IP Library Granted Patent US 12,632,840
Granted Patent B2
US 12,632,840 · App. 18/556,186 · Granted May 19, 2026

Electronic currency system, information processing apparatus, electronic currency issuing method and program

Inventors: Tsunekazu Saito (Tokyo, JP); Fumitaka Hoshino (Tokyo, JP); Masayuki Abe (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
G06Q20/065G06Q20/38215G06Q20/3825G06Q20/3827G06Q20/401G06Q2220/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,632,840
App. No.
18/556,186
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic currency system including an issue bank server and a financial institution server, wherein the issue bank server includes a currency issue certificate issue unit that generates a currency issue certificate and transmits the generated currency issue certificate to the financial institution server, and a currency issue unit that adds a signature to a currency issue message in a predetermined electronic currency unit and transmits the currency issue message to the financial institution server, and the financial institution server includes a currency issue certificate issue reception unit that receives issue of the currency issue certificate from the issue bank server, and a currency issue reception unit that receives the currency issue message from the issue bank server, verifies the signature of the received currency issue message based on the currency issue certificate, and storing the issued currency in an unused currency storage unit.

Claims (55)

1 . An electronic currency system, comprising:

an issue bank server; and

a financial institution server communicably connected to the issue bank server via a network, wherein

the issue bank server includes:

a first processor; and

a first memory storing one or more first programs, which when executed, cause the first processor to execute a first process including:

generating a public key and a secret key, each of the public key and the secret key including an issue year when a currency is issued and an issue amount in an electronic currency unit;

generating a currency issue certificate and transmitting the generated currency issue certificate to the financial institution server, the currency issue certificate configured to certify the public key including the issue year; and

adding a signature, by using the secret key including the issue year, to a currency issue message including the issue year, and transmitting the currency issue message to the financial institution server, and

the financial institution server includes:

a second processor; and

a second memory storing one or more second programs, which when executed, cause the second processor to execute a second process including:

receiving issue of the currency issue certificate from the issue bank server; and

receiving the currency issue message from the issue bank server, verifying the signature of the received currency issue message based on the currency issue certificate, generating a currency by incorporating data from the currency issue message, including the issue year, received from the issue bank server, and storing the issued currency in an unused currency storage unit.

2 . The electronic currency system according to claim 1 , further comprising a user terminal, wherein

the user terminal includes:

a third processor; and

a third memory storing one or more third programs, which when executed, cause the third processor to execute a third process including:

designating a face value and requesting withdrawal from the financial institution server, and

the one or more second programs, when executed, cause the second processor to further execute a fourth process including:

receiving a withdrawal request from the user terminal, cutting off currency requested to be withdrawn from the unused currency storage unit, storing the currency in an in-use currency storage unit as in-use currency to which additional currency information including a signature is added, and transmitting the in-use currency to the user terminal.

3 . The electronic currency system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more second programs, when executed, cause the second processor to further execute a fifth process including:

storing used currency to which the additional currency information is added; and

storing the currency in a state before update in an updated currency storage unit in response to receiving the withdrawal request in the fourth process, updating the used currency to a currency from which the additional currency information is deleted, and storing in-use currency obtained by adding additional currency information to updated currency in the in-use currency storage unit.

4 . The electronic currency system according to claim 3 , wherein

the fourth process includes generating a Hash tree of currency, and signing a root of the generated Hash tree to collectively sign the currency to be withdrawn.

5 . The electronic currency system according to claim 2 , wherein

the fourth process includes generating a Hash tree of currency, and signing a root of the generated Hash tree to collectively sign the currency to be withdrawn.

6 . The electronic currency system according to claim 2 , wherein

either or both of the first processor and the second processor, and the third processor are a single and identical processor, and

either or both of the first memory and the second memory, and the third memory are a single and identical memory.

7 . The electronic currency system according to claim 2 , wherein

either or both of the first processor and the second processor, and the third processor are a single and identical processor, or

either or both of the first memory and the second memory, and the third memory are a single and identical memory.

8 . The electronic currency system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first processor and the second processor are a single and identical processor, and

the first memory and the second memory are a single and identical memory.

9 . The electronic currency system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first processor and the second processor are a single and identical processor, or

the first memory and the second memory are a single and identical memory.

10 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing one or more programs, which when executed, cause the processor to execute a process including:

generating a public key and a secret key, each of the public key and the secret key including an issue year when a currency is issued and an issue amount in an electronic currency unit;

generating a currency issue certificate configured to certify the public key including the issue year, and transmitting the generated currency issue certificate to a financial institution server communicably connected to the information processing apparatus via a network; and

adding a signature, by using the secret key including the issue year, to a currency issue message including the issue year, and transmitting the currency issue message to the financial institution server.

11 . A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the process of the information processing apparatus according to claim 10 .

12 . An electronic currency issuing method executed by an electronic currency system including an issue bank server and a financial institution server communicably connected with each other via a network, wherein

the issue bank server executes

generating a public key and a secret key, each of the public key and the secret key including an issue year when a currency is issued and an issue amount in an electronic currency unit,

generating a currency issue certificate and transmitting the generated currency issue certificate to the financial institution server, the currency issue certificate configured to certify the public key including the issue year, and

adding a signature, by using the secret key including the issue year, to a currency issue message including the issue year, and transmitting the currency issue message to the financial institution server, and

the financial institution server executes

receiving issue of the currency issue certificate from the issue bank server, and

receiving the currency issue message from the issue bank server, verifying the signature of the received currency issue message based on the currency issue certificate, generating a currency by incorporating data from the currency issue message, including the issue year, received from the issue bank server, and storing the issued currency in an unused currency storage unit.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072473/0885 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2023
From: SAITO, TSUNEKAZU; HOSHINO, FUMITAKA; ABE, MASAYUKI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065279/0661 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240211900A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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