JP2022038211A - Content management system, content management program and content management method for providing limited content related to quantity or period - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a content management system for providing limited content in a service for distributing digital content to a user having an access right.SOLUTION: A content management system includes a content management server 1 having an access right processing reception part 100 and an ID issuing part 101A, an access right management part 4 and a plurality of providing service processing devices. The access right processing reception part receives a combination of identification information of a user providing limited content and identification information of the content from the respective providing service processing devices. The ID issuing part issues a content issuance ID that is at least unique among access rights with identification information of the same content attached thereto to the information received by the access right processing reception part. The access right management part records an access right having the identification information of a user, the identification information of the content and the content issuance ID.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a content management system, a content management program, and a content management method.

In recent years, various contents have become available electronically, and many digital content providing services distribute the contents via the Internet. Such electronic content is often provided in a form in which the right to access the content (right to use the content) is lent, rather than transferring the data itself.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of sales server devices that provide a digital content sales site and a digital content management server device are configured to be communicable, and content is distributed based on the purchase history of each sales site. The distribution system is described.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-106656

Real books, CDs, DVDs, trading cards, etc. may be offered in a certain quantity as so-called limited items. As for digital contents, it is desired to provide digital contents (hereinafter referred to as limited contents) in a limited quantity in such a provision mode, but the prior art does not disclose the solution.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new technique for providing limited content in a service for distributing digital content to a user having an access right.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a content management system that manages limited content, which is digital content whose supply quantity or provision period is limited.
The content management system includes an access right processing reception unit, an ID issuing unit, an access right management unit, and a plurality of provided service processing devices.
Further, the content management system stores the identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content in association with each other.
The provided service processing device is configured to be able to accept a request for provision of the limited content licensed to be handled from a user based on the identification information of the provided service.
The access right processing reception unit receives from each of the provided service processing devices a combination of the identification information of the user who provides the limited content and the identification information of the content.
The ID issuing unit issues a content issuing ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached to the information received by the access right processing receiving unit.
The access right management unit records the user identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the serial number.

With such a configuration, it is possible to provide limited-quantity content or limited-time content whose handling is restricted for each of a plurality of provided services, and to manage the access right thereof. Also, in general, when the digital content is an e-book, the reward for the right holder of the e-book can be calculated based on the actual quantity of the generation of the e-book, but if the provided quantity is considered as the circulation quantity, the provided quantity (that is, issuance). It is possible to calculate the reward according to the number of copies), and it is possible to realize a distribution method that matches the actual reward system.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the content management system further comprises a quantity management unit.
When the limited content is a limited quantity content,
The quantity management unit is configured to be able to determine the inventory amount of the limited content that can be provided based on the provided quantity, and manages the generated quantity of the limited quantity content.
With such a configuration, it is possible to provide limited content and manage its access right via a plurality of provided services.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the provided service processing device or the access right processing receiving unit is configured so that a user who can at least access the limited content cannot purchase the same limited content based on the access right. To.
With such a configuration, it is possible to provide digital contents in consideration of the rarity of limited products.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the access right further has a type attribute.
The type attribute is information that makes limited content distinguishable from other content.
The content management system further includes a serial number issuing unit that issues a serial number unique to each content ID.
When the limited content is a limited quantity content,
The serial number is assigned to the limited content and other content having at least some type attributes.
Only for the content having the type attribute indicating the limited content, the serial number attached to each limited content is displayed and processed on the transfer processing screen when transferring the access right.
The content issue ID and the serial number are unchanged before and after the transfer.
With such a configuration, it is possible to grasp the serial number of the access right that can be transferred when the access right is transferred.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a content management program that manages limited content that is digital content with a limited quantity or period of provision.
The content management program causes the computer to function as an access right processing reception unit and an ID issuing unit.
The identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content can be stored in association with each other.
The access right processing reception unit receives identification information of the user who provides the limited content licensed based on the identification information of the provided service from each of the provided service processing devices, and identification information of the content. Accepts combinations of
The ID issuing unit issues a content issuing ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached to the information received by the access right processing receiving unit.
The access right management unit is configured to be able to record the user's identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the content issuance ID.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a content management method for managing limited content, which is digital content with a limited quantity or period of provision.
The content management system stores the identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content in association with each other.
It is configured so that the user can accept the request for providing the limited content for which the handling is permitted based on the identification information of the provided service via the provided service processing device.
Each of the provided service processing devices accepts a combination of the identification information of the user who provides the limited content licensed based on the identification information of the provided service and the identification information of the content.
For the received information, a content issuance ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached is issued.
The user's identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the content issuance ID are recorded.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel technique for providing limited content in a service for distributing digital content to a user having an access right.

It is a block diagram of the content management system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the content management server which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the data structure in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the content of the access right information in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of content purchase in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of content distribution in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of the content resale request in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the process at the time of content resale in one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The content management system according to the present invention manages the information of the electronic content received from the creator of the content and the company that manages the content, and distributes the content to the user who has the access right to the content. .. In this embodiment, there are a plurality of digital content providing services (hereinafter, simply referred to as "provided services") on the Internet that sell contents (sell access rights to the contents) or transfer free provision to users. do. The content management system of the present embodiment records purchase (transfer) history and access rights in a plurality of provided services in a distributed ledger database realized by using a plurality of computers managed by each of the provided services and the like. , Access rights are jointly managed by multiple entities.

In the present embodiment, a content management system that handles electronic books as content is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when handling music data as content, the providing service may be a music distribution site, and the content provider may be a music producer or a person in charge of a record company. Similarly, if the content is moving image data such as TV programs and movies, or static image data such as Treca, the provided service is a video / Treca distribution site, etc., and the content provider is the person in charge of the TV station or distribution company. It's okay. Furthermore, the distribution management of various contents such as application programs running on computer devices such as personal computers and smartphones and game software running on home-use game machines and personal computers by the content management system according to the present invention. It can be performed. Further, the configuration may be such that a plurality of the above-mentioned types are handled.

