JP7565731B2 - Information processing method and information processing system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applied. On April 30, 2020, "Solar Digital Grid: Accelerating the Reconstruction of Japan's Energy System with Post-FIT" was published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun.

This disclosure relates to an information processing method and an information processing system.

Photovoltaic power generation systems installed on roofs of houses and the like are becoming widespread. In houses where photovoltaic power generation systems are installed, the power generated by photovoltaic power generation is consumed by loads (electrical appliances) within the house, and the surplus power (surplus electricity) is purchased by electric power companies and the like. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating the amount of electricity traded among electric vehicles, consumers, solar power generation devices, and power grids in a group including electric vehicles, consumers, and solar power generation devices scattered in a specific area, so as to maximize the profit from electricity trades for the entire group. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates the amount of electricity traded that maximizes the profit from electricity trades for the entire group, including electricity generated by solar power generation devices and electricity supplied from the power grid.

JP 2020-43634 A

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not distribute surplus electricity from solar power generation equipment to potential buyers of electric vehicles or consumers who wish to purchase the surplus electricity.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an information processing method and the like that can efficiently allocate surplus electricity generated by a generator to those who wish to purchase the surplus electricity (multiple energy storage devices).

The information processing method according to the present disclosure includes a process of acquiring a predicted amount of surplus power generated for each time period by a generator connected to the power distribution network in each region, acquiring a predicted amount of the surplus power to be absorbed by a plurality of energy storage devices, determining incentive points per unit amount of power based on the predicted amount of surplus power and the predicted amount of the surplus power absorption, accepting applications for the amount of surplus power to be absorbed by the energy storage devices according to the incentive points, determining an allocation plan for allocating the power reception date and time and the amount of power received for each energy storage device based on the accepted applications, and outputting power reception information including the power reception date and time and the amount of power received for each energy storage device based on the determined allocation plan.

With this disclosure, surplus electricity generated by a generator can be efficiently distributed to multiple energy storage devices.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a power supply network. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DB stored in a server. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DB stored in a server. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a registration process procedure of purchase conditions; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for distributing surplus power. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for distributing surplus power. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a matching process procedure. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the allocation process. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a movement start notification process. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a DB stored in a server according to the second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for distributing surplus power according to the second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a matching process procedure according to the second embodiment.

The information processing method and information processing system disclosed herein are described in detail below with reference to drawings showing embodiments thereof.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply network. Electric power generated at a power plant or the like is transmitted through a high-voltage transmission network, and reaches a distribution substation 101 via an extra-high-voltage substation, a primary substation, and the like (not shown). The distribution substation 101 transforms the transmitted electric power to 6600 V, and distributes the transformed electric power to loads 104 and chargers 105, etc., via a distribution network. The electric power distributed through the distribution network is transformed to 100 V or 200 V, for example, by a pole-mounted transformer 102 mounted on a utility pole, and then supplied to a charging spot, etc., capable of charging a house and an electric vehicle, via a service line. The load 104 includes, for example, home appliances used in a house, electrical appliances used in an office or a shopping center, and electrical equipment operated in a small factory. The charger 105 is, for example, a charger capable of charging a secondary battery 106 mounted on an electric vehicle, and includes a charger installed at a charging spot provided in a parking lot of an office, a shopping center, an automobile dealership, etc. In the power supply network, the owner of the load 104 and the owner of the electric vehicle (secondary battery 106) are consumers who receive the supply of power.

In the power supply network shown in FIG. 1, the high-voltage transmission network is connected to multiple distribution substations 101 installed in each region, and multiple pole-mounted transformers 102 are provided in the distribution network to which power is distributed from one distribution substation 101. Each pole-mounted transformer 102 supplies power to a load 104 and a charger 105 connected via a service line. In addition, in the power supply network of this embodiment, a generator 103 that is installed on the roof of a house and generates solar power is connected to the distribution network, and the power generated by the generator 103 is configured to be distributed via the distribution network. In this embodiment, the power generated by the generator 103 is consumed by home appliances in the house in which the generator 103 is installed, and the surplus power is distributed via the distribution network. In this disclosure, the surplus power generated by the generator 103 that is not consumed by the home appliances in the house in which the generator 103 is installed is referred to as "surplus power". The difference between the total supply power and the power consumption in the power grid managed by the distribution substation 101 may be considered as the surplus power. The power consumption is the power consumed by the load in the power grid managed by the distribution substation 101, and the load includes not only the houses in the power grid managed by the distribution substation 101 but also the loads in hospitals, schools, and factories. In this embodiment, the surplus power is supplied to the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle via the charger 105 in each distribution grid to which the generator 103 is connected, or, in the case where the distribution grid covers a wide area, for each divided distribution grid obtained by dividing the distribution grid into a plurality of grids, and consumed (absorbed). In the information processing system of this embodiment, consumers who wish to purchase surplus power are publicly invited, and consumers who wish to purchase surplus power apply for the purchase of the surplus power by specifying the power absorption amount (desired purchase amount, desired power reception amount) of the surplus power, etc. The range of the distribution network or divided distribution network in which the surplus power is consumed is, for example, a range that can be traveled by car in about 10 to 20 minutes, and this range is called the "area of the distribution network" or "area". Therefore, in this embodiment, in each area of the distribution network downstream of the distribution substation 101, the surplus power in the generator 103 in the area is charged to an electric vehicle via the charger 105 in the area and consumed. In the power supply network shown in FIG. 1, multiple generators 103 and loads 104 are provided in one distribution network in one area, and multiple generators 103 and loads 104 may be connected to one pole transformer 102. At least one charger 105 is provided in one distribution network in one area. Note that the generator 103 is not limited to a solar power generation configuration as long as it is a natural energy generator that uses natural energy.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. The information processing system of this embodiment is a system that creates an allocation plan for allocating surplus power generated by a generator 103 to multiple electric vehicles (secondary batteries 106) in the same area via chargers 105 in a power supply network such as that shown in Figure 1. The information processing system of this embodiment includes a server 10 that creates an allocation plan for the surplus power, and a consumer terminal 20 (terminal device) used by consumers who are owners of the electric vehicles. The server 10 and the multiple consumer terminals 20 are connectable to a network N such as the Internet, and communicate via the network N.

The server 10 is an information processing device capable of various information processing and sending and receiving information, for example a server computer or a personal computer. The server 10 may be provided in multiple units and configured for distributed processing, may be realized by multiple virtual machines provided in one server, or may be realized using a cloud server. The server 10 performs various information processing, such as predicting surplus power in the generator 103, predicting the amount of charge by the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle (the amount of surplus power absorbed by the energy storage device), and creating an allocation plan for allocating surplus power to multiple electric vehicles based on these predicted amounts.

The server 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, a display unit 15, a reading unit 16, etc., and these units are interconnected via a bus. The control unit 11 includes one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 11 executes various information processing and control processing, etc., that should be performed by the server 10, by appropriately executing a control program 12P stored in the memory unit 12.

The storage unit 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 12 prestores the control program 12P executed by the control unit 11 and various data necessary for the execution of the control program 12P. The storage unit 12 also temporarily stores data generated when the control unit 11 executes the control program 12P. The storage unit 12 also stores a generator DB (database) 12a, a charger DB 12b, a consumer DB 12c, and a matching DB 12d, which will be described later. The generator DB 12a, the charger DB 12b, the consumer DB 12c, and the matching DB 12d may be stored in a storage device connected to the server 10, or may be stored in a storage device with which the server 10 can communicate. Furthermore, the generator DB12a, charger DB12b, and consumer DB12c may be stored in a blockchain, which is a distributed ledger technology or distributed network composed of multiple nodes. In this case, tampering can be suppressed as long as the blockchain system is maintained.

The communication unit 13 is an interface for connecting to the network N by wired or wireless communication, and transmits and receives information to and from other devices via the network N. The input unit 14 includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard, and receives operation input by a user who uses the server 10, and sends a control signal corresponding to the operation content to the control unit 11. The display unit 15 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, etc., and displays various information according to instructions from the control unit 11. The input unit 14 and the display unit 15 may be a touch panel configured as an integrated unit.

The reading unit 16 reads information stored in portable storage medium 1a, including CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, SD (Secure Digital) card, etc. The control program 12P and various data stored in the storage unit 12 may be read by the control unit 11 from the portable storage medium 1a via the reading unit 16 and stored in the storage unit 12. The control program 12P and various data stored in the storage unit 12 may also be downloaded by the control unit 11 from another device via the communication unit 13 and stored in the storage unit 12.

The consumer terminal 20 is an information processing device capable of various information processing and information transmission and reception, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or a car navigation device mounted on an electric vehicle. The consumer terminal 20 performs various information processing, such as a process of applying to purchase surplus electricity from the server 10, and a process of receiving surplus electricity reception information based on the surplus electricity distribution plan determined by the server 10 via the network N. The consumer terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, a display unit 25, etc., and each of these units is connected to each other via a bus. The control unit 21, the memory unit 22, the communication unit 23, the input unit 24, and the display unit 25 of the consumer terminal 20 are configured similarly to the control unit 11, the memory unit 12, the communication unit 13, the input unit 14, and the display unit 15 of the server 10, so detailed explanations are omitted. The storage unit 22 of the consumer terminal 20 stores, in addition to the control program 22P executed by the control unit 21, a power purchase application 22AP (power purchase application program 22AP) for making a purchase application (power reception application) for surplus power and receiving power reception information based on a surplus power distribution plan created by the server 10.

