Human information management system

Abstract

Provided is a human information management system that can improve the reliability of various kinds of human information while increasing the amount of human information that can be used by a system. A human information management system according to the present invention comprises: an input information recording means for recording, as input information, human information input by a user using a user terminal; an information reliability evaluation means for evaluating the reliability of the input information for each information unit and deriving a reliability index associated with the corresponding information unit; and a browsing information disclosure means for disclosing, to the user, browsing disclosure information formed on the basis of the input information or integrated information generated by integrating a plurality of pieces of the input information.

Description

Human Resources Information Management System

[0001] The present invention relates to a human resource information management system.

[0002] Conventionally, information viewing systems have been proposed that are configured to store personal information such as family tree information and messages, as well as various other personal information, and to transmit the personal information to descendants and other related parties. The following Patent Documents 1 to 5 are all systems that store various personal information, primarily the personal information, and manage it so that it can be viewed by others.

[0003] In each of the above systems, personal information is received from users, processed in some way, and then made available for viewing by other users, but when actually operating the system, consideration must be given to the scope of disclosure of personal information and the protection of personal information, and there is the problem of how to manage the various types of personal information. To address this, in the following Patent Documents 6 and 7, users set the recipients of disclosure and, in addition, the scope of disclosure of personal information, and information is disclosed according to these settings.

[0004] JP 2002-015057 A International Publication No. 2004 / 066174 Specification JP 2015-090539 A JP 2018-160005 A JP 2022-183722 A JP 2001-297159 A JP 2023-109195 A

[0005] In each of the above systems, when managing various types of personal information obtained from users, it is important to ensure the accuracy of the personal information and to verify the identity of the user in order to ensure the reliability of the personal information. However, if an attempt is made to increase the reliability of the personal information, the amount of information that can be obtained and the amount of information that can be disclosed will decrease, resulting in a loss of appeal as a system for viewing various types of personal information. Also, if an attempt is made to ensure the amount of personal information, it will become more likely that incorrect information will be disclosed, making it difficult to ensure the quality of the personal information, and as a result, there is a risk that the reliability of the entire system will be lost.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention solves the above problem, and its objective is to realize a human information management system that can increase the amount of human information that can be used in the system while improving the reliability of various types of human information.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the human information management system of the present invention comprises an input information recording means for recording human information input by a user as input information, an information reliability evaluation means for evaluating the reliability of the input information for each information unit and deriving a reliability index associated with the corresponding information unit, and a viewing information disclosure means for disclosing to the user viewing disclosure information formed from the input information or integrated information generated by integrating multiple pieces of the input information.

[0008] According to the present invention, the personal information entered by the user is recorded as input information by the input information recording means, and the information reliability evaluation means evaluates the reliability of the input information for each information unit and derives a reliability index, so that the input information and integrated information can be managed based on the reliability index derived for each information unit of the input information, thereby making it possible to prevent problems caused by erroneous information without hindering the provision of a wide range of personal information. Here, personal information broadly includes various types of information, including information about the user himself / herself (personal information) and other people (other people's information), and information about relationships between people (interpersonal relationship information).

[0009] In the present invention, the information reliability evaluation means preferably sets the reliability index according to the consistency of the corresponding information unit with other information units in the input information and with the existing personal information. In this case, the information reliability evaluation means preferably lowers the reliability index of a portion of the input information if the portion does not match the existing personal information, and raises the reliability index of the portion if the portion matches the existing personal information. It is also preferable to set the reliability index according to the existence or non-existence of a certificate certifying the corresponding information unit by a third party. Examples of such a certificate include a family register certificate (a certified copy of a family register), a registered information certificate, and a DNA typing certificate. It is preferable that the information reliability evaluation means raises the reliability index of the portion of the input information if the portion is certified by a submitted certificate from a third party.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the information disclosure means for viewing forms the disclosure information for viewing with the reliability index added based on the input information or the integrated information. According to this, since the disclosure information for viewing is formed with the reliability index added, it is possible to view the information units while looking at the reliability index, thereby reducing the impact of erroneous information on the viewer.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the information disclosure means for viewing selects or limits the input information or the integrated information for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index to form the disclosure information for viewing. According to this, since the disclosure information for viewing is formed by selecting or limiting the input information or the integrated information for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index, the reliability of the disclosure information for viewing is improved overall, and a decrease in the reliability of the system can be prevented.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable to further include integrated information generation means for generating the integrated information from the plurality of pieces of input information. Here, when a portion of the input information matches the existing personal information and the remaining portion contains unshared information with no corresponding data portion, it is preferable that the integrated information is generated in a manner that includes the unshared information in addition to the portion. Furthermore, when a portion of the input information does not match the existing personal information, it is preferable that the portion coexist with the corresponding portion of the existing personal information in the integrated information.

[0013] In this case, the integrated information is preferably generated by selecting or limiting the input information for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index and integrating it. According to this, the integrated information is generated by selecting or limiting the input information of multiple users for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index, and the integrated information is generated in a manner that improves the overall reliability of the personal information entered by the users. This makes it possible to integrate a wide range of personal information while avoiding a decrease in reliability, thereby enabling both a wider range of personal information to be provided and a reduction in false information. Here, in the integrated information, if a portion of the input information does not match existing personal information, the reliability index of the portion is compared with the reliability index of the corresponding portion of the existing personal information. If the difference in the reliability indexes is equal to or greater than a threshold, only the portion with the higher reliability index is retained. If the difference is less than the threshold, the portion and the corresponding portion coexist.

