JP7742642B2 - Information processing device, method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, method, and program.

In recent years, a wide variety of information has been circulating in society through various information transmission media, such as the Internet and paper media. This information includes information sent by unspecified individuals. Therefore, the information circulating in society may contain information with low credibility, such as false information that intentionally contains content contrary to the facts, or unintentional misinformation based on a misunderstanding on the part of the author (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-220190 A

Readers can gauge the credibility of information circulating in society by checking the publisher and author names, comparing it with other works, reading other people's reviews and word-of-mouth, checking the status of anti-tampering measures, and various other means. However, much of the information circulating in society does not go through a publisher, is written by unknown authors, is not easily compared with other works, or is not easily protected against tampering. Even among this information whose credibility is difficult to gauge, there is a great deal of reliable information. Therefore, it would be socially useful to create a system that ensures the credibility of information whose credibility is difficult to gauge. For example, if the credibility of a wide variety of medical information disseminated by various sources were to increase, we could expect to see the arrival of a society in which medical professionals and patients can receive more appropriate treatment than they currently receive, without being misled by false medical information.

The present application aims to provide technology that increases the credibility of information circulating through media.

In order to solve the above problem, in this invention, when a request is made for review of the content of information content, a registered member is asked to review the content of the requested information content, and a certification mark is provided for approved information content. If there is information content with a certification mark circulating in the media that differs from the certified content, this is notified.

In detail, the present invention is an information processing device that guarantees the content of information content circulating in media, and comprises: an inspection processing unit that, when an inspection of the content of the information content is requested, requests a registered member to inspect the content of the information content related to the request; an authentication management unit that, when the content of the information content related to the request is approved in the inspection by the registered member, provides image data of a certification mark with a unique identifier for each inspection to the person requesting the inspection, and stores the content of the approved information content in a database in correspondence with the identifier; a comparison processing unit that, when information content with a certification mark is extracted from a plurality of information contents circulating in media, searches the database for the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier attached to the certification mark of the extracted information content, and compares the extracted information content with the retrieved information content; and a notification processing unit that notifies the difference if the extracted information content differs from the retrieved information content.

With the above-mentioned information processing device, information content certified by member screening is stored in a database. The person requesting the screening can then attach a certification mark to the certified medical information and transmit the information to various media. The usage of the certification mark is then monitored through the above-mentioned comparison process. If the certification mark is attached to information content that differs from the certified information content, a notification to that effect is issued, making it possible, for example, to quickly correct any unauthorized use. Therefore, with the above-mentioned information processing device, it is possible to increase the credibility of information content circulating through media.

The information content may be medical information, and registered members may be doctors. This means that medical information circulating through the media that is marked with a certification mark has been approved by a doctor, making it possible to increase the credibility of such medical information.

The comparison processing unit may also compare the degree of match between the extracted information content and the retrieved information content. Comparing the degree of match makes it possible to accurately determine whether the content matches even if the information content has been slightly changed.

The notification processing unit may also issue a notification urging correction of the extracted information content. This will encourage correction of information content in which the certification mark is being misused, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to social trust in the certification mark.

The present invention can also be viewed as a method. For example, the present invention may be an information processing method for guaranteeing the content of information content distributed in media, in which a computer executes the following steps: review processing, in which, when a request for review of the content of the information content is received, a registered member is requested to review the content of the requested information content; authentication management, in which, when the content of the requested information content is approved in the review by the registered member, image data of a certification mark assigned a unique identifier for each review is provided to the person requesting the review and the content of the approved information content is stored in a database in association with the identifier; comparison processing, in which, when information content with a certification mark is extracted from multiple information content distributed in media, the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier assigned to the certification mark of the extracted information content is retrieved from the database and the extracted information content is compared with the retrieved information content; and notification processing, in which, if the extracted information content differs from the retrieved information content, a notification of the difference is issued.

