JP7542308B2 - Power supply management system, power supply management method, and power supply management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply management system, a power supply management method, and a power supply management program for charging EVs (Electric Vehicles).

The use of EVs (Electric Vehicles) has been increasing in recent years due to global environmental issues. In this case, it is essential to develop a charging infrastructure for EVs, and as part of this, in addition to conventional charging stations, systems are being developed to install charging stations at facilities such as convenience stores, supermarkets, shopping centers, and hospitals to charge EVs.

However, the amount of power consumed at a power supply facility varies greatly depending on the time of day, weather, season, and other environmental factors. EV charging demand is concentrated during certain times of the day, resulting in so-called power peaks. Generally, electricity charges are calculated from a basic charge and a power usage charge under a contract with an electric power company. This basic charge is determined based on the maximum value of the accumulated power consumption throughout the facility for each predetermined demand time (maximum demand). Therefore, when power consumption is expected to exceed the peak cut level (target value), the peak in power consumption, i.e., the occurrence of a power peak, must be avoided.

JP 2014-212659 A

However, in power supply facilities where an unspecified number of EVs enter and exit, it is difficult to predict the behavior or presence of EVs, which are so-called mobile storage batteries, making it difficult to utilize them as a balancing power source, and there is a risk that EV charging will cause power peaks at certain times of the day.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and aims to provide an EV power supply management system, power supply management method, and power supply management program that can effectively avoid the occurrence of power peaks at charging facilities.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides

a demand prediction unit that predicts the power required for charging each charging device and the time period during which charging should be performed based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit; a power supply control unit that controls the supply of power to the charging device or the charging of the target vehicle based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit; and a token issuing unit that issues tokens according to a degree of contribution to the environment or compensation for surplus power generated based on analysis results of data including the amount of power consumed by each user, the time period, and the power generation method, wherein the data acquisition unit collects operation schedules of each vehicle, the demand prediction unit makes the prediction based on the collected operation schedule, and the power supply control unit controls the power supply or the charging amount by forming a reduction period during which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed.

The present invention also provides a power supply management method in which a server device manages power supply in order to charge a target power storage device mounted on a target vehicle to be supplied with power, the method including a data acquisition step in which a data acquisition unit of the server device records, for each target power storage device to be charged, the time at which the target vehicle was charged, the required time and amount of power, and a change in the amount of power stored in the charged target power storage device; a demand prediction step in which a demand prediction unit of the server device predicts, based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit, the power required for charging, for each charging device that charges the target power storage device, and a time period during which charging should be performed; and a power supply control unit of the server device, based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit, The method includes a power supply control step of controlling power supply to the target vehicles or charging to the target vehicles, and a step in which a token issuing unit issues a token according to the degree of contribution to the environment or compensation for the surplus power generated based on the results of analysis of data including the amount of power consumed by each user, the time period, and the power generation method, wherein in the data acquisition step, the data acquisition unit collects operation schedules of each vehicle, in the demand prediction step, the demand prediction unit makes a prediction based on the collected operation schedules, and in the power supply control step, the power supply control unit controls the power supply or charging amount by forming reduction periods in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the operation schedule holds information regarding the departure point, departure time, destination and arrival time of a sharing vehicle that is shared by multiple users, and the demand prediction unit identifies a charging device suitable for charging based on the operation schedule, and predicts the power required for charging at the identified charging device and the time period during which charging should be performed.

The power supply management system and power supply management method according to the present invention described above can be realized by executing the power supply management program of the present invention written in a specific language on a computer. In other words, by installing the power supply management program of the present invention in an IC chip or memory device of a general-purpose computer such as a portable terminal device, smartphone, wearable terminal, mobile PC or other information processing terminal, personal computer or server computer, and executing it on the CPU, a power supply management system having the above-mentioned functions can be constructed and the power supply management method according to the present invention can be implemented.

The power supply management program of the present invention can be distributed, for example, via a communication line, and can be transferred as a package application that runs on a stand-alone computer by recording it on a computer-readable recording medium. Specifically, the recording medium can be a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk or cassette tape, or an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, or a RAM card, or other various recording media. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded can easily implement the above-mentioned system and method using a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer, and the program can be easily stored, transported, and installed.

As described above, according to this invention, EV stay prediction is performed by learning from the past power supply records (day of the week, time period, available charging capacity, charging time, etc.) for each charging device, so that power demand can be predicted for each charging device. Even when individual behavior and stay prediction is difficult, it is possible to set a degree of accuracy in the stay prediction and set a short reduction period to slice the power supply. This allows the stay prediction slices of multiple EVs to be bundled together and managed as an adjustable capacity, and EVs can be used as an adjustable capacity for power to implement power control such as peak cutting.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of each device of the power supply system according to the embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a power management device. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a power supply process according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a predicted value calculation process in the power supply process according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating a predicted value calculation process according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of a power supply system according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an in-vehicle device of a power supply system according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a vehicle management server of a power supply system according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an operation when a return destination is set in the power supply system according to the modified example. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an intermediation server according to the embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a guarantee system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a procedure during power transfer in the power supply system according to the embodiment. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between a public key and a private key in the power supply system according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a blockchain in a power supply system according to an embodiment.

