JP7466047B1 - Information processing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the accuracy of household management. [Solution] A funds transfer contract implemented in a funds transfer token, when a funds transfer timing arrives, distributes funds stored in an income management token that exists at the time of the funds transfer to each payment management token based on the priority set for each payment management token that exists at the time of the funds transfer and the savings amount and payment amount already stored in each payment management token. When a payment deadline for a payment management token arrives, a payment management contract implemented in a payment management token transfers funds equivalent to the payment amount out of the funds stored in the payment management token to the payee. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing method and program, and in particular to a technology for managing household finances.

Various technologies have been proposed for managing household finances, such as household income and expenditures. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for grasping the entire income and expenditure and performing a simulation of what would happen if expenditure were to occur.

JP 2007-257145 A

In the above-mentioned technology, the user is required to launch an application on a mobile phone or the like and input income plans, expenditure plans, etc. However, accurately inputting income plans and expenditure plans can be a burden for the user, and these plans are not always input accurately. If the income plans and expenditure plans are inaccurate, accuracy in household management cannot be expected.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide technology to improve the accuracy of household management.

A first aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a token group including a plurality of tokens each associated with the same user. In this information processing method, the token group includes an income management token in which an income management contract, which is a smart contract for managing funds equivalent to the income of the user, is implemented, a payment management token in which a payment management contract, which is a smart contract for managing the payment amount of the user's payment, the payment deadline, which is the deadline for the payment, and the payee, is implemented, and a funds transfer token in which a funds transfer contract, which is a smart contract for transferring funds stored in the income management token to the payment management token, is implemented. The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token executes a step of distributing, in response to the arrival of a funds transfer timing, the funds stored in the income management token existing at the time of the funds transfer to each payment management token based on the priority set for each payment management token existing at the time of the funds transfer, the amount of savings already stored in each payment management token, and the payment amount, and, in response to the arrival of the payment deadline for the payment management token, the payment management contract implemented in the payment management token executes a step of transferring, to the payee, the funds stored in the payment management token that are equivalent to the payment amount.

The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token may determine that the timing for funds transfer has arrived when either of the following conditions is met: (1) the payment deadline set in one or more payment management tokens has arrived, or (2) the funds stored in the income management token have reached a predetermined amount.

The income management token may be generated when the user has income, and the payment management token may be generated when the user's payment is finalized.

The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token may prohibit the transfer of funds stored in the payment management token before the payment specified in the payment management token is completed, except for transfers for a payment specified in the payment management token and transfers to other payment management tokens that have a higher priority than the priority set for the payment management token.

The payment management token may be generated by instruction from an information processing device managed by the payee set in the payment management token.

The priority set for the payment management token may be registered in a priority database that is editable by the user, and the funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token may obtain the priority set for the payment management token by referencing the priority database.

The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token may distribute, in the step of distributing to each payment management token, to each payment management token before payment, in addition to the funds stored in the income management token that exists at the time of the arriving funds transfer, any surplus funds remaining in the payment management token after the payment specified in the payment management token is completed.

The second aspect of the present invention is a program. This program has a function of accessing a blockchain in which a group of tokens including a token group composed of a plurality of tokens each associated with the same user is stored, the token group including an income management token implemented with an income management contract, which is a smart contract for managing funds equivalent to the income of the user, a payment management token implemented with a payment management contract, which is a smart contract for managing the payment amount of the user's payment, the payment due date, and the payee, and a funds transfer token implemented with a funds transfer contract, which is a smart contract for transferring funds saved in the income management token to the payment management token, and a function of reading the tokens from the blockchain. By executing the funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token, a function is realized in which, when the funds transfer timing arrives, the funds stored in the income management token that exists at the time of the funds transfer are distributed to each payment management token based on the priority set for each payment management token that exists at the time of the funds transfer, the savings amount already stored in each payment management token, and the payment amount. By executing the payment management contract implemented in the payment management token read from the blockchain, a function is realized in which, when the payment deadline of the payment management token arrives, the funds stored in the payment management token that are equivalent to the payment amount are transferred to the payee.

