Control method, device, and program

Abstract

A control method according to the present disclosure is executed by a device, and includes: acquiring action information relating to an action by a user with respect to an article, said action being for improving the condition of the article (S116); on the basis of the action information, calculating a degree of improvement representing the extent of improvement in the condition of the article (S123); and, on the basis of the degree of improvement, determining an amount of tokens to be granted to the user (S124).

Description

Control method, device, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control method, an apparatus, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a residual value calculation device that can simply and accurately calculate the residual value of electrical equipment for recycling the electrical equipment.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-195448

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not mention a mechanism that can encourage users of items such as electrical appliances to take action to improve the condition of the items.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a control method and the like that can prompt a user involved with an item to take action to improve the condition of the item.

[0006] A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a device, which acquires behavioral information regarding a user's behavior toward an item, the behavior being for improving the condition of the item, calculates an improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item based on the behavioral information, and determines the amount of tokens to be granted to the user based on the improvement level.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a method, a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0008] According to the control method and the like disclosed herein, it is possible to encourage a user of an item to take action to improve the condition of the item.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a terminal configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a node configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management server configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical device configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a log configuration. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of error information. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of request information. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of request acceptance information. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of system operation according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of system operation according to Modification 1. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the data structure of a blockchain. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the data structure of transaction data. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating transaction data related to the execution of a smart contract. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram illustrating processing related to the execution of a smart contract.

[0010] A control method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a device, which acquires behavioral information regarding a user's behavior toward an item, the behavior being for improving the condition of the item, calculates an improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item based on the behavioral information, and determines the amount of tokens to be granted to the user based on the improvement level.

[0011] According to this, the amount of tokens to be granted to a user who has taken an action on an item to improve the condition of the item can be determined based on the improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item. This makes it possible to encourage users to take action to improve the condition of the item, thereby increasing the value of the item or maintaining the value of the item so that it does not decrease.

[0012] A control method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a control method according to the first aspect, wherein the action includes at least one of performing work on the item, requesting a specialist to perform the work, making appropriate use of the item, and designing a structure to measure the value of the item.

[0013] A control method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the second aspect, further comprising: acquiring error information indicating an error that has occurred in the electrical equipment as the item; and the action being work on the electrical equipment, in which the specialist resolves the error in the electrical equipment.

[0014] This allows the amount of tokens to be awarded to a specialist who has performed work to resolve an error in an electrical device to be determined, thereby encouraging the specialist to take action to improve the condition of the electrical device, thereby increasing the value of the electrical device or maintaining the value of the electrical device 350 so that it does not decrease.

[0015] A control method according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the third aspect, in which the degree of improvement is calculated based on the period from when the error occurs to when work is performed to resolve the error.

[0016] This allows the user's actions to be appropriately evaluated.

[0017] A control method according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the fourth aspect, wherein the determination of the token amount is not executed if the period is equal to or greater than a predetermined period.

[0018] As a result, if the period does not satisfy the condition, the process of determining the token amount can be skipped, thereby reducing the amount of processing.

[0019] A control method according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method according to the fourth or fifth aspect, further comprising obtaining, from a first terminal of the specialist contractor, request acceptance information indicating that a request for work to resolve the error has been received from the owner of the electrical equipment, the period being the period from the time the error occurred to the time the request acceptance information was obtained.

[0020] A control method according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the sixth aspect, wherein the action includes, as work on the electrical equipment, work by the specialist to resolve the error in the electrical equipment and a request by the owner to a specialist to perform the work, and the determination includes determining, as the token amounts, a first token amount to be granted to the specialist and a second token amount to be granted to the owner.

[0021] This allows tokens to be given to both the owner who requested the work and the contractor who performed the work, which encourages both the owner and the contractor to take action to improve the condition of the electrical equipment, thereby increasing the value of the electrical equipment or maintaining the value of the electrical equipment so that it does not decrease.

[0022] A control method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method according to the fourth or fifth aspect, further comprising obtaining completion information from a first terminal of the specialist contractor indicating that the specialist contractor has completed work to resolve the error, the period being the period from the time the error occurred to the time the completion information was obtained.

[0023] A control method according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the eighth aspect, wherein the action includes, as work on the electrical equipment, work of the specialist to resolve the error in the electrical equipment, and the determination includes determining, as the token amount, a first token amount to be granted to the specialist.

[0024] This allows the amount of tokens to be awarded to a specialist who has performed work to resolve an error in an electrical device to be determined, thereby encouraging the specialist to take action to improve the condition of the electrical device, thereby increasing the value of the electrical device or maintaining the value of the electrical device so that it does not decrease.

[0025] A control method according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method according to the fourth or fifth aspect, further comprising obtaining a log indicating that the error that occurred in the electrical device has been resolved, wherein the period is the period from the time the error occurred to the time the error was resolved.

[0026] A control method according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a control method according to the third aspect, wherein the electrical device is capable of communicating via a network, the behavioral information is a log generated by the electrical device and is obtained from the electrical device via the network, and the calculation determines whether the user has appropriately used the electrical device based on the log as the behavioral information, and calculates the degree of improvement based on the result of the determination.

[0027] A control method according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is the control method according to the third aspect, wherein the device includes a distributed ledger that stores a smart contract for executing the calculation and the decision, the obtaining step involves obtaining transaction data that includes the behavioral information, and the calculating step and the decision step involve executing the smart contract based on the behavioral information included in the transaction data.

