JP7697993B2 - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method.

A system has been proposed for sharing information about traded products between vendor companies and customer companies (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). This system allows information to be shared between adjacent companies in a supply chain via a common platform.

JP 2004-171146 A

The purpose of this disclosure is to reduce the effort required to enter product information.

One aspect of the present disclosure is
accepting designation of one or more first platforms for managing a supply chain;
accepting input of first information regarding a first product, the first information including information regarding traceability;
generating second information corresponding to each of the first platforms from the first information by referring to information regarding rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms;
Referencing information regarding connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms, and transmitting the second information to each of the first platforms via the corresponding connector or arranging the second information in a predetermined storage area in a state in which the second information can be transmitted;
The information processing device includes a control unit configured to execute the above.

One aspect of the present disclosure is
The computer
accepting designation of one or more first platforms for managing a supply chain;
accepting input of first information regarding a first product, the first information including information regarding traceability;
generating second information corresponding to each of the first platforms from the first information by referring to information regarding rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms;
Referencing information regarding connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms, and transmitting the second information to each of the first platforms via the corresponding connector or arranging the second information in a predetermined storage area in a state in which the second information can be transmitted;
It is an information processing method for performing the above.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the processing in the above-mentioned information processing device, and a storage medium on which the program is non-temporarily stored.

This disclosure can reduce the effort required to enter product information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a supply chain according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a relationship between products supplied through a supply chain. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of processing performed between a company terminal and a server device. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a company terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of the server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of a company terminal according to the first embodiment. 4 is an example of product information generated by a product information generating unit. 13 is an example of a screen output by an authority setting unit. 13 is an example of permission information generated by an authority setting unit based on input information. 1 is an example of a user interface including a list of potential products to link to. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by a second product information generating unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by a server device. A diagram explaining the product tree and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in each process. An example of a screen that displays the product tree as an image. An example of a product tree when products without access permissions are not disclosed. 13 is a flowchart of a process for registering second information on a platform. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining the processes performed by the server device and the company terminal in the first to third phases. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing performed by the server device and the company terminal in the fourth phase. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a company terminal according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart of a process for registering second information on a platform. 13 is a flowchart of a process for registering second information on a platform. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system in which second information is generated by a dedicated server device. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a dedicated server device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of a dedicated server device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system in which second information is generated by a server device. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a first server device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a first server device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system when providing second information to a target platform. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a second server device according to a sixth embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing an overview of a process executed by a server device and a company terminal when second information is directly transmitted to the company terminal; 11 is a flowchart of a process for registering product metadata in a target platform. 11 is a flowchart of a process for providing second product information to a second company terminal of a target platform.

Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) is a system in which the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from the procurement of raw materials to disposal and recycling, is converted into _CO2 and displayed on the product. In order to realize CFP, traceability is important, which records each supplier involved in the product's life cycle from the procurement of raw materials to disposal and recycling, and makes the history traceable. On the other hand, when a supplier delivers products to multiple companies, different platforms may be used for each delivery destination even if the target product is the same. In this case, the supplier is required to input the same information into each platform, which is time-consuming. Note that this problem does not occur only in the case of collecting carbon footprints. For example, the problem may occur in any case in which any information related to a product, such as other traceability-related information (e.g., raw material recycling rate, due diligence information, etc.) and other information related to the product (e.g., components, identification information, etc.), is collected.

In addition, each platform requires different input information, has a different user interface, and may have different connectors, so suppliers must take appropriate measures for each platform each time they register information on the platform.

In this regard, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to receive designation of one or more first platforms that manage a supply chain, receive input of first information on a first product including information on traceability, refer to information on rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms and generate second information corresponding to each of the first platforms from the first information, refer to information on connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms, and transmit the second information to each of the first platforms via the corresponding connector or place the second information in a predetermined memory area in a state in which it can be transmitted.

The first platform manages at least the relationships between the companies. The first platform may be a platform that manages information about the companies or information about the products of each company. Alternatively, the first platform may be a platform that manages metadata about the companies. This platform for managing metadata may be configured to include a server and a terminal of each company or a server of each company. Multiple companies participate in the supply chain. The first product is a product that is about to join the first platform.

The first product may be, for example, a material, a single part, an assembly part, or a finished product. The first information of the first product includes information on traceability. The information on traceability may include, for example, information on the amount of greenhouse gas emitted in the manufacturing process of the first product. The second information is information generated from the first information according to a rule set in the first platform. Here, when there are multiple first platforms, the items to be input in each first platform may be different. Also, for example, the unit of inputting mass may be different. Therefore, the control unit generates the second information for each first platform according to the rule of the first platform. This rule may be, for example, stored in a storage unit of the information processing device, may be provided from an external server, or may be provided from each first platform. Also, the rule may be, for example, composed of a semantic data model and its conversion formula.

The control unit also references information related to the connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms. Here, it is conceivable that a different connector is used for each first platform. Information can be sent and received between each of the first platforms via the connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms. That is, by the control unit acquiring information related to the connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms, the second information can be sent to each of the first platforms via the connectors. The second information may also be placed in a specified memory area in a state in which it can be sent to each of the first platforms via the connectors. In this way, the control unit can provide each of the first platforms with the second information related to the first product. Furthermore, the supplier can be saved from the trouble of inputting data corresponding to each of the first platforms.

The information processing device may be a terminal of the company of the first product, or may be a server independent of the platform that provides information acquired from the terminal of the company of the first product to the first platform. Alternatively, the information processing device may be a server of a platform other than the first platform.

In addition, information regarding rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms and information regarding connectors corresponding to each of the first platforms may be stored in the specified memory area. In this way, this information can be quickly acquired. Alternatively, this information may be acquired via a network.

In addition, in response to the fact that the first information alone is insufficient for the information required by the first platform, the control unit may refer to inventory data corresponding to the first platform, and based on information obtained from the inventory data, supplement the information that is insufficient in the first information alone to generate the second information. Here, it may be difficult to provide some or all of the data for the items required to be input in each first platform. For example, it may be difficult to provide data to other countries due to the laws and regulations of each country. In such a case, inventory data is used as data to replace actual data. The inventory data is, for example, data corresponding to each item to be input as the second information, and is, for example, data provided by each first platform. The first information (primary data) is, for example, an actual measurement value. On the other hand, the inventory data (secondary data) is a reference value used when an actual measurement value is not obtained. The inventory data may be, for example, data that specifies a representative value for each item. By supplementing the second information using the inventory data, it becomes possible to input data for all items required to be input.

The control unit may also output a warning in response to the fact that the first information alone is insufficient to meet the information required by the first platform. By outputting such a warning, the user can be prompted to input the missing information. Furthermore, by outputting a warning when the shortage is replenished with inventory data, the user can know what data has been replenished.

In addition, in response to the first information including third information designated as non-disclosure, the control unit can generate the second information by excluding the third information. The third information designated as non-disclosure is, for example, confidential information. The third information may be information that can be designated by the user. By excluding such third information, it is possible to prevent information that is disadvantageous to the user from being disclosed.

In addition, in response to the first information including the third information, the control unit can also reference inventory data corresponding to the first platform and supplement the excluded third information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information. In this way, the inventory data can also be used as data to be input in place of the third information.

In addition, the information on the rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms includes information on rules regarding fourth information that cannot be disclosed depending on the location of the terminal transmitting information to each of the first platforms, and the control unit can generate the second information by excluding the fourth information in response to the first information including the fourth information. The fourth information is, for example, information whose disclosure is restricted by law. For example, some countries may restrict the disclosure of information to other countries. In such a case, by generating the second information by excluding the fourth information, it is possible to generate the second information in accordance with the rules depending on the location.

In addition, in response to the first information including the fourth information, the control unit can also reference inventory data corresponding to the first platform and supplement the excluded fourth information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information. By supplementing with inventory data while excluding the fourth information, it is possible to generate second information with ensured traceability.

In addition, the information on the rules for transmitting information to each of the first platforms may include information on unit rules, and the control unit may generate the second information according to the unit rules corresponding to the first platform. Since the units of data input may differ for each first platform, the second information corresponding to each first platform can be generated by converting the units.

The first product may also be a product related to a battery. That is, the first product may be a product used when manufacturing a battery. In this way, traceability related to the battery can be ensured.

The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. In addition, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

First Embodiment
The system according to the present embodiment is a system that provides information about products supplied through a supply chain that includes a plurality of companies. The information about products is typically information about traceability.

First, the structure of the supply chain will be described. In one example, at least some of the companies (intermediate suppliers) included in the supply chain may receive parts from one or more upstream companies, produce their own products using the received parts, and deliver the produced products to companies in the next process (downstream companies). The most upstream company may directly produce its own products and deliver the produced products to companies in the next process. Some companies in the supply chain may deliver products received from other companies directly to other companies (i.e., be involved in distribution). Multiple companies repeat this process, and the final product is obtained in the final process.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a supply chain according to the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, a scene in which products related to automobiles are obtained is assumed. Specifically, the supply chain shown in FIG. 1 includes an OEM company and multiple supplier companies. The OEM company is a company that assembles final products, and the multiple supplier companies (Companies A to C) are companies that supply parts, materials, assemblies, etc. for manufacturing the final products. Each of the multiple supplier companies produces multiple products and delivers the products to a company located one level below. The multiple companies repeat this process, and in the final process, the final product is assembled.

In this embodiment, the side that delivers products in a certain hierarchy is referred to as the upstream side, and the side that purchases the products and produces new products is referred to as the downstream side. In this specification, a company located on the upstream side is referred to as an upstream company, and a company located on the downstream side is referred to as a downstream company. In addition, a product produced by an upstream company is referred to as an upstream product, and a product produced by a downstream company is referred to as a downstream product. Downstream products include upstream products.

In addition, in this embodiment, the hierarchical levels in the supply chain are referred to as Tiers. Tier 0 is the lowest hierarchical level (corresponding to OEM companies) that assembles the final product, and as you progress to Tiers 1, 2, and 3, you transition to the upstream side. Depending on the hierarchical level you are focusing on, a downstream company may become an upstream company. For example, Company B, which is located in Tier 2, is a downstream company in relation to Tier 3, but an upstream company in relation to Tier 1. In this way, the definition of an upstream company and a downstream company may change for each hierarchical level.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between products supplied by a supply chain. Here, the supply relationship between multiple products constituting a final product X is represented by a tree diagram. In this example, the final product X is produced by assembling products A1, B1, C1, D1, etc. The product A1 is produced by assembling products A11, A12, A13, etc. In this way, the relationship between multiple products constituting a final product can be represented by a tree diagram in which each product is a node. Hereinafter, a tree diagram related to a specific final product is referred to as a product tree. In one example, the final product X is a battery mounted on an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). In another example, the final product X may be a product related to automobiles, such as an automobile or an automobile assembly.