Figures 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams showing configuration examples of DBs 12a to 12d stored in server 10. Figure 3A shows generator DB 12a, Figure 3B shows charger DB 12b, Figure 4A shows consumer DB 12c, and Figure 4B shows matching DB 12d. Generator DB 12a stores information about generators 103 installed in the power distribution network of each region for each region. Generator DB 12a shown in Figure 3A includes a power distribution network ID sequence, a generator ID sequence, a location information sequence, an equipment information sequence, a surplus power history sequence, etc. The power distribution network ID sequence stores identification information (power distribution network ID) previously assigned to the power distribution network of each region. That is, the power distribution network ID may be identification information indicating each region. The generator ID column stores identification information (generator ID) previously assigned to the generator 103 installed in the distribution grid of the area indicated by the distribution grid ID in association with the power distribution grid ID, and the location information column, the equipment information column, and the surplus power history column store location information indicating the installation location of the generator 103, equipment information of the generator 103, and the generation history of surplus power generated by the generator 103 in association with the generator ID. The location information may be, for example, coordinate values of longitude and latitude, or an address, and may be any information that can identify the installation location of the generator 103. The equipment information includes, for example, information on the equipment of the generator 103, such as the manufacturer name, model number, manufacturing date and year, operation years, and power generation amount, and information on the owner of the generator 103, such as the name, address, and telephone number of the owner. The surplus power history includes surplus power information that corresponds to the date and time when the surplus power was generated, weather information, and power amount of the surplus power among the power generated by the generator 103. The occurrence date and time may be shown for a time period of a predetermined time, such as every hour or every two hours. The surplus power history may also include surplus prediction information that associates the occurrence date and time (occurrence time period) of the surplus power, weather forecast information, and the amount of surplus power generated, for future surplus power predicted by the server 10, as described below.

The power distribution network ID stored in the generator DB 12a is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when a new power distribution network is established and the control unit 11 acquires information on the new power distribution network via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The power distribution network ID stored in the generator DB 12a is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when a new generator is installed and the control unit 11 acquires information on the new generator 103 via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The location information and device information stored in the generator DB 12a are added or changed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires an instruction to add or change via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The surplus power history stored in the generator DB 12a is stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires information on surplus power generated in the generator 103 via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The contents stored in the generator DB 12a are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3A, and may store, for example, information on each power distribution network and information on each generator 103.

The charger DB 12b stores information about the chargers 105 installed in the distribution network of each region for each region. The charger DB 12b shown in FIG. 3B includes a distribution network ID column, a charger ID column, a location information column, a time period column, an incentive point column, a planned supply amount column, a transaction history column, and the like. The distribution network ID column stores the identification information (distribution network ID) of the distribution network of each region. The charger ID column stores the identification information (charger ID) of the charger 105 installed in the distribution network of the region indicated by the distribution network ID in association with the distribution network ID, and the location information column stores the location information indicating the installation location of the charger 105 in association with the charger ID. The location information is, for example, longitude and latitude coordinate values, an address, a name of a landmark or a shopping center, and any information that can identify the installation location of the charger 105 may be used. The time slot column, the incentive point column, and the planned supply amount column store incentive points for each time slot set for the charger 105 and a predicted amount (planned supply amount) of surplus power that can be supplied via the charger 105, in association with the charger ID. The incentive points are points set (determined) according to the charger 105 (the location of the charger 105) and the time slot, and are points per unit of power amount such as 1 kWh. The incentive points are also used as points given to consumers when purchasing surplus power. For example, the incentive points are set to a higher value for the charger 105 and the time slot that should induce the purchase (reception) of surplus power. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, incentive points are set for time slots of every hour or every two hours, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The planned supply amount indicates the amount of surplus power predicted by the control unit 11, as described later. The transaction history column stores transaction information regarding surplus power purchased (received) via the charger 105, in association with the charger ID. The transaction information includes information about the consumer (e.g., consumer ID), the date and time of receipt of electricity, the amount of electricity received, incentive points set for the transaction, the date and time when the reservation for the transaction was completed, etc.

The power distribution network ID and charger ID stored in the charger DB 12b are issued and stored by the control unit 11 when a new power distribution network or charger 105 is installed and the control unit 11 acquires information on the new power distribution network or charger 105 via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The location information stored in the charger DB 12b is added or changed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires an instruction to add or change via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The time zone, incentive points, and planned supply amount stored in the charger DB 12b are stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 calculates the incentive points and planned supply amount corresponding to each charger 105. The transaction history stored in the charger DB 12b is stored by the control unit 11 each time the control unit 11 acquires information on a power receiving transaction (purchase transaction) of surplus power performed using the charger 105 via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The contents stored in the charger DB 12b are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3B, and may store, for example, information about each charger 105 device.

The consumer DB 12c stores information about purchasers (consumers) who wish to purchase surplus electricity. In this embodiment, the consumers who purchase surplus electricity are owners of electric vehicles, so the consumer DB 12c stores information about the owners of the electric vehicles. The consumer DB 12c shown in FIG. 4A includes a consumer ID column, a location information column, a name column, a purchase condition column, a purchase history column, and the like. The consumer ID column stores identification information (consumer ID) assigned in advance to each consumer. The location information column, the name column, and the purchase condition column store the location information of the electric vehicle, the consumer's name, and the purchase condition set by the consumer when purchasing surplus electricity, in association with the consumer ID, respectively. The location information is, for example, information indicating the parking location where the electric vehicle is usually parked, the area where the electric vehicle is usually driven, or the area where the electric vehicle can be moved, and is expressed using, for example, longitude and latitude coordinate values, an address, etc. The purchase conditions are surplus power purchase request information set in advance by the consumer, and include, for example, the lower or upper limit of the allowable incentive points, the lower or upper limit of the amount of power desired to be purchased, the charger 105 from which the consumer wishes to receive power (the location of the charger 105), the time period during which power will be received (the desired time period for receiving power), etc. The purchase history column stores purchase information (power reception history) related to the surplus power purchased (received) by the consumer via the charger 105, in association with the consumer ID. The purchase information includes the date and time of power reception, weather information on the day of power reception, information on the charger 105 that received power (e.g., the charger ID), the amount of power received, the incentive points set for the transaction, the date and time when the reservation for the transaction was completed, etc.

The consumer ID stored in the consumer DB 12c is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires information on a new consumer via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The location information, name, and purchase condition information stored in the consumer DB 12c are added or changed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires an instruction to add or change via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The purchase history stored in the consumer DB 12c is stored by the control unit 11 each time the control unit 11 acquires information on a consumer's purchase transaction (power reception) of surplus power via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The contents stored in the consumer DB 12c are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4A, and may store, for example, personal information of the consumer and information on an electric vehicle owned by the consumer.

The matching DB 12d stores information about purchase transactions (power receiving transactions) of surplus power received through each charger 105. Specifically, it stores matching information between each charger 105 and a consumer who purchases surplus power through each charger 105. The matching DB 12d shown in FIG. 4B includes a power distribution network ID column, a charger ID column, a transaction ID column, a date and time column, an incentive point column, a consumer ID column, and a power amount column. The power distribution network ID column and the charger ID column store the power distribution network ID of the power distribution network in each region and the charger ID of each charger 105, respectively. The transaction ID column stores identification information (transaction ID) assigned to the purchase transaction of surplus power set (reserved) for the charger 105 in association with the charger ID. The date and time column, the incentive point column, the consumer ID column, and the power amount column store the date and time when the purchase transaction is performed, the incentive point set in the purchase transaction, the consumer ID of the consumer who performs the purchase transaction, and the amount of power to be traded in association with the transaction ID, respectively. The date and time of the purchase transaction indicates the date and time when the consumer charges the electric vehicle with surplus electricity from the charger 105, and may be expressed as a specified time period.

The distribution network ID and charger ID stored in the matching DB 12d are, for example, the distribution network ID and charger ID stored in the charger DB 12b, which are stored in advance. The transaction ID stored in the matching DB 12d is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 sets (reserves) a new purchase transaction for each charger 105. The information on the date and time, incentive points, consumer ID, and power amount stored in the matching DB 12d is stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 sets a new purchase transaction for each charger 105. The storage contents of the matching DB 12d are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4B, and may store, for example, information on each charger 105 and information on each consumer.

The following describes the process in which each consumer applies to purchase surplus power generated by each generator 103 and registers the contents of the application (purchase conditions) in the server 10 in the information processing system configured as described above. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase condition registration process procedure, and Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example screen. In Fig. 5, the left side shows the process performed by the consumer terminal 20, and the right side shows the process performed by the server 10. The following process is realized by the control unit 21 in accordance with the control program 22P and the power purchase application 22AP stored in the memory unit 22 of the consumer terminal 20, and is realized by the control unit 11 in accordance with the control program 12P stored in the memory unit 12 of the server 10. Part of the following process may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit.