[0014] It is preferable that the integrated information is generated with the reliability index added to each of the information units. In this case, since the integrated information is generated with the reliability index added, it is possible to understand the information units while looking at the reliability index, thereby reducing the influence of erroneous information in the integrated information.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that the information reliability evaluation means defines a plurality of information reliability ranks ranging from high to low reliability as the reliability index, and sets one of the intermediate ranks excluding the highest and lowest ranks among the plurality of information reliability ranks as the initial value of the information reliability rank. For example, as in an embodiment described below, if seven information reliability ranks are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, it is preferable to set one of the intermediate ranks B to F as the initial value, and it is particularly desirable to set the central rank such as D as the initial value.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that the viewing information disclosure means limits the disclosure range of the input information in accordance with the user's operation. The disclosure range preferably includes a range of viewers to whom the information is to be disclosed, a range of information to be disclosed, and a time range for the disclosure period. Furthermore, when portions of the information input by multiple users are identical, it is preferable that the disclosure range of the portion be determined by adjusting the range in accordance with the relationship between the settings of the disclosure range for each user.

[0017] In the present invention, the system further comprises a long-term data management unit having a plurality of recording units for recording the input information or the integrated information, the plurality of recording units being composed of a plurality of different types of storage media, and including at least a first recording unit that is more suitable for recording changes than the others, and a second recording unit that is more suitable for long-term storage than the others, and it is preferable that the long-term data management unit records recorded data of information units with a low reliability index in the first recording unit, and records recorded data of information units with a high reliability index in the second recording unit.

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a personnel information management system that can increase the amount of personnel information that can be used in the system while improving the reliability of various types of personnel information.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an embodiment of a human information management system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of an information reliability evaluation means in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of an integrated information generation means in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of a disclosure range setting means in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a selection structure of a registration input screen related to an input information recording means and a viewing display screen by a viewing information disclosure means displayed on a user terminal in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart diagram showing an example of a processing procedure on each screen shown in FIG. 5 in the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart diagram showing details of an example of a processing procedure executed on the viewing display screen in the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic correspondence table showing an example of a relationship between information types and reliability indexes in the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic correspondence table showing an example of a relationship between information types and disclosure range information in the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a family tree. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a family tree. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an exchange diagram. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an exchange diagram.

[0020] Next, an embodiment of a personnel information management system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the overall configuration of an embodiment of a personnel information management system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a human information management system 10. This system 10 comprises a WEB (web) server 11 that is connected to a network and exchanges input and output data with user terminals, an AP (application) server 12 that is connected to this WEB server 11 and processes the input and output data, and a DB (database) server 13 that exchanges record data with this AP server 12 and stores and manages data. Note that the WEB server 11 and DB server 13 perform normal server operations, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0022] The AP server 12 processes various data in accordance with various application programs, for example, converting, saving, updating, deleting, setting, etc. The AP server 12 comprises an input information recording means 121, an information reliability evaluation means 122, an integrated information generation means 123, a browsing information disclosure means 124, and a disclosure range setting means 125.

[0023] The input information recording means 121 receives input information 1a, 2a, and 3a, consisting of personal information input from user terminals 1-3, and records this information in the recording unit (storage) 131 by the DB server 13 as at least part of the input information group DB1, consisting of a bundle of input information for each user. The personal information in this input information 1a, 2a, and 3a includes personal information, which is information about the user himself / herself; other information, which is information about people other than the user; first interpersonal relationship information, which indicates the relationship between the user and other people; and second interpersonal relationship information, which indicates the relationship between the other people. Note that while the illustrated example shows three user terminals, this is merely an example; there is no particular limit on the number of users, and the number of simultaneously connected terminals also depends on the system settings. The following explanation assumes that any one user terminal is connected at any given time.

[0024] The information reliability evaluation means 122 evaluates the reliability of the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a obtained from the input information group DB1 and the input information recording means 121. This evaluation of information reliability is performed by evaluating the reliability of the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a for each information unit and deriving a reliability index. In this embodiment, a plurality of information reliability ranks indicating the level of information reliability are defined as reliability indexes, and one of these information reliability ranks is assigned to each information unit. These information reliability ranks will be described later. A reliability index is assigned to each information unit of the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a and recorded in the recording unit 131 by the DB server 13 as at least a part of the reliability index group DB2. Note that the reliability index is associated (linked) with the corresponding information unit of the input information by a management number or the like. Furthermore, it is preferable that this reliability index is also associated (linked) with the corresponding information unit of the integrated information, which will be described later. In the information reliability evaluation means 122 of this embodiment, a reliability index is derived for each information unit of input information, but a process of deriving a reliability index for each information unit of existing input information that has already been saved may be executed later, or a process of deriving a reliability index for each information unit of integrated information, which will be described later, may be executed.

[0025] The integrated information generation means 123 generates an integrated information group DB3 by integrating the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a obtained from multiple users using the input information group DB1 or the input information recording means 121 and the reliability index obtained from the reliability index group DB2 or the information reliability evaluation means 122. The integrated information group DB3 is then recorded in the recording unit 131 by the DB server 13. The integrated information group DB3 is not individual personal information such as the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a for each user, but is obtained by integrating the input information obtained from multiple users, and is preferably configured as general personal information shared by the system, separate from the users. The integrated information group DB3 is generated by an integration process that integrates the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a according to standard rules. The integration process will be described later. The integrated information group DB3 is a bundle of integrated information that is interconnected as a whole, and ideally, the result would be a whole set of interconnected information; however, it is usually configured in a form in which multiple groups of uninterrelated integrated information coexist (the relationships between them, i.e., the information links, are severed).

