Contract management programs, information processing devices, information processing systems, information processing methods, information processing terminals

Abstract

To store and manage evidence information, such as invoices, receipts, estimates, reports, identity verification documents, or seal certificates, in electronic contract procedures between multiple users, in association with relevant contract information.SOLUTION: A contract management program causes a computer including a processor and a storage unit to store electronic contract procedures between users. The processor executes: a contract storage step of storing contract information; an evidence receiving step of receiving evidence information related to evidence documents; and an evidence storage step of specifying one or more pieces of contract information on the basis of the evidence information received in the evidence receiving step and storing the evidence information in association with the specified one or more pieces of contract information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a contract management program, an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing terminal.

Background Art

[0002] With the development and spread of computer technology, documents that have hitherto been in paper form are being digitized. For example, it is considered possible to manage documents such as contract documents that require the signatures and seals of the parties in electronic data. Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing system related to digital contracts including a creator terminal, a checker terminal, and a contract document management server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an electronic contract procedure among multiple users, there is a problem that evidentiary information such as invoices, receipts, estimates, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates cannot be stored and managed in association with related contract information. Therefore, the present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for storing and managing evidentiary information such as invoices, receipts, estimates, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates in association with related contract information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A contract management program comprising a processor and a memory unit, for causing a computer to store electronic contract procedures between users, wherein the processor performs a contract storage step of storing contract information, a document reception step of receiving document information relating to documentary documents, and a document storage step of identifying one or more contract information based on the document information received in the document reception step and storing the document information in association with the identified one or more contract information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates can be stored and managed in conjunction with related contract information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of System 1. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the functional configuration of Server 10. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first user terminal 20. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the second user terminal 30. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the data structure of user table 1012. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the data structure of group table 1013. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the data structure of document table 1014. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the data structure of confirmation table 1015. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the data structure of input item table 1016. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the data structure of contract group table 1017. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the data structure of the document table 1018. [Figure 12]It is a flowchart showing the operation of the contract creation process. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the contract confirmation process. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the voucher storage process. [Figure 15] It is an example screen showing the operation of the contract creation process. [Figure 16] It is an example screen showing the confirmation request message notified to the second user terminal 30. [Figure 17] It is an example screen showing the operation of the contract confirmation process. [Figure 18] It is an example screen showing the conclusion completion message notified to the first user terminal 20. [Figure 19] It is an example screen presenting the aggregated information regarding the voucher information. [Figure 20] It is a block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of the computer 90.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings for describing the embodiments, the same reference numerals are assigned to common components, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Note that the following embodiments do not unduly limit the content of the present disclosure described in the claims. Also, not all of the components shown in the embodiments are essential components of the present disclosure. Further, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily drawn precisely.

[0009] <Configuration of System 1> The system 1 in the present disclosure is an information processing system for realizing a service that stores and manages contract information concluded among a plurality of users. The system 1 includes information processing apparatuses of a server 10, a first user terminal 20, and a second user terminal 30 connected via a network N. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the system 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 10. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first user terminal 20. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the second user terminal 30.

[0010] Each information processing device is configured by a computer including an arithmetic unit and a storage unit. The basic hardware configuration of the computer and the basic functional configuration of the computer realized by the hardware configuration will be described later. For each of the server 10, the first user terminal 20, and the second user terminal 30, descriptions overlapping with the basic hardware configuration and the basic functional configuration of the computer described later are omitted.

[0011] <Configuration of Server 10> The server 10 is an information processing device that provides an electronic contract conclusion service among a plurality of users. The server 10 is an information processing device that provides a service for storing and managing contract information concluded among a plurality of users. The server 10 includes a storage unit 101 and a control unit 104.

[0012] <Configuration of the Storage Unit 101 of Server 10> The storage unit 101 of the server 10 includes an application program 1011, a user table 1012, a group table 1013, a document table 1014, a confirmation table 1015, an input item table 1016, a contract document group table 1017, and a credential table 1018.

[0013] The application program 1011 is a program for causing the control unit 104 of the server 10 to function as each functional unit.

[0014] The user table 1012 is a table for storing and managing information of member users (hereinafter referred to as users) who use the service. By registering for use of the service, information of the user is stored in a new record of the user table 1012. This will enable users to utilize the services provided in this disclosure. Note that users utilizing the services under this disclosure do not necessarily need to be registered in user table 1012. User table 1012 is a table with User ID as the primary key and contains columns for User ID, Username, Email Address, Group ID, and Approval Authority. Figure 5 shows the data structure of user table 1012.

[0015] The User ID is an item that stores user identification information to identify a user. User identification information is an item that is set to a unique value for each user. The username field is used to store the user's real name. However, the username can also be a nickname or any other string of characters. The email address field is used to store the user's email address. The Group ID is an item that stores the group identification information of the group to which the user belongs. Groups are defined by the Group Table 1013 described later, and a user may belong to multiple groups. Approval authority is an item that stores user authorization information regarding contract signing. Users who have the authority to approve contract signing (approval authority) will have information such as True stored in their records. On the other hand, users who do not have the authority to approve contract signing will have information such as False, blank, or null stored in their records. It is also possible to configure the system so that approval permissions can be set according to the contract information. For example, user A may have approval permissions for a specific contract information A, but not for a specific contract information B. The system can be configured to allow approval authority to be set according to the type of contract information (contract information type), such as confidentiality agreements, joint research agreements, and contract work agreements. For example, User A may have approval authority for confidentiality agreements but not for contract work agreements. Alternatively, the system could be configured to store multiple levels (ranks) of permission information depending on the user's department, government office, etc. For example, temporary staff could be assigned rank C, regular employees rank B, managers rank A, and executives rank S in the approval authority field. Then, based on the contract information, such as the contract type and contract amount, only users with approval authority of a predetermined rank or higher (for example, A or higher for non-disclosure agreements) could approve the conclusion of the contract.

[0016] Group table 1013 is a table that stores and manages information about the groups to which a user belongs (group information). A group can be any group to which a user belongs, such as a corporation, company, club, organization, or department within a company. Group table 1013 is a table with Group ID as the primary key and containing columns for Group ID, Group Name, and Administrator ID. Figure 6 shows the data structure of group table 1013.

[0017] The Group ID is an item that stores group identification information used to identify a group. This group identification information is an item with a unique value assigned to each group. The group name is an item that stores the name of the group. The group name can be set to any string. The Administrator ID is an item that stores the user identification information of users who have administrator privileges within a group. Users with administrator privileges can arbitrarily define and set administrator IDs for users who have a certain level of status or authority or higher within a group such as an organization.

[0018] Document table 1014 is a table for storing and managing information (contract information) related to electronic contracts exchanged between the creator and the recipient. Document table 1014 is a table with Document ID as the primary key, and has columns for Document ID, Document Data, Creator ID, and Contract Service Name. Figure 7 shows the data structure of document table 1014.

[0019] The Document ID is an item that stores document identification information used to identify contract information. The document identification information is an item with a unique value assigned to each piece of contract information. Document data is an item that stores contract information (binary or text data). Specifically, document data includes data in any data format such as PDF (Portable Document Format), Word, and XML (Extensible Markup Language). The Creator ID is a field that stores user identification information to identify the user who created the contract information. The "Contract Execution Service Name" field stores a string of characters used to identify an external contract execution service when the contract information is imported and obtained from that external service. The "Contract Execution Service Name" field may store the name of the external contract execution service, an ID to identify the contract execution service, or other similar information.

