JP2005309788A - Electronic contract method and system for executing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic contract system for regularly collectively handing a plurality of document which are document expressed by different applications by managing the documents as one contract unit. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic contract system, for managing and storing an electronic contract document received from a user terminal through an individual authentication device 10 for performing individual authentication, comprises a means for issuing a document identifier in conformation to the electronic contract document received from the user terminal through the individual authentication device; a means for attaching an electronic sign to the received electronic contract document; a means for attaching an electronic sign to document recognition record information received from a predetermined user terminal; and a means for storing the document recognition record information in conformation to the document identifier. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic contract method and a system that implements the method, and in particular, an original that can physically and logically separate the distance between an authentication server and an original storage server and does not select a personal authentication device. One storage unit is realized by providing a storage server and assigning the same contract management identifier to the server when receiving multiple documents uploaded at the time of user registration or documents expressed by different applications as one contract When managing multiple documents as a single contract unit, a log is taken and the log is signed to ensure the confidentiality of handling multiple documents or documents expressed in different applications at once. The present invention relates to an electronic contract method and a system for implementing the method.

A conventional example of an electronic contract based on the electronic signature method will be described with reference to FIG. Various types of electronic contract devices of this type have been developed (see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
In FIG. 16, the entire electronic contract device is composed of (the former) side authentication device 1, (second) side authentication device 1 ′, and original document storage device 2 for making an electronic contract. The original storage device 2 is composed of the same server. Here, the original storage device 2 has an “electronic contract server” and an “original storage server”. Original storage means storing registered data with an electronic signature. One form of electronic signature is pkcs # 7. This original storage device 2 is constituted by a third party approved by both the electronic contract conclusion source (the former) and the electronic contract conclusion destination (the second party). The operation of the electronic contract device will be described below.

(1) The electronic signature obtained from the certification body to authenticate the identity of the electronic contract contractor (Exhibitor A) on the electronic contract. Is encrypted with a private key.
(2) The electronic contract conclusion party (Exhibitor A) attaches a certificate to the signed contract and sends it to the electronic contract conclusion party (Otsu).
(3) The electronic contract partner (O) confirms the electronic contract operator (Exhibitor A) with a certificate, carefully examines the contents, and similarly, electronically signs the sent electronic contract. Apply.
(4) Electronic contractor (B) attaches a certificate to the signed contract of both parties and returns it to the electronic contractor (Exhibitor A).

(5) The contracts with the electronic signatures of both the electronic contract conclusion source (the former) and the electronic contract conclusion destination (the second party) are stored in the original storage device 2 as originals.
(6) The electronic contract with the electronic signature stored in the original storage device 2 can be referred to as needed by the electronic contract conclusion source (the former) and the electronic contract conclusion destination (the second party).
The electronic contract was realized as described above.
JP-A-10-240826 JP-A-11-265433 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-074507 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-150871

The conventional example of the above-mentioned electronic contract in conformity with the electronic signature law is the electronic signature that the electronic contract conclusion party (Exhibit A) obtains from the certification body to authenticate the identity of the electronic contract. Is sent to the electronic contract partner (B), and the electronic contract partner (B) also electronically signs the electronic contract in the destination. Therefore, in the configuration of the electronic contract device, the authentication device 1 on the (A) side, the authentication device 1 ′ on the (B) side, and the original storage device 2 need to be configured by the same server.
By the way, this electronic contract apparatus has problems and problems to be solved which will be described next.

(A) Since the authentication devices 1 and 1 'for performing an electronic contract and the original storage device 2 are configured by the same server, it is very difficult to change the certification body while using the electronic contract service. is there.
(B) An electronic signature obtained from a certification body to authenticate the identity of an electronic contract. Is sent to the electronic contract conclusion party (B), and the electronic contract conclusion party (B) is also electronically signed on the electronic contract. Therefore, when the document is a document composed of a plurality of documents or expressed by different applications, it is necessary to separately manage these documents, and the processing is very complicated as a whole.
(C) Since it is common to set an expiration date for a certificate, a document signed with a user's certificate always generates traffic for inquiries to the user for renewal. It is complicated. Traffic generally refers to the product of the number of calls per unit time and the hold time of the line due to speech or data transmission.