The server device 1 according to this embodiment collects information on the products produced by each company (hereinafter, product information) and information for linking the product information from terminals (company terminals 2) corresponding to each company, and generates such a product tree based on these. The product information also includes information on traceability (e.g., information on greenhouse gas emissions, etc., hereinafter referred to as "traceability-related information"), and carbon footprints and the like can be tracked by tracing the product tree. Note that the traceability-related information may include any information that can be the subject of ensuring traceability.

As shown in FIG. 1, an information processing system according to an example of this embodiment includes a server device 1 and multiple company terminals 2. The company terminals 2 are terminals corresponding to each of the multiple companies that make up the supply chain. The system may include multiple company terminals 2. The server device 1 collects information for generating a product tree from each of the multiple company terminals 2, and generates a product tree based on this information. Furthermore, the server device 1 can execute processes related to traceability (typically, processes for calculating carbon dioxide emissions, etc.) based on the generated product tree. Also, the server device 1 can transmit the results of the processes to the company terminals 2.

Next, an overview of the process in which the server device 1 generates a product tree will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the process carried out between the company terminal 2 and the server device 1.
In the example of Fig. 3, it is assumed that there is a downstream company A and an upstream company B in an arbitrary hierarchy. It is assumed that company B produces product B and delivers it to company A, and company A produces product A using product B. That is, in the example of Fig. 3, product B is a child node of product A in the product tree.

To generate a product tree, the company terminal 2 corresponding to each company transmits information about the products it produces to the server device 1. In this example, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A transmits product information about product A (referred to as product information A) to the server device 1. Similarly, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B transmits product information about product B (referred to as product information B) to the server device 1. The product information of each company is stored in the server device 1.

The operation for linking the product information stored in the server device 1 is performed by the company terminal 2. In one example, a person in charge of a downstream company logs in to the server device 1 from the company terminal 2 using the downstream company's account and selects the upstream product to which the downstream product, which is the company's product, is to be linked. In this way, the linking of product information is performed from the downstream product to the upstream product. The server device 1 links the product information based on the selection.

However, if all products in the supply chain and information about those products are presented as options when selecting the product to link to, the confidentiality of information about the companies that make up the supply chain and the products that those companies manufacture will be compromised. Furthermore, it may not be appropriate to disclose the entire product tree to a single supplier.

Therefore, the server device 1 according to this embodiment grants the downstream company access rights to the product information of the upstream product in advance in response to a request from the upstream company. The server device 1 allows the downstream company to access the product information within the scope of the granted rights.

In the example of FIG. 3, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B, an upstream company, sends a request (information) to the server device 1 instructing "to grant company A access rights to product information B." When the server device 1 receives a linking request from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, it provides company A with only a list of product information for which it has been granted access rights, and allows company A to select it as the linking destination. In addition, when there is a request to view the product tree from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, the server device 1 provides the company terminal 2 with a product tree in which all information other than that for which company A has been granted access rights is concealed. This makes it possible to conceal information about unrelated companies and products.

[Hardware configuration]
Next, the hardware configuration of each device constituting the system will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 1 according to the present embodiment. The server device 1 is configured as a computer having a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, and an input/output device 14.

The server device 1 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet specific purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

The control unit 11 is a computing unit that realizes various functions of the server device 1 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 11 can be realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, etc.

The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information, and is composed of storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, and a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, and the like. A database is also constructed in the storage unit 12, and product information collected from multiple company terminals 2 and account information related to the companies are stored in the database. Details will be described later.

The communication module 13 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 1 to a network. The communication module 13 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server device 1 can perform data communication with other computers (for example, other server devices 1 or each corporate terminal 2) via the communication module 13.

The input/output device 14 is a means for accepting input operations performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input/output device 14 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input/output device may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

The specific hardware configuration of the server device 1 may include the omission, substitution, and addition of components as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 11 may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processor may be configured with a microprocessor, FPGA, GPU, etc. The input/output device 14 may be omitted, or an input/output device other than the example (e.g., an optical drive, etc.) may be added. The server device 1 may also be configured with multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configuration of each computer may or may not be the same.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the hardware configuration of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment. The company terminal 2 is configured as a computer having a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication module 23, and an input/output device 24.

Like the server device 1, the corporate terminal 2 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). However, some or all of the functions (software modules) may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

The control unit 21 is a computing unit that executes a predetermined program to realize various functions (software modules) of the corporate terminal 2. The control unit 21 can be realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 21 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, etc.

The storage unit 22 is a means for storing information, and is composed of storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 22 stores the programs executed by the control unit 21, data used by the programs, rule information related to rules for inputting product information, connector information related to connectors corresponding to each platform, etc. Details will be described later.

The communication module 23 is a communication interface for connecting the corporate terminal 2 to a network. The communication module 23 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The corporate terminal 2 can perform data communication with other computers (for example, the server device 1) via the communication module 23.

The input/output device 24 is a means for accepting input operations performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input/output device 24 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input/output device may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

The specific hardware configuration of the company terminal 2, like the server device 1, can be such that components can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[Software configuration]
Next, the software configuration of each device constituting the system will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the server device 1 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the control unit 11 is configured to have five software modules, namely, an information collecting unit 111, an authority setting unit 112, a linking unit 113, an information providing unit 114, and a connector unit 115. Each software module may be realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12 by the control unit 11 (CPU). Note that the information processing executed by the information collecting unit 111, the authority setting unit 112, the linking unit 113, the information providing unit 114, and the connector unit 115 below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 11.

The information collection unit 111 is configured to receive product information sent from the company terminal 2 and execute a process of storing the product information in the storage unit 12. The authority setting unit 112 is configured to receive information for setting access authority to the product information (hereinafter, permission information) from the company terminal 2. Furthermore, the authority setting unit 112 is configured to execute a process of setting access authority to the product information stored in the storage unit 12 based on the received information.

The linking unit 113 is configured to interact with the company terminal 2 and obtain information for linking product information from the company terminal 2. Furthermore, the linking unit 113 is configured to execute a process of writing information representing a linking relationship for the product information stored in the storage unit 12 based on the obtained information. The linking unit 113 is also configured to receive a request to assign terminal information, and in response to this, execute a process of assigning terminal information to the product information stored in the storage unit 12. A product tree is formed by reflecting the linking and terminal assignment. In other words, forming the product tree is configured by storing the linking information and terminal information in the storage unit 12. The linking unit 113 is configured to generate a product tree according to the results of the linking and terminal assignment.

The information providing unit 114 is configured to perform information processing related to the product tree and output the results of the information processing. The information processing related to the product tree may include a process of performing calculations related to traceability for the product tree. Outputting the results of the information processing may include a process of providing information related to the generated product tree to the company terminal 2. In one example, the information providing unit 114 is configured to generate information related to the product tree and output the generated information related to the product tree.

The connector unit 115 includes an application used for communication related to the platform. Communication with the corporate terminal 2 and communication between the multiple server devices 1 may be performed via the connector unit 115. The connector unit 115 may be configured to perform processing related to data communication, such as authentication and encryption of communication. The connector unit 115 may also be configured to control access to each data based on rules such as laws, regulations, contracts, etc. In one example, the connector unit 115 includes an IDS (International Data Spaces) connector, an EDC (Eclipse
The application may be an application used for communication regarding the platform, such as the Dataspace Connector.

In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 is configured to include multiple logical storage areas. Different access permissions can be set for each of the multiple storage areas, such as an area to which access permissions are granted to company A, an area to which access permissions are granted to company B, and an area to which access permissions are granted to both companies A and B. The permission setting unit 112 sets the access permissions by storing the product information received from the company terminal 2 in an appropriate storage area. A specific processing method will be described later.

In addition, the storage unit 12 stores account information. In this embodiment, an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the account of the corresponding company via the company terminal 2, thereby causing interaction between the server device 1 and the company terminal 2. The account information is information about an account corresponding to each company that constitutes the supply chain. Note that logging in using an account is an example of accessing the server device 1 as the corresponding company. However, the method of accessing the server device 1 is not limited to this example, and may be selected as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a schematic software configuration of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 is configured to have six software modules: a product information generation unit 211, an authority setting unit 212, a linking request unit 213, an information acquisition unit 214, a connector unit 215, and a second product information generation unit 216. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 21 (CPU) executing a program stored in the memory unit 22. Note that the information processing executed by the product information generation unit 211, the authority setting unit 212, the linking request unit 213, the information acquisition unit 214, the connector unit 215, and the second product information generation unit 216 below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 21.

The product information generation unit 211 is configured to generate information (product information) relating to the product of the company corresponding to the company terminal 2. Figure 8 is an example of product information generated by the product information generation unit 211. The product information may be input via an operator of the device. In this embodiment, the product information is configured to have fields for company ID, company name, product ID, and product name. The company ID and company name are the identifier and name of the company that produces the target product (i.e., the company that uses the company terminal 2). The product ID and product name are the identifier and name of the target product.

The product information is further configured to include linking-related information. The linking-related information is information for identifying an upstream product that is linked to the target product. In this embodiment, the linking-related information includes the fields "upstream product information" and "termination flag."

The upstream product information field is configured to store information for identifying product information corresponding to an upstream product linked to the target product (i.e., a product that is necessary to produce the target product and is included in the target product). The upstream product information field is used when the server device 1 links products together. Basically, at the stage when the product information is generated, the target product is not linked to an upstream product, so the upstream product information field does not need to store a value indicating the upstream product.

The terminal flag field is configured to store a flag indicating whether the target product is a leaf node in the product tree, that is, a node located at the most upstream (end). In this embodiment, since multiple company terminals 2 transmit product information, this flag is used to determine whether a product in the product tree is linked to an additional product on the upstream side or no further linking will occur (whether the target product is located at the most upstream). In other words, the terminal flag field is used when the server device 1 determines the linking between products. Basically, at the stage when the product information is generated, the linking relationship of the target product is undetermined, so the terminal flag field may store "0 (not currently the terminal)". Finally, in order to generate a product tree, the product information of each company stored in the server device 1 is set to either "linked to an upstream product" or "terminal flag is set to "1".