[0020] Confirmation table 1015 is a table that stores and manages information (confirmer information) including the email address of the user who will be confirming the contract information. Confirmation table 1015 is a table that has columns for document ID, confirmation order, confirmer email address, confirmation flag, language data, access code, and date and time. Figure 8 shows the data structure of confirmation table 1015.

[0021] The document ID is an item that stores the document identification information of the contract information to be reviewed by the verifier. The "Verification Order" field stores information about the order in which contract information is reviewed by the reviewers. The contract information stored by the creator is circulated to the reviewers in the order of the verification order, and verification is performed accordingly. The verifier email address field stores the email address of the person who verifies the contract information. The verifier email address does not need to be registered in advance to use the services related to this disclosure. In other words, the verifier email address does not need to be included in user table 1012. The confirmation flag is an item that stores confirmation identification information to determine whether the confirmation procedure for contract information has been completed by the verifier. When the confirmation of contract information is completed by the verifier, information indicating that the confirmation has been completed, such as a value of True, is stored in the confirmation flag item. Language data is an item that stores information about the verifier's language (language information). The access code is an item that stores the access code set for the verifier. The date and time field stores the date and time when the verifier performed the contract information verification procedure. Specifically, it stores the date and time when the verification identification information was stored in the verification flag field.

[0022] The input item table 1016 is a table that stores and manages information about input items associated with electronic contract information (input item information). Input item table 1016 is a table that has columns for input item ID, document ID, inputter ID, input data, input rules, and date and time. Figure 9 shows the data structure of input item table 1016.

[0023] The input field ID is an item that stores input field identification information used to identify an input field. The document ID is an item that stores the document identification information of the electronic contract information to which the input field is associated. The Inputter ID is a field that stores the user identification information or email address of the person who entered the data into the input field. Specifically, the Inputter ID stores the Creator ID, the email address of the user identified by the Creator ID, and the Confirmer's email address. Input data is an item that stores the input data entered by the user into the input fields. An input rule field is an item that stores information about the input rules for an input item. Input rules can store information about data types such as date, datetime, text, and integer, as well as, for strings, the number of characters, regular expressions for strings, and other arbitrary input rules for any input item. The date and time field stores the date and time when the user entered data into the input field.

[0024] The contract group table 1017 is a table for storing and managing information about contract groups (contract group information). Contract information can be stored and managed in association with one or more cabinets (classification information) for managing contract information. Depending on the information processing service, cabinets may be called groups, tags, labels, etc. The contract group table 1017 is a table that has columns for document ID and cabinet ID. Figure 10 shows the data structure of the contract group table 1017.

[0025] The document ID is an item that stores document identification information used to identify contract information. The cabinet ID stores cabinet identification information to identify a cabinet. The cabinet ID is classification information used to manage and classify contract information.

[0026] The document table 1018 is a table that stores and manages document information. The document table 1018 is a table that has columns for document ID, document ID, document image, and additional information. Figure 11 shows the data structure of the document table 1018.

[0027] The document ID is an item that stores the document identification information of the document. The document ID is an item that stores document identification information. The "Evidence Image" field is used to store images related to evidence. These images are photographs or scans of the evidence, and can store image data in any format, such as .jpg, .bmp, or .png. Additional information is an item that stores additional information associated with the supporting document information. Additional information includes document type information related to the type of document identified by the document ID, such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates. Additional information includes information entered by the user for each type of document. For example, if the document is an invoice, it may include information such as the invoice date, invoicer, and invoiced amount. If the document is a receipt, it may include information such as the receipt date, payer, and receipt amount. If the document is a quotation, it may include information such as the quotation date, quotation amount, and expiration date. If the document is a report such as a performance report, it may include information such as the report date, number of units performed, number of units sold, and total amount. If the document is an identification document such as a driver's license or health insurance card, it may include information such as the issue date, expiration date, name, address, and other identification ID. If the document is a seal certificate, it may include information such as the issue date and name. The additional information does not necessarily need to be input by the user; the control unit 104 of the server 10 may be configured to automatically input it based on known machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence models, AI models, etc., without user input. Alternatively, the system may be configured so that only a portion of the additional information is input by the user, while the rest is automatically input.

[0028] <Configuration of the control unit 104 of server 10> The control unit 104 of the server 10 includes a user registration control unit 1041, a contract creation unit 1042, a contract confirmation unit 1043, and a document storage unit 1044. The control unit 104 realizes each functional unit by executing the application program 1011 stored in the storage unit 101.

[0029] The user registration control unit 1041 processes information of users who wish to use the services related to this disclosure and stores it in the user table 1012. Information stored in the user table 1012 is obtained when a user opens a web page operated by the service provider from any information processing terminal, enters information into a designated input form, and sends it to the server 10. The user registration control unit 1041 stores the received information in a new record in the user table 1012, and user registration is completed. As a result, users stored in the user table 1012 can use the service. Prior to the registration of user information in the user table 1012 by the user registration control unit 1041, the service provider may perform a prescribed review and restrict whether or not the user can use the service. The user ID can be any string or number that can identify the user, and may be any string or number desired by the user, or the user registration control unit 1041 may automatically set any string or number.

[0030] The contract creation unit 1042 executes the contract creation process. Details will be described later.

[0031] The contract verification unit 1043 executes the contract verification process. Details will be described later.

[0032] The document storage unit 1044 performs document storage processing. Details will be described later.

[0033] <Configuration of the first user terminal 20> The first user terminal 20 is an information processing device operated by a user of the service. The first user terminal 20 may be, for example, a stationary PC (Personal Computer), a laptop PC, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. It may also be a wearable device such as an HMD (Head Mount Display) or a smartwatch. The first user terminal 20 includes a storage unit 201, a control unit 204, an input device 206, and an output device 208.

[0034] <Configuration of the storage unit 201 of the first user terminal 20> The storage unit 201 of the first user terminal 20 includes a first user ID 2011 and an application program 2012.

[0035] The first user ID 2011 is the user's account ID. The user transmits the first user ID 2011 from the first user terminal 20 to the server 10. The server 10 identifies the user based on the first user ID 2011 and provides the services related to this disclosure to the user. The first user ID 2011 includes information such as a session ID that is temporarily assigned by the server 10 to identify the user using the first user terminal 20.

[0036] The application program 2012 may be pre-stored in the memory unit 201, or it may be configured to be downloaded from a web server operated by the service provider via a communication interface. Application Program 2012 includes applications such as web browser applications. Application program 2012 includes an interpreted programming language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) that runs on a web browser application stored on the first user terminal 20.

[0037] <Configuration of the control unit 204 of the first user terminal 20> The control unit 204 of the first user terminal 20 comprises an input control unit 2041 and an output control unit 2042. The control unit 204 realizes each functional unit by executing an application program 2012 stored in the storage unit 201.

[0038] <Configuration of the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20> The input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 includes a camera 2061, a microphone 2062, a position information sensor 2063, a motion sensor 2064, and a touch device 2065.

[0039] <Configuration of output device 208 of the first user terminal 20> The output device 208 of the first user terminal 20 includes a display 2081 and a speaker 2082.

