Information management system, information management method, information management program, and medium

Abstract

An information management system (BC) for managing information indicating the state of a machine product (100), the information management system (BC) comprising: an NFT issuing unit (311) that issues, on a blockchain (300), an NFT (103) associated with individual identification information that identifies the machine product (100); and a management unit (313) that associates a VC (107), which is information indicating the state of the machine product (100), with the NFT.

Description

Information management system, information management method, information management program, and medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an information management system, an information management method, an information management program, and a medium for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product.

[0002] All mechanical products deteriorate over time, making product condition management by the owner or a mechanic essential for safe, trouble-free use over the long term. For example, inspection and maintenance of automobiles (including motorcycles) is mandatory under the Road Transport Vehicle Act, which requires that inspection dates, inspection results, maintenance overviews, and completion dates be recorded and kept in an inspection sheet (also known as an inspection and maintenance record book). Automobile inspection and maintenance records are used to help maintain vehicles and can also determine when consumable parts need replacing. Furthermore, automobile inspection and maintenance records are passed on to the next owner during secondary vehicle distribution and serve as the vehicle's "lifetime record book." Generally, automobile inspection and maintenance records, inspection specifications, and estimates are often issued in paper format, with some containing handwritten information such as inspection records, inspection details, and costs.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for storing automobile maintenance data based on a consortium chain. By using blockchain technology and cloud storage technology, primarily based on the consortium chain, to achieve logical blockchain storage and physical cloud storage of maintenance data, the actual maintenance data is generated, transmitted to a verification node, and written into a block using the P-DPoS consensus mechanism. Once the data is tamper-proof and traceable, users can timely ascertain the integrity of the transmitted data using the "Merkle root verification method." At the same time, related cryptographic technologies, such as public key encryption algorithms, proxy re-encryption algorithms, and SOK protocols, are employed to ensure the privacy of personal information is not leaked, while enabling the disclosure and sharing of some maintenance data, providing significant convenience to users' compensation claim processes.

[0004] Meanwhile, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technology for increasing the asset value of an NFT by adding secret information that can only be viewed by the owner of the NFT to the management information of the NFT. This is an NFT information management system that adds specific information to an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) that has an identifier on a blockchain, and includes a storage unit that stores NFTs within each user page provided on a network, and a secret information addition unit that adds any secret information in an encrypted state to the NFT stored in the storage unit, and the encrypted secret information added to the NFT can only be viewed when it is decrypted using decryption information.

[0005] JP 2022-542134 A JP 2023-004074 A

[0006] Paper-based vehicle inspection and maintenance records are at high risk of being lost, and handwritten inspection records can easily be tampered with or concealed. Some unscrupulous dealers have even falsified or concealed inappropriate information. As a result, accurate vehicle history information is unavailable, resulting in many vehicles with unknown mechanical quality being sold, hindering secondary distribution through fair and reasonable prices at used car auctions and used car dealerships. For example, when ownership changes, past maintenance information is not properly transferred, resulting in inefficient vehicle maintenance, such as replacing recently replaced parts, to the detriment of the next owner.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses that maintenance data history is written to a blockchain, enabling the maintenance data to be made public and shared, but does not consider what happens if the owner is transferred. Meanwhile, Patent Document 2 discloses that when the owner is transferred, the transfer of ownership is written to the NFT blockchain system, but only the NFT owner can view the information, and it cannot be viewed by any third party. In other words, no NFT-based digital certificate that is transferable and easily viewable by any third party over a wide range has been proposed.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information management system, information management method, information management program, and medium that can realize a wide range of utilization of accurate information guaranteed by the issuer by linking historical information indicating the condition of a mechanical product to an uncounterfeitable and transferable NFT as a digital certificate that can be verified online by any third party.