Further, in the present invention, the access right management unit retains the access right to the digital contents. In particular, in the present embodiment, the case where the distributed ledger database is used as the access right management unit will be described. The access right management unit is not limited to the distributed ledger database, and may be a general database system using a management method such as RDB or NoSQL.

Access rights to the content recorded in the distributed ledger database include at least the content and user-identifying information. This identifies the owner of the access right to each content. In this embodiment, each transaction information on the distributed ledger database is configured by a time-series chain, and each transaction includes information on the hash value of the immediately preceding transaction. Therefore, if any transaction is tampered with, inconsistency will occur. It has a hash chain structure that can be detected by fraud. In addition, transaction records in the distributed ledger database are composed of multiple nodes, and the same data is stored between the nodes. Therefore, even if the data is tampered with on some nodes, the correct data remains on other nodes, which is safe. Sex is maintained. As a result, the security of the access right information is improved in the content management system of the present embodiment.

Further, in the present invention, "content is set to be distributable" means that at least the distributed ledger database contains information that identifies the content and further identifies the target user as the owner of the access right. It means that the access right including is recorded. Further, in the present embodiment, the access right is given distribution availability information including the status and the offline content expiration date, and "the content is set to be distributeable" further specifies the content and the user. It means that the status that can be distributed is given to the access right including the information to be distributed.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the content management system according to the present embodiment. The configurations of FIGS. 1 and 2 are examples, and the functions of various devices are distributed and provided in a plurality of computer devices, and the devices of the present embodiment are realized by the cooperation of the plurality of computer devices. You may. The content management system according to this embodiment is a content management server 1 that manages digital contents provided to users, and a service provided as a contact point for new sales of contents to users and resale of contents from users. The plurality of provided service processing devices 2 from 21 to 2i and the user terminals 3 from 31 to 3j used by the user are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the network.

Further, the content management server 1 is connected to the access right management unit 4 (distributed ledger network system BC), and makes an access right registration request, an inquiry of the registered access right, and the like. In this embodiment, the distributed ledger database is realized by the distributed ledger network system BC using the blockchain technology. Computers participating in the distributed ledger network system BC may be arbitrarily changed. The content management server 1 is managed by a manager or the like who manages the distribution of the content by using a terminal device (not shown). Although not described in the drawings, the content management server 1 is also connected to a terminal device used by a content provider such as a content creator or a person in charge of a management company, and can send and receive information related to content registration. Is preferable.

In this embodiment, a system that handles electronic books is exemplified as content. That is, the provided service provided by the provided service processing device 2 is a website called an electronic book providing service or an electronic bookstore that sells electronic books or the like according to access from a user. Alternatively, the user terminal 3 may be configured to receive access using a dedicated application and sell an electronic book or the like. The provided service processing device 2 is managed by the administrator of each provided service using a terminal device (not shown). The content provider may be the author of the book, or may be the person in charge of the publisher who collectively manages the copyrights of the plurality of authors.

The content management server 1 includes a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and an SSD (Sold Drive). A general computer device such as a server device provided with an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory, a provided service processing device 2, a user terminal 3, and various input / output devices including a means for connecting to a distributed ledger network system BC. Can be used. The computer device functions as the content management server 1 in the present embodiment by the arithmetic unit executing the processing of each processing unit described later.

Similarly, a general computer device such as a server device can be used for the nodes constituting the distributed ledger network system BC including the provided service processing device 2.

The user terminal 3 is an arbitrary computer device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal provided with various input / output devices including a calculation device, a storage device, a provided service processing device 2, and a connection means to the content management server 1. Can be used. In addition, a PC (Personal Computer) may be used as the user terminal 3. A dedicated application for inputting and transmitting / receiving various information to / from the provided service processing device 2 and the content management server 1, a browser application for accessing the provided service (website), and the like are stored in the storage device. When the arithmetic unit executes various processes, any computer device functions as the user terminal 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the content management server 1 of the present embodiment. The content management server 1 includes an access right processing reception unit 100, an ID issuing unit 101A, a serial number issuing unit 101B, a quantity management unit 102A, a period management unit 102B, a content distribution unit 103, a distributed ledger processing unit 104, and a user. It includes a registration unit 105, a content master storage unit 106, a content data storage unit 107, a purchase history storage unit 108, a provision service information storage unit 109, and a user information storage unit 110. In the present application, the storage unit is a storage unit that stores various types of information including the content master storage unit 106, the content data storage unit 107, the purchase history storage unit 108, the provided service information storage unit 109, and the user information storage unit 110. It is a general term for departments.

The access right processing reception unit 100 includes a generation processing unit 100A that performs processing related to the generation of a new access right, and a transfer processing unit 100B that performs processing related to the transfer of access rights. Here, in the present invention, the request for recording an access right is a concept including a request for generating a new access right and a request for updating the recorded access right.

The generation processing unit 100A receives the generation request of the access right based on the input of the user, and passes the generation request to the distributed ledger processing unit 104. More specifically, when the provision service processing device 2 receives the target content and the information specifying the user as the provision request, the purchase information is passed to the distributed ledger processing unit to record the access right.

When the transfer processing unit 100B receives a request for transfer of the access right from the user in which the access right to the content is recorded to another user, the information specifying the access right and the user to which the access right is transferred are transferred. The transfer request including the identification information of is passed to the distributed ledger processing unit 104.