An embodiment of the power supply system, power supply method, and power supply program according to the present invention will be described below. In the following description, identical or equivalent parts and components are denoted with the same or equivalent reference numerals throughout the drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is an example of an apparatus for embodying the technical idea of this invention, and the technical idea of this invention does not specify the material, shape, structure, arrangement, etc. of each component part as described below. The technical idea of this invention may be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

(Overall configuration of power supply system)
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a power supply system according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device in the power supply system. As shown in the figure, the power supply system according to this embodiment is generally composed of a plurality of charging devices 43 used to charge a target power storage device 71 mounted on a vehicle 7 that is to be charged, a distribution and supply device 2 capable of distributing power from a power supply source 3 to the plurality of charging devices 43, and a charging station 4 that provides a charging service.

The power supply source 3 includes renewable energy generating facilities such as solar and wind power generation, thermal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power plants, PPS (Power Producer and Supplier), and power prosumers or aggregators that purchase and sell electricity produced by households. The electricity from this power supply source 3 is first input to the distribution and power supply device 2, which then distributes the input electricity to each power supply facility such as the charging station 4.

The charging station 4 is a facility or business that provides charging services, and includes conventional charging stations as well as those installed in private homes, stores such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and shopping centers, and facilities such as hospitals. The charging station is provided with a power control terminal 40 that controls the power. The power control terminal 40 is, for example, an information processing terminal equipped with a CPU, and is a device that performs overall control of each facility of the charging station. The target facilities controlled by the power control terminal 40 include a smart meter 41, a storage battery 42, a charging device 43, and the like included in the charging station 4 that are installed within the charging station 4, as well as devices that manage power generation, storage, and consumption as necessary. Note that the various devices controlled by the power control terminal 40 can be omitted as necessary.

(Configuration of each device)
(1) Car 7
The vehicle 7 is a passenger vehicle such as an EV, a hybrid vehicle (HV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV), etc. Specifically, the vehicle 7 includes a target power storage device 71, a charger 72, a vehicle control unit 73, and a target vehicle communication unit 74 as components related to the power supply system. The charger 72 is a device that is connected to the target power storage device 71 and converts charging power supplied from the charging device 43 into power suitable for charging, and is a wireless or wired communication device that communicates with the charging device 43. The vehicle control unit 73 is a control device that controls the charger 72 and the target vehicle communication unit 74.

The specific configuration of the charger 72 is arbitrary, but for example, in a configuration in which AC power is supplied to the vehicle 7 from the charging device 43 as charging power, the charger 72 can be provided with a function as an AC/DC converter that converts AC power into DC power.

(2) Charging device 43
Regarding the charging device 43, the charging device 43 is a device installed at a charging station that provides charging services, and is a device that charges the communication network 10 by being electrically connected to the vehicle 7, and is equipped with a power supply switch 43a, a charging device control unit 43b, a charging device notification unit 43c, and a charging device communication unit 43d.

The power supply switch 43a is provided on the power line from the distribution power supply device 2 to the vehicle 7, and is a switching device that turns the power supply on and off. The charging device control unit 43b is a control device that controls the ON/OFF of the power supply switch 43a. The charging device control unit 43b controls whether or not the charging power supplied from the distribution power supply device 2 is transmitted to the vehicle 7 by controlling the ON/OFF of the power supply switch 43a. In the initial state, the power supply switch 43a is in the OFF state that blocks the power transmission from the distribution power supply device 2 to the vehicle 7. In this embodiment, the state in which the charging device 43 and the distribution power supply device 2 are connected and the power supply switch 43a is in the ON state corresponds to the state in which the charging power is distributed from the distribution power supply device 2 to the charging device 43. On the other hand, when the charging device 43 and the power distribution and supply device 2 are connected and the power supply switch 43a is in the OFF state, charging power is not distributed from the power distribution and supply device 2 to the charging device 43.

The charging device communication unit 43d is a wired or wireless communication device capable of communicating with the target vehicle communication unit 74. The charging device control unit 43b and the vehicle control unit 73 can exchange information through communication between the charging device communication unit 43d and the target vehicle communication unit 74. The charging device notification unit 43c is an output interface that issues various notifications, and can use, for example, a monitor or audio speaker, and notifies information related to charging by monitor display or audio output.

(3) Distribution and Feeding Device 2
Next, the distribution power supply device 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the distribution power supply device 2 includes a power conversion unit 21, a distribution power supply device control unit 22, a distribution power supply device communication unit 23, a location information acquisition unit 24, a wireless communication unit 25, and a distribution power supply device notification unit 26.

The power conversion unit 21 is a device that converts the power supplied from the power supply source 3 into AC power as charging power used to charge the vehicle 7. The distribution power supply device 2 is connected to multiple charging devices 43, and distributes the AC power converted by the power conversion unit 21 to each charging device 43.

The distribution power supply device communication unit 23 is a communication device capable of communicating with both the vehicle 7 and the charging device communication unit 43d. The distribution power supply device control unit 22 is capable of exchanging information with the charging device control unit 43b on the charging device 43 side through communication between the distribution power supply device communication unit 23 and the charging device communication unit 43d.

The location information acquisition unit 24 is a module that acquires information about the current location, and has, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) function to acquire its own current location. The wireless communication unit 25 is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication, and the distribution power supply device control unit 22 can access the Internet, a server, etc. via wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 25 to perform various broadcasts. The distribution power supply device notification unit 26 is an output device that performs various broadcasts, such as a monitor or audio speaker, and notifies information about power supply. The distribution power supply device control unit 22 monitors the connection status of the distribution power supply device 2 and the multiple charging devices 43, and performs a power supply possible broadcast indicating that power supply is possible together with the location information, using the communication established between the distribution power supply device communication unit 23 and the charging device communication unit 43d and the charging device communication unit 43d, or the wireless communication unit 25.