[0028] A device according to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes a processor and a memory, and the processor uses the memory to acquire behavioral information regarding behavior by a user toward an item, the behavior being behavior for improving the condition of the item, calculates an improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item based on the behavioral information, and determines the amount of tokens to be granted to the user based on the improvement degree.

[0029] According to this, the amount of tokens to be granted to a user who has taken an action on an item to improve the condition of the item can be determined based on the improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item. This makes it possible to encourage users to take action to improve the condition of the item, thereby increasing the value of the item or maintaining the value of the item so that it does not decrease.

[0030] A program according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute a control method, the program causing a computer to acquire behavioral information regarding a user's behavior toward an item, the behavior being for improving the condition of the item, calculate an improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the condition of the item based on the behavioral information, and determine the amount of tokens to be granted to the user based on the improvement level.

[0031] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a method, a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. In other words, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, and step orders shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in the independent claims that represent the highest concepts are not necessarily required to achieve the objectives of the present disclosure, but are described as components that constitute more preferred embodiments.

[0033] (Embodiment) In this embodiment, a control method that can encourage a user of an electrical appliance to take an action to improve the value of the electrical appliance or to maintain the value of the electrical appliance will be described.

[0034] This behavior is an action taken by a user with respect to an electrical device. Furthermore, behavior for improving or maintaining the value of an electrical device (hereinafter, behavior for the value of an electrical device) includes at least one of performing work on the electrical device, requesting a specialist to perform the work, using the electrical device appropriately, and designing a structure for realizing value measurement of the electrical device.

[0035] Examples of work on electrical equipment include repairing, restoring, cleaning, and replacing parts of electrical equipment. Proper use of electrical equipment includes, for example, setting up electrical equipment in accordance with predetermined usage standards, maintaining the usage environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) appropriately, complying with usage time or frequency limits, and performing regular maintenance or cleaning. Furthermore, structural design for realizing value measurement of electrical equipment includes a structure that is easy to disassemble, a modular design, material selection that takes recyclability into consideration, a sturdy design aimed at extending lifespan, a design that takes reuse and upcycling into consideration, a compact design that emphasizes storage, a design that facilitates sorting, a one-piece molded design to reduce waste, and a design that improves traceability.

[0036] The user includes users who performed the above actions, i.e., users who performed work, users who requested work, users who appropriately used electrical equipment, and users who designed the structure of electrical equipment.

[0037] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment.

[0038] 1, the system 1 includes terminals 100a and 100b, a blockchain system 200, a management server 300, and an electric device 350. The blockchain system 200 includes nodes 200a to 200c.

[0039] The terminals 100a, 100b, the blockchain system 200, the management server 300, and the electrical device 350 may all be connected to one another via a network 500, or all may be directly connected to be able to communicate, or some may be connected via the network 500 and other parts may be directly connected to be able to communicate. The network 500 may be, for example, the Internet or a mobile phone carrier network, but may be composed of any communication line or network.

[0040] Terminal 100a is a terminal operated by the owner of electrical device 350. Terminal 100a may present the processing result to the owner.

[0041] The terminal 100b is a terminal operated by a dealer. The terminal 100b may present the processing results to the dealer. The dealer is the specialized dealer described above.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment.

[0043] Each of the terminals 100 a and 100 b includes a communication unit 101 , an input receiving unit 102 , a display unit 103 , a control unit 104 , and a storage unit 105 .

[0044] The communication unit 101 may transmit information to another terminal among the terminals 100a and 100b or to the nodes 200a to 200c via the network 500, or may receive information from another terminal or the nodes 200a to 200c. The other terminal is a terminal among the terminals 100a and 100b that is different from the terminal that has the communication unit 101. The communication unit 101 of the terminal 100a may transmit request information to the terminal 100b. The communication unit 101 of the terminal 100b may transmit request acceptance information to the blockchain system 200. Details of the request information and the request acceptance information will be described later.

[0045] In this way, the communication unit 101 communicates with other terminals or nodes 200a to 200c via the network 500. This communication may be performed using TLS (Transport Layer Security), and an encryption key for TLS communication may be held in the communication unit 101. The communication unit 101 is realized by a communication IF (Interface).

[0046] The input receiving unit 102 receives inputs from user operations. The input receiving unit 102 displays the received inputs on the display unit 103, transmits the received inputs to the control unit 104, or transmits the received inputs to the communication unit 101. The input receiving unit 102 is realized by an input IF (Interface).

[0047] The display unit 103 displays a UI (User Interface) for receiving input from the input receiving unit 102. The display unit 103 also displays the input received by the input receiving unit 102 on the UI. The display unit 103 may also display information notified from the nodes 200a to 200c. The display unit 103 is realized by a display.

[0048] The control unit 104 generates transaction data based on the information input received by the input receiving unit 102, and transmits the generated transaction data to the nodes 200a to 200c via the communication unit 101. The control unit 104 is realized by a processor.

[0049] The memory unit 105 stores information received by the communication unit 101, input accepted by the input accepting unit 102, transaction data generated by the control unit 104, etc. The memory unit 105 may also store data other than the above-mentioned information. The memory unit 105 is realized by a storage.

[0050] The terminals 100a and 100b are realized by a processor executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a node according to an embodiment.

[0052] 3, each of the nodes 200a to 200c includes a communication unit 201, a control unit 202, a recording unit 203, a transaction data verification unit 204, a distributed ledger 205, and a smart contract execution unit 206. The nodes 200a to 200c are examples of devices (control devices) that manage one or more blockchains.