In the information processing system of this embodiment, consumers who wish to purchase surplus power generated by each generator 103 are invited to apply if they wish to purchase surplus power. The consumer can apply to purchase surplus power from the power purchase application 22AP by executing the power purchase application 22AP on the consumer terminal 20. The control unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 executes the power purchase application 22AP according to, for example, a user's operation via the input unit 24, and displays an application screen for applying to purchase surplus power on the display unit 25 (S61). FIG. 6 shows an example of an application screen, and the application screen has an input field for the charger that wishes to receive surplus power, an input field for the time period during which the surplus power is desired to be purchased, and an input field for the amount of power (amount of power received) that is desired to be purchased. The input field for the charger has a pull-down menu for selecting one of the chargers registered in advance in the charger DB 12b of the server 10. The input field for the time period has a check box for selecting each time period, and the incentive points for each time period set for the selected charger 105 are displayed in association with each time period. The incentive points for each time period may be acquired from the server 10 and displayed. The input field for the amount of received power is configured to allow any numerical value to be input. The input field for the charger may be configured to allow the consumer to input an address of an area where the consumer can receive (charge) power instead of selecting a charger, and the input field for the amount of received power may be configured to allow any numerical value between the minimum and maximum amounts of power that can be purchased to be input. The application screen has an application button for instructing the consumer to apply with the input content and a cancel button for instructing the consumer to end the process. The application screen is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 6. For example, the application screen may have an input field for the incentive points that the consumer is allowed to accept when purchasing surplus power. The control unit 21 may access a website published by the server 10 via the network N, and acquire and display the application screen shown in FIG. 6 from the server 10.

The application screen shown in FIG. 6 displays the incentive points set for each time period for the charger selected through the input field of the charger, so that the control unit 21 (point acquisition unit) of the consumer terminal 20 can acquire incentive points when purchasing surplus electricity through this charger. The application screen may display, for example, the amount of surplus electricity that can be purchased (sold) for each time period. In the application screen shown in FIG. 6, the consumer inputs desired content into each input field through the input unit 24, and operates the application button when instructing to apply with the input content. The control unit 21 accepts the content (application content) for each input field in the application screen (S62), and displays the accepted application content in each input field. As a result, the control unit 21 (absorption amount acquisition unit) acquires the amount of surplus electricity that the consumer wishes to purchase (absorption amount of surplus electricity) according to the incentive points. The control unit 21 then determines whether the application button on the application screen has been operated (S63), and terminates the process if it is determined that the button has not been operated (S63: NO). If it is determined that the application button has been operated (S63: YES), the control unit 21 (output unit) transmits (outputs) the application information received via the application screen to the server 10 (S64), and submits an application to purchase the surplus electricity being sold. Specifically, the control unit 21 transmits purchase request information including the charger 105 from which the user wishes to receive power (desired power reception location), the time period (desired power reception time period), and the amount of power received (amount of surplus electricity absorbed) to the server 10. This allows the control unit 21 to receive applications from users to purchase surplus electricity according to incentive points, and transmits the received application information to the server 10, thereby submitting an application to the server 10 to purchase surplus electricity based on the application information.

The control unit 11 of the server 10 acquires application information from the consumer terminal 20 (S65) and stores the acquired application information in the consumer DB 12c as purchase conditions (S66). Specifically, the control unit 11 stores the purchase request information, including the location of the charger (desired power receiving location), the time period during which purchase is desired (desired power receiving time period), the incentive point value set for this time period, and the amount of power desired to be purchased (desired purchase amount) contained in the application information, in the consumer DB 12c as purchase conditions. This allows the control unit 11 (reception unit) to accept applications from consumers for the amount of surplus power they wish to purchase (amount of surplus power absorbed) according to the incentive points. Through the above-mentioned process, each consumer can apply to the server 10 for the amount of surplus power they wish to charge the secondary battery 106 of their own electric vehicle.

The process of allocating surplus power generated by each generator 103 to multiple consumers (secondary batteries 106 of electric vehicles) will be described below. Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure for allocating surplus power, Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for matching, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the allocation process, and Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example screen. In Figures 7 and 8, the left side shows the process performed by the server 10, and the right side shows the process performed by the consumer terminal 20. The matching process shown in Figure 9 is the process of step S15 during the allocation process shown in Figure 7. The following process is realized by the control unit 11 according to the control program 12P stored in the memory unit 12 of the server 10, and is realized by the control unit 21 according to the control program 22P and the power purchase application 22AP stored in the memory unit 22 of the consumer terminal 20. A part of the following process may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit.

In the information processing system of this embodiment, a consumer who owns an electric vehicle and wants to purchase surplus electricity registers in advance with the server 10, and the server 10 stores information about the registered consumer in the consumer DB 12c. Specifically, the consumer applies for the purchase of surplus electricity by transmitting purchase request information including the desired amount of surplus electricity to be purchased, the desired place to receive electricity, the desired time period to receive electricity, and the value of the allowable incentive points to the server 10 using the consumer terminal 20, and the server 10 stores the received purchase request information as a purchase condition in the consumer DB 12c. The consumer terminal 20 and the server 10 execute the process shown in FIG. 5 described above, and the server 10 accepts an application for the purchase of surplus electricity from the consumer terminal 20. The server 10 also acquires the date and time of generation of surplus electricity in each generator 103, weather information, and the amount of generation from the generator 103 or a control terminal (not shown) that controls the operation of the generator 103, and stores the acquired information on the surplus electricity in the generator DB 12a as surplus electricity history. The server 10 of this embodiment predicts, for example, once a day at a specified time, the amount of surplus power (generation amount) that will be generated by each generator 103 on the next day based on the past surplus power history of each generator 103 and information on the weather, etc. The server 10 also predicts the amount of surplus power that each consumer wishes to purchase on the next day based on the purchase conditions (purchase request information) and past purchase history of each consumer, etc., and performs processing to create an allocation plan for allocating the predicted amount of surplus power to each consumer.

The control unit 11 of the server 10 determines whether the time has come to execute the process of creating an allocation plan for surplus power (creation timing) (S11), and if it determines that the time has not come (S11: NO), waits until the time comes. In this embodiment, the allocation plan is created once a day, and it is determined whether the creation timing has come depending on whether a specified time of the day has arrived. Alternatively, the allocation plan may be created once every two days or once every three days, in which case two or three days' worth of allocation plans are created at once during one creation timing.

When it is determined that the creation timing has arrived (S11: YES), the control unit 11 performs the processes of steps S12 to S16 for one region. Specifically, the control unit 11 (surplus predicted amount acquisition unit) calculates the predicted amount of surplus power to be generated on the next day (the day for which the distribution plan is to be created) in each generator 103 in one region (S12). For example, the control unit 11 reads out surplus power information for the most recent week from the surplus power history of the generator 103 to be predicted from the generator DB 12a. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may obtain weather information for the next day from a website that publishes weather information via the network N, and read out surplus power information for the most recent few days when the weather was similar to the obtained weather. Then, the control unit 11 calculates the predicted amount of surplus power that may be generated on the next day for each time period based on the read past surplus power information and the weather information for the next day. For example, the control unit 11 may calculate an average value of the surplus power generated for each time period based on surplus power information for several days when the weather was similar or the same as the weather of the next day, and use the calculated average value as the predicted amount of surplus power for the next day.

Figure 10 is a graph showing the predicted amount of surplus power for each time period, where the horizontal axis indicates the time of day and the vertical axis indicates the amount of surplus power (predicted amount of surplus power) per hour, and the unit of the amount of surplus power is, for example, kWh. The control unit 11 calculates the predicted amount of surplus power per hour, for example, as shown in Figure 10. In addition, instead of the surplus power history, the generator DB 12a may store historical information on the amount of power generated in the past by the generator 103 and historical information on the amount of power consumed in the past (power consumption) in the house in which the generator 103 is installed. In this case, the control unit 11 may read out the historical information on the amount of power generated and the amount of power consumed for, for example, the most recent week from the generator DB 12a, calculate the surplus power information for the most recent week based on the read historical information on the amount of power generated and the historical information on the amount of power consumed, and calculate the predicted amount of surplus power for the next day based on the calculated surplus power information. The control unit 11 calculates the predicted amount of surplus power for each time slot on the next day for all power generators 103 in the area, and calculates the total predicted amount of surplus power for each time slot.

Next, the control unit 11 (absorption forecast amount acquisition unit) calculates the forecast amount of surplus power (received amount of power) to be charged to the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle on the next day (the day for which the distribution plan is created) for each consumer in the processing target area (S13). For example, the control unit 11 reads out the purchase information for the past week or several weeks from the purchase history of the consumer to be predicted from the consumer DB 12c. Then, the control unit 11 calculates the forecast amount of surplus power that the consumer may charge to the electric vehicle on the next day based on the read past purchase information. For example, the control unit 11 calculates the forecast amount of power received on the next day based on the purchase cycle (power receiving cycle) according to the past purchase information. The control unit 11 may also calculate the forecast amount of power received on the next day based on the past purchase information and weather information for the next day. The control unit 11 may predict the power receiving time period (the time period during which surplus power is purchased) along with the predicted amount of power received. The power receiving time period may be a time period during which consumers are likely to charge their electric vehicles based on past purchase information. The control unit 11 may also predict the amount of power received on the next day, taking into account the purchase conditions set by each consumer. The control unit 11 calculates the predicted amount of surplus power received on the next day for all consumers in the area, and calculates the total predicted amount of power received.