[0040] <Configuration of the second user terminal 30> The second user terminal 30 is an information processing device operated by a user of the service. The second user terminal 30 may be, for example, a stationary PC (Personal Computer), a laptop PC, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. It may also be a wearable device such as an HMD (Head Mount Display) or a smartwatch. The second user terminal 30 includes a storage unit 301, a control unit 304, an input device 306, and an output device 308.

[0041] <Configuration of the storage unit 301 of the second user terminal 30> The storage unit 301 of the second user terminal 30 includes a second user ID 3011 and an application program 3012.

[0042] The second user ID 3011 is the user's account ID. The user transmits the second user ID 3011 from the second user terminal 30 to the server 10. The server 10 identifies the user based on the second user ID 3011 and provides the services related to this disclosure to the user. The second user ID 3011 includes information such as a session ID that is temporarily assigned by the server 10 to identify the user using the second user terminal 30.

[0043] The application program 3012 may be pre-stored in the memory unit 301, or it may be configured to be downloaded from a web server operated by the service provider via a communication interface. Application program 3012 includes applications such as web browser applications. The application program 3012 includes an interpreted programming language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) that is executed on a web browser application stored on the second user terminal 30.

[0044] <Configuration of the control unit 304 of the second user terminal 30> The control unit 304 of the second user terminal 30 comprises an input control unit 3041 and an output control unit 3042. The control unit 304 realizes each functional unit by executing an application program 3012 stored in the storage unit 301.

[0045] <Configuration of the input device 306 of the second user terminal 30> The input device 306 of the second user terminal 30 includes a camera 3061, a microphone 3062, a position information sensor 3063, a motion sensor 3064, and a keyboard 3065.

[0046] <Configuration of the output device 308 of the second user terminal 30> The output device 308 of the second user terminal 30 includes a display 3081 and a speaker 3082.

[0047] <Configuration of external server 40> External server 40 is an information processing device operated by a business entity other than the business entity that operates the electronic contract conclusion service related to this disclosure. External server 40 comprises a storage unit 401 and a control unit 404. Since each component of external server 40 is the same as each component of server 10, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0048] <Configuration of the storage unit 401 of the external server 40> The storage unit 401 of the external server 40 includes an application program 4011, a user table 4012, a group table 4013, a document table 4014, a confirmation table 4015, an input item table 4016, and a contract group table 1017.

[0049] <Configuration of the control unit 404 of the external server 40> The control unit 404 of the external server 40 includes a user registration control unit 4041, a contract creation unit 4042, and a contract confirmation unit 4043. The control unit 404 realizes each functional unit by executing the application program 4011 stored in the storage unit 401.

[0050] <System 1 operation> The following describes each process in System 1. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the contract creation process. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the contract verification process. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the evidence storage process. Figure 15 shows an example screen illustrating the operation of the contract creation process. Figure 16 shows an example screen displaying a confirmation request message sent to the second user terminal 30. Figure 17 shows an example screen illustrating the operation of the contract verification process. Figure 18 is an example screen showing the completion message notified to the first user terminal 20. Figure 19 shows an example of a screen displaying aggregated information related to supporting documents.

[0051] In this disclosure, the contract creation process and contract verification process on server 10 are described below. The external server 40 can also perform the same contract creation process and contract verification process. The contract creation process and contract verification process on the external server 40 are the same as those on server 10, respectively, so their description is omitted.

[0052] <Contract creation process> The contract creation process involves the creator generating electronic contract information and sending it to the verifier.

[0053] Figure 15 shows an example screen illustrating the operation of the contract creation process. The screen 50 displayed on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20, which is used to create contract information, displays a status 510 indicating the current status of contract information creation, buttons 521, 522, and 523 for specifying input items, a contract information display area 530, document data 531, input items 532, 533, and 534, and a send button 540.

[0054] <Overview of the contract creation process> The contract creation process is a series of steps in which the creator creates electronic contract information, sets the recipient (the verifier) ​​of the electronic contract information, sets the input fields for the electronic contract information, sets input rules for the input fields, receives input data for the input fields from the creator, and sends the electronic contract information to the designated verifier.

[0055] <Details of the contract creation process> The details of the contract creation process are explained below.

[0056] In step S101, the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 receives contract information from the creator that is to be concluded between the creator and the verifier. The contract creation unit 1042 then executes a contract storage step to store the contract information. Specifically, the first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to create contract information, including document data related to the contract. The document data can be in any data format, such as PDF (Portable Document Format), Word, or XML (Extensible Markup Language), and can be included in the contract information. The first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 and sends the created document data and the first user ID 2011 to the server 10. The contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 receives the first user ID 2011 and the document data and stores them in the creator ID and document data fields of the new record in the document table 1014, respectively. As a result, the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 stores the new contract information in the document table 1014.

[0057] The screen 50 for creating contract information displays the document data 531 stored in the document table 1014.

[0058] In step S102, the first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to select and identify the user who will be the verifier (recipient) of the contract information. In this disclosure, the first user selects and identifies the second user as the recipient. The first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to enter the email address of the second user, who will act as the verifier, and sends it to the server 10. The contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 stores the received email address and the document ID of the contract information created and stored in step S101 in the verifier email address and document ID fields of the verification table 1015, respectively, and stores the contract information in association with the second user's email address. The first user may also set the language and access code of the second user and store them in association with the second user's email address. At this time, the value 1 is stored in the "Confirmation Order" field of the confirmation table 1015. In step S102, the first user may select and set multiple users to be confirmers. In this case, the value in the "Confirmation Order" field of the users to be confirmers is incremented by one according to the selection order and stored. This sets the circulation order of the confirmers in the contract confirmation process described later. Note that setting the circulation order is not mandatory.

[0059] In step S103, the first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to set the input items for the contract information. Specifically, the first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to set multiple input fields for the contract information created and stored in step S101. The input fields can be any fields, such as a stamp field for stamping seal data, an input field for entering text data such as signature data, a checkbox field for selecting check items, and a date field for entering the date. The first user operates the input device 206 on the first user terminal 20 and sends a request to the server 10 to add an input item. When the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 receives the request, it stores the document ID of the contract information in the document ID of the new record in the input item table 1016. In this way, the newly added input item information is stored in association with the contract information. The first user can store multiple input item information in association with the contract information.

[0060] In step S104, the first user sets input rules for each input item to be added. The first user specifies the input rules for each input item information set in step S103 by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 and sends them to the server 10. The contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 stores the received input rules in the input rule field of the record of each input item information in the input item table 1016. This allows input rules to be set for each input item.

[0061] In step S105, the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 receives input data for multiple input items entered by the first user. Specifically, the first user inputs input data for each input item set in step S104 by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20. For example, the first user may input data for a number used to manage contract information, such as a reference number within the group to which they belong, into the input item where a management number is set. The first user may also input data for the date of the contract signing of the contract information into the input item where a contract signing date is set. Once the first user has finished inputting data into the input items, they send the input item ID and input data for each input item to the server 10. The contract creation unit 1042 of server 10 receives and accepts the input item ID and input data for each input item. The contract creation unit 1042 of server 10 stores the received input data in the input data field of the input item information in the input item table 1016, which is identified by the received input item ID. As a result, the input data entered by the first user is stored in the input item table 1016.

[0062] The contract creation unit 1042 of server 10 receives an instruction from the first user to request the second user to conclude a contract regarding the contract information. Specifically, the first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 and sends a request to the server 10 to send contract information by pressing the send button 540 displayed on the screen 50 for creating contract information.