[0053] The communication unit 201 transmits information to at least one of the terminals 100a and 100b, other nodes among the nodes 200a to 200c, and the management server 300 via the network 500, and receives information from at least one of the terminals 100a and 100b, other nodes among the nodes 200a to 200c, and the management server 300. The other nodes are nodes among the nodes 200a to 200c that are different from the node that includes the communication unit 201. The communication unit 201 also transmits and receives transaction data to and from the other nodes 200a to 200c.

[0054] In this way, the communication unit 201 communicates with at least one of the terminals 100a and 100b, other nodes among the nodes 200a to 200c, and the management server 300 via the network 500. This communication may be performed using TLS (Transport Layer Security), and the encryption key for TLS communication may be held by the communication unit 201.

[0055] The control unit 202 executes a consensus algorithm on the transaction data received by the communication unit 201. As a result, the control unit 202 stores the transaction data in the distributed ledger 205. The control unit 202 stores information included in the transaction data in the blockchain, for example, by linking a block including the transaction data to the blockchain of the distributed ledger 205.

[0056] When the communication unit 201 receives transaction data, the transaction data verification unit 204 verifies the validity of the transaction data. For example, the transaction data verification unit 204 verifies whether the transaction data received by the communication unit 201 is accompanied by a digital signature generated using a correct method. If the validity is verified, the communication unit 201 transmits a copy of the transaction data to multiple other nodes 200a-200c, thereby causing the verified authenticated transaction data to be recorded in the recording units 203 of the other nodes 200a-200c. This allows only transaction data whose validity has been verified to be transmitted to other servers, thereby suppressing increases in computer power consumption. Note that this verification may be skipped.

[0057] The transaction data verifier 204 also executes a consensus algorithm together with multiple other nodes 200a to 200c to reach an agreement on the validity of the transaction data.

[0058] The consensus algorithm used here may be Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT), or another known consensus algorithm. Examples of known consensus algorithms include Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). When PBFT is used as the consensus algorithm, the transaction data verifier 204 receives reports from each of the multiple nodes 200a to 200c indicating whether the transaction data verification was successful or not, and determines whether the number of such reports exceeds a predetermined number. When the number of such reports exceeds the predetermined number, the transaction data verifier 204 determines that the validity of the transaction data has been verified by the consensus algorithm.

[0059] If the transaction data verification unit 204 confirms the legitimacy of the transaction data, it records the transaction data in the recording unit 203. If the legitimacy of the transaction data cannot be verified, the transaction data verification unit 204 discards the transaction data. This prevents transaction data whose legitimacy cannot be verified from being recorded in the recording unit 203, thereby reducing the required amount of computer resources. The transaction data verification unit 204 may generate a block including transaction data whose legitimacy has been confirmed, and store the generated block in the distributed ledger 205.

[0060] In this embodiment, the transaction data verification unit 204 verifies the validity of the transaction data received by the communication unit 201 .

[0061] The recording unit 203 records the transaction data by storing the transaction data whose validity has been verified by the transaction data verification unit 204 in the distributed ledger 205. This makes it possible to prevent tampering with the transaction data.

[0062] The recording unit 203 may be configured inside the distributed ledger 205.

[0063] The distributed ledger 205 stores transaction data. The distributed ledger 205 sequentially acquires and stores transaction data, and therefore stores one or more pieces of transaction data. The distributed ledger 205 is realized by a storage.

[0064] The smart contract execution unit 206 operates the smart contract by executing the contract code included in the transaction data stored in the blockchain of the distributed ledger 205.

[0065] In this way, the smart contract execution unit 206 can manage various processes using the distributed ledger 205 by running smart contracts. Note that smart contracts are generated by applications on the nodes 200a-200c or the terminals 100a and 100b based on user operations, for example, and blocks containing these smart contracts are stored in the blockchain in advance. In other words, the blockchain stores the contract code of the smart contract.

[0066] The contract code of the smart contract may be separated and stored separately in the blockchain, or may be stored as a single integrated contract code in the blockchain.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management server according to an embodiment.

[0068] The management server 300 includes a communication unit 301 , a control unit 302 , and a storage unit 303 .

[0069] The communication unit 301 transmits information to at least one of the terminals 100a, 100b, the blockchain system 200, and the electrical device 350 via the network 500, and receives information from at least one of the terminals 100a, 100b, the blockchain system 200, and the electrical device 350.

[0070] The information transmitted to the blockchain system 200 is, for example, transaction data generated by the management server 300. The information received from the blockchain system 200 is, for example, a notification regarding the token amount calculated by the blockchain system 200. The communication unit 301 transmits the generated transaction data to the blockchain system 200 every time transaction data is generated.

[0071] The information received from terminal 100a is, for example, owner information including an owner ID for identifying the owner of electric device 350, and device information including a device ID for identifying electric device 350. The information received from electric device 350 is, for example, a log that has occurred in electric device 350, or error information that indicates an error that has occurred in electric device 350.

[0072] In this way, the communication unit 301 communicates with at least one of the terminals 100a and 100b, the blockchain system 200, and the electrical device 350 via the network 500. Note that this communication may be performed using Transport Layer Security (TLS), and the encryption key for TLS communication may be held by the communication unit 301.

