Transaction support device, transaction support program, transaction support method

Abstract

To provide a transaction support device, a transaction support program, and a transaction support method that support transactions while ensuring a living organism unambiguously possesses linked genetic information.SOLUTION: In a transaction support system where a server device, communicatively connected to a blockchain network (Blockchain NW), is communicatively connected via a communication network NW to an inspection user terminal, a viewing user terminal, and an inspection device terminal, the server device, which is a transaction support device supporting transactions for living organisms, includes a genetic information storage unit that stores genetic information of the living organism, and an NFT issuance unit that generates a pedigree or digital art on the basis of the genetic information, and records a user ID identifying an owner of the living organism in association with a non-fungible token (NFT) associated with the pedigree or digital art on the blockchain network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [[ID=**********]]The present invention relates to a transaction support device, a transaction support program, and a transaction support method.

Background Art

[0002] A method for selling a living body with identified genetic information has been proposed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that genetic trait identifiers such as nucleic acid sequences are associated with animals, embryos, gametes, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not have a mechanism to guarantee that the genetic trait identifier associated with an animal or the like is correct, it may happen that the animal or the like purchased by the user does not have that genetic trait.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to support a transaction having a mechanism to guarantee that a living body definitely has the associated genetic information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The product transaction support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a genetic information storage unit that stores the genetic information of the living body, an NFT issuance unit that generates a pedigree book and digital art based on the genetic information, and associates a user ID that identifies the owner of the living body with a non - fungible token associated with the pedigree book and the digital art and records it in a blockchain network. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to support transactions while guaranteeing that living organisms undoubtedly possess linked genetic information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a transaction support system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server device 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of user information stored in the user information storage unit 131 according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of biological information stored in the biological information storage unit 132 according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of genetic information stored in the genetic information storage unit 133 according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of pedigree information stored in the pedigree storage unit 134 according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a pedigree certificate generated by the pedigree certificate generation unit 114 according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of artwork generated by the artwork generation unit 115 according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the operation of the transaction support system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Also, not all of the components shown in the embodiments are essential components of the present invention.

[0011] <Summary of the Invention> The content of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described. The present invention has, for example, the following configuration. [Item 1] A transaction support device for supporting transactions of a living body, a genetic information storage unit for storing the genetic information of the living body; an NFT issuance unit that generates a family tree or digital art based on the genetic information and associates a non-fungible token associated with a user ID identifying the owner of the living body with the family tree or the digital art and records it in a blockchain network; A transaction support device characterized by comprising: [Item 2] The NFT issuance unit generates the digital art based on information on the base sequence included in the genetic information. The transaction support device according to Item 1. [Item 3] a trait simulation unit that predicts the traits of offspring when the first living body and the second living body are crossed, based on the trait information of the first living body and the second living body and the genetic information; The transaction support device according to Item 1 or 2, comprising: [Item 4] a distribution unit that distributes a part of the profit to the inspection user who is the owner of the family tree when the family tree is viewed after obtaining profit from a viewing user who wishes to view the family tree; The transaction support device according to Item 3, comprising: [Item 5] A transaction support program for supporting transactions of a living body, causing a processor to perform a genetic information storage step of storing the genetic information of the living body; An NFT issuance step of generating a family tree or digital art based on the genetic information and recording, in a blockchain network, a user ID identifying the owner of the living body in association with a non-fungible token associated with the family tree or the digital art. A transaction support program that causes the above to be executed. [Item 6] A transaction support method for supporting transactions of living bodies, where a processor performs a genetic information storage step of storing the genetic information of the living body; an NFT issuance step of generating a family tree or digital art based on the genetic information and recording, in a blockchain network, a user ID identifying the owner of the living body in association with a non-fungible token associated with the family tree or the digital art. A transaction support method that executes the above.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration example of a transaction support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The provided system of this embodiment includes a server device 1. The server device 1 is communicably connected via a communication network NW to an inspection user terminal 2, a browsing user terminal 3, and an inspection device terminal 4. The communication network NW is, for example, the Internet and is constructed by a public telephone line network, a mobile phone line network, a wireless communication path, Ethernet (registered trademark), or the like.

[0013] The server device 1 is also communicably connected to a blockchain network (Blockchain NW in FIG. 1). The blockchain network is composed of a plurality of nodes (computers) and can manage ledger data in a distributed manner. The distributed ledger is managed with difficulty of tampering by the so-called blockchain mechanism. Here, a detailed description of the mechanism of distributed ledger management by the blockchain is omitted as a general one is adopted. The blockchain network can be constructed by, for example, Ethereum.