The present invention can also be understood from the aspect of a program. For example, the present invention may be an information processing program that guarantees the content of information content distributed in media, causing a computer to execute the following: an examination process that, when an examination of the content of the information content is requested, requests a registered member to examine the content of the requested information content; an authentication management process that, when the content of the information content related to the request is approved in the examination by the registered member, provides image data of a certification mark assigned with an identifier unique to each examination to the person requesting the examination and stores the content of the approved information content in a database in association with the identifier; a comparison process that, when information content with a certification mark is extracted from a plurality of information content distributed in media, searches the database for the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier assigned to the certification mark of the extracted information content and compares the extracted information content with the retrieved information content; and a notification process that, when the extracted information content differs from the retrieved information content, notifies the difference.

This invention makes it possible to increase the credibility of information circulating through the media.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a process implemented by an authentication system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the authentication system. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram implemented in the business server. FIG. 4 is a first process flow diagram implemented in the business server. FIG. 5 is a second processing flow diagram implemented in the business server. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between articles circulating in the media and readers. FIG. 7 is an image diagram showing measures to prevent unauthorized use.

The following describes embodiments. The embodiments described below are merely examples and do not limit the technical scope of this disclosure to the following aspects.

<Summary>
1 is a conceptual diagram of processing implemented by an authentication system according to an embodiment. The authentication system according to this embodiment is a system that guarantees the content of information content distributed through various communication networks such as the Internet, various electronic information recording media such as optical discs and memories, paper media such as magazines and newspapers, public broadcasting media such as television and radio, and various other media. In this embodiment, medical information is used as an example of information content whose content is guaranteed by the authentication system, but the authentication system disclosed in this application is not limited to authenticating such medical information. The authentication system disclosed in this application can also be applied to authenticating information related to natural sciences such as physics and chemistry, information related to social sciences such as politics and economics, and various other types of information.

In the authentication system of this embodiment, a business operator who manages the operation of the authentication system acts as a link between the client who created the medical information and the doctor who undertakes to review that medical information. The business operator then allows the client to use the authentication mark in the media for medical information approved by the doctor. The business operator also monitors for unauthorized use of the authentication mark. In this way, the business operator aims to improve the reliability of medical information circulating in the media and achieve its vision of realizing a society that is not misled by false information such as fake medical news.

To achieve this vision, specifically, when a client requests authentication of medical information, the authentication system of this embodiment requests a pre-registered member physician to proofread the medical information. Once the member physician approves the medical information, the system notifies the client that the information has been authenticated. In this notification, a certification mark that the client can use when distributing the medical information to the media is provided to the client electronically in the form of image data, along with an identifier for distinguishing the medical information from other certifications. This allows the client to publish the medical information in the media with the image data attached. Furthermore, when the authentication system extracts medical information bearing the certification mark that is circulating in the media, it compares the extracted medical information with the authenticated medical information. If there are any differences, the system notifies the client that the certification mark is used on medical information that differs from the authenticated information. This allows the client to take various measures, such as correcting or deleting articles about the medical information distributed in the media, issuing corrective recommendations to those who have used the certification mark without permission, or consulting with the business operator operating the authentication system. If any fraudulent use of the certification mark is discovered, the business operator of the certification system may take corrective measures without notifying the client.

By having the authentication system of this embodiment handle this processing, medical information circulating in the media that has been given the above-mentioned certification mark is deemed more trustworthy than information that does not have the certification mark. Furthermore, because medical information circulating in the media that has been given the certification mark is compared with certified medical information, the appropriate use of the certification mark also builds social trust in the certification mark. If the certification mark becomes well-known and the trustworthiness of medical information bearing the certification mark is socially recognized, people who come into contact with information in the media will be able to determine the reliability of medical information based on the presence or absence of the certification mark. This is expected to contribute to the realization of a society that is not misled by fake medical news, etc.

Details of the authentication system of this embodiment are explained below.

<System Configuration>
2 is a system configuration diagram of authentication system 1. Authentication system 1 includes an operator server 20 (an example of an "information processing device" as referred to herein) operated by operator 2, a client terminal 30 used by client 3, a member doctor terminal 40 used by member doctor 4, and a media server 50 operated by media 5. The operator server 20, client terminal 30, member doctor terminal 40, and media server 50 can communicate with each other via the Internet 6, which is a public communication line.