[0073] The control unit 302 generates a smart contract in which rules are defined for calculating tokens to be granted to users who have performed actions for the value of the electrical device. The smart contract includes, for example, contract code that calculates the amount of tokens to be granted to users who have performed actions related to an action based on transaction data including information indicating that an error has been resolved. The smart contract references data stored in the distributed ledger 205 based on the transaction data including information indicating that an error has been resolved, and identifies the period from when an error occurred in the electrical device 350 until the error resolution action is performed. The amount of tokens is then calculated based on the identified period. Note that the tokens may have monetary value that can be used in buying and selling transactions, or may be an index that can be converted into monetary value. The convertible index may be the warranty period of the electrical device 350 or the value of the electrical device 350 itself.

[0074] The control unit 302 also generates error transaction data including the error information received from the electric device 350, and causes the communication unit 301 to transmit the generated error transaction data to the blockchain system 200. The control unit 302 also generates log transaction data including the log received from the electric device 350, and causes the communication unit 301 to transmit the generated log transaction data to the blockchain system 200.

[0075] The memory unit 303 stores information received by the communication unit 301, transaction data generated by the control unit 302, etc. The memory unit 303 may store data other than the above-mentioned information. The memory unit 303 is realized by a storage.

[0076] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an electrical device according to the embodiment.

[0077] The electrical device 350 includes a communication unit 351 , a control unit 352 , an input receiving unit 353 , a display unit 354 , and a sensor 355 .

[0078] The communication unit 351 transmits information to the terminal 100 a or the management server 300 via the network 500 , and receives information from the terminal 100 a or the management server 300 .

[0079] Specifically, the communication unit 351 may transmit, to the terminal 100a, device information including a device ID for identifying the electric device 350. The communication unit 351 may also transmit, to the management server 300, a log recorded in the electric device 350. The communication unit 351 is realized by, for example, a communication IF provided in the electric device 350.

[0080] The control unit 352 executes an operation indicated by a control instruction received by the communication unit 351 or a control instruction accepted by the input accepting unit 353. If a time for executing an operation is specified in the control instruction, the control unit 352 executes the operation at the specified time. The control unit 352 is realized by, for example, a processor.

[0081] The input acceptance unit 353 accepts input from the user. Specifically, the input acceptance unit 353 accepts input to the UI displayed on the display unit 354. The input acceptance unit 353 is realized by an input IF such as a touch panel. Note that the input acceptance unit 353 is not limited to a touch panel and may be other input IF such as a button or voice.

[0082] Display unit 354 displays an image or a UI generated by electrical device 350 or management server 300. Display unit 354 is realized by, for example, a display.

[0083] The sensor 355 is a sensor for detecting the state of the electrical device 350. Note that the electrical device 350 is not limited to being provided with one sensor 355, but may be provided with a plurality of sensors 355. The plurality of sensors 355 may be of different types or may be of the same type.

[0084] When electrical device 350 is a washing machine, sensor 355 may be, for example, a sensor that detects the amount of water, a sensor that detects the temperature, or a sensor that detects the current value for operating an actuator of the washing machine (for example, a motor that rotates the washing tub).

[0085] When electrical device 350 is a refrigerator, the sensor may be, for example, a sensor that detects the temperature inside the refrigerator, or a sensor that detects the current value for operating an actuator (for example, a motor that drives a compressor) of the refrigerator.

[0086] When the electrical appliance 350 is a rice cooker, the sensor may be, for example, a sensor that detects the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot of the rice cooker.

[0087] Note that the electric device 350 may not have at least one of the input accepting unit 353 and the display unit 354. In this case, the electric device 350 may realize the function of the input accepting unit 353 by communicating with the terminal 100a and, for example, receiving information accepted by the terminal 100a, or may realize the function of the display unit 354 by transmitting display information to the terminal 100a and causing the terminal 100a to display the display information.

[0088] The log of the electric device 350 indicates the operation history of the electric device 350. The operation history includes the operations performed by the electric device 350 and the dates and times when the operations were performed. The operation history may further include the duration of the operations. The operations indicated in the operation history may include the driving of actuators provided in the electric device 350, detection results from sensors provided in the electric device 350, calculation contents of a CPU provided in the electric device 350, calculation results from the CPU provided in the electric device, and the like.

[0089] Next, information exchanged in the system 1 will be described.

[0090] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a log.

[0091] The log is generated by the electric device 350. The log includes the device ID of the electric device 350 in which the log was generated, the device digital signature of the electric device 350, the operation history of the electric device 350, and a timestamp indicating the time when the operation history was generated.

[0092] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of error information.

[0093] The error information is generated by the electric device 350. The error information includes the device ID of the electric device 350 in which the error occurred, the device digital signature of the electric device 350, an error code (fault code) indicating the error that occurred, and a timestamp indicating the time when the error occurred. Note that the error information may be a type of log. In other words, the operation history of the log may include the error code that occurred in the electric device 350.

[0094] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the request information.

[0095] The request information is generated by the terminal 100a. The request information is generated by an owner inputting information into the terminal 100a. The request information is information that is transmitted to the contractor's terminal 100b when an error occurs in the electrical device 350 and a request is made to the contractor to perform work to resolve the error. The request information includes an owner ID for identifying the owner, a device ID for identifying the electrical device 350 in which the error occurred, an owner digital signature that is the owner's digital signature, request content indicating the work to resolve the error, and a timestamp indicating the time when the request information was generated. The request content may include error information indicating the error to be resolved by the work.

[0096] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the request acceptance information.

[0097] The request acceptance information is generated by terminal 100b. The request acceptance information is generated by input by the contractor into terminal 100b. The request acceptance information is generated when the contractor accepts a request for work to resolve an error, and is transmitted to blockchain system 200. The request acceptance information includes a contractor ID for identifying the contractor, a contractor digital signature which is the contractor's digital signature, request information indicating the accepted request, and a timestamp indicating the time the request information was accepted.