To provide this program or to update a portion of the program, a computer-readable recording medium having this program recorded thereon may be provided, or this program may be transmitted over a communication line.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and any conversion of the present invention between methods, devices, systems, computer programs, data structures, recording media, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

The present invention can improve the accuracy of household management.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a process executed in an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a priority and a balance allocation curve according to an embodiment. 11 is a diagram for explaining distribution of funds by a distribution unit in the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of distribution of funds by the distribution unit in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of information processing executed by an information processing device according to an embodiment.

<Overview of the embodiment>
The information processing device according to the embodiment is one of a plurality of nodes constituting a blockchain. The blockchain according to the embodiment manages tokens having a smart contract function. The information processing device according to the embodiment uses the smart contract function to realize automation of household management, including management of a user's income and expenditure.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the processing executed in an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a blockchain B is composed of five information processing devices 1, namely a first information processing device 1a, a second information processing device 1b, a third information processing device 1c, a fourth information processing device 1d, and a fifth information processing device 1e. Note that the number of information processing devices 1 constituting the blockchain B is not limited to five. The number of information processing devices 1 constituting the blockchain B may be three or more, and is preferably an odd number. In addition, the blockchain B does not have to be a public blockchain, and may be a private blockchain or a consortium blockchain.

In the blockchain B according to the embodiment, tokens are managed and shared in an autonomous and decentralized manner by the multiple information processing devices 1 described above. In the blockchain B, the creation, modification, deletion, etc. of these tokens are recorded in transactions, and blocks in which several transactions are grouped together are stored in series, linked in a chain-like manner. In the blockchain B, the linking of these blocks is managed by a known consensus algorithm such as PoW (Proof of Work), and it is generally considered difficult to tamper with the data stored in the blockchain B. The same applies to smart contracts, which are programs executed in the blockchain B, and once recorded in the blockchain B, they are considered difficult to tamper with.

The blockchain B according to the embodiment records multiple types of tokens that are associated with a user and are used to manage the user's household finances. The information processing device 1 realizes the user's household finances by automatically processing the information contained in each token associated with the user using a smart contract function.

Specifically, the blockchain B according to the embodiment has a token group having three types of tokens as components: an income management token, a funds transfer token, and a payment management token. Each user for whom the blockchain B manages household finances is managed by a unique user identifier, and the income management token, funds transfer token, and payment management token are each associated with the same user identifier. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a user with a user identifier UID00001 is associated with two income management tokens Ti (a first income management token Ti1 and a second income management token Ti2), one funds transfer token Tt, and one payment management token Tp.

Here, the income management token Ti implements an income management contract Ci, which is a smart contract for managing funds equivalent to the income of the user to which the token is associated. The income management token Ti is generated on the blockchain B when the user receives income (e.g., salary transfer, sale of securities, rental income, etc.), and information indicating the amount of funds equivalent to the income is recorded in the transaction.

The payment management token Tp implements a payment management contract Cp, which is a smart contract for managing the payment amount, the payment deadline, and the payee of the user to whom the token is associated. The payment management token Tp is generated on the blockchain B when the user's payment is confirmed (for example, a predetermined payment such as rent or utility bills, a card payment, or a payment method known as BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)), and information indicating the amount of funds used for the payment is recorded in the transaction.

The fund transfer token Tt implements a fund transfer contract Ct, which is a smart contract for transferring funds stored in the income management token Ti to the payment management token Tp. The fund transfer token Tt is generated when a user registers with the blockchain B. The fund transfer token Tt gradually transfers funds equivalent to the payment amount from the funds stored in the income management token Ti before the payment due date of each payment management token Tp based on an algorithm described below.

The income management token Ti and payment management token Tp managed by the blockchain B according to the embodiment manage funds as crypto assets that can be exchanged for legal tender. The information processing device 1 according to the embodiment manages the user's income by executing a smart contract as one node constituting the blockchain B, and uses the income as a source of funds to make savings and payments. This allows the user to automatically and accurately manage income and expenses without having to register irregular income and payments one by one. Because smart contracts are associated with tokens, the blockchain B according to the embodiment can also be considered as a group of tokens that manage household finances, each of which is composed of multiple tokens associated with the same user.