  Here, the present invention realizes an original storage server that can physically and logically separate the distance between the authentication device and the original storage device, and does not select the personal authentication device. Multiple documents uploaded simultaneously at the time of registration or documents expressed by different applications are assumed to be one contract, and the same contract management identifier is given when receiving the original storage server and the electronic contract server, so that multiple documents or different Even a document expressed in an application can be managed in units of one contract document. When managing a plurality of documents as one contract unit, a log is taken and the log is signed with the certificate of the original storage server. By adopting the configuration, it is possible to guarantee the confidentiality of multiple documents being handled all at once. Time update without generating click is also simplified, there is provided a system for implementing the electronic contract method and the method.

  Claim 1: An electronic contract system for managing and storing an electronic contract document received from a user terminal through a personal authentication device for authenticating the user, wherein the electronic contract is received from the user terminal through the personal authentication device Means for issuing a document identifier corresponding to a document, means for attaching an electronic signature to the received electronic contract document, means for attaching an electronic signature to document approval record information received from a predetermined user terminal, An electronic contract system comprising: means for storing the document approval record information in association with the document identifier.

Claim 2: When a contract document use history information is received from the user terminal, after creating contract document use history information, means for attaching an electronic signature to the contract document use history information, and using the contract document The electronic contract system according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing the history in correspondence with the document identifier.
Claim 3: Means for holding information of users who need approval for each document identifier, and the fact that a contract has been established for a predetermined user when receiving approval information of all the users who need approval The electronic contract system according to claim 1 which performs the notification is configured.

Claim 4: When there are a plurality of electronic contract documents received from the authentication server, the same contract management identifier is assigned to a plurality of electronic contract documents received in the same session. Configured an electronic contract system.
Claim 5: The electronic contract system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electronic contract document storage system is connected to the electronic contract document storage system from the user terminal via the authentication server by a secure communication network based on bidirectional authentication.
Claim 6: An electronic contract document according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein an electronic contract system capable of storing a plurality of documents created by different applications is configured.

  Claim 7: The identity of the user who has accessed the center by forming a secure communication path from the user to the electronic signature and original storage center comprising the authentication server and the original storage server is specified, and the user is identified Based on the identified information, the center impersonates the person and digitally signs the document, links the electronic contract document with the approval record of the electronic contract party, applies the electronic signature at the center, and the stored electronic contract information is the access history. An electronic signature characterized by continuously verifying with a log, applying an electronic signature to the log at the center, and updating the electronic signature, which is a certificate certifying the identity, at the center to ensure originality. Configured the contract method.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an original storage server in which the distance between the authentication server and the original storage server can be physically and logically separated and the personal authentication device is not selected. It was uploaded at the time of registration by associating the approval fact of the electronic contract conclusion source authenticated with the authentication server by the authentication server and the approval fact of the electronic contract conclusion destination confirmed by the authentication server with the electronic signature. A plurality of documents or documents expressed by different applications can be managed as one contract unit, and when managing a plurality of documents as one contract unit, a log is taken and a plurality of documents are signed. Alternatively, it is possible to ensure the confidentiality that documents expressed in different applications are handled collectively.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best mode for carrying out the invention will be specifically described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.
First, the outline of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Electronic contracts generally consist of electronic contracts and electronic contracts for contracts made between one of the users' electronic contract conclusion party (the former) and the other party of the electronic contract (the second party). This is achieved by registering and storing the three parties, the fact that the former (the former) confirmed and approved the contract, and the fact that the electronic contract partner (the second party) confirmed and approved the contract, in a form that cannot be tampered with. In the present invention, even a plurality of documents or documents expressed by different applications can be electronically contracted collectively by the following two configurations.