Furthermore, the product information is configured to include traceability-related information. In one example, the traceability-related information may include the amount of material (e.g., upstream product) used per production volume of the product, information on the recycling rate of a specific raw material, the amount of greenhouse gas emitted when producing the product (CFP value), due diligence-related information, or a combination thereof. The specific raw material may be, for example, lithium, nickel, cobalt, lead, graphite, etc. The recycling rate may be expressed directly or indirectly, such as a combination of the total usage amount and the usage amount of recycled material. These values correspond to the process of producing the target product. For example, in the case of the example of FIG. 3, the traceability-related information included in the product information A stores the amount of greenhouse gas emitted in the production activity of the product A, etc. The traceability-related information included in the product information A does not include information on the process up to the production of the upstream product (for example, the amount of greenhouse gas emitted up to the production of the upstream product B, etc.).

Note that the traceability-related information may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. In one example, the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) may include Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 may be direct greenhouse gas emissions by oneself. Scope 2 may be indirect emissions associated with the use of electricity, heat, and steam supplied by other companies. Scope 3 may be indirect emissions other than Scope 1 and Scope 2. In one example, the due diligence-related information may be, for products containing target raw materials (e.g., cobalt, natural graphite, lithium, nickel, etc.), the amount of raw materials contained in the product, and technical documents indicating that smelters, etc., are fulfilling their obligations for responsible mineral sourcing. In another example, the due diligence-related information may include a score indicating the degree to which the above obligations are fulfilled.

The authority setting unit 212 is configured to designate downstream companies that are permitted to access the product information transmitted from the company terminal 2 to the server device 1. FIG. 9 is an example of a screen output by the authority setting unit 212. As shown in the figure, the authority setting unit 212 is configured to accept the designation of downstream companies that are permitted to access any of the company's products. FIG. 10 is an example of permission information generated by the authority setting unit 212 based on the input information. The authority setting unit 212 is configured to transmit the permission information to the server device 1 at any timing. Note that the access authority may be set on a product information basis, or may be set on an item basis ("permission item" in the figure) included in the product information. This makes it possible to handle partial disclosure, for example, by disclosing the existence of a product but not disclosing specific information regarding the materials used, the amount used, etc.

The list of companies presented on the screen of Fig. 9 may be a list of companies that have done business with the company in the past. For this reason, the server device 1 may store data on past transactions (transaction data) for each company, and generate a list of companies based on the transaction data. The transaction data may include, for example, an identifier of the target product, an identifier of the company that produced the product, and a transaction date.

The linking request unit 213 is configured to request the server device 1 to link the company's product information sent to the server device 1 with upstream products. In one example, the linking request unit 213 first sends the company's company ID and product ID to the server device 1, and requests linking of the product information corresponding to the product ID. In response, the server device 1 generates a user interface including a list of product information to which the target company is permitted to access (i.e., candidates for linking destinations), and provides the generated user interface to the company terminal 2. FIG. 11 is an example of a user interface including a list of products to which the target company is permitted to access.

The product list presented in FIG. 11 may be a list of products with which the company has had a trading history in the past. The server device 1 may generate the list based on the stored trading data as well.

The linking request unit 213 is then configured to have the operator select from the list the upstream product to be linked. Furthermore, the linking request unit 213 is configured to transmit to the server device 1 a pair of an identifier of the product (downstream product) that is the source of linking and an identifier of the upstream product that is the destination of linking. In response to this, the server device 1 can link the product information together.

If there is no upstream product linked to the target product, this can be indicated by checking the check box indicated by the dotted line in Figure 11, for example. In this case, the product information is not linked to each other.

The information acquisition unit 214 is configured to request the server device 1 to provide a product tree and to output the information sent from the server device 1.

The connector unit 215 includes an application used for communication. Communication between the corporate terminal 2 and the server device 1 may be performed via the connector unit 215. The connector unit 215 may be configured to perform processing related to data communication, such as authentication and encryption of communication. The connector unit 215 may also be configured to control access to each data based on rules such as laws, regulations, contracts, etc. In one example, the connector unit 215 may be an application used for communication related to platforms such as an IDS (International Data Spaces) connector and an EDC (Eclipse Dataspace Connector). The connector unit 215 acquires a connector type during communication with the server device 1 of each platform, and selects a connector corresponding to the acquired connector type. The connector type may be acquired from the server device 1, or may be pre-stored in the storage unit 22.

The second product information generating unit 216 is configured to convert the product information (hereinafter also referred to as first information) generated by the product information generating unit 211 into product information (hereinafter also referred to as second information) corresponding to each platform. The second product information generating unit 216 accepts the designation of the platform. The second product information generating unit 216 generates a user interface including a list of platforms to which the product information is to be transmitted, and presents the generated user interface to the operator of the company terminal 2. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by the second product information generating unit 216. This screen is output after the input of the first product information shown in FIG. 8 is completed. As shown in FIG. 12, the second product information generating unit 216 is configured to accept the designation of a platform to which the second information is to be transmitted for any of the company's products. At this time, the designation of multiple platforms can also be accepted.

The second product information generating unit 216 also acquires information (rule information) on rules corresponding to the specified platform. This rule information may be acquired from the server device 1, may be stored in the storage unit 22, or may be acquired from a server device different from the server device 1 of the platform. The rule information may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Furthermore, the rule information may be held in a NAS (Network Attached Storage). The rule information may be, for example, composed of a semantic data model and its conversion formula. The rule information may also be information on rules related to units. For example, information indicating whether mass is expressed in "g" or "kg" may be used as the rule information. Alternatively, the rule information may include information on an input template. In this case, for example, the first information may be converted into second information in accordance with the input template of the specified platform. The rule information may also be information on input items. For example, the items to be input to the specified platform may be acquired, and the items may be extracted from the first information to generate the second information. The second product information generating unit 216 may also obtain the second information by converting the first information with a conversion formula. This second information is generated for each specified platform. Also, depending on the platform rules, there may be cases where the primary information does not need to be converted. In this case, the primary information is treated as the secondary information as is.

The second product information generating unit 216 is configured to transmit the second information as product information to the server device 1 at any timing. This second information is transmitted via the connector unit 215. The server device 1 that receives the second information also receives the second information via the connector unit 115.

[Process details regarding product tree formation]
Next, a description will be given of specific contents of the processes performed by the server device 1 and the company terminal 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processes performed by the server device 1 based on a request from the company terminal 2.
The processing performed by the server device 1 can be broadly divided into the following four phases.
(1) A first phase in which product information transmitted from the company terminal 2 is received and the received product information is stored. (2) A second phase in which permission information transmitted from the company terminal 2 is received and access rights to the product information are set according to the received permission information. (3) A third phase in which product information is linked together by interacting with the company terminal 2. (4) A fourth phase in which information related to the product tree is provided based on the results of the linking.

In the example of Figure 13, company A is the downstream company and company B is the upstream company. The product produced by company A is product A, and the product produced by company B is product B. The product information corresponding to product A is product information A, and the product information corresponding to product B is product information B.

In the first phase, the information collecting unit 111 of the server device 1 acquires product information from the second product information generating unit 216 of the company terminal 2. In the example of Fig. 13, the server device 1 acquires product information A from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, and acquires product information B from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B. The information collecting unit 111 saves the product information A in a storage area (hereinafter, storage area A) to which only company A has been granted access authority. The information collecting unit 111 also saves the product information B in a storage area (hereinafter, storage area B) to which only company B has been granted access authority. In this way, the information collecting unit 111 saves product information transmitted from an arbitrary company in a dedicated storage area to which only the company in question has been granted access authority.

In the second phase, the authority setting unit 112 of the server device 1 receives permission information from the authority setting unit 212 of the company terminal 2, and sets access authority to the product information according to the received permission information. As shown in FIG. 10, the permission information associates a product with a company that is permitted to access the product information of the product.

In the example of FIG. 13, it is assumed that the authority setting unit 212 has received permission information permitting access from downstream company A to product information B of an upstream company. In this case, the authority setting unit 112 copies product information B stored in memory area B to a memory area (hereinafter, memory area AB) to which access authority has been granted to both companies A and B. As a result, product information B becomes accessible to both companies A and B. Note that if access authority has not been set for a specific item included in the product information, that item is excluded from being copied to memory area AB.

In the following explanation, a storage area to which only a specific company has been granted access rights will be referred to as a "dedicated storage area," and a storage area to which multiple companies have been granted access rights will be referred to as a "shared storage area."

The copying of product information is executed by the server device 1 in response to receiving permission information from the company terminal 2. That is, the company terminal 2 transmits permission information to the server device 1, thereby causing the server device 1 to execute an operation of copying the product information identified by the permission information from the target company's dedicated memory area to a shared memory area accessible by downstream companies.

In the third phase, the linking unit 113 of the server device 1 receives a linking request from the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2, and links the product information together based on the received linking request.

First, the linking unit 113 receives a linking request from the company terminal 2. The linking request is sent from the company terminal 2 of a downstream company. In the example of FIG. 13, it is assumed that the company terminal 2 of company A has sent the linking request. The linking request includes the company ID and the product ID of the target product. The linking unit 113 acquires product information stored in a memory area accessible from the company, and generates a list of the acquired product information. In the example of FIG. 13, product information B stored in memory area AB can be accessed from company A. Therefore, product information B can be selected as the linking destination on the company terminal 2 of company A.

The linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 presents the list to the operator and allows the operator to select the product to be linked. In this example, products A and B are to be linked to each other. For example, the operator inputs information indicating that the upstream product of product A is product B via the input/output device 24. The linking request unit 213 transmits data (linking data) for linking the upstream product (product B) and downstream product (product A) to the linking unit 113.

As explained with reference to FIG. 8, the product information has a field (linking-related information) related to the product to be linked. Based on the above-mentioned linking data, the linking unit 113 stores information corresponding to product information B (i.e., the upstream product) in the linking-related information held by product information A. For example, the linking-related information stores an identifier for the upstream product, an identifier for the company that produces the upstream product, etc.

The linking related information may store a pointer to the product information to be linked. The pointer indicates the address of the product information corresponding to the upstream product. By the above-described process, a part of a tree structure is formed in which the product information of the downstream product is the parent node and the product information of the upstream product is the child node.