<Functional configuration of information processing device 1 according to the embodiment>
2 is a diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing device 1 is one node constituting a blockchain B, and each node has the same functional configuration. The information processing device 1 includes a storage unit 10, a communication unit 11, and a control unit 12.

In FIG. 2, each functional block shows a configuration in terms of a function, not a configuration in terms of a hardware (device). Therefore, the functional blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be implemented separately in multiple devices. Data may be exchanged between functional blocks via any means, such as a data bus, a network, or a portable storage medium.

The storage unit 10 is a large-capacity storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) of the computer that realizes the information processing device 1, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as the working area of the information processing device 1, an OS (Operating System), a program that realizes a smart contract, and various information such as various tokens referenced when the program is executed, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).

The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that enables the information processing device 1 to communicate with external devices, and is realized by a known communication module such as a LAN (Local Area Network) module or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) module. Hereinafter, in this specification, the description of the communication unit 11 may be omitted on the assumption that communication between the information processing device 1 and external devices is via the communication unit 11.

The control unit 12 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) of the information processing device 1. The control unit 12 functions as a distribution unit 120, a determination unit 121, a transfer management unit 122, and an acquisition unit 123 by executing a funds transfer contract Ct stored in the memory unit 10. The control unit 12 also functions as an income funds management unit 124 by executing an income management contract Ci stored in the memory unit 10. Furthermore, the control unit 12 functions as a transfer unit 125 and a payment funds management unit 126 by executing a payment management contract Cp stored in the memory unit 10.

The information processing device 1 manages the user's income with an income management token Ti and manages the user's payments with a payment management token Tp. When the user has income, the information processing device 1 generates an income management token Ti and shares it with other information processing devices 1 that make up the blockchain B. For example, if the user has income of 100,000 yen, the information processing device 1 generates a new income management token Ti and records in the transaction, together with the date and time of generation, that the income management token Ti has funds equivalent to 100,000 yen.

In addition, the information processing device 1 generates a payment management token Tp when the user's payment is finalized, and shares it with other information processing devices 1 that make up the blockchain B. For example, when a payment of 30,000 yen is finalized to a user, the payment amount (funds equivalent to 30,000 yen), the payment due date, and the amount of funds to be applied to the payment are recorded in the transaction. Immediately after the payment management token Tp is generated, no funds that can be applied to the payment have been transferred to the payment management token Tp, so the amount of funds to be applied to the payment is 0.

The payment management token Tp is generated by an information processing device (not shown) managed by the payee set in the payment management token Tp instructing the blockchain B. For example, when a user purchases a product on an EC (Electronic Commerce) site or the like using the BNPL payment method, the server managing the EC site instructs the blockchain B to generate the payment management token Tp. In addition, the payment management token Tp that manages periodic payments by contract, such as rent and utility bills, is generated by a server of a real estate management company or infrastructure provider instructing the blockchain B to generate the payment management token Tp when entering into a contract with the user, and the payment management token Tp is responsible for managing the payment until the contract ends.

The distribution unit 120, which is realized by the funds transfer contract Ct, searches for income management tokens Ti that exist in the blockchain B at the time of the funds transfer when the funds transfer timing arrives. The distribution unit 120 distributes the funds stored in each of the searched income management tokens Ti to each payment management token Tp based on the priority set for each payment management token Tp that exists at the time of the funds transfer and the savings amount and payment amount already stored in each payment management token.

The timing of fund transfer is the timing at which the user saves the funds he or she has obtained as income for payment, and is the timing at which part or all of the funds in the income management token Ti are allocated to the payment management token Tp that exists at that time. The specific method for determining the timing of fund transfer will be described later.

When funds in the income management token Ti are transferred to the payment management token Tp, the income fund management unit 124 realized by the income management contract Ci records in the transaction the date and time of the transfer of funds, the identifier of the destination payment management token Tp, and the amount of funds remaining after the transfer of funds. Similarly, the payment fund management unit 126 realized by the payment management contract Cp records in the transaction the date and time of the transfer of funds, the identifier of the source income management token Ti, and the amount of funds after the transfer of funds.

