JP7787686B2 - Ownership management system for goods and identification code for ownership management - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. From September 22nd to September 30th, 1991, the information was published in a webinar titled "NFT & Digital Assets AOS 2021 September - A new world created by blockchain and NFT" on the JAPAN MADE Secretariat Co., Ltd. website at the address https://www.aoswebinar.com/@nft.

The present invention relates to an ownership management system for goods and an identification code for ownership management.

Digital data such as digital artwork and digital items acquired in digital games are called digital assets, and as such have economic value and can be traded. However, because digital data can be easily copied, there are problems with the circulation of copies and fraudulent transfers by those impersonating the owner. To address this issue, a method of managing digital assets using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is being developed.

Unlike fungible tokens (FTs), which circulate as exchangeable currencies, NFTs are unique. By uploading analog or digital data such as text, images, videos, or music to the blockchain, an NFT corresponding to the uploaded data is issued. Each NFT is associated with a unique digital asset.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system for providing digital assets protected by encryption. When shoes are purchased in the real world, the purchaser's unique owner ID code is associated with a unique digital shoe ID code corresponding to the transaction proof. The associated unique owner ID code and unique digital shoe ID code are sent to a distributed ledger on a blockchain to record the transfer of encrypted digital assets. Thereafter, the transfer of ownership of the encrypted digital assets is recorded on the blockchain as a combination of the unique owner ID code and the unique digital shoe ID code, which is said to prevent fraudulent activities such as tampering with ownership and the sale and purchase of digital assets by an impersonating owner.

International Publication No. WO2020/118297

The method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is considered useful for managing the ownership of digital assets such as digital shoes, but it does not specifically address how to properly manage the ownership of shoes that are real-world objects corresponding to digital shoes. Therefore, there is a need for a method to properly prevent fraudulent activities such as tampering with the ownership of real-world objects and impersonation of the owner.

The present invention has been made to solve the above and other problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an item ownership management system and an ownership management identification code that enable proper management of ownership of real-world items.

In order to solve the above and other problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an item ownership management system that includes: a recording means that associates item identification information, which is unique information used to identify an item, with ownership information, which is information indicating the owner of the item, and records them on a blockchain; a generation means that generates an ownership management identification code from a hash value obtained from the blockchain during recording and the item identification information and ownership information; a reception means that receives the ownership management identification code; an extraction means that extracts the hash value, the item identification information, and the ownership information from the ownership management identification code received by the reception means; a determination means that uses the extracted hash value to obtain the item identification information and ownership information recorded on the blockchain and determines whether the item identification information and ownership information extracted from the ownership management identification code are consistent; and an output means that outputs the extracted item identification information and ownership information when the determination means determines that they are consistent.

If the owner of the item changes, the recording means that receives the changed ownership information may associate the item identification information for the item with the changed ownership information and record them on the blockchain, and the generation means may generate an ownership management identification code from the hash value obtained from the blockchain at the time of recording, the item identification information, and the ownership information.

The system may further include a video data recording means for storing video data corresponding to the product associated with the product identification information in a distributed file system in association with at least one of the hash value and the product identification information obtained from the blockchain when recording, and for recording link data related to the storage of the video data in association with the product identification information on the blockchain; and the output means may, when the determination means determines that there is a match, output the video data corresponding to the product associated with the product identification information in a viewable manner based on at least one of the hash value and the product identification information extracted from the ownership management identification code by the extraction means.

The output means may output the extracted hash value along with the matching relationship if the determination means determines that there is a match.

When the determination means performs the determination process, the system may also have a management means for recording and managing the determination history for each item identification information.

Another aspect of the present invention is an ownership management identification code used in an ownership management system for goods, characterized in that the ownership management identification code is generated by encoding a hash value obtained when item identification information, which is unique information for identifying at least an item, and ownership information, which is information indicating the owner of the item, are associated and recorded on a blockchain, the item identification information, and the ownership information.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an article ownership management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the flow of ownership transfer of an item in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing server 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an item ownership management initiation process executed by the processing server 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an item owner change process executed by the processing server 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an item owner verification process executed by the processing server 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a login screen displayed on an app in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user operation screen displayed on an app in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reading screen displayed on an application in one embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an authenticity determination process executed in one embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a genuine product determination output process according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a genuine product determination display displayed on an app in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a counterfeit product determination display displayed on an app in one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a system for managing ownership of an article and an identification code for managing ownership used in the system for managing ownership of an article according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Configuration of the goods ownership management system]
First, the overall configuration of an item ownership management system according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an item ownership management system 1 according to this embodiment.

Unlike the typical NFTs that are generated and distributed for digital assets, this ownership management system 1 generates NFTs associated with real-world items and records information identifying the owner of the corresponding item in the NFT. This records the association between the item and its owner on a blockchain, with the aim of preventing fraudulent activities such as impersonating the item's owner to conduct fraudulent transactions or selling counterfeit goods to generate illicit profits. While there are no particular restrictions on the items that can be subject to ownership management, it is suitable for managing the ownership of limited-production artworks such as prints, industrial products, and high-value-added items such as premium golf clubs. This ownership management system is operated by a management company that provides item ownership management services to manufacturers, retailers, consumers (users), and others. As described below, this ownership management system also provides an authenticity assessment service for the items under management.