In this embodiment, the content is resold and rented as the transfer of the access right. In resale, the transfer processing unit 100B accepts the resale request from the user on the selling side and the purchase request for resale from the user on the purchasing side via the provided service processing device 2, respectively, and with the selling side. Resale will be performed when the matching on the purchase side is established. Then, when resale is performed, the access right is transferred by resale by passing the resale information to the distributed ledger processing unit 104 and updating the access right recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC as described above. Will be done.

Further, in lending, the transfer processing unit 100B accepts a temporary transfer request including identification information of each user on the lending side and the user on the borrowing side and the lending deadline. Lending an ebook can also be called a turning reading. Here, the same matching as resale may be performed in lending, or a temporary transfer request including identification information of both may be transmitted from the user terminal 3 after negotiation between the users. Then, the transfer processing unit 100B passes the lending request to the distributed ledger processing unit 104 and updates the access right recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC, so that the access right is temporarily transferred by lending. At this time, the lending deadline is recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC together with the identification information of the user at the relocation destination.

When the transfer processing unit 100B of the present embodiment receives the transfer request from the user, the transfer processing unit 100B refers to the access right to the content that the user wishes to transfer, and the user is the owner of the legitimate access right. It is judged that the access right can be transferred when the above is confirmed. Further, in the present embodiment, the transfer processing unit 100B further confirms the transferability information of the access right, registers the resale request when the access right can be transferred, and the status when the resale request is registered. Is set to non-delivery. Here, in the present embodiment, the status given to the access right as the transferability information, the offline usage deadline, and the lending deadline are referred to. It should be noted that the information for specifying the transferability may be recorded as the status, and the transferability may be determined by the status alone as the transferability information.

The ID issuing unit 101A issues an access issuing ID for digital contents based on the recording request received by each of the provided service processing devices (21 to 2i). The access issuance ID is at least unique among the access rights to which the identification information of the same content is attached. In this embodiment, all access rights are uniquely identified by the access issue ID. In the present embodiment, the content management server 1 issues an access issuance ID. For example, the ID issuance unit 101A is provided in the access right management unit 4, and the access right management unit 4 issues the access issuance ID. There may be. When the access right management unit 4 is in the mode of the distributed ledger network system BC, the ID issuing unit is generated by the information processing device constituting the distributed ledger network system BC due to the request for recording the access right from the distributed ledger processing unit 104 described later. The process corresponding to 101A may be executed, and the transaction ID caused by the generation request in the distributed ledger network system BC may be used as the access issuance ID.

The serial number issuing unit 101B issues the serial number of the digital content based on the recording request received by each of the provided service processing devices (21 to 2i). The serial number is, for example, a serial number starting from 1, and may be sequentially numbered when the access right is generated. In the present embodiment, the content management server 1 issues the serial number. For example, the serial number issuing unit 101B is provided in the access right management unit 4, and the access right management unit 4 issues the serial number. You may. When the access right management unit 4 is in the mode of the distributed ledger network system BC, the serial number is issued by the information processing device constituting the distributed ledger network system BC due to the request for recording the access right from the distributed ledger processing unit 104 described later. The process corresponding to the part 101B may be executed. Serial numbers may be assigned to limited content and other content with at least some type attributes. In this embodiment, serial numbers are assigned to both limited content and normal content.

The limited content may include a limited quantity content in which the number of access rights generated is limited, and a limited time content in which the access right generation or transferable period is limited. The access right may be provided in the form of limited content that is limited in quantity and for a limited time.

When the content distribution unit 103 receives the content distribution request from the user, the content distribution unit 103 refers to the access right recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC, and if the content is set to be distributable, the content is provided to the user. The content stored in the data storage unit 107 is distributed. Specifically, based on the distribution request, is the access right including the information that identifies the content and the information that identifies the user as the owner of the access right recorded, that is, the user Confirm that you have the legitimate access right to the content, and if the legitimate access right is recorded, distribute the content to the user.

Here, in the present embodiment, the content distribution unit 103 further confirms the distribution availability information of the access right, and distributes the content to the user when the distribution is possible. In this embodiment, the status given to the access right is referred to as the distribution availability information. In addition, the loan deadline may be used as delivery availability information.

The distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests the distributed ledger network system BC to record the access right based on the recording request received from the access right processing reception unit 100. The distributed ledger processing unit 104 of the present embodiment is an access including the access issuing ID issued by the ID issuing unit 101A and the serial number issued by the serial number issuing unit 101B when the generation request (purchase information) is delivered. Request the generation of rights to the distributed ledger network system BC. Further, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 of the present embodiment requests the distributed ledger network system BC to update to change the owner of the access right when the transfer request is delivered. Further, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests to change the status of the access right and the lending deadline recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC in accordance with the reception of the generation request and the transfer request.

The user registration unit 105 registers a user by receiving user information including at least user identification information from the provided service processing device 2 and storing it in the user information storage unit 110. In the present embodiment, the user information includes the identification information of the provided service indicating which provided service the user is.

FIG. 3 is an ER diagram (Entity-Relationship Diagram) showing a data structure relating to new sales of contents. This schematically shows the information that the content management server 1, the provided service processing device 2, and the distributed ledger network system BC each have for each record, and the relationship between the information.

First, the content master storage unit 106 includes a content ID (content identification information) for uniquely identifying the content, the title of the content, information of the right holder such as the author and the publisher, and the type (type attribute) of the content described later. ), Etc., has master information (content master) of content information related to the content to be sold.

Further, the content data storage unit 107 has various information related to the content data such as a file ID for uniquely identifying the file, a content ID indicating which content the file is related to, a file name, and the like. Further, the content data storage unit 107 also stores the content data main body, and the content distribution unit 103 distributes the information stored in the content data storage unit 107 to provide the content to the user.