[0026] The information disclosure means for viewing 124 generates disclosure information for viewing based on personal information obtained from the input information group DB1 or input information 1a, 2a, or 3a, or the integrated information group DB3 or individual integrated information, reliability indices obtained from the reliability index group DB2 or information reliability evaluation means 122, and individual disclosure scope information obtained from the disclosure scope information group DB5 (described later) or disclosure scope setting means 125, and makes the disclosure information for viewing available on the user terminal 1-3 via the web server 11. The information disclosure operation of the information disclosure means for viewing 124 is executed based on input operations 1b, 2b, and 3b performed by each user via the user terminal 1-3. The disclosure information for viewing disclosed in response to the input operations 1b, 2b, and 3b is sent to the user terminal 1-3 via output data 1c, 2c, and 3c. Here, the disclosure information for viewing is recorded in the recording unit 131 by the DB server 13 as at least a part of the disclosure information group DB4.

[0027] The disclosure range setting means 125 sets the disclosure range for the input information 1a, 2a, 3a in accordance with the input operations 1d, 2d, 3d input by each user on the user terminal 1-3. This disclosure range is set for each information unit of the input information. Details of this disclosure range will be described later, but the range of viewers to whom the information is to be disclosed, the range of information to be disclosed, and the time range for the disclosure period are set for each information unit. This setting information regarding the various disclosure ranges is recorded in the recording unit 131 by the DB server 13 as at least part of the disclosure range information group DB5.

[0028] The system 10 may include a BU (backup) server 14 as needed. The BU server 14 backs up the various pieces of information recorded in the recording unit 131 between the DB server 13 and the BU server 14. In the illustrated example, the BU server 14 preferably records backup data using a main recording medium (one type of storage) 141 and a secondary recording medium (another type of storage) 142. For example, the main recording medium 141 is a high-speed storage medium for information that is frequently accessed, while the secondary recording medium 142 is a storage medium for information that is less frequently accessed and is less susceptible to deterioration even when stored for long periods of time. Examples of storage types include flash memory, optical disks, magnetic disks, and magnetic tapes. When the BU server 14 is configured as a long-term data management unit, the main recording medium 141 serves as a first recording unit, and the secondary recording medium 142 serves as a second recording unit. The data backed up in these first and second recording units can function in place of the long-term data management unit 15 described below by recording data with a low reliability index for each information unit described below in the first recording unit and data with a high reliability index in the second recording unit.

[0029] Furthermore, the present system 10 preferably includes a long-term data management unit 15, either separately from or instead of the BU server 14. As will be described later, the present system 10 is configured to store and manage various types of personal information entered by users over the long term, such as information showing personal relationships, such as family trees, social relationships, and other interpersonal relationship charts, as well as information related to ancestors, such as messages, diaries, photographs, and biographies of deceased individuals, so that their descendants can view the information. Therefore, the long-term data management unit 15 is configured to reliably store information recorded in the aforementioned recording unit 131, main recording medium 141, and sub-recording medium 142 for a long period of time. In the illustrated example, the system includes a primary recording unit 151, a secondary recording unit 152, and a tertiary recording unit 153. The primary recording unit 151 (corresponding to the first recording unit) basically records all information, but among the recorded information, information with high reliability and low likelihood of change is also recorded in the secondary recording unit 152. Among the information recorded in the secondary recording unit 152, information with higher reliability and less likelihood of change is recorded in the tertiary recording unit 153 (corresponding to the second recording unit described above), which is difficult to rewrite but ensures long-term storage. This hierarchical recording format is not limited to tertiary, but may be secondary, or even quaternary or higher. Higher-level recording units (corresponding to the second recording unit) such as the tertiary recording unit 153 use recording means capable of withstanding long-term recording. Examples of such recording means include engraving on hard materials. For example, by using MEMS (micro-machining technology) such as laser engraving to write information onto a hard material disk such as quartz, it is possible to retain information recording semi-permanently, rather than losing recorded content over time as with magnetic recording media.

[0030] In the long-term data management unit 15, in a hierarchical storage structure including the primary storage unit 151, secondary storage unit 152, and tertiary storage unit 153, among the information to be stored, storage units with the above-mentioned reliability index of information reliability are prioritized and stored in a higher-level storage unit (second storage unit). This is because the higher the information reliability, the less the need for information rewriting. In addition to information units with high reliability indexes, information whose content is unlikely to change or fluctuate in the future, such as when the user is already deceased, is also prioritized and stored in a higher-level storage unit (second storage unit). In this way, information with high information reliability and unlikely to fluctuate in the future can be efficiently and reliably stored for a long period of time, thereby enabling the system 10 to be maintained semi-permanently while suppressing increases in management costs.

[0031] Next, with reference to FIG. 2 , an example of a specific processing procedure of the information reliability evaluation means 122 will be described. In this example, first, input information (1a, 2a, 3a) from a user is received and the reliability of the information is evaluated. Examples of input information are shown in FIG. 8 . A reliability index is set for each information unit, which is a "specific example" in the right column belonging to a "classification" in the left column of "information type / item" in the input information shown in FIG. 8 . In this specific example, multiple (specifically, seven) information reliability ranks A-G indicating the level of information reliability are defined as reliability indexes. The order is A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, with the earlier alphabetical order indicating higher reliability and the later alphabetical order indicating lower reliability. The initial value (initial setting) of the information reliability rank is preferably an intermediate rank, and in this embodiment, the rank in the middle of the intermediate ranks, i.e., the central rank "D," is used.