The priority set for each payment management token Tp is a parameter that is referenced to determine the amount of funds to be distributed to the payment management token Tp at the time of fund transfer. Details will be described later, but the higher the priority and the lower the ratio of savings amount to payment amount, the more funds are distributed to the payment management token Tp.

The transfer unit 125, which is realized by the payment management contract, transfers funds equivalent to the payment amount from the funds saved in the payment management token to the payee when the payment deadline of the payment management token Tp arrives. Specifically, if the payee accepts the cryptocurrency handled by blockchain B, the transfer unit 125 moves the cryptocurrency equivalent to the payment amount to the payee's wallet, etc. If the payee does not accept the cryptocurrency handled by blockchain B, the transfer unit 125 converts the cryptocurrency equivalent to the payment amount into legal tender and then transfers it to the payee's account using a system such as a bank. The payment fund management unit 126 records the date and time of the transfer of funds, the payee's identifier, and the amount of funds after the transfer in the transaction.

In this way, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment automates the process from managing a user's income to making payments using the smart contract function, thereby reducing the risk of missing information about income and payments and improving the accuracy of household management.

The timing of fund transfer will now be explained. The determination unit 121, which is realized by the fund transfer contract Ct, determines that the timing for fund transfer has arrived if one of the following two conditions is met. The first condition is that the payment deadline set in one or more payment management tokens Tp has arrived. The second condition is that the funds saved in the income management token Ti are equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

Regarding the first condition, the distribution unit 120 gradually transfers funds from the income management token Ti to the payment management token Tp each time the timing for transferring funds arrives. The transfer unit 125 needs to transfer funds of the payment management token Tp whose payment deadline has arrived to the payee, but there is no guarantee that the funds of the payment management token Tp have reached the payment amount. Therefore, the distribution unit 120 can increase the probability that the funds accumulated in the payment management token Tp will be equal to or greater than the payment amount by transferring funds when the payment deadline for any of the payment management tokens Tp arrives.

Regarding the second condition, a user's income does not necessarily occur periodically, but may occur suddenly. For this reason, even if the timing for transferring funds is set periodically, there is no guarantee that funds will have accumulated in the income management token Ti at that timing. Therefore, the judgment unit 121 monitors the funds in the income management token Ti, and determines the timing for transferring funds to be when a certain amount of funds has accumulated in the income management token Ti.

Therefore, the "predetermined amount" is a threshold amount for determining timing that the judgment unit 121 refers to when judging the timing of fund transfer, and is an amount that can be freely set by the user. However, if the predetermined amount is set too high, the frequency of fund transfers will decrease, so the judgment unit 121 may set an upper limit for the predetermined amount based on past statistical data on the user's income. As an example of an upper limit, the judgment unit 121 may set it to 20% of the average income of the user over a predetermined period (e.g., one month).

However, the funds stored in the payment management token Tp are stored for the purpose of making payments using that payment management token Tp, and if users were able to move them freely, this could cause problems with payments when the payment deadline arrives. Therefore, in principle, the funds stored in the payment management token Tp should be prohibited from being moved.

For this reason, the transfer management unit 122, which is realized by the funds transfer contract Ct, prohibits the transfer of funds stored in the payment management token Tp before the payment specified in the payment management token Tp is completed. This enables the transfer management unit 122 to increase the probability that payment can be achieved using the payment management token Tp.

On the other hand, the movement management unit 122 permits movement for a payment specified in that payment management token Tp, and movement to another payment management token that has a higher priority than the priority set for that payment management token Tp. For example, when the payment deadline arrives for another payment management token Tp that has a higher priority than the priority set for a certain payment management token Tp, the funds saved in that payment management token Tp do not reach the payment amount. If the movement management unit 122 completely prohibits the movement of funds between payment management tokens Tp before the payment deadline arrives, high priority payments may be delayed.

Therefore, when a payment management token Tp that is due for payment is out of funds, the movement management unit 122 allows the movement of funds from a payment management token Tp that is set to a lower priority than the priority set for that payment management token Tp. This allows the movement management unit 122 to increase the probability that payment can be achieved for a payment management token Tp that is set to a higher priority.