In detail, when a vehicle 7 is connected, the charging device control unit 43b uses the charging device communication unit 43d to transmit a new connection confirmation signal that confirms the new connection to the distribution power supply device control unit 22. For example, the charging device control unit 43b of a certain charging device 43 uses the charging device communication unit 43d to transmit a new connection confirmation signal to the distribution power supply device control unit 22 (specifically, the distribution power supply device communication unit 23) based on the connection of a vehicle 7 to the charging device 43. Then, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 identifies an uncharged vehicle by receiving the new connection confirmation signal from the distribution power supply device communication unit 23. Based on the identification of an uncharged vehicle, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 executes a charging start control process to start charging the newly connected vehicle 7 (i.e., the uncharged vehicle).

(4) Power management device 1
As shown in FIG. 3 , the power management device 1 is a server device that manages power supply at a number of charging stations 4 in order to charge a target power storage device mounted on a vehicle 7 that is a target for power supply. Specifically, the system includes a communication interface 11, a data acquisition unit 12, a database 13, a control instruction schedule management unit 14, a power supply control unit 15, a demand forecasting unit 16, and a performance information analysis unit 17. .

The communication interface 11 is a device for performing data communication, and has the function of performing non-contact communication via radio waves, etc., and contact (wired) communication via a cable, adapter means, etc.

The data acquisition unit 12 is a module that records, for each charging device 43, the time when charging to the vehicle 7 was performed, the time required, and the amount of power, as well as the change in the amount of power stored in the target storage device 71 that was charged, and is a module that acquires and monitors the power supply status of each charging device 43 and inputs the current status to the control instruction schedule management unit 14. The power supply status acquired by this data acquisition unit 12 is provided for demand prediction by the demand prediction unit 16.

The data acquisition unit 12 may have a function to collect external information, such as the operation schedule of each vehicle from a vehicle management server of a rental car or car sharing service, as described below. The data acquisition unit 12 also has a function to collect power source information related to the power supply source 3, and the power source information includes, for a specified time unit, the market price of electricity at the time when electricity is received or stored at each power source, the amount of electricity received or stored, and information on the storage equipment that stored the electricity. The electricity storage information (including electricity reception information) collected by the data acquisition unit 12 is stored in the database 13 and is input to the performance information analysis unit 17 and the control instruction schedule management unit 14.

The data acquisition unit 12 also has a market information collection function that collects external information (such as price fluctuations in the electricity market, weather information, and other external environmental information) from external information sources distributed on the Internet. This market information collection function crawls external information sources on the Internet using a so-called crawling process to periodically collect specific information, and also searches information sources on the communication network using related keywords to collect sudden news and weather changes, which are then stored as big data.

The control instruction schedule management unit 14 is a module that manages control schedules such as general power supply services, power generation services, power procurement, charging and discharging in power storage facilities, power distribution and supply, and power adjustment (balancing) by planning reduction periods. The current power supply situation and external information (price fluctuations in the power market, weather information, and other external environmental information, etc.) input from the data acquisition unit 12 are input to this control instruction schedule management unit 14, and based on the power supply and demand predicted by the demand forecasting unit 16 based on this information, the control instruction schedule management unit 14 creates and manages schedules for power distribution and supply to each charging station 4, charging and discharging in power storage facilities, power adjustment such as planning reduction periods, and other power procurement. Here, power adjustment by reduction periods is a process of adjusting the power supply or charging amount by forming reduction periods in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging.

The power supply control unit 15 is a module that controls power supply to the charging device 43 or charging to the vehicle 7 according to a control schedule based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit 16. The power supply control unit 15 controls the operation of the charging device 43 of each charging station 4 according to the control by the control instruction schedule management unit 14.

The performance information analysis unit 17 is a module that calculates the amount of electricity consumed in each station by acquiring and analyzing performance data from the smart meters 41 installed in each charging station 4. The analysis results by this performance information analysis unit 17 are input to the demand forecasting unit 16 and used to generate a control schedule.

The demand forecasting unit 16 is a module that predicts the power required for charging each charging device 43 and the time period when charging should be performed based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit 12. Specifically, the demand forecasting unit 16 analyzes the correlation between past power supply and demand and external information to predict future power supply and demand. This prediction is performed by analyzing the external information collected by the data acquisition unit 12 and past changes in power demand as big data, accumulating feature points in the analysis target using machine learning functions of AI (artificial intelligence) such as deep learning, extracting correlations (trends) between each piece of information based on the commonality of the feature points, and predicting future power demand from the commonality of feature points that match current market information.

(Configuration of an energy trading system at an energy supply source)
In this embodiment, the power supply source 3 issues tokens according to the power method and amount of power for sellable surplus power generated by solar power plants, wind power plants, power prosumers, and other consumers equipped with power generation facilities, and is capable of trading power as tokens. These tokens are accumulated in various token pools of the token trading platform and can be used for token trading, or can be converted into cash through settlement or used for cashback, etc.