[0098] [Operation] Next, the operation of the system 1 configured as above will be described.

[0099] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the system according to the embodiment.

[0100] The management server 300 generates rule transaction data (rule Tx) (S101).

[0101] The management server 300 transmits the rule transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S102). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the rule transaction data from the management server 300.

[0102] The blockchain system 200 executes a consensus algorithm to store the received rule transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S103), thereby deploying the smart contract included in the rule transaction data.

[0103] The electric device 350 transmits device information including the device ID of the electric device 350 to the terminal 100a (S104). For example, step S104 may be executed in response to an input to the electric device 350 by the owner. Alternatively, step S104 may be executed in response to a transmission request for the device information from the terminal 100a. The transmission request may be transmitted from the terminal 100a to the electric device 350 in response to an input to the terminal 100a by the owner. As a result, the terminal 100a receives the device information from the electric device 350.

[0104] The terminal 100a transmits the owner information including the owner ID and the received device information to the management server 300 (S105). As a result, the management server 300 receives the owner information and device information from the terminal 100a. The management server 300 stores the owner ID included in the received owner information and the device ID included in the device information in association with each other.

[0105] The electric device 350 transmits the log to the management server 300 (S106). In response to this, the management server 300 receives the log from the electric device 350.

[0106] The electric device 350 detects the occurrence of an error (S107). For example, the electric device 350 may detect the occurrence of an error when the detection result of the sensor 355 is outside a predetermined range, or when an operation instruction is issued to an actuator but the actuator does not perform the operation in accordance with the operation instruction.

[0107] The electric device 350 generates error information indicating the detected error and transmits the error information to the management server 300 (S108).

[0108] Furthermore, the electric device 350 transmits a malfunction notification to the terminal 100a to notify the owner of the error information (S109). The malfunction notification may include, for example, the error information and a UI for notifying the terminal 100a of the error information. As a result, the terminal 100a receives the malfunction notification from the electric device 350. The terminal 100a may display the received malfunction notification.

[0109] The management server 300 generates error transaction data (error Tx) including the received error information (S110).

[0110] The management server 300 transmits the error transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S111). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the error transaction data from the management server 300.

[0111] The blockchain system 200 executes a consensus algorithm to store the received error transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S112).

[0112] The terminal 100a receives an input from the owner indicating a request for work to resolve the error (work request) (S113). The terminal 100a generates request information based on the input.

[0113] The terminal 100a transmits the generated request information to the terminal 100b of the agent (S114). The agent may be designated in the terminal 100a based on input from the owner, and the request information is transmitted to the terminal 100b of the designated agent. As a result, the terminal 100b receives the request information from the terminal 100a.

[0114] The terminal 100b generates request acceptance information based on the received request information and input from the trader, and generates request acceptance transaction data (request acceptance Tx) including the request acceptance information (S115).

[0115] The terminal 100b transmits the generated request acceptance transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S116). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the request acceptance transaction data from the terminal 100b.

[0116] The blockchain system 200 executes the consensus algorithm to store the received request acceptance transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S117).

[0117] The electrical device 350 is repaired by a repair shop to resolve the error (S118). This resolves the error.

[0118] The electric device 350 generates a log indicating that the error has been resolved and transmits the log to the management server 300 (S119). As a result, the management server 300 receives the log indicating that the error has been resolved from the electric device 350. Note that the fact that the error has been resolved may be indicated indirectly not only by transmitting a log including information indicating that the error has been resolved, but also by transmitting a log not including the error. Note that the electric device 350 may generate a log when it issues an operation instruction to an actuator and successfully causes the actuator to perform an operation in accordance with the operation instruction.

[0119] The management server 300 generates log transaction data (log Tx) that includes the received log (S120).

[0120] The management server 300 transmits the log transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S121). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the log transaction data from the management server 300.

[0121] The blockchain system 200 executes a consensus algorithm to store the received log transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S122).

[0122] The blockchain system 200 executes the smart contract based on the log transaction data and determines whether the period from when the error occurs to when the work to resolve the error is performed is less than a predetermined period (S123).

[0123] If the period from when the error occurred until the work to resolve the error is performed is less than a predetermined period, the blockchain system 200 calculates the amount of tokens to be granted to the owner (S124). For example, the blockchain system 200 may determine the amount of tokens to be granted to the owner to be a predetermined amount, or may determine the amount of tokens to be granted so that the shorter the period, the greater the amount of tokens. Note that step S124 may also be included in the processing by the smart contract.

[0124] The blockchain system 200 notifies the owner's terminal 100a that the calculated amount of tokens has been granted to the owner (S125).

[0125] In this way, the blockchain system 200 acquires request information indicating a request for work to resolve the error as an action by the user on the electrical device 350 by receiving request acceptance information (S116). Then, based on the request information, the blockchain system 200 calculates the period from the occurrence of the error to the execution of work to resolve the error as an improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement in the status of the electrical device 350 (S123). The blockchain system 200 determines the amount of tokens to be granted to the owner as a user based on the period calculated as the improvement degree (S124).

[0126] The processing of the blockchain system 200 described above can also be interpreted as processing executed by each of the nodes 200a to 200c, including the processing of storing transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 in collaboration with other nodes.

[0127] In step S124, the blockchain system 200 may calculate the amount of tokens to be granted to the trader, because the action to improve the condition of the electric device 350 includes work on the electric device 350, that is, work to resolve errors in the electric device 350.