(A) The electronic contract device has a configuration in which the personal authentication device 10 including the authentication server and the original storage device 2 are separated. After that, both the authentication server 10 and the original storage device 2 are linked, the authentication information of the authentication server 10 is taken over, and the original storage device 2 stores the authentication information and an electronic contract to make an electronic contract. When the certification authority is changed during the period when the electronic contract apparatus is used, the original information stored up to that point can be continuously referred to, so that the original can be kept by the new certification authority.
(B) The electronic contract is verified by associating the approval fact of the electronic contract conclusion source (the former) authenticated with the principal by the authentication server 10 and the approval fact of the electronic contract conclusion destination (the second party) confirmed with the principal by the authentication server 10. Estimate establishment. Accordingly, even a plurality of documents or documents expressed by different applications are managed collectively by linking, and can be managed as a unique electronic contract. This will be specifically described below.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the embodiment of the electronic contract apparatus includes an electronic contract server 21 for managing the progress of the contract, an original storage server 22 for storing the contract document and the approval fact in a form that cannot be falsified, and an electronic contract apparatus. The authentication server 10 is used to authenticate users. The electronic contract device and the original storage device may be physically separate devices as the electronic contract system or may be a single device. There may be a plurality of authentication servers for one electronic contract system. The authentication server 10 and the electronic contract device and the original storage server may be connected by a communication network represented by the Internet, but it is desirable to connect by a closed network from the viewpoint of preventing impersonation. Here, the identification and authentication of the user of the electronic contract apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The original storage server 22 specifies a user who becomes a request source for all requests (the following description uses the original storage server as an example, but the same description holds for the electronic contract server). All requests to the original storage server 22 are relayed by the authentication server 10. In the authentication server 10, a user who permits the request is registered in advance. The communication between the authentication server 10 and the user uses a secure communication method such as HTTPS. Communication is not limited to HTTPS, and any method may be used as long as it is an authentication method that reliably identifies the person. The authentication server 10 specifies the requesting user by SSL two-way authentication described later with respect to the initial request from the user. At this time, the authentication server 10 generates session information (Cookie) and returns it to the user. At the second and subsequent requests, the user is specified using the session information. When relaying a request from a user, the authentication server 10 obtains a contract management identifier from information registered in advance, and transmits the contract management identifier to the original storage server 22 attached to the HTTP header of the request. In response to the first request from the user, the original storage server 22 acquires the contract management identifier transmitted from the authentication server 10 and identifies the user. At this time, the original storage server 22 generates session information and returns it to the user. At the second and subsequent requests, the user is specified using the session information. The session information used at this time is different from that generated by the authentication server 10.

Next, SSL two-way authentication used for user identification will be described with reference to the sequences of FIGS.
When the authentication server 10 identifies a user, SSL two-way authentication is used. An outline of a procedure (handshake) for performing authentication and establishing a session in SSL is shown in FIGS. In SSL two-way authentication, the authentication server 10 installs a server certificate, and the user prepares in advance for installing a client certificate in a Web browser used by the user.

The outline of advance preparation is as follows.
(A) Preparation on the authentication server 10 side-The administrator of the authentication server 10 generates a public key / private key pair.
The administrator of the authentication server 10 submits the public key to the certificate authority (CA) and requests the issuance of a server certificate.
The certificate authority issues a server certificate and passes it to the administrator of the authentication server 10.
The administrator of the authentication server 10 installs the received server certificate on the authentication server 10.

(B) Preparation on the user side The user generates a public / private key pair at hand.
The user submits the public key to the certificate authority (CA) via the certificate issuing server (RA) of the authentication server 10 and requests the client certificate to be issued.
The certificate authority issues a client certificate and passes it to the user via the certificate issuing server (RA) of the authentication server 10.
-The user installs the received client certificate in the Web browser.
Incidentally, the following information is described in the server certificate and the client certificate.
1) Registered public key 2) Information of owner of registered public key 3) Information of certification authority that issued digital certificate 4) Signature of issuing certification authority

Next, a contract flow by the electronic contract apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
1) As shown in FIG. 1, a secure communication path 9 is formed by SSL Ver 3 two-way authentication. The identity is proved by accessing the center 20 via the secure communication path 9, and the registrant (the former) who is the electronic contract conclusion source who is the person who has accessed the center 20 is specified. Here, the center 20 includes the authentication server 10 and the original storage device 2 which are configured separately from each other. SSL Ver 3 Two-way authentication establishes the connection of the registrant who is not impersonating another person.
2) Referring to FIG. 9, the registrant who proves his / her identity requests the electronic contract server 21 for a screen for registering data regardless of plural or different file formats.
3) The electronic contract server 21 displays a registration start screen to the registrant (the former).
4) The registrant (the former) requests the original storage server 22 to register the contract without worrying about the number of data and the application.
(Processing content of the original storage server, see FIG. 17A)

-1 Pay out the document identifier. If there are a plurality of contract document files at this time, the same contract management identifier is attached to the documents transmitted simultaneously in one session. As a result, a plurality of files can be handled as one contract document without depending on the file application.
・ 2 Sign the contract using the private key of the electronic contract system.
・ 3 Combine contracts and signatures in pkcs # 7 format.
・ 4 Store the contract and signature in the storage database DB.
・ 5 Notify the registrant (Exhibitor) of registration completion along with the registration receipt number.
5) Referring to FIG. 10, the registrant (the former) requests the original storage server 22 to display the document registered by the registrant (the former). At this time, a cookie via the contract management identifier or authentication server is sent to the original storage server together with the display request of the former, the original storage server DB is searched based on this contract management identifier or cookie, and registered for the user terminal of the former Send the document.
The original storage server 22 extracts the contract from the signed one and returns it to the registrant (the former).