Referring to FIG. 1, the item ownership management system 1 according to this embodiment includes a management server 100 through which a management company provides the ownership management system 1, and an operation terminal 200 such as a smartphone or tablet used by a user. The management server 100 and operation terminal 200 are capable of communicating with each other via a network N. The operation terminal 200 has a camera (not shown) as a reading means for reading two-dimensional codes, and a communication unit (not shown) as a transmitting means for transmitting information about the two-dimensional code (ownership management identification code) read by the reading means to the management server 100. The network N can include various wireless or wired communication networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile communication network, or the Internet. The ownership management identification code may be any code data that can be read by a computer, and is not limited to a two-dimensional code.

The management server 100 comprises a processing server 110 for performing the ownership management process for items in this embodiment, and a service server 120 that is connected to the operation terminal 200 via a network N so that they can communicate with each other, and these processing server 110 and service server 120 are connected via an appropriate network.

The management server 100 is connected to terminal devices 300 installed by the producers and creators of the items subject to ownership management via a network N so that they can communicate with each other, and can accept requests from the terminal devices 300 to generate NFTs used to manage the ownership of items and to manage ownership. The terminal devices 300 can be configured, for example, as personal computers.

The management server 100 is configured to record information used for ownership management on the recording server 400. The recording server 400 is configured with multiple computer groups 410, 420 that respectively provide the operating environment for the blockchain platform and the distributed file system, which will be described later.

Of the multiple computer groups 410, 420 that form the operating environment of the blockchain platform and the distributed file system, the computer group 410 is a node that serves as a distributed server (storage server) that constitutes a distributed file system called IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) in this embodiment. The computer group 420 is a plurality of nodes that generate blockchain blocks for a platform called Ethereum, and also serves as a node that serves as a distributed server that constitutes the distributed file system. In this embodiment, Ethereum, the blockchain platform, is the issuer of NFTs, but other blockchain platforms can also be used. The computer group 410 is used as a storage location for video data, which will be described later. Therefore, any distributed file system that can store video data in a distributed manner and enable file retrieval using some kind of link data that enables files stored in a distributed manner to be associated and retrieved will suffice, and is not limited to the aforementioned IPFS.

[Overview of ownership management of goods]
Next, the aspect of ownership management in the item ownership management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described along the flow of ownership transfer from a producer to a purchaser of an item produced by that producer when that producer sells the item. FIG. 2 schematically shows one aspect of ownership management in the ownership management system 1. In FIG. 2, the flow of items or information related to ownership management progresses in the order shown by the numbers in parentheses. In the example of FIG. 2, the item is assumed to be a premium golf club, the production of which is limited, but other items such as art works such as prints and statues may also be used.

Item A, a premium golf club, is manufactured by manufacturer A and is assigned the item ID "A11111." Manufacturer A intends to manage the ownership of item A using the ownership management system 1 of this embodiment.

(1) Request for NFT Generation and Ownership Management Manufacturer A requests the management company, which has a management server 100 and operates an ownership management service, to generate an NFT for item A and manage ownership via terminal device 300. This ownership management includes an authenticity determination service provided by the management company. At this time, manufacturer A transmits to management server 100 an item ID, which is a unique ID assigned to item A when it was manufactured, an owner ID as ownership information assigned to manufacturer A, and video data that can only be accessed and played by the genuine owner of item A. The item ID can be accompanied by text data containing information about item A, such as the manufacturer name, product name, and serial number. Furthermore, if item A is a copyrighted item such as an artwork, the text data can also include the name of the copyright holder.
Manufacturer A registers as a user with the management company before using this ownership management system 1. That is, Manufacturer A registers required user information (name, address, etc.) with the management company and can have a user ID and a corresponding password set.

(2) NFT Generation/Owner Recording Request Based on a request from manufacturer A, the management company records information about item A, including the item ID and ownership information, on the blockchain operated by the computer group 420. The owner information is a unique identification code that is assigned to manufacturer A by the management company to ensure no duplication occurs when manufacturer A requests the management company to manage the ownership of item A. Hereinafter, this identification code will be referred to as the "owner ID."
(3) NFT Issuance The computer group 420 generates an NFT based on the record on the blockchain and issues it to the management server 100. The NFT in this embodiment includes at least a hash value (hereinafter referred to as the "blockchain hash value") issued by the blockchain when information about an item and its owner is recorded on the blockchain, as well as the item ID of item A and the owner ID for manufacturer A. This NFT allows real-world item A identified by the item ID and the owner ID identifying its owner to be recorded on the blockchain in a tamper-proof manner. The management server 100 stores ownership information about item A as a combination of the item ID, the owner ID associated with the item ID, and the blockchain hash value.

(4) Certificate Issuance The management company transmits certificate data including at least the item ID of item A and the owner ID of manufacturer A from the management server 100 to the terminal device 300. The certificate data includes visually readable text data as well as two-dimensional code data that is an ownership management identification code generated from the text data. As mentioned above, the ownership management identification code may be any code data that can be read by a computer, and is not limited to a two-dimensional code.

(5) Selling/Purchasing Assume that manufacturer A sells item A identified by item ID "A11111" to purchaser B. As a result, the premium golf club as item A identified by item ID "A11111" is transferred from manufacturer A to purchaser B in the real world.