[0128] [Effects, etc.] The blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment executes the following control method. The blockchain system 200 acquires request information (action information) indicating an action by the owner (user of the electrical device 350) to request a contractor to resolve an error (action to improve the status of the electrical device 350). Based on the request information (action information), the blockchain system 200 calculates the period from when the error occurred to when the error was resolved (the improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement in the status of the electrical device 350). The blockchain system 200 determines the amount of tokens to grant to the user based on the period from when the error occurred to when the error was resolved (the improvement degree).

[0129] According to this, the amount of tokens to be granted to a user who has performed an action on the electric device 350 to improve the state of the electric device 350 can be determined based on the improvement degree that indicates the degree of improvement in the state of the electric device 350. Therefore, it is possible to encourage the user to take an action to improve the state of the electric device 350, and it is possible to increase the value of the electric device 350 or maintain the value of the electric device 350 so that it does not decrease.

[0130] Furthermore, the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment further acquires error transaction data including error information indicating an error that has occurred in the electric device 350. The action to improve the condition of the electric device 350 is work on the electric device 350, in which a specialist resolves the error in the electric device 350.

[0131] This makes it possible to determine the number of tokens to be given to a contractor who has performed work to resolve an error in the electric device 350. This makes it possible to encourage the contractor to take action to improve the condition of the electric device 350, thereby increasing the value of the electric device 350 or maintaining the value of the electric device 350 so that it does not decrease.

[0132] Furthermore, in the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment, the degree of improvement may be calculated based on the period from when an error occurs until the work to resolve the error is performed. The degree of improvement may be the period itself, or an index determined according to the period.

[0133] This allows the user's actions to be appropriately evaluated.

[0134] Furthermore, in the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment, the determination of the token amount does not need to be performed if the period between the occurrence of an error and the execution of the work to resolve the error is longer than a predetermined period.

[0135] This allows the process of determining the token amount to be skipped if the period does not satisfy the condition, thereby reducing the amount of processing by the processor.

[0136] Furthermore, the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment further acquires, from the trader's terminal 100b (first terminal), request acceptance information indicating that a request for work to resolve the error has been accepted from the owner of the electrical device 350. The period from when the error occurs to when the work to resolve the error is performed is the period from when the error occurred to when the request acceptance information was acquired.

[0137] Furthermore, in the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment, actions to improve the status of the electric device 350 include work on the electric device 350, such as a contractor resolving an error in the electric device 350, and the owner requesting a contractor (a professional contractor) to perform the work. In determining the token amounts, a first token amount to be granted to the contractor and a second token amount to be granted to the owner are determined as the token amounts.

[0138] This allows tokens to be granted to both the owner who requested the work and the contractor who performed the work, which can encourage both the owner and the contractor to take action to improve the condition of the electrical device 350, thereby increasing the value of the electrical device 350 or maintaining the value of the electrical device 350 so that it does not decrease.

[0139] Furthermore, the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment may further acquire, from the terminal 100b of the trader, completion information indicating that the trader has completed the work to resolve the error. The period from when the error occurred until the work to resolve the error is performed is the period from when the error occurred until the time when the completion information was acquired.

[0140] Furthermore, in the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment, the action to improve the state of the electric device 350 includes, as work on the electric device 350, work by the trader to resolve an error in the electric device 350. In determining the token amount, a first token amount to be granted to the trader is determined as the token amount.

[0141] This makes it possible to determine the number of tokens to be granted to a specialist who has performed work to resolve an error in the electric device 350. This makes it possible to encourage the specialist to take action to improve the condition of the electric device 350, thereby increasing the value of the electric device 350 or maintaining the value of the electric device 350 so that it does not decrease.

[0142] Furthermore, the blockchain system 200 according to this embodiment further acquires a log indicating that an error that occurred in the electrical device 350 has been resolved. The period from when the error occurred until the work to resolve the error is performed is the period from the time the error occurred until the time indicated by the timestamp included in the log at which the error was resolved.

[0143] [Modification 1] The operation of the system 1 according to Modification 1 will be described. In the above embodiment, the token amount is determined based on the period from when an error occurs to when the error is resolved. Modification 1 is an example in which the token amount is determined based on a log received from the electrical device 350.

[0144] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the system in the first modification.

[0145] The management server 300 generates rule transaction data (rule Tx) (S131).

[0146] The management server 300 transmits the rule transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S132). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the rule transaction data from the management server 300.

[0147] The blockchain system 200 executes a consensus algorithm to store the received rule transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S133), thereby deploying the smart contract included in the rule transaction data.

[0148] The electric device 350 transmits device information including the device ID of the electric device 350 to the terminal 100a (S134). For example, step S134 may be executed in response to an input to the electric device 350 by the owner. Alternatively, step S134 may be executed in response to a transmission request for the device information from the terminal 100a. The transmission request may be transmitted from the terminal 100a to the electric device 350 in response to an input to the terminal 100a by the owner. As a result, the terminal 100a receives the device information from the electric device 350.

[0149] The terminal 100a transmits the owner information including the owner ID and the received device information to the management server 300 (S135). As a result, the management server 300 receives the owner information and device information from the terminal 100a. The management server 300 stores the owner ID included in the received owner information and the device ID included in the device information in association with each other.

[0150] The electric device 350 transmits the log to the management server 300 (S136). In response to this, the management server 300 receives the log from the electric device 350.