Here, the content master and the content data have a one-to-other relationship in which a plurality of content data can be associated with one content. With such a configuration, it is possible to handle one content composed of a plurality of files, content in which a file format can be selected from among a plurality of file formats based on the user's wishes, and the like.

The content master and the content file are provided to and registered in the content management server 1 by any means such as e-mail from a terminal device used by the content provider or delivery via a file server (not shown). In this way, the digital contents provided by the plurality of content providers are aggregated in the content master storage unit 106 and the content data storage unit 107.

The purchase history storage unit 108 has a purchase ID for uniquely identifying the purchase history, a content ID indicating the purchased content, a provision service ID indicating the provided service in which the purchase was made, and the use of the user who made the purchase. Stores a record of purchase history, including information such as person ID hash (user identification information), content type (type attribute), purchase amount, currency and purchase date and time. This is treated as information linked to the provided service, and since multiple users purchase multiple contents from one provided service, multiple purchase histories are associated with one provided service. Has been done. In addition to the purchase, the transfer of access rights and the issuance history of free access rights may be further managed. The type attribute is information that makes the limited content distinguishable from other content. In the present embodiment, the type includes normal content, limited quantity content, and limited time content, and the purchase history and the like are given a type as an attribute for distinguishing them. Limited content refers to content for which the total provision quantity and / or provision period is set as content information, and normal content refers to other content. Here, the provision period means the period during which the access right can be generated by purchasing or distributing the content, or the period during which the access right can be transferred by lending (reading) the content, and the content can be viewed or offline. It is a different concept from the period. This provision period may be set as a lending period.

The provided service information storage unit 109 stores the provided service information including the provided service ID that uniquely identifies the provided service and basic information such as the provided service name and URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

The user information storage unit 110 stores a user ID hash and a provided service ID that can uniquely identify a user within the same provided service as information about a user who uses the provided service. Here, personal information such as a user's e-mail address and payment information is not stored, and such information is managed by the provided service processing device 2. The user ID hash can uniquely identify the user by the combination of the provided service ID and the user ID hash even when it overlaps with the user of the other provided service, but the other provided service. It may not be duplicated with the user of. Here, the user ID hash is used as the user identification information, and the user cannot be identified from the user ID hash on the server that does not have the map including the content management server 1.

Further, the provided service processing device 2 stores a record of the purchase history related to the provided service managed by the provided service processing device 2 among the information stored in the purchase history storage unit 108 of the content management server 1.

Further, the provided service processing device 2 stores a record of user information regarding a user of the provided service managed by the provided service processing device 2 among the information stored in the user information storage unit 110 of the content management server 1. do. The user information is registered in the provided service processing device 2 via the user terminal 3, and a part or all of the user information is transmitted to the content management server 1 and registered in the user information storage unit 110 to provide the content. It is shared between the management server 1 and the provided service processing device 2.

The provided service processing device 2 manages personal information such as an e-mail address, payment information, and login password in addition to the user ID (user identification information) and the provided service ID as user information. Further, the provided service processing device 2 further holds map data indicating the correspondence between the user ID and the user ID hash for the user managed by itself. Thereby, the user of the own service can be identified from the owner ID hash stored in the access right information. If a certain provided service processing device 2 terminates the provided service, the user map may be handed over to another provided service processing device 2 or a content management server 1 that constitutes the distributed ledger network system BC. preferable. As a result, even if the provided service is terminated, the access right can be continuously guaranteed. As described above, the user ID and the user ID hash are both information that functions as user identification information.

Further, the provided service processing device 2 holds information on the content provided to the user by the provided service as the content information. This is information registered based on the information of the content master storage unit 106 and the like for each content for which distribution is permitted in each provided service.

Further, the provided service processing device 2 holds the handling information of the limited content provided to the user by the provided service. This is information registered based on the information of the handling master storage unit 402 and the like stored in the access right management unit 4 for the limited content for which distribution (handling) is permitted in each provided service.

The access right management unit 4 includes a quantity management unit 102A, a period management unit 102B, an access right storage unit 401, a handling master storage unit 402, and a limited condition master storage unit 403. The quantity management unit 102A manages the generated quantity of the limited quantity content. The period management unit 102B manages the provision period of the limited-time content. In the present embodiment, the quantity management unit 102A and the period management unit 102B manage the generated quantity of the limited quantity content and the provision period of the limited time content in the access right management unit 4, for example, the quantity management unit 102A. The period management unit 102B may be provided in the content management server 1 and the content management server 1 may manage the quantity of limited content and the provision period.

In the access right management unit 4, the access right is stored in the access right storage unit 401. In the present embodiment, as the access right management unit 4, the storage device of each node constituting the distributed ledger network system BC functions as the access right storage unit 401, the handling master storage unit 402, and the limited condition master storage unit 403, and the access right. Is recorded in the block. The access right information includes a unique content issue ID issued for each access right, a content ID as identification information for identifying the content, a serial number unique within the same content ID, an access right issue date and time, and status. It contains information about the type of content, the user ID hash of the user who owns the access right, the offline expiration date, and the lending expiration date. Since a plurality of access rights are issued for one type of content, a plurality of access rights are associated with each content.

The handling master storage unit 402 is information for determining the handling of limited content for each provided service, and the handling ID, the content ID of the limited content (identification information of the limited content) for which the provision quantity / deadline is to be specified, and the handling of the content are handled. Stores handling information including the provision service ID of the licensed provision service. The handling information may be stored in the form of a blockchain.