The control unit 11 may use a neural network constructed by machine learning to calculate the predicted amount of power received on the next day from the amount of power received or consumed in the past, for example, in the past week or month. For example, a learning model consisting of a CNN (Convolution Neural Network) model, an RNN (Recurrent Neural Network) model, an LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) model, or the like, which is trained to output information indicating the predicted amount of power received on the next day when the amount of power received or consumed in the past is input, may be used. In this case, the control unit 11 inputs the amount of power received or consumed in the past into the learned learning model, and can specify the predicted amount of power received on the next day based on the output information from the learning model.

Next, the control unit 11 (determination unit) sets incentive points for each charger 105 in the processing target area in the buying and selling transaction (power receiving transaction) of surplus power to be performed via the charger 105 on the next day (the day for which the distribution plan is created) (S14). For example, the control unit 11 sets incentive points for each time slot on the next day based on the predicted amount of surplus power for each time slot of each generator 103 calculated in step S12 and the predicted amount of surplus power received by each consumer calculated in step S13. Specifically, the control unit 11 calculates, for each charger 105, the sum of the predicted amount of surplus power for the generators 103 near each charger 105 for each time slot. The generator 103 in the vicinity of the charger 105 may be, for example, a generator 103 connected to the same pole transformer 102 as the charger 105, a generator 103 connected to a power distribution network to which the charger 105 is connected via the pole transformer 102, or a generator 103 whose installation position is a predetermined distance or less from the installation position of the charger 105. The total predicted amount of surplus power in the generators 103 in the vicinity of such a charger 105 can be regarded as the amount of surplus power that can be supplied via this charger 105 (planned supply amount).

The control unit 11 also calculates the total predicted amount of surplus power to be received (amount of power desired to be received) for each charger 105 for the consumers who will receive surplus power through each charger 105. When the control unit 11 predicts the power receiving time period for each consumer, it calculates the total predicted amount of surplus power desired to be received for each time period. Note that the consumer who will receive surplus power through the charger 105 may be, for example, a consumer who has received surplus power through the same charger 105 in the past, or a consumer whose distance between the installation position of the charger 105 and the position of the electric vehicle (parked position, movable position, etc.) is less than a predetermined distance. Then, the control unit 11 sets incentive points for each time period on the next day for each charger 105 based on the planned amount of surplus power to be supplied through each charger 105, the number of consumers who wish to receive surplus power through each charger 105, the desired amount of power to be received, and the power receiving time period. Incentive points are points per unit of power amount, such as 1 kWh, and are used as points to be given to consumers when they purchase surplus power, for example. The incentive points are a high value when the amount of power the consumer wishes to receive is small compared to the planned amount of surplus power to be supplied via the charger 105, and are a low value when the amount of power the consumer wishes to receive is large. Incentive points may also be set taking into account incentive point values that were previously set. The incentive points set in this manner are presented to the consumer via the screen shown in FIG. 6.

The control unit 11 sets incentive points for each time slot on the next day for all chargers 105 in the area, and stores the incentive points for each time slot and the planned amount of surplus power to be supplied via the chargers 105 in the charger DB 12b. If multiple chargers 105 are installed within a specified range, incentive points may be set collectively for these chargers 105. For example, if multiple chargers 105 are installed within a range that can be traveled by car in about 10 to 20 minutes, the control unit 11 calculates the total predicted amount of surplus power for each time slot in the generators 103 near each charger 105 for the multiple chargers 105, and calculates the total predicted amount of surplus power desired to be received via each charger 105. The control unit 11 may then set incentive points for each time slot on the next day for the multiple chargers 105 based on the calculated total predicted amount of surplus power for each time slot and the total predicted amount of surplus power desired to be received. In this case, the same value of incentive points is stored in the charger DB 12b for multiple chargers 105, and the planned supply amounts for the multiple chargers 105 are stored together in the charger DB 12b.

Next, the control unit 11 performs matching processing between each charger 105 and each consumer in the transaction of receiving surplus electricity via each charger 105 based on the incentive points for each time period set for each charger 105 in step S14, the planned supply amount for each charger 105, and the purchase conditions of each consumer (S15). That is, the control unit 11 creates an allocation plan for allocating the surplus electricity of the planned supply amount calculated for each charger 105 to each consumer. In the matching processing shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 acquires information on the surplus electricity that can be supplied via one charger 105 (matching target charger 105) from the charger DB 12b (S31). Specifically, the control unit 11 acquires the incentive points for each time period set for the matching target charger 105 and the planned supply amount of surplus electricity for each time period via this charger 105.

The control unit 11 also identifies consumers (allocation targets) who wish to receive surplus power through the matching charger 105 based on the contents stored in the consumer DB 12c (S32). Specifically, the control unit 11 identifies consumers whose purchase conditions match the matching charger 105 as allocation targets based on the purchase conditions of each consumer stored in the consumer DB 12c. For example, when the charger 105 or location (desired power receiving location) from which each consumer wishes to receive power, the time period during which the consumer wishes to receive power, and the allowable incentive points match the matching charger 105, the control unit 11 identifies the consumer as the allocation target. Specifically, when the charger 105 from which each consumer wishes to receive power is the matching charger 105, or is a charger 105 in the vicinity of the matching charger 105, and further when the incentive points for each time period set in the matching charger 105 are the time period during which the consumer wishes to receive power and the allowable incentive points, the control unit 11 identifies the consumer as the allocation target. Furthermore, the control unit 11 may specify, as the allocation target, a consumer who has received (purchased) surplus power via a matching charger 105 based on the purchase history of each consumer stored in the consumer DB 12c. This allows a consumer who meets the purchase conditions, such as the location (charger 105) where the consumer wishes to receive surplus power, the desired time period for receiving power, and the allowable incentive points, to be specified as the allocation target for one charger 105. Note that the time period for managing the planned supply amount of surplus power and the consumer's desired time period for receiving power do not have to be the same time period. For example, the time period for managing the planned supply amount of surplus power may be in one-hour or two-hour units, and the consumer's desired time period for receiving power may be the morning or afternoon, etc.

Then, the control unit 11 allocates the surplus power to be supplied via the matching charger 105 to the allocation target for each time period based on the incentive points and the planned supply amount for each time period acquired in step S31 and the purchase conditions (purchase request information) of the allocation target identified in step S32 (S33). For example, the control unit 11 divides the planned supply amount into a predetermined power amount unit such as 1 kWh or 10 kWh for each time period, and allocates the amount of power that each allocation target wishes to purchase with the divided predetermined power amount as the upper limit. Note that, if a rank or priority is set for each allocation target (consumer), the amount of power that each allocation target wishes to purchase may be allocated in order from the allocation target with the highest rank or priority. The control unit 11 may also divide the planned supply amount for each time period by the number of allocation targets and allocate it equally to each allocation target. Also, for example, when the planned supply amount of surplus power is managed in one-hour units, the control unit 11 first allocates surplus power for the planned supply amount from 11:00 to 12:00 to the allocation target who has set 11:00 to 12:00 as the desired power receiving time period. Next, the control unit 11 allocates surplus power for the unallocated portion of the planned supply amount from 11:00 to 12:00 to the allocation target who has set 11:00 to 13:00 as the desired power receiving time period. At this time, if the planned supply amount from 11:00 to 12:00 is insufficient, the control unit 11 may allocate the shortage to this allocation target from the planned supply amount from 12:00 to 13:00, or may allocate all of the amount of power that this allocation target wishes to purchase from the planned supply amount from 12:00 to 13:00. When the control unit 11 allocates surplus power to the allocation target in correspondence with the charger 105 to be matched, it issues a transaction ID. Then, the control unit 11 stores in the matching DB 12d the transaction ID, the date and time including the allocated time period (scheduled date and time of power reception), the incentive points set for the allocated time period, the consumer ID of the allocation target, and the allocated amount of power in association with the charger ID of the charger 105. This stores matching information between each charger 105 that supplies surplus power and the consumer that receives the supply of surplus power via the charger 105. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 allocates surplus power to an allocation target, it updates the planned supply amount of the matching target charger 105 stored in the charger DB 12b to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of power allocated to the allocation target.

The control unit 11 judges whether or not the allocation of the amount of electricity that each of the allocation targets specified in step S32 wishes to purchase has been completed (S34). If it is judged that the allocation has not been completed (S34: NO), it judges whether or not the allocation of the planned supply amount (surplus electricity) for each time period acquired in step S31 to the allocation targets has been completed (S35). If it is judged that the allocation of all the planned supply amounts to the allocation targets has not been completed (S35: NO), the control unit 11 returns to the processing of step S33 and allocates the unallocated planned supply amount to the allocation targets who have not yet completed the allocation of the amount of electricity that they wish to purchase. The control unit 11 repeats the processing of step S33 until the allocation of the amount of electricity that each of the allocation targets wishes to purchase has been completed or the allocation of all the planned supply amounts to the allocation targets has been completed. This allows the control unit 11 (allocation determination unit) to create an allocation plan in which the surplus electricity generated by the generators 103 in the area is absorbed by the secondary batteries 106 of the electric vehicles that can be charged via the chargers 105 in the area.

When it is determined that the allocation of surplus power to all the allocation targets has been completed (S34: YES), or when it is determined that the allocation of all the planned supply amounts to the allocation targets has been completed (S35: YES), the control unit 11 determines whether or not the above-mentioned processing has been completed for all the chargers 105 registered in the charger DB 12b (S36). When it is determined that the processing has not been completed for all the chargers 105 (S36: NO), the control unit 11 returns to the processing of step S31 and performs the processing of steps S31 to S35 for the unprocessed chargers 105. This allows the surplus power to be supplied on the next day via each charger 105 to be allocated to consumers who meet the purchase conditions for the chargers 105 registered in the charger DB 12b. When it is determined that the processing has been completed for all the chargers 105 (S36: YES), the control unit 11 returns to the processing of FIG. 7.