  The registrant (Class A) looks at the contents of the displayed contract and confirms that he / she has registered. The registrant (the former) registers the document identifier in the electronic contract server 21. At this time, Ah registers an ID for identifying the approver in the electronic contract server together. The ID of the approver may be selected from those registered in advance on the electronic contract system, or may be input via the user terminal of the former. In this example, it is assumed that the approver (the former) and the approver (the second) are registered as the approver. When the approver and the browsable person are separated, the browsable person ID is also registered by the same means. The electronic contract server 21 returns registration completion to the registrant (the former).

  6) Referring to FIG. 11, the approver (the former) (registrant (the former)) requests the electronic contract server 21 to search for and display the contract that must be approved. The electronic contract server 21 displays the registration reception number of the contract as a search result to the approver (the former). The approver (class A) requests the electronic contract server 21 to display the contract with the registration receipt number. At this time, the approver (class A) is authenticated through the authentication server, and the contract management identifier or cookie is transmitted from the authentication server as described above. Can recognize the approver (the former) and retrieve the document identifier of the contract document to be approved by the approver (the former). The original storage server 22 extracts the signed contract of the registration receipt number and returns it to the approver (the former). Look at the contents of the contract displayed in return, and confirm that it is correct.

7) Referring to FIG. 12, since the approver (the former) has confirmed that there is no mistake that he / she has registered, he presses the confirmation button.
(See the processing contents of the original storage server, FIG. 17B)
-1 Pay out the document identifier.
-2 Create an approval fact (approver information and approval target contract, etc.) that is a file indicating the contents approved by Party A, and sign it using the private key.
3 Summarize approval facts and signatures in pkcs # 7 format.
・ 4 Store approval facts and signatures in the storage database DB.
・ 5 Notify the approver (the former) of the approval completion with the registration number.
The approver (the former) transmits the registration reception number to the electronic contract server 21 and registers that the approval is completed here. The approval by the approver (the former) is returned to the approver (the former). The data stored in the original can be managed as a batch electronic contract by the approval information. This is the maximum effect obtained by the present invention.

8) Referring to FIG. 13, the approver (the second party) who has concluded the electronic contract with the identity is displayed on the electronic contract server 21 by displaying the contract document originally stored by the registrant (the second party). Request (search). The search mechanism is the same as the search method described above.
9) The approver (B) confirms the contract, and stores the approved fact (approver information, approval target contract, etc.) in the original storage server 22. The original storage server 22 pays out a registration receipt number. The approver (B) transmits the contract approval information to the electronic contract server through the user terminal of B. This may be configured so that a transmission command is issued through the terminal after confirmation by the second party, or the original storage server directly transmits to the electronic contract.
When the electronic contract server confirms that all of the IDs that need to be approved (in this case, the approver (the former) and the approver (the second)) have been authenticated, the E-signature is sent to all of the registered approvers. Send mail. By receiving this mail, the approver can estimate that the contract has been established. The mail address may be registered in the electronic contract server, or the electronic contract server notifies the authentication server of a mail transmission command, and the authentication server searches for a pre-registered mail address and transmits it. It may be configured. This is the conclusion of the contract.

10) The approver (B) records in the electronic contract server 21 that the original fact is stored in the original storage server 22.
11) The electronic contract for which the contract has been established is stored in the original storage server 22 for a long time. The signature for long-term storage is collectively updated at the center 20 by the original storage device 2. Therefore, even if the certification authority is changed, the originality is ensured.
Next, a method for data log audit will be described.
First, the user who wants to browse the data (A) transmits a contract document browsing request to the original storage device via the authentication server.
As described above, the authentication server transmits the contract management identifier or cookie to the original storage device.

Based on the contract management identifier or cookie, the original storage device transmits a document identifier that can be viewed by the user (the user A) to the user (the user) terminal. When the user (class A) selects a document identifier of a contract document that can be viewed displayed on the terminal, a viewing request is transmitted from the terminal to the original storage device together with the document identifier.
The original document storage device searches for the corresponding contract document from the above document identifier, and transmits the contract document to the user (class A) terminal.
At this time, the original storage device grasps that the user (the user) has accessed based on the contract management identifier or cookie received via the authentication server, and sets a time stamp indicating that the contract management identifier and the browsing request have been received. At the same time, it is signed with the secret key of the original storage device and stored as an audit log.