Next, the distribution of funds by the distribution unit 120 will be described. As described above, the distribution unit 120 distributes the funds stored in each income management token Ti when the timing for transferring funds arrives, based on the priority set for each payment management token Tp that exists on the blockchain B at the time the timing for transferring funds arrives, and the savings amount and payment amount already stored in each payment management token.

Figures 3(a)-(b) are diagrams for explaining the priority and balance allocation curve according to the embodiment. Specifically, Figure 3(a) is a diagram showing a schematic data structure of a priority database D that stores the priority of a payment management token Tp in association with its payment item. The priority database D is stored in a manner that can be edited by a user, for example, in at least one of the information processing devices 1 constituting the blockchain B.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the priority database D stores, for each user identifier, a token identifier indicating the payment management token Tp associated with the user identified by that user identifier, the priority set in the payment management token Tp, and the payment items of the payment management token Tp in association with each other. In FIG. 3(a), a user with a user identifier UID00001 is associated with at least three payment management tokens Tp (token identifiers are TID9043852, TID5619438, and TID1534980, respectively), and the priorities of these are 7, 6, and 1, respectively. The payment items of the three payment management tokens Tp are rent, home appliance payment, and optional savings, respectively.

In the priority database D according to the embodiment, priorities are represented by integers ranging from 1 to 7, with higher numbers indicating higher priorities. In the example shown in FIG. 3(a), the payment item of a payment management token Tp with a token identifier TID9043852 is rent, and the priority set therefor is the highest, 7. In addition, a payment management token Tp with a token identifier TID1534980 has the purpose of a savings set by the user, and is set to the lowest priority, 1. In other words, the example shown in FIG. 3(a) indicates that rent payments have a higher priority than savings set by the user.

Figure 3(b) is a schematic diagram showing a balance allocation curve that is referenced to determine the amount of funds to be saved in the payment management token Tp. In Figure 3(b), the vertical axis indicates the amount of funds saved in the payment management token Tp, and the horizontal axis indicates the amount of movement associated with the accumulation of funds (details will be described later). Figure 3(b) shows seven curves numbered 1 to 7, which indicate balance allocation curves corresponding to each priority from 1 to 7. The distribution unit 120 determines the amount of funds to distribute to the payment management token Tp using the balance allocation curve corresponding to the priority set for each payment management token Tp.

Now, let us assume that there are seven payment management tokens Tp, each with the same payment amount (i.e., the maximum savings amount that is the target for accumulation) and with priorities ranging from 1 to 7, and that the distribution unit 120 transfers the same amount of funds b to each of the seven payment management tokens Tp, as shown in FIG. 3(b). At this time, the distribution unit 120 moves the mark indicating the saved funds (a hollow circle in FIG. 3(b)) along the balance allocation curve corresponding to the priority set for each payment management token Tp.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3(b), in a balance allocation curve with a priority of 7, the "movement amount" along the horizontal axis corresponding to funds b is a7. Similarly, in a balance allocation curve with a priority of m (m is an integer from 1 to 7), the movement amount is represented as am. As is clear from FIG. 3(b), when the savings amount of the payment management token Tp is small, the higher the priority, the smaller the movement amount in the balance allocation curve.

In light of the above, the distribution of funds by the distribution unit 120 according to the embodiment will be described. Figures 4(a)-(c) are diagrams for explaining the distribution of funds by the distribution unit 120 according to the embodiment, and show the priorities set for three payment management tokens Tp present on the blockchain B and the fund accumulation status when the timing for transferring funds arrives for a certain user. Specifically, Figure 4(a) shows the balance allocation curve for a payment management token Tp with a priority of 7, Figure 4(b) shows the balance allocation curve for a payment management token Tp with a priority of 1, and Figure 4(c) shows the balance allocation curve for a payment management token Tp with a priority of 4.