(6) Request for Owner Change When selling item A to purchaser B, manufacturer A, who is the seller, requests the management company to process the process to change the owner of item A to purchaser B in the ownership management system 1. When making the change request, the management company assigns an owner ID for purchaser B so that it is unique.

(7) Ownership Change Record Request Based on a request from manufacturer A, the management company requests the ownership change record from the management server 100 to the blockchain of the computer group 420.

(8) Reading Recorded Data The blockchain of the computer group 420 reads the records on the blockchain based on the owner information changed in accordance with the request and returns them to the management server 100.

(9) Owner Change The management server 100 stores the NFT with the changed owner information received from the blockchain of the computer group 420 in a specified storage area.
(10) Reading and sending the ownership management identification code Purchaser B can use the two-dimensional code, which is the ownership management identification code obtained from manufacturer A, the seller of item A, along with the purchase of item A, to confirm that the ownership of item A has been transferred from manufacturer A to purchaser B. Specifically, purchaser B reads the obtained two-dimensional code using operation terminal 200 and sends it to management server 100.

(11) Certificate Issuance The management company refers to the records in the management server 100 based on the item ID and owner ID recorded in the two-dimensional code received from purchaser B, and transmits certificate data including at least the item ID of item A and the owner ID of purchaser B. The certificate data includes visually readable text data. Purchaser B registers as a user with the management company before using this ownership management system 1. That is, purchaser B can register the required user information (name, address, etc.) with the management company and have a user ID and corresponding password set.

(12) Display output of certificate Based on the received certificate data, purchaser B can display the certificate on the operation terminal 200 and confirm that he is the owner of item A, the premier golf club, identified by item ID "A11111." Furthermore, through this confirmation request, purchaser B can play back the video data entrusted to the management company by manufacturer A, thereby realizing that he is the owner of the premier golf club and gaining a sense of satisfaction from ownership.

[Configuration of management server 100]
Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the management server 100 that executes the main data processing in the ownership management system 1 of this embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 1, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the management server 100 is composed of a processing server 110 and a service server 120. In the following description, it is assumed that the main functions of the management server 100 related to ownership management are implemented in the processing server 110.
Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration and functional implementation of the processing server 110 constituting the management server 100. The processing server 110 includes a processor 111 configured with a CPU or the like, a memory 112 configured with storage devices such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory, an auxiliary storage unit 113 configured with storage devices such as a solid-state drive (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD), a communication unit 114 configured with hardware that provides communication functions such as a mobile wireless communication module, a wireless LAN module such as Wi-Fi, and a network interface card (NIC), an input/output unit 115 including input devices such as a keyboard, touch panel, pointing device, and microphone, and output devices such as various displays and speakers, and a data input/output (data IO) unit 116 for managing data input and output of each unit. Note that in the configuration example of Figure 1, the management server 100 includes the processing server 110 and the service server 120, but they may be configured as a single computer equipped with the functions of both, or may be distributed and implemented on a network. As mentioned above, in the following description, for convenience, it is assumed that the main data processing functions of the management server 100 are performed by the processing server 110 .

Memory 112 stores a property rights information processing unit 1121 that performs data processing for property rights management in the property rights management system 1 of this embodiment, a video processing unit 1122 that performs data processing related to video data deposited by manufacturers and creators of items that are subject to property rights management, and an authenticity determination processing unit 1123 that performs data processing related to the authenticity determination processing provided by the property rights management system 1. Each of these units is a program executed by the processor 111 to perform the respective data processing. Examples of data processing by each program will be described later.

The auxiliary memory unit 113 is provided with an ownership information storage unit 1131. The ownership information storage unit 1131 stores ownership information related to items for which ownership management is being performed in the system 1. This ownership information is a record consisting of, for example, an item ID assigned to an item that is subject to ownership management, an owner ID related to the owner of the item identified by that item ID, and a blockchain hash value issued when the item ID and owner ID are recorded in the blockchain.

Next, data processing executed by the management server 100 in the ownership management system 1 of this embodiment will be described.
[Ownership management start process]
First, a description will be given of data processing when receiving ownership management information from manufacturers, creators, etc. of goods using this system 1. Fig. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating the ownership management receiving processing.

When a user uses the ownership management service of this system 1, the user uses the terminal device 300 to request the management server 100 to issue an NFT associated with the target item and to use the ownership management service. At the time of the request, the user uses the terminal device 300 to send to the management server 100 text data indicating the item ID, which is a unique code assigned to the item to be managed at the time of production and manufacturing, and the owner ID of the item manufacturer, who is the owner of the item that was originally manufactured, as well as video data related to the item.

This video data is a video filmed and created using storytelling techniques, weaving in behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the production and creation of an item to convey the thoughts and concepts that the producers and creators of the item that are subject to ownership management have put into that item. However, as will be described later, it is also possible to use the ownership management service without attaching video data.

The management server 100 is capable of receiving various information, including the item ID, from the user's terminal device 300. In step S400, the ownership information processing unit 1121 receives the item ID and the user's owner ID from the user's terminal device 300.

In step S410, the video processing unit 1122 determines whether video data is included in the various information received from the terminal device 300. If it is determined that video data is included (YES in step S410), in step S430, the video processing unit 1122 extracts this video data and uploads and stores it on a distributed file system (in this embodiment, the group of computers 410 that make up the IPFS network (see Figure 1)) (video data recording means).