[0009] (1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means: That is, the information management system of the present invention is an information management system that manages information indicating the status of a mechanical product, and is characterized by comprising: an NFT issuing unit that issues an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product, and a management unit that associates VCs (Verifiable Credentials), which are information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

[0010] This configuration makes it possible to prevent tampering or concealment of information indicating the state of a mechanical product, and to increase the reliability of the information indicating the state of a mechanical product.

[0011] (2) In the information management system of the present invention, the information indicating the state of the mechanical product is a record of inspections or maintenance performed on the mechanical product.

[0012] This configuration makes it possible to eliminate the lack of completeness and soundness of inspection and maintenance records, that is, the tendency for information to be easily tampered with or concealed.

[0013] (3) In the information management system of the present invention, the management unit is further characterized by including a reception unit that receives a request to view the information from outside, and outputs the information in response to the received request.

[0014] This structure allows the owner of a machinery product to use past inspection and maintenance records when undergoing inspection and maintenance, ensuring proper inspection and maintenance. Furthermore, since the information gap between the owner and third parties regarding the quality of the machinery product is eliminated, for example, during secondary distribution of the machinery product, the information gap between the seller (current owner) and the buyer regarding the quality of the machinery is eliminated, promoting fair business transactions in the secondary distribution market.

[0015] (4) In the information management system of the present invention, the mechanical product is a vehicle.

[0016] This configuration makes it possible to prevent tampering or concealment of information indicating the actual vehicle state, thereby increasing the reliability of the information indicating the vehicle state.

[0017] (5) The information management system of the present invention may further include a display control unit that displays at least a portion of at least one of the NFT and the VC on a display device, receives instruction information obtained by a reading device by reading an information holding medium, generates display information based on the instruction information for displaying at least a portion of at least one of the NFT and the VC on the display device, and sends the display information to the display device.

[0018] With this configuration, a user can easily view at least a part of at least one of the NFT and the VC by reading the information bearing medium with a reading device.

[0019] (6) The information management system of the present invention may further include an information generating unit that generates the instruction information.

[0020] This configuration allows the instruction information to be generated efficiently without using an external device.

[0021] (7) Furthermore, the information management method of the present invention is an information management method for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product, and is characterized by including at least a step of issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product, and a step of associating VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

[0022] This configuration makes it possible to prevent tampering or concealment of information indicating the state of a mechanical product, and to increase the reliability of the information indicating the state of a mechanical product.

[0023] (8) Furthermore, the information management program of the present invention is an information management program that manages information indicating the status of a mechanical product, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute a process of issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product, and a process of associating a VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

[0024] This configuration makes it possible to prevent tampering or concealment of information indicating the state of a mechanical product, and to increase the reliability of the information indicating the state of a mechanical product.

[0025] (9) Furthermore, the medium of the present invention is a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing an information management program for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product, and the information management program is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute a process of issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product, and a process of associating a VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent tampering or concealment of information indicating the state of a mechanical product, and to increase the reliability of information indicating the state of a mechanical product.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the usage status of an inspection and maintenance record 105 of a vehicle 100 in an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how an NFT 103 is transferred in an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how an information management system links a VC to an NFT. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of an information management system linking a VC to an NFT. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an invoice (maintenance statement) for vehicle inspection and maintenance. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information management system according to a modified example of the present invention, and an overview of the exchange of information between the information management system, a terminal, and an information storage medium.

[0028] The inventors focused on the problems associated with paper-based inspection and maintenance records for vehicle inspection and maintenance, which are often at high risk of being lost and can easily be tampered with or concealed. They discovered that these problems can be solved by associating VCs (Verifiable Credentials), which are information indicating the condition of a vehicle, with NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), and thus arrived at the present invention.

[0029] In other words, the information management system of the present invention is an information management system that manages information indicating the status of a mechanical product, and is characterized by having an NFT issuing unit that issues an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product, and a management unit that associates VCs (Verifiable Credentials), which are information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

[0030] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a machine product using a computer program, a method for manufacturing a machine product using a computer program, and a method for manufacturing a machine product using a computer program.

