "viewable" and the other attributes A-3 to A-10 to "not viewable." In this way, the viewing conditions are set by including whether or not viewing is permitted for a combination of which first processing device 10 (which first health information acquired by it) and which viewer has which attribute.

[0151] The viewing conditions set in this manner are managed in the information management device 40 in the format of, for example, this table. Note that this table corresponds to the viewing conditions set for one user, and if there are multiple users, multiple tables similar to this table are created corresponding to each of the multiple users. Also, this table is set for attribute A, but tables similar to this table may also be created for other attributes (for example, attributes B to N).

[0152] Then, in this modified example, when executing the series of processes for information sharing described above with reference to Figures 9 to 12, the request to view the first health information sent from the second processing device 20 further includes the user identifier of the viewer as information for identifying which user the viewer is. Upon receiving the request for viewing, determination unit 453 identifies the attributes of the viewer by referring to user management information such as that shown in Fig. 16(a). Then, determination unit 453 determines whether or not the viewer is permitted to view at least a part of the first health information requested for viewing, based on the identified attributes of the viewer and the viewing conditions such as that shown in Fig. 16(b). In this modification, whether or not to permit access can be determined based on the attributes of the person who has made the access request, which allows for more flexible setting of the destination for accessing health information and makes it easier to reflect the user's wishes.

[0153] This modified example may be further modified. For example, viewing may be permitted on the condition that all of the multiple attributes are determined to be "viewable." For example, suppose a user wants to permit viewing only to viewers who meet multiple conditions, such as a medical qualification of "home helper" and the "same gender" as the user. In this case, viewing is permitted only if the attribute indicating the medical qualification is determined to be "viewable" and the attribute indicating the gender is also determined to be "viewable." In addition, viewing may be permitted on the condition that various attributes, such as having the same chronic illness as the user, being close in age to the user, having given birth, or having test results for a disease similar to those of the user, are determined to be "viewable." In this way, by making a determination taking multiple attributes into consideration, it is possible to reflect the user's intention in more detail. For example, it is possible to reflect the user's intention to have medical professionals with similar circumstances to the user view the first health information and to have such medical professionals handle the user's case.

[0154] Furthermore, as described above, the attribute information can be arbitrarily determined depending on the application of the information sharing system S. For example, assume that the application of the information sharing system S is to form a community by mutually referencing the first health information of patients suffering from the same disease. In this case, information indicating the disease is managed as the attribute information. Then, a user allows only viewers suffering from the same disease to "view" the user's information (e.g., the user's contact information). This makes it possible to form a community in which patients suffering from the same disease mutually refer to the first health information. In particular, when the disease is unusual, mutual viewing of the first health information makes it possible to collect information useful to patients and medical professionals dealing with the disease. In cases where a community is formed for collecting information by mutually viewing the first health information in this manner, it may be useful to be able to collect the progress of the first health information after the user has recovered from the illness. Therefore, even after the attribute information has changed due to the user's recovery from the illness, the first health information may be mutually viewable for a certain period of time.

[0155] Another example is the case where a user requests a certain task from an expert. In this case, information indicating the expert's skills is managed as attribute information. Then, the user's information (e.g., the user's contact information) is made "viewable" only to viewers who are suitable for the task the user wants to request (i.e., viewers who have suitable skills as attribute information). This makes it possible to make the contact information of a user who wants to request a task viewable only to appropriate viewers. In other words, it becomes possible to allow the information of a user who wants to request a task to be viewed only by experts who can accept the request. In this way, by appropriately setting attribute information, the information sharing system S can be used to view information that reflects the user's intentions in a wider range of applications.

[0156] [Variation 6] In the above-described embodiment, the viewing condition is set as whether or not viewing is permitted for each combination of the first processing device 10 and the second processing device 20. Alternatively, in the above-described fifth modification, the viewing condition is set as whether or not viewing is permitted for each combination of the first processing device 10 and the attributes of the viewer. By setting viewing conditions in advance in this way, it is possible to appropriately view information that reflects the user's intentions. However, it may be difficult to set viewing availability for all combinations in advance. Also, there may be cases where the user wants to review viewing availability after the fact.

[0157] Therefore, for example, if the viewing conditions are determined to be "viewing prohibited," a request for permission to view may be made to the user. This eliminates the need for the user to decide whether to permit viewing for all combinations in advance, and the user can decide whether to permit viewing only when a request for permission to view is made. Also, the user can review whether to permit viewing when a request for permission to view is made. In this case, the operations of the information management device 40 and the user terminal 30 may be modified as shown in the following FIGS.

