Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

This information processing system comprises: a storage means for storing product information that is an information group associated with a product ID for identifying an individual product, the information group including at least information pertaining to a production condition for the product; an information update means for updating the product information corresponding to the product ID in accordance with the occurrence of a reason pertaining to production or distribution of the product by using information about the product ID and a user ID for identifying a user, and storing the information about the user ID used for the update in the storage means in association with the product information pertaining to the update; a detection means for detecting processing of a first detection object or processing of a second detection object with respect to the product information; and a warning means for executing a prescribed warning process when the processing of the first detection object with respect to the product information is detected or when the processing of the second detection object is not detected.

Description

Information processing system, information processing method and program

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

[0002] Consumers of products have a need to know detailed information about the products they have in their hands, such as what materials were used, how much or what type of energy was consumed to produce them, who produced them, when, and how they were transported, managed, sold, etc.

[0003] On the other hand, companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution of products also have needs to confirm that products are being manufactured, transported, managed, and sold "properly" (to eliminate any that are not in the hands of consumers), and to provide consumers with information that products are being manufactured and distributed properly.

[0004] To meet such needs, various means for achieving product traceability have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses blockchain technology to maintain anonymity and obtain various information about a product (enquiries and responses) via labels attached to the product.

[0005] Special Publication No. 2021-528720

[0006] However, such conventional technologies have the problem that the authenticity of the provided product information is not guaranteed (i.e., although the resistance to tampering of the information and its access history is guaranteed, the authenticity of the content and source of the original information is unknown.) Furthermore, even with the above technologies, if inappropriate information, including fraud, is handled in the process from product manufacturing (including the planning and development stages) to distribution, the objective of delivering to consumers products (and the information supporting the same) that are guaranteed to have been properly developed, manufactured, transported, managed, and sold cannot be achieved.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a technology that enables viewing of information about a product and each element related to the manufacturing and distribution of the product, and that can help ensure the authenticity of the information viewed.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following configuration as an example: That is, an information processing system including one or more information processing devices and processing information related to products, comprising: storage means for storing product information, which is associated with a product ID that identifies each of the products and is a group of information including at least information related to the manufacturing conditions of the product; information update means for using the product ID and a user ID that identifies a user involved in at least one of the manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product, to update the product information corresponding to the product ID in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, and for storing information on the user ID used for the update in the storage means in association with the product information related to the update; detection means for detecting one or more first detection target processes or one or more second detection target processes for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and warning means for executing a predetermined warning process when the first detection target process for the product information is detected or when the second detection target process is not detected.

[0009] Note that the term "product" here includes both the final product delivered to the end user and intermediate products that are components of such a final product. Furthermore, "information related to the manufacturing conditions of the product" includes a variety of information. Specifically, it can include, for example, information about the manufacturing line involved in the manufacturing of the product, information about the manufacturing date and time of the product, information about the product manufacturer, manufacturing equipment involved in the manufacturing of the product, software involved in the manufacturing of the product, operators who manufacture the product, materials used in the product, the amount of energy consumed in the manufacturing of the product, and the amount of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, it does not only include this information itself, but also information used to obtain this information (for example, IDs, codes, URL addresses, etc. linked to the content of the information).

[0010] "Product information" also includes information added as the product is distributed. Specifically, the information may include, for example, information related to the product's condition (e.g., inspection results, damage status), information related to the work performed on the product, information related to the product's location, information related to the time the information was added (updated), information related to the product's environment (e.g., temperature, humidity), CO2 emissions related to product distribution, information related to product distribution costs, and information indicating that the product has been delivered to the end consumer (reuse flag). In this specification, "manufacturing" refers to activities related to the value chain, including the engineering chain and supply chain, including product planning, design, and development, and "distribution" refers to activities related to the value chain, including the engineering chain and supply chain, including product transportation, storage, sales, maintenance, disposal, and reuse. In this specification, "updating" includes not only overwriting information but also simply adding or registering new information.

[0011] Furthermore, the "first detection target processing" may be, for example, improper processing of product information. Specifically, this includes improper information updating (either earlier or later than the specified timing), information updating performed in a location outside the specified area, updating (adding) the work history for a series of work performed on a product in a different order from the specified order, duplicate registration of the same type of work for a series of work performed on a product (e.g., adding multiple pieces of information indicating delivery to a wholesaler for the same product ID), values ​​related to the product's environment (e.g., temperature, humidity) being outside the appropriate conditions at the time of information update, information updating performed using a user ID that is not authorized to be involved in product distribution, etc. It also includes cases where the combination of the time and location of the update is inappropriate (e.g., when a product is transported, the location of the destination and the time of completion of transportation are within the required range, but transportation work that violates compliance is inferred from the relative positions of the source and destination and the time required for transportation).

[0012] Furthermore, the "processing of the second detection target" can be an appropriate process for product information. Specifically, contrary to the above-described example of the processing of the first detection target, it means that information is updated in a timely manner, that information is updated within a predetermined area, that a work history is updated (added) in a predetermined order and number of times for a series of work performed on a product, that values ​​(temperature, humidity, etc.) related to the environment in which the product is located at the time of information update are within appropriate conditions, and that information about authorized work is updated using a previously authorized user ID.

[0013] Furthermore, the "predetermined warning process" in the above can be sending information to a registered destination, issuing an alarm via the output means (display, speaker, etc.) of a terminal managed by the user, etc. In other words, the "warning means" may be provided in, for example, a server device, or in a user terminal used by each user.

[0014] With the above configuration, incidents that occur during product distribution and user information related to those incidents are added to the product information, and inappropriate processing of product information (not limited to information tampering, but general processing indicating undesirable product handling) is identified using either a blacklist or whitelist method. Furthermore, if inappropriate processing is performed, a warning is issued, allowing the user who receives the warning to promptly investigate and / or take action on the affected product. This prevents improperly handled products from reaching end consumers.

[0015] Furthermore, the information update means may store information on the user ID used for the update and information on the time of the update in association with the product information related to the update in the storage means. This allows the processing of the first detection target and the processing of the second detection target to include whether or not information has been updated at the appropriate time, and enables the history of the product (product information) to be managed more clearly.

[0016] The warning means may also send warning information to users including at least one of a user identified by any of the user IDs stored when the product information was updated and a predetermined user. This allows the warning to be sent to appropriate users who should receive the warning, such as any user involved in the production, distribution, sale, etc. of the product (for example, a user on the upstream side of logistics, such as a product manufacturer), or a user in charge of product tracing or quality control.

[0017] The product information may also include certified manufacturing information, which is at least information related to the manufacturing of the product and has been certified by a certification body. Here, the information certified by the certification body includes information such as the manufacturing conditions of the product, the materials used in the product, the creation date and time (update date and time) of the product information, and the creator (updater) of the product information. In this specification, the terms "certification" and "authentication" both mean guaranteeing the authenticity of an object, but "certification" is primarily used to mean a state, and "authentication" is primarily used to mean an action. This configuration can help ensure the original authenticity of product information handled in the system.

[0018] The predetermined event may include work performed on the product during the distribution process of the product, and the information update means may update the product information when the work is performed. The predetermined event may include detection of processing of the first detection target in the product information or non-detection of processing of the second detection target, and the information update means may update the product information when processing of the first detection target is detected or when processing of the second detection target is not detected. This allows various work performed during the distribution process of the product and handling that requires a warning during the distribution process of the product to be reflected in the product information in a timely manner.

[0019] The information processing system may further include a group ID validation means for associating a group ID that identifies a group consisting of a plurality of the products with the product ID of each of the products included in the group, and the information update means may be configured to be able to collectively update each of the product information corresponding to each of the products included in the group using information about the group ID.