In more detail, an energy trading token is issued for the amount of surplus electricity that can be sold according to the amount of electricity generated, and an environmental value token is issued together with the energy trading token, which is value information according to the degree of contribution to the environment of each electricity generation method and electricity storage method. The environmental value token is a token that is calculated and issued according to the degree of contribution to the environment, such as the amount of electricity consumed in the home and the amount of _CO2 reduction. In addition, an environmental value token is generated together with the energy trading token, which is value information according to the degree of contribution to the environment of each electricity generation method and electricity storage method, and a DR control token is generated, which is value information as compensation for generating surplus electricity according to the economic effect of implementing control of electricity demand (DR control).

Environmental value tokens are tokens that are calculated and issued according to the degree of contribution to the environment, such as the amount of electricity consumed by a home or the amount of _CO2 reduction, and these environmental value tokens cannot be traded in the market or converted into cash in their current state. When these environmental value tokens are transferred, they are destroyed, and a transfer history is issued that records the transaction history describing the fact of the transfer, and the issued transfer history becomes the subject of transfer transactions. The transfer history of the destroyed environmental value tokens is recorded in an unalterable manner in the blockchain, which is a guarantee system, via the token trading platform.

In particular, in this embodiment, one of the methods of evaluating this environmental value token is to increase its value when electricity generated by a generation type with a high contribution to the environment is stored in a storage type with a high contribution to the environment based on the method of generating electricity and the type of generation or storage related to the consumed or stored electricity. In the example shown in FIG. 1, electricity generated by renewable energy such as solar power generation is stored in an electric vehicle battery such as an EV truck of a transport company, and when it is consumed, a synergistic effect is achieved between the environmental contribution of the renewable energy and the environmental contribution of the use of the electric vehicle, so that an environmental value token is given as an evaluation, its value is increased, or other processing is performed.

The energy trading tokens, environmental value tokens, and DR control tokens issued in this way will be given to solar power plants, wind power plants, businesses that have implemented DR control, etc., and can be converted into cash through settlement or used for cashback, etc., making it easier for each consumer to manage their energy and enabling optimal planned charging control, such as peak cutting.

In this embodiment, a service is provided that performs intermediation work for electricity trading using tokens through an electricity trading system constructed on a communication network 10. When the amount of power supply is adjusted through the above-mentioned power supply system, the electricity related to the power supply is traded through this electricity trading system. Specifically, in this electricity trading service, electricity is traded by accessing the token trading platform through an electricity control terminal provided in each facility (power plant, consumer, aggregator, etc.). When trading electricity, an electricity trading token, which is value information of electricity, is issued along with a DR control token, which is value information related to DR (Demand Response) control and environmental value, and these tokens are exchanged between the seller and the buyer to complete the trading of electricity and its added value.

These tokens are issued as energy trading tokens according to the amount of generated electricity and the generation method, and electricity that can be sold is accumulated in an energy trading token pool on a token trading platform as an energy trading token equivalent to that electricity, and is bought and sold through this token pool. Finally, consumers, etc. purchase these energy trading tokens as a right to use (consume) electricity, and the consumers, etc. who have purchased the tokens can use electricity equivalent to the energy trading tokens, and by actually consuming electricity, the energy trading tokens equivalent to the consumed electricity are cancelled. The value of these energy trading tokens fluctuates depending on the supply and demand balance of buying and selling transactions on the token trading platform. When electricity is generated, the energy trading tokens are linked to origin information such as the amount of electricity, the generation method, the place of generation, and the time of generation. In addition, as additional information, related token information such as environmental value tokens derived from the energy trading tokens, and transaction history including transfer history due to buying and selling, etc. are associated and stored. Each accumulated token can be bought and sold as an independent virtual currency.

In addition, together with the power trading token of the generated power, an environmental value token is generated as value information according to the contribution of each power generation method and power storage method to the environment, and a DR control token is generated as value information for generating surplus power according to the economic effect of implementing power demand control (DR control). The environmental value token is a token that is calculated and issued according to the contribution to the environment, such as the amount of power consumed by the home and the amount of _CO2 reduction. In this state, this environmental value token cannot be the subject of market trading and cannot be converted into cash. This environmental value token is destroyed when it is transferred, and a transfer history is issued that records the date and time when the transfer was performed, the transfer source (owner ID) and transfer destination (new owner ID), the value (value amount) at the time of transfer, and other transaction history, and the issued transfer history is the subject of the transfer transaction. The value and issuer of the destroyed environmental value token are recorded in the transfer history of this environmental value token, and the transfer destination by the transfer transaction is added as a transaction history every time it is transferred. Here, the cancellation of a token refers to a process that erases its exchange value as a currency, such as setting its value to 0, erasing or making the private key unknown and storing it in an account that cannot be rewritten by the owner, etc. The transfer history of the cancelled environmental token is recorded in an unalterable manner in the blockchain, which is a guarantee system, via the token trading platform.

In addition, one of the methods of evaluating the environmental value token is to increase the value of electricity generated by a type of electricity generation with a high contribution to the environment when the electricity is stored in a type of electricity storage with a high contribution to the environment based on the method of generating electricity and the type of electricity generation or storage related to the consumed or stored electricity. For example, when electricity generated by renewable energy such as solar power generation is stored in a battery for an electric vehicle such as an EV truck and consumed, the environmental contribution of the renewable energy and the environmental contribution of the use of the electric vehicle are multiplied, and an environmental value token can be given as an evaluation, or the value can be increased. These environmental contributions ( _CO2 reduction amount and self-consumption amount) are stored in the token as origin information and other related information, and are also stored in the token management database 81a of the intermediary server 8 and each node of the blockchain interface 9.