In step S440, the video processing unit 1122 temporarily stores the hash value (hereinafter referred to as the "distributed hash value") returned from the distributed file system, and then uploads this distributed hash value together with text data including the item ID and owner ID onto the blockchain (the group of computers 420 (see Figure 1) that make up the blockchain network).

If it is determined in step S410 that video data is not included (step S410 is NO), in step S420, the video processing unit 1122 uploads and records text data including the item ID and owner ID on the blockchain (recording means). Note that in steps S420 and S440, the item ID may be encrypted data.

In step S450, the ownership information processing unit 1121 of the management server 100 stores the blockchain hash value, the item ID, and the owner ID returned from the blockchain in the ownership information storage unit 1131. The ownership information processing unit 1121 also associates and encodes the blockchain hash value with the item ID and the owner ID to generate a two-dimensional code as an ownership management identification code (generation means). The generated two-dimensional code is transmitted as electronic data such as a PDF file to the user's terminal device 300 via the network N. Alternatively, the generated two-dimensional code may be printed at a printing shop not described in detail here and sent to the user.
As described above, for an item manufactured by a manufacturer, an item ID, which is an identification code unique to the item, and an owner ID, which is unique identification information indicating the owner, are associated and recorded in the blockchain. In this embodiment, the blockchain hash value returned from the blockchain and the ownership management identification code generated by encoding the item ID and owner ID are positioned as NFTs.

[Ownership Change Process]
Next, the owner change process performed by the ownership management system 1 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the data processing in the owner change process. The owner change process is data processing for recording the transfer of ownership on the system 1 when the ownership of an item subject to ownership management is transferred to another party by selling the item, etc. Let us now consider a case where ownership is transferred from the item producer or creator who holds ownership of the item to the purchaser of the item.

In step S500, the management server 100 accepts an owner change request sent by the item owner from the terminal device 300. The owner change request includes the purchaser's owner ID. If the purchaser already holds an owner ID issued by the ownership management system 1, that owner ID is obtained and used as the purchaser's owner ID. If the purchaser does not hold an owner ID, the management server 100 that receives the owner change request can be configured to issue a new owner ID.

In step S510, the ownership information processing unit 1121 of the management server 100 records text data including the received item ID and the changed owner ID on the blockchain of the computer group 420.

In step S520, the ownership information processing unit 1121 of the management server 100 generates an encoded ownership management identification code from the blockchain hash value returned from the blockchain, the item ID, and the changed owner ID.

In step S530, the ownership information processing unit 1121 of the management server 100 sends the generated ownership management identification code to the requesting terminal device 300, and then ends the process.

With the above owner change process, when ownership is transferred through the sale of an item, etc., the change in owner ID that accompanies the transfer is recorded on the blockchain in a form that cannot be tampered with. The producer/creator selling the item can attach an ownership management identification code recording the change in ownership of the item to the item being sold and provide it to the purchaser. Note that while the example in Figure 5 describes a case where ownership is transferred from the producer/creator of the item to the purchaser of the item, the transfer of ownership can also be recorded in System 1 using a similar process when the purchaser resells the purchased item to another person.

[Ownership Verification Process]
Next, a description will be given of the data processing executed when the owner of an item that is subject to ownership management by the ownership management system 1 confirms his/her ownership. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the data processing of the owner confirmation process.

In step S600, the ownership information processing unit 1121 of the management server 100 receives an ownership confirmation request sent from the operation terminal 200 held by the owner of the item, along with the ownership management identification code held by the user.

In step S610, the ownership information processing unit 1121 reads the data recorded on the blockchain of the computer group 420 using data including the owner ID recorded in the received ownership management identification code.

In step S620, the ownership information processing unit 1121 determines whether the owner ID recorded in the data read from the blockchain matches the owner ID recorded in the owner management code received from the user's operation terminal 200. If it is determined that the two match (YES in step S620), the ownership information processing unit 1121 generates ownership certificate data and sends it to the requesting operation terminal 200, and ends the processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that the owner ID recorded in the data read from the blockchain does not match the owner ID recorded in the owner management code received from the user's operation terminal 200 (NO in step S620), in step S640, the ownership information processing unit 1121 sends a message to the requesting operation terminal 200 indicating that the information related to the owner ID does not match, and ends the processing.

The above ownership verification process allows the owner of an item to confirm that they are the legitimate owner of that item. Furthermore, the system-issued certificate of ownership allows them to demonstrate to third parties that they are the legitimate owner.

[Processing for determining authenticity of goods]
Next, the authenticity determination process for an item in the ownership management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As explained with respect to the ownership management start process in Fig. 4, this system 1 can manage the ownership of an item and also perform the authenticity determination process for that item. The authenticity determination process is also performed using the ownership management identification code issued to the owner of the item.

In this embodiment, when using the authenticity determination service in this system 1, the user is required to install in advance on the operation terminal 200 a specific app provided by the management company that operates the ownership management and authenticity determination service. Through this app, the user sets personal information for identifying the individual, such as name and address, a user ID, and a password, and registers the user on the management server 100. The user's registration information can be recorded, for example, on the service server 120.

When the app is launched, a login screen 210 such as that shown in Figure 7 is displayed on the operation terminal 200. The login screen 210 displays input fields for the user ID and password entered in advance by the user, and a login button 211. When the login button 211 is selected, the app sends the entered user ID and password to the service server 120. The service server 120 performs authentication using the user ID and password, and if authentication is successful, causes the app to display the user screen 220.