After performing the matching process shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 judges whether the end condition of the matching process is satisfied (S16). For example, when a predetermined ratio (e.g., 80% or more) of the predicted amount (scheduled supply amount) of surplus power generated in the generator 103 in the area on the next day (the day for which the distribution plan is created) calculated for the area to be processed in step S12 has been allocated to the allocation target, the control unit 11 judges that the end condition is satisfied. In addition, when a predetermined ratio (e.g., 90% or more) of the predicted amount of surplus power that consumers in the area will charge their electric vehicles (secondary batteries 106) on the next day calculated in step S13 has been allocated, the control unit 11 may judge that the end condition is satisfied. In addition, when the amount of surplus power not allocated to the allocation target becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount with respect to the planned supply amount for the next day calculated in step S12, the control unit 11 may judge that the end condition is satisfied.

When it is determined that the matching process termination condition is not satisfied (S16: NO), the control unit 11 performs the matching process again, but at this time, the process returns to step S14, and after changing the incentive points for each charger 105, the matching process is performed (S15). For example, the control unit 11 may change the incentive points by adding a predetermined value when the unallocated planned supply amount in each charger 105 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. Also, the control unit 11 may change the incentive points by adding a predetermined value when the ratio of the unallocated planned supply amount to the planned supply amount acquired in step S31 in each charger 105 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this way, by increasing the incentive points for chargers 105 that are prone to generating unallocated surplus power, it is possible to promote allocation to allocation targets in the next matching process and improve the matching probability.

If it is determined that the matching process termination condition is met (S16: YES), the control unit 11 determines whether there is an unprocessed area (S17), and if it is determined that there is an unprocessed area (S17: YES), the control unit 11 returns to the process of step S12 and performs the processes of steps S12 to S16 for the unprocessed area. In this way, in each area, the surplus power scheduled to be supplied on the next day via each charger 105 in the area can be allocated to consumers who meet the purchase conditions. If it is determined that there is no unprocessed area (S17: NO), the control unit 11 transmits the allocation result (allocation plan for allocating surplus power to each consumer) to each consumer (allocation target) to which the surplus power has been allocated (S18). For example, the control unit 11 (output unit) generates a notification screen for notifying each consumer of the allocation information (received power information) of the surplus power allocated to each consumer, as shown in FIG. 11A, and transmits (outputs) it to the consumer terminal 20 of the corresponding consumer. The screen shown in FIG. 11A displays the power reception information in the power reception process, including the location of the charger 105 that charges the surplus power, the time period for charging (power reception date and time), the amount of power to be charged (power reception amount), incentive points, etc. The screen shown in FIG. 11A also has a power reception schedule button for accepting the transaction (purchase transaction) of the surplus power in the displayed content and reserving the power reception (purchase), and a cancel button for refusing to accept the transaction of the surplus power reception transaction and canceling the power reception. Specifically, the control unit 11 reads out the charger ID, date and time, incentive points, and power amount stored in the matching DB 12d in association with the consumer ID, and reads out information (location information) indicating the installation location of the charger 105 of the read charger ID from the charger DB 12b. The control unit 11 then displays the installation location, date and time, power amount (power reception amount), and incentive points of the read charger 105, and adds a power reception schedule button and a cancel button to generate the notification screen shown in FIG. 11A.

When the control unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 receives the allocation result (power reception information) from the server 10, it displays the allocation result screen shown in FIG. 11A on the display unit 25 (S19). That is, the control unit 21 (power reception information acquisition unit) acquires the power reception information according to the surplus power distribution plan created by the server 10. On the screen shown in FIG. 11A, if the consumer wants to reserve the reception of surplus power according to the displayed content, the consumer operates the power reception plan button via the input unit 24, and if the consumer wants to cancel the reception of surplus power, the consumer operates the cancel button. This allows the consumer to select whether or not to accept the power reception transaction according to the power reception content notified by the server 10 on the screen shown in FIG. 11A. On the allocation result screen, if the power reception plan button is operated, the control unit 21 accepts the reservation for receiving surplus power, and if the cancel button is operated, the control unit 21 accepts the cancellation of the reception. The control unit 21 determines whether or not the power receiving reservation has been accepted (S20), and if it determines that the power receiving reservation has been accepted (S20: YES), it transmits an application for receiving surplus power with the displayed contents to the server 10 (S21) and ends the process. When the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives an application for receiving power from the consumer terminal 20, it confirms the allocation contents transmitted to the consumer terminal 20 in step S18 (S22). For example, the control unit 11 may confirm the power receiving transaction of the allocation contents by storing "Accepted" in the matching DB 12d in association with the power receiving transaction for which the power receiving application has been accepted.

On the other hand, if the control unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 determines that a power reception reservation has not been accepted (S20: NO), i.e., if a power reception cancellation has been accepted, it transmits a power reception cancellation of the surplus power to the server 10 (S23) and terminates the process. If the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives a power reception cancellation from the consumer terminal 20, it discards the allocation details transmitted to the consumer terminal 20 in step S18 (S24). For example, the control unit 11 may discard the power reception transaction of the allocation details by deleting information regarding the power reception transaction for which a power reception cancellation has been accepted from the matching DB 12d.

After the processing of step S22 or step S24, the control unit 11 judges whether there are any consumers to whom the allocation result has not been notified (S25). Specifically, the control unit 11 judges whether the allocation result has been notified to the consumers in each electricity receiving transaction stored in the matching DB 12d. If it is judged that there are any unnotified consumers (S25: YES), the control unit 11 returns to the processing of step S18 and transmits the allocation result to the unnotified consumers (allocation targets) (S18). The control unit 11 also receives either an electricity receiving application or an electricity receiving cancellation from the consumer terminal 20, and confirms or discards the allocation content depending on the received content. If it is judged that there are no unnotified consumers (S25: NO), that is, if the allocation content has been notified to all consumers, the control unit 11 ends the processing.

The allocation result screen may have the configuration shown in FIG. 11B. The screen shown in FIG. 11B displays two chargers 105 as chargers 105 for charging surplus power, and is configured to allow the user to select one of the chargers 105. For example, when multiple available chargers 105 are allocated to one consumer, a screen as shown in FIG. 11B is generated and transmitted to the consumer terminal 20. The other configuration is the same as the screen shown in FIG. 11A. In the screen shown in FIG. 11B, the consumer can apply to receive surplus power from the selected charger 105 by selecting the charger 105 he or she wants to use and then operating the power receiving schedule button. When the control unit 11 of the server 10 accepts an application to receive surplus power from the charger 105 selected by the consumer from the consumer terminal 20, the control unit 11 of the server 10 discards the allocation contents of the surplus power from the charger 105 that was not selected. Also, for example, when multiple time periods are assigned as the time periods (power reception dates and times) for receiving surplus power, the screen shown in FIG. 11B may be configured to list multiple power reception dates and times and to allow the user to select any one of the power reception dates and times. Also, when the amount of surplus power received can be changed from the amount of power received set as the purchase condition, that is, when there is additional surplus power that can be received (purchased), the screen shown in FIG. 11B may be configured to allow the amount of power received to be changed with the amount of power that can be added as an upper limit. With such a configuration, not only can power be received in accordance with the purchase conditions registered by the consumer in advance, but it is also possible to flexibly change the transaction content to the consumer's desired content depending on the allocation of surplus power to each consumer.

By the above-mentioned process, the server 10 can create (determine) an allocation plan for allocating surplus power generated by the generator 103 to consumers (electric vehicles) in each region. In this embodiment, an allocation plan is created for absorbing surplus power with the secondary battery 106 of a mobile electric vehicle. Since the electric vehicle can flexibly change the time and place (the place of the charger 105) for receiving surplus power depending on the driver (consumer), an allocation plan with a high degree of freedom is possible. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently allocate surplus power to each consumer. Note that the server 10 creates an allocation plan for allocating surplus power to electric vehicles on the next day, for example, once a day. However, depending on the difference between the amount of surplus power actually generated on the next day and the amount predicted on the previous day, there may be cases where surplus power that can be sold on the day is generated. In this case, it is possible to accept purchase applications for surplus power until just before the surplus power is generated, and to assign purchase transactions (power receiving transactions) to consumers who have made purchase applications.

The consumer to whom surplus power has been allocated by the above-mentioned process moves the electric vehicle to the location of the allocated charger 105 at the allocated date and time (power receiving time), and uses the charger 105 to charge the allocated amount of surplus power into the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle. Thus, the consumer can obtain power receiving information related to the power receiving transaction of the surplus power allocated to the consumer from the server 10 via the consumer terminal 20, and can understand the transaction details of the surplus power allocated to the consumer from the obtained power receiving information.

The following describes the process in the information processing system of this embodiment in which the consumer terminal 20 notifies the consumer that he or she should start moving to the location where the charger 105 is installed, in order to realize a power receiving transaction for surplus power allocated to the consumer based on the consumer's power receiving application. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for notifying the consumer of the start of movement. The following process is realized by the control unit 21 in accordance with the control program 22P and the power purchasing application 22AP stored in the memory unit 22 of the consumer terminal 20. A part of the following process may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit.