In Figures 4(a)-(c), the open circles indicate the savings amount of the payment management token Tp before the funds transfer, and the open squares indicate the savings amount of the payment management token Tp after the funds transfer. In the balance allocation curve shown in Figure 4(a), when the distribution unit 120 transfers funds by b _i , the amount of movement on the balance allocation curve before and after the funds transfer is a _i . Similarly, in the balance allocation curve shown in Figure 4(b), when the distribution unit 120 transfers funds by b _j , the amount of movement on the balance allocation curve before and after the funds transfer is a _j . In the balance allocation curve shown in Figure 4(c), when the distribution unit 120 transfers funds by b _k , the amount of movement on the balance allocation curve before and after the funds transfer is a _k .

Let the total amount of funds that the distribution unit 120 can transfer when the funds transfer timing arrives (i.e., the funds that the distribution unit 120 can distribute from the funds stored in the income management token Ti that exists at the time of the funds transfer arrival) be B. At this time, the distribution unit 120 determines a _i , a _j , and a _k so as to satisfy the following formula (1), and sets the corresponding b _i , b _j , and b _k as the amount of funds to be transferred.

The qualitative meaning of formula (1) is as follows. The distribution unit 120 determines the amount of funds to be transferred so that the sum of the funds to be transferred for each payment management token Tp is B and the sum of the transfer amounts in the horizontal direction in each balance allocation curve is minimized. As described with reference to FIG. 3(b), when the savings amount of the payment management token Tp is small, the higher the priority, the smaller the transfer amount in the balance allocation curve. This corresponds to the fact that the higher the priority of the balance allocation curve, the steeper the slope when the savings amount is low. Therefore, the condition that the sum of the transfer amounts in each balance allocation curve is minimized can also be interpreted as a condition for transferring more funds to a payment management token Tp with a high priority and a small amount of savings. In this way, by distributing funds along the balance allocation curves determined for each priority, the distribution unit 120 can transfer more funds at an earlier stage to a payment management token Tp with a higher priority.

As is clear from Figure 3(b), the higher the priority of the balance allocation curve, the shallower the slope as the saved funds approach the maximum savings amount (i.e., the payment amount). This means that according to the distribution rule shown in equation (1), the higher the priority of the balance allocation curve, the smaller the fund transfer will be as the saved funds approach the maximum. This is because the amount of transfer will be large with the accumulation of a small amount of funds.

Therefore, the distribution unit 120 may determine the amount of funds to be transferred so as to minimize the amount of transfer from the savings amount at the time of the nth fund transfer (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1) prior to the balance allocation curve, rather than the amount of funds currently saved. Specifically, the distribution unit 120 determines a ⁽¹⁾ _i , a ⁽¹⁾ _j , and a ⁽¹⁾ _k so as to satisfy the following formula (2), and determines the corresponding b ⁽¹⁾ _i , b ⁽¹⁾ _j , and b ⁽¹⁾ _k .

In formula (2), B ⁽¹⁾ is the sum of the funds that the distribution unit 120 can transfer this time and the funds that the distribution unit 120 was able to transfer one time ago. Also, b ⁽¹⁾ _i , b ⁽¹⁾ _j , and b ⁽¹⁾ _k are the increase (movement) of funds from the savings amount of the previous time, and a ⁽¹⁾ _i , a ⁽¹⁾ _j , and a ⁽¹⁾ _k are the movement (movement in the horizontal axis direction) in the balance allocation curve from the savings amount of the previous time. In other words, formula (2) can be considered as returning the funds saved in each payment management token Tp to the previous time, and optimizing the funds that the distribution unit 120 can distribute by summing up the amount of the previous time and the amount of the current time according to formula (1).

5(a)-(c) are diagrams for explaining another example of the distribution of funds by the distribution unit 120 according to the embodiment, and are diagrams for explaining an example of determining the amount of funds to be transferred so that the amount of transfer from the savings amount at the time of the previous funds transfer in the state shown in FIG. 4(a)-(c) is minimized. In FIG. 5(a)-(c), the open triangle indicates the savings amount of the payment management token Tp before the funds transfer at the timing of the previous funds transfer. Since it is the previous transfer, the savings amount in each payment management token Tp is naturally lower than the savings amount of the latest payment management token Tp, and the slope of the balance allocation curve increases accordingly. In this way, the distribution unit 120 determines the amount of funds to be transferred to each payment management token Tp by going back to the time of past balance replenishment (at the time of funds transfer), so that the amount of funds allocated to the payment management token Tp with a high priority can be increased. Note that, although formula (2) shows a case where the distribution unit 120 starts with the savings amount one time ago, the same applies when starting with the savings amount two or more times ago.