[0020] According to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently manage product information for mass-produced products. Note that the activation (and deactivation) of the group ID may be performed based on the authority associated with the user ID.

[0021] The information processing system may further include an encoding unit that converts information including at least the product ID into a code, and one or more decoding units that decode the converted code and enable access to the product information corresponding to the product ID. The decoding unit may be a general-purpose device, or may be a dedicated device equipped with an environmental information sensor such as a temperature sensor. This makes it possible to automatically add environmental information about the product's location at the time the code is decoded to the product information.

[0022] In particular, for food and beverage related products, environmental factors such as temperature and humidity have a large impact on quality, so product manufacturers want to ensure strict management during the distribution process, but it is unclear from self-reporting by distributors whether they are accurately managing the environmental information in which the product is placed.In this regard, if environmental information such as temperature and humidity is automatically obtained using an environmental information sensor equipped in the decoding means and this automatically obtained environmental information is added to the product information, it is possible to prevent users from recording environmental information that is inaccurate.

[0023] The decoding means may also be integrated with a POS (Point of Sale) register managed by a retailer. In this configuration, the code can be read by the POS register when a product is sold, and consumer attribute information entered into the POS can be added to the product information.

[0024] Each decoding unit may be associated with a user ID, which makes it possible to add the ID of the user who performed the decoding to the product information when the code is decoded.

[0025] In addition, the user ID may be set with authority for accessing each of the product information, each of the decoding means may be associated with the user ID, and the information update means may add, to the product information, predetermined information corresponding to the authority set for the corresponding user ID when the code is decoded by the decoding means.

[0026] Here, the authority to access the product information includes both the authority to view the product information and the authority to update the product information. The authority to view includes not only the content of the information that can be viewed, but also the time when the information can be viewed. Similarly, the authority to update includes not only the content of the information that can be updated, but also the time when the information can be updated.

[0027] With this configuration, users can easily view information according to their information viewing authority, while information providers can decide what information to provide to whom, thereby realizing a convenient system. Furthermore, users can update information according to their information update authority, and when an update is made, a record of that update is added to the product information, thereby realizing a convenient system that is highly resistant to tampering.

[0028] The code may also include information indicating the location of a first interface for accessing the product information corresponding to the product ID, and the decoding means may be configured to be able to output the first interface by decoding the information indicating the location of the first interface.

[0029] In addition, the first interface output by the decryption means may include a field for accepting input of the user ID, and the decryption means may output a second interface according to the authority corresponding to the user ID whose input has been accepted.

[0030] According to this configuration, for example, it is possible to provide a convenient system in which the first interface is a display interface for limited product information for end consumers, and further viewing or updating of product information requires input of a user ID that has been set with authority to do so. However, by using a decryption means linked to the user ID, the first interface may be configured to display product information that corresponds to the viewing authority of the user ID.

[0031] Each means in the information processing system may be configured as a separate terminal connected via a network, and each means may exist in multiple locations. A user may manage only some of the means in the information processing system. The information processing system may process the product information using a distributed ledger system. Such a configuration provides a system with excellent resistance to information tampering.

[0032] The present invention can also be understood as an information processing method as follows: That is, an information processing method executed by one or more information processing devices to process information about products, comprising: a storage step of storing product information, which is associated with a product ID identifying each of the products and is an information group including at least information related to the manufacturing conditions of the products; an information update step of updating the product information corresponding to the product ID using information about the product ID and a user ID identifying a user involved in at least one of the manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, and storing information about the user ID used for the update in association with the product information related to the update; a detection step of detecting one or more first detection target processes or one or more second detection target processes for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and a warning step of executing a predetermined warning process when the first detection target process for the product information is detected or when the second detection target process is not detected.

[0033] The present invention can also be understood as a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described method, or a computer-readable recording medium on which such a program is non-transitoryly recorded.

[0034] The above-mentioned configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as no technical contradictions arise. Furthermore, in this specification, numerals such as "first...," "second...," etc. are used simply to distinguish from other elements and do not indicate any order or priority between elements. Each of the above invention-specifying features does not necessarily have to be realized as a separate feature, and one feature may also serve as multiple invention-specifying features.

[0035] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that enables information about a product and each element related to the distribution of the product to be viewed, and also helps ensure the authenticity of the information related to the viewing.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overview of the hardware configuration of a certification authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an overview of the functional configuration of the certification authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information stored in a storage unit of the certification authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a first explanatory diagram showing an example of a database stored in a storage unit of the certification authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5B is a second explanatory diagram showing an example of a database stored in a storage unit of the certification authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an overview of the functional configuration of a manufacturer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an overview of the functional configuration of a distributor terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an overview of the functional configuration of a consumer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an overview of processing performed in an information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a first diagram showing the exchange of information and the processing flow between the certification authority terminal and the manufacturer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the exchange of information and the processing flow between the certification authority terminal and the distributor terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a portion of processing performed in the authentication authority terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the exchange of information and the processing flow between the authentication authority terminal and the consumer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user ID input form generated by the information browsing request receiving unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an ID input form used in a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of a manufacturer terminal according to a third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of a distributor terminal according to the third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of an information processing system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of an authentication authority terminal according to the second embodiment.

[0037] <Application Example> An application example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An information processing system 1 according to this application example is an information processing system that allows users (including end consumers) to easily view collective information (hereinafter referred to as "product information") of various elements related to the manufacture and distribution of products distributed in the market, and that is capable of detecting updates to the product information that indicate improper handling of the product and alerting the user to such information updates.

[0038] The product information in this system is a collection of a wide variety of information, and examples of elements included in the product information include information related to the production of the product (product manufacturer, production date and time, production location, total amount of energy consumed, CO2 emissions, type of energy used in producing the product, raw materials for the product, source of raw materials, etc.), information related to the distribution of the product (information about events related to the distribution of the product such as transportation, storage, and sales, information indicating the location, time, and parties involved in the event, information about the condition of the product such as the results of specified inspections and state of damage, conditions related to the environment in which the product is placed such as temperature and humidity, CO2 emissions at each stage of distribution, etc.).

[0039] Furthermore, the product information is updated accordingly when an event occurs related to the manufacture or distribution of the corresponding product (including operations such as manufacture, transportation, storage, sale, maintenance, disposal, and reuse). Specifically, for example, each business operator (i.e., a person involved in the manufacture or distribution of a product) using the information processing system 1 is assigned a user ID, and when each business operator performs work related to the distribution of a product, information such as the work content, work location, and work time is added to the product information. Details of updating product information will be described later.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this application example. As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 according to this application example includes a consumer terminal 50 owned by a consumer (a purchaser of a product), a manufacturer terminal 20 managed by a product manufacturer (including a fabless manufacturer that only plans, designs, and develops products), a certification authority terminal 10 managed by an organization that certifies product information (hereinafter referred to as a "certification authority"), and distributor terminals 40 (40a, 40b, 40c) managed by each entity involved in product distribution, such as transportation, storage, wholesale, and retail, all of which are configured to be communicatively connected via a communication network N. Hereinafter, the multiple distributor terminals 40a, 40b, and 40c will be simply referred to as distributor terminals 40, unless it is necessary to distinguish between them. The same applies to the other components included in the system.

[0041] A product manufacturer generates product information for a product that it manufactures using manufacturer terminal 20 and transmits this information to certification authority terminal 10. The certification authority then authenticates the transmitted product information, generates certification information (hereinafter referred to as "product certification information") that certifies the authenticated product information using certification authority terminal 10, associates this with the authenticated product information, and registers the authenticated product information in a database (DB).