At the end of the product tree, no further linking is performed. In this case, instead of sending linking data, the linking request unit 213 sends data indicating that the product is at the end of the tree. When the linking unit 113 receives this data, it sets "1" to the end flag field of the corresponding product information. That is, in the third phase, either the "process of setting the upstream product to be linked" or the "process of setting the end flag" is executed.

In the fourth phase, the information providing unit 114 of the server device 1 generates information about a product tree based on the stored product information, and outputs the information about the product tree. Generating information about the product tree can include processing to generate various information about the product (e.g., information about traceability, an image showing the link relationships between products in a tree diagram, etc.) after links between nodes are formed by linking the product information together. In order to generate information about the product tree, it is necessary that all linking between product information has been completed, and that the terminal flags of all leaf nodes have been set to "1". When such conditions are met, the information providing unit 114 can appropriately generate the information.

As described with reference to FIG. 2, the product tree in this embodiment is a tree diagram that represents the supply relationships between product information in a supply chain. The information provider 114 can generate an image that represents the tree diagram based on the product information.

Furthermore, when generating information about the product tree, the information providing unit 114 integrates the traceability-related information defined in each product information and outputs the result.

Here, the integration of traceability-related information will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a plurality of products constituting an end product X and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) emitted in each process for producing these plurality of products. For example, assume that E _A12 [g] of carbon dioxide is emitted in the process for producing product A12 in the figure. Also assume that the product in question is composed of three upstream products A121 to A123. In this way, an upstream product included in a certain product is also called an "inclusive product." Here, the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted until a certain target product is produced can be obtained by repeating a process of transferring the CO ₂ emissions associated with the upstream product to the downstream product between companies in each of the two adjacent layers from the most upstream product, which is a leaf node, to the target product.

In the example of Fig. 14, if the target product is A12, the total amount of carbon _dioxide emitted until the product A12 is produced can be calculated by adding up the CO2 emissions corresponding to the included products (upstream products A121 to A123) and the _CO2 emissions corresponding to the product A12. That is, the integrated _CO2 emissions for the product A12 are as follows:
I _A12 =E _A12 +E _A121 ×U _A121 +E _A122 ×U _A122 +E _A123 ×U _A123 [g]
Here, E _A121 , E _A122 , and E _A123 are _CO2 emissions per unit amount when the products A121, A122, and A123 are produced, respectively. Also, U _A121 , U _A122 , and U _A123 are the amounts of products A121, A122, and A123 used in the production of the product A12, respectively. These amounts of material used are an example of the amount of material used per production amount of the product, which is included in the above traceability-related information. The _CO2 emissions of the final product (the product of the most downstream company) can be obtained by sequentially executing the above calculations from the product of the most upstream company to the final product.

The same applies when the target product is product A1. When the target product is A1, the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the manufacturing activities up to the production of product A1 can be calculated by integrating the _CO2 emissions corresponding to product A1 with the _CO2 emissions corresponding to the included products, that is, products A11, A12, A13, and A14.

The integrated value may be stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the product, or may be included as part of the product information. That is, the product information corresponding to the product A12 may hold both E _A12 , which is the emission amount in the process alone, and I _A12 , which is the emission amount after integration.

The integrated traceability-related information is used again when implementing integration for downstream products. This process is performed at each level starting from the most upstream level, so that the traceability-related information (e.g., the cumulative amount of _CO2 emissions) is passed on sequentially downstream. Finally, the traceability-related information is passed on to the final product, so that it is possible to obtain traceability-related information (e.g., the total amount of _CO2 emissions) corresponding to the entire period until the final product is produced.

In this way, when generating information related to the product tree, the information providing unit 114 may repeatedly execute a process of sequentially integrating the traceability-related information defined in each product information from the most upstream to the most downstream. Note that, in the above example, carbon dioxide emissions are exemplified as the subject of integration, but the traceability-related information to be integrated may also be the recycling rate for a specified raw material, a score related to due diligence, and so on. Note that, if the traceability-related information is numerical, the integration may be performed by a numerical calculation, and if the traceability-related information is non-numerical information (e.g., due diligence-related information), the integration may simply be information collection.

In another example, the product information may include information indicating the location of the traceability-related information of the corresponding product (hereinafter, "location information"; typically, an address, a pointer, etc.). In this case, the traceability-related information may not be included in the product information. Also, the integration may involve collecting the location information included in the product information.

The information providing unit 114 may output the generated product tree in image format. At the same time, it may also output traceability-related information corresponding to any product.

Figure 15 is an example of a screen that outputs a product tree as an image. The illustrated screen includes an image that shows the supply relationships of multiple products that make up the final product in a tree diagram. In addition, by selecting any product, it is possible to view the traceability-related information corresponding to that product, or the integrated results of the traceability-related information corresponding to the entire period up to the production of that product (for example, the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the most upstream). Such information can be output via the input/output device 14 of the server device 1 based on the operation of the operator of the server device 1.

Furthermore, the information providing unit 114 may provide the generated product tree to a company terminal 2 (information acquiring unit 214) in response to a request from the company terminal 2. Note that there are cases where it is not appropriate to disclose the entire product tree to a specific company. Therefore, when providing a product tree to a company terminal 2 corresponding to a certain company, the information providing unit 114 may perform a process of not disclosing the range for which the company does not have access authority.

For example, in the example of Fig. 15, it is assumed that the information providing unit 114 receives a request for disclosing a product tree from a company terminal 2 corresponding to a company that produces product A12. Here, it is assumed that the company has been granted access authority only for products A121, A122, and A123. In other words, the company cannot access product information other than those three products and downstream product A1. In this case, the information providing unit 114 provides the company terminal 2 with a product tree in which information about products for which the company does not have access authority is not disclosed.

Figure 16 shows an example of a product tree when products for which the user does not have access rights are not disclosed. In this example, the product tree is displayed with detailed information (or even the existence itself) of undisclosed products concealed.

In addition, in cases where the existence of a product is made public, but access rights are not granted to only certain items in the corresponding product information, confidentiality processing is performed only on those specific items, as indicated by the dotted line in the figure. In the example shown, it is indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions during the production of product A121 is not disclosed.

On the other hand, even if a product (or item) for which you do not have access rights exists in the tree, the integration of traceability-related information described above is carried out without being affected by this. For example, in the illustrated example, the carbon dioxide emissions for product A121 are not disclosed, but this does not affect the process of calculating the total carbon dioxide emissions for product A12.

[Processing flow]
Next, a process flow executed by the company terminal 2 when registering the company's product information by the company terminal 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart of a process for registering second information in the platform. This routine is executed when a predetermined input by the operator is used as a trigger.

In step S101, the second product information generation unit 216 accepts the designation of the platform to which the product information is to be sent. As described with reference to FIG. 12, the second product information generation unit 216 accepts the designation of the platform via the operator. Note that the operator can also designate multiple platforms. In this case, the second product information generation unit 216 accepts the designation of multiple platforms.

In step S102, the second product information generation unit 216 refers to the rule information corresponding to the specified platform. If multiple platforms are specified, the rule information is referred to for each platform. Note that the timing for referring to the rule information is not limited to the timing when step S102 is executed, but may be any timing before the rule information is used.

In step S103, the product information generating unit 211 accepts the input of the company's product information (first information). As described with reference to FIG. 8, the product information generating unit 211 accepts the input of the product information (first information) via the operator. The first information is typically the information shown in FIG. 8, but the input items are not limited to this. For example, the input items may be determined according to the specified platform. Furthermore, when inputting the product information, it may be input in any input format, or in an input format corresponding to the specified platform. Furthermore, when multiple platforms are specified, it may be input in an input format corresponding to any of the platforms. Note that the processing of steps S101 and S103 may be executed on one screen. Furthermore, the processing of steps S101 and S103 may be executed by the operator selecting from a list on the screen. Furthermore, the processing of step S103 may be executed before the processing of step S101.

The following processing from step S104 to step S107 is repeatedly executed for all platforms specified in step S101. In step S104, the second product information generation unit 216 determines whether or not the first information is missing. Since the information required differs depending on the specified platform, it is determined whether or not the information required for the specified platform has been input. The information required for each platform is included in the rule information. The second product information generation unit 216 refers to the rule information to determine whether or not the first information is missing. If the second product information generation unit 216 makes a positive determination in step S104, it proceeds to step S105, and if it makes a negative determination, it proceeds to step S108.

In step S108, the second product information generation unit 216 outputs a warning that information is insufficient. By outputting this warning, for example, an image indicating that information is insufficient is displayed on the screen of the input/output device 24 of the company terminal 2. Note that if the operator makes a specified input in response to this warning, the process may return to step S103 and accept the input of the first information again. The warning may also be a warning about generating the second information while there is insufficient information. When the processing of step S108 is completed, the process proceeds to step S105. Note that if there is insufficient information, the second information may not be generated. The processing of steps S104 and S108 may also be omitted.

In step S105, the second product information generation unit 216 generates second information. The second product information generation unit 216 refers to the rule information and converts the first information into second information in accordance with the rule information. The second product information generation unit 216 converts the first information into second information, for example, by using a conversion formula included in the rule information. The generated second information is passed to the connector unit 215.

In step S106, the connector unit 215 refers to the connector. The connector unit 215 selects a connector corresponding to the platform specified in step S101 by referring to the connector information stored in the storage unit 22. Note that if multiple platforms are specified in step S101, the connector unit 215 refers to and selects a connector for each platform.

In step S107, the connector unit 215 transmits the second information. If multiple platforms are specified, the second information corresponding to each platform is transmitted. Note that instead of the connector unit 215 transmitting the second information, the second product information generation unit 216 may place (store) the generated second information in a specified storage area of the storage unit 22. The second information placed in the storage unit 22 may be disclosed by the connector unit 215 in response to a request from the server device 1 or another company terminal 2.

Next, the flow of the process executed by the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 when the company's product information is registered by the company terminal 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 18 and 19. Fig. 18 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the first to third phases described above. This process is executed for each server device 1 that has sent the second information.

In one example, the interaction between the server device 1 and the corporate terminal 2 is initiated when an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the corresponding corporate account via the corporate terminal 2. In this example, it is assumed that an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using their own company account.

First, in step S11, the second product information generating unit 216 of the company terminal 2 generates second information, and the connector unit 215 of the company terminal 2 transmits the generated second information as product information to the server device 1. The transmitted product information is received by the server device 1 (information collecting unit 111) and stored in the memory unit 12 (step S12). At this time, the information collecting unit 111 saves the product information in a memory area to which access rights are granted only to companies that manufacture the corresponding products.