In addition, by the distribution unit 120 going back one or more times in the past when the balance was replenished (when funds were transferred) to determine the amount of funds to be transferred to each payment management token Tp, it becomes possible to transfer more funds to a payment management token Tp with a higher priority that was generated later. For example, suppose that only payment management tokens Tp with priorities 1 and 6 existed one time ago, and a payment management token Tp with priority 7 has been added this time. In this case, the distribution unit 120 goes back one time and allocates the amount of funds transferred twice, so that more funds can be accumulated in the payment management token Tp with priority 7.

In this way, the priority set for the payment management token Tp is a parameter that determines the balance allocation curve and, ultimately, the behavior of the transfer of funds to the payment management token Tp. Therefore, it is convenient for a user to be able to change the priority set for the payment management token Tp in consideration of the importance of the payment.

Therefore, the priority database D, which registers the priority set for the payment management token Tp, can be edited by the user via a user terminal such as a mobile phone. The acquisition unit 123 realized by the funds transfer contract Ct acquires the priority set for the payment management token Tp by referring to the priority database D which can be edited by the user. In this way, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment can reflect the priority set by the user in the amount of funds transferred to the payment management token Tp.

When the payment amount is fixed, such as rent, the same amount as the payment amount of each payment management token Tp is saved through fund transfer. However, there are also payments that are determined to occur periodically, such as utility bills such as electricity bills and communication fees, but the amount varies. The payment management token Tp for such payments is set at a higher amount, and it is possible that funds will remain in the payment management token Tp whose payment due date has arrived after the payment has been made.

The distribution unit 120, which is realized by the funds transfer contract Ct, distributes to each payment management token Tp before payment, in addition to the funds stored in the income management token Ti that exists at the time of the incoming funds transfer, the surplus funds remaining in the payment management token Tp after the payment specified in the payment management token Tp has been completed. This allows the distribution unit 120 to utilize the user's funds without leaving any behind for payments.

<Processing flow of information processing method executed by information processing device 1>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of information processing executed by the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment.

The distribution unit 120 searches whether or not a payment management token Tp related to the user exists on the blockchain B (S2). If a payment management token Tp exists (Yes in S4), the distribution unit 120 determines whether or not it is time to transfer funds (S6). If it is not time to transfer funds (No in S8), the distribution unit 120 returns to step 6 and repeats the determination of whether or not it is time to transfer funds.

If it is time to transfer funds (Yes in S8), the distribution unit 120 distributes the funds stored in the income management token Ti to each payment management token Tp based on the priority set for each payment management token Tp before payment and the savings amount and payment amount already stored in each payment management token Tp (S10).

If there is a payment management token Tp whose payment deadline has arrived (Yes in S12), the transfer unit 125 transfers funds equivalent to the payment amount to the payee set in the payment management token Tp whose payment deadline has arrived (S14), and the information processing device 1 returns to the processing of step S2.

If there is no payment management token Tp for which the payment deadline has arrived (No in S12), the information processing device 1 returns to the processing of step S6. If there is no payment management token Tp on the blockchain B in step S4 (No in S4), the processing in this flowchart ends. The information processing device 1 performs household management for each user by periodically repeating the above processing for each user of the blockchain B.

<Advantages of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment>
As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment can improve the accuracy of household finance management.

Furthermore, this invention will make it possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote innovation and infrastructure."

Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination also has the effect of the original embodiment.

<Modification>
In the above, a case has been described in which the information processing device 1 constituting the blockchain B executes each smart contract. Alternatively, a user terminal of a user registered in the blockchain B may execute each smart contract. Specifically, a household management application installed in the user terminal is executed by the user terminal to access the blockchain B.