[0042] The certification authority further issues product identification information (hereinafter, the identification information will be referred to as "ID") that is linked to the authenticated product information certified by the product certification information and that identifies each individual product, via the certification authority terminal 10. The issued product ID is transmitted to the manufacturer terminal 20 via the communication network N.

[0043] The product manufacturer performs a process of associating the product ID issued by the manufacturer terminal 20 with each individual product, thereby completing the association of one product with the product ID and authenticated product information. Specifically, the information including the product ID may be encoded into a barcode or QR code (registered trademark), and then the code may be attached to the product to associate it with the product.

[0044] Product manufacturers, distributors, and consumers use the product ID (encoded code) attached to the product and their own user ID as keys to request viewing or updating of product information. Specifically, they access a portal site provided by the certification authority, input the product ID (and user ID), decode the code attached to the product, and then send a request to view or update product information to the certification authority terminal 10 via the communication network N.

[0045] When the authentication authority terminal 10 receives a viewing request from a terminal managed by each user, it extracts at least a portion of the product information (e.g., information regarding CO2 emissions related to the production of the product, the raw materials of the product, and events that occurred during the distribution process of the product) from the DB according to the viewing authority linked to each user's user ID, and transmits it to the terminal (user) that made the viewing request.

[0046] In addition, when the authentication authority terminal 10 receives an update request from the distribution company terminal 40, it adds to the product information in the DB the update (addition) content of the product information, the time the update request was made, location information of the product related to the update request (location information of the terminal that made the update request), information on the environment where the product related to the update request is located (environmental information where the terminal that made the update request is located), and the user ID used when making the update request.

[0047] If the product information has not been updated appropriately as described above, the authentication authority terminal 10 detects this and sends warning information to one of the users (for example, the product manufacturer). Specifically, the authentication authority terminal 10 detects, for example, that an information update that matches one or more inappropriate handling details (a so-called blacklist) has been performed with respect to the handling of the product information for each product ID, or that an information update that matches one or more appropriate handling details (a so-called whitelist) has not been performed in a timely manner, and sends warning information to the terminal of the user associated with the user ID that has been preset as the notification target.

[0048] According to the information processing system 1 relating to such an application example, a user who receives a warning can quickly take action such as tracing the target product or stopping distribution of the target product, thereby preventing improperly handled products from reaching the end consumer.

[0049] <Embodiment 1> Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below. However, unless otherwise specified, the components and processes described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0050] (System Overview) The information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment is similar to the information processing system 1 according to the application example. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a certification authority terminal 10, a manufacturer terminal 20, distributor terminals 40 (40a, 40b, 40c), and a consumer terminal 50, which are communicatively connected via a communication network N. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment also includes one or more control devices 22 that are communicatively connected to the manufacturer terminal 20 and control the product manufacturing equipment. Although not shown, the information processing system 1 may also include a plurality of each of the manufacturer terminals 20 and the consumer terminals 50.

[0051] (Configuration of the authentication authority terminal) First, the authentication authority terminal 10 will be described. The authentication authority terminal 10 can be, for example, a general server computer. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the hardware configuration of the authentication authority terminal 10. The authentication authority terminal 10 is an information processing terminal managed by the authentication authority as described above, and includes as components a processor 91, a memory 92, an input interface (IF) 93, an output IF 94, and a communication IF 95, which are interconnected by a connection bus 90, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0052] The processor 91 may be any arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0053] The memory 92 includes, although not shown, a main storage device such as a flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), or ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), flash memory, USB memory, or SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The memory 92 stores information such as programs executed by the processor 91, data processed by the processor 91, operation setting information, and various DBs (described below). The programs stored in the memory 92 are executed by the processor 91, which controls each component of the authentication authority terminal 10, thereby realizing each functional unit that fulfills a predetermined purpose.

[0054] Examples of the input IF 93 include various input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, camera, and microphone. Examples of the output IF 94 include various output devices such as a display, speaker, and printer. A touch panel display can also be used as both the input IF 93 and the output IF. The communication IF 95 can have an appropriate configuration depending on the connection method (wired or wireless, connection standard, etc.) with the communication network N to be connected.

[0055] (Functional Configuration of Authentication Authority Terminal) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the authentication authority terminal 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the authentication authority terminal 10 includes functional units, such as an authentication request receiving unit 101, a certification information generating unit 102, an ID issuing unit 103, an information viewing request receiving unit 104, an information update receiving unit 105, a detecting unit 106, an input unit 107, an output unit 108, a storage unit 109, a communication unit 110, and a warning processing unit 111.

[0056] The authentication request receiving unit 101 receives an authentication request for product information and user information related to users involved in the manufacturing and distribution of the product. Specifically, the authentication request is received by receiving the product information and user information related to the authentication request from the manufacturer terminal 20 and the distributor terminal 40 via the communication network N.

[0057] The certification information generation unit 102 generates each piece of certification information: product certification information that certifies the product information related to the authentication, and user certification information that certifies the user information related to the authentication. Note that the user information may include information for identifying the user, such as the user's name, address (location), and date of establishment, as well as information related to the user's evaluation (trustworthiness). When the certification information is generated by the authentication authority terminal 10, the content and authenticity of the product information and user information are authenticated by the authentication authority.

[0058] The ID issuing unit 103 issues various IDs. Specifically, it issues IDs such as a user ID that is associated with user certification information and individually identifies each user, and a product ID that is associated with product certification information and individually identifies the corresponding product. That is, the product ID issued by the ID issuing unit 103 is associated with product information certified by the product certification information, and it is possible to access the corresponding product information based on the product ID.

[0059] In addition, the user ID issued by the ID issuing unit 103 is associated with update authority (whether or not information can be updated, the scope of updates, and the time when updates can be made) and viewing authority (the scope of information that can be viewed, and the time when it can be viewed) for each product information stored in the DB described below.

[0060] The information viewing request receiving unit 104 receives a request to view authenticated product information and user information. For example, the information viewing request receiving unit 104 receives a request to view corresponding information from any of the terminals connected via the communication network N, using at least a product ID as a key. Then, the information corresponding to the viewing authority set for the user ID is transmitted to the terminal that made the viewing request via the communication unit 110 (described later). The user ID may also be used as a key for the viewing request, along with the product ID. In this case, the product ID and user ID may be requested to be input (transmitted) simultaneously, or may be requested to be input in stages.

[0061] The information update receiving unit 105 accepts updates to the information stored in the DB based on the input of a product ID and the user ID of a user authorized to update the corresponding product information. For example, the information update receiving unit 105 may receive an update request for each piece of information corresponding to the product ID from any terminal connected via the communication network N, using the product ID as a key, and may also request transmission of the user ID. The information update receiving unit 105 then transmits an information update user interface (UI) corresponding to the update authority set for the user ID to the terminal that requested the update. Upon receiving an information update via the information update UI, the information update receiving unit 105 updates the information in the DB and adds the update time and the user ID of the person who made the update to the DB. Note that "update" here includes not only overwriting (rewriting) information but also adding information.

[0062] The detection unit 106 detects this when the information update reception unit 105 receives one or more detection target processes (handling) that are set in advance for handling the product information for each product ID.

[0063] The processing of the detection target that is set in advance here may be that the product information is updated (or not updated) within a specified time, that it is updated (or not updated) within a specified area, that the work history is updated in a specified order and number of times (or updated in a different order or number of times), that the temperature of the environment in which the product is located at the time of information update is in accordance with the conditions (or is outside the conditions), that an update is made for authorized work using a previously authorized user ID (or that an update is made for an unauthorized user ID or unauthorized work), etc.