  To summarize the above, (1) the identity of the contractor who is the person who has accessed the center is specified by forming a secure communication path (SSL Ver 3 method). The center refers to an electronic contract device that stores an electronic signature and an original stored by a personal authentication device and an original storage device that are configured separately from each other. (2) Based on the information specifying the contractor, the center performs an electronic signature including a time stamp (time stamp) on behalf of the principal. (3) The electronic contract is linked with the approval record of both the electronic contract parties and the electronic signature is signed at the center to prove the establishment of the electronic contract. (4) Tampering is detected by continuously verifying the recorded electronic contract information with a log as an access history. (5) For the log, an electronic signature is applied at the center to detect falsification. (6) When the certificate expiration date for authenticating the identity expires, the center ensures the originality over a long period of time by updating the electronic signature, which is a certificate certifying the identity at the center.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the personal authentication device including the authentication server and the original storage device including the electronic contract server and the original storage server are provided, and the user extends from the user authentication device and the original storage device. In an electronic contract device that forms a secure communication path by two-way authentication, the electronic contract is stored on the original storage server via the authentication server that authenticates the identity, and the electronic contract is verified by the server certificate of the authentication server. In addition to signing with a certificate, the management of electronic contracts is managed as a log, and this log is also signed with the server certificate of the authentication server. As a result, confidentiality of data can be secured on the original storage server side while keeping the identity of the user transferred to the authentication server side. Never generate traffic. Therefore, the distance between the authentication server and the original storage server can be physically and logically separated, and an original storage server that does not select the personal authentication device can be realized.

  Further, a plurality of documents or different applications that are simultaneously uploaded at the time of user registration or a document expressed by different applications are assumed to be one contract, and the same contract management identifier is given at the server side reception. Can be managed in units of one contract document. Here, although the reliability of the server to which the same contract management identifier is assigned becomes a problem, a configuration is adopted in which a log is taken when managing a plurality of documents as one contract unit, and the log is signed with the certificate of the original storage server By adopting the above, it is possible to ensure the confidentiality that a plurality of documents or documents expressed by different applications are always handled collectively.

The figure explaining the outline | summary of an Example. The figure explaining the component of the Example of an electronic contract apparatus. The figure explaining a user's specific method. Continuation of FIG. The figure explaining the handshake in SSL two-way authentication. Continuation of FIG. Continuation of FIG. Continuation of FIG. The figure explaining registration of the contract by a registrant. Continuation of FIG. The figure explaining approval of a contract by a registrant. Continuation of FIG. The figure explaining the approval of the contract by the contract partner. Continuation of FIG. The figure which shows the storage content of an electronic contract server and an original storage server. The figure explaining a prior art example. The figure explaining the processing content of an original storage server.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1 'authentication apparatus 10 Personal authentication apparatus 2 Original storage apparatus 20 Center 21 Electronic contract server 22 Original storage server 9 Secure communication path by two-way authentication

Claims (7)

An electronic contract system for managing and storing electronic contract documents received from a user terminal through a personal authentication device for authenticating the user,
Means for issuing a document identifier corresponding to the electronic contract document received from the user terminal via the personal authentication device;
Means for attaching an electronic signature to the received electronic contract document;
Means for attaching an electronic signature to document approval record information received from a predetermined user terminal;
Means for storing the document identifier in association with the document approval record information;
An electronic contract system characterized by comprising: When a contract document use request is received from the user terminal, after creating the contract document use history information, means for attaching an electronic signature to the contract document use history information;
Means for storing the contract document usage history in association with a document identifier;
The electronic contract system according to claim 1, further comprising: Means for holding user information that needs to be approved for each document identifier;
The electronic contract system according to claim 1, wherein when the approval information of all the users who need the approval is received, a notification that the contract has been established is given to a predetermined user. The same contract management identifier is assigned to a plurality of electronic contract documents received in the same session when there are a plurality of electronic contract documents received from the authentication server. The electronic contract system described.   The electronic contract system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electronic contract document storage system is connected to the electronic contract document storage system from a user terminal via an authentication server by a secure communication network based on two-way authentication. 5. An electronic contract document according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of documents created by different applications can be stored. Information that specifies the identity of the user who has accessed the center by forming a secure communication path from the user to the electronic signature and original storage center comprising the authentication server and the original storage server. Based on the person's identity, the electronic signature is applied to the document, the electronic contract is linked with the electronic contract party's approval record, and the electronic signature is applied at the center.
The stored electronic contract information is continuously verified in the access history log,
The log is digitally signed at the center,
An electronic contract method characterized in that an electronic signature, which is a certificate certifying the identity, is updated at the center and the originality is ensured at the center.

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