In addition, when financial resources such as donations are provided to the token trading platform, the environmental value tokens can be converted into transferable renewable energy tokens in an amount equivalent to the amount of the financial resources. For example, when a company or other entity makes a donation to promote the spread of renewable energy, the environmental value tokens accumulated in the environmental value token pool of the token trading platform in an amount equivalent to the amount of the donation are converted into renewable energy tokens, and the converted environmental value tokens are destroyed. These renewable energy tokens can be permanently traded as virtual currency with a value equivalent to the distributed financial resources such as donations. The value of these renewable energy tokens fluctuates depending on the supply and demand balance of buying and selling transactions on the token trading platform.

The DR control token is calculated by analyzing the performance data, for example, by calculating the performance value of the power control over a certain period of time, and the amount of the compensation is determined. In addition, the performance value of avoiding peak power consumption (peak cut) over a certain period of time is calculated, and when the peak cut falls below the maximum power set at the beginning of the month in which it was avoided, the power fee is overpaid, so the amount of the DR control token may be determined by treating the overpaid power fee as the economic effect. Information on this is stored in the token, and is also stored in the token management database 21a of the intermediary server 8 and each node of the blockchain interface. By issuing this DR control token to a company or the like that has implemented DR control, it is possible to cash back the power fee for the power savings. In addition, the DR control token can be permanently traded as a virtual currency having a value equivalent to the overpaid power fee. The value of this DR control token also fluctuates depending on the supply and demand balance of buying and selling transactions on the token trading platform.

For example, power plants, power prosumers, consumers with power generation facilities, or aggregators that consolidate these consumers provide electricity and obtain electricity trading tokens according to the amount of electricity generated. At this time, environmental value tokens and DR control tokens are also obtained according to the contribution to the environment based on the power generation method and generation time (season and time of day) of the electricity, and the economic effect of DR control. The various tokens obtained can be converted into cash by settlement, and can be sold to others by pooling them in each token pool and receiving compensation. Note that aggregators are businesses that bundle and aggregate the electricity demand of consumers to provide effective energy management services, and implement so-called DR control, which controls the balance between electricity demand and supply between power companies and consumers. By implementing DR control, aggregators can obtain DR control tokens, which can be converted into cash by settlement or accumulated in a token pool for buying and selling transactions.

On the other hand, electricity supplied from power plants, electricity prosumers, and consumers equipped with power generation facilities is supplied to consumers by the consumers purchasing electricity trading tokens. This electricity can be supplied via PPSs (Power Producers and Suppliers: new power companies) and the like. When the purchased electricity is consumed by each consumer, the electricity trading token used for the purchase is incinerated. On the other hand, each token accumulated in each token pool can be traded as an independent virtual currency between aggregators, PPSs, consumers, companies, and other trading markets through a blockchain interface service. In this case, too, various tokens can be converted into cash by settlement, and can be sold to others and paid for. If the token is an electricity trading token, electricity can be supplied from the electricity supplier linked to the electricity trading token.

The energy trading system is composed of an intermediary server 8 that provides a token trading platform, and power control terminals installed at each facility of the power supply source 3 (power plants, PPS, consumers, power prosumers, etc.), which are interconnected via a communication network 10. In addition, a guarantee system 9 that provides a blockchain interface service to guarantee the energy trading is provided on the communication network 10.

The power control terminal is, for example, an information processing terminal equipped with a CPU, and is a device that comprehensively controls the equipment of each facility, such as a power plant, each consumer, PPS, power prosumer, and aggregator. The equipment controlled by this power control terminal includes devices that manage power generation, storage, and consumption, such as smart meters, storage batteries, and PV (Photovoltaics: solar power generation) included in user systems installed in facilities such as consumers and power prosumers. Note that the various devices controlled by this power control terminal can be omitted as necessary. For example, the power consumption of consumers is measured by smart meters, but some consumers have power generation equipment and storage equipment, while others have either power generation equipment or storage equipment, and some consumers have only smart meters without either power generation or storage equipment and only consume power. In addition, power prosumers are also in a position to consume power, but they can also be on the side of supplying power by having solar power generation and storage batteries.

The intermediary server 8 is a content server device that mediates electricity trading between electricity sellers and electricity buyers via electricity control terminals. This intermediary server 8 provides an online intermediary website as a token trading platform, and through the intermediary website, it provides various token trading intermediary services to electricity sellers, electricity buyers, and other markets and companies.

By accessing this intermediary server 8 from the power control terminal, a trading service for various tokens can be used according to the power generation, storage, and consumption in each facility or equipment. In this token trading service, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, the issuance and sale of tokens by the seller Ua and the purchase and cancellation of tokens by the buyer Ub, who is the power consumer, are managed. In detail, the power control terminal works in conjunction with the intermediary server 8 to generate power generation data, storage data, and consumption data based on the power generation, storage, and consumption in each facility, and issues, buys, sells, and cancels various tokens that describe information about the power. The information described in the various tokens and the history of the issuance, sale, and cancellation of the tokens are stored in a non-falsifiable state in the distributed ledger system through the blockchain interface service provided by the guarantee system 9.

In addition, tokens that can be traded on the token trading platform can be exchanged for each other at an equivalent price based on the supply and demand balance of buying and selling transactions on the token trading platform, and various tokens can be converted into real currency, virtual currency, points, and other value information with exchange value through settlement.