Note that while Figure 2 illustrates two member physician terminals 40, the number of member physicians 4 of the business operator 2 is not limited to two. The business operator 2 has many member physicians 4 and can communicate with each member physician 4's member physician terminal 40 via the Internet 6. Also, in Figure 2, the media 5 is illustrated as separate from the client 3, business operator 2, and member physician 4, but for example, the client 3, business operator 2, or member physician 4 may publish a web page or monthly magazine, which may serve as part of the media 5. Also, in Figure 2, the business operator server 20, client terminal 30, member physician terminal 40, and media server 50 are connected to the Internet 6 by solid lines, but each device may be connected to the Internet 6 either wirelessly or via a wired connection.

The business provider server 20, client terminal 30, member doctor terminal 40, and media server 50 are all computers having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, a main storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an input/output interface, a communication interface, etc. The client terminal 30 and member doctor terminal 40 can be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, or any other type of computer. The business provider server 20 and media server 50 can be, for example, a general-purpose server, a personal computer, a rental server installed in a data center, a cloud, or any other type of computer.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram implemented in the provider server 20. In the provider server 20, the CPU executes a computer program loaded from the main storage device to memory, thereby implementing four functional blocks, for example, an examination processing unit 21, an authentication management unit 22, a comparison processing unit 23, and a notification processing unit 24, as well as a database 25 storing various information. When the examination processing unit 21 accepts an examination of the contents of medical information sent from the client terminal 30 via the Internet 6, it transmits a review request to each member doctor terminal 40. Furthermore, the authentication management unit 22 transmits image data of a certification mark for medical information approved by the member doctor 4 to the client terminal 30 of the client 3 that requested the examination, and registers the image data in the database 25. Furthermore, the comparison processing unit 23 extracts information content bearing a certification mark from information content distributed in the media server 50 of the media 5, and compares the extracted information content with the authenticated medical information. The notification processing unit 24 also handles the process of notifying the user when the extracted information content differs from the authenticated medical information. The database 25 also stores information (membership number, name, email address, etc.) of member doctors 4 who are registered as members of the business operator 2, as well as files of medical information approved by member doctors 4.

The following describes the processing performed by the authentication system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 4 is a first processing flow diagram performed by the business operator server 20. The following describes the first processing flow performed by the business operator server 20.

The business operator server 20 repeatedly executes the following process while executing the computer program loaded into memory. That is, the business operator server 20 determines whether or not a request for review sent via the Internet 6 from the client terminal 30 operated by the client 3 has been received (S101). The review request may be made, for example, in the form of the client 3 accessing a webpage published on the Internet 6 by the business operator server 20 using the client terminal 30 and uploading a file of medical information to be reviewed on that webpage, or in the form of the client 3 sending an email requesting review using the client terminal 30 to the business operator 2's email address used for review acceptance, or in the form of the client 3 mailing application documents and electronic files for review to the business operator 2. The business operator server 20 may automatically accept requests sent from the client 3 in these ways, or may accept them after an employee of the business operator 2, etc., confirms the review content and performs input operations.

If the business operator server 20 makes a positive judgment in the processing of step S101, it then transmits the medical information, which is the information content to be reviewed and which was sent from the client terminal 30, to the member doctor terminal 40 via the Internet 6, along with a predetermined message requesting a review (S102). The review request may be made, for example, by sending the requested medical information to the member doctor terminal 40 of each member doctor 4 by email, by the member doctor 4 accessing a web page on the business operator server 20 using the member doctor terminal 40, or by mailing the medical information from the business operator 20 to the member doctor 4 on paper or the like.