[0032] FIG. 8 shows the personal information included in the input information, including personal identification information, personal additional information, and personal certification information. Personal identification information is information for identifying the user, and includes the user's name, date of birth, and address. Personal additional information includes a telephone number, email address, occupation, and place of employment. Personal identification information includes family register certificates such as a family register certificate (a certified copy of the family register) (or a corporate registration certificate), My Number information, and DNA typing certificates. It also includes certificates issued by chambers of commerce, national governments, and local governments. Among the input information, the first interpersonal relationship information includes family relationship information, kinship relationship information, and acquaintance relationship information. The primary items of this first interpersonal relationship information are items indicating the relationship, such as the relationship with the user. However, in addition to the relationship with the user, information about the related person, such as date of birth, gender, occupation, and address, may be included, or information about the other person (e.g., a woman) may be identified based on interpersonal relationship information such as the relationship (e.g., "niece"). The input information may also include second interpersonal relationship information indicating the relationship between the person and another person. Note that the input information is not limited to the above information and may include various other information such as the person's photograph, email content, messages, diary content, and other images. Of course, this various other information may also include the above-mentioned other information corresponding to family members and acquaintances other than the person.

[0033] In FIG. 8 , information units provided by the input information are marked with an information reliability rank of "D," and information units that are not input are marked with a "-." Next, a basic reliability determination is performed on this input information. In this basic reliability determination, the interrelationships between multiple information units (specific examples) in the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a are examined to determine whether there are any contradictions between the multiple interrelated information units. If there are no contradictions between the interrelated information units, the information reliability rank for those multiple information units is upgraded to a higher rank, for example, "C." If there are contradictions between the interrelated information units, the information reliability rank for those multiple information units is downgraded to a lower rank, for example, "E." Information units that are not interrelated with other information units are left as they are, with the initial value "D." The basic reliability determination and other information reliability determination processes may be performed according to a specific determination program, or may be performed by a trained machine learning model (particularly, a deep learning model) that has previously learned the interrelationships of the input information. In the illustrated example, a single piece of information such as a name or an address is assumed as an information unit, but the information unit may be a combination or intentional inclusion of multiple pieces of information, such as multiple personal information including a relationship to the person, such as parents, or a combination of gender and relationship, such as nephew. In any case, the reliability index is derived for each information unit.

[0034] Next, FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which a certificate, for example, a person's family register certificate, has been added. After this addition, the certificate is evaluated, and an additional reliability assessment is performed based on the results of the evaluation. The evaluation of the certificate and the additional reliability assessment may be performed according to a specific evaluation program, or may be performed using a trained machine learning model (particularly, a deep learning model) that has previously learned the interrelationships of input information. In FIG. 8 , the submission of the family register certificate changes the relationship with other information units, so information such as the person's name, date of birth, parents, and children is given the highest rank "A," and information such as the person's address, email address, photo, email content, and messages is given the second highest information reliability rank "B." The submitted certificate may be included in the initial input information or may be submitted at a different time, for example, after a certain amount of time has passed. Further certificates may be submitted simultaneously or separately. In either case, the additional reliability assessment based on the above certificate is performed after its submission.

[0035] The input information 1a, 2a, and 3a are then compared with other input information already recorded (such as personal information previously input by the current user and personal information previously input by other users other than the current user) and existing personal information (hereinafter referred to as existing information), such as previously generated integrated information, to confirm the consistency between the new information and the existing information through an information consistency check process. After confirming the overall consistency between the new information and the existing information, a comprehensive reliability assessment is performed based on the results of this check. If the presence of the current input information 1a, 2a, and 3a affects the reliability of the existing information, the reliability index of the existing information is also changed. Figure 8 shows the change in the information reliability rank, which is the reliability index for each information unit, after this information consistency check process. For example, in the illustrated example, the consistency of the individual's address is confirmed by comparison with the existing information, and as a result, the information reliability rank for the individual's address is upgraded to "A," the information reliability rank for the individual's siblings is upgraded to "B," and the information reliability rank for the individual's photo is upgraded to "A." If an information unit in the new information is found to be inconsistent with existing information, the information reliability rank of that information unit in both the new information and the existing information will be downgraded, in contrast to the above.

[0036] The above-described information reliability determination process, whether basic reliability determination, additional reliability determination, or comprehensive reliability determination, is executed at an appropriate timing in response to the additional submission of newly input personal information, certification documents, etc., and a reliability index for each information unit is derived. Note that the processing procedure shown in Figure 2 is merely an example, and the above processes may be executed in an appropriate order different from that shown, as necessary.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the integrated information generating means 123 to integrate the new information (i.e., input information 1a, 2a, and 3a) with existing information. The input information 1a, 2a, and 3a are recorded in the recording unit 131 via the DB server for each user who inputs the information by the input information recording means 121 of the AP server 12. However, the individual pieces of input information 1a, 2a, and 3a may contain overlapping information. In such cases, integrated information may be created by integrating the multiple pieces of input information containing overlapping information into a single piece of information. The integration process first compares the input information with the existing information and confirms their consistency, similar to the information consistency check process described above. This consistency check may use the results obtained in the information consistency check process described above in FIG. 2. Conversely, the results of the information consistency check performed in this integration process may be used instead of the information consistency check process described above in the example procedure shown in FIG. 2.

[0038] An example of the above integration process will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 regarding family tree information. For example, family tree 1 shown in FIG. 10 and family tree 2 shown in FIG. 11 each contain family tree information centered on the user who input the information, the "person." Here, dotted lines indicate omitted portions, and dashed lines indicate that the person is currently deceased. The schematic flowchart shown in FIG. 3 assumes that input information is integrated with part of existing information. Therefore, assume that family tree 1 shown in FIG. 10 is the input information, and family tree 2 shown in FIG. 11 is part of the existing information. In this case, the "sister-in-law" (shown in a double frame), who is the spouse (wife) of the user's younger brother who inputted family tree 1, is the person in family tree 2. Therefore, family tree 1 and family tree 2 contain overlapping information (shared information). Meanwhile, family tree 1 and family tree 2 each contain some information (unshared information) that is not included in the other family tree. For example, in family tree 1, the part of the family tree surrounded by the dashed line shown in the figure (there are two parts in FIG. 10) is information (unshared information) that does not exist in family tree 2. Also, in family tree 2, the part of the family tree surrounded by the dashed double-dashed line shown in the figure (there are two parts in FIG. 11) is information (unshared information) that does not exist in family tree 1.