The limited condition master storage unit 403 is information indicating the limited sales condition of the limited content, and is the limited condition ID, the content ID of the limited content (identification information of the limited content), the total supply quantity of this content, the upper limit of the number of possessions, and the provision. Stores limited condition information such as period. The limiting condition information may be stored in the form of a blockchain. For the limited content, a quantity indicating the limited number is set as the total provided quantity. In addition, the upper limit of the number of possessions indicates the quantity in which the user here can own this content. As the provision period, a period during which this content can be provided (sold, provided, transferred, rented) is set. For example, for content that one user can own only one point, "1" is set as the upper limit of the number of possessions. In addition to or in addition to the upper limit of the number of possessions, the upper limit of the number of purchases indicating the quantity that can be purchased by one user, the upper limit of the number of purchases by provided service that indicates the quantity that can be purchased by one user with each provided service, etc. are set. It doesn't matter if it is done.

FIG. 4 is a table for explaining the contents of the information stored as the access right. As shown in the figure, the content issuance ID is a unique ID issued each time an access right is issued, and has a value that does not overlap with each other in all access rights. In the present embodiment, the ID issuing unit 101A issues an access issuing ID and delivers it to the distributed ledger network system BC via the distributed ledger processing unit 104. The transaction number issued by the distributed ledger network system BC side when recording a new access right may be used as the content issue ID. In addition, the UUID can be issued by any method and used as the content issuing ID of the present invention.

Further, the content ID is an ID determined for each content, and the same content has the same ID. For example, volumes 1 and 2 of the book A, and for example, the A publisher version and the B publisher version of the same title are given different content IDs, but if there are multiple access rights to the same content, that The content ID is the same for all. On the other hand, the serial number is a character string unique to the same content ID, and when a plurality of access rights exist for the same content, different serial numbers are assigned to all of them.

As the issue date and time, the first issue date and time of the access right is recorded. For example, in the present embodiment, the content can be resold, but when the content is resold, the owner ID of the access right is updated, but the issue date and time is not changed as it was. In addition to the issue date and time, the date and time when the latest update was made may be recorded as the update date and time each time some information such as the owner ID, status, and offline expiration date is updated. In the distributed ledger network system BC, all access right change histories are permanently managed.

The offline usage period is the period during which the content can be used offline, which is set when the user requests the content to be used offline. Therefore, if the user specified by the owner ID of the access right does not request offline use, the offline usage period is not set. This expiration date is the same as the expiration date of the content downloaded to the user terminal 3. In this embodiment, the offline usage period can be extended but not shortened by the user's application.

The lending deadline is the deadline for transferring access rights, which is set when a user temporarily transfers access rights to another user. That is, the owner ID hash of the access right is temporarily rewritten to that of the user of the transfer destination due to the temporary transfer, but when the loan expires, the owner ID hash is changed again to that of the original user. Become. Like the offline usage deadline, the lending deadline is not set if there is no temporary transfer request. Further, in the state within the lending period, the owner (user on the borrowing side) at that time can use the loan offline, but at this time, the period within the lending period is applied as the offline usage period.

Next, the states of various access rights in the present embodiment will be described. The status set in this embodiment is "online use" in which the content is used online without storing the content in the user terminal 3, and the content is downloaded to the user terminal 3 for a predetermined period (the period until the offline usage deadline). ) There are three types: "offline use" that is saved and used, and "on sale" that requests resale of the content.

In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the content can be distributed and whether or not the access right can be transferred based on the setting contents of the status, the offline usage deadline, and the lending deadline. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the delivery availability information is a concept including a status, and the transfer availability information is a concept including a status, an offline usage deadline, and a lending deadline. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, when both the offline usage period and the loan period are out of date or unregistered, both content distribution and access right transfer are possible, and when the status is on sale. Is unable to deliver content. If the content is within the offline usage period or the lending period, the content can be distributed to the owner of the access right at that time, but the access right cannot be transferred.

It should be noted that, without referring to the offline usage deadline and the lending deadline, whether or not the content can be distributed and resold may be set in each status, and whether or not the content can be delivered and whether or not the access right can be transferred may be determined only by the status. Specifically, for example, in the case of online use, both content distribution and content resale are possible, in the case of offline use, or in the case of renting, content distribution is possible, content resale is not possible, and it is on sale. In that case, both content distribution and content resale may be impossible.

The transfer processing unit 100B and the content distribution unit 103 determine whether or not the access right can be transferred and the content can be distributed, respectively, based on such transfer availability information and distribution availability information. This makes it possible to prevent the transfer of the access right while the content is stored in the user terminal 3 and the continuation of the use of the content after the transfer of the access right. In the initial state, the status of "online use" is set, and then it is changed according to the offline use and resale processing described later.

Next, the process related to the new purchase of the content by the user will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flow of processing when a new content is purchased. First, in step S10, the user terminal 3 receives an input of a purchase request specifying the content from the user, and transmits a request for generating a new access right to the provided service processing device 2. At this time, the login to the provided service is performed, and the content ID as the identification information for identifying the content and the user ID as the identification information for identifying the user are transmitted.

In step S11, the access right management unit 4 (distributed ledger network system BC) performs a purchase availability determination process. If the content to be purchased is not limited content (normal content), the next step may be performed. In step S12, the provided service processing device 2 performs payment processing based on the user's information.

When the content to be purchased is limited content, in the present embodiment, the quantity management unit 102A and / or the period management unit 102B uses the limited condition information stored in the limited condition master storage unit 403 to perform a purchase availability determination process. As a result, the inventory amount and / or the provision period of the provided service is confirmed, and the process for determining whether or not the content can be purchased based on the upper limit of the number of possessed contents is performed. For limited content such as the maximum number of possessions and the maximum number of purchases, if there is no setting to limit the purchase of the specified number or more in the same provided service or the purchase of the specified number or more by the same user, the inventory amount and / Or only confirm the provision period. When determining whether or not to purchase based on the upper limit of the number of possessions, the access right management unit 4 (distributed ledger network system BC) acquires the access right that the user already has for the limited content as a process for determining whether or not to purchase, and uses the content. Determine if a person can purchase this limited content.