Next, the business operator server 20 determines whether the member physician 4 has completed the proofreading (S103). The determination of whether the member physician 4 has completed the proofreading may be made, for example, by a positive determination when proofreading results have been received from the member physician terminals 40 of all member physicians 4 who requested proofreading, by a positive determination when proofreading results have been received from the member physician terminals 40 of a predetermined number of member physicians 4, or by a positive determination when a certain amount of time has elapsed since the proofreading was requested. Proofreading by the member physician 4 can take various forms, such as pressing an approval button on the business operator server 20's webpage, replying by email with the proofreading results, or mailing a paper document with the proofreading results written on it. The business operator server 20 may automatically accept the proofreading results sent from the member physician 4 in these forms, or may accept them after an employee of the business operator 2, etc., confirms or inputs the proofreading results.

If the business provider server 20 makes a positive determination in step S103, it then executes authentication processing (S104). The authentication processing involves registering the approved medical information in the database 25, generating an identifier to be assigned to the certification mark, and providing the certification mark to the party requesting the review. The certification mark is provided in the form of electronic image data so that the client 3 can easily include it in an article. For this reason, the certification mark is preferably provided to the client 3 in the form of being downloaded from the web page of the business provider server 20 or attached to an email sent to the client terminal 30 of the client 3, but may also be provided, for example, in the form of an electronic information recording medium on which the image data is recorded being mailed.

In the authentication system 1, the business operator server 20 repeatedly executes the above steps S101 to S104, and the authenticated medical information is stored for each identifier in the business operator server 20's database 25. The client 3 can then transmit the information to various media 5 by adding an authentication mark to the authenticated medical information. The identifier is a unique identifier issued individually for each authentication, and may be, for example, a character string containing a mixture of alphanumeric characters.

Next, we will explain the process for monitoring the appropriate use of the certification mark. Figure 5 is a second process flow diagram implemented in the business operator server 20. The second process flow implemented in the business operator server 20 will be explained below.

During execution of the computer program loaded into memory, the business server 20 repeatedly executes the following process in addition to the processes of steps S101 to S105 described above. That is, the business server 20 crawls the Internet 6, accesses the media servers 50 of various media 5, and references various articles (information content) (S201). The business server 20 then determines whether the article has the above-mentioned certification mark (S202). Crawling the Internet 6 can be achieved by using a known crawler. Furthermore, determining whether the article has the certification mark can be achieved based on the degree of match of the features of the certification mark, etc. If the crawler has the function of extracting only articles that have the certification mark, steps S201 and S202 may be the same step.

If the determination in step S202 is affirmative, the business server 20 reads the identifier attached to the certification mark (S203). The identifier can be read using, for example, existing OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. That is, to read the identifier attached to the certification mark, for example, a character area is extracted by layout analysis, and a character extraction analysis process is performed to break down the characters in the character area into individual characters. A recognition process is then performed to identify the characters in the image data. The recognition process includes, for example, a normalization process to enlarge or reduce the character image to a certain size, a process to extract the characteristics of the character image (features such as vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines, the length of each line, and the positional relationship between lines), a matching process to search for character codes that match the features of the character image, and an automatic correction process using a dictionary (such as a word dictionary) for each character code extracted in the matching process and/or its character string.

After reading the identifier, the business provider server 20 queries the database 25 to see if the same identifier exists (S204). The business provider server 20 then extracts medical information with the same identifier that is registered in the database 25.

If medical information with the same identifier is extracted in step S204, the provider server 20 then determines whether the content of the article referenced in step S201 matches the content of the medical information extracted in step S204 (step S205). The determination of whether the content matches can be made, for example, based on whether the degree of match of the text data is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. It is also effective to utilize, for example, AI (artificial intelligence) in determining the degree of content match.

When an article is posted to media 5, character limits, formatting, and some proofreading are typically applied. Therefore, whether the content of an article matches the content of the authenticated medical information registered in database 25 may not be determined solely based on the degree of match of the text data. However, by utilizing AI to determine the degree of content match, it becomes possible to mechanically measure the degree of content match even if the article has been slightly modified from the authenticated medical information. For example, by dividing a sentence into words, vectorizing the sentence by counting the occurrence frequency of each word, and then calculating the similarity of the vectors, it becomes possible to measure the degree of match between the two sentences. Applying various deep learning or learning models to this process makes it possible to obtain a highly accurate value for the degree of match.