[0014] Tokens that can be issued by blockchain networks such as Ethereum (Ethereum tokens) include fungible tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). An NFT is, for example, a token issued under the "ERC721" standard of Ethereum, a blockchain network platform (also called an NFT-721 token). It is a unit of data recorded on the blockchain network, can be associated with an edition (ownership) of a digital product based on a unique identifier (NFT-ID), and has the characteristic of being non-fungible. An NFT can have its own value that distinguishes it from other NFTs. In this embodiment, as an example, we assume that the NFT is an NFT-721 token. Like fungible tokens, NFTs are tradable on the blockchain network. The transaction history of NFTs is recorded on the blockchain network. The distributed ledger of the blockchain network also records the owner and ownership history of NFTs.

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of server device 1. Note that the illustrated configuration is just one example, and other configurations are also possible. Server device 1 includes a CPU 101, memory 102, storage device 103, communication interface 104, input device 105, and output device 106. The storage device 103 stores various data and programs, such as a hard disk drive, solid-state drive, or flash memory. The communication interface 104 is an interface for connecting to the communication network 2, such as an adapter for connecting to Ethernet®, a modem for connecting to a public telephone network, a wireless communication device for wireless communication, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector or RS232C connector for serial communication. The input device 105 is for inputting data, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, button, or microphone. The output device 106 is for outputting data, such as a display, printer, or speaker. Furthermore, each functional unit of the server device 1, as described later, is realized by the CPU 101 reading a program stored in the storage device 103 into memory 102 and executing it, and each storage unit of the server device 1 is realized as part of the storage area provided by memory 102 and storage device 103.

[0016] Server device 1 can receive genetic information of a living organism from the testing device terminal 4 and record non-fungible tokens (hereinafter, "NFTs") associated with the biological identifier, etc., on the blockchain network. NFTs are tokens issued under the "ERC721" standard of Ethereum, a blockchain network platform, and are units of data recorded on the blockchain network. They can be associated with editions (ownership) of digital products based on their ID and have the characteristic of being non-fungible. Since NFTs are recorded on the blockchain along with smart contracts and are traceable, transaction information including details and history of the biological owner, the person who tested the genetic information, etc., can be verified. Furthermore, by using smart contracts, contracts related to transactions between the platform operator and a user, or between multiple users, can be automatically generated, approved, and executed without the need for a third party.

[0017] ==Inspection User Terminal 2== The user testing terminal 2 is a computer used by a user (hereinafter referred to as the user testing) who is, for example, the owner of an animal and wishes to have the animal's genetic information tested. Examples include smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. The user testing terminal 2 can access the server device 1, for example, through an application or web browser running on the user testing terminal 2.

[0018] ==Viewing User Terminal 3== The browsing user terminal 3 is a computer used by users (hereinafter referred to as "browsing users") who wish to view the genetic information and pedigrees of living organisms. Examples include smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. Browsing users can access server device 1, for example, through applications or web browsers running on browsing user terminal 3.

[0019] Note that the inspection user may also be a viewing user.

[0020] ==Inspection device terminal 4== The testing device terminal 4 is a computer that controls a testing device that performs genetic information testing on living organisms. Examples include smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. Users of the testing device terminal 4 can access the server device 1, for example, through applications or web browsers running on the testing device terminal 4.

[0021] The testing device in this embodiment may be a device for testing the genetic information of a living organism, and may be, but is not limited to, a DNA sequencer, a next-generation sequencer, or a DNA chip analyzer.

[0022] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the server device 1 shown in Figure 1. The server device 1 comprises processing units: a user information acquisition unit 111, a biometric information acquisition unit 112, a genetic information acquisition unit 113, a pedigree certificate generation unit 114, an art generation unit 115, an NFT issuance unit 116, a presentation unit 116, a trait simulation unit 118, a distribution unit 119, and a trading support unit 120, as well as storage units: a user information storage unit 131, a biometric information storage unit 132, a genetic information storage unit 133, a pedigree certificate information storage unit 134, and an art storage unit 135.

[0023] The information stored in each of the following memory units is described: user information memory unit 131, biometric information memory unit 132, genetic information memory unit 133, pedigree information memory unit 134, and art memory unit 135.