When the target of the generation request is the limited quantity content, the quantity management unit 102A manages the possible quantity of the limited quantity content. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the limited quantity content requested to be generated can be generated based on the total number of issued limited quantity contents and the purchased quantity of the limited quantity contents. The information for obtaining the purchased quantity is given, for example, by the purchase history storage unit 108, the quantity of the limited content that has been purchased (generated) stored in the access right storage unit 401, and the like. When the target of the generation request is the limited-time content, the period management unit 102B manages the time when the limited-time content can be provided. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the limited quantity content requested to be generated can be generated based on the provision period of the limited quantity content.

Then, in step S13, the generation request is further transmitted to the content management server 1 based on the generation request received by the providing service processing device 2. The information transmitted here is information in which the user ID transmitted in step S11 is replaced with a user ID hash by the user map held by the provided service processing device 2. In the content management server 1, the generation processing unit 100A receives the generation request.

In the content management server 1, in step S14, the ID issuing unit 101A issues an access issuing ID based on the generation request. The content issuance ID is issued as a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), and is a unique value for each access right. Further, the serial number issuing unit 101B issues a serial number based on the generation request. In the present embodiment, the access issuance ID is managed as unique information for identifying the access right, and the serial number is managed as a serial number for each content ID. Then, in step S15, the generated request including the issued access issuance ID and serial number is passed to the distributed ledger processing unit 104, and the distributed ledger processing unit 104 sends the generated request to the distributed ledger network system BC by the user. Send a request to record the access right to the content (request to generate). The generation request includes a user ID hash which is identification information of a user who is a purchaser, and a content ID which is identification information of the content for which an access right is issued.

When the distributed ledger network system BC receives the access right recording request (generation request) together with the purchase information, the distributed ledger network system BC records the new access right in the blockchain.

Recording to the distributed ledger is performed via a "chain code" executed on the distributed ledger network system BC. In this embodiment, when the distributed ledger processing unit 104 sends an access right recording request (generation request), each node on the distributed ledger network system BC executes a chain code, verifies the processing results with each other, and the results are approved. Then, it is written to the distributed ledger. Each transaction is composed of a hash chain and is managed in a form that is difficult to tamper with.

Then, in step S17, the distributed ledger network system BC transmits the registration result, and the content management server 1 receives it. Here, although not shown, the purchase history is recorded in the purchase history storage unit 108 based on the received registration result.

Further, in step S18, the registration result is transmitted from the content management server 1 to the provided service processing device 2. Here, as in step S17, the purchase history for each provided service is also recorded in the provided service processing device 2.

Then, in step S19, the provided service processing device 2 notifies the user terminal 3 that the purchase processing of the content desired by the user is completed, and ends the processing. The above process is an example, and the detailed recording procedure in the distributed ledger network system BC and the procedure for recording the purchase history in the content management server 1 and the provided service processing device 2 can be arbitrarily changed. A person skilled in the art may arbitrarily determine the processing procedure and the like as long as the method can obtain the result that the access right is recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC.

Next, the process when the user uses the content after the access right is registered will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S21, the user terminal 3 requests the content management server 1 to distribute the content in response to the user's input. At this time, the registered user ID hash as the user identification information and the content ID as the content identification information are transmitted. The information transmitted here may be any information that can uniquely identify the access right.

At this time, the user selects online use or offline use of the content, and in step S21, a distribution request regarding the selected form of use is transmitted to the user. Here, a case of offline use, that is, a case where the content data is downloaded to the user terminal 3 and stored for a certain period of time to use the content will be described. The input here is performed on a web page provided by the provided service processing device 2 or a dedicated application used while logged in to the provided service processing device 2. Although the description of the provided service processing device 2 is omitted in FIG. 6, the distribution request may be transmitted to the content management server 1 via the provided service processing device 2.

In the content management server 1, when the content distribution unit 103 receives the distribution request in step S21, the received information is passed to the distributed ledger processing unit 104, and the distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests the distributed ledger network system BC to inquire about the access right. do.

When the distributed ledger processing unit 104 sends an access right inquiry request, in step S23, each node on the distributed ledger network system BC executes a chain code to verify the processing results with each other, and when the results are approved, access is performed. The right query is executed. Then, in step S24, the access right inquiry result is returned to the content management server 1 as the execution result.

If it is confirmed that the user has the access right to the content (the access right whose owner ID hash matches the user ID hash is recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC), further Access rights are updated for offline use.

Specifically, when the distribution request received in step S21 is an offline use request for offline use, the content distribution unit 103 distributes distribution information including content identification information and the expiration date of the content to be distributed to the user. Hand over to the ledger processing unit 104. Based on the received distribution information, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests the distributed ledger network system BC to set an offline expiration date that is the same as the expiration date (step S25). At this time, if the status of the access right is not "offline use", the distributed ledger processing unit 104 may request the status to be updated to "offline use". If the access right has already been set to the offline expiration date in the access right inquiry result received in step S24 and the offline expiration date has not yet been set at that time, the offline expiration date is updated. do not have.

In step S26, the distributed ledger network system BC configures a transaction for setting or updating the offline expiration date, and the block including the transaction is determined, so that the offline expiration date in the access right is updated.

When the update of the offline expiration date is completed, the execution result is transmitted to the content management server 1 in step S27. Then, in the content management server 1, in step S28, the content distribution unit 103 generates content data incorporating the owner ID hash included in the access right. The content distribution unit 103 may incorporate the serial number into the content data, and the serial number may be incorporated so as to be recognizable by the user.