[0063] In step S106, the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 sends a message to the second user notifying them that a request for confirmation of contract information has been sent by the first user. Specifically, the contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 searches the confirmation order column in the confirmation table 1015 and identifies the user who will be the first confirmer (first confirming user) with the smallest value stored in the confirmation order column. In this disclosure, the first confirming user is, for example, the second user. The contract creation unit 1042 of the server 10 sends a message to the second user's email address notifying them that a request for confirmation of contract information has been sent by the first user, via email or other means of communication. The message sent to the second user will include information about a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) containing a document ID to identify the contract information. The URL may directly contain the document ID, or it may contain information such as an encrypted string of the document ID, or a string that can identify the document ID by referring to an unillustrated table. The URL may also contain information to identify the second user. For example, if the second user has not registered for the service related to this disclosure, the URL must contain information to identify the second user.

[0064] If the first user sets an access code for the second user, the first user will communicate the access code to the second user via email or other means. This ensures that even if the message sent to the second user is intercepted by a third party, the third party cannot perform the contract verification process unless they obtain the access code.

[0065] Figure 16 shows an example screen displaying a message notified to the second user terminal 30. The message screen 60 displayed on the display 3081 of the second user terminal 30 includes a message 61 and information about a URL 62 containing a document ID for identifying contract information.

[0066] <Variation> If the first user selects and sets multiple verifiers in step S102, the system may be configured to allow different input field information to be set independently for each of the multiple verifiers in step S103. For example, if the first user sets two users, the second user and the ninth user, as verifiers, the input fields for the contract start date and contract end date may be set for the second user, and the input field for the contract signing date may be set for the ninth user. In this case, in the contract confirmation process described later, the second user can input data for the contract start date and contract end date, but not for the contract signing date. On the other hand, the ninth user cannot input data for the contract start date and contract end date, but can input data for the contract signing date. The system may also be configured to allow multiple verifiers to be selected and set for a single input field.

[0067] On screen 50 for creating contract information, input fields 532, 533, and 534 are drawn as drawing objects. For input fields 532 and 533, the user identification information "USER-B" of the user who has been selected and set to input the input field is drawn as the assignment, and the input field type is drawn as "Text". For input field 534 related to stamping, the user identification information "USER-C" of the user who has been selected and set to stamp is drawn as the assignment, and the input field type is drawn as "Stamp".

[0068] <Contract Verification Process> The contract verification process is the process by which a verifier confirms the contents of the electronic contract information received from the creator.

[0069] <Overview of contract verification process> The contract verification process is a series of operations that involves receiving access from the verifier, presenting the verifier with a verification screen displaying the contract information, receiving input data from the verifier for the input fields, and receiving data from the verifier regarding the verification of the contract information.

[0070] <Details of contract verification process> The details of the contract verification process are explained below.

[0071] In step S301, the second user, who will act as the verifier, can open the webpage specified by the URL by operating the input device 306 or the like on the second user terminal 30 and selecting the URL contained in the received message. This allows the browser application on the second user terminal 30 to open the webpage specified by the URL. As a result, the second user terminal 30 sends a request to the server 10 to execute the contract verification process.

[0072] If the second user's record in the verification table 1015 contains an access code field, the system can request the second user to enter an access code and then compare the entered access code with the access code stored in the second user's record in the verification table 1015 to perform authentication for the second user. Specifically, server 10 sends an input screen for authenticating the access code to the second user terminal 30. The second user operates the input device 306 on the second user terminal 30, enters the access code, and sends it to server 10. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 determines whether the received access code matches the access code stored in the second user's record in the verification table 1015. If they match, the contract verification process continues. If they do not match, the contract verification process is terminated. Note that the authentication process using the access code may be omitted.

[0073] The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the document ID field in document table 1014 based on the document ID included in the received request and obtains contract information. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the document ID field in verification table 1015 based on the document ID included in the received request and obtains verifier information. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the document ID field in input item table 1016 based on the document ID included in the received request and obtains input item information associated with the contract information.

[0074] In step S302, the contract verification unit 1043 of the server 10 identifies the second user and obtains the second user's approval authority information. The second user may be identified based on the second user ID 3011 included in the request received from the second user terminal 30, or based on identification information for identifying the second user included in the URL. If the second user has not registered for the service related to this disclosure, it is necessary to identify the second user from the URL. For example, the URL may include information for identifying the second user, such as the second user's email address or user ID.

[0075] The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the user ID field in user table 1012 based on the user identification information of the identified second user and retrieves the approval authority field for the second user. In this disclosure, the approval authority for the second user is stored in user table 1012, but the approval authority for the second user may also be stored for each group to which the second user belongs, or for each contract information or contract information type. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 retrieves the approval authority information for the second user for the target contract information. Furthermore, if the second user has not registered for the service related to this disclosure, the processing may be carried out by treating the second user as a user without approval authority.

[0076] In step S303, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 generates a confirmation screen based on the acquired contract information, verifier information (information identifying the second user), input item information, and verifier approval authority information, and sends it to the second user terminal 30.

[0077] Specifically, the display 3081 of the second user terminal 30 presents the second user with a confirmation screen that accepts an operation to approve the contract information. The second user confirms and approves the contract information displayed on the display 3081 of the second user terminal 30. Furthermore, the confirmation screen presented to the second user may be configured to display the screen in the language specified to the verifier, based on the language information stored in the language data field of the second user's record in confirmation table 1015.

[0078] Figure 17 shows an example of a confirmation screen illustrating the operation of the contract confirmation process. The confirmation screen 70 for approving contract information, displayed on the display 3081 of the second user terminal 30, shows the status 710 indicating the current status of contract information creation, the contract information display area 730, document data 731, input items 732, 733, 734, 735, 736, and an agreement button 740.

[0079] Specifically, if the approval authority information of the second user obtained in step S302 contains information indicating that the second user has the authority to approve the conclusion of the contract, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 determines that the second user is a user who can approve the conclusion of the contract information received by the second user, presents a confirmation screen to the second user, and proceeds to step S304.

[0080] On the other hand, if the second user is a user who cannot approve the conclusion of the contract based on the received contract information, the contract verification process will be terminated.

[0081] In step S304, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 accepts input for one or more input fields of contract information. Specifically, the second user operates the input device 306 of the second user terminal 30 to input data to input items 732, 733, 734, and 735 set in the contract information. In this disclosure, input item 736 is not assigned to input by the second user, so it is visually indicated that the second user cannot input data for that item.

[0082] In step S305, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 receives an instruction from the second user to agree to and approve the conclusion of the contract based on the contract information received from the first user. The second user confirms the contract information and input data displayed on the display 3081 of the second user terminal 30. If the second user agrees to or accepts the contents, they operate the input device 306 of the second user terminal 30 and press the consent button 740 displayed on the confirmation screen 70 for confirming the contract information. This causes the server 10 to execute a request that includes the document ID, information identifying the second user, and the input data for each input item entered in step S305. The information identifying the second user may also be the second user ID 3011. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 stores information indicating that the second user has confirmed the contract information based on the received request. Specifically, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the verification table 1015 based on the received document ID and information identifying the second user, and stores the value of True in the verification flag field of the record. For example, if the information identifying the second user is an email address, it searches the document ID and verifier email address fields in the verification table 1015 and stores the value of True in the verification flag field of the record. If the information identifying the second user is user identification information, it searches the document ID and verifier email address fields in the verification table 1015 based on the email address of the second user identified by searching the user ID field in user table 1012, and stores the value of True in the verification flag field of the record. The contract confirmation unit 1043 of server 10 stores the received input data in the input data item of input item table 1016, which is identified by the input item ID associated with the input data. As a result, in step S305, the input data entered by the second user is stored as input item information in input item table 1016.