After receiving the surplus power reception information (allocation result) from the server 10, the control unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 performs the process shown in FIG. 12. When the allocation result is received from the server 10, the control unit 21 acquires information on the current location of the electric vehicle owned by the consumer (S41). The information on the current location of the electric vehicle is information on the parking lot where the electric vehicle is parked, or information on the location where the electric vehicle is running, and is expressed using, for example, coordinate values of longitude and latitude, an address, etc. For example, the consumer may register the location information of the parking lot where the electric vehicle is usually parked, or the parking lot where the electric vehicle is parked outside, etc., in the electricity purchase application 22AP via the input unit 24, and in this case, the control unit 21 can acquire the information on the current location of the electric vehicle according to the registration content (location information of the parking lot). The control unit 21 may also acquire information on the current location detected by a GPS (Global Positioning System) installed in the electric vehicle. Furthermore, when a consumer is driving an electric vehicle while carrying the consumer terminal 20, information on the consumer's current location detected by the GPS of the consumer terminal 20 may be acquired.

The control unit 21 calculates the time required for the electric vehicle to travel from the current location to the charger 105 based on the current location of the electric vehicle and the power receiving location (the location where the charger 105 is installed) in the power receiving information received from the server 10 (S42). The control unit 21 may calculate the predetermined time based on the distance from the current location to the charger 105 and the average driving speed of the electric vehicle operated by the consumer. The control unit 21 may also obtain the time required for the route from the current location to the charger 105 from a website that provides route search results for vehicles via the network N.

Then, the control unit 21 judges whether the electric vehicle should start moving toward the charger 105 based on the time required to travel from the current location to the charger 105 and the current time (S43). For example, the control unit 21 calculates the time from the current time to the power reception time (power reception date and time) in the power reception information received from the server 10, and judges that the date and time to start moving has arrived when the calculated time is less than or equal to the time required to travel from the current location to the charger 105. Note that at this time, the control unit 21 may judge that the electric vehicle should start moving a predetermined time before the date and time when the electric vehicle should start moving arrives, with a certain margin of time.

When the control unit 21 determines that the electric vehicle should not start moving (S43: NO), it determines whether the electric vehicle is moving (running) or not (S44). Here, the control unit 21 determines whether the electric vehicle is moving or not based on information on the current location successively detected by the GPS installed in the electric vehicle or the GPS possessed by the consumer terminal 20 of the consumer who is in the electric vehicle. The consumer may register in the electricity purchasing application 22AP that the electric vehicle is currently parked, and in this case, the control unit 21 may determine that the electric vehicle is not moving according to the registered content (being parked). When it determines that the electric vehicle is not moving (S44: NO), the control unit 21 returns to the process of step S43 and repeats the processes of steps S43 and S44 until it determines that the electric vehicle should start moving or that the electric vehicle has moved.

When the control unit 21 determines that the electric vehicle has moved (S44: YES), it returns to the process of step S41, acquires information on the current location of the electric vehicle (S41), and recalculates the time required from the current location to the charger 105 (S42). As a result, when the electric vehicle is moving, the control unit 21 determines whether the electric vehicle should start moving according to the time required from the current location of the electric vehicle to the charger 105, which is updated sequentially. When the control unit 21 determines that the electric vehicle should start moving (S43: YES), it notifies the consumer by, for example, displaying a message indicating that the electric vehicle should start moving on the display unit 25 (S45). As a result, the consumer terminal 20 can guide the consumer to start moving the electric vehicle so that the electric vehicle can arrive at the installation location of the charger 105 by the power receiving time assigned to the consumer. Note that the method of notifying the consumer of the start of movement of the electric vehicle may be, for example, by lighting or blinking the lamp, sounding the buzzer, etc., if the consumer terminal 20 has a lamp or a buzzer, etc.

By the above-mentioned process, the consumer terminal 20 instructs the consumer to start moving the electric vehicle so as to arrive at the power receiving time assigned to the consumer. By starting to move the electric vehicle at the timing notified by the consumer terminal 20, the consumer can charge the surplus power of the assigned receiving amount to the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle via the assigned charger 105 at the power receiving time assigned to the consumer.

In this embodiment, as described above, the surplus power generated by the generator 103 is absorbed by the electric vehicle at the timing of generation, so that it is consumed efficiently. With this configuration, even if the surplus power generated by the generator 103 further increases, the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle can be used as a power buffer to adjust the supply and demand of the surplus power, and the quality of the grid power can be maintained without affecting the grid power. In addition, in this embodiment, the surplus power is absorbed via the charger 105 located near the place where the surplus power is generated (the installation place of the generator 103). In this way, since the surplus power generated in each region is consumed within the region, it is not necessary to install new substation equipment or the like in the distribution network, and the supply and demand of the surplus power can be adjusted. In addition, in this embodiment, for example, the amount of surplus power generated on the next day and the amount of surplus power received by the consumer (electric vehicle) are predicted based on the most recent performance and weather information, so that values close to the actual power amount can be predicted. Therefore, a more appropriate distribution plan for surplus power can be created based on the more accurately predicted amount of surplus power generated and the amount of surplus power received by the consumer.

In this embodiment, when a consumer receives (purchases) surplus power via the charger 105, information on the power receiving transaction of the surplus power is transmitted to the server 10 from a control terminal (not shown) that controls the operation of the charger 105. For example, information on the power receiving transaction including information on the charger 105 (e.g., charger ID), information on the consumer (e.g., consumer ID), the date and time of power receiving, weather information at that time, the amount of power received, and the like is transmitted to the server 10. Thus, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the transaction information including each piece of received information in the charger DB 12b as a transaction history corresponding to the charger ID, and stores the purchase information (power receiving history) including each piece of received information in the consumer DB 12c as a purchase history corresponding to the consumer ID. As a result, information on the power receiving transaction (purchase transaction) of surplus power performed by each consumer via each charger 105 is accumulated in the charger DB 12b and the consumer DB 12c. In this way, by accumulating information on the transactions of receiving surplus electricity via each charger 105 and information on the purchase transactions of surplus electricity by each consumer, it becomes possible to issue various documents or certificates using this information. For example, it is possible to issue a purchase history or purchase certificate of renewable energy (natural energy) or _CO2- free electricity. In addition, based on the total value of incentive points in the purchase transactions by each consumer, it is possible to grasp the amount of surplus electricity purchased, and it becomes possible to provide a privilege according to the incentive points acquired in a year, for example.

In this embodiment, the consumer terminal 20 may be configured to, for example, when a consumer instructs the power purchasing app 22AP to be launched via the input unit 24, obtain the consumer's surplus power purchase history from the server 10 and display the surplus power purchase history on the initial screen. When the consumer terminal 20 is instructed to launch the power purchasing app 22AP, it may be configured to obtain the incentive points set for each charger 105 from the server 10 and display the incentive points for each charger 105 on the initial screen. By displaying the consumer's purchase history or the incentive points for each charger 105 in this manner, information that the consumer is likely to want to know can be notified on the initial screen.

In this embodiment, the consumer sets the charger 105 or the location of the charger 105 that the consumer wants to use, the time period during which the consumer wants to receive power, the amount of power received, the incentive points that the consumer can accept, and the like as purchase conditions, and can receive from the server 10 a proposal for a power reception transaction (purchase transaction) with power reception content that matches the purchase conditions. Therefore, in order to purchase surplus power with the power reception content allocated to the consumer, the consumer can run the electric vehicle to consume the charge in the secondary battery 106 before the scheduled power reception time arrives. In this case, by running the electric vehicle according to the allocated power reception content, it becomes possible to efficiently purchase (receive) surplus power at the scheduled power reception time.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the consumer can apply for or cancel the proposed electricity receiving transaction, for example, when the remaining charge of the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle is high and the proposed electricity receiving transaction is unnecessary, the consumer can cancel the electricity receiving transaction. In addition, when the allocation result screen as shown in FIG. 11B is notified, the consumer can apply for the electricity receiving transaction after appropriately changing the demand content. In this case, for example, if there is a charger 105 or electricity receiving time period with a higher incentive point, the consumer can change the driving schedule for the next day and apply for the electricity receiving transaction with the charger 105 or electricity receiving time period with a higher incentive point. Therefore, for example, the consumer can consume the charge amount of the secondary battery 106 by driving the electric vehicle before the time period with a higher incentive point, and can then receive surplus electricity. In this way, the sale of surplus electricity with a high incentive point can be promoted, and the consumer can efficiently purchase surplus electricity with a high incentive point. It is also possible to register, as a purchase condition, that the electricity receiving transaction will be finalized with the electricity receiving content allocated by the server 10 without the consumer's consent. In this case, the server 10 may finalize the electricity receiving transaction by the consumer at the time the electricity receiving content of the surplus electricity is allocated.

In this embodiment, the consumer can register, as purchase conditions, chargers 105 on the planned route and the time period of the planned driving according to the consumer's driving plans (driving plan) for the next day, and receive proposals for electricity receiving transactions with electricity receiving contents that match the purchase conditions from the server 10. Therefore, by receiving surplus electricity with the proposed electricity receiving contents, the consumer can receive surplus electricity from an appropriate charger 105 at an appropriate time according to the driving plans for the next day.