Next, in step S13, the authority setting unit 212 of the company terminal 2 accepts, via the operator, input of information (permission information) specifying downstream companies that are permitted to access the product information transmitted in step S11. In this step, a user interface screen such as that described with reference to FIG. 9 may be provided, allowing the user to specify a combination of an arbitrary product and a downstream company that is permitted to access the product information. The input permission information is transmitted to the server device 1.

In step S14, the authority setting unit 112 of the server device 1 grants access authority to the target product information based on the received permission information. In this step, as described with reference to FIG. 13, the authority setting unit 112 grants access authority to any company for any product information by copying the target product information to a storage area to which access authority has been granted to multiple companies. If there is no storage area to which appropriate access authority has been granted, a new storage area may be created and access authority may be granted to the appropriate company.

Next, in step S15, the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 transmits data (linking request) to the server device 1 requesting that the product information transmitted to the server device 1 be linked to an upstream product. The linking request includes the company's company ID and the product ID of the target product.

In step S16, the server device 1 (linking unit 113) generates a list of product information to which the target company is permitted to access, and provides a user interface screen including the list to the company terminal 2. In this step, the server device 1 may provide the company terminal 2 with a user interface screen such as that described with reference to FIG. 11, and allow the company terminal 2 to specify a combination of an arbitrary product and an upstream product linked to the product.

In step S17, the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 receives from the operator a specification of a combination of the target product and an upstream product linked to the target product. The linking request unit 213 generates data (linking data) indicating the association between the upstream product and the downstream product, and transmits the generated linking data to the server device 1.

In step S18, the linking unit 113 of the server device 1 updates the stored product information based on the linking data to reflect the linking content between the product information. Linking between the product information may be performed by storing information about the upstream product (identifier, pointer, etc.) in the linking-related information contained in the product information of the downstream product.

Note that if there is no downstream company, steps S13 to S14 may be omitted. Similarly, if there is no upstream company (if there is no linking destination for the target product), instead of requesting linking between product information, the process of setting the termination flag described above may be executed. In this case, steps S15 to S18 described above are omitted.

Figure 19 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the fourth phase described above. First, in step S21, the information acquisition unit 214 of the company terminal 2 requests the server device 1 to provide a product tree. The request includes, for example, an identifier of the target product. The target product may be a final product or another product (intermediate product).

The server device 1 (information provider 114) that receives the request generates information about the product tree by the process described above (step S22). At this time, the information provider 114 executes a process of integrating the traceability-related information defined in each piece of product information from the most upstream to the most downstream. The result of the integration may be reflected in each piece of product information.

Next, in step S23, the server device 1 executes a process of concealing information for which access rights have not been granted, based on the access rights held by the target company. For example, if the very existence of other companies' product information for a certain company has not been made public, the server device 1 may execute a process of concealing the existence of that product information. Also, if only a specific item included in the product information has not been made public, the server device 1 may execute a process of concealing the contents of that item. Information on the product tree for which concealment processing has been applied is provided to the company terminal 2 (information acquisition unit 214) and output (step S24).

As described above, in this embodiment, the product information input at the company terminal 2 can be converted into second information corresponding to each platform, and this second information can be transmitted to the server device 1. This configuration can eliminate the need for an operator to input information when registering product information.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, when there is a missing item in the first information, the inventory data is used to supplement the first information and generate the second information. The inventory data is data corresponding to each platform and is used as data to replace the actual data. The inventory data is, for example, data provided by each first platform. The inventory data may be, for example, data that specifies a representative value for each item. By supplementing the second information using the inventory data, it becomes possible to input data for all items that are requested to be input. The inventory data may be acquired in advance by the second product information generating unit 216 from the server device 1 of each platform and stored in the storage unit 22, or may be acquired from the server device 1 of each platform when generating the second information. The inventory data may also be provided by a server device different from the server device 1 of each platform.

Figure 20 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the hardware configuration of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment. Inventory data corresponding to each platform is stored in the storage unit 22 of the company terminal 2. The other configuration is the same as that shown in Figure 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the flow of processing executed by the company terminal 2 when registering the company's product information using the company terminal 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 21. FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the processing for registering second information on the platform. This routine is executed in response to a predetermined input by the operator as a trigger. Explanations of steps in which the same processing as the routine shown in FIG. 17 is executed will be omitted.

In the routine shown in FIG. 21, if a negative judgment is made in step S104, the process proceeds to step S201. In step S201, the second product information generation unit 216 supplements the first information by referring to the inventory data. The second product information generation unit 216 supplements the first information by referring to the inventory data of the corresponding platform, extracting data corresponding to items that have not been input from among items that are required to be input in the target platform, and adding the extracted data to the first information.

In step S202, the second product information generating unit 216 outputs a warning that the first information has been replenished with the inventory data. By outputting this warning, for example, an image indicating that the first information has been replenished is displayed on the screen of the input/output device 24 of the company terminal 2. Note that the process of step S202 may be omitted.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the first information entered by the user is insufficient, it can be supplemented with inventory data, thereby ensuring traceability on the corresponding platform.

Third Embodiment
In the third embodiment, information designated as confidential and information prohibited from disclosure by regulations are not transmitted to the server device 1. Here, the first information may include confidential information. Disclosure of confidential information may cause disadvantage to a company. Furthermore, the first information may include information prohibited from disclosure by regulations. Therefore, for items including such information, the information is deleted to generate second information. Note that items from which information has been deleted may be supplemented with inventory data. Note that information designated as confidential is an example of third information. Furthermore, information prohibited from disclosure by regulations is an example of fourth information.

Information designated as confidential and information prohibited from disclosure by regulations are included in, for example, rule information. Furthermore, the designation as confidential may be made, for example, by an operator of the corporate terminal 2, or may be made based on rules, etc., included in the rule information. Furthermore, information prohibited from disclosure by regulations is determined, for example, based on the location of the corporate terminal 2. The location of the corporate terminal 2 may be the location of the target company. Information related to regulations is stored in advance in the storage unit 22.

Next, the flow of processing executed by the company terminal 2 when registering the company's product information using the company terminal 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 22. FIG. 22 is a flowchart of the processing for registering second information on the platform. This routine is executed in response to a predetermined input by the operator as a trigger. Note that a description of the steps in which the same processing as the routine shown in FIG. 17 is executed will be omitted.

In the routine shown in FIG. 22, if a positive judgment is made in step S104, the process proceeds to step S301, and if a negative judgment is made, the process proceeds to step S305. In step S301, the second product information generation unit 216 judges whether or not the first information includes any items designated as confidential. The second product information generation unit 216 refers to the rule information and judges whether or not the first information includes any items designated as confidential. If a positive judgment is made in step S301, the process proceeds to step S303, and if a negative judgment is made, the process proceeds to step S302. In step S302, the second product information generation unit 216 deletes the information entered in the items designated as confidential.

In step S303, the second product information generation unit 216 determines whether the first information satisfies the laws and regulations of the location of the company terminal 2. The second product information generation unit 216 refers to the rule information and determines, for example, whether the first information includes an item whose disclosure is prohibited by law. If the determination in step S303 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S105, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S304. In step S304, the second product information generation unit 216 deletes the information entered in the item that does not satisfy the law.

In step S305, the second product information generating unit 216 supplements the first information with reference to the inventory data. The second product information generating unit 216 supplements the first information with reference to the inventory data of the corresponding platform, among the items required to be input for the target platform,
Data corresponding to the unfilled items is extracted, and the extracted data is added to the first information to supplement the first information. The unfilled items also include items for which information was deleted in step S302 or step S304. The process of step S305 may be omitted. In this case, the second information may be generated with the unfilled items left blank, or the process may end without generating the second information.

In step S306, the second product information generation unit 216 outputs a warning that the first information has been replenished with inventory data. By outputting this warning, for example, an image indicating that the first information has been replenished is displayed on the screen of the input/output device 24 of the company terminal 2. At this time, if information has been deleted in step S302, an image indicating that confidential information has been deleted may be displayed. Also, if information has been deleted in step S304, an image indicating that information has been deleted to comply with regulations may be displayed. Note that the processing of step S306 may be omitted.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the first information entered by the user contains confidential information or information that does not comply with legal regulations, it is possible to delete such information and generate second information. In addition, since the deleted information can be replenished with inventory data, traceability can be ensured on the corresponding platform.

Fourth Embodiment
In the fourth embodiment, the second information is generated by a server device configured to generate the second information. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system in the case where the second information is generated by a dedicated server device 3. In Fig. 23, the first server device 1A, the second server device 1B, and the third server device 1C are server devices 1 of different platforms. The first information is transmitted from the company terminal 2 to the dedicated server device 3, and the second information is generated in the dedicated server device 3. Then, the second information is transmitted from the dedicated server device 3 to the first server device 1A, the second server device 1B, and the third server device 1C. In the following, when the first server device 1A, the second server device 1B, and the third server device 1C are not distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as server devices 1.

Figure 24 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a hardware configuration of the dedicated server device 3 according to this embodiment. The dedicated server device 3 is a dedicated server that transmits the second information to each platform. The dedicated server device 3 may be configured to be capable of processes other than transmitting the second information to each platform. The dedicated server device 3 is configured as a computer having a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, a communication module 33, and an input/output device 34. These hardware configurations are similar to the control unit 21, memory unit 22, communication module 23, and input/output device 24 of the corporate terminal 2, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The specific hardware configuration of the dedicated server device 3, like the corporate terminal 2, can be such that components can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

Figure 25 is a diagram showing a schematic software configuration of the dedicated server device 3 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 31 is configured to have two software modules: a connector unit 315 and a second product information generation unit 316. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 31 (CPU) executing a program stored in the memory unit 32. Note that the information processing executed by the connector unit 315 and the second product information generation unit 316 described below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 31.

The connector unit 315 includes an application used for communication related to the platform. Communication between the dedicated server device 3 and the server device 1 may be performed via the connector unit 315. Communication between the dedicated server device 3 and the company terminal 2 may be performed via the connector unit 315 or may be performed without the connector unit 315. The configuration of the connector unit 315 is similar to that of the connector unit 215 of the company terminal 2 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

The second product information generation unit 316 is configured to receive product information (first information) generated by the product information generation unit 211 of the company terminal 2 and convert it into product information (second information) corresponding to each platform. The second product information generation unit 316 accepts the designation of a platform from the company terminal 2. At this time, the second product information generation unit 316 generates a user interface including a list of platforms to which the product information is to be sent, and sends the generated user interface to the company terminal 2. As shown in FIG. 12, the second product information generation unit 316 is configured to accept the designation of a platform to which the second information is to be sent for any of the company's own products.