[0083] The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 determines that the contract verification process has been performed by all verifiers with approval authority. Specifically, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 determines that the contract verification process has been performed by all verifiers with approval authority if the verification flag in the verification table 1015 of the verifiers with approval authority has a value of True. In other words, the value of the verification flag in the records of verifiers who do not have approval authority is ignored when making this determination. When the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 has completed the contract verification process by all authorized verifiers, it sends a message to the first user notifying them that the contract verification process is complete. Similarly, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 may also send a message to the second user notifying them that the contract verification process is complete.

[0084] Specifically, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of server 10 sends a message to the first user's email address via email or other means of communication notifying them that the second user has completed the confirmation of the contract information. In other words, it notifies the first user that the second user has approved the conclusion of the contract. As a result, the first user can know that the conclusion of the contract with the second user has been completed. The message sent to the first user may include information about a URL that is an endpoint containing a document ID to identify the contract information.

[0085] Figure 18 shows an example screen displaying a message notified to the first user terminal 20. The message screen 80 displayed on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20 includes a message 81 and information about a URL 82 containing a document ID for identifying contract information.

[0086] Similarly, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of server 10 may use a chat service (not shown) or the like to send a message notifying the second user that they have completed the confirmation of the contract information, including a mention to the first user. In other words, the first user is notified via the chat service that the second user has approved the conclusion of the contract. This allows the first user to know that the conclusion of the contract with the second user has been completed. The message sent to the first user may include information about a URL that is an endpoint containing a document ID to identify the contract information. Examples of chat services include Slack, Chatwork, Microsoft Teams, and LINE WORKS.

[0087] The first user can open the web page specified by the URL included in the received message using the browser application on the first user terminal 20. The first user terminal 20 sends a request to the server 10 to refer to and inquire about the contract information. The contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 refers to the contract information, generates a web page for inquiry, and sends it to the first user terminal 20. The first user can obtain the document data included in the contract information from the web page screen displayed on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20 by downloading or other means.

[0088] If multiple users are set as verifiers, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 may send a message to all verifiers except the user who last performed the contract verification process, notifying them that the contract verification process is complete. This allows all verifiers to receive notification that the contract verification process has been completed by all verifiers. Furthermore, the contract verification unit 1043 of the server 10 may send a message to a user with administrator-level privileges in a group to which multiple verifiers belong, notifying them that the contract verification process has been completed. Messages may also be sent via email, chat services, etc. Furthermore, "email" includes not only email but also messaging services that use a phone number as the recipient, such as SMS (Short Message Service). This allows the administrator of the group to which the user responsible for verification belongs to receive notification that the contract verification process has been completed.

[0089] Specifically, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 retrieves the group ID item by searching the user ID or email address item in user table 1012 based on the user ID or email address. Based on the retrieved group ID item, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 retrieves the group ID item in group table 1013, retrieves the administrator ID item, identifies a user with administrator-level privileges by searching the user ID in user table 1012 based on the administrator ID, and sends a message notifying that the contract verification process is complete.

[0090] <Electronic signature processing> Step S305 may include an electronic signature process. In response to the instruction to approve the conclusion of the contract received from the second user in step S305, the contract confirmation unit 1043 of the server 10 stores the contract information received from the first user with an electronic signature indicating that the conclusion of the contract information has been approved. Specifically, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 attaches an electronic signature to the contract information and stores it based on the received request. Based on the document ID, the contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 searches the document ID field in the document table 1014 and retrieves the contract information. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 affixes an electronic signature to the acquired contract information and stores it in the document data item of the document table 1014. The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 may update (overwrite) the document data item with the electronically signed contract information, or it may store the contract information before the electronic signature was added in a separate storage device (not shown). The contract verification unit 1043 of server 10 may include any of the following information in the electronic signature: document ID, email address of the first user, email address of the second user, approval date and time, confirmation date and time, authentication method for the approval date and time, authentication method for the confirmation date and time, input data values ​​for each input item, consent (approval) of the first user and the second user, and a timestamp. As a result, the contract verification unit 1043 of the server 10 stores the contract information with an electronic signature indicating that the second user has approved the conclusion of the contract. This prevents impersonation or tampering of the contract information by a third party.

[0091] <Contract Management Processing> The contract management process involves retrieving, storing, and managing contract information stored in external electronic contract services.

[0092] <Overview of contract management process> The contract management process involves receiving an email indicating that a contract has been concluded in an external electronic contract service, receiving the contract information attached to that email, and storing it in association with the external electronic contract service.

[0093] <Details of contract management process> The first user, by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20, forwards an email containing a message notifying the completion of the contract verification process received from the external server 40 in step S305 of the contract verification process to a designated email address for executing the contract management process related to this disclosure. The message may include attached document data of contract information for which contract verification processing has been completed on the external server 40. The message may also include an endpoint such as a URL for identifying contract information for which contract verification processing has been completed on the external server 40.

[0094] The control unit 104 of server 10 retrieves contract information stored in one or more external contract management servers and stores the retrieved contract information in association with one or more external contract management servers. Specifically, the control unit 104 of server 10 receives and accepts the document data attached to the message. Furthermore, if the message includes an endpoint for identifying contract information on the external server 40, it accesses that endpoint to retrieve and accept the document data. The control unit 104 of server 10 associates the received document data with the contract service name identified based on the external server 40 and stores it in the document data and contract service name fields of the document table 1014. The document ID is automatically incremented and assigned a number.

[0095] <Evidence Memory Processing> The document storage process is the process of storing document information received from the user. In this disclosure, the document storage process using the first user terminal 20 is described as an example, but the document storage process may be configured to be executable from any information processing terminal, not just the second user terminal 30. Furthermore, it may be configured to be executable by any user other than the first and second users.

[0096] <Overview of evidence storage processing> The document storage process is a series of operations that involves receiving document information from the user, identifying the contract information that forms the basis of the document information, presenting the user with an input screen corresponding to the document information, and storing the document information in association with the contract information.

[0097] <Details of evidence storage processing> The details of the evidence storage process are described below.

[0098] In step S501, the document storage unit 1044 performs a document reception step in which it receives document information relating to document documents. The document reception step is performed by receiving document information from the user via a communication means. Specifically, the first user launches the email application stored in the memory unit 201 of the first user terminal 20. The first user then creates a new email by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 and attaches supporting data such as PDF, Word, or XML files containing invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates. The first user, by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20, sends a newly created email with the attached verification data to a predetermined email address for the server 10 to receive the verification data. The email sent to the predetermined email address is received and stored by a predetermined mail server accessible to the server 10. The verification data storage unit 1044 of the server 10 accesses the mail server to retrieve the email with the attached verification data and accepts the verification data.

[0099] Furthermore, the supporting documents do not necessarily need to be attached to the email; the email may contain a URL for obtaining the documents, and the supporting document data can be obtained by accessing that URL. In that case, the supporting document storage unit 1044 of server 10 will obtain and accept the supporting document data by accessing the URL contained in the received email.