[0039] In this example, the common information other than the areas surrounded by the dotted and double-dashed lines shown in the figure is consistent with each other, so while this common information is left as is, the range surrounded by the dotted and double-dashed lines in Figure 10 and the range surrounded by the double-dashed lines in Figure 11 are connected to the above common information as non-common information, thereby generating integrated information.

[0040] 10, family tree 1 is missing information about the "fourth nephew," marked with an X. Family tree 1, which is missing one nephew, is inconsistent with family tree 2, which has the corresponding information about the "fourth child," marked with a ○, resulting in an inconsistent information unit in part of the common information. In this case, as described above, except for the presence or absence of the "fourth nephew" and the "fourth child," integrated information can be generated by connecting the non-shared information, which is the part of the genealogy that does not exist in the other, to the common information, and both the "absence of a fourth nephew" for user 1 in family tree 1 and the "presence of a fourth child" for user 2 (user 1's sister-in-law) in family tree 2 can be recorded.

[0041] On the other hand, if the information reliability of each of family trees 1 and 2 has already been evaluated, the method for generating the integrated information can be changed depending on which information in family tree 1 or family tree 2 is more reliable. For example, since there is no reliability index for the "absence of a fourth nephew" in family tree 1, if the information reliability rank of the reliability index for the "other nephew" is X1 and the information reliability rank of the "presence of a fourth child" in family tree 2 is X2, if X1 and X2 are close and the difference in rank is small (e.g., 2 or less), as described above, both information about the "absence of a fourth nephew" for user 1 in family tree 1 and the "presence of a fourth child" for user 2 (user 1's sister-in-law) in family tree 2 are recorded (listed side by side). On the other hand, if the rank of the information with the higher reliability index is higher (e.g., "A" or "B") or if the difference in rank between the reliability indexes of both pieces of information is large (e.g., 3 or more), a method can be adopted in which the information with the higher reliability index is reflected in the integrated information.

[0042] In this example, since non-existence in family tree 1 corresponds to presence in family tree 2, the reliability index of the "other nephew" that is considered equivalent to non-existence in family tree 1 in terms of its relationship to the person in question is used as the comparison target. However, if the presence in family tree 1 ("nephew") and the presence in family tree 2 ("child") are people with different attributes (for example, if the "nephew" is male in family tree 1 but the "child" is female (daughter) in family tree 2), the reliability indexes of both people can be directly compared and processed in the same manner as above. Also, in the above example, a case where the presence or absence of a certain person is inconsistent was described. However, even if the interpersonal relationship between the person in question and another person, such as their relationship, is different (for example, if the names are the same but the relationship is different, such as "nephew" and "cousin"), the reliability index of the interpersonal relationship can be considered in the same manner as above.

[0043] If there is a plurality of pieces of overlapping information, the above-described determination and correction of reliability information are performed for each piece of overlapping information, and this is repeated until there is no overlapping information. Once processing has been completed for all of the overlapping information, it is determined whether integration processing is possible with the input information and existing information, for example, whether the above-described common information exists and whether the above-described non-common information exists. If common information and non-common information exist and integration processing is possible, the above-described integrated information generation processing is performed. When the above-described integration processing is completed, or if there is no overlapping information and integration processing is not possible, the disclosure range information for the input information and existing information is corrected, and the information is output and saved by the DB server 13.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure for setting the disclosure range of input information by the disclosure range setting means 125. This process begins with the user setting the disclosure range of the input information through input operations 1d, 2d, and 3d. The disclosure range setting means 125 prompts the user terminal 1-3 via the web server 11 to set the disclosure range of the input information. In response, the user terminal 1-3 performs input operations 1d, 2d, and 3d, causing the AP server 12 to set the disclosure range via the web server 11. Here, the disclosure range includes three types of ranges: a viewer range, an information range, and a time range. That is, the disclosure range information included in the disclosure range information group DB5 specifically defines a viewer range condition for the disclosure target, an information range condition for the disclosure information, and a time range condition for the disclosure time.

[0045] FIG. 9 shows an example of setting the disclosure scope for each information unit related to the input information, family tree 1. Here, the classification and specific examples of the viewed information and items are the same as those shown in FIG. 8 . In this example, the disclosure scope is set using six ranks, X, Y, Z, V, W, and Q, in descending order of disclosure conditions. More specifically, the viewer range has six ranks: X1, Y1, Z1, V1, W1, and Q1; the information range has six ranks: X2, Y2, Z2, V2, W2, and Q2; and the time range has six ranks: X3, Y3, Z3, V3, W3, and Q3. Examples of the respective ranks are listed at the bottom of the table in FIG. 9 . The initial setting for the disclosure scope in this system 10 is Z, which indicates a viewer range of Z1, an information range of Z2, and a time range of Z3. Furthermore, when setting the disclosure scope, a certain level of reliability index can be set as a prerequisite for disclosure. In other words, if the reliability index of each information unit is not high, the reliability of the system 10 itself will be impaired. Therefore, information units that do not have a minimum reliability index will not be included in the disclosure information for viewing. In the illustrated example, the individual's date of birth, email address, and family register certificate are set as information units that will not be disclosed unless the information reliability rank is "A" or higher, while the individual's name, address, parents, and children are set as information units that will not be disclosed unless the information reliability rank is "B" or higher. Here, if a disclosure restriction is imposed on the information reliability rank, the system administrator may choose not to display the reliability index for each information unit in the disclosure information for viewing. Note that the above is merely the initial setting of the system 10, and it is preferable that the user can individually change it. Figure 9 shows an example of the disclosure range, i.e., the viewer range, information range, and time range, set by the user himself / herself. Furthermore, the information reliability rank may be set by the user himself / herself, but the initial setting may be fixed or may be changeable only by the administrator of the system 10.