(5) Devices of the Energy Trading System (5-1) User System A user system is the overall power facility owned by each consumer or power prosumer, and is also a unit of power consumption, and may include power generation and storage facilities. Examples of power generation facilities include solar power generation and wind power generation. This user system 20 includes a power control terminal as a power trading unit, and a smart meter 41 as a performance data generation unit.

The power control terminal installed in each user system is an information processing terminal equipped with a communication function and a CPU, and various functions can be implemented by installing an OS or firmware and various application software. In this embodiment, the terminal functions as an electricity trading unit by installing and executing an application. This information processing terminal for the agent can be realized by a personal computer, for example, a smartphone, or a dedicated device with specialized functions, including a tablet PC, a mobile computer, and a mobile phone.

(5-2) Configuration of the intermediary server 8 The intermediary server 8 is a server device managed and operated by a provider of an energy trading intermediation service, and a user who wishes to buy or sell energy can access the intermediary server 8 through the communication network 10 and execute an energy trading transaction via a token trading platform provided by the intermediary server 8. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 , the intermediary server 8 includes a communication interface 83, an authentication unit 82, an energy trading execution unit 85, a token management database 81a, a user database 81b, a performance management database 81c, an energy trading management database 81d, a token management unit 84, a performance data management unit 86, and a settlement unit 87.

The communication interface 83 is a module that transmits and receives data with other communication devices through the communication network 10, and in this embodiment, is connected to each power control terminal, the smart meter 41, and the guarantee system 9 to provide this service.

The authentication unit 82 is a computer or software with that function that verifies the legitimacy of an accessing person involved in energy trading, and performs authentication processing based on a user ID that identifies the user. In this embodiment, the authentication unit 82 obtains a user ID and password from the accessing person's terminal device via the communication network 10, and verifies whether the accessing person has the right to access the energy trading person and whether the accessing person is the person in question by checking the user ID and password against the user database 81b.

The energy trading execution unit 85 is a module that mediates energy trading through the communication network 10, and in this embodiment, includes a contract data generation unit 85a and a guarantee system linkage unit 85b.

The agreement data generation unit 85a generates agreement data D1 for a transaction that has been concluded based on the sale data D21 and the purchase data D22. In detail, the power trading execution unit 85 collates the sale data D21 and the purchase data D22, which are the demand conditions of the buyer Ub and the supply conditions of the seller Ua, and concludes a transaction by matching corresponding combinations, and generates agreement data D1 that describes information such as the supply source, power generation method, supply possible time, and power price, which are the demand conditions and supply possible conditions of the concluded transaction, as shown in FIG. 16.

The guarantee system cooperation unit 85b is a module that requests the guarantee system 9 on the network to carry out processes necessary for energy trading, such as credit related to energy trading, security management, and storage of trading records, and cooperates with the guarantee system 9 to proceed with the processing. By coordinating with the guarantee system 9 through this guarantee system cooperation unit 85b, the energy trading execution unit 85 manages the exchange of various tokens, adds public addresses related to token acquirers, and transfers each ownership by changing the owner of the various rights certified by each token.

The token management unit 84 is a module that executes and manages the generation (issuance), transfer, and cancellation of various tokens, and updates the data in the various tokens in order to execute the issuance, transfer, or cancellation of various tokens in cooperation with the guarantee system cooperation unit 85b of the energy trading execution unit 85. Specifically, the token management unit 84 includes a token issuing unit 84a, a token canceling unit 84b, and a token transfer unit 84c.

The token issuing unit 84a is a module that issues various coin tokens to users in response to their requests. For example, based on performance data, it issues energy trading tokens to users who have electricity that can be sold from the power generation facility, and by analyzing performance data, it generates environmental value tokens, which are value information corresponding to the contribution of each power generation method and storage method to the environment, derived from the energy trading token of the generated electricity, and generates DR control tokens, which are value information corresponding to the economic effect of implementing power demand control (DR control).

In this embodiment, the token issuing unit 84a issues environmental value tokens based on the amount of _CO2 reduction or the amount of self-consumption by the power generation method included in the performance data. For example, when the power generation method included in the performance data is a renewable energy such as solar power generation or wind power generation, the token issuing unit 84a holds _CO2 reduction table data that lists the correspondence between the amount of power generation by the power generation method and the amount of _CO2 reduced by the power generation method, and determines the value and quantity of environmental value tokens by referring to the _CO2 reduction table data based on the amount of power generation included in the performance data, and issues environmental value tokens of the determined value or quantity. The issued environmental value tokens are accumulated in an environmental value token pool as the property of the power generator included in the performance data.

Furthermore, for example, when the power generation method included in the performance data is based on renewable energy such as solar power generation or wind power generation, and that power is self-consumed, the token issuing unit 84a holds self-consumption table data that lists the amount of _CO2 reduced by that self-consumption and the correspondence with energy lost due to power transmission and distribution, and determines the value and quantity of environmental value tokens by referring to the self-consumption table data based on the amount of self-consumption included in the performance data, and issues environmental value tokens of the determined value or quantity. The issued environmental value tokens are accumulated in an environmental value token pool as the property of the user who self-consumed the power included in the performance data.