[0064] It should be noted that the processing of the detection target by the detection unit 106 may be a so-called whitelist or a blacklist as long as it is capable of detecting the handling of products that are undesirable for the product manufacturer. However, in this embodiment, the processing of the detection target by the detection unit 106 will be described as indicating the handling of inappropriate products (a so-called blacklist).

[0065] When the detection unit 106 detects an update process of the product information indicating inappropriate product handling (or when the detection unit 106 does not detect an update process of the product information indicating appropriate product handling), the warning processing unit 111 performs processing to send warning information to that effect to a predetermined user via the communication unit 110 described below. The warning information may be, for example, a text message such as an e-mail, or may be voice communication using a telephone or the like.

[0066] Here, the predetermined user may be the product manufacturer, or may be a user involved in the update performed immediately before the update request for inappropriate product information detected by the detection unit 106. Alternatively, it may be all users who updated product information before the update request for inappropriate product information detected by the detection unit 106. As will be described later, when product information is updated, the user ID of the user who requested the update is stored so as to be identified, and therefore the destination of the warning information is specifically identified by the user ID. Alternatively, the predetermined user may be a user (e.g., an administrator) who is registered in advance regardless of individual product information.

[0067] The input unit 107 is realized by the above-mentioned input IF 93, and transmits various input signals input via various input devices to the processor 91. The output unit 108 is realized by the above-mentioned output IF 94, and outputs various information via an output device such as a display. The communication unit 110 is realized by the communication IF 95, and communicates information with other terminals in the system via the communication network N.

[0068] The storage unit 109 is realized by the memory 92 described above, and stores various types of information. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information held by the storage unit 109. As shown in Fig. 4, the storage unit 109 stores various types of information, including product IDs, authenticated product information, user IDs, authenticated user information, and update contents (history) of product information. Furthermore, at least a portion of this information is stored as a database (DB) depending on its content, and each database is managed as a relational database.

[0069] For example, the authenticated product information DB stores product information received from manufacturer terminal 20 and for which certification information has been generated. Fig. 5A shows an example of the authenticated product information DB. For each authenticated product, the authenticated product information DB stores product information such as the product ID, manufacturer ID (user ID identifying the product manufacturer that manufactured the product), the current status of the product (the last update content of the product information), the user ID of the person who last updated the product information, the last update time of the product information, the location at the time of the last update of the product information, and the user ID of the destination of an alert sent by alert processing unit 111.

[0070] Note that each piece of product information in the authenticated product information DB may include information on the production line related to the production of the product, information on the production equipment used to produce the product, etc. Specifically, for example, the production line information may include a production line ID, IDs of the production equipment included in the production line, IDs of the control devices that control the production line, IDs that identify the operators of the production line, information on the type of energy used in the production line, etc. Furthermore, the information related to the manufacturing equipment may include, for example, a manufacturing equipment ID, type (model) of the manufacturing equipment, IDs of the software implemented in the manufacturing equipment, energy-saving performance of the manufacturing equipment, IDs that identify the manufacturer of the manufacturing equipment, etc.

[0071] The authenticated user information DB also stores user information received from the terminals managed by each user and from which authentication information has been generated. The contents of the user information are as described above, so further explanation will be omitted.

[0072] The product information history DB also stores information related to updates (such as the content of the update, the time, and the person who updated) for each piece of product information associated with an individual product ID. Fig. 5B shows an example of the product information history DB. As shown in Fig. 5B, the product information history DB stores, as a database, information related to each update, such as the time of the update, the user ID of the person who updated, information about the updated location, information related to the updated environment, and the amount of CO2 emitted from the previous update to the current update.

[0073] Here, "events occurring during the manufacturing and distribution of products" may include not only various operations performed on the product, but also the fact that an inappropriate update request for product information was made (or an appropriate update request was not made), and the fact that an alert was sent as a result. In this case, the person who updates the product information may be the certification authority, or the user who made the inappropriate update request.

[0074] The product ID DB and user ID DB store information in pairs, each of which is an ID issued by the ID issuing unit 103 and the corresponding product information and user information.

[0075] (Manufacturer Terminal) Next, we will explain the manufacturer terminal 20. The manufacturer terminal 20 is a terminal managed by the product manufacturer, and is connected to other terminals in the system for communication via a communication network N as shown in Figure 1. The manufacturer terminal 20 is also connected to a control device 22 provided in the product manufacturing line.

[0076] The manufacturer terminal 20, like the certification authority terminal 10, can be a general server computer or the like. That is, like the certification authority terminal 10, the manufacturer terminal 20 includes a processor, memory, input IF, output IF, communication IF, and the like as hardware components, although these components are not shown. The manufacturer terminal 20 can be configured from multiple devices connected by wire or wirelessly. The manufacturer terminal 20 also includes, as one of its input IFs, a decoding unit (e.g., a QR Code (registered trademark) reader) that has an environmental sensor that measures the ambient temperature and humidity. The decoding unit may be associated with the user ID of the product manufacturer and be identifiable within the system.

[0077] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the manufacturer terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 6, the manufacturer terminal 20 includes functional units such as a product information generation unit 201, a product ID association unit 202, an information viewing request unit 203, an information update request unit 204, an input unit 207, an output unit 208, a storage unit 209, and a communication unit 210.

[0078] The input unit 207, output unit 208, and communication unit 210 are the same as those of the certification authority terminal 10, and the memory unit 209 is also the same as the memory unit 109 of the certification authority terminal 10 except that it does not hold various databases such as an authenticated product information database, so explanations of these will be omitted.

[0079] When a product manufacturer manufactures a new product, the product information generation unit 201 generates product information for the product. When the generated product information is to be certified by a certification body, the manufacturer terminal 20 transmits the product information together with a certification request to the certification body terminal 10 via the communication unit 210.

[0080] The product ID associating unit 202 performs a process of associating a product ID issued by the authentication authority terminal 10 with each individual product identified by the product ID. Specifically, in this embodiment, a code is issued that encodes information for displaying a UI that requests viewing and updating of product information linked to the product ID. A product ID is assigned to each individual product by, for example, imprinting such a code on the product or printing a label with the code printed on it and attaching it to the product, thereby completing the association between the product, product ID, and authenticated product information. Therefore, when a product ID is actually assigned to a product, information to that effect may be sent to the authentication authority terminal 10, which updates the information in the authenticated product information DB, thereby associating the product ID with the product.

[0081] The information viewing request unit 203 requests viewing of product information that has been authenticated by the authentication authority terminal 10 and that is associated with the certification information and stored in the storage unit 109 of the authentication authority terminal 10. Specifically, the information viewing request is sent to the authentication authority terminal 10, and the information viewing request receiving unit 104 receives a request to view information associated with at least the product IDs using these IDs as a key. Note that by inputting a user ID (and a corresponding password) when making the information viewing request, the information may be viewed within the scope of the authority associated with the user ID.

[0082] The information update request unit 204 performs processing to update at least the information in the authenticated product information DB stored in the storage unit 109 of the authentication authority terminal 10. For example, the information update request unit 204 uses the product ID and user ID as keys to send an information update request to the authentication authority terminal 10, and registers the information to be updated by receiving a UI for updating the information.

[0083] The above-mentioned request to view and update product information may be transmitted to the certification authority terminal 10 together with the corresponding product ID by, for example, decoding a code attached to the product using a decoding means.

[0084] (Distributor Terminal) Next, we will explain the distributor terminal 40. The distributor terminal 40 is a terminal that is given the authority to update product information and is managed by at least a user involved in the distribution of the product, and is connected to other terminals in the system via a communication network N as shown in Figure 1. Here, users involved in the distribution of the product include, for example, logistics companies (transporters, warehouse operators), wholesalers, retailers, etc.