[0024] The user information storage unit 131 stores information about the inspected user and the browsing user acquired by the user information acquisition unit 111. As shown in Figure 4, user information includes, but is not limited to, name, email address, address, telephone number, bank account, wallet address, and credit card information, linked to the user ID.

[0025] The biological information storage unit 132 stores information about the biological organism (hereinafter, this may be referred to as an individual) owned by the inspection user, which has been acquired by the biological information acquisition unit 112. As shown in Figure 5, the biological information includes, but is not limited to, information such as species, breed, name, date of birth, age, sex, parents, ancestors, height, weight, coat color, coat type, chronic illnesses, and images of the organism, linked to a biological ID.

[0026] In this embodiment, the living organism may be, but is not limited to, a pet, livestock, or farmed fish. Similarly, the test user may be, but is not limited to, a pet owner, livestock farmer, or aquaculture farmer.

[0027] The genetic information storage unit 133 stores information about the genetic information of the living organism that has been acquired by the genetic information acquisition unit 113. As shown in Figure 6, the genetic information includes, but is not limited to, genome information linked to a biological ID, the base sequence of a specific region, the base sequence of the sex-determining gene and its neighboring region, SNPs, and information about the examiner. The genetic information may be in the form of, but is not limited to, FASTA files, FASTQ files, sra files, ab1 files, or text files.

[0028] The pedigree information storage unit 134 stores the pedigree information generated by the pedigree generation unit 114. The pedigree information includes, but is not limited to, the following, linked to a user ID or biometric ID: species, breed, name, date of birth, age, sex, parents, ancestors, height, weight, coat color, coat type, chronic illnesses, analysis ID, genetic information, phylogenetic tree, information of the genetic information analyst, rarity, user IDs of previous owners, and the date and time of transfer to previous owners.

[0029] The art memory unit 135 stores the art generated by the art generation unit 115.

[0030] The art in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, images, videos, audio, etc., and includes art works, characters, digital items, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "content"). Furthermore, the ownership of the art has the characteristic of being shareable among multiple users. Ownership can be offered as multiple editions (for example, 100 listings), and each edition is associated with an NFT-ID. Art purchased by a viewing user can be resold to other users by methods such as auction, and each time a viewing user acquires ownership of the art, the user's name can be displayed on the digital signage attached to the art or on the web page related to the digital product.

[0031] The artwork of this embodiment may be provided to the inspection user who owns the organism associated with the artwork, or to the viewing user who purchased the organism, or to any third party who wishes to do so. The viewing user may be given the option to purchase the artwork when purchasing the organism.

[0032] Furthermore, all or part of the pedigree information storage unit 134 and the art storage unit 135 may be placed on a blockchain network, and all or part of the pedigree information and art information may be managed on a distributed ledger. For example, the biometric ID and genetic information stored in the pedigree storage unit 134 may be stored on the blockchain network, while information such as species and breed may be stored on the storage medium of the server device 1.

[0033] The functions of each processing unit, including the user information acquisition unit 111, the biometric information acquisition unit 112, the genetic information acquisition unit 113, the pedigree certificate generation unit 114, the art generation unit 115, the NFT issuance unit 116, the presentation unit 116, the trait simulation unit 118, the distribution unit 119, and the trading support unit 120, are described below.

[0034] The user information acquisition unit 111, as an example, presents an input form for user information to the inspection user terminal 2 or the browsing user terminal 3 via the network NW, and acquires user information based on the user's input. The communication in this transmission and reception can be wired or wireless, and any communication protocol can be used as long as communication between the devices is possible.

[0035] As an example, the biometric information acquisition unit 112 presents an input form for biometric information to the examination user terminal 2 via the network NW, and acquires biometric information based on the examination user's input. The communication in this transmission and reception can be wired or wireless, and any communication protocol can be used as long as communication between the two devices is possible.

[0036] The biological information acquisition unit 112 may, for example, analyze the acquired image of the organism using known image analysis techniques to determine the species, variety, and traits of the organism. Alternatively, the biological information acquisition unit 112 may compare the information determined from the image with the biological information received from the user and request confirmation from the user for any items in the biological information that are determined to be incorrect.

[0037] Furthermore, the biological information acquisition unit 112 may acquire requests that include a request for testing the genetic information of a living organism. When the biological information acquisition unit 112 acquires such a request, the business operator using the server device 1 will deliver a kit to the test user who made the request to acquire a sample for testing (for example, a part of a living organism such as a part of its tail fin). The test user will then return the acquired sample to the business operator, and the business operator, or a third party commissioned by the business operator, will perform the genetic information testing. Note that the method for testing genetic information can be done using existing methods, so no explanation will be given.