As shown in Figure 8, the user screen 220 displays an authentication history button 221 that allows the user to view the history of authentication assessments made by the user, and a read button 222 that starts reading the two-dimensional code. The management server 100 records and manages (management means) the history of authentication assessments made for each user ID, and although this is not described in detail in the figure, when the authentication history button 221 is selected, the history of authentication assessments can be viewed.

When the read button 222 is selected, the reading screen 230 shown in Figure 9 is displayed. With the reading screen 230 displayed, the user reads the two-dimensional code C attached to the product in hand.

[Data processing example for authenticity determination processing]
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the authenticity determination process performed by the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 of the management server 100.
In step S1000, when the ownership management identification code is read on the user's operation terminal 200, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 of the management server 100 transmits the read data to the management server 100 and accepts it (acceptance means). The authenticity determination processing unit 1123 of the management server 100 decrypts the received read data (extraction means), and after confirming whether the read data is to be used in the authenticity determination service, transmits the decrypted data to the management server 100 in step S1010.

In step S1020, the decrypted data includes a blockchain hash value, an item ID, and an owner ID. The authenticity determination processing unit 1123 of the management server 100 temporarily stores the decrypted item ID and owner ID, and in step S1030, accesses the computer group 420 and references the data on the blockchain from the blockchain hash value. Next, in step S1040, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 extracts the item ID and owner ID from the data on the blockchain referenced from the blockchain hash value, and compares the item ID and owner ID from the user held in step S1020 with the item ID and owner ID referenced from the blockchain hash value in step S1030 to determine whether they are consistent (determination means).

If it is determined that the two match (YES in step S1040), the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 determines that the item is genuine and proceeds to the genuine product determination output process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the two do not match (NO in step S1040), in step S1060, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 instructs the operation terminal 200 to display a counterfeit product determination display indicating that the item is a counterfeit, and completes the authenticity determination process. The counterfeit product determination display displays a message explaining that the item is a counterfeit (see Figure 13, described below).

In addition, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 performs processing to display a counterfeit product determination display in step S1060 if a blockchain hash value cannot be obtained in step S1030, or if a blockchain hash value is obtained in step S1030 but a corresponding item ID does not exist on the blockchain. Note that if it is determined that the item ID matches but the owner ID does not, a note stating "owner ID does not match" may be output during the authenticity determination output processing described below.

[Genuine product determination output process]
Next, the authenticity determination output process will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 11 and the example screen of FIG. 12 . First, in step S1100, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 of the management server 100 determines whether the data on the blockchain referenced from the blockchain hash value contains a distributed hash value. If it is determined that the distributed hash value is contained (YES in step S1100), in step S1110, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 references the video data on the distributed file system from the distributed hash value. If it is determined that the distributed hash value is not contained (NO in step S1100), in step S1140, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 displays text data of various information, including the item ID, from the data on the blockchain referenced from the blockchain hash value on the authenticity determination display screen 240 of the app, thereby completing the authenticity determination output process and the authenticity determination process.

In step S1120, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 extracts the video data referenced from the distributed hash value, converts it into a format that allows streaming playback, and generates link information that allows streaming playback of the video data. Then, in step S1130, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 displays the text data of various information, including the item ID, and the link information from the data referenced from the blockchain hash value on the authenticity determination display screen 240 in the app, completing the authenticity determination output process and authenticity determination process.

[Genuine product judgment display]

Figure 12 shows an example of an authenticity determination display screen displayed as a result of the authenticity determination process. As shown in Figure 12, the authenticity determination display screen 240 displays a statement 241 explaining that the product is authentic, the manufacturer's name, production date, item ID 242, the owner's name, blockchain hash value 243, and a video viewing button 245. When the authenticity determination display statement 241 is displayed as a result of the authenticity determination, the user can confirm that the product bearing the scanned 2D code is authentic. Mail order sales, including online shopping, have become widespread in recent years, and many retailers offer products. However, some retailers omit authenticity determination or intentionally sell counterfeit products. Therefore, allowing consumers to determine authenticity themselves is expected to increase product reliability and consumer purchasing motivation in the increasingly widespread mail order market. The display items and display format of the authenticity determination display screen 240 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 12 and may be modified as appropriate depending on system specifications, etc.

Furthermore, the authenticity determination display screen 240 displays the producer's name, production date, item ID 242, and blockchain hash value 243 in addition to text 241 explaining that the product is authentic, allowing for a sense of trust in the determination that the product is authentic. In particular, by displaying the blockchain hash value 243 on the authenticity determination display 240, it is clear that the data used in the determination is recorded on a blockchain that can strongly prevent tampering, lending credibility to the determination that the product is authentic.

Furthermore, by selecting the video viewing button 245, which is only displayed if the product is genuine, the user can watch the video. This not only gives the user confidence in the product's authenticity, but also allows the user to learn the story behind the thoughts and concepts that the manufacturer wants to convey about the product, satisfying the desire to own only genuine products.