Furthermore, if the identical identifier is not found in step S204 or if it is determined in step S205 that the content of the article does not match the authenticated medical information, the business operator server 20 notifies the business operator 2 (S206). For example, if the identical identifier is not found in step S204, the business operator server 20 notifies the person in charge at business operator 2, etc., that fraudulent use of the authentication mark has been detected. Furthermore, if the business operator server 20 determines in step S205 that the content of the article does not match the authenticated medical information, for example, it notifies the relevant client 3 or business operator 2 that an article with mismatched content has been detected. This notification may be provided, for example, by the business operator server 20 issuing an email, etc., or by using a notification function of an app installed on a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone, or by displaying a personalized screen displayed for the user when accessing the business operator server 20's webpage, or by printing out a document on a printer connected to the business operator server 20. Furthermore, guidance to the client 3 may be provided manually via a person in charge at the business 2, rather than from the business server 20 to the client terminal 30.

In the above explanation of steps S201 to S206, for ease of understanding, the monitoring of articles obtained by crawling the Internet 6 has been used as an example. However, the business server 20 may also monitor articles from media not distributed on the Internet 6, such as magazines obtained by business 2 or television program content transmitted over public wireless networks. In this case, for example, a person in charge of business 2 may scan and digitize a paper-based article using a scanner or the like, and process this in steps S201 to S206 in the same way as articles obtained via the Internet 6. Alternatively, a video recording of television program content may be analyzed, and the digitized article displayed on the screen showing the authentication mark may be processed in steps S201 to S206 in the same way as articles obtained via the Internet 6. This makes it possible to monitor even articles from media not distributed on the Internet 6, such as paper-based articles obtained by a person in charge of business 2.

In the authentication system 1, the business server 20 repeatedly executes the above steps S201 to S206 to monitor the usage of the authentication mark. If any unauthorized use of the authentication mark is detected, the client 3 or business 2 is notified, allowing for swift correction of the unauthorized use. This maintains the reliability of the medical information bearing the authentication mark and the social credibility of the authentication mark itself.

The vision that can be realized by the authentication system 1 of this embodiment is described below. FIG. 6 is an illustration diagram showing the relationship between articles circulating in the media and readers. The authentication system 1 of this embodiment allows the use of a certification mark for medical information approved by a doctor. Therefore, as the use of the authentication system 1 becomes widespread, articles without a certification mark and articles with a certification mark will be circulating in the media. Therefore, readers who read media articles will have the opportunity to see the certification mark attached to the article. As readers become more likely to see the certification mark, they will become more aware of the certification mark and will know that articles with the certification mark have been approved by a doctor. As a result, when selecting articles from the media, readers will choose articles with a certification mark over articles without a certification mark. As a result, readers will be less likely to be misled by false information such as fake medical news.

Furthermore, since measures to prevent fraudulent use of the certification mark as described above have been taken, the possibility of damaging social trust in the certification mark is also reduced. Figure 7 is an illustration of the measures to prevent fraudulent use. In the authentication system 1 of this embodiment, medical information approved by a doctor is stored in database 25, and articles with a certification mark circulating in the media are compared with the authenticated medical information stored in database 25. Articles whose content matches the authenticated medical information, such as "Article 1" and "Article 2" shown in Figure 7, are deemed to be appropriate use of the certification mark. On the other hand, articles whose content differs from the authenticated medical information, such as "Article 3" shown in Figure 7, are deemed to be fraudulent use of the certification mark, and a corrective recommendation is issued. Therefore, the authentication system 1 of this embodiment minimizes the possibility of widespread fraudulent use of the certification mark, maintaining social trust in the certification mark affixed to articles containing medical information.

Furthermore, it is not easy for writers, such as journalists, who write information to be disseminated to the media, to come into contact with renowned doctors with advanced knowledge. Meanwhile, well-known doctors with high medical aspirations hope to disseminate and spread reliable medical information in order to realize better medical care and society, but in reality, they are dissatisfied with the reality that information is not conveyed correctly in the media. In this regard, in this embodiment, authentication system 1 provides a platform where doctors and writers can share medical information, and medical information created by writers is proofread by doctors, connecting writers and doctors and contributing to the dissemination of medical information that is in line with the wishes of both parties.