[0038] The genetic information acquisition unit 113 acquires genetic information from the testing device terminal 4 via a network NW, for example. The communication in this transmission and reception can be wired or wireless, and any communication protocol can be used as long as communication between the two devices is possible. In addition, the genetic information acquisition unit 113 may acquire genetic information by having a business operator using the server device 1 transfer the genetic information stored in the testing device terminal 4 to the server device 1 using a storage medium or the like. Furthermore, the genetic information acquisition unit 113 may acquire genetic information already possessed by the testing user from the testing user terminal 2.

[0039] The pedigree generation unit 114 generates a pedigree certificate corresponding to an organism. For example, the pedigree generation unit 114 generates a pedigree certificate corresponding to an organism based on the organism's biological information and genetic information. An example of a pedigree certificate generated by the pedigree generation unit 114 is shown in Figure 8.

[0040] The pedigree generation unit 114 may generate diagrams based on genetic information, such as phylogenetic trees or diagrams plotting genotyping, and generate a pedigree certificate that includes the information in said diagrams.

[0041] The pedigree generation unit 114 may calculate the rarity of an organism and generate a pedigree that includes information on rarity. The pedigree generation unit 114 may, for example, calculate rarity from the biological information or genetic information of an organism and its fixation rate. For example, the pedigree generation unit 114 may store in the server device 1 the known probability of a phenotype, such as color, appearing in the biological information associated with an organism as a fixation rate, and use this fixation rate information as rarity. If an organism has multiple phenotypes for which fixation rates are stored, the pedigree generation unit 114 may calculate rarity by multiplying the fixation rates associated with each phenotype. Furthermore, if the genetic information includes mutations of SNPs known to be involved in a specific phenotype, the server device 1 may store the probability of such SNP mutations appearing as a fixation rate, and use this fixation rate information as rarity. If a living organism has multiple SNP mutations for which the fixation rate is stored, the pedigree generation unit 114 can calculate the rarity by multiplying the fixation rates associated with each SNP mutation. The pedigree generation unit 114 may also calculate the rarity based on the phenotypic fixation rate A included in the living organism information and the fixation rate B of SNP mutations, etc., included in the genetic information that are known to be related to a specific phenotype. In this case, the pedigree generation unit 114 may calculate the rarity by multiplying fixation rate A and fixation rate B, or it may calculate the rarity by multiplying fixation rate A or fixation rate B by a predetermined coefficient and then multiplying them together.

[0042] The art generation unit 115 generates digital art based on the information in the pedigree certificate. For example, the art generation unit 115 generates art based on the biological information and genetic information of the organism that formed the basis of the pedigree certificate. An example of art generated by the art generation unit is shown in Figure 9. For example, the art generation unit 115 arranges A, T, C, and G, which represent bases, in the shape of a frame corresponding to the biological species and breed stored in the server device 1, based on the information of the biological species and breed included in the biological information associated with the organism that formed the basis of the pedigree certificate. The art generation unit 115 may replace the colors of A, T, C, and G with four colors based on the neighboring sequences containing SNPs specific to and characteristic of the organism included in the genetic information associated with the organism, or it may change the eye color and base color based on the position and number of SNPs, or the individual color information included in the biological information, but is not limited to these methods.

[0043] The art generation unit 115 may, for example, generate art based on traits that may appear in the offspring of the organism that served as the basis for the pedigree, using the organism's biological and genetic information as the basis for the pedigree.

[0044] The NFT issuing unit 116 issues an NFT corresponding to the pedigree certificate (certifying the owner of the pedigree certificate (owner of the living organism)) when the pedigree certificate generation unit generates a pedigree certificate. The issued NFT contains information that identifies the pedigree certificate and information that identifies the owner (user ID), etc. The NFT emitting unit 116 may also issue an NFT corresponding to the art generated by the art generation unit.

[0045] The NFT issuing unit 116 can send the issued NFT to the wallet of the inspecting user who owns it.

[0046] The display unit 117 presents the pedigree certificate generated by the pedigree certificate generation unit 114 and the artwork generated by the artwork generation unit 115 to the user of the inspection.