[0085] After production, the product passes through these distributors before reaching the consumer, and by adding details of each operation performed on the product along the way (time, place, handler, etc.) to the product information, it becomes possible to easily check the current status of the product and the history of how it has been handled. The distributor terminal 40 has a function to update this information in the authenticated product information DB.

[0086] The distributor terminal 40 may be a general-purpose computer system. Although not shown, the hardware configuration of the distributor terminal 40, similar to the authentication authority terminal 10, includes a processor, memory, input IF, output IF, and communication IF. The distributor terminal 40 may be configured with multiple devices connected via wired or wireless connections. Similarly to the manufacturer terminal 20, the distributor terminal 40 may include, as one of its input IFs, a decryption unit having an environmental sensor that measures the ambient temperature and humidity. The decryption unit may be associated with the user ID of each distributor and be identifiable within the system.

[0087] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of distributor terminal 40. As shown in Fig. 7, distributor terminal 40 includes functional units, such as an information viewing request unit 401, an information update request unit 402, an input unit 407, an output unit 408, a storage unit 409, and a communication unit 410.

[0088] The input unit 407, output unit 408, and communication unit 410 are the same as those of the certification authority terminal 10, and the memory unit 409 is also the same as the memory unit 109 of the certification authority terminal 10 except that it does not hold a database such as an authenticated product information database, so explanations of these will be omitted.

[0089] The information viewing request unit 401 requests viewing of product information that has been authenticated by the authentication authority terminal 10 and that is associated with the certification information and stored in the storage unit 109 of the authentication authority terminal 10. Specifically, the information viewing request is sent to the authentication authority terminal 10, and the information viewing request receiving unit 104 receives a request to view information associated with at least the product IDs using these IDs as a key. Note that by inputting a user ID (and a corresponding password) when requesting to view information, the information may be viewed within the scope of the authority associated with the user ID.

[0090] The information update request unit 402 performs processing to update at least the information in the authenticated product information DB stored in the storage unit 109 of the authentication authority terminal 10. For example, the information update request unit 402 uses the product ID and user ID as keys to send an information update request to the authentication authority terminal 10, and registers the information to be updated by being provided with a UI for updating the information. For example, a transport company, as a business operator authorized to update product information, adds, when transporting a product, information such as the fact of acceptance of transportation, the time of acceptance, the location of acceptance, the fact of transportation completion, the completion time, the transportation route, and the amount of CO2 emitted during transportation to the product information in the authenticated product information DB.

[0091] The above-mentioned request to view and update product information may be transmitted to the certification authority terminal 10 together with the corresponding product ID by, for example, decoding a code attached to the product using a decoding means.

[0092] As described above, the decoding means is equipped with an environmental sensor, and stores temperature information when the product code is read, and transmits this information together with time information and location information when the code is decoded to the certification authority terminal 10. The location information may be obtained from a communication base, or may be GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates obtained from a GPS transmitter provided separately in the decoding means.

[0093] By transmitting such information relating to the time, location, and environment at the time of the product information update request to the certification authority terminal 10 along with the update request, the detection unit 106 of the certification authority terminal 10 becomes able to detect whether or not a product information update process that meets the specified conditions regarding time, location, and environment is being carried out.

[0094] (Consumer Terminal) Next, the consumer terminal 50 will be described. The consumer terminal 50 is a terminal carried by a general consumer, and is communicatively connected to other terminals in the system via a communication network N as shown in FIG. 1 . A general-purpose terminal can be used as the consumer terminal 50, and in this embodiment, an example in which the consumer terminal 50 is a smartphone will be described. However, the consumer terminal 50 may be a mobile information terminal other than a smartphone, or may be a desktop computer, a smart display, or the like. In any case, the consumer terminal 50 also has a processor, memory, input IF, output IF, communication IF, and the like as hardware configuration.

[0095] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the consumer terminal 50. As shown in Fig. 8, the consumer terminal 50 has the following functional units: an information browsing request unit 501, an input unit 507, an output unit 508, a storage unit 509, and a communication unit 510. The input unit 507, the output unit 508, and the communication unit 510 are the same as those of the certification authority terminal 10, and the storage unit 509 is also the same as the storage unit 109 of the certification authority terminal 10 except that it does not hold a DB such as an authenticated product information DB, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0096] The information viewing request unit 501 requests viewing of product information that has been authenticated at least by the authentication authority terminal 10 and that is associated with the certification information and stored in the storage unit 109 of the authentication authority terminal 10. Specifically, the information viewing request is sent to the authentication authority terminal 10, and the information viewing request receiving unit 104 performs a reception process to request viewing of the information associated with the product ID using the product ID as a key.

[0097] When requesting to view information, by entering a user ID (and the corresponding password), the information can be viewed within the scope of the authority associated with the user ID. Note that general consumers who have acquired a product are not usually assigned a user ID, but even without a user ID, they can view basic information about the product.

[0098] For example, if information including a product ID is encoded as a QR code (registered trademark) and attached to a product, the consumer terminal 50 may take a picture of the code with a camera serving as the input unit 507, decode the information including the product ID, and automatically transmit an information viewing request to the authentication authority terminal 10 to obtain (a basic portion of) the product information corresponding to the product ID, which is then displayed on a display serving as the output unit 508. With this mechanism, even an ordinary consumer who has no knowledge of the mechanism of the information processing system 1 can view basic product information simply by scanning the code attached to the product with a camera, thereby improving consumer convenience.

[0099] (Information Processing Flow) Next, the information processing flow performed in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing performed in the information processing system 1. As shown in FIG. 9, the information processing system 1 executes the following steps: a step of manufacturing a product at a product manufacturer (S101); a step of authenticating product information and performing a product ID association process (S102); a step of determining whether a request for updating information stored in the DB has been made to the authentication authority terminal 10 (S103); a step of accepting the information update (S104); a step of determining whether the accepted information update matches a predetermined detection target and, if so, issuing a warning to a predetermined user (S105); a step of determining whether a request for viewing information stored in the DB has been made to the authentication authority terminal 10 (S106); and a step of outputting information related to the viewing request (S107). The processing flow performed in each step will be described in more detail below.

[0100] FIG. 10 shows a subroutine of step S102 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 , illustrating the exchange of information and the processing flow between the authentication authority terminal 10 and the manufacturer terminal 20. As shown in FIG. 10 , when a product manufacturer manufactures a new product, the product information generation unit 201 of the manufacturer terminal 20 generates product information (S201). The manufacturer terminal 20 then transmits an authentication request for the generated product information to the authentication authority terminal 10 via the communication unit 210 (S202). The authentication authority terminal 10 then receives the request via the authentication request reception unit 101, and a person in charge at the authentication authority authenticates the product information, which is then registered (stored) in the authenticated product information DB (S203). The authentication authority terminal 10 then generates product certification information in the certification information generation unit 102 to certify the product information related to the authentication request (S204), and the ID issuance unit 103 issues a product ID associated with the product certification information (S205). The issued product ID is transmitted to the manufacturer terminal 20 via the communication unit 110 (S206), and the product ID associating unit 202 of the manufacturer terminal 20 associates the product ID with the product identified by the product ID (S207). After the above series of processes are executed, the subroutine of step S102 is temporarily terminated.

[0101] Returning to the explanation of the process flow in Fig. 9, in step S103, the certification authority terminal 10 (specifically, the information update receiving unit 105) determines whether or not there is a request to update the product information stored in the storage unit 109 (authenticated product information DB). If the information update receiving unit 105 determines that there is a request for update, it executes a process to receive the update (S104).

[0102] The following describes the process flow when it is determined in step S103 that an information update request has been made. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the exchange of information and the process flow between the certification authority terminal 10 and the distributor terminal 40.