Furthermore, the token issuing unit 84a according to this embodiment also functions as a renewable energy token issuing unit that acquires the amount of the donation, converts the environmental value tokens equivalent to the acquired amount into tradable renewable energy tokens, and cancels the converted environmental value tokens. Specifically, the amount of the donation, etc., and the power generation method to be donated are input to the token issuing unit 84a as search conditions, and the environmental value tokens of the power generation method that meets these search conditions are searched for in the environmental value token pool in the token management database 81a. Then, the token issuing unit 84a extracts the corresponding environmental value tokens, distributes the input amount of the donation based on the number of the corresponding environmental value tokens, converts the environmental value tokens of a value equivalent to the distributed amount into renewable energy tokens, and issues the converted renewable energy tokens to the owner of the original environmental value tokens, and the issued renewable energy tokens are accumulated in the renewable energy token pool as the property of the user who is the owner of the original environmental value tokens.

The token erasure unit 84b is a module that erases energy trading tokens based on performance data D3 and erases environmental value tokens related to transfer requests. Here, erasing a token refers to a process that erases its exchange value as a currency, such as setting its value to 0, erasing or obfuscating the private key, and storing it in an account that cannot be rewritten by the owner.

The token transfer unit 84c is a module that controls the transfer of tokens by rewriting the ownership of each token, and in this embodiment, a blockchain interface service is used for this rewriting. This token transfer is executed based on a transfer request that instructs the transfer. This transfer request is data that is input from the energy trading execution unit 85 when a token is traded in the energy trading execution unit 85, for example, or that is input directly from the energy control terminal by operation of each user, and includes the type of token to be transferred, account information regarding the transfer source and transfer destination, and the quantity.

In particular, when the input transfer request is a request for the transfer of an energy trading token or an environmental value token, the token transfer unit 84c has a function of transferring the energy trading token related to the request when the target of the transfer request is an energy trading token, and of having the token erasure unit 84b erase the environmental value token related to the request when the target of the transfer request is an environmental value token, and of generating information related to the transfer included in the transfer request related to the erased environmental value token as a transfer history. The transfer history related to this erased environmental token is recorded in an unalterable manner in the blockchain, which is a guarantee system, via the token trading platform.

The token management database 81a is a storage device that accumulates information on tokens that have been issued or cancelled, and accumulates information linking each token's owner with its type and value or quantity. Various tokens are classified and accumulated as an energy trading token pool, an environmental value token pool, a dynamic regenerative rate control token pool, and a renewable energy token pool according to their type. In addition, related information such as the transaction history of each token is also recorded in association with each token. For example, the transfer history issued when an environmental value token is transferred is also recorded in association with the original environmental value token that was transferred and its value was set to 0.

The user database 81b is a storage device that accumulates information on each consumer user and businesses such as aggregators. In this embodiment, personal information identifying the user is not accumulated in the user database 81b, and only public account information identifying each resident and user is stored. The credit information required for energy trading is evaluated based on the response to a request for credit for the public accounts belonging to each resident made to the guarantee system 9.

The performance management database 81c is a storage device that collects, accumulates, and manages performance data from power plants, consumers, aggregators, and other parties involved in the transfer of electricity. Each performance data received from each smart meter is accumulated in this performance management database and used for token issuance, cancellation, and value assessment. The electricity trading management database 81d is a storage device that records token trading performance.

At least a portion of the data stored in each of these databases 81a-d is recorded in the guarantee system 9 through the guarantee system linking unit 85b. The guarantee system 9 aggregates and blocks at least a portion of the data stored in each of the databases 81a-d at a predetermined timing in the nodes, forms a blockchain using the blocks, and shares this blockchain among multiple nodes and stores it as a distributed ledger.

The performance data management unit 86 is a module that collects performance data from each user system and analyzes it to calculate the type and quantity of tokens to be issued. The analysis results by this performance data management unit 86 are input to the token management unit 84 and used for issuing and canceling tokens. Specifically, the performance data management unit 86 includes a value evaluation unit 86a and a failure determination unit 86b.

The value evaluation unit 86a analyzes the measured values of the amount of electricity generated or consumed by each user during each electricity usage period, the power generation data indicating the power generation method and the user who generated the electricity, or the electricity storage data regarding the amount of electricity stored and its storage period, which are included in the performance data. The token management unit 84 issues or cancels electricity trading tokens, or issues electricity trading tokens and environmental value tokens, based on the analysis results by the value evaluation unit 86a. In addition, the token issuing unit 84a issues environmental value tokens, or electricity demand control tokens as compensation for generating surplus electricity, based on the analysis results by the value evaluation unit 86a of the performance data including the power generation data or electricity storage data.

Furthermore, the performance data includes the type of power generation or storage related to the consumed electricity, and the value assessment unit 86a analyzes the performance data to extract the state in which electricity generated by a power generation type with a high contribution to the environment is stored in a storage type with a high contribution to the environment, calculates the amount of electricity and time period, and assesses the value. Based on the results of the analysis of the performance data by the value assessment unit 86a, the token issue unit 84a increases the value of the environmental value token when electricity generated by a power generation type with a high contribution to the environment is stored in a storage type with a high contribution to the environment.

The fault determination unit 86b is a module that analyzes the amount of electricity generated or consumed by each user during each electricity usage period, which is included in the performance data, and determines whether a fault has occurred in the user system based on the analysis results. The results of the determination by this fault determination unit 86b are recorded in an unalterable manner in the blockchain, which is a guarantee system, via the token trading platform.

The settlement unit 87 is a module that converts various tokens into cash according to their current value, and obtains information regarding the current value of various tokens from the network and converts them into actual currency, virtual currency, points, and other value information having exchange value by settling them. The settlement unit 87 also has a function of generating or acquiring finalized data including finalized values of the amount of electricity generated or used by each user during each electricity usage period and the amount of compensation related to that amount of electricity, as shown in FIG. 16, and settling the compensation paid or received by each user based on the finalized data.