[0047] The presentation unit 117 should grant the inspection user access rights to the pedigree information storage unit 134 and the art storage unit 135, and then present a URL, etc.

[0048] The display unit 117 presents the pedigree certificate generated by the pedigree certificate generation unit 114 and the artwork generated by the artwork generation unit 115 to the user viewing the document.

[0049] The presentation unit 117 obtains a request from the viewing user to view a specific pedigree certificate or artwork. The presentation unit 117 may also obtain payment from the viewing user in the form of a specific currency, cryptocurrency, etc., along with the request to view. When the presentation unit 117 obtains a request to view or payment from the viewing user, it should grant access rights to the pedigree certificate information storage unit 134 and the artwork storage unit 135 and present a URL, etc.

[0050] The trait simulation unit 118 simulates the phenotypic traits that would result from crossbreeding the organisms that form the basis of the pedigrees, based on information from multiple pedigrees. The trait simulation unit 118 obtains requests for trait simulations from inspection users and viewing users, for example, specifying two pedigrees. The trait simulation unit 118 can then, for example, perform a simulation of the phenotypic traits that would result from crossbreeding the organisms that form the basis of the pedigrees, based on the information from the specified pedigrees.

[0051] The trait simulation unit 118 simulates, for example, what traits such as color, body shape, body length, body height, and physical characteristics will be when the genetic information contained in the accepted pedigree certificate is crossbred, based on scientifically known facts. Furthermore, the simulation results may include information on possibilities, taking into account factors such as the probability of mutations occurring in genetic information during meiosis of germ cells or through recombination. The trait simulation unit 118 may also simulate the traits of the next generation by combining the genetic lineage background within the species in the current generation (such as phylogenetic analysis and structure analysis) with trait information.

[0052] The trait simulation unit 118, for example, when a pedigree certificate that has been approved contains information on a special individual (for example, an individual whose phenotype, such as color, body shape, body length, or body height, is different from that of a wild individual), will use that trait as the simulation result if the gene causing the phenotype has been identified and its frequency and other information have been scientifically clarified. For example, L236 (invoice name) of the pleco, a type of ornamental fish, has undergone selective breeding, resulting in a high fixation rate of mutant traits (special individuals) in the next generation. On the other hand, L333 (invoice name) still retains many wild-type traits, so it is known that the fixation rate of mutant traits (special individuals) in the next generation tends to be low. However, since it is possible to create fixed varieties with mutant traits by advancing selective breeding for any variety, the trait simulation unit 118 can simply combine the genetic lineage background within the species in the current generation (phylogenetic analysis and structure analysis, etc.) with trait information to simulate (predict) the traits of the next generation.

[0053] The trait simulation unit 118, for example, if the pedigree certificate that has been approved contains information on a special individual (for example, an individual whose phenotype, such as color, body shape, body length, and body height, is different from that of a wild individual), and the gene causing the phenotype has not been identified, should return a simulation result such as the likelihood of the next generation being of S / A / B / C / D grade, taking into account factors such as the parent breed, phenotype (appearance, etc.), and the rate of variant individuals in the offspring (fixation rate).

[0054] The trait simulation unit 118 may, for example, obtain payment from the user who requested the trait simulation in a specific currency, cryptocurrency, or the like.

[0055] The distribution unit 119 may, when it obtains compensation for viewing pedigrees or performing trait simulations, distribute a portion of the compensation to the inspection user who owns the pedigree that was viewed or the pedigree that was subjected to trait simulation.

[0056] The sales support unit 120 supports the sale of live animals. The sales support unit 120 may be equipped with a chat system or bulletin board to enable communication between inspection users and browsing users. The sales support unit 120 may receive the conditions for the sale of live animals (price, delivery method, etc.) from the inspection user terminal 2 and display them to the browsing user terminal 3. The sales support unit 120 receives purchase applications for live animals from browsing users and displays them to the inspection users. When the sales support unit 120 accepts a purchase application from a browsing user, it may request payment of consideration, and may pay the inspection user the amount after deducting a commission from the consideration.

[0057] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the transaction support system of this embodiment.