The second product information generating unit 316 also obtains information (rule information) related to the rules corresponding to the specified platform. The second product information generating unit 316 obtains the second information by converting the first information, for example, using a conversion formula. This second information is generated for each platform.

The second product information generating unit 316 is configured to transmit the second information to the server device 1 at any timing. This second information is transmitted via the connector unit 315. The server device 1 that receives the second information also receives the second information via the connector unit 115.

The process of registering the second information by the dedicated server device 3 can be considered similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. 17. For example, in step S101, the second product information generation unit 316 accepts the designation of the platform to which the second information is to be sent. When a platform is designated via an operator at the company terminal 2, information related to the designated platform is sent to the dedicated server device 3. By receiving this information, the second product information generation unit 316 accepts the designation of the platform.

In addition, in step S102, the second product information generation unit 316 refers to the rule information corresponding to the specified platform. Furthermore, in step S103, the second product information generation unit 316 receives the product information sent from the company terminal 2 and stores the product information in the memory unit 12. This accepts the input of the first information. In addition, in step S104, the second product information generation unit 316 determines whether the first information is complete.

In addition, in step S105, the second product information generation unit 316 generates second information. The second product information generation unit 316 converts the first information into second information, for example, by using a conversion formula included in the rule information. The generated second information is passed to the connector unit 315. In step S106, the connector unit 315 selects a connector. The connector unit 315 selects a connector corresponding to the platform specified in step S101 according to the connector information stored in the memory unit 32.

In step S107, the connector unit 315 transmits the second information. Note that instead of transmitting the second information by the connector unit 315, the second product information generation unit 316 may place (store) the generated second information in a predetermined storage area of the storage unit 32. In addition, in step S108, the second product information generation unit 316 outputs a warning that information is insufficient.

In this way, the dedicated server device 3 can convert the first information into second information that is appropriate for each platform.

Fifth Embodiment
In the fifth embodiment, the server device 1 of the platform generates the second information. Fig. 26 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system in the case where the second information is generated by the server device 1. In Fig. 26, the first server device 1A, the second server device 1B, and the third server device 1C are server devices 1 of different platforms. In the following, an example in which the first server device 1A converts the first information into the second information will be described. Note that when there is no need to distinguish between the first server device 1A, the second server device 1B, and the third server device 1C, they will simply be referred to as the server device 1.

Figure 27 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the hardware configuration of the first server device 1A according to this embodiment. The first server device 1A is configured as a computer having a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication module 13, and an input/output device 14. The second server device 1B and the third server device 1C may have the same configuration as the first server device 1A, or may have the same configuration as the server device 1 described in the first embodiment. The hardware configuration other than the memory unit 12 is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description of the hardware configuration other than the memory unit 12 will be omitted.

The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information, and is composed of storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, and a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, and the like. A database is also constructed in the storage unit 12, and the database stores product information collected from multiple company terminals 2, account information related to the companies, rule information related to rules for inputting product information, connector information related to connectors corresponding to each platform, and the like. The product information and account information are similar to the product information and account information stored in the storage unit 12 of the server device 1 in the first embodiment. The rule information and connector information are similar to the rule information and connector information stored in the storage unit 22 of the company terminal 2 in the first embodiment.

The specific hardware configuration of the server device 1 may include the omission, substitution, and addition of components as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 11 may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processor may be configured with a microprocessor, FPGA, GPU, etc. The input/output device 14 may be omitted, or an input/output device other than the example (e.g., an optical drive, etc.) may be added. The server device 1 may also be configured with multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configuration of each computer may or may not be the same.

Figure 28 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the software configuration of the first server device 1A according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 is configured to have six software modules: an information collection unit 111, an authority setting unit 112, a linking unit 113, an information provision unit 114, a connector unit 115, and a second product information generation unit 116. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 11 (CPU) executing a program stored in the memory unit 12. Note that the information processing executed by the information collection unit 111, the authority setting unit 112, the linking unit 113, the information provision unit 114, the connector unit 115, and the second product information generation unit 116 described below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 11.

The information collection unit 111, the authority setting unit 112, the linking unit 113, the information provision unit 114, and the connector unit 115 are the same as those in the first embodiment, so their explanations are omitted.

The product information generation unit 211 of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment is configured to obtain the first information via the operator of the company terminal 2 and transmit it to the first server device 1A at any timing.

The second product information generation unit 116 is configured to convert the first information received by the information collection unit 111 into product information (second information) corresponding to each platform. The second product information generation unit 116 accepts the designation of a platform from the company terminal 2. The second product information generation unit 116 generates a user interface including a list of platforms to which the product information is to be sent, and sends the generated user interface to the company terminal 2. As shown in FIG. 12, the second product information generation unit 116 is configured to accept the designation of a platform to which product information is to be sent for any of the company's products.

The second product information generating unit 116 also obtains information (rule information) related to the rules corresponding to the specified platform. This rule information may be obtained from the second server device 1B and the third server device 1C, may be stored in the memory unit 12, or may be obtained from a server device different from the server device 1 of the platform. The second product information generating unit 116 obtains the second information by converting the first information, for example, using a conversion formula. This second information is generated for each platform. Furthermore, if the first product information received by the information collecting unit 111 from the company terminal 2 does not satisfy the rules of the first server device 1A, second information corresponding to the first server device 1A may be generated and stored in the memory unit 12 of the first server device 1A.

The second product information generation unit 116 is configured to transmit the second information to the second server device 1B and the third server device 1C at any timing. This second information is transmitted via the connector unit 115. The second server device 1B and the third server device 1C that receive the second information also receive the second information via the connector unit 115.

The process of registering the second information by the first server device 1A can be considered similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. 17. For example, in step S101, the second product information generation unit 116 accepts the designation of the platform to which the second information is to be sent. When a platform is designated via an operator at the company terminal 2, information relating to the designated platform is sent to the first server device 1A. By receiving this information, the second product information generation unit 116 accepts the designation of the platform.

In addition, in step S102, the second product information generation unit 116 refers to the rule information corresponding to the specified platform. Furthermore, in step S103, the information collection unit 111 receives the product information sent from the company terminal 2 and stores the product information in the memory unit 12. This accepts the input of the first information. In addition, in step S104, the second product information generation unit 116 determines whether the first information is complete.

In addition, in step S105, the second product information generation unit 116 generates second information. The second product information generation unit 116 converts the first information into second information, for example, by using a conversion formula included in the rule information. The generated second information is passed to the connector unit 115. In step S106, the connector unit 115 selects a connector. The connector unit 115 selects a connector corresponding to the platform specified in step S101 according to the connector information stored in the memory unit 12.

In step S107, the connector unit 115 transmits the second information. Note that instead of transmitting the second information by the connector unit 115, the second product information generation unit 116 may place (store) the generated second information in a predetermined storage area of the storage unit 12. In addition, in step S108, the second product information generation unit 116 outputs a warning that information is insufficient.

In this way, the server device 1 can also convert the first information into second information appropriate for each platform.

Sixth Embodiment
In the sixth embodiment, an example will be described in which second information is provided to a platform (hereinafter also referred to as a "target platform") configured to include a server device that manages product metadata (hereinafter also referred to as product metadata) and a company terminal. Fig. 29 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system when second information is provided to the target platform. In Fig. 29, a first server device 1A and a second server device 1B are server devices 1 of different platforms.

In the sixth embodiment, the server device 1 generates the second information as in the fifth embodiment. The server device 1 that generates the second information is hereinafter referred to as the "first server device 1A". On the other hand, the server device 1 that belongs to the target platform and manages the product metadata is hereinafter referred to as the "second server device 1B". Also, the company terminal 2 that transmits the first information to the first server device 1A is hereinafter referred to as the "first company terminal 2A". Also, the company terminal 2 that belongs to the target platform is hereinafter referred to as the "second company terminal 2B". Note that, in the following, when there is no distinction between the first server device 1A and the second server device 1B, they are simply referred to as the server device 1. Also, when there is no distinction between the first company terminal 2A and the second company terminal 2B, they are simply referred to as the company terminal 2. Note that the target platform is an example of the first platform.

A plurality of second company terminals 2B belong to the target platform, and product information of the company's products is stored in the memory unit 22 of each second company terminal 2B. When acquiring product information on the target platform, the second company terminal 2B accesses the second server device 1B to acquire a URL at which the product information can be accessed. Then, by accessing that URL, product information can be acquired from the second company terminal 2B corresponding to that product. In this way, product information is sent and received between the second company terminals 2B. The first server device 1A according to the sixth embodiment is configured to perform the same operation as the second company terminal 2B on the target platform.

The first server device 1A acquires first information from the first company terminal 2A, generates product metadata from the first information in accordance with the rules of the target platform, and stores the product metadata in the storage unit 12. The first server device 1A then registers this product metadata in the second server device 1B of the target platform. The first server device 1A also generates second information from the first information in accordance with the rules of the target platform, and stores the second information in the storage unit 12. The first server device 1A also provides the second information in response to a request from the second company terminal 2B of the target platform.

The first server device 1A in the sixth embodiment has the same hardware configuration and software configuration as the first server device 1A in the fifth embodiment. On the other hand, FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the second server device 1B in the sixth embodiment. The second server device 1B is configured as a computer having a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a communication module 53, and an input/output device 54. The control unit 51, the communication module 53, and the input/output device 54 of the second server device 1B are similar to the control unit 11, the communication module 13, and the input/output device 14 of the first server device 1A in the sixth embodiment. The storage unit 52 of the second server device 1B is a means for storing information, and is configured by a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 52 stores a program executed by the control unit 51, data used by the program, and the like. In addition, a database is constructed in the storage unit 52, and the product metadata collected from the multiple company terminals 2 and the server device 1, and account information related to the company are stored in the database. The product metadata is metadata related to a product, and includes, for example, a product ID corresponding to each product and a uniform resource locator (URL) that allows access to product information of each product.