[0103] As described above, in this embodiment, a product is affixed with a code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) that encodes information including a product ID. When a business operator involved in the distribution of the product wishes to update the product information, the code affixed to the product is read using a decoding means (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) reader) serving as the input unit 407 of the distributor terminal 40 (S301). The encoded information is then decoded by the information update request unit 402, and based on this, request information for a user ID input form is transmitted to the authentication institution terminal 10 (S302). As described above, the decoding means of the distributor terminal 40 has an environmental sensor, and when the code is read in step S301, information on the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the product is placed is stored in the memory unit 409 of the distributor terminal 40.

[0104] When the information update receiving unit 105 of the authentication authority terminal 10 receives the request for the input form, it generates a user ID input form corresponding to the product ID included in the code (S303) and transmits this to the distributor terminal 40 (S304). Upon receiving the form, an input form for the user ID and password is displayed on the output unit 408 of the distributor terminal 40. When the user ID is entered into the form via the input unit 407 of the distributor terminal 40 (S305), information on the user ID (and password) is transmitted to the authentication authority terminal 10 via the communication unit 410 (S306).

[0105] In the authentication authority terminal 10 that has received the user ID, the information update receiving unit 105 generates an input form for updated information corresponding to the authority of the transmitted user ID (S307) and transmits the input form to the distributor terminal 40 (S308). In the distributor terminal 40 that has received the updated information input form, the input form is displayed by the output unit 408. Then, when updated information is input via the input unit 407 of the distributor terminal 40 (S309), the updated information is transmitted to the authentication authority terminal 10 via the communication unit 410 (S310). Note that the information transmitted to the authentication authority terminal 10 may include not only the information input in step S309 but also information on the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the product is placed.

[0106] In the certification authority terminal 10 that has received the update information, the information update receiving unit 105 updates the certified product information stored in the memory unit 109 (S311), and the series of processes related to the subroutine of step S104 is completed.

[0107] Here, we have explained an example of information update processing performed by the distributor terminal 40 (information update request unit 402), but similar processing can also be performed by the manufacturer terminal 20 (information update request unit 206).

[0108] After step S104, the authentication authority terminal 10 (specifically, the detection unit 106 and the warning processing unit 111) performs detection processing and warning processing (step S105). Specifically, the processing of step S105 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The detection unit 106 determines whether the update received in step S104 matches a predetermined detection target process indicating improper handling of the product (S401). The content of the process that the detection unit 106 detects has already been described, so a detailed description will be omitted. If the detection unit 106 determines that the information update received in step S104 does not match the predetermined detection target, the warning processing unit 111 transmits warning information to a predetermined warning target user (S402), and the subroutine ends. On the other hand, if the information update received in step S104 is determined not to match the predetermined detection target in step S401, the subroutine ends without proceeding to step S402.

[0109] 9 , the authentication authority terminal 10 (specifically, the information access request receiving unit 104) determines whether or not there is a request to access the authenticated product information stored in the storage unit 109 (S106). If the information access request receiving unit 104 determines that there is a request to access the authenticated product information, it performs processing to output information related to the access request (S107).

[0110] The following describes the processing flow when an information viewing request is made. FIG. 13 shows the information exchange and processing flow between the authentication authority terminal 10 and the consumer terminal 50. When a consumer who has purchased a product wishes to view product information, the consumer terminal 50 reads the code attached to the product using a code reading means (e.g., a camera) serving as the input unit 507 of the consumer terminal 50 (S501). The encoded information is then decoded by the information viewing request unit 501, and based on this, a request for a user ID input form is sent to the authentication authority terminal 10 (S502). Upon receiving the input form request, the information viewing request receiving unit 104 of the authentication authority terminal 10 generates a user ID input form corresponding to the product ID included in the code (S503) and sends it to the consumer terminal 50 (S504). Upon receiving the form, the output unit 508 of the consumer terminal 50 displays a user ID and password input form. FIG. 14 shows an example of a user ID and password input form.

[0111] When a user ID (and password) is entered into the form via the input unit 507 of the consumer terminal 50 (S505), the user ID (and password) information is transmitted to the authentication authority terminal 10 via the communication unit 410 (S506). In the authentication authority terminal 10 that has received the user ID, the information viewing request receiving unit 104 extracts product information corresponding to the authority of the transmitted user ID from the storage unit 109 (S507) and transmits the information to the consumer terminal 50 (S508). In the consumer terminal 50 that has received the product information, the output unit 508 displays a viewing screen for the product information (S509), and the series of processes related to the subroutine of step S107 is completed.

[0112] In the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, even if the send button is pressed without inputting a user ID and password, information that can be viewed even by unauthorized persons is displayed, as shown in Fig. 14. This allows even users without a user ID, such as general consumers, to view basic information within the product information.

[0113] Furthermore, although an example of information viewing processing performed by the consumer terminal 50 (information viewing request unit 501 and output unit 508) has been described here, similar processing can also be performed by the manufacturer terminal 20 (information viewing request unit 205 and output unit 208) and the distributor terminal 40 (information viewing request unit 401 and output unit 408).

[0114] 9, if the determination in step S106 is NO, or after the processing in step S107 is completed, the process returns to S103, and the subsequent processing is repeated until a predetermined termination condition is met. However, the processing flow described up to this point is only an example, and a routine may be formed that does not include some of the processing in steps S105, S106, etc.

[0115] (Effects of the Present Embodiment) According to the information processing system 1 of the present embodiment described above, events that occur during product distribution and user information related to those events are added to the product information, making it possible to identify inappropriate processing of product information (not limited to information tampering, but general processing indicating undesirable product handling). Furthermore, if inappropriate processing is performed, warning information is sent to any user involved in the production or distribution of the product (e.g., a user upstream in the logistics chain, such as a product manufacturer), allowing the user who receives the warning to take prompt action. This prevents improperly handled products from reaching the end consumer.

[0116] Furthermore, since product information is stored in the DB after being certified by a certification body, it is possible to help guarantee the original authenticity of the product information handled in the system. Furthermore, by limiting updates to certified product information to appending information and recording various information such as the content of the update and the person who made the update, it is possible to create an information processing system with excellent resistance to tampering.

[0117] Furthermore, if there is an update to the product information that indicates handling of the product in a way that warrants a warning, information to that effect will be added to the product information, allowing users to understand information about the product's distribution and the fact that handling that warrants a warning has occurred during the product's distribution process. Therefore, even if a user who receives a warning does not take any particular action, users downstream in the distribution chain (including end consumers) can make decisions about how to handle the product based on that information.

[0118] Furthermore, as described above, the decoding means in the manufacturer terminal 20 and the distributor terminal 40 are equipped with environmental sensors, so that the temperature and humidity at the time the code is decoded can be automatically obtained, and by adding these values ​​when updating the product information, it is possible to prevent users from adding incorrect temperature and humidity values ​​to the product information. This configuration is particularly suitable for products that are significantly affected by the environment, such as food and beverage products.

[0119] Furthermore, the scope of product information that can be viewed and updated can be determined for each user (including the end consumer) in the product distribution process, and by associating this authority with each user ID, users can easily view information that corresponds to their product information viewing authority, while information providers can decide what information to provide to whom, thereby realizing a convenient system. Furthermore, users can update information according to their information update authority, and when an update is made, a record of that update is added to the product information, thereby realizing a convenient system that is highly resistant to tampering.

[0120] (Variation 1) In the above-described first embodiment, the authenticated product information (i.e., associated with certification information) is stored as a DB in the storage unit 109 of the certification authority terminal 10, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the product information associated with certification information in the certification authority terminal 10 may be stored as a DB in the storage unit 209 of the manufacturer terminal 20.