[0031] [Overview] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, owner A owns a car 100. Owner A also owns a wallet and is able to use a DID (Decentralized Identity) on a blockchain via a terminal device 101. Information about the car 100 is linked to an NFT 103, and owner A owns the NFT 103 in the wallet. Note that, while this embodiment illustrates an example in which a DID is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and there may also be embodiments in which a DID is not used or a DID is used without using a blockchain.

[0032] Owner A electronically submits information about the vehicle 100, such as an inspection and maintenance logbook and a vehicle inspection certificate, to issuer C. Here, an OCR (Optical Character Reader) is used as an example to digitize the inspection and maintenance logbook and the vehicle inspection certificate, but the present invention is not limited to this. Issuer C inspects and maintains the vehicle 100 at a maintenance shop, and verifies information indicating the condition of the vehicle 100, such as the vehicle's history, during the service. In other words, along with the information indicating the condition of the vehicle 100, information about the causes that led to the vehicle's current condition, such as the storage and management environment and usage history, can be included. The inspection and maintenance record 105 is linked to the NFT 103 as a VC (Verifiable Credential).

[0033] Meanwhile, in FIG. 1 , purchaser B is considering a peer-to-peer transaction for car 100. Purchaser B can check the inspection and maintenance record 105 linked to the NFT 103 of car 100. Because the inspection and maintenance record 105 is stored as a VC, it is difficult to tamper with. As a result, purchaser B can check the highly reliable inspection and maintenance record 105 and consider purchasing car 100. The inspection and maintenance record itself as VC 107 is used off-chain. Note that while peer-to-peer transactions have been described here as an example, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to transactions between individuals and used car dealers, transactions between used car dealers, etc.

[0034] In this embodiment, a car (vehicle) will be used as an example of a mechanical product, but the present invention is not limited to automobiles and can be applied to motorcycles, ships, aircraft, construction machinery, electrical products, etc.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of the inspection and maintenance record 105 of the car 100 in an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The issuer C, acting as an issuer, inspects and maintains the car 100 at a maintenance shop or the like, and issues a VC 107 with a digital signature using a private signing key using an "issuer tool 201." The car 100 is linked to the NFT 103 as a real-world asset (RWA). The owner A, acting as a holder, is, for example, the owner of the car 100. In the "holder's wallet 203," the owner A signs the blockchain to hold and transfer the NFT 103, and can refer to and use the inspection and maintenance record of the car 100 at any time. For example, when the owner A has his or her car 100 inspected and maintained, the owner A can use the VC (inspection and maintenance information), which is managed in a manner that prevents loss and tampering, to ensure proper inspection and maintenance.

[0036] 2, the user acting as the verifier is, for example, purchaser B. When purchasing car 100, purchaser B can access VC 107 and check the inspection and maintenance information of car 100. Since purchaser B can check VC (inspection and maintenance information) 107, which is managed in a manner that prevents tampering, the transaction can be carried out appropriately. In this way, by issuing VC 107 to NFT 103, it is possible to handle the transfer of ownership of car 100.

[0037] 3 is a diagram showing how the NFT 103 is transferred in an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the NFT 103 is transferred from owner A to purchaser B, it is transferred from owner A's "Holder's wallet 203" to purchaser B's wallet 205. Because the VC 107 is linked to the NFT 103, the VC 107 is also transferred along with the NFT 103. In this way, since the NFT 103 is transferable, when ownership of the car 100 is transferred, the VC 107 is transferred along with the NFT 103, making it possible to inherit information.

[0038] [Configuration of the Present Invention] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This NFT information management system 310 is configured to be able to use a blockchain 300, and an NFT issuing unit 311 provided in a server 315 issues an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) associated with individual identification information that identifies the car 100 in the blockchain 300. In addition, a management unit 313 provided in the server 315 associates verifiable credentials (VC), which is information indicating the status of the car 100, with the NFT. The VC associated with the NFT can be viewed on a terminal device 317 or the like.