[0151] The management server 300 generates log transaction data (log Tx) that includes the received log (S137).

[0152] The management server 300 transmits the log transaction data to the blockchain system 200 (S138). As a result, the blockchain system 200 receives the log transaction data from the management server 300.

[0153] The blockchain system 200 executes a consensus algorithm to store the received log transaction data in the distributed ledger 205 (S139).

[0154] The blockchain system 200 executes a smart contract based on the log transaction data, determines whether the owner has appropriately used the electrical device 350 (determines whether the log satisfies the rules), and calculates an improvement level based on the determination result (S140). Whether the owner has appropriately used the electrical device 350 may be determined, for example, based on configuring the electrical device 350 according to predetermined usage standards, maintaining the usage environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) appropriately, complying with usage time or frequency restrictions, and performing regular maintenance or cleaning. Whether the owner has appropriately used the electrical device 350 may be determined based on each log, and the number of times the owner has determined that the electrical device 350 has been appropriately used may be calculated as the improvement level. The improvement level may be calculated by subtracting the number of times the owner has determined that the electrical device 350 has not been appropriately used from the number of times the owner has determined that the electrical device 350 has been appropriately used.

[0155] Furthermore, a weight may be assigned according to the log, and the number of times may be converted into a number according to the weight. For example, a log indicating that the electrical device 350 has been used in a manner that seriously affects the lifespan of the electrical device 350 may be assigned a weight that makes the degree of improvement larger than that of a single log and subtracts the number of times. Conversely, for example, a log indicating that the electrical device 350 has been used in a manner that has little effect on the lifespan of the electrical device 350 may be assigned a weight that makes the degree of improvement smaller than that of a single log and subtracts the number of times.

[0156] Furthermore, the degree of improvement may not necessarily be calculated based on each log, but may be calculated based on multiple logs. For example, if it is determined based on multiple logs that regular maintenance has been performed, the degree of improvement may be calculated to be greater. For example, in the case of electrical device 350 having a battery, the degree of improvement may be calculated to be greater based on a log indicating that electrical device 350 is being charged regularly. Furthermore, the degree of improvement may be calculated to be greater based on multiple logs indicating that the charge amount of electrical device 350 is changing so as to fall within a range excluding states close to 0% or 100% (e.g., states between 0% and 20% and states between 80% and 100%).

[0157] The blockchain system 200 calculates the amount of tokens to be granted to the owner according to the degree of improvement (S141). For example, the blockchain system 200 may determine the amount of tokens to be granted to the owner to be a predetermined amount, or may determine the amount of tokens so that the shorter the period, the greater the amount of tokens. Note that step S124 may also be included in the processing by the smart contract.

[0158] The blockchain system 200 notifies the owner's terminal 100a that the calculated amount of tokens has been granted to the owner (S142).

[0159] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the management server 300 may function as one of the multiple nodes that make up the blockchain system 200.

[0160] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, a control method has been described that can encourage a user of an electrical appliance to take an action to improve or maintain the value of the electrical appliance. That is, the target of the user's action was an electrical appliance, but it may also be an item. That is, the control method may be a control method that can encourage a user of an item to take an action to improve or maintain the value of the item. Here, an item is an item that may be the subject of a buying and selling transaction. Examples of items include electrical appliances such as home appliances, furniture, interior goods, fashion items, vehicles, sports and outdoor goods, books and media, art objects, jewelry, office supplies, tools, toys, gardening supplies, pet supplies, travel goods, medical and nursing care supplies, etc.

[0161] The behavioral information indicating behavior regarding the value of an item may be information based on images of the item photographed by a camera, or may be information based on audio related to the item detected by a microphone.

[0162] (Supplementary Note) The following provides a supplementary explanation of the distributed ledger in the above embodiment or modification. Here, a blockchain will be described as an example of a distributed ledger, but the same applies to other distributed ledgers.

[0163] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the data structure of a blockchain.

[0164] A blockchain is a chain of blocks, which are the units of record. Each block contains multiple transaction data and the hash value of the immediately preceding block. Specifically, block B2 contains the hash value of the previous block B1. A hash value calculated from the multiple transaction data contained in block B2 and the hash value of block B1 is then included in block B3 as the hash value of block B2. In this way, by connecting blocks in a chain while including the contents of the previous block as a hash value, tampering with the recorded transaction data is effectively prevented.

[0165] If past transaction data were to be changed, the hash value of the block would be different from before the change, and in order to make the altered block appear correct, all subsequent blocks would have to be recreated, which is extremely difficult in reality. This property is used to ensure that blockchains are tamper-resistant.

[0166] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of transaction data.

[0167] The transaction data shown in Figure 13 includes a transaction body P1 and a digital signature P2. The transaction body P1 is the data body included in the transaction data. The digital signature P2 is a digital signature generated for the hash value of the transaction body P1 using the signature key of the creator of the transaction data. More specifically, it is generated by encrypting the hash value with the private key of the creator of the transaction data. Examples of digital signature methods include ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm), CRYSTALS-Dilithium, Falcon, and SPHINCS+.

[0168] The transaction data has digital signature P2, making it virtually impossible to tamper with. If the transaction data were to be tampered with, verification using digital signature P2 would fail, revealing that the transaction data had been tampered with. This prevents tampering with the transaction body P1.

[0169] 14 and 15 are explanatory diagrams showing transaction data related to the execution of a smart contract, and processing related to the execution of a smart contract, respectively.

[0170] A series of processes related to the execution of a smart contract using a distributed ledger will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15.