[0158] Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations during processing for information sharing executed by the information management device 40 in this modified example. In the following explanation with reference to Fig. 17, duplicated explanations will be omitted for processes common to the processes in Fig. 12 described above (i.e., processes with common step reference numerals).

[0159] In step S47, if the viewing condition is "viewing not permitted" and therefore the determination unit 453 does not permit viewing, the determination in step S47 is No, and the process proceeds to step S61.

[0160] In step S61, viewing control unit 454 transmits a request for permission to view to user terminal 30 in order to request permission to view the first health information from the user corresponding to the first health information for which a viewing request has been made.

[0161] In step S62, the viewing control unit 454 determines whether the response to the viewing permission request indicates that viewing is permitted. If viewing is permitted, the determination in step S62 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S48. Then, as described above, the processes from step S48 onwards are performed, thereby permitting viewing of the first health information. On the other hand, if viewing is not permitted (i.e., viewing is not permitted), a "No" determination is made in step S62, and the process proceeds to step S29. Then, the processes from step S50 onward are performed as described above, and the first health information is not viewed.

[0162] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the user terminal 30 during processing for information sharing in this modification. In the following description with reference to FIG. 18, duplicated description of processes common to the processes in FIG. 11 described above (ie, processes with the same reference numerals attached to steps) will be omitted.

[0163] In step S71, viewing condition setting unit 353 determines whether or not a request for permission to view the first health information has been received from information management device 40. If a request for permission to view the first health information has been received, step S71 returns Yes, and the process proceeds to step S72. On the other hand, if a request for permission to view the first health information has not been received, step S71 returns No, and the process proceeds to step S37.

[0164] In step S72, the viewing condition setting unit 353 notifies the user that a request for permission to view the first health information has been received, and receives a setting instruction from the user as to whether or not to permit viewing. The viewing condition setting unit 353 then determines whether or not the content of the setting instruction received from the user is to permit viewing of the first health information. If the content of the setting instruction is to permit viewing of the first health information, the determination in step S72 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S74. On the other hand, if the content of the setting instruction is not to permit viewing of the first health information (i.e., if viewing is not permitted), the determination in step S72 is No, and the process proceeds to step S73.

[0165] In step S73, the viewing condition setting unit 353 transmits to the information management device 40, as a response to the request for permission to view, a message indicating that viewing is not permitted. In step S74, the viewing condition setting unit 353 transmits to the information management device 40 a message indicating that viewing is permitted, in response to the request for permission to view.

[0166] In step S75, the viewing condition setting unit 353 sets the viewing conditions so that the combination for which viewing was permitted this time is "viewable" by communicating with the information management device 40. As a result, the combination for which viewing was permitted this time is reflected in the viewing conditions, and viewing will be permitted thereafter. It should be noted that if the current viewing is permitted, but a request for permission to view again is to be accepted for subsequent viewings, step S75 may be omitted and the viewing conditions may not be set.

[0167] In this way, according to this variation, the user does not need to decide in advance whether to allow viewing for all combinations, but only needs to decide whether to allow viewing when a request for permission to view is made. Also, the user can review whether to allow viewing when a request for permission to view is made.

[0168] [Configuration example] As described above, the information sharing system S according to this embodiment includes the viewing condition management unit 452, the determination unit 453, and the viewing control unit 454. The viewing condition management unit 452 manages viewing conditions for health information, which is information relating to the user's health, based on the user's settings. When the judgment unit 453 receives a request from the second processing device 20 to view the first health information, which is at least a part of the health information and is health information used for processing by the first processing device 10, it judges whether or not to allow viewing based on the viewing conditions managed by the viewing condition management unit 452. When the determination unit 453 permits the viewing, the viewing control unit 454 allows the second processing device 20 to view the first health information.

[0169] In this way, the information sharing system S realizes information sharing by allowing the first health information processed by the first processing device 10 to be viewed by the second processing device 20, which performs other processing. In this case, the information sharing system S does not allow the second processing device 20 to view the information without any restrictions, but determines whether or not to allow viewing based on viewing conditions set by the user himself / herself. This allows the user to freely select the viewing destination of health information, which requires particularly careful handling among various personal information, at his / her own will. Furthermore, the information sharing system S can share health information among multiple processes while improving the confidentiality and availability of the information by reflecting such user-initiated selection. Furthermore, the information sharing system S allows the viewing conditions to be centrally managed by the viewing control unit 454. Therefore, the first processing device 10 and the second processing device 20 do not need to perform processes such as managing viewing conditions or determining whether or not to allow viewing. Therefore, according to the information sharing system S according to the embodiment of the present invention, information about a user can be appropriately shared among a plurality of processes.