Then, the content data of step S28 to which the same expiration date as the offline usage period included in the execution result transmitted in step S27 is given is delivered to the user terminal 3 (step S29). The user terminal 3 stores the received content data and uses the content on a dedicated application or a browser application.

Since the expiration date is set for the downloaded content, the downloaded content cannot be used, such as the content data being deleted when the expiration date expires. When the expiration date has expired in this way, the process of FIG. 6 is executed again, and in steps S25 to S28, a new offline expiration date is set in response to a request from the user, so that the offline expiration date is set again. Content can be used.

Here, in the present embodiment, since the offline usage period is included as the transferability information, it is not necessary to set the offline usage period or update the status due to the expiration, but when the offline usage period has passed, the distributed ledger network system BC The access right status in may be changed to "online use". Specifically, for example, the storage unit of the content management server 1 stores the offline usage deadline together with the information specifying the access right such as the serial number and the specific ID, and when the offline usage deadline expires, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 By requesting the distributed ledger network system BC to update the access right, the access right recorded in the distributed ledger database can be updated when the offline usage period has expired. In addition, the offline expiration date is monitored on the other distributed ledger network system BC side, and when the offline expiration date has passed, the status of the access right is automatically changed to "online use" and the change result is sent to the content management server 1. You may notify.

Although the offline use accompanied by the storage of the content data in the user terminal 3 has been described here, steps S25 to S27 are unnecessary in the case of online use. In this case, in step S29, the content distribution unit 103 distributes content data for viewing on the browser application. In online use, it is preferable to periodically communicate between the user terminal 3 and the content management server 1 while using the content, execute steps S21 to S24 each time, and confirm the access right. ..

Next, the transfer of access rights will be described. In the present embodiment, the transfer of the access right is accepted when the user is not using the loan offline and the loan is not within the loan deadline (not being rented). Here, the case of resale will be described in detail, but the change of the owner ID hash of the access right is the same for the case of lending (temporary transfer of the access right).

In the present embodiment, the transfer processing unit 100B receives the resale request and the resale purchase request, respectively, and when these matchings are established, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests the distributed ledger network system BC to record the transfer of access rights. do. The present invention is not limited to this, for example, the provided service purchases the content at the time of receiving the resale request, the owner of the access right is renewed at that time, and then the provided service to other users. It may be resold in the same format as a traditional used bookstore that sells content.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of processing related to registration of resale request. When the user wishes to resell the content for which the user has the access right to another user, the user terminal 3 first sends a resale request to the provided service processing device 2 in step S31. At this time, the registered user ID as the identification information of the user to be resold and the content ID as the identification information of the content are transmitted. The information transmitted here may be any information that can uniquely identify the access right.

Next, in step S32, the provided service processing device 2 transmits a resale request to the content management server 1 based on the information received in step S31. In the content management server 1, the transfer processing unit 100B passes the resale request to the distributed ledger processing unit 104, and the distributed ledger processing unit 104 makes an access right inquiry request to the distributed ledger network system BC based on the resale request. (Step S33).

In steps S34 to S37, each node on the distributed ledger network system BC executes the chain code, confirms the access right (step S34), determines whether resale is possible (step S35), resells registration (step S36), and updates the access right. (Step S37), the processes of (step S37) are sequentially executed.

Specifically, the user ID hash of the user who made the resale request is recorded as the owner ID hash, and the access right of the content that can be resold based on the transferability information is the distributed ledger network system. If it is recorded in the BC, it is determined that the resale is possible (step S35).

If it is determined that resale is possible, resale registration is performed in step S36. This makes it possible to match resale and purchase wishes. The resale management may be performed by the provided service processing device 2 or other services, and in that case, a resale record request (update request) is transmitted to the device that manages the resale. To.

Then, in step S37, the access right status is changed to "for sale". The distributed ledger network system BC records access right updates on the blockchain. The specific procedure for recording on the blockchain is the same as step S26 in FIG.

When the resale is registered in this way, the transfer of the access right, that is, the change of the owner ID in the access right recorded in the distributed ledger network system BC, when the matching with the purchase request of the resale is established is established. Will be done.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the transfer of access rights by resale. When there is a resale or a purchase request for resale with the content ID specified, the transfer processing unit 100B performs matching in step S41. Matching may be performed by any method, and may be in a format such as a flea market in which the purchaser confirms and selects the contents of resale, or may be in the order of registration.

Here, if the content to be purchased is limited content, the user displays the screen for displaying the content to be matched, the screen for displaying the matched content, or when trying to purchase the content by other procedures. You may want to know the serial number of the limited content on the screen to be displayed, that is, the transfer processing screen when transferring the access right. In the present embodiment, the serial number attached to each limited content is displayed and processed on the transfer processing screen, and is recognizable to the user who intends to purchase the resold limited content.

Whether or not the access right is for limited content can be determined by the type attribute attached to the access right. In the page source of the transfer processing screen, a program that changes the display mode of the serial number of the limited content and other contents depending on this type attribute is embedded. In the present embodiment, this program determines whether or not to display the serial number on the transfer processing screen according to the type attribute.

In addition, when purchasing limited content, in the present embodiment, as a purchase availability determination process, a process for determining whether or not to purchase the content based on the upper limit of the number of possessions of the content is performed. When determining whether or not to purchase based on the upper limit of the number of possessions, the user requests the access right management unit 4 to acquire the access right recorded in the access right storage unit 401, and the user uses the returned information to obtain this access right. Determine if you can purchase exclusive content.