[0039] In Figure 4, blockchain 300 is configured to synchronize and record data such as transaction information across multiple computers that make up a distributed network, using cryptographic technology. Transaction data over a certain period of time is compiled into blocks, which are then verified by other computers to link and accumulate accurate records in a chain-like fashion, hence the name blockchain. It is also sometimes referred to as a "distributed ledger." This blockchain 300 system creates data units called blocks and links them chronologically like a chain to create a database. Each block has a "hash value (a value calculated using a hash function)" of the block immediately before it, and by tracing back the hash value, it is possible to trace the history of data evolution.

[0040] [Operation of the Present Invention] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, car user X uploads inspection and maintenance information (vehicle information) of his / her own vehicle to the management unit 313 of the information management system BC (step S1). The NFT issuing unit 311 of the information management system BC issues an NFT linked to the vehicle. Next, a VC related to the inspection and maintenance information is linked to the NFT and given to car user X (step S2). Here, the NFT is linked in a one-to-one relationship to "information unique to a vehicle," such as the chassis number or license plate number of an actual vehicle.

[0041] The information using company Y, which may be, for example, a used car dealer or an individual looking to purchase a car, submits a request to the information management system BC to use the inspection and maintenance information (step S3). Upon receiving this request, the information management system BC makes an offer to the car user X (step S4). Once the car user X approves the request (step S5) and the information using company Y pays the usage fee, the information using company Y receives the inspection and maintenance information from the information management system BC (step S6). Thereafter, the system operating company Z receives the usage fee, and the car user X receives the revenue (step S7).

[0042] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing how an information management system links an NFT to a VC, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information management system for linking an NFT to a VC. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an invoice (maintenance statement) for vehicle inspection and maintenance. First, as a premise, system operating company Z registers public information, for example, in a blockchain (information management system) BC (step S11). Next, owner A of vehicle 100 registers vehicle information from wallet (digital wallet) 203A to the information management system BC operated by system operating company Z (step S12). This "wallet (digital wallet) 203A" has the functions of the "Holder's wallet 203" described above, as well as the functions of registering vehicle information and sending maintenance statements to the system. Note that the present invention is not limited to registering public information in a blockchain, and other forms are also possible.

[0043] System operating company Z MINTs (issues) NFT 103 linked to the vehicle information provided by owner A (step S13). Next, owner A transmits a maintenance statement from wallet (digital wallet) 203A to system operating company Z (step S14). Here, the maintenance statement can include not only inspection and maintenance information for vehicle 100, but also information on the cause of the current state of vehicle 100 (such as the management environment), such as the storage condition and usage history of vehicle 100 up to the present.

[0044] Figure 9 shows an example of an invoice (maintenance details) for vehicle inspection and maintenance. In more detail, the inspection and maintenance information can include "inspection date, mileage at the time of inspection, inspection category, maintenance items, technical fees, names and part numbers of replacement parts, number of parts, part unit price, invoice amount, and information about the maintenance workshop (including location)."

[0045] In addition, information other than inspection and maintenance information broadly includes information that has properties that can be linked to NFT. For example, driving condition and management condition. Furthermore, Owner A's driving tendencies can include information on driving evaluations from other services and information on driving style (city driving, long distance, or commercial, etc.). Furthermore, management condition can include information such as the storage environment, whether there is parking, whether the parking lot is covered, and whether a car cover is used. Furthermore, general vehicle specifications, such as basic options, grade, custom information, and information such as "differences in usage due to climate differences" based on the vehicle's location, can be included.

[0046] 7 and 8, the system operating company Z issues and signs a VC 107 linked to the maintenance details provided by the owner A (step S15). The VC 107 is then linked to the NFT 103. The verifier D verifies the VC 107 (step S16).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 10 , the server 315 of the NFT information management system 310 may further include a display control unit 319 in addition to the NFT issuing unit 311 and management unit 313 .