[0121] In such a case, when a request to view or update information is received from each terminal, the certification authority terminal 10 may be configured to act as an intermediary so that the corresponding product information can be accessed using the product ID as a key.

[0122] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, an encoded code containing product ID information is attached to a product, and reading this code provides access to an input form for viewing or updating product information. However, information can also be viewed or updated in other ways. For example, a common input form for ID input may be published online in advance, and by accepting an ID input from this input form, product information and / or an update form may be displayed according to authorization. An example of such a common ID input form is shown in FIG. 15.

[0123] (Variation 3) When the products related to the product information handled by the information processing system 1 are mass-produced products, it is convenient to pack multiple products and manage the location and other conditions of each package (or a group of multiple packages) during the distribution process. This variation is configured to enable management of product information on such a group basis.

[0124] Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a manufacturer terminal 21 according to this modification, and Fig. 17 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a distributor terminal 41 according to this modification. Note that, since most of the configuration of the information processing system according to this modification is similar to the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations and processes as those of the first embodiment, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0125] 16, the manufacturer terminal 21 according to this modification is similar to the manufacturer terminal 20 of the first embodiment, except that it has a functional configuration including a group ID request unit 211 and a group ID processing unit 212. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the distributor terminal 41 is similar to the distributor terminal 40 of the first embodiment, except that it has a functional configuration including a group ID request unit 411 and a group ID processing unit 412.

[0126] The group ID requesting unit 211 and the group ID requesting unit 411 request the certification authority terminal 10 to issue a group ID for collectively identifying (managing) a group of multiple products having the same content.

[0127] In the authentication authority terminal 10 that has received the request for issuing a group ID, the ID issuing unit 103 issues a group ID. The issued group ID is stored in the storage unit 109 and managed as part of a relational database as a group ID DB.

[0128] The group ID processing unit 212 of the manufacturer terminal 21 and the group ID processing unit 412 of the distributor terminal 41 perform processing to associate the product IDs of the products to be managed using the issued group ID with the group ID. For example, one group ID may be assigned to multiple products stored in one storage container (such as a cardboard box) for management, or a group ID may be assigned to each pallet that stores multiple such storage containers. The association information is sent to the authentication authority terminal 10 and is reflected in the product ID DB and group ID DB in the storage unit 109.

[0129] After the product ID and group ID are associated in this manner, the information update receiving unit 105 of the authentication authority terminal 10 receives a request to update product information by group ID and updates the product information of multiple products associated with the group ID all at once.

[0130] The authority to set (associate) a group ID and to cancel the group ID may be assigned in association with a user ID. The authority can be assigned by a user (e.g., a product manufacturer) upstream in the product distribution process.

[0131] According to this modified example, when handling a large number of identical products at the same time, it is possible to update and manage information on a group basis without updating individual product information, making it an extremely convenient system.

[0132] <Embodiment 2> Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an information processing system 2 according to this embodiment. Below, the same components and processes as those in the information processing system 1 of embodiment 1 will be designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 18, the information processing system 2 according to this embodiment differs from the information processing system 1 of embodiment 1 in that the certification authority terminal 11, the manufacturer terminal 20, and the distributor terminal 40 are connected to a blockchain network BCN, and the consumer terminal 50 and the certification authority terminal 11 are connected via a general-purpose communication network N.

[0133] In the information processing system 2 of this embodiment, a blockchain system, which is one type of distributed ledger technology, is used to manage product IDs, product information, product certification information, user information, and user IDs.

[0134] A blockchain system is a system that has multiple node devices connected to a blockchain network where information is managed peer-to-peer (P2P), and the multiple node devices distribute and share (hold and manage) various types of information. Since blockchain systems are a well-known technology, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0135] In this embodiment, the certification authority terminal 11, the manufacturer terminal 20, and the distributor terminal 40 each correspond to a node device of the blockchain network BCN. Other information processing terminals may also be included as node devices. In the information processing system 2 according to this embodiment, the certification authority terminal 11 does not have a database, and various information such as product information and user information is distributed and stored in the memory units of each node device. Specifically, for example, product information according to this embodiment is stored in the form of a block that stores a timestamp when the content of the information was generated (or updated) in each node device, a hash value determined by a hash function according to the content of the information and indicating the content of the previous block, the content of the product information, and product certification information that certifies the (originally generated) product information. The product information stored in the block may be a key (e.g., an ID) linked to the main body of information in which each product element information is separately stored.

[0136] Each block is created sequentially, linked to the block created immediately before. That is, when product information is updated, a new block is created linked to the previous block, containing a timestamp at that time, a hash value of the information before the update, the updated product information, and product certification information. Because such a blockchain is created in each node device, when information is updated, the fact and content of the update are always visible to system participants.

[0137] Fig. 19 shows a functional block diagram of the certification authority terminal 11 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 19, the certification authority terminal 11 according to this embodiment has functional units that are almost the same as those of the certification authority terminal 10 according to the first embodiment, but does not include an information update reception unit 105. This is because, in the information processing system 2 according to this embodiment, information can be updated and viewed from the manufacturer terminal 20 and the distributor terminal 40 by reading and updating information directly from the blockchain network BCN.

[0138] On the other hand, consumer terminals 50 that do not generate or update information processed by the information processing system 2 are separated from the blockchain network BCN, and are provided with information managed by the blockchain network BCN via the certification authority terminal 11. The flow of information viewing requests in this case is almost the same as in the first embodiment, but differs from the first embodiment in that the certification authority terminal 11 does not extract the information related to the viewing request from a database in its own memory unit, but obtains it from the blockchain network BCN and provides it to the consumer terminal 50.

[0139] In addition, when there is an update to product information in the blockchain network BCN, the detection unit 106 of the certification authority terminal 11 detects this by detecting a change in the value of the data in the blockchain, and by obtaining the contents of the product information related to the update, determines whether the product information update process is a process to be detected.

[0140] According to the information processing system 2 of this embodiment, by using a blockchain system, a stable system that is resistant to system downtime can be constructed because a database is not required. Furthermore, if any unauthorized information is updated (tampered with), this fact can be easily detected, making the system highly resistant to tampering.

[0141] <Others> The above examples merely exemplify the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Various modifications and combinations of the present invention are possible within the scope of the technical concept thereof. For example, in the above embodiment, the detection unit 106 detects a product information update process indicating improper (undesirable) product handling. However, the detection unit 106 may instead detect a product information update process indicating proper product handling. In this case, if the detection unit 106 does not detect a product information update process indicating proper product handling, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved by having the warning processing unit 111 perform a warning process.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the warning processing unit 111 is realized as a functional unit of the authentication authority terminal 10, but the warning processing unit 111 may be provided in a terminal managed by any (or all) other users. In this case, the warning processing may be configured to issue an alarm using text, images, sound, etc. via an output means of a terminal managed by the user who is to receive the warning. Furthermore, even if the warning processing unit 111 is in the authentication authority terminal 10, the warning processing may be configured to send a command signal to issue an alarm from an output means of a terminal managed by the user.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, product IDs identifying individual products are issued individually in response to a request for authentication of each product information. However, it is naturally conceivable that multiple (large) products with the same product information to be certified will be manufactured. In such a case, it would be inefficient to perform authentication and issue a product ID for each individual product information. Therefore, for product information with the same content to be certified, the authentication authority terminal may issue multiple product IDs associated with the single product information to be certified and transmit these to the manufacturer terminal in advance. This eliminates the need to request the issuance of a product ID each time a product with the same product information is manufactured, resulting in a highly convenient system. However, in this case, if a product manufacturer misuses a product ID, the reliability of the system will be significantly damaged. Therefore, a mechanism to ensure reliability, such as targeting only reputable product manufacturers, is required.