[0171] In step SB1, the node stores transaction data B11, including contract code B12 that describes the processing of the smart contract, in the distributed ledger B10. For example, the node acquires transaction data B11 by receiving the transaction data B11 from an information processing device via communication or by the node itself generating the transaction data B11, and stores the acquired transaction data B11 in the distributed ledger B10. Step SB1 is performed before executing the smart contract.

[0172] In step SB2, the node stores transaction data B15, including instructions B16 for executing the smart contract, in the distributed ledger B10. For example, the node receives transaction data B15 from an information processing device via communication and stores the received transaction data B15 in the distributed ledger B10.

[0173] In step SB3, in response to the transaction data B15 including the instruction B16 being stored in the distributed ledger B10 in step SB2, the node reads the contract code B12 from the distributed ledger B10 and executes processing based on the contract code B12. The results of the processing may be included in the transaction data and stored in the distributed ledger B10.

[0174] Through the above series of processes, when the distributed ledger system receives transaction data B15 including instructions B16 for executing a smart contract, it automatically (i.e., without manual intervention) executes the processing in accordance with the instructions B16, enabling highly efficient (i.e., high speed or short processing time). Achieving highly efficient processing has the effect of reducing power consumption. Furthermore, since no manual intervention is required, it is possible to prevent human tampering with information, fraud, or human error. Furthermore, since the results of the processing thus executed are stored in the blockchain, it is virtually impossible to tamper with the results of the processing.

[0175] In the above-described embodiments and modifications, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. Here, the software that realizes the control device of the above-described embodiments and modifications is the following program.

[0176] In other words, this program is a program for causing a computer to execute a control method executed by a device, which control method acquires behavioral information regarding user actions on an electrical appliance that are intended to improve the state of the electrical appliance, calculates an improvement level indicating the degree of improvement in the state of the electrical appliance based on the behavioral information, and determines the amount of tokens to be granted to the user based on the improvement level.

[0177] Although the control device according to one or more aspects has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications conceivable by a person skilled in the art to the present embodiments, or configurations constructed by combining components of different embodiments, may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects.

[0178] The present disclosure is useful as a control method or the like that can prompt a user of an item, including an electrical appliance, to take action to improve the condition of the item.

[0179] 1 System 100a, 100b Terminal 101, 201, 301, 351 Communication unit 102, 353 Input reception unit 103, 354 Display unit 104, 202, 302, 352 Control unit 105, 303 Memory unit 200 Blockchain system 200a to 200c Node 203 Recording unit 204 Transaction data verification unit 205 Distributed ledger 206 Smart contract execution unit 300 Management server 350 Electrical equipment 355 Sensor 500 Network

Claims

1. A control method executed by a device, the method comprising: obtaining action information regarding an action by a user on an article, the action being for improving the state of the article; calculating an improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement of the state of the article based on the action information; and determining a token amount of a token to be given to the user based on the improvement degree.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the action includes at least one of an operation on the article, a request for the operation to a professional of the operation, an act of appropriately using the article, and a design of a structure for realizing measurement of the value of the article.

3. Further, obtaining error information indicating an error that has occurred in an electric device as the article, wherein the action is an operation by the professional to eliminate the error in the electric device as an operation on the electric device. The control method according to claim 2.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein the improvement degree is calculated based on a period from when the error occurs until an operation for eliminating the error is executed.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the determination of the token amount is not executed when the period is equal to or longer than a predetermined period.

6. Further, obtaining request reception information indicating that a request for an operation to eliminate the error has been received from an owner of the electric device from a first terminal of the professional, wherein the period is a period from the time when the error occurs to the time when the request reception information is obtained. The control method according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The action includes an operation by the professional to eliminate the error in the electric device as an operation on the electric device and a request by the owner for the operation to the professional of the operation. In the determination, a first token amount to be given to the professional and a second token amount to be given to the owner are determined as the token amount. The control method according to claim 6.

8. Further, obtaining completion information indicating that an operation by the professional to eliminate the error has been completed from a first terminal of the professional, wherein the period is a period from the time when the error occurs to the time when the completion information is obtained. The control method according to claim 4 or 5.

9. The action includes the work of eliminating the error of the electrical equipment by the professional as work on the electrical equipment, and in the determination, the first token amount to be given to the professional is determined as the token amount in the control method according to claim 8.

10. Further, a log indicating that the error occurring in the electrical equipment has been eliminated is acquired, and the period is the period from the time when the error occurred to the time when the error was eliminated in the control method according to claim 4 or 5.

11. The electrical equipment is communicable via a network, the action information is a log generated by the electrical equipment and acquired from the electrical equipment via the network, and in the calculation, based on the log as the action information, it is determined whether the user has appropriately used the electrical equipment, and the improvement degree is calculated based on the result of the determination in the control method according to claim 3.

12. The device includes a distributed ledger storing a smart contract for executing the calculation and the determination, in the acquisition, transaction data including the action information is acquired, and in the calculation and the determination, the smart contract is executed based on the action information included in the transaction data in the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. A device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor uses the memory to acquire action information regarding an action by a user on an article for improving the state of the article, calculates an improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement of the state of the article based on the action information, and determines the token amount of tokens to be given to the user based on the improvement degree.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method, the program causing the computer to acquire action information regarding an action by a user on an article for improving the state of the article, calculate an improvement degree indicating the degree of improvement of the state of the article based on the action information, and determine the token amount of tokens to be given to the user based on the improvement degree.

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