[0046] Next, returning to FIG. 4 , we will continue the explanation. Once the disclosure scopes of input information 1a, 2a, and 3a are set as described above, a disclosure scope consistency check process is executed to check the consistency with the disclosure scope of existing information. This process checks whether there is overlap between the input information and existing information and whether disclosure scopes have been set for each of these overlapping portions (i.e., whether there is an "overlap setting"). If there is overlap, the information disclosure conditions are adjusted. For example, for the input information of family tree 1, the user himself sets the disclosure scope, i.e., the viewer scope, information scope, and time scope. Therefore, for the portion of the input information enclosed by the dashed line shown in the figure (unshared information) that is included only in family tree 1, the disclosure scope set by the user himself is used. On the other hand, for the existing information of family tree 2, the disclosure scope set by the user's sister-in-law exists. Therefore, for the portion enclosed by the dashed line shown in the figure (unshared information) that is included only in family tree 2, the disclosure scope set by the sister-in-law is used. However, with regard to the common information between Family Tree 1 and Family Tree 2, there is no problem if the disclosure scope set by the user himself and the disclosure scope set by his sister-in-law are the same, but if the disclosure scope settings are different, it is necessary to adjust the different settings between the two.

[0047] One method for adjusting these information disclosure conditions is to unify the two settings to the stricter one. For example, if the viewer range rank for parents in Family Tree 1 is "Z1" (disclosed only to direct relatives) and the viewer range rank for "parents-in-law" in Family Tree 2 is "Y1" (disclosed only to relatives and acquaintances), the viewer range for the corresponding parents is set to "Z1." Other examples of this adjustment method include setting overlapping information units to the middle of their respective disclosure range ranks or unifying them to a setting that prioritizes disclosure. Regardless of the method, the adjustment process modifies the disclosure range information for existing information.

[0048] Thereafter, if the above-mentioned adjustment process is not performed, the disclosure range entered this time is added as is as disclosure range information corresponding to the new input information; if the above-mentioned adjustment process is performed, the disclosure range obtained by changing the adjusted disclosure range is added as disclosure range information corresponding to the new input information. This information is then output and recorded in the recording unit 131 by the DB server 13. Note that the disclosure range information for each piece of input information may be left unchanged as the disclosure conditions entered by the user, and the integrated information obtained by the integration process may be set to a common disclosure range for each piece of information adjusted as described above. In either case, the disclosure range information for each piece of information is stored in association with the corresponding piece of information.

[0049] 5 to 7, we will explain the reception function for the user terminals 1-3 via the WEB server 11 of this system 10, and the user reception means that cooperates with the input information recording means 121, information reliability evaluation means 122, integrated information generation means 123, browsing information disclosure means 124, and disclosure range setting means 125. This user reception means is composed of the WEB server 11 and AP server 12.

[0050] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a specific reception screen of the user reception means, and FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of a user reception procedure. When user terminal 1-3 connects to web server 11 via the Internet, a reception selection screen 110A is displayed. This reception selection screen 110A is configured so that the user can select between moving to registration input screen 110B or viewing display screen 110C. Registration input screen 110B is a display screen on which the accessed user enters information about themselves and related parties. On this registration input screen 110B, the user first enters personal identification information and then performs a process to confirm whether or not the user is the person in question. Then, viewing information other than personal identification information is entered. This becomes the above-mentioned input information 1a, 2a, and 3a. Finally, disclosure scope information indicating the disclosure scope of the input information already entered is entered. Note that, instead of entering personal identification information, if there is pre-registered account information such as an ID or password, this may be entered.

[0051] On the other hand, the viewing display screen 110C is a display screen for the accessed user to view personal information related to the user. On this viewing display screen 110C, the user first inputs personal identification information and performs a process to verify the identity of the user. The user then searches for information to be viewed, and the search results display one or more items of disclosure information for viewing that the user can view. When the user selects one of the items, the disclosure information for viewing corresponding to the selected item is displayed. Note that, once the input information is recorded after identity verification, account information such as the user's ID and password can be issued or registered as identity verification information, and identity verification may then be performed using the issued or registered account information such as the ID and password. Here, the disclosure information for viewing may be displayed in a manner that includes a reliability index associated with each information unit (additional display of the reliability index), as described above. This allows the viewer to know the degree of reliability of each information unit in the disclosure information for viewing, thereby preventing problems caused by erroneous information. Note that it is desirable for the system administrator to be able to set whether or not to display this reliability index attached to each information unit.

[0052] 7 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of the procedure when viewing the information to be viewed by the information to be viewed disclosure means 124. As described above, the input process and confirmation process of personal identification information are first performed, and if the personal identification is not reliable, the submission of proof documents is requested, and the validity of the proof documents is determined based on the evaluation of the submitted proof documents. The reliability of the personal identification is then further evaluated, and this process may be repeated until the reliability is recognized. However, if the reliability is not recognized even after the limited number of attempts has been reached, viewing is not possible. Note that if the user as the viewer has previously entered personal information and the above-mentioned account information is registered, the personal identification process for this viewer may also be configured to be performed using the account information.