[0144] The information processing system may also be configured such that the manufacturer terminal includes an ID issuing unit for the product and the certification authority terminal includes a product ID matching unit. That is, the product manufacturer assigns an ID (such as a serial number) for each product to the product (at this stage, the product and ID do not correspond to the product certification information), and then the certification authority authenticates the product information in response to a request from the manufacturer terminal, and the certification authority terminal generates the product certification information and matches it with the (declared) product ID.

[0145] <Supplementary Note 1> An information processing system (1) that includes one or more information processing devices and processes information about products, comprising: a storage means (109) that stores product information, which is an information group associated with a product ID that identifies each of the products and includes at least information related to manufacturing conditions of the product; an information update means (105) that uses information about a user ID that identifies a user involved in at least one of manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product and the product ID to update the product information corresponding to the product ID in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, and stores information about the user ID used for the update in the storage means; a detection means (106) that detects processing of one or more first detection targets or processing of one or more second detection targets for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and a warning means (111) that executes predetermined warning processing when the processing of the first detection target for the product information is detected or when the processing of the second detection target is not detected.

[0146] <Supplementary Note 2> The information processing system according to Supplementary Note 1, characterized in that the information update means stores information on the time of the update together with information on the user ID used for the update at the time of the update in association with the product information related to the update in the storage means.

[0147] <Supplementary Note 3> The information processing system according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, characterized in that the warning means sends warning information to users including at least one of a user identified by any of the user IDs stored when the product information is updated, or a user that is set in advance.

[0148] <Supplementary Note 4> The information processing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the product information includes at least certified production information related to the production of the product and certified by a certification body.

[0149] <Appendix 5> The information processing system described in any of Appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that the specified reason includes work performed on the product during the distribution process of the product, and the information update means updates the product information when processing of the first detection target is detected or when processing of the second detection target is not detected.

[0150] <Supplementary Note 6> The information processing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, characterized in that the specified reason includes detection of processing of the first detection target for the product information or detection of no processing of the second detection target, and the information update means updates the product information when processing of the first detection target is detected or when processing of the second detection target is not detected.

[0151] <Supplementary Note 7> The information processing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, further comprising a group ID validation means (212, 412) that associates a group ID that identifies a group consisting of a plurality of the products with the product ID of each of the products included in the group, and the information update means is configured to be able to collectively update each of the product information corresponding to each of the products included in the group using information about the group ID.

[0152] <Supplementary Note 8> The information processing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, further comprising: an encoding means (202) that converts information including at least the product ID into a code; and one or more decoding means (207, 407) that decodes the information converted into the code and enables access to the product information corresponding to the product ID.

[0153] <Supplementary Note 9> The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 8 is characterized in that the user ID is set with authority for accessing each of the product information, each of the decoding means is associated with the user ID, and when the code is decoded by the decoding means, the information update means adds predetermined information to the product information according to the authority set for the corresponding user ID.

[0154] <Supplementary Note 10> The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 8 or 9, characterized in that the code includes information indicating the location of a first interface for accessing the product information corresponding to the product ID, and the decoding means is configured to be able to output the first interface by decoding the information indicating the location of the first interface.

[0155] <Supplementary Note 11> The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 10, characterized in that the first interface output by the decryption means includes a field for accepting input of the user ID, and the decryption means outputs a second interface according to the authority corresponding to the user ID whose input has been accepted.

[0156] <Supplementary Note 12> An information processing method executed by one or more information processing devices to process information related to products, comprising: a storage step (S203) of storing product information, which is an information group associated with a product ID that identifies each of the products and includes at least information related to manufacturing conditions of the product; an information update step (S104) of updating the product information corresponding to the product ID in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, using information on the product ID and a user ID that identifies a user involved in at least one of manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product, and storing information on the user ID used for the update in association with the product information related to the update; a detection step (S401) of detecting one or more first detection target processes or one or more second detection target processes for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and a warning step (S402) of executing a predetermined warning process when the processing on the first detection target for the product information is detected or when the processing on the second detection target is not detected.

[0157] <Supplementary Note 13> A program for causing an information processing device to execute each step of the information processing method described in Supplementary Note 12.

[0158] 1, 2... Information processing system 10, 11... Certification authority terminal 20, 21... Manufacturer terminal 22... Control device 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 41... Distributor terminal 50... Consumer terminal 90... Bus 91... Processor 92... Memory 93... Input IF 94... Output IF 95... Communication IF N... Communication network BCN... Blockchain network

Claims

1. An information processing system that includes one or more information processing devices and processes information related to products, comprising: a storage means for storing product information, which is a group of information associated with a product ID that identifies each of the products and includes at least information related to the manufacturing conditions of the product; an information update means that uses information about the product ID and a user ID that identifies a user involved in at least one of the manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product to update the product information corresponding to the product ID in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, and stores information about the user ID used for the update in the storage means; a detection means that detects processing of one or more first detection targets or processing of one or more second detection targets for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and a warning means that executes a predetermined warning process when processing of the first detection target for the product information is detected or when processing of the second detection target is not detected.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the information update means stores in the storage means information on the time of the update along with information on the user ID used for the update at the time of the update, in association with the product information related to the update.

3. The information processing system of claim 1, characterized in that the warning means sends warning information to users including at least one of a user identified by any of the user IDs stored when the product information is updated or a pre-set user.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product information includes at least information relating to the manufacture of the product and certified manufacturing information certified by a certification body.

5. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the specified event includes work performed on the product during the distribution process of the product, and the information update means updates the product information when the work is performed.

6. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the specified reason includes detection of processing of the first detection target for the product information or non-detection of processing of the second detection target, and the information update means updates the product information when processing of the first detection target is detected or when processing of the second detection target is not detected.

7. The information processing system of claim 1, further comprising a group ID validation means for associating a group ID that identifies a group consisting of a plurality of said products with the product ID of each of said products included in said group, and wherein said information update means is configured to be able to collectively update each of said product information corresponding to each of said products included in said group using information about said group ID.

8. An information processing system as described in claim 1, further comprising: an encoding means for converting information including at least the product ID into a code; and one or more decoding means for decoded the information converted into the code, enabling access to the product information corresponding to the product ID.

9. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the user ID is set with authority for accessing each of the product information, each of the decoding means is associated with the user ID, and the information update means, when the code is decoded by the decoding means, adds to the product information predetermined information corresponding to the authority set for the corresponding user ID.

10. The information processing system described in claim 8, characterized in that the code includes information indicating the location of a first interface for accessing the product information corresponding to the product ID, and the decoding means is configured to be able to output the first interface by decoding the information indicating the location of the first interface.

11. The information processing system described in claim 9, characterized in that the first interface output by the decryption means includes a field for accepting input of the user ID, and the decryption means outputs a second interface according to the authority corresponding to the user ID whose input has been accepted.

12. An information processing method executed by one or more information processing devices to process information related to products, comprising: a storage step of storing product information, which is a group of information associated with a product ID that identifies each product and includes at least information related to the manufacturing conditions of the product; an information update step of using a user ID that identifies a user involved in at least one of the manufacturing, distribution, and certification of the product and information about the product ID to update the product information corresponding to the product ID in response to the occurrence of a specified event related to the manufacturing or distribution of the product, and storing information about the user ID used for the update in association with the product information related to the update; a detection step of detecting one or more first detection target processes or one or more second detection target processes for the product information, which are predetermined for each of the product IDs; and a warning step of executing a specified warning process when the first detection target process for the product information is detected or when the second detection target process is not detected.

13. A program for causing an information processing device to execute each step of the information processing method according to claim 12.

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