[Effect of preventing fraudulent activities by the ownership management system 1]
According to the ownership management system 1 of this embodiment, a person who fraudulently acquires only a managed item does not have the two-dimensional code for obtaining the item ID and owner ID of the item, and therefore cannot prove that they are the owner. Therefore, they cannot resell the item to another person, and fraudulent acts by impersonating the owner are deterred.
Furthermore, even if an item to be managed and a two-dimensional code associated with that item are obtained fraudulently, the fraudulent acquirer will log in to the ownership management system 1 using user information different from that of the legitimate owner, and will therefore not be able to make an owner verification request for the item to the ownership management system 1. Therefore, in this case as well, the fraudulent acquirer is deterred from reselling the item.
Furthermore, in a case where someone produces counterfeit goods of managed items and attempts to sell them illegally, producing a counterfeit product alone is insufficient to prove ownership, thereby preventing unauthorized sales. Furthermore, if a two-dimensional code corresponding to a genuine product is also illegally reproduced, when the person who acquires the counterfeit product attempts to change the owner using the ownership management system 1, they will log in using user information different from that of the genuine product's owner, and will therefore be unable to request ownership confirmation for the item from the ownership management system 1. Therefore, even in this case, attempts to obtain unfair profits from counterfeit goods are prevented. Furthermore, suppose that the person who produces the counterfeit goods obtains not only the two-dimensional code corresponding to the genuine product, but also the genuine product's owner's user information (login ID, password) for the ownership management system 1. In this case, since the owner of the counterfeit product possesses the two-dimensional code for the genuine product and the genuine product's system user information, it is possible for the counterfeit product owner to technically impersonate the genuine product owner and resell the counterfeit product to a bona fide third party, thereby illegally rewriting the owner record in the ownership management system 1. However, in this case, the genuine product is in the possession of the original genuine product owner, and if the genuine product owner requests ownership confirmation using their own two-dimensional code from the ownership management system 1, it will become clear that the ownership has been wrongfully changed to another person despite the genuine product being in their possession. Therefore, this is thought to be a sufficient deterrent to planning fraudulent acts such as the production and sale of counterfeit products, at the risk of the illegal sale of counterfeit products coming to light later.
Furthermore, by adopting a two-factor authentication method that adds short message service (SMS) authentication or the like for the login process to the ownership management system 1, a third party cannot log in to the ownership management system 1 without obtaining not only user information such as the owner's login ID, but also the operation terminal 200 such as a smartphone used by the owner. In this way, the ownership management system 1 can be made more resistant to fraudulent activity.

The service server 120 of the management server 100 records a viewing history for each link that can stream the generated video data. Specifically, it records the IP address and MAC address of the device that accessed the link, i.e., the device that viewed the video, along with the date and time, and counts the number of times the same link has been accessed, i.e., viewed. This viewing history information is uploaded and recorded on the blockchain. This makes it possible to prevent tampering with this viewing history information. In addition to recording the viewing history, the history of authenticity determination requests may also be recorded and managed for each item ID, which is item identification information, or for each identical item or user ID.

If the number of video views exceeds a preset number, the service server 120 can display a warning display 244 (see Figure 12) indicating that the number of views is high on the authenticity determination display 240 and send the link information to the processing server 110. If the number of views is greater than the set number, it is suspected that the ownership management identification code itself has been duplicated and that there have been requests for authenticity determination from multiple operation terminals 200. Therefore, this has the effect of encouraging consumers who see the warning display to take action to confirm whether the product is authentic by contacting the retailer, manufacturer, or creator.

In addition, the service server 120 records the browsing history for each link information that can stream the generated video data, and also records the browsing history for each user ID in the link information, making it possible to monitor user IDs that request authenticity determination an unnatural number of times.

Furthermore, the service server 120 records the browsing history for each item ID, and by monitoring item IDs for which requests for authenticity determination have been made an unnatural number of times, it is possible to suspect duplication of the ownership management identification code in which the item ID is encoded.

Furthermore, when link information that allows streaming playback of video data is viewed, the service server 120 obtains location information (location coordinate data obtained based on GPS) in addition to date and time information from the operating terminal 200 that is viewing the link, and records this date and time information and location information in the viewing history information. Accordingly, if the dates and times of multiple viewing histories for the same link information, same user ID, or same item ID are simultaneous or close together, involvement with counterfeit goods is suspected. Furthermore, if an unnatural number of multiple viewing histories have location information in the same or close proximity, involvement with counterfeit goods is also suspected. Combining date and time information with location information allows for a more detailed understanding of the involvement of counterfeit goods. Furthermore, since multiple viewings may be conducted for testing purposes in the product's manufacturer's factory, creator's workshop, etc., it is preferable to use the location information to exclude the number of views in such specific locations from the criteria for determining whether a product is suspected to be counterfeit.

The service server 120 can also receive transaction information for the buying and selling of products, and record each transaction information for each item ID on the blockchain, allowing it to be viewed as needed based on the item ID restored from the ownership management identification code. This can improve traceability.

The processing server 110 records the item ID corresponding to the received link information in the warning list, and thereafter, if an item ID received in conjunction with a request for authenticity determination is recorded in the warning list, a warning message is displayed on the authenticity determination display screen 240 of the operation terminal 200 that is the sender of the information on the ownership management identification code corresponding to that item ID. This makes it possible to quickly warn consumers that the ownership management identification code itself may have been copied.