[0170] The first health information is managed by the first processing device 10, If viewing is permitted, the viewing control unit 454 acquires the first health information from the first processing device 10 and allows the second processing device 20 to view the acquired first health information. This eliminates the need for the view control unit 454 and the second processing device 20 to manage the first health information handled in processing by the first processing device 10. This eliminates the need for the view control unit 454 and the second processing device 20 to store the first health information or update the first health information in synchronization with the first processing device 10.

[0171] The viewing control unit 454 realizes viewing by causing the second processing device 20 to display an image into which the first health information has been converted. This achieves the purpose of viewing on the second processing device 20, and also prevents the first health information itself from being edited erroneously in the viewing control unit 454 or the second processing device 20, or from being tampered with in the communication path, etc. Therefore, the integrity of the information can be improved, and health-related information can be more appropriately protected.

[0172] There are a plurality of first processing devices 10 and / or a plurality of second processing devices 20, The viewing condition management unit 452 manages whether or not viewing is permitted for each combination of each first processing device 10 and each second processing device 20 as a viewing condition. This allows information about the user to be shared more appropriately for a larger number of processes.

[0173] The viewing condition management unit 452 manages, as a viewing condition, whether or not viewing is permitted based on attribute information, which is information relating to the attributes of a viewer who has made a viewing request using the second processing device 20. This allows the decision on whether to allow access to health information to be made based on the attributes of the person who has made the access request, making it possible to set the destination for accessing health information more flexibly and making it easier to reflect the user's wishes.

[0174] If viewing is not permitted by the judgment unit 453, the viewing control unit 454 requests permission to view from the user corresponding to the first health information for which the viewing request has been made, and if viewing is permitted in response to the permission request, allows the second processing device 20 to view the first health information. This eliminates the need for the user to determine in advance whether or not to permit viewing for all of the second processing devices 20, and the user only needs to determine whether or not to permit viewing when a viewing request is made. In other words, it is possible to make it easier for the user to set viewing conditions.

[0175] The first processing device 10 performs processing related to a predetermined function of the terminal used by the user, and acquires first health information in the processing related to the predetermined function. This allows the first health information to be acquired in relation to processing related to functions of the terminal used by the user.

[0176] The viewing condition management unit 452 allows at least a part of the viewing conditions managed by the viewing condition management unit 452 to be set by a person other than the user, instead of the user. This allows medical professionals who provide medical guidance and treatment to users, as well as family members of users, to Therefore, other people can manage health information that is not desirable for the user to manage (for example, the name of a disease that has not yet been notified to the user, or test results of specialized tests that the user does not need to know).

[0177] The viewing condition management unit 452 distributes and stores the viewing conditions in a plurality of information processing devices, and manages the viewing conditions based on the consistency between the distributed and stored information. This makes it possible to manage viewing conditions while ensuring high security, for example, by using technology such as blockchain.

[0178] The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configurations in the above-described embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that any of the computers constituting the information sharing system S has the function to execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize these functions are not particularly limited to the examples shown. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0179] Furthermore, the recording medium containing the program for executing the above-mentioned series of processes may be configured not only as a removable medium distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the program to the user, but also as a recording medium provided to the user in a state where it is pre-installed in the device main body.

[0180] Furthermore, the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiments are merely a list of the most favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the present embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0181] 10 First processing device, 20 Second processing device, 30 User terminal, 40 Information management device, 151 First processing control unit, 152 Viewing information generation unit, 171, 271, 371 User information storage unit, 172, 372 First health information storage unit, 251 Second processing execution unit, 252 Connection execution unit, 253 Viewing request unit, 272 Second health information storage unit, 351 First processing execution unit, 352 First health information acquisition unit, 353 Viewing condition setting unit, 451 User information management unit, 452 Viewing condition management unit, 453 Determination unit, 454 Viewing control unit, 471 User management information storage unit, 472 Viewing condition storage unit, 800 Information processing device, 811 CPU, 812 ROM, 813 RAM, 814 Bus, 815 Input unit, 816 Output unit, 817 Memory unit, 818 Communication unit, 819 Drive, 820 Sensor, 831 Removable Media, BC Blockchain, N Network, S Information Sharing System