[0100] Furthermore, if the first user receives an email with attached documentation data from an external invoice issuance service, etc., it will create a new email by duplicating the existing email and forward the email with the attached documentation data to a designated email address for server 10 to receive the documentation data.

[0101] In this case, the email application stored in the memory unit 201 of the first user terminal 20 may have an extension function (called an add-on, add-in, plugin, etc.) for transferring proof information. In this case, the email application screen will display a "proof transfer button" for transferring the selected email to the server 10. The first user can select the email to be forwarded by operating the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20, and by pressing the "Proof Transfer Button" displayed on the email application screen, forward the email with the attached proof data to a designated email address for the server 10 to receive the proof data. This allows the first user to forward the email containing the attached verification data to a designated email address on the server 10, without having to manually enter the recipient's address. In other words, it prevents input errors by the first user. Furthermore, emails containing evidence data that have already been forwarded to server 10 may be disabled from being selected as emails to be forwarded. Similarly, the "Forward Evidence" button displayed on the email application screen may be disabled for emails containing evidence data that have already been forwarded to server 10. This prevents the same evidence data from being sent to server 10 multiple times.

[0102] The means of communication does not have to be email; any chat service is acceptable. The first user launches the browser application on the first user terminal 20 and accesses the designated chat service. The first user creates and sends a new message with the verification data attached and the server 10 as the recipient (mention) by operating the input device 206 on the first user terminal 20. The verification data storage unit 1044 of the server 10 detects that it has received a message from the chat service, accesses the chat service to obtain the verification data, and accepts it.

[0103] In step S502, the document storage unit 1044 of the server 10 performs a contract identification step to identify one or more contract information that forms the basis of the document information received in the document reception step. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 analyzes the strings, image data, etc., contained in the document data to identify document identification information such as the document ID of the contract information that forms the basis of the document data. For example, if the document data is in PDF format, it identifies the strings such as "Contract Number: ○○○○" contained in the data, identifies "○○○○" which is the contract number, and identifies it as the document ID. Alternatively, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 may identify the document ID by referring to a table (not shown) that links the contract number and the document ID. Furthermore, the document ID may be identified by the first user through input operations based on the supporting data. Alternatively, the document ID of trademark data with similar strings or image data may be identified by referring to supporting data, document IDs, etc., previously identified by the first user.

[0104] The contract identification step includes identifying one or more contractual information based on text information contained in a message containing evidence information received via a means of communication. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 identifies document identification information, such as the document ID of the contract information that forms the basis of the document data, by analyzing text information such as the subject and body of the email. For example, it identifies strings such as "Contract Number: ○○○○" contained in the subject and body of the email, identifies "○○○○" which is the contract number, and identifies it as the document ID. Similarly, when receiving supporting data via a chat service, the document identification information, such as the document ID of the contract information that forms the basis of the supporting data, is identified by analyzing the text information, such as the message body to which the supporting data is attached.

[0105] The method for identifying document IDs from supporting data is not limited to the method described above; any inference model, machine learning model, deep learning model, artificial intelligence model, etc., can be used to infer document IDs.

[0106] In step S503, the control unit 204 of the first user terminal 20 performs an input presentation step in which it presents an input screen for the user to input information based on the evidence information received from the user. Specifically, after the processing in step S502 is completed, the evidence storage unit 1044 of the server 10 sends an email containing the URL of the input screen to the first user terminal 20. The first user operates the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 to select the URL in the email and opens the input screen using a browser application. The document storage unit 1044 of the server 10 may also send an email to the first user terminal 20 containing URLs for different input screens depending on the type of document. In this case, the input screen displayed on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20 will be different for each type of document. For example, the following example is possible. If the supporting data is an invoice, an input screen will be displayed for entering the invoice date and invoice amount. If the supporting document is a receipt, an input screen will be displayed for entering the date of receipt, payer, and receipt amount. If the supporting document is a quotation, an input screen will be displayed for entering the quotation date, quotation amount, and expiration date. If the supporting data is a report such as a performance report, an input screen will be displayed for entering the reporting date, number of units performed, number of units sold, and amount of revenue. If the supporting document is an identification document such as a driver's license or health insurance card, an input screen will be displayed for entering the issue date, expiration date, name, address, and other identification IDs. If the supporting document is a seal certificate or similar document, an input screen will be displayed for entering the issue date and name. The first user enters input data into the input screen displayed on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20 and sends it to the server 10.

[0107] In step S504, the document storage unit 1044 performs a document storage step in which it stores document information in association with one or more contract information identified in the contract identification step. The document storage step includes storing input information entered via the screen in association with document information. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 stores the acquired document data, the document ID identified in step S502, and the input data entered by the first user in step S503, associating them with the document image, document ID, and additional information items of the document table 1018, respectively. The document ID is automatically incremented and assigned a number.

[0108] In step S504, the document storage step performs the step of storing the document information stored in the document storage step together with one or more contract information and attaching an electronic signature to it. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of the server 10 searches the document table 1014 for the document ID item based on the document ID identified in step S502, and retrieves the contract information. The document storage unit 1044 of server 10 adds an electronic signature to the acquired contract information, including the information of the received document data, and stores it in the document data item of the document table 1014. The document storage unit 1044 of server 10 may update (overwrite) the document data item with the contract information including the electronically signed document data, or it may store the contract information before the inclusion of the document data in a separate storage device (not shown).

[0109] In step S504, the document reception step includes identifying one or more external contract management servers associated with one or more contract information identified based on the document information. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 searches the document table 1014 for the document ID identified in step S502, retrieves the item for the contract signing service name, and identifies it. This allows the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 to identify one or more external contract signing services associated with the contract information identified based on the document data received in step S501. Based on the retrieved external contract signing service name, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 retrieves the endpoint (URL) of the external contract management server (external server 40) by referring to a table (not shown) or the like. The endpoint is, for example, the URL of an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by the external server 40, and by sending a predetermined request to the external server 40, the external server 40 can be made to execute a predetermined process.

[0110] In step S504, the document storage unit 1044 performs a transmission step in which it sends a request to one or more identified external contract management servers to store the document information in association with the contract information. Specifically, the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 sends a request to the acquired endpoint of external server 40 to store the document data, including the document ID and document data, in association with the contract information. Typically, for equivalent contract information, the document ID in server 10 and the document ID in external server 40 are different numbers or strings. Therefore, when the document storage unit 1044 of server 10 imports contract information from an external contract signing service through contract management processing, it pre-stores document identification information used by the external contract signing service to identify the contract information, linked to the document ID in document table 1014. This document identification information used by the external contract signing service to identify the contract information can then be included in requests to store the document data in association with the contract information. For the purposes of this disclosure, the document IDs in server 10 and external server 40 for the same contract information are treated indistinguishably. When the control unit 404 of the external server 40 receives a request, it searches for the document ID in the document table 4014 based on the document ID included in the received request to identify the record of the contract information, and stores the identified contract information in association with the received evidence data. This allows the primary user to simply send supporting information to this contract management service, and the association with external contract management services will be handled automatically. In other words, even if the primary user uses numerous external contract management services, they can conveniently associate supporting information with contract information and manage it centrally.