[0053] When the identity verification process is correctly performed, a list of available items corresponding to the identity identification information is presented, and when a selection operation is performed from this list of available items, the corresponding disclosure information for viewing is generated and displayed on the screen. Also, when a user searches for available information, a list of available items corresponding to the search is presented, and the disclosure information for viewing is displayed in the same manner as above. The additional display of the reliability index is the same as that described above in FIG. 6.

[0054] The personal information of the system 10 described above also includes personal relationship diagrams showing various exchange relationships, such as the exchange diagrams 1 and 2 shown in Figures 12 and 13. The illustrated exchange diagrams include various exchange relationships other than kinship (blood ties) such as the family tree described above, such as friends, colleagues at work, superiors, subordinates, business partners, and school-related acquaintances such as classmates, seniors, and juniors, and record specific information about the acquaintances and the person's relationship with the acquaintances.

[0055] In the interaction diagram 1 shown in FIG. 12, User X is the user himself, and his friends A and B, business associate C, and subordinate D are displayed. In the interaction diagram 2 shown in FIG. 13, Friend A is the user himself, and in relation to User A, Friend X, relative B, business associate C, and friend D are listed as people included in the shared information with the interaction diagram 1. The related parties enclosed by a dashed line in the interaction diagram 1 are the exchange relationship portion (non-shared information) not included in the interaction diagram 2, and the related parties enclosed by a dashed line in the interaction diagram 2 are the exchange relationship portion (non-shared information) not included in the interaction diagram 1. The input information related to the interaction diagrams 1 and 2 is recorded in the same manner as the family tree 1 (FIG. 10) and family tree 2 (FIG. 11) and integrated in the same manner. Furthermore, although not specifically shown, for inconsistent portions, the same processing as described above is performed on the integrated information. Here, even when information between different types of information, such as family trees and exchange diagrams, is a diagram of personal relationships, it can be integrated in the same way as the family trees and exchange diagrams mentioned above, in terms of the relationship between common and non-common information.

[0056] As described above, the human information management system in this embodiment comprises an input information recording means 121 that records human information input by users as input information 1a, 2a, and 3a, an information reliability evaluation means 122 that evaluates the reliability of the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a for each information unit and derives a reliability index associated with the corresponding information unit, and a viewing information disclosure means 124 that discloses to users disclosure information for viewing formed based on the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a or integrated information generated by integrating multiple pieces of input information.This makes it possible to manage the input information and integrated information based on the reliability index associated with each information unit of the input information, and therefore makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of problems caused by erroneous information without hindering the wide range of human information provided.

[0057] In this embodiment, the information reliability evaluation means 122 can objectively evaluate the reliability of information for each information unit by setting the level of the reliability index according to the consistency of the corresponding information unit with other information units in the input information 1a, 2a, 3a and with existing personal information, or the existence of certification documents that certify the corresponding information unit by a third party.

[0058] Here, the information reliability evaluation means 122 lowers the reliability index of a portion of the input information 1a, 2a, 3a if that portion does not match existing personal information, and raises the reliability index of that portion if that portion matches existing personal information, thereby enabling an evaluation of reliability based on the mutual consistency of input information from multiple users, and thereby enabling the reliability of information to be evaluated objectively and easily.

[0059] Furthermore, when part of the input information 1a, 2a, 3a is certified by a third-party certificate submitted, the information reliability evaluation means 122 increases the reliability index of the part, thereby enabling objective and reliable evaluation of the reliability of the information.

[0060] Furthermore, it is preferable that the information disclosure means for viewing 124 forms the information for viewing with a reliability index added based on the input information 1a, 2a, 3a or the integrated information. In this way, the information for viewing is formed with the reliability index added (i.e., the reliability index is added and displayed), so that the information unit can be viewed while looking at the reliability index, thereby reducing the impact of erroneous information on the viewer.

[0061] Furthermore, it is preferable that the information disclosure means for viewing 124 forms the disclosure information for viewing by selecting or limiting the input information 1a, 2a, 3a or the integrated information for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index. According to this, the disclosure information for viewing is formed by selecting or limiting the input information or the integrated information for each information unit according to the level of the reliability index, and therefore the reliability of the disclosure information for viewing is improved overall, thereby preventing a decrease in the reliability of the system.

[0062] Next, in this embodiment, by further providing an integrated information generation means for generating integrated information from multiple pieces of input information 1a, 2a, and 3a, it is possible to configure a human information source with high value and wide relevance by integrating input information from multiple users.

[0063] In particular, when a portion of the input information 1a, 2a, 3a matches the existing personal information and the remaining portion contains non-common information with no corresponding data portion, the integrated information is generated in a manner that includes the non-common information in addition to the portion, thereby linking the multiple pieces of input information to form a high-value information group. Furthermore, when a portion of the input information 1a, 2a, 3a does not match the existing personal information in the integrated information, the portion coexists with the corresponding portion of the existing personal information, thereby maintaining a wide range of personal information while managing the information in a manner that makes it easy to maintain its reliability.

[0064] Here, the integrated information is generated by selecting or limiting the input information 1a, 2a, and 3a for each information unit and integrating them according to the level of the reliability index, thereby making it possible to improve the reliability of the integrated information.

[0065] In this case, if a part of the input information 1a, 2a, 3a in the integrated information does not match existing human information, the reliability index of that part is compared with the reliability index of the corresponding part of the existing human information, and if the difference in the levels of the reliability index is equal to or greater than a threshold, only the part with the higher reliability index is retained, and if the difference is less than the threshold, the part and the corresponding part coexist, thereby achieving both a wide range of human information and ensuring reliability.