[0048] The display control unit 319 is a display control unit that displays at least a part of at least one of the NFT 103 and the VC 107 on a display device (such as a liquid crystal display), receives instruction information (described later) acquired by a reading device (such as a smartphone) by reading an information storage medium (such as an IC tag), generates display information for displaying at least a part of at least one of the NFT 103 and the VC 107 on the display device based on the instruction information, and sends the display information to the display device.

[0049] For example, the display control unit 319 operates as follows based on the reading of the information storage medium IM by the terminal 500.

[0050] The terminal 500 has a reading unit 510 (an example of a "reading device") and a display unit 520 (an example of a "display device"). The reading unit 510 is a unit that reads instruction information from the information storage medium IM, and specifically may be, for example, a code reader, an RFID reader, an OCR, a magnetic card reader, etc. The display unit 520 is a unit that displays image information, and specifically may be, for example, a liquid crystal display. The terminal 500 may be, for example, a smartphone or a dedicated terminal.

[0051] The information bearing medium IM may be any medium capable of holding information, such as a barcode, a two-dimensional symbol, an RFID (such as an IC tag), or a magnetic card. "Characters" are also an example of the information bearing medium IM (in this case, for example, the information is read by an OCR). Specifically, the information bearing medium IM may be, for example, an IC tag embedded in the electronic vehicle inspection certificate of the vehicle 100.

[0052] First, a user of terminal 500 (for example, purchaser B who is considering a person-to-person transaction for car 100) reads instruction information from information holding medium IM using reading unit 510. "Instruction information" is information that instructs display control unit 319 on the content of the information to be requested. Terminal 500 transmits the read instruction information to display control unit 319. Display control unit 319 receives the instruction information transmitted from terminal 500.

[0053] Next, the display control unit 319 accesses the NFT 103 and VC 107 indicated by the received instruction information on the blockchain 300 and acquires information necessary for displaying the NFT 103 and VC 107 indicated by the instruction information. The instruction information may include address information indicating the addresses on the blockchain of the NFT and VC indicated by the instruction information, login information for performing the necessary login on the blockchain, etc. Alternatively, the display control unit 319 may acquire the address information, login information, etc. based on the instruction information.

[0054] Next, the display control unit 319 generates display information based on the information acquired on the blockchain 300 and transmits it to the terminal 500 (note that the "generation of display information" also includes a case where the display control unit 319 uses the information acquired on the blockchain 300 as display information as is). The terminal 500 receives the display information and displays the NFT 103 and VC 107 indicated by the instruction information on the display unit 520 based on the received display information.

[0055] Thus, in the modified example provided with the display control unit 319, a person who wishes to view the NFT 103 and the VC 107 can easily view the desired information simply by reading the information holding medium IM with the terminal 500. For example, if the information holding medium IM is built into the electronic vehicle inspection certificate of the car 100, a person considering purchasing the car 100 can easily view highly reliable information about the car 100. Furthermore, even in cases other than transactions between individuals, for example, when the owner A of the car 100 takes the car 100 to a repair shop for repairs or maintenance, the repair shop can easily view highly reliable information about the car 100.

[0056] In order to search for the NFT 103 and VC 107 linked to the vehicle 100, it is necessary to identify the wallet in which the NFT 103 and VC 107 are stored, and then further search for the NFT 103 linked to the vehicle 100 from within the wallet using a key such as the vehicle identification number. In contrast, in this modified example, the target NFT 103 and VC 107 can be accessed based on information (e.g., address information, login information, etc.) read from an information storage medium such as a two-dimensional symbol or RFID by a reading device such as a smartphone or dedicated reader. This reduces the effort required to search for the NFT 103 and VC 107 and prevents search errors due to inputting search information incorrectly.