<Modification>
In the above embodiment, the unauthorized use of the authentication mark is detected for articles bearing the authentication mark circulating in the media, but the authentication system 1 may also have a function to detect unauthorized reproduction of an authenticated article in unintended media. For example, media in which screened medical information is to be published are registered in advance in the database 25, and in the processing of step S201, an article whose content matches the authenticated medical information registered in the database 25 is retrieved, and it is determined whether the retrieved media matches the information registered in the database 25, making it possible to detect unauthorized reproduction in unintended media.

The authentication system 1 may also provide multiple proofreading methods for the proofreading request in step S102. Proofreading methods include, for example, asking the member doctor 4 to choose between two options - approve or disapprove - asking the member doctor 4 to add comments, or asking the member doctor 4 to proofread the text itself. Therefore, by providing multiple proofreading methods, the authentication system 1 may enable various forms of proofreading. In this case, the business operator 2 may offer the client 3 multiple fees depending on the proofreading method, allowing the client 3 to select a proofreading method depending on the amount of the fee. Furthermore, the member doctor 4 who receives payment for proofreading may be able to select a proofreading method depending on the amount of payment they wish to receive. The payment may be in the form of cash or points that can be used for various services, etc.

Furthermore, the business operator server 20 may make the medical information stored in the database 25 available to clients 3, member doctors 4, and other members on a limited basis, or may make it available to the general public on an unrestricted basis. Medical information made available on the business operator server 20 by the business operator 2 that issues the certification mark is more likely to gain objective credibility, and therefore, if medical information approved by member doctors 4 is made available in an aggregated form by the business operator server 20, there would be significant social benefits.

<Computer-readable recording medium>
A program that causes a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically, and that can be read by a computer. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs (Blu-ray is a registered trademark), DAT, 8mm tape, and memory cards such as flash memory. Additionally, examples of recording media that are fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs (read-only memories).

1. Authentication system 2. Business operator 3. Client 4. Member doctor 5. Media 6. Internet 20. Business operator server 21. Examination processing unit 22. Authentication management unit 23. Comparison processing unit 24. Notification processing unit 25. Database 30. Client terminal 40. Member doctor terminal 50. Media server

Claims (5)

An information processing device that guarantees the content of information content distributed in media,
a comparison processing unit that, when information content with a certification mark having a unique identifier is extracted from a plurality of information contents distributed in the media, searches for the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier attached to the certification mark of the extracted information content from a database in which the content of information content approved by a predetermined member is stored in correspondence with the identifier, and compares the extracted information content with the searched information content;
a notification processing unit that notifies the user of the difference if the extracted information content differs from the searched information content ;
the notification processing unit issues a notification to prompt correction of the extracted information content.
Information processing device. The information content is medical information.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the comparison processing unit compares the degree of coincidence between the extracted information content and the searched information content;
3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. An information processing method for guaranteeing the content of information content distributed in media, comprising:
The computer
a comparison process in which, when information content bearing a certification mark with a unique identifier is extracted from a plurality of information contents circulating in the media, the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier attached to the certification mark of the extracted information content is searched for from a database in which the content of information content approved by a predetermined member is stored in correspondence with the identifier, and the extracted information content is compared with the searched information content;
If the extracted information content differs from the searched information content, a notification process is executed to notify the difference ;
the notification process is to issue a notification urging correction of the extracted information content.
Information processing methods. An information processing program that guarantees the content of information content distributed in media,
On the computer,
a comparison process in which, when information content bearing a certification mark with a unique identifier is extracted from a plurality of information contents circulating in the media, the content of the information content corresponding to the identifier attached to the certification mark of the extracted information content is searched for from a database in which the content of information content approved by a predetermined member is stored in correspondence with the identifier, and the extracted information content is compared with the searched information content;
and if the extracted information content differs from the searched information content, executing a notification process to notify the difference ;
the notification process includes issuing a notification to prompt correction of the extracted information content.
Information processing program.