To summarize the configuration of the ownership management system 1 in this embodiment, the management server 100 generates an ownership management identification code from an item ID, which is unique identification information assigned by the product manufacturer to identify the product, an owner ID, which is information for identifying the owner of the item, and a hash value obtained when the item ID is recorded on the blockchain. The manufacturer or creator of the item can attach the generated ownership management identification code to the item and sell the item. The purchaser of the item can read the ownership management identification code assigned to the item using an operation terminal 200 such as a smartphone and request the management server 100 to confirm the owner and determine its authenticity. The management server 100 restores the blockchain hash value, the item ID, and the associated owner ID from the information on the ownership management identification code received from the operation terminal 200, obtains the item ID and owner ID recorded on the blockchain using the restored blockchain hash value, determines the consistency between the restored item ID and owner ID directly from the ownership management identification code, and outputs the determined consistency to the operation terminal 200. This allows the purchaser of an item to easily verify the owner and determine authenticity by simply installing the app on the operation terminal 200 and reading the ownership management identification code attached to the item. Furthermore, because the item ID attached to the item, its associated owner ID, and the blockchain hash value where the identification information is recorded are associated only by the ownership management identification code, there is no risk of tampering with the information used to verify the owner and determine the authenticity of the item, allowing for highly reliable owner verification and authenticity determination.

Furthermore, when the management server 100 determines that the two item IDs match through the authenticity determination process, i.e., when determining that the item is genuine, it outputs the video data stored along with the item ID 18 to the operation terminal 2 so that it can be viewed. This allows the consumer to select the video viewing button 20 for the video that is displayed only if the item is genuine, and watch the video. By viewing this video, the consumer can gain confidence in the determination that the item is genuine.

The management server 100 also stores video data in a group of computers 410 that make up a distributed file system, and associates a distributed hash value, which is related data regarding the storage of the video data, with an item ID and an owner ID, and records this in a group of computers 420 that are nodes in the blockchain. Since the association between the video data and the item ID is recorded only on the blockchain, tampering with this association can be prevented, and malicious substitution of video data can be prevented.

In addition, because the management server 100 uses the item ID assigned to the item when it was produced or manufactured as the item identification information used for ownership management and authenticity determination, there is no need for the management server 100 to prepare and manage new identification information to be used for ownership management and authenticity determination, or the correspondence between the new identification information and the item ID, and the management server 100 is not exposed to the risk of malicious tampering. In other words, by performing ownership management and authenticity determination using the unique item ID already assigned to the item, the reliability of owner verification and authenticity determination can be maintained.

In addition, the blockchain hash value, item ID, and owner ID in the ownership management identification code can only be restored by the management server 100, and are configured to be invisible unless the item is determined to be genuine. Therefore, even if a genuine ownership management identification code is simply copied, it is difficult to match it with the item ID and owner ID attached to the item, effectively preventing malicious forgery of ownership management identification codes.

In addition, in this embodiment, the management server 100 generates an ownership management identification code by encoding the blockchain hash value returned from the blockchain, the item ID, and the owner ID, but it is sufficient to generate an ownership management identification code based on the blockchain hash value, the item ID, and the owner ID, and methods other than encoding may be used.

Furthermore, the service server 120 accepts a user ID from the operation terminal 200 when receiving a request for authenticity determination, and records and manages the history of authenticity determination for each user ID, making it easy for the management company to detect fraud. For example, if there are an extremely large number of requests for authenticity determination, it can be suspected that the person is involved in the sale of counterfeit goods, and the manufacturer or producer of the type of goods for which authenticity determination has been requested from that user ID can be alerted to the presence of counterfeit goods. Furthermore, by recording the history of authenticity determination on the blockchain, tampering can be prevented.
The data processing by the service server 120 described above may be executed by another part of the management server 100, for example, the processing server 110.

As described above, one embodiment of the present invention provides an item ownership management system and ownership management identification code that enable proper management of ownership of real-world items.

When the owner of an item is changed, the management server 100 that receives the changed owner ID can be configured to associate the item ID related to the item with the changed owner ID and record them on the blockchain, and to generate a two-dimensional code as an identification code for ownership management from the blockchain hash value obtained from the blockchain when recording, and the item ID and owner ID information.
In this way, changes in the ownership of an item are recorded on the blockchain in a form that is virtually impossible to tamper with, effectively preventing fraudulent activities such as the fraudulent acquisition of items and reselling them by impersonating the owner.

The system may further include a video processing unit that stores video data corresponding to the item associated with the item ID in a distributed file system in association with at least one of the blockchain hash value and the item ID obtained from the blockchain when recording, and that records link data regarding the storage of the video data on the blockchain in association with the item ID, and the operation terminal 200 may be configured to output the video data corresponding to the item associated with the item ID in a viewable manner based on at least one of the blockchain hash value and the item ID extracted from the two-dimensional code when the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 determines that there is a match.
In this way, a video about the item can be viewed only if the item is genuine, which not only gives confidence in the judgment that it is genuine, but also allows users to learn the story of the thoughts and concepts that the producers and creators want to convey about the item, satisfying the desire to own only genuine items.

The operation terminal 200 can be configured to output the extracted blockchain hash value together with the consistency relationship when the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 determines that there is a consistency.
In this way, by displaying the blockchain hash value in the authenticity determination display, customers can see that the data used in the determination is recorded on a blockchain, which can strongly prevent tampering, and this can give confidence in the determination that the product is authentic.