The user terminal executes the funds transfer contract Ct implemented in the funds transfer token Tt read from the blockchain B, and distributes the funds stored in the income management token Ti that exists at the time of the funds transfer to each payment management token Tp based on the priority set for each payment management token Tp that exists at the time of the funds transfer and the savings amount and payment amount already stored in each payment management token Tp, when the funds transfer timing arrives.The user terminal executes the payment management contract Cp implemented in the payment management token Tp read from the blockchain B, and distributes the funds stored in the payment management token Tp that are equivalent to the payment amount to the payee when the payment deadline for the payment management token Tp arrives.

In this way, by distributing the execution of users' household management to each user's user terminal, the load on the information processing device 1 that constitutes the blockchain B can be reduced.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing device 10 Memory unit 11 Communication unit 12 Control unit 120 Distribution unit 121 Determination unit 122 Movement management unit 123 Acquisition unit 124 Income fund management unit 125 Transfer unit 126 Payment fund management unit B Blockchain D Priority database

Claims (8)

1. An information processing method executed by a token group having a plurality of tokens as components, each of which is associated with the same user, comprising:
The tokens include:
A revenue management token in which a revenue management contract, which is a smart contract for managing funds equivalent to the user's revenue, is implemented;
A payment management token in which a payment management contract, which is a smart contract for managing the payment amount of the user's payment, the payment deadline, and the payee, is implemented;
A funds transfer token in which a funds transfer contract, which is a smart contract for transferring funds stored in the income management token to the payment management token, is implemented;
The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token,
When a fund transfer timing arrives, the funds stored in the income management token existing at the time of the fund transfer are distributed to each payment management token based on the priority set for each payment management token existing at the time of the fund transfer, the amount of savings already stored in each payment management token, and the payment amount;
The payment management contract implemented in the payment management token,
When the payment deadline of the payment management token arrives, a step of transferring funds equivalent to the payment amount out of the funds saved in the payment management token to the payee is executed.
Information processing methods. The funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token,
(1) A payment deadline set forth in any one or more payment management tokens has arrived, or
(2) The funds stored in the income management token reach or exceed a predetermined amount;
It is determined that the timing for the funds transfer has arrived, provided that either one of the following conditions is satisfied:
The information processing method according to claim 1 . The income management token is generated in response to the user having income,
The payment management token is generated when the user's payment is finalized.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. The fund transfer contract implemented in the fund transfer token prohibits the transfer of funds stored in the payment management token, except for transfers for a payment specified in the payment management token before the payment specified in the payment management token is completed, and transfers to other payment management tokens that have a higher priority than the priority set for the payment management token.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. The payment management token is generated in response to an instruction from an information processing device managed by a payee set in the payment management token.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. the priority set for the payment management token is registered in the user-editable priority database;
The fund transfer contract implemented in the fund transfer token refers to the priority database to obtain the priority set in the payment management token.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. In the step of distributing to each of the payment management tokens, the fund transfer contract implemented in the fund transfer token distributes to each of the payment management tokens before payment, in addition to the funds stored in the income management token existing at the time of the arrived fund transfer, surplus funds remaining in the payment management token after the payment specified in the payment management token is completed.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. On the computer,
a function of accessing a blockchain in which a token group is stored, the token group being made up of multiple tokens each associated with the same user, the token group including an income management token implemented with an income management contract, which is a smart contract for managing funds equivalent to the income of the user, a payment management token implemented with a payment management contract, which is a smart contract for managing the payment amount of the user's payment, the payment deadline, which is the deadline for the payment, and the payee, and a funds transfer token implemented with a funds transfer contract, which is a smart contract for transferring funds stored in the income management token to the payment management token;
By executing the funds transfer contract implemented in the funds transfer token read from the blockchain, a function is realized in which, when the funds transfer timing arrives, the funds stored in the income management token existing at the time of the funds transfer arrives are distributed to each payment management token based on the priority set for each payment management token existing at the time of the funds transfer arrives, the savings amount already stored in each payment management token, and the payment amount,
By executing the payment management contract implemented in the payment management token read from the blockchain, a function is realized in which, upon the arrival of the payment due date of the payment management token, funds equivalent to the payment amount out of the funds stored in the payment management token are transferred to the payee.
program.

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