When the matching is established, the transfer processing unit 100B passes the resale information to the distributed ledger processing unit 104. Here, the resale information is information for uniquely specifying the access right and information for specifying the user on the purchasing side. In the present embodiment, the user ID hash on the selling side, the content issuing ID, and the content issuing ID, and the information for specifying the user on the purchasing side. It is a combination of user ID hashes on the purchasing side. However, the contents of the resale information may be arbitrarily changed by those skilled in the art.

Next, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 requests the distributed ledger network system BC to update the access right based on the resale information (step S42). In the case of temporary transfer by lending instead of resale, the lending deadline is sent here as a renewal request.

The distributed ledger network system BC changes the owner ID hash of the access right to the user ID hash of the purchase side (transfer destination) in step S43, and records an update in the blockchain that changes the status to "online use". do.

In step S44, the distributed ledger processing unit 104 receives the access right update result, and further sends the resale result to the providing service processing device 2 in step S45. The provided service processing device 2 performs a settlement process in which the user on the purchasing side pays the content price to the user on the selling side (step S46), and the resale result is sent to the user terminal 3 on both the selling side and the purchasing side. Notification (step S47) is given to the user, and the process ends.

As described above, by recording the transfer of access rights in the distributed ledger database, resale of content can be safely realized. In the case of temporary transfer, the owner ID hash of the access right is temporarily rewritten to that of the user at the transfer destination by the process shown in FIG. 8, but when the loan expires, the owner ID hash is used again. It will be changed to that of the user, and the original owner will be able to use the content again.

According to the content management system of the present embodiment, information on contents sold by a plurality of provided services can be collectively managed, and access rights given to the purchaser can be distributed and safely managed by a plurality of entities. As a result, even if the provided service is closed, the access right of the user who purchased the content by the provided service is guaranteed based on the information recorded in the distributed ledger database.

Further, by recording the status of the access right in the distributed ledger database, it is possible to prevent the user from reselling the access right with the content data stored in the user terminal 3.

The access right information recorded in the distributed ledger database may be provided to the outside. For example, it is conceivable to provide information on the owner of the access right to the outside via an API (Application Programming Interface) that returns a list of users who have the right to access the specific content. This makes it possible, for example, to hold a reader-only event for a specific book, or to provide benefits such as a handshake ticket to the owner of the right to access the content by an external third party.

1: Content management server 2: Provided service processing device 3: User terminal 4: Access right management unit 100: Access right processing reception unit 100A: Generation processing unit 100B: Transfer processing unit 101A: ID issuing unit 101B: Serial number issuing unit 102A: Quantity management unit 102B: Period management unit 103: Content distribution unit 104: Distributed ledger processing unit 105: User registration unit 106: Content master storage unit 107: Content data storage unit 108: Purchase history storage unit 109: Provided service information Storage unit 110: User information storage unit 111: Handling information storage unit BC: Distributed ledger network system 401: Access right storage unit 402: Handling master storage unit 403: Limited condition master storage unit

Claims (6)

A content management system that manages limited content that is digital content with a limited quantity or period of provision.
The content management system includes an access right processing reception unit, an ID issuing unit, an access right management unit, and a plurality of provided service processing devices.
Further, the content management system stores the identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content in association with each other.
The provided service processing device is configured to be able to accept a request for provision of the limited content licensed to be handled from a user based on the identification information of the provided service.
The access right processing reception unit receives from each of the provided service processing devices a combination of the identification information of the user who provides the limited content and the identification information of the content.
The ID issuing unit issues a content issuing ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached to the information received by the access right processing receiving unit.
The access right management unit records the user's identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the content issuing ID.
Content management system. The content management system further includes a quantity management unit.
When the limited content is a limited quantity content,
The quantity management unit is configured to be able to determine the inventory amount of the limited content that can be provided based on the provided quantity, and manages the generated quantity of the limited quantity content.
The content management system according to claim 1. Based on the access right, the provided service processing device or the access right processing receiving unit is configured so that a user who can at least access the limited content cannot purchase the same limited content.
The content management system according to claim 1 or 2. The access right also has a type attribute.
The type attribute is information that makes limited content distinguishable from other content.
The content management system further includes a serial number issuing unit that issues a serial number unique to each content ID.
When the limited content is a limited quantity content,
The serial number is assigned to the limited content and other content having at least some type attributes.
Only for the content having the type attribute indicating the limited content, the serial number attached to each limited content is displayed and processed on the transfer processing screen when transferring the access right.
The content issue ID and the serial number are unchanged before and after the transfer.
The content management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A content management program that manages limited content that is digital content with a limited quantity or period of provision.
The content management program causes the computer to function as an access right processing reception unit and an ID issuing unit.
The identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content can be stored in association with each other.
The access right processing reception unit receives identification information of the user who provides the limited content licensed based on the identification information of the provided service from each of the provided service processing devices, and identification information of the content. Accepts combinations of
The ID issuing unit issues a content issuing ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached to the information received by the access right processing receiving unit.
The access right management unit is configured to be able to record the user's identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the content issuance ID.
Content management program. It is a content management method that manages limited content that is digital content with a limited quantity or period of provision.
The content management system stores the identification information of the limited content, the identification information of the provided service licensed to handle the limited content, and the provision quantity or the provision period of the limited content in association with each other.
It is configured so that the user can accept the request for providing the limited content for which the handling is permitted based on the identification information of the provided service via the provided service processing device.
Each of the provided service processing devices accepts a combination of the identification information of the user who provides the limited content licensed based on the identification information of the provided service and the identification information of the content.
For the received information, a content issuance ID that is at least unique among the access rights to which the same content identification information is attached is issued.
The user's identification information, the content identification information, and the access right having the content issuance ID are recorded.
Content management method.

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