The first company terminal 2A and the second company terminal 2B have the same hardware configuration as the company terminal 2 shown in FIG. 5. It is not necessary to store rule information in the memory unit 22 of the first company terminal 2A and the second company terminal 2B. In addition, the specific hardware configuration of the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 can be such that components are omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In addition, the software configuration of the first company terminal 2A is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 7. However, the second product information generation unit 216 can be omitted.

Figure 31 is a diagram showing an overview of the processing executed by the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 when the second information is sent directly to the company terminal 2. In Figure 31, the first server device 1A and the second server device 1B are server devices 1 of different platforms. Furthermore, the second company terminal 2B belongs to the same target platform as the second server device 1B. In this way, when providing the second information to the target platform consisting of the second server device 1B and the second company terminal 2B, the first server device 1A sends the second information directly to the second company terminal 2B. In the example shown in Figure 31, the processing is performed in order from (1) to (9).

As shown in (1) of FIG. 31, the second product information generating unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives a platform designation from the first company terminal 2A. The second product information generating unit 116 generates a user interface including a list of platforms to which the product information is to be sent, and transmits the generated user interface to the first company terminal 2A. The second product information generating unit 116 is configured to receive a designation of a platform to which the product information is to be sent from the first company terminal 2A. As another example, the product information generating unit 211 of the first company terminal 2A may generate a user interface including a list of platforms to which the product information is to be sent. The product information generating unit 211 may be configured to obtain the first information via an operator of the first company terminal 2A and transmit the first information to the first server device 1A at any timing. The first server device 1A and the first company terminal 2A communicate with each other via the connector unit 115 and the connector unit 215.

As shown in (2) of FIG. 31, the information collecting unit 111 of the first server device 1A receives the first information transmitted from the first company terminal 2A and stores the first information in the storage unit 12. This allows the first information to be acquired. As described with reference to FIG. 8, the product information generating unit 211 of the first company terminal 2A accepts the input of product information (first information) via the operator. When inputting product information, it may be input in any input format, or in an input format corresponding to a specified platform. It may also be input according to the rules of the specified platform. In addition, when multiple platforms are specified, it may be input in an input format corresponding to any of the platforms. Note that the designation of the platform and the input of the first information may be performed on one screen. The first information generated by the product information generating unit 211 of the first company terminal 2A is transmitted to the first server device 1A by the connector unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A. The information collecting unit 111 of the first server device 1A acquires the first information via the connector unit 115.

As shown in (3) of FIG. 31, the second product information generating unit 116 of the first server device 1A generates product metadata from the first information. The second product information generating unit 116 of the first server device 1A acquires information (rule information) on the rule corresponding to the specified target platform. This rule information may be acquired from the second server device 1B, may be stored in the storage unit 12, or may be acquired from a server device different from the server device 1 of the platform. The product metadata is generated according to the rule of the target platform. The rule for generating the product metadata is included in the rule information. For example, the second product information generating unit 116 generates a URL that can access the second information corresponding to the first information, links it to a product ID to generate product metadata, and stores the product metadata in the storage unit 12.

As shown in (4) of FIG. 31, the connector unit 115 of the first server device 1A registers the product metadata in the target platform by transmitting the product metadata to the second server device 1B. In this way, when transmitting the product metadata to the second server device 1B, it is transmitted via the connector unit 115. The product metadata includes a URL at which the product information can be accessed, and a product ID. The control unit 51 of the second server device 1B stores the received product metadata in the memory unit 52. In this way, the second information corresponding to the first company terminal 2A can be accessed from the second company terminal 2B in the target platform.

Next, when the operator of the second company terminal 2B attempts to obtain product information corresponding to the first company terminal 2A, the control unit 21 of the second company terminal 2B accepts the designation of a product ID via the operator. Then, as shown in (5) of FIG. 31, the control unit 21 of the second company terminal 2B transmits the product ID to the second server device 1B and searches for product metadata corresponding to the product ID. When the control unit 51 of the second server device 1B accepts the product ID, it refers to the product metadata stored in the memory unit 52 and extracts a URL corresponding to the product ID. Then, as shown in (6) of FIG. 31, the control unit 51 of the second server device 1B transmits the extracted URL to the second company terminal 2B.

The control unit 21 of the second company terminal 2B, which has acquired the URL from the second server device 1B, accesses the acquired URL and requests product information from the first server device 1A, as shown in (7) of FIG. 31. This request is sent via the connector of the second company terminal 2B. This request is accepted by the second product information generation unit 116 of the first server device 1A. When the first server device 1A receives a request for product information from the second company terminal 2B, it is received by the connector unit 115. The connector unit 115 passes the received request to the second product information generation unit 116.

The second product information generating unit 116 of the first server device 1A that has received the request for product information acquires information (rule information) related to rules corresponding to the target platform, as shown in (8) of FIG. 31. This rule information may be acquired from the second server device 1B, may be stored in the storage unit 12, or may be acquired from a server device different from the server device 1 of the platform. The second product information generating unit 116 acquires the second information by converting the first information corresponding to the URL, for example, using a conversion formula. Then, as shown in (9) of FIG. 31, the connector unit 115 of the first server device 1A transmits the second information corresponding to the URL to the second company terminal 2B. In this way, when the second information is transmitted to the second company terminal 2B, it is transmitted via the connector unit 115. In this way, the second information is provided to the second company terminal 2B.

The timing for generating the second information is not limited to after the product information is requested by the second company terminal 2B. For example, the second information can be generated at any time during the period from when the first information is received from the first company terminal 2A to when the second information is provided to the second company terminal 2B. For example, after receiving the first information from the first company terminal 2A, the second information may be generated from the first information and the rule information before generating the product metadata. Also, the second information may be generated in the first company terminal 2A, as described in the first embodiment. In this case, the second information may be transmitted from the first company terminal 2A to the first server device 1A, and the second information may be stored in the memory unit 12 of the first server device 1A.

[Processing flow]
Next, the flow of the process executed in the first server device 1A will be described with reference to Fig. 32 and Fig. 33. Fig. 32 is a flowchart of the process of registering product metadata in a target platform. This routine is executed when information related to the designation of the platform is received from the first company terminal 2A.

In step S401, the second product information generation unit 116 accepts the designation of the platform to which the second information is to be sent. When a platform is designated via an operator at the first company terminal 2A, information regarding the designated platform is transmitted from the first company terminal 2A to the first server device 1A. By receiving this information, the second product information generation unit 116 accepts the designation of the platform.

In addition, in step S402, the second product information generation unit 116 refers to the rule information corresponding to the specified platform. Furthermore, in step S403, the information collection unit 111 receives the product information sent from the first company terminal 2A via the connector unit 115 and stores the product information in the memory unit 12. This accepts the input of the first information. Note that the processes of steps S401 and S403 may be executed simultaneously. In this case, the platform is specified and the first information is sent from the first company terminal 2A at the same time. Also, the process of step S403 may be executed before the process of step S401.

The following processes from step S404 to step S412 are repeatedly executed for all platforms specified in step S401. In step S404, the second product information generation unit 116 determines whether or not there is a shortage of first information. If a negative determination is made in step S404, in step S405, the second product information generation unit 116 outputs a warning that information is insufficient. Note that, if information is insufficient, it may be supplemented with inventory data, as in the second embodiment.

In step S406, the second product information generation unit 116 determines whether or not product metadata is required. That is, the second product information generation unit 116 determines whether or not the specified platform is the target platform. If the determination in step S406 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S407, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S410.

In step S407, the second product information generation unit 116 generates product metadata. The second product information generation unit 116 refers to rule information corresponding to the target platform. Then, the second product information generation unit 116 generates product metadata according to the rule information. The generated product metadata is passed to the connector unit 115. In step S408, the connector unit 115 selects a connector. The connector unit 115 selects a connector corresponding to the target platform specified in step S401 according to the connector information stored in the memory unit 12. In step S409, the connector unit 115 transmits the product metadata to the second server device 1B corresponding to the target platform.

In addition, in step S410, the second product information generation unit 116 generates second information. The second product information generation unit 116 converts the first information into second information, for example, by using a conversion formula included in the rule information. The generated second information is passed to the connector unit 115. In step S411, the connector unit 115 selects a connector. The connector unit 115 selects a connector corresponding to the platform specified in step S401 according to the connector information stored in the memory unit 12.

In step S412, the connector unit 115 transmits the second information. When the target platform is specified, the second product information generating unit 116 arranges (stores) the generated second information in a predetermined storage area of the storage unit 12.

Next, FIG. 33 is a flowchart of a process for providing second product information to the second company terminal 2B of the target platform. This routine is executed when a request for product information is received from the second company terminal 2B. In step S501, the second product information generation unit 116 accepts the request for product information. This request is a request to send product information to the second company terminal 2B. This request is executed by the second company terminal 2B accessing a URL corresponding to the product and making a specified input. This request is received by the connector unit 115 and passed to the second product information generation unit 116, and is accepted by the second product information generation unit 116.

In step S502, the second product information generation unit 116 extracts the second information located in a specified memory area of the memory unit 12. Here, since the URL accessed by the second company terminal 2B is linked to the product ID, the second product information generation unit 116 extracts the corresponding second information based on this product ID. The extracted second information is passed to the connector unit 115. In step S503, the connector unit 115 selects a connector. The connector unit 115 selects the connector when the request was received in step S501. In step S504, the connector unit 115 transmits the second information to the second company terminal 2B. In this way, the first server device 1A behaves in the same way as the second company terminal 2B on the target platform and is able to provide product information.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 32, the second information for the target platform is generated in step S410, and stored in the memory unit 12 in step S412. However, the timing of generating the second information is not limited to this. For example, the second information may be generated in step S502 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 33. In other words, the second information may be generated after receiving a request for product information from the second company terminal 2B.

As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the second server device 1B manages product metadata, and even in a target platform where product information is sent and received between corporate terminals 2, the first information can be converted into second information and provided. In addition, at this time, the second information can be provided via a connector corresponding to the target platform.

Other Embodiments
The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

In addition, in the description of the embodiment, the server device 1 stores the product information in a database, but the product information may be stored by means other than a database.

In addition, in the description of the embodiment, the server device 1 executes the first to fourth phases to complete the product tree, but the role of the server device 1 may be distributed among multiple company terminals 2. For example, product information may be stored in a distributed database using a blockchain platform. In this case, a product information database may be configured by multiple company terminals 2. In this case, the processing of each of the above-mentioned phases may be executed using a smart contract. For example, the processing in the second phase may be executed when a certain company account writes permission information to the database. Also, the processing in the third phase may be executed when a certain company account writes a linking request to the database.