[0111] <Document aggregation processing> The document aggregation process is the process of aggregating the document information stored in the document storage process and presenting it to the user. In this disclosure, the document aggregation process using the first user terminal 20 is described as an example, but the document aggregation process may be configured to be executable from any information processing terminal, not just the second user terminal 30. Furthermore, it may be configured to be executable by any user other than the first and second users.

[0112] <Overview of document aggregation processing> The document aggregation process is a series of processes that retrieves document information stored in the document table 1018 through the document storage process, calculates aggregated information for each associated contract information, and presents the calculated aggregated information to the user.

[0113] <Details of the document aggregation process> An aggregation step is performed to calculate aggregate information for one or more pieces of evidence associated with each of the one or more contract information pieces identified in the evidence storage step. Specifically, the first user launches a browser application stored in the memory unit 201 of the first user terminal 20, enters a URL to execute the document aggregation process, and opens the document aggregation page. The control unit 204 of the first user terminal 20 sends a request to the server 10 to execute the document aggregation process. The control unit 104 of server 10 refers to the document table 1018 and retrieves multiple document IDs, document IDs, and additional information items. For each unique document ID that does not overlap, the control unit 104 of server 10 calculates the total amount of the document IDs (number of document information items), the amount of the invoice, the amount received, the amount estimated, and other additional information included in the additional information, and calculates the total amount of the invoice, the amount received, the amount estimated, etc. for each document ID. The control unit 104 of server 10 may also calculate the total amount of the invoice, the amount received, the amount estimated, etc. for predetermined periods such as six months, one year, or three years. The control unit 104 of server 10 transmits the calculated aggregated information to the first user terminal 20.

[0114] The control unit 204 of the first user terminal 20 performs a presentation step to present the aggregated information calculated in the aggregation step. Specifically, the input device 206 of the first user terminal 20 receives aggregated information regarding the evidence information received from the server 10, displays it via a display device such as the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20, and presents the aggregated information to the first user.

[0115] Figure 20 shows an example of a screen displaying aggregated information regarding document information, which is shown on the display 2081 of the first user terminal 20. The screen D10 presented to the first user includes the contract name and document IDs D101, IDD111 to identify the contract information, and aggregated information regarding document information associated with the document ID, including the number of document information items for each document type D102, D104, D112, D114, the total billing amount D103, D113 (if the document type is an invoice, etc.) which is the sum of the billing amounts for multiple invoices, and the total receipt amount D105, D115 (if the document type is a receipt, etc.) which is the sum of the receipt amounts for multiple receipts.

[0116] <Basic Computer Hardware Configuration> Figure 20 is a block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of computer 90. Computer 90 comprises at least a processor 901, main memory 902, auxiliary memory 903, and a communication interface IF991. These are electrically connected to each other by a communication bus 921.

[0117] The processor 901 is hardware for executing the instruction set written in a program. The processor 901 consists of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0118] Main memory 902 is used to temporarily store programs and data processed by programs, etc. For example, it is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0119] Auxiliary storage device 903 refers to a storage device for saving data and programs. Examples include flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and semiconductor memory.

[0120] The IF991 communication interface is an interface for inputting and outputting signals for communication with other computers via a network using wired or wireless communication standards. A network consists of various mobile communication systems, such as the internet, LANs, and wireless base stations. For example, a network includes 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile communication systems, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and wireless networks that can connect to the internet via designated access points (e.g., Wi-Fi®). When connecting wirelessly, communication protocols include, for example, Z-Wave®, ZigBee®, and Bluetooth®. When connecting via a wired connection, the network also includes connections made directly via USB (Universal Serial Bus) cables, etc.

[0121] Furthermore, by distributing all or part of each hardware configuration across multiple computers 90 and connecting them to each other via a network, a computer 90 can be virtually realized. Thus, the concept of computer 90 includes not only a computer 90 housed in a single enclosure or case, but also a virtualized computer system.

[0122] <Basic Functional Configuration of Computer 90> The functional configuration of the computer realized by the basic hardware configuration of computer 90 (Figure 20) will be explained. The computer comprises at least one functional unit: a control unit, a memory unit, and a communication unit.

[0123] Furthermore, the functional units of computer 90 can also be realized by distributing all or part of each functional unit across multiple computers 90 interconnected via a network. The concept of computer 90 includes not only a single computer 90 but also a virtualized computer system.

[0124] The control unit is realized when the processor 901 reads various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 903, loads them into the main memory device 902, and executes processing according to those programs. The control unit can realize various functional units that perform information processing depending on the type of program. In this way, the computer is realized as an information processing device that performs information processing.

[0125] The memory unit is implemented by the main memory 902 and the auxiliary memory 903. The memory unit stores data, various programs, and various databases. The processor 901 can also reserve memory areas corresponding to the memory unit in the main memory 902 or the auxiliary memory 903 according to the program. The control unit can also cause the processor 901 to perform operations such as adding, updating, and deleting data stored in the memory unit according to the various programs.

[0126] A database, specifically a relational database, is used to manage and link together tabular data sets called masters, which are structurally defined by rows and columns. In a database, tables are called tables, masters are called masters, the columns of tables are called columns, and the rows of tables are called records. In a relational database, relationships can be established and linked between tables and masters. Typically, each table and master has a primary key column to uniquely identify records, but setting a primary key column is not mandatory. The control unit can instruct the processor 901 to add, delete, or update records in specific tables and masters stored in the memory unit, according to various programs.

[0127] Furthermore, the databases and masters in this disclosure may include any data structures (lists, dictionaries, associative arrays, objects, etc.) in which information is structurally defined. Data structures also include data that can be considered as data structures by combining data with functions, classes, methods, etc., written in any programming language.

[0128] The communication unit is implemented by the communication IF991. The communication unit provides the functionality to communicate with other computers 90 via the network. The communication unit can receive information transmitted from other computers 90 and input it to the control unit. The control unit can cause the processor 901 to perform information processing on the received information according to various programs. The communication unit can also transmit information output from the control unit to other computers 90.

[0129] <Note> The details described in each of the above embodiments are noted below.

[0130] (Note 1) A contract management program comprising a processor and a memory unit, for causing a computer to store electronic contract procedures between users, wherein the processor performs a contract storage step (S101) for storing contract information, a document reception step (S501) for receiving document information relating to documentary evidence, and a document storage step (S504) for identifying one or more contract information based on the document information received in the document reception step and storing the document information in association with the identified one or more contract information. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information. This enables the creation of a user-friendly contract management service.

[0131] (Note 2) The contract management program described in Appendix 1 includes a document storage step (S504) which identifies one or more contract information that forms the basis of the document information received in the document reception step, and stores the document information in association with the identified one or more contract information. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to the underlying contract information. This enables the creation of a user-friendly contract management service.

[0132] (Note 3) The supporting documents are at least one of the following: invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, as specified in Appendix 1 of the contract management program. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information.

[0133] (Note 4) The contract management program described in Appendix 1 includes a processor that performs an aggregation step of calculating aggregate information relating to one or more pieces of evidence associated with each piece of evidence identified in the evidence storage step, and a presentation step of presenting the aggregate information calculated in the aggregation step. This allows users to receive aggregated information regarding supporting documents and easily check aggregated information for each contract. For example, they can check aggregated results such as billing amount and received amount for each contract. Users can conveniently check contract information.