In this embodiment, the matching process between surplus electricity and consumers in the buying and selling of surplus electricity may be configured to be performed on the blockchain. In addition, in such a configuration, by executing a smart contract on the blockchain when performing the matching process, it becomes possible to carry out the buying and selling of surplus electricity in an autonomous and decentralized manner.

In this embodiment, the electric vehicle that absorbs the surplus power may be configured to be able to run automatically. In this case, the server 10 may instruct each electric vehicle to execute the power receiving transaction with the power receiving content assigned to each electric vehicle without obtaining the consent of the consumer. The electric vehicle may automatically run to the specified location at the specified date and time according to the power receiving content instructed by the server 10, and receive the surplus power via the specified charger 105. The server 10 may be configured to transmit the power receiving content (power receiving information) assigned to the electric vehicle to a car navigation device (consumer terminal 20) mounted on the electric vehicle, and the car navigation device may instruct the electric vehicle to execute the power receiving transaction. In an electric vehicle that can run automatically, in order to receive power with the power receiving content instructed by the server 10, the charge amount of the secondary battery 106 is consumed by running automatically before the scheduled power receiving time, thereby enabling efficient reception of surplus power. If the charger 105 can charge the secondary battery 106 in a non-contact manner, the electric vehicle can be charged by the charger 105 by stopping at a specified position. In addition, if an electric vehicle capable of self-driving is used for car sharing shared by multiple users, it can be configured to receive surplus electricity during free time during sharing. For example, by registering the free time of sharing as the desired time period for receiving electricity according to the sharing schedule for the next day as a purchase condition, if a receiving transaction that meets the purchase condition is possible, charging can be efficiently carried out during the free time of sharing.

In this embodiment, a charger 105 capable of charging the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle may be embedded in the road, so that the electric vehicle can be charged while traveling. In this case, the consumer can receive surplus power according to the power receiving content assigned to the consumer by driving the electric vehicle on the road where the charger 105 is embedded.

In addition, in this embodiment, the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle that absorbs the surplus power does not have to be the battery that drives the electric vehicle. For example, a configuration in which a secondary battery 106 that is not a drive battery mounted on a moving body such as an automobile can be charged. In this case, by moving an automobile with surplus power charged in the secondary battery 106, it becomes possible to supply power at any location. Therefore, power can be supplied in places where a failure has occurred in the power supply network.

(Embodiment 2)
An information processing system that creates an allocation plan for allocating surplus power generated by a generator 103 not only to a secondary battery 106 of an electric vehicle but also to a load 104 installed in a house or the like will be described. Thus, in this embodiment, the consumer who purchases the surplus power is the owner of the electric vehicle and the owner of the load 104. In this embodiment, the load 104 to which the surplus power is allocated includes, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer, an air conditioner, an electric water heater, a refrigerated warehouse, a freezer warehouse, a heat storage device, etc. used in a house, and these devices are used as a power buffer (energy storage device) that holds the surplus power. For example, a refrigerator has a period in which the compressor is operated to perform a cooling process and a period in which the cooling process is not performed. Therefore, when surplus power occurs, the compressor is operated using the surplus power to cool the inside of the refrigerator, and when the temperature falls below a predetermined temperature, the compressor is stopped, thereby making it possible to efficiently use the surplus power for cooling. In this way, a device that can convert power into heat and hold it is expected to be used as a power buffer.

The information processing system of this embodiment can be realized by the same device as the information processing system of embodiment 1, so a description of the configuration will be omitted. Note that the consumer DB 12c stored in the memory unit 12 of the server 10 of this embodiment has a slightly different configuration from the consumer DB 12c of embodiment 1. Also, the memory unit 12 of the server 10 of this embodiment stores a power distribution network DB 12e and a load matching DB 12f in addition to DBs 12a to 12d shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the DBs stored in the server 10 of embodiment 2. FIG. 13A shows the consumer DB 12c, FIG. 13B shows the power distribution network DB 12e, and FIG. 13C shows the load matching DB 12f.

The consumer DB 12c includes an equipment type column in addition to the configuration of the consumer DB 12c of embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4A. In this embodiment, the consumers who purchase surplus power include not only the owners of electric vehicles but also the owners of the loads 104, so information about the owners of the electric vehicles and information about the owners of the loads 104 are stored in the consumer DB 12c. The equipment type column stores the type of equipment owned by the consumer in association with the consumer ID. The type of equipment can be, for example, an electric vehicle, a refrigerator, an electric water heater, a freezer, an air conditioner, a refrigerated warehouse, a frozen warehouse, a heat storage device, etc. In the consumer DB 12c, the location information corresponding to each equipment of the loads 104 is information indicating the installation location of each equipment. In addition, the purchase conditions corresponding to each equipment of the loads 104 may include the amount of power that can be consumed by each equipment as the amount of power to be purchased. This allows the amount of power that can be consumed by the equipment (the amount of surplus power absorbed) to be registered as a purchase condition. The device type is added or changed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 receives an instruction to add or change via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The contents stored in the consumer DB 12c of this embodiment are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 13A.

The power distribution network DB 12e stores information about the power distribution network in each region. The power distribution network DB 12e shown in FIG. 13B is similar to the configuration of the charger DB 12b shown in FIG. 3B, and includes a power distribution network ID column, a location information column, a time period column, an incentive point column, a planned supply amount column, a transaction history column, and the like. The power distribution network ID column stores identification information (power distribution network ID) of the power distribution network in each region, and the location information column stores location information indicating the installation location of the power distribution network in association with the power distribution network ID. The location information of the power distribution network is information indicating the area that includes the power distribution network. The time period column, the incentive point column, and the planned supply amount column store incentive points for each time period set for surplus power generated in the power distribution network and the predicted amount of surplus power that can be supplied (planned supply amount) in association with the power distribution network ID. The transaction history column stores transaction information about surplus power received (purchased) by the load 104 in the power distribution network in association with the power distribution network ID. The distribution network ID stored in the distribution network DB 12e is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when a new distribution network is installed and the control unit 11 acquires information about the new distribution network via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The location information is added or changed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 acquires an instruction to add or change via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The time period, incentive points, and planned supply amount are stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 calculates the incentive points and planned supply amount for surplus power in the distribution network. The transaction history is stored by the control unit 11 each time the control unit 11 acquires information about a power receiving transaction (purchase transaction) of surplus power conducted in the distribution network via the communication unit 13 or the input unit 14. The stored contents of the distribution network DB 12e are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 13B.

The load matching DB 12f stores information on electricity receiving transactions (purchase transactions) of surplus electricity received by the load 104 in the electricity distribution network. The load matching DB 12f shown in FIG. 13C is similar to the configuration of the matching DB 12d shown in FIG. 4B, and includes a electricity distribution network ID column, a transaction ID column, a date and time column, an incentive point column, a consumer ID column, and an energy amount column. The electricity distribution network ID column stores the electricity distribution network ID of the electricity distribution network in each region, and the transaction ID column stores the transaction ID of the electricity receiving transaction (purchase transaction) of surplus electricity set (reserved) for the surplus electricity generated in the electricity distribution network, in association with the electricity distribution network ID. The date and time column, the incentive point column, the consumer ID column, and the energy amount column store the date and time when the purchase transaction is performed, the incentive point set in the purchase transaction, the consumer ID of the consumer performing the purchase transaction, and the energy amount to be traded, in association with the transaction ID, respectively. The power distribution network ID stored in the load matching DB 12f is stored in advance, and the transaction ID is issued and stored by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 sets a new purchase transaction. When the control unit 11 sets a new purchase transaction, the control unit 11 stores information related to the set purchase transaction, such as the date and time, incentive points, consumer ID, and power amount. The contents stored in the matching DB 12d are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 13C.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for allocating surplus power in the second embodiment, and Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for matching in the second embodiment. The process shown in Figure 14 is obtained by adding step S51 between steps S14 and S15 in the process shown in Figure 7, and the process shown in Figure 15 is obtained by adding step S52 between steps S33 and S34 in the process shown in Figure 9. Explanations of the same steps as in Figures 7 to 9 will be omitted. Note that the process shown in Figure 8 (steps S18 to S25) is not shown in Figure 14.

In the information processing system of this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs the same processing as steps S11 to S14 in FIG. 7. As a result, when the time arrives to create a distribution plan for surplus power, the server 10 calculates, for the area being processed, a predicted amount of surplus power to be generated by the generators 103 in the area on the next day (the day for which the distribution plan is to be created) and a predicted amount of surplus power to be received by consumers in the area on the next day. Note that the amount of surplus power received by consumers includes not only the amount charged to the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle, but also the amount of power consumed by the load 104. The server 10 then sets incentive points for each time slot on the next day for each charger 105 in the area being processed.

Next, the control unit 11 of the server 10 sets incentive points for the buying and selling of surplus electricity to be carried out via the distribution network on the next day for the distribution network in the area to be processed by the same process as step S14 (S51). Specifically, the control unit 11 sets incentive points for each time period based on the predicted amount of surplus electricity generated in the distribution network (i.e., in the area) for each time period calculated in step S12 and the predicted amount of surplus electricity received in the distribution network calculated in step S13. For example, the control unit 11 calculates the total predicted amount of surplus electricity generated by each generator 103 in the distribution network (the planned supply amount of surplus electricity that can be supplied in the distribution network) and the total predicted amount of surplus electricity received by consumers in the distribution network, and sets incentive points for the next day based on these. The control unit 11 sets incentive points for each time period on the next day for the distribution network in the region, and stores the incentive points for each time period set and the calculated planned supply amount of surplus power in the distribution network in the distribution network DB 12e. The incentive points set in this way are presented to the consumer via the screen shown in FIG. 6.