In addition, in the description of the embodiment, the phase in which the server device 1 receives product information about an upstream product and the phase in which the server device 1 receives permission information corresponding to the product information are described separately, but both may be received simultaneously. Similarly, in the description of the embodiment, the phase in which the server device 1 receives product information about a downstream product and the phase in which the server device 1 receives a linking request corresponding to the product information are described separately, but both may be received simultaneously.

In addition, in the above embodiment, access control for each company is achieved by providing a dedicated memory area and a shared memory area. However, the method for achieving access control is not limited to this example. Any method may be used for access control.

In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), the multiple companies included in the supply chain are described as companies that manufacture products. However, the companies included in the supply chain do not necessarily have to be companies that manufacture products. For example, companies that transport, import, store, wholesale, etc. of products may also be included in the companies that make up the supply chain. In one example, some of the multiple companies may be companies that do not carry out the manufacturing process, such as trading companies, sales agents, and import agents, and may receive products from companies located one level higher (upstream companies) and deliver the products to companies located one level lower (downstream companies).

In addition, in the above embodiment, a supply chain for automobile-related products is assumed, and the OEM manufacturer is described as the most downstream company, and companies that supply parts, materials, assemblies, etc. are described as suppliers. However, the companies that belong to the supply chain are not necessarily limited to this. Companies at each stage may be determined appropriately depending on the product, etc. Furthermore, the manufacturing activities performed by each company until the final product is obtained may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment, and may include, for example, all activities that may be performed until the final product is obtained, such as excavation, processing, assembly, transportation, storage, etc.

In the above embodiment, the server device 1 is configured to execute the information processing of the first to fourth phases. However, the configuration of the server device 1 need not be limited to this example. In another example, at least one of the information processing of the first to fourth phases may be omitted in the server device 1. The server device 1 may be configured to execute any other information processing.

In the above embodiment, an example of calculating the _CO2 emission amount (CFP value) is shown. The CFP value may be calculated by the following formula.
CFP value of Tier N-1 = CFP value measured by company in Tier N-1 + Σ _k (CFP value of company k (Tier N) × amount of use in Tier N-1 u _k )
Here, the "CFP value of Tier N-1" indicates the result of integrating the CFP value of the upstream company (company k (Tier N)) and the company's own CFP value. The company's measured CFP value indicates the CFP value included in the product information of each company. If Tier N is the most upstream company, the "CFP value of Tier N" is the CFP value included in the product information of that company, and in other cases, the "CFP value of Tier N" is the result of integrating the CFP value of the further upstream company (Tier N+1) and the CFP value included in the product information of that company. By setting Tier N to the most upstream company (terminal company) and repeating the calculation up to N = 1, the CFP value of the Tier 0 product (= final product) can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the server device 1 may calculate the recycle rate and due diligence (score) together with or instead of the calculation of the _CO2 emission amount (CFP value). The recycle rate may be calculated by the following formula.
"(Recycling rate of Tier N-1 products for the target substance) = {(Total amount used in Tier N-1) × (Recycling rate in Tier N-1) + Σ _k (Total amount used in company k (Tier N) × Recycling rate in company k (Tier N) × Amount used in Tier N-1 u _k )} ÷ {Total amount used in Tier N-1 + Σ _k (
(total amount used by company k (Tier N) × amount used in Tier N-1 u _k )) = (amount of recycled materials used in Tier N-1 + Σk (amount of recycled materials used by company k (Tier N) × amount used in Tier N-1 u _k )) ÷ (total amount used in Tier N-1 + Σk (total amount used by company k (Tier N) × amount used in Tier N-1 u _k ))
The amount of recycled material used indicates the amount of recycled material used for the target substance. As with the CFP value, the recycling rate of the final product for the target substance can be calculated by sequentially calculating from the most upstream company (terminal company). In addition, the due diligence score (DD score) can also be integrated by the same calculation as the CFP value and the recycling rate. In one example, the CFP value is replaced with the DD score, and the DD score (integrated result) for the final product can be obtained by sequentially calculating from the most upstream company (terminal company).

In the above embodiment, the traceability-related information of each company (Tier N-1) other than the most upstream company is not stored in a shared memory area between the downstream companies, and the integrated results of each company (CFP value of Tier N-1, recycle rate of Tier N-1 product for target substance) may be stored in a shared memory area between each company and its downstream company (Tier N-2). This allows the traceability-related information (integrated result) of the final product to be obtained without disclosing the traceability-related information of each company.

In the above embodiment, it is assumed that each company places an order with one company for a certain material. However, in the above embodiment, the order format of each company does not need to be limited to this example. At least some of the companies belonging to the supply chain may place orders with multiple upstream companies for the same product and selectively use the obtained upstream products in their own products. For example, in the example of FIG. 14 above, Tier 2 product A11_1, product A11_2, or product A11_3 may be selectively used for Tier 1 product A1. In this case, the server device 1 may hold a linking relationship for each pattern used. In the above example, the server device 1 may hold a linking relationship for Tier 1 product A1 as follows: pattern 1 "Tier 2 product A11_1, ..." pattern 2 "product A11_2, ..."
and pattern 2 "product A11_3, ...". In response to this, the server device 1 may execute a calculation (integration) of the above-mentioned traceability-related information for each pattern. In this case, in one example, the server device 1 may output the calculation result for each pattern. In another example, the server device 1 may calculate statistics such as the maximum value, minimum value, average value, variance, standard deviation, and median of the calculation result from the calculation result, and output the calculated statistics.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the traceability-related information (particularly the CFP value) may be composed of primary data or secondary data (inventory data). In this case, the calculation (integration) of the traceability-related information may include calculating the primary data ratio of the traceability-related information obtained for the final product. The calculation of the primary data ratio may be performed by a simple ratio calculation, or may be performed by a weight calculation in which the CFP value in the calculation formula for the CFP value is replaced with the primary data ratio of each company and the calculation is performed sequentially from the most upstream company.

In addition, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Or, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Reference Signs List 1 Server device 2 Company terminal 3 Dedicated server device 21 Control unit 22 Storage unit 23 Communication module 24 Input/output device 211 Product information generation unit 212 Authority setting unit 213 Linking request unit 214 Information acquisition unit 215 Connector unit 216 Second product information generation unit

Claims (20)

An information processing device that transmits information related to traceability from a server device or a plurality of company terminals that belong to a transmission source system and constitute a supply chain to a server device or a plurality of company terminals that belong to a transmission destination system and constitute a supply chain,
accepting a designation of one or more of the destination systems ;
Accepting an input of first information regarding the first product, the first information including information regarding the traceability;
selecting a rule for transmitting information to each of the destination systems from a plurality of predetermined rules, and generating second information corresponding to each of the destination systems from the first information in accordance with the selected rule;
selecting a connector corresponding to each of the destination systems from among a plurality of predetermined connectors, and transmitting the second information to the server device or the plurality of enterprise terminals belonging to each of the destination systems via the selected connector, or arranging the second information in a predetermined storage area in a state in which the second information can be transmitted;
An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above. In the predetermined storage area, information on a plurality of rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems and information on a plurality of connectors corresponding to each of the destination systems are arranged.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
In response to the information required by the destination system being insufficient in the first information alone, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
generating the second information by supplementing information that is insufficient in the first information based on information obtained from the inventory data;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
outputting a warning in response to the fact that the first information alone is insufficient for the information required by the destination system ;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
generating the second information by excluding the third information in response to the first information including third information designated as non-disclosure;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
In response to the first information including the third information, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
supplementing the excluded third information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information;
The information processing device according to claim 5 . The information on rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems includes information on rules for fourth information that cannot be disclosed depending on the location of the server device or the plurality of enterprise terminals belonging to the source system ,
The control unit is
In response to the first information including the fourth information,
generating the second information by excluding the fourth information;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
In response to the first information including the fourth information, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
supplementing the excluded fourth information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information;
The information processing device according to claim 7. The information on the rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems includes information on unit rules,
The control unit is
generating the second information in accordance with a rule of the unit corresponding to the destination system ;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The first product is a battery-related product.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . An information processing method for transmitting information regarding traceability from a server device or a plurality of company terminals belonging to a transmission source system and constituting a supply chain to a server device or a plurality of company terminals belonging to a transmission destination system and constituting a supply chain, comprising:
The computer
accepting a designation of one or more of the destination systems ;
Accepting an input of first information regarding the first product, the first information including information regarding the traceability;
selecting a rule for transmitting information to each of the destination systems from a plurality of predetermined rules, and generating second information corresponding to each of the destination systems from the first information in accordance with the selected rule;
selecting a connector corresponding to each of the destination systems from among a plurality of predetermined connectors, and transmitting the second information to the server device or the plurality of enterprise terminals belonging to each of the destination systems via the selected connector, or arranging the second information in a predetermined storage area in a state in which the second information can be transmitted;
An information processing method for performing the above. In the predetermined storage area, information on a plurality of rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems and information on a plurality of connectors corresponding to each of the destination systems are arranged.
The information processing method according to claim 11. The computer includes:
In response to the information required by the destination system being insufficient in the first information alone, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
generating the second information by supplementing information that is insufficient in the first information based on information obtained from the inventory data;
The information processing method according to claim 11. The computer includes:
outputting a warning in response to the fact that the first information alone is insufficient for the information required by the destination system ;
The information processing method according to claim 11. The computer includes:
generating the second information by excluding the third information in response to the first information including third information designated as non-disclosure;
The information processing method according to claim 11. The computer includes:
In response to the first information including the third information, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
supplementing the excluded third information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information;
The information processing method according to claim 15. The information on rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems includes information on rules for fourth information that cannot be disclosed depending on the location of the server device or the plurality of enterprise terminals belonging to the source system ,
The computer includes:
In response to the first information including the fourth information,
generating the second information by excluding the fourth information;
The information processing method according to claim 11. The computer includes:
In response to the first information including the fourth information, referencing inventory data corresponding to the destination system ;
supplementing the excluded fourth information with information obtained from the inventory data to generate the second information;
18. The information processing method according to claim 17. The information on the rules for transmitting information to each of the destination systems includes information on unit rules,
The computer includes:
generating the second information in accordance with a rule of the unit corresponding to the destination system ;
The information processing method according to claim 11. The first product is a battery-related product.
The information processing method according to claim 11.

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