[0134] (Note 5) The contract management program described in Appendix 1 is a contract management program in which the document storage step (S504) stores the document information stored in the document storage step together with one or more contract information and affixes an electronic signature to it. This allows supporting document information to be stored together with the underlying contract information, and prevents tampering with contract information and supporting document information.

[0135] (Note 6) The document acceptance step (S501) is a step in the contract management program described in Appendix 1, which accepts document information by receiving it from the user via a means of communication. This allows the system to store and manage supporting information contained in messages received from users via email, chat, etc., linked to related contract information. For example, it can accept documents containing supporting information as attachments to emails, chats, etc., and store and manage them linked to related contract information.

[0136] (Note 7) The contract management program as described in Appendix 6 includes a step of identifying one or more contract information based on text information contained in a message containing document information received via a communication means in the document reception step. This allows for more accurate identification of contract information based on the content of text information, such as the email body, included in emails and chat messages received from users. For example, the text information may include strings of characters that identify the contract information.

[0137] (Note 8) The contract management program described in Appendix 6 includes an input presentation step (S503) in which the processor presents a screen for the user to input information based on the document information received from the user, and a document storage step (S504) in which the processor stores the input information entered via the screen in association with the document information. This allows the system to accept input information related to supporting documents, such as invoice amounts and receipt amounts, and store it in association with the supporting document information. It also allows the system to store additional information associated with the supporting document information.

[0138] (Note 9) The contract management program as described in Appendix 1 includes a contract storage step which involves retrieving contract information stored in one or more external contract management servers and storing the retrieved contract information in association with one or more external contract management servers. This allows the system to store contract information obtained from other external contract management services, even when the user is using those services, and to store received supporting documentation in association with that contract information. Users can centrally manage their contract information, including contract information concluded through other external contract management services, within the contract management service related to this disclosure.

[0139] (Note 10) The contract management program described in Appendix 1 includes a processor that, based on the document information received in the document reception step, identifies one or more external contract management servers, and performs a transmission step (S502) of sending a request to the identified one or more external contract management servers to store the document information in association with contract information. When users utilize multiple external contract management services, they previously had to identify which external service stored the contract information that formed the basis of their existing documentation, which was inconvenient. With this disclosure, users only need to send documentation information to this contract management service, and the association with external contract management services is automatically handled. In other words, even when users utilize numerous external contract management services, they can conveniently associate documentation information with contract information and manage it centrally.

[0140] (Note 11) The contract management program as described in Appendix 10, wherein the document reception step (S504) includes the step of identifying one or more external contract management servers associated with one or more contract information identified based on the document information, and the transmission step (S504) includes the step of sending a request to the identified one or more external contract management servers to store the document information in association with the contract information. This allows users to simply submit supporting document information to this contract management service, and the service will automatically handle the association with external contract management services. Users can conveniently store and manage supporting document information in association with contract information.

[0141] (Note 12) An information processing device comprising a processor and a memory unit, wherein the processor executes a contract management program described in any of the appendices 1 to 11. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information.

[0142] (Note 13) An information processing system including an information processing device comprising a processor and a memory unit, wherein the processor executes a contract management program described in any of the appendices 1 to 11. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information.

[0143] (Note 14) An information processing method performed by a computer comprising a processor and a memory unit, wherein the computer executes a contract management program described in any of the appendices 1 to 11. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information.

[0144] (Note 15) An information processing terminal comprising a processor, a storage unit, and a display device, wherein the processor performs an acquisition step of acquiring aggregated information calculated in the presentation step from an information processing device that executes the contract management program described in Appendix 4, and a presentation step of presenting the aggregated information acquired in the acquisition step by displaying it on the display device. This allows for the storage and management of supporting documents such as invoices, receipts, quotations, reports, identification documents, and seal certificates, linked to related contract information. This enables the creation of a user-friendly contract management service. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0145] 1 System, 10 Servers, 101 Storage Unit, 104 Control Unit, 106 Input Device, 108 Output Device, 20 First User Terminal, 201 Storage Unit, 204 Control Unit, 206 Input Device, 208 Output Device, 30 Second User Terminal, 301 Storage Unit, 304 Control Unit, 306 Input Device, 308 Output Device

Claims

1. A contract management program comprising a processor and a memory unit, for causing a computer to store electronic contract procedures between users, The aforementioned processor, A contract memory step that stores contract information, The document acceptance step involves receiving supporting information regarding supporting documents, A document storage step involves analyzing the string of characters or image data contained in the document information received in the document reception step to identify one or more contract information, and storing the identified one or more contract information, the document type of the document information, and input information corresponding to the document type in association with each other. Execute, The aforementioned document acceptance step is a step in which the document information is received from the user through a means of communication via message, The aforementioned document storage step is, The steps include: identifying one or more contract information based on the subject or body text information of a message containing the evidence information received via the communication means in the document receipt step; A presentation step in which the user is presented with different input screens for each type of document information, An input information acquisition step in which input information received from the user is acquired on the input screen, including, Contract management program.

2. The aforementioned means of communication is email, SMS, or a chat service. The contract management program according to claim 1.

3. The document storage step involves analyzing the string of characters or image data contained in the document information to identify one or more contract information that forms the basis of the document information received in the document reception step, and storing the document information in association with the identified one or more contract information. The contract management program according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned supporting documents include at least one of the following: an invoice, receipt, quotation, report, identification document, and seal certificate. The contract management program according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned processor, An aggregation step which calculates aggregated information relating to one or more pieces of evidence associated with each of the one or more pieces of evidence identified in the evidence storage step, A presentation step in which the aggregated information calculated in the aforementioned aggregation step is presented, Execute The contract management program according to claim 1.

6. The document storage step is a step of storing the document information stored in the document storage step together with the one or more contract information and attaching an electronic signature to it. The contract management program according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned processor, An input presentation step in which a screen for inputting information is presented to the user based on the document information received from the user, Execute, The document storage step includes storing the input information entered via the screen in association with the document information. The contract management program according to claim 1.

8. The contract storage step involves acquiring contract information stored in one or more external contract management servers and storing the acquired contract information in association with the one or more external contract management servers. The contract management program according to claim 1.

9. A contract management program comprising a processor and a memory unit, for causing a computer to store electronic contract procedures between users, The aforementioned processor, A contract memory step that stores contract information, The document acceptance step involves receiving supporting information regarding supporting documents, A document storage step involves analyzing the string of characters or image data contained in the document information received in the document reception step to identify one or more contract information, and storing the identified one or more contract information, the document type of the document information, and input information corresponding to the document type in association with each other. A transmission step which involves identifying one or more external contract management services based on the document information received in the document acceptance step, and sending a request to the identified one or more external contract management services to store the document information in association with contract information, Execute, The document receipt step includes a step of identifying the one or more external contract management services associated with the one or more contract information identified based on the document information, The transmission step includes sending the request to the identified one or more external contract management services to store the evidence information in association with contract information, The aforementioned document storage step is, A presentation step in which the user is presented with different input screens for each type of document information, An input information acquisition step in which input information received from the user is acquired on the input screen, including, Contract management program.

10. An information processing device comprising a processor and a memory unit, The processor executes the contract management program according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Information processing device.

11. An information processing system including an information processing device comprising a processor and a memory unit, The processor executes the contract management program according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Information processing system.

12. An information processing method performed by a computer comprising a processor and a memory unit, The computer executes the contract management program according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Information processing methods.

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