[0057] The instruction information may be information requesting the display control unit 319 to send display information for displaying at least a part of at least one of the NFT 103 and the VC 107. In this case, the display control unit 319 generates display information for displaying at least a part of at least one of the NFT 103 and the VC 107 on the display unit 520 based on the information acquired on the blockchain 300, and transmits the display information to the terminal 500.

[0058] The reading device that reads information from the information bearing medium IM and the display device that displays information based on the display information may be separate entities.

[0059] The instruction information held by the information holding medium IM may be generated by the information generating device 400. Alternatively, the NFT information management system 310 may incorporate the information generating device 400 as an information generating unit that generates the instruction information.

[0060] In the above explanation, we have described a mode in which NFTs are issued on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a mode in which NFTs are issued and managed on an inspection and maintenance basis.

[0061] As described above, the information management system according to this embodiment stores vehicle inspection and maintenance records as electromagnetic records using NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and VCs (Verifiable Credentials), and is configured so that the record contents and issue dates cannot be tampered with later, making it possible to prove the integrity of the inspection and maintenance record contents. This inspection and maintenance record book can be verified by a third party as being recorded by a legitimate issuer, ensuring its legitimacy. Since NFTs are linked to actual vehicles in a one-to-one relationship, the uniqueness of inspection and maintenance information is guaranteed. This allows the current owner of the vehicle to receive appropriate inspection and maintenance. Furthermore, people other than the vehicle owner can access the recorded information as needed.

[0062] The information management system according to this embodiment eliminates the lack of completeness and integrity (e.g., susceptibility to tampering and concealment) of conventional inspection and maintenance records. Conventionally, during secondary distribution (used car auctions, used car dealerships, etc.), there has been a discrepancy in information regarding the mechanical quality of vehicles between sellers (vehicle owners) and buyers, leading to widespread unfair transactions. However, the information management system according to this embodiment consolidates inspection and maintenance record information into a single common system, improving information visibility and fluidity. This eliminates the discrepancy in information required when buying and selling vehicles, promoting fair commercial transactions in the secondary distribution market. Furthermore, when a vehicle's owner changes, the previous inspection and maintenance information can also be inherited, allowing the new owner to inherit the vehicle's maintenance history and receive efficient maintenance services.

[0063] 100 Car 101 Terminal device 103 NFT 105 Inspection and maintenance record 107 VC 201 Issuer tool 203 Holder's wallet 203A Wallet (digital wallet) 205 Wallet 300 Blockchain 310 NFT information management system 311 NFT issuing unit 313 Management unit 315 Server 317 Terminal device 319 Display control unit 400 Information generation device A Owner B Purchaser BC Blockchain (information management system) C Issuer C-1 Service D Verifier X Car user Y Information using company Z System operating company

Claims

1. An information management system that manages information indicating the status of a mechanical product, comprising: an NFT issuing unit that issues an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product; and a management unit that associates VCs (Verifiable Credentials), which are information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

2. An information management system according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the status of the mechanical product is a record of inspections or maintenance performed on the mechanical product.

3. An information management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the management unit includes a reception unit that receives a request to view the information from outside, and outputs the information in response to the received request.

4. An information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mechanical product is a vehicle.

5. An information management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a display control unit that displays at least a portion of at least one of the NFT and the VC on a display device, receives instruction information obtained by a reading device by reading an information holding medium, generates display information based on the instruction information for displaying at least a portion of at least one of the NFT and the VC on the display device, and sends the display information to the display device.

6. The information management system according to claim 5, further comprising an information generating unit that generates the instruction information.

7. An information management method for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product, comprising at least the steps of: issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product; and associating VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

8. An information management program for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product, characterized in that the program causes a computer to execute the following processes: issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product; and associating VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

9. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing an information management program for managing information indicating the status of a mechanical product, wherein the information management program causes a computer to execute the following processes: issuing an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on a blockchain that is associated with individual identification information that identifies the mechanical product; and associating VC (Verifiable Credentials), which is information indicating the status of the mechanical product, with the NFT.

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