Next, the control unit 11 performs a matching process between the surplus power and each consumer in the transaction of receiving surplus power via each charger 105 and the transaction of receiving surplus power by each load 104 based on the incentive points for each time period set for each charger 105 in step S14, the incentive points for each time period set for the power distribution network in step S51, the planned supply amount via the power distribution network or each charger 105, and the purchase conditions of each consumer (S15). In the matching process shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 11 performs the same process as steps S31 to S33 in FIG. 9. As a result, for the charger 105 to be matched, the surplus power that can be supplied via this charger 105 is allocated to the allocation target (electric vehicle) for each time period. When the control unit 11 allocates surplus power to the allocation target, it updates the planned supply amount of the matching target charger 105 stored in the charger DB 12b to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of power allocated to the allocation target, and it also updates the planned supply amount of the matching target distribution network stored in the distribution network DB 12e to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of power allocated to the allocation target.

Next, the control unit 11 allocates the surplus power to be supplied to the load 104 (allocation target) for each time period based on the incentive points and the planned supply amount for each time period in the distribution network (area) to be processed stored in the distribution network DB 12e and the purchase conditions of the consumer (load 104) stored in the consumer DB 12c (S52). Note that if the control unit 11 knows the location of the generator 103 that generates the surplus power, it may allocate the surplus power to the load 104 near the generator 103. When the control unit 11 allocates the surplus power to the load 104, it issues a transaction ID and associates it with the distribution network ID, and stores the transaction ID, the date and time including the allocated time period (scheduled date and time of receiving power), the incentive points set for the allocated time period, the consumer ID of the allocation target, and the allocated power amount in the load matching DB 12f. This allows matching information regarding the load 104 to which the surplus power generated in the distribution network is allocated to be stored.

The control unit 11 then performs the processes from step S34 onwards, repeating the processes of steps S33 and S52 until allocation of the amount of electricity desired to be purchased by all of the allocation targets is completed or until allocation of the entire planned supply amount to the allocation targets is completed, and performs the process of allocating surplus electricity generated within the power distribution network to consumers. This makes it possible to create a distribution plan in which surplus electricity generated by generators 103 within the area is absorbed by electric vehicles or loads 104 within the area.

In the server 10 of this embodiment, in step S18 in FIG. 8, the control unit 11 also transmits the allocation result to the allocation target to which the surplus power was allocated (S18). If the allocation target is the load 104, the control unit 11 instructs the load 104 to receive power according to the power reception content allocated to the load 104. The load 104 then receives the surplus power of the specified amount at the specified date and time in accordance with the instruction from the server 10, thereby realizing the power reception transaction of the allocated surplus power. The load 104 is configured to perform the power reception transaction in accordance with the instruction from the server 10, and may confirm the power reception transaction without accepting the consent of the owner of the load 104 for the power reception transaction. In this case, it is not necessary to perform the processing of steps S19 to S21 in FIG. 8. However, the load 104 may be configured to confirm the power reception transaction after accepting the consent of the owner of the load 104 for the power reception transaction. In this case, the consumer terminal 20 performs the processing of steps S19 to S21 in FIG. 8.

By the above-mentioned process, the server 10 can create an allocation plan for allocating surplus power generated by the generator 103 to consumers (electric vehicles and loads 104) in each region. Also in this embodiment, if the consumer to whom the surplus power is allocated is the owner of an electric vehicle, the consumer moves the electric vehicle to the installation location of the assigned charger 105 on the assigned date and time, and charges the allocated amount of surplus power into the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle. Also, if the consumer to whom the surplus power is allocated is the owner of the load 104, the load 104 consumes the allocated amount of surplus power on the assigned date and time. As a result, surplus power generated in the power distribution network is absorbed by the electric vehicle or the load 104 at the timing of generation, and is consumed efficiently. Therefore, by using the secondary battery 106 of the electric vehicle, the load 104 such as a refrigerator and an air conditioner as a power buffer, the supply and demand of surplus power can be adjusted, and the quality of the grid power can be maintained without affecting the grid power.

In this embodiment as well, when a consumer (electric vehicle and load 104) receives (purchases) surplus electricity, information on the transaction of receiving surplus electricity is transmitted to the server 10 from a control terminal (not shown) that controls the operation of the charger 105 or the load 104. Thus, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores transaction information including each piece of received information as transaction history in the charger DB 12b or the power distribution network DB 12e, and stores purchase information including each piece of received information as the consumer's purchase history in the consumer DB 12c. Thus, in this embodiment as well, information on the transaction of receiving surplus electricity in the power distribution network and information on the purchase transaction of surplus electricity by each consumer can be accumulated, and various documents can be generated using such information.

In this embodiment, the same effects as in embodiment 1 can be obtained. Furthermore, in this embodiment, surplus power generated in the power distribution network can be absorbed not only by electric vehicles but also by the loads 104 in the power distribution network, enabling more flexible supply and demand adjustment of surplus power. The modified examples described as appropriate in embodiment 1 can also be applied to the information processing system of this embodiment.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Server 11 Control unit 12 Storage unit 13 Communication unit 14 Input unit 15 Display unit 20 Consumer terminal 21 Control unit 23 Communication unit 103 Generator 104 Load 105 Charger 106 Secondary battery

Claims (10)

For each region, obtain a forecast of the amount of surplus electricity generated by generators connected to the power grid in each region for each time period;
obtaining , for each of the regions, a predicted amount of absorption of the surplus electricity by a plurality of energy storage devices in each of the regions for each of the time periods ;
determining incentive points per unit amount of power for each of the regions based on the predicted amount of surplus power for each of the time periods and the predicted amount of absorption of the surplus power;
outputting the incentive points for each of the time periods in each of the regions to a terminal device associated with each of the energy storage devices;
Accepting an application for the amount of surplus electricity to be absorbed by the energy storage device from the terminal device ;
Based on the received applications, a distribution plan is determined for allocating a date and time of receiving electricity and an amount of receiving electricity for each of the energy storage devices;
An information processing method in which a computer executes a process of outputting power reception information including the power reception date and time and the received power amount to the terminal device in accordance with the determined distribution plan. The energy storage device includes a secondary battery mounted on a moving object,
A predicted amount of charge by the secondary battery is obtained as a predicted amount of absorption of the surplus power.
The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the processing is executed by the computer . Acquire purchase request information including an absorption amount of the surplus electricity in association with each of the energy storage devices;
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the computer executes a process of calculating incentive points based on the predicted amount of surplus power and the purchase request information. Acquire purchase information including an absorption amount of the surplus power, a desired place to receive the power, and a desired time period to receive the power, in association with the energy storage device;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the computer executes a process of determining an allocation plan for allocating a power receiving location, a power receiving date and time, and a power receiving amount to each of the energy storage devices based on the predicted amount of surplus power and the purchase request information. Based on the electricity receiving information output to a terminal device associated with the energy storage device, obtain, via the terminal device, whether or not a transaction is approved for the electricity receiving transaction indicated by the electricity receiving information;
The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer executes a process of storing information regarding buying and selling of the surplus electricity in accordance with the electricity reception information when the transaction consent is obtained. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the computer executes a process of outputting power reception information based on the distribution plan when an amount of power not allocated to the energy storage device out of the predicted amount of surplus power is equal to or less than a predetermined amount . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer executes a process of storing a history of the surplus power received by the energy storage device based on the distribution plan. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the power generator is a natural energy power generator. The energy storage device includes a secondary battery mounted on a moving object,
the moving body is an electric vehicle that runs on power supplied from the secondary battery mounted thereon,
Calculating a time required for the moving object to travel from the current location to the power receiving location based on the current location of the moving object and the power receiving location;
When it is determined that the user should start moving to the power receiving location based on the calculated time, a notification message for starting the movement is output to the terminal device.
The information processing method according to claim 4 , wherein the processing is executed by the computer. An information processing system including a server and a plurality of terminal devices each associated with a plurality of energy storage devices,
The server,
a surplus forecast amount acquisition unit that acquires , for each region, a forecast amount of surplus power generated for each time period by a generator connected to the power distribution network of each region ;
an absorption forecast amount acquisition unit that acquires , for each of the regions, a forecast amount of absorption of surplus power by a plurality of energy storage devices in each of the regions for each of the time periods ;
a determination unit that determines incentive points per unit amount of power for each of the time periods based on the predicted amount of surplus power and the predicted amount of absorption of the surplus power for each of the regions ;
an incentive output unit that outputs the incentive points for each of the time periods determined for each of the regions to the terminal device ;
Each of the terminal devices
an absorption amount acquisition unit that acquires an absorption amount of the surplus power by the energy storage device according to the incentive points output from the server;
an output unit that outputs the acquired application for the absorption amount of the surplus power to the server;
The server,
an allocation determination unit that determines an allocation plan for allocating a date and time of receiving power and an amount of receiving power for each of the energy storage devices based on the application acquired from the terminal device;
and an output unit that outputs power reception information including the power reception date and time and the received power amount for each energy storage device to the terminal device based on the determined distribution plan.

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