Claims

1. a management means for managing viewing conditions of health information, which is information relating to the health of a user, based on settings of the user; a first processing means for providing a function to acquire at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user, and for acquiring, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal using the acquiring function; a determination means for determining whether or not to permit the first health information to be viewed based on the viewing conditions managed by the management means when the request to view the first health information is received from the second processing means; a viewing means for acquiring the first health information from the first processing means when the access is permitted by the determination means, and allowing the second processing means to access the acquired first health information; Equipped with When the determination means permits the viewing, the first processing means extracts at least a part of the first health information within the scope of disclosure according to the first processing means, which is set by the business operator that provides the function of obtaining the information, and converts the information into a predetermined format suitable for viewing, and causes the viewing means to obtain the information as the first health information for viewing. An information sharing system characterized by:

2. A management means for managing viewing conditions of health information, which is information about a user's health, based on settings of the user; a first processing means for providing a function to acquire at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user, and for acquiring, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal using the acquiring function; a determination means for determining whether or not to permit the first health information to be viewed based on the viewing conditions managed by the management means when the request to view the first health information is received from the second processing means; a viewing means for acquiring the first health information from the first processing means when the access is permitted by the determination means, and allowing the second processing means to access the acquired first health information; Equipped with the management means manages, as the viewing condition, whether or not to permit the viewing based on attribute information which is information indicating attributes related to a health condition of the viewer who has made the viewing request using the second processing means; An information sharing system characterized by:

3. There are a plurality of first processing means, The plurality of first processing means each provide a different function to the user terminal.

3. The information sharing system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An information sharing method performed by an information sharing system, a management step of managing viewing conditions for health information, which is information about a user's health, based on settings of the user; a first processing step of providing a function of acquiring at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user by a first processing means, and acquiring, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal by the acquiring function; a determination step of determining whether or not to permit the first health information to be viewed based on the viewing conditions managed in the management step when a request to view the first health information is received from a second processing means; a viewing step of acquiring the first health information from the first processing means and causing the second processing means to view the acquired first health information when the viewing is permitted in the determining step; Including, When the viewing is permitted in the determining step, the first processing means extracts at least a part of the first health information within the scope of disclosure according to the first processing means, which is set by the business operator that provides the acquiring function, and converts the information into a predetermined format suitable for viewing, and acquires the information as the first health information for viewing in the viewing step. An information sharing method comprising:

5. An information sharing method performed by an information sharing system, comprising: a management step of managing viewing conditions for health information, which is information about a user's health, based on settings of the user; a first processing step of providing a function of acquiring at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user by a first processing means, and acquiring, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal by the acquiring function; a determination step of determining whether or not to permit the first health information to be viewed based on the viewing conditions managed in the management step when a request to view the first health information is received from a second processing means; a viewing step of acquiring the first health information from the first processing means and causing the second processing means to view the acquired first health information when the viewing is permitted in the determining step; Including, In the management step, whether or not the viewing is permitted is managed as the viewing condition based on attribute information which is information indicating attributes related to a health condition of the viewer who has made the viewing request using the second processing means. An information sharing method comprising:

6. a management function for managing viewing conditions of health information, which is information relating to the health of a user, based on settings of the user; a first processing function that provides a function to acquire at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user by a first processing means, and acquires, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal by the acquiring function; a determination function that, when receiving a request to view the first health information from a second processing means, determines whether or not to permit viewing based on the viewing conditions managed by the management function; a viewing function that, when viewing is permitted by the determination function, acquires the first health information from the first processing means and allows the second processing means to view the acquired first health information; and When the determination function permits the viewing, the first processing means extracts at least a part of the first health information within the scope of disclosure according to the first processing means, which is set by the business operator that provides the function to obtain the information, and converts the information into a predetermined format suitable for viewing, and causes the viewing function to obtain the information as the first health information for viewing. A program characterized by:

7. A management function for managing viewing conditions of health information, which is information about a user's health, based on settings of the user; a first processing function that provides a function to acquire at least a part of the health information as first health information to a user terminal used by the user by a first processing means, and acquires, from the user terminal, the first health information acquired by the user terminal by the acquiring function; a determination function that, when receiving a request to view the first health information from a second processing means, determines whether or not to permit viewing based on the viewing conditions managed by the management function; a viewing function that, when viewing is permitted by the determination function, acquires the first health information from the first processing means and allows the second processing means to view the acquired first health information; and the management function manages, as the viewing condition, whether or not to permit the viewing based on attribute information which is information indicating attributes related to a health condition of the viewer who has made the viewing request using the second processing means; A program characterized by:

Images