When the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 performs the determination process, the authenticity determination processing unit 1123 can be configured to record and manage the determination history for each item ID.
In this way, it becomes possible to extract events that may suggest some kind of fraud, such as multiple requests for judgment being made for the same item ID.

[Modification of this embodiment]
The present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings based on its embodiments, but the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and changes and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a purchaser or seller of an item uses an app installed on the operation terminal 200 to request ownership confirmation and authenticity determination. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the management server 100 may be equipped with a function to execute a web application, and a screen for reading an ownership management identification code, implemented as a two-dimensional barcode or the like, and the determination results may be displayed on the browser of the operation terminal 200.

The processing server 110 may also have a correspondence table that associates the distributed hash value returned when the received video data is stored in the distributed file system with unique link information and an item ID, record the unique link information and item ID on the blockchain described above, and generate an ownership management identification code from the returned blockchain hash value and item ID. By making the distributed hash value in the correspondence table changeable, it is possible to maintain the correspondence with the unique link information even if the video data is changed, allowing consumers to watch the latest videos.

Furthermore, the text data of various information, including item IDs and owner IDs, is not limited to being recorded on the blockchain of one platform. For example, the text data of item IDs and owner IDs may be recorded on the blockchain of a first platform, and the hash value returned from the blockchain of the first platform and other text data or video data may be recorded on the blockchain of a second platform. This allows recording to be performed in the optimal combination depending on the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.

In the past, the information output as the result of the authenticity assessment was either genuine or counterfeit, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reliability of the assessment result may be converted into a score and output. For example, if the video has been viewed more than a set number of times based on the number of views described above, there is a suspicion that the ownership management identification code itself may have been copied. Therefore, when outputting the authenticity assessment, the reliability of the authenticity assessment result may be deducted by a point.

Furthermore, the blockchain in the above embodiment may be a public chain specification, or a so-called private chain that operates in an environment on multiple computers that make up the management server 100 provided by the management company.

Furthermore, the client-side operation terminal 200 used by product purchasers and sellers is not limited to smartphones, but may also be a tablet or personal computer.

Furthermore, the ownership management identification code used for ownership management and authenticity determination is not limited to being encoded as a two-dimensional code as in the above embodiment, but may also be recorded within an RFID tag.

The two-dimensional code may also be attached to the item by pasting a printed sticker on it, or it may be printed directly on the item or engraved.

Furthermore, the browsing history and authenticity determination history do not necessarily have to be recorded on the blockchain, but may also be stored in storage provided by the service server 120.

1 Ownership management system 100 Management server 110 Processing server 111 Processor 112 Memory 1121 Ownership information processing unit 1122 Video processing unit 1123 Authentication determination processing unit 113 Auxiliary storage unit 1131 Ownership information storage unit 120 Service server 200 Operation terminal 210 Login screen (of operation terminal 200)
211 Login button 220 User screen (of operation terminal 200)
221: Judgment history button 222: Read button 230: Read screen 240: Genuine product judgment display screen (of operation terminal 200)
241 Genuine product display wording 242 Product ID
243 Blockchain hash value 244 Warning display 245 Video viewing button 250 Counterfeit product determination display screen (of operation terminal 200)
251 Counterfeit product indication message 300 Terminal device 400 Recording server 410 Computer group (IPFS)
420 Computer cluster (blockchain)
C. Two-dimensional code (identification code for ownership management)

Claims (5)

A recording means for recording on a blockchain, in association with item identification information, which is unique information for identifying an item, and ownership information, which is information indicating the owner of the item;
a generation means for generating an ownership management identification code from a hash value acquired from the blockchain at the time of recording, the item identification information, and the ownership information;
a receiving means for receiving the ownership management identification code together with a request for confirmation of the ownership of the item from the owner of the item;
extraction means for extracting the hash value, the item identification information, and the ownership information from the ownership management identification code received by the reception means;
a determination means for obtaining the item identification information and the ownership information recorded on the blockchain using the extracted hash value, and determining a consistency relationship between the item identification information and the ownership information extracted from the ownership management identification code;
an output means for outputting the extracted item identification information and ownership information when the determination means determines that the information matches, thereby enabling the owner of the item to confirm that he or she is the legitimate owner of the item and to demonstrate to a third party that he or she is the owner of the item;
1. An ownership management system comprising: The item ownership management system described in claim 1, characterized in that when the owner of the item changes, the recording means, which receives the ownership information after the change of owner, associates the item identification information for the item with the changed ownership information and records them on the blockchain, and the generation means generates an ownership management identification code from the hash value obtained from the blockchain at the time of recording, the item identification information, and the changed ownership information. The video data recording means stores video data corresponding to the item related to the item identification information in a distributed file system in association with at least one of the hash value and the item identification information acquired from the blockchain when recording, and stores link data related to the storage of the video data in association with the item identification information on the blockchain,
The ownership management system of claim 1, characterized in that when the determination means determines that there is a match, the output means outputs the video data corresponding to the product related to the item identification information in a viewable manner based on at least one of the hash value and the item identification information extracted from the ownership management identification code by the extraction means. An item ownership management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the output means outputs the extracted hash value together with the matching relationship when the determination means determines that there is a match. 5. The ownership management system for goods according to claim 1, further comprising a management means for recording and managing a history of determination for each of said goods identification information when said determination means performs the determination process.