[0058] Server device 1 obtains user information from the test user terminal 2 (1001). Server device 1 obtains biological information from the test user terminal 2 (1002). Server device 1 obtains genetic information from the test device terminal 4 (1003). Server device 1 generates and stores a pedigree certificate (1004). Server device 1 generates and stores art (1004). Server device 1 issues an NFT (1006). Server device 1 may present the pedigree certificate and art to the test user terminal 2. Server device 1 obtains a request to view the pedigree certificate from the viewing user terminal 3 (1007). At this time, it may obtain payment from the viewing user requesting the viewing. Server device 1 controls and presents the viewing rights for the pedigree certificate to the viewing user (1008). Server device 1 obtains a request for trait simulation from the viewing user terminal 3 (1009). At this time, it may obtain payment from the viewing user requesting the viewing. Server device 1 performs trait simulations and presents the results to the viewing user (1010). Server device 1 distributes revenue to the inspection user who has requested to view the pedigree or who possesses the pedigree that was the subject of the trait simulation (1011). Server device 1 receives a request to purchase a living organism from the viewing user terminal 3 and obtains payment information (1012). Server device 1 presents the request to purchase a living organism and the revenue payment information to the inspection user terminal 2 (1013).

[0059] As described above, the transaction support system of this embodiment allows for the purchase of animals whose pedigrees have been proven not to have been altered, and for the purchase of animals after seeing predictions of the traits that will result from crossbreeding with such animals.

[0060] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art of the present disclosure that various modifications or alterations may be conceived within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] The devices described herein may be implemented as a single device, or as a group of devices (e.g., cloud servers) that are partially or entirely connected by a network. For example, the CPU and storage device of server device 1 may be implemented by different servers that are connected to each other by a network.

[0062] The series of processes performed by the apparatus described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Computer programs for implementing each function of the server device 1 according to this embodiment can be created and implemented on a PC or the like. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium containing such a computer program can also be provided. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, and flash memory. Alternatively, the computer program may be distributed without using a recording medium, for example, via a network.

[0063] Furthermore, the processes described herein do not necessarily have to be performed in the order described. Some processing steps may be performed in parallel. Additional processing steps may be employed, and some processing steps may be omitted.

[0064] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or in lieu of the effects described herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1 Server device 2. Inspection user terminal 3. Viewing user terminal NW Network 101 Processors 102 memory 103 Storage device 104 Communication Interface 105 Input device 106 Output device 111 User Information Acquisition Unit 112 Biological Information Acquisition Unit 113 Genetic Information Acquisition Unit 114 Pedigree generation section 115 Art Generation Department 116 NFT Issuance Department 117 Presentation section 118 Trait Simulation Department 119 Distribution section 120 Trading Support Department 131 User Information Storage Unit 132 Biological Information Storage Unit 133 Genetic Information Storage Unit 134 Pedigree Information Storage Unit 135 Art Memory Department

Claims

1. An information-providing device that presents characteristic information of animal offspring, An information storage unit that stores, in conjunction with user information that identifies the user who owns each individual animal, characteristic information relating to the individual characteristics of the first and second animal individuals that will be the parents for mating, and pedigree information for each individual animal including the characteristic information, An information input unit receives input from a user terminal, specifying individual information identifying the first and second animal individuals, and pedigree information of the first and second animal individuals, as a request for a trait simulation that may be expressed in offspring born from a combination of the first and second animal individuals. The system comprises an information processing unit that determines characteristic information that can be expressed in the offspring from the information storage unit based on the individual information and pedigree information input into the information input unit, The information processing unit obtains characteristic information for the first animal individual and the second animal individual from the pedigree information for each of the first and second animal individuals stored in the information storage unit. Based on the acquired information, characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual is determined from the information storage unit. The determined characteristic information is presented to the user terminal as the result of the trait simulation. The aforementioned characteristic information includes genetic characteristic information for each individual animal, The information processing unit, based on the individual information, obtains genetic characteristic information for the first animal individual and the second animal individual from the information storage unit, and, based on the obtained genetic characteristic information, determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual. The information processing unit is an information providing device that considers the probability of mutations occurring in the genetic information of the first animal individual and the second animal individual, and adds possibility information to the acquired characteristic information.

2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information stores information relating to the species and physical characteristics of a first animal individual and a second animal individual, and the information processing unit determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring born from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual, based on the pedigree information of the first animal individual and the second animal individual.

3. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information stores information regarding the sex of the first and second animal individuals, and the information processing unit determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring born from the mating of the first and second animal individuals, based on the pedigree information of the first and second animal individuals.

4. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information stores information about the breed of the first and second animal individuals, and the information processing unit determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring born from the mating of the first and second animal individuals, based on the pedigree information of the first and second animal individuals.

5. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information includes any of the following: species, breed, name, date of birth, age, sex, parents, ancestors, height, weight, coat color, coat quality, chronic illness, analysis ID, genetic information, phylogenetic tree, information of the genetic information analyst, rarity, user IDs of previous owners, and the date and time of transfer to previous owners.

6. The information processing unit determines whether there is an error in the items included in the individual information that identifies the input first and second animal individuals, and if it determines that there is an error, it requests confirmation from the user who input the individual information, as described in claim 1.

7. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit acquires characteristic information of the offspring based on information on the fixation rate in which the phenotypes of the first animal individual and the second animal individual appear, or information on mutations related to a specific phenotype, which is obtained based on the base sequence information contained in the genetic information of the first animal individual and the second animal individual.

8. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the mutation includes a difference in base sequence containing SNPs related to a specific phenotype.

9. The information processing unit combines genetic lineage background information and trait information within the biological species in the current generation to acquire characteristic information for the next generation, as described in claim 1.

10. The information providing device according to claim 1, comprising a pedigree generation unit that generates a pedigree certificate for the animal based on the genetic information of the animal.

11. The information providing device according to claim 1, further comprising an NFT issuing unit that records a user ID identifying the owner of the animal individual in association with a non-fungible token associated with the pedigree certificate on a blockchain network.

12. The information providing device according to claim 1, comprising: a distribution unit that obtains payment from a user who has requested the acquisition of characteristic information by the information processing unit, and distributes a portion of the payment to the owner of the pedigree certificate of the animal individual whose characteristic information was acquired.

13. The information providing device according to claim 1, comprising conditions relating to the sale of the animal individual and a sales support unit that accepts applications for the purchase of the animal individual.

14. In the processor, The information storage unit pre-stores characteristic information relating to the individual characteristics of the first animal individual and the second animal individual that will be the parent in the mating, as well as pedigree information for each individual animal including the characteristic information, in association with user information that identifies the user who owns each individual animal. The system accepts input from the user terminal, specifying individual information identifying the first and second animal individuals, and pedigree information for the first and second animal individuals, as a request for a trait simulation that may be expressed in offspring born from the combination of the first and second animal individuals. Based on the input individual information and pedigree information, the characteristic information that may be expressed in the offspring is determined. Characteristic information of the first animal and the second animal is obtained from the pedigree information of the first animal and the second animal stored in the information storage unit, Based on the acquired information, the information storage unit determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual. The determined characteristic information is presented to the user terminal as the result of the trait simulation. The aforementioned characteristic information includes genetic characteristic information for each individual animal, The determination involves obtaining genetic characteristic information for the first animal individual and the second animal individual from the information storage unit based on the individual information, and determining characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual based on the obtained genetic characteristic information. A program that takes into account the probability of mutations occurring in the genetic information of the first and second animal individuals, and adds information about the possibilities to the characteristic information obtained.

15. A method for providing information that presents characteristic information about the offspring of animals, The information storage unit of the information processing device pre-stores characteristic information relating to the individual characteristics of the first animal individual and the second animal individual that will be the parent in the mating, as well as pedigree information for each individual animal that includes the characteristic information, in association with user information that identifies the user who owns each individual animal. The information input unit of the information processing device receives input from a user terminal as a request for a phenotypic simulation of traits that may be expressed in offspring born from the combination of the first animal individual and the second animal individual, specifying individual information that identifies the first animal individual and the second animal individual, and pedigree information of the first animal individual and the second animal individual. Based on the individual information and pedigree information input to the information input unit, the information processing unit of the information processing device determines characteristic information that can be expressed in the offspring from the information storage unit. The information processing unit obtains characteristic information for the first animal individual and the second animal individual from the pedigree information for each of the first and second animal individuals stored in the information storage unit. Based on the acquired information, characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual is determined from the information storage unit. The determined characteristic information is presented to the user terminal as the result of the trait simulation. The aforementioned characteristic information includes genetic characteristic information for each individual animal, The information processing unit, based on the individual information, obtains genetic characteristic information for the first animal individual and the second animal individual from the information storage unit, and, based on the obtained genetic characteristic information, determines characteristic information that may be expressed in offspring resulting from the mating of the first animal individual and the second animal individual. The information processing unit provides an information provision method that considers the probability of mutations occurring in the genetic information of the first animal individual and the second animal individual, and adds possibility information to the acquired characteristic information.

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