[0066] Next, the information reliability evaluation means 122 defines a plurality of information reliability ranks A-G ranging from high to low reliability as the reliability index, and sets one of the intermediate ranks B-F excluding the highest rank A and the lowest rank G among the plurality of information reliability ranks as the initial value of the information reliability rank, D, thereby making it possible to set an appropriate reliability index through subsequent judgment processes such as basic reliability judgment, additional reliability judgment, and overall reliability judgment.

[0067] Next, the viewing information disclosure means 124 limits the disclosure scope of input information 1a, 2a, and 3a in response to user operations, thereby enabling system operation that respects the user's intention to disclose. Furthermore, the disclosure scope is preferably set to include the range of viewers to whom the information will be disclosed, the range of information to be disclosed, and the time period for the disclosure. Furthermore, if portions of the input information from multiple users match, it is preferable to determine the partial disclosure scope by adjusting it according to the relationship between the disclosure scope settings for each user. In this case, adjusting the partial disclosure scope may result in the selection of the strictest disclosure scope conditions among the multiple users' settings, or the selection of a disclosure scope that is intermediate between the multiple users' settings.

[0068] Next, the system further comprises a long-term data management unit 15 which is made up of a plurality of different types of storage media and has a plurality of recording units 151-153 for recording input information 1a, 2a, 3a or integrated information, including at least a first recording unit 151 which is more suitable for recording changes than the others, and a second recording unit 153 which is more suitable for long-term storage than the others. The long-term data management unit 15 records record data of information units with a low reliability index in the first recording unit 151 and record data of information units with a high reliability index in the second recording unit 153, thereby allowing the data to be distributed and stored in recording units suitable for handling depending on the level of reliability, thereby improving management efficiency and easily realizing reliable long-term data storage.

[0069] The human resource information management system according to the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the BU server 14 and the long-term data management unit 15 are provided separately from the DB server 13. However, the long-term data management unit 15 may be incorporated into the DB server 13. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a specific configuration, and may be configured to achieve equivalent functions. Furthermore, the reliability index may be associated with the information units of the input information or integrated information not only by including link information that associates them with each other as described above, but also by simply including the information units and the reliability index in the same data structure.

[0070] The illustrated examples and reliability indexes shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate according to the needs of users, administrators, and others. For example, the reliability index can be expressed not only by letters and symbols, but also by numbers, marks, etc. Any index can be used as long as it allows the degree of reliability to be grasped. The disclosure scope is also not particularly limited. For example, the time range can be set according to various conditions, such as when the descendant reaches a certain age (e.g., 20 years old), when the descendant obtains a certain qualification (e.g., lawyer), or when the descendant falls into a certain situation (e.g., when the descendant becomes ill).

[0071] 1, 2, 3... User terminal, 1a, 2a, 3a... Input information, 1b, 2b, 3b... Input operation (for viewing disclosure information), 1c, 2c, 3c... Output data, 1d, 2d, 3d... Input operation (for setting disclosure range), 10... Human information management system, 11... Web server, 12... AP server, 121... Input information recording means, 122... Information reliability evaluation means, 123... Integrated information generation means, 124... Information disclosure means for viewing, 125... Disclosure range setting means, 13... DB server, 14... BU server, 15... Long-term data management unit, A-G... Information reliability rank (reliability index)

Claims

1. An individual information management system, comprising: input information recording means for recording personal information input by a user as input information; information reliability evaluation means for evaluating the reliability of the input information for each information unit and deriving a reliability index associated with the corresponding information unit; and browsing information disclosure means for disclosing browsing disclosure information formed based on the input information or integrated information generated by integrating a plurality of the input information to the user.

2. The individual information management system according to claim 1, wherein the information reliability evaluation means sets the height of the reliability index according to the degree of consistency of the input information of the corresponding information unit with other information units and the degree of consistency with existing personal information.

3. The individual information management system according to claim 2, wherein when a part of the input information is inconsistent with existing personal information, the information reliability evaluation means decreases the reliability index of the part, and when the part is consistent with the existing personal information, the information reliability evaluation means increases the reliability index of the part.

4. The individual information management system according to claim 3, wherein when a part of the input information is proven by certificates submitted by a third party, the information reliability evaluation means increases the reliability index of the part.

5. The individual information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the browsing information disclosure means forms the browsing disclosure information with the reliability index added based on the input information or the integrated information.

6. The individual information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the browsing information disclosure means forms the browsing disclosure information by selecting or limiting the input information or the integrated information for each information unit according to the height of the reliability index.

7. The individual information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising integrated information generation means for generating the integrated information from a plurality of the input information, wherein the integrated information is generated by selecting or limiting the input information for each information unit according to the height of the reliability index and then integrating them.

8. In the integrated information, when a part of the input information does not match the existing personal information, the reliability index of the part is compared with the reliability index of the corresponding part of the existing personal information. When the difference in the height of the reliability index is equal to or greater than a threshold value, only the one with the higher reliability index is retained. When the difference is less than the threshold value, the part and the corresponding part coexist. The personal information management system according to claim 7.

9. The information reliability evaluation means defines a plurality of information reliability ranks ranging from high to low as the reliability index, and sets one of the intermediate ranks excluding the highest rank and the lowest rank among the plurality of information reliability ranks as the initial value of the information reliability rank. The personal information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. Further comprising a long-term data management unit having a plurality of recording units for recording the input information or the integrated information, which is composed of a plurality of different types of storage media and includes at least a first recording unit more suitable for recording changes than others and a second recording unit more suitable for long-term storage than others. The long-term data management unit records the recording data of the information unit with a low reliability index in the first recording unit and records the recording data of the information unit with a high reliability index in the second recording unit. The personal information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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