(5-3) Configuration of the Guarantee System 9 As described above, in this embodiment, the guarantee system 9 is provided between the power control terminals of the power seller and the power buyer that perform power trading via various tokens, and guarantees the power trading and the token trading. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the guarantee system 9 includes a communication interface 93, an authentication unit 92, a token trading execution unit 94, a token trading history database 91a, a key information database 91b, and an account database 91c.

The communication interface 93 is a module that transmits and receives data to and from other communication devices via the communication network 10, and in this embodiment is connected to each intermediary server 8 and each power control terminal. The authentication unit 92 is a computer or software with that function that verifies the legitimacy of the accessor, and performs authentication processing based on a user ID that identifies each user. In this embodiment, the authentication unit 92 obtains the user's unique public address, public key, user ID, password, etc. from the accessor's power control terminal via the communication network 10, and verifies whether the accessor has the right to access the device and whether the accessor is the person in question by comparing the information with the key information database 91b.

The token transaction execution unit 94 is a module that handles energy trading tokens that tokenize the right to sell or consume electricity as a virtual coin, and environmental tokens or DR tokens that are added value derived from the energy trading tokens and stem from the power generation and storage methods of each type of electricity. These various tokens are linked to the public accounts of their respective legitimate owners, and it is possible to prove that one is the legitimate owner of the token by presenting the relationship between the public accounts. Furthermore, only the legitimate owner can carry out transfer procedures such as assignment of the token. In this embodiment, the token transaction execution unit 94 includes a guarantee system linkage function, a public address management unit 94b, a validity verification unit 94c, and a data update unit 94d.

The guarantee system linking function is a module that is requested by devices of other service providers, such as the intermediary server 8, to carry out processes related to token transactions, such as credit for energy transactions, security management, transaction records, and storage of service history, and cooperates with these devices to carry out the processes. In this embodiment, the guarantee system linking function also provides information such as the transaction values of various tokens to the intermediary server 8.

The public address management unit 94b functions as an address issuing unit that issues public addresses generated from a public key in a public key cryptosystem to identify a specific user, and private keys that can be paired with the public keys to identify the public key and are used for electronic signatures for energy transactions via the public addresses, and these issued public addresses and their associated key information are stored in the key information database 91b.

The validity verification unit 94c is a module that verifies that various tokens related to token transactions or energy transactions belong to the current owner through legitimate transactions and have not been tampered with. It can verify the validity of the token using the public key of the current owner linked to a public account, and it stores all transactions related to the token in the token transaction history database 91a, and can verify the validity by checking the token transaction history database 91a based on the public key.

The data update unit 94d is a module that transfers token ownership by acquiring power information related to various tokens, adding the public address of the new token owner, and changing the token owner certified in the distributed ledger. The data updates performed by this data update unit 94d are protected by advanced security, providing robust protection against double transfers and tampering with transaction history.

(Operation when power is supplied)
As shown in FIG. 4, first, for each target power storage device 71, the data acquisition unit 12 records the time when the vehicle 7 was charged, the required time, and the amount of power, as well as the change in the amount of power stored in the charged target power storage device 71, and then performs a data acquisition step of collating past performance data (performance information) for each time period for each power facility (S101).

In step S101, the charging device 43 corresponding to the vehicle 7 is detected in each charging device 43. The target charging device 43 here is the charging device 43 used to charge the vehicle 7, which is an uncharged vehicle, and specifically, the charging device 43 connected to the uncharged vehicle. The distribution and power supply device control unit 22 determines that the charging device 43 that transmitted the new connection confirmation signal that triggered the execution of the charging start control process is the target charging device among the multiple charging devices 43.

Then, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 checks the vehicle model of the uncharged vehicle. Specifically, for example, the vehicle control unit 73 of the uncharged vehicle transmits its own vehicle model information to the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device, and the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device transmits the vehicle model information to the distribution power supply device control unit 22. The distribution power supply device control unit 22 identifies the vehicle model of the uncharged vehicle based on the vehicle model information of the uncharged vehicle (vehicle 7). Note that the specific content of the vehicle model information of vehicle 7 is arbitrary as long as it is possible to identify the vehicle model.

In addition, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 derives the battery capacity and remaining storage capacity of the target power storage device 71 of the uncharged vehicle by referring to the battery capacity data stored in the distribution power supply device control unit 22. This battery capacity data is data set in which the vehicle model information of the vehicle 7 and the battery capacity and remaining storage capacity of the target power storage device 71 are associated with each other. The distribution power supply device control unit 22 derives the battery capacity and remaining storage capacity corresponding to the current uncharged vehicle by referring to the battery capacity data. Note that the battery capacity is the maximum storage capacity of the target power storage device 71 and is a design value that is predetermined for each vehicle model, and the remaining storage capacity is the amount of power remaining in the target power storage device 71.

Next, based on the aggregation results of the information recorded by the data acquisition unit 12, the demand prediction unit 16 predicts the power required for charging each charging device 43 and the time period during which charging should be performed, and performs a demand prediction step of calculating a predicted value of power demand for each charging device (S102).

Specifically, in this demand forecasting step (S102), the data acquisition unit 12 analyzes the collected actual data, and calculates, for each charging device, the predicted power consumption for each unit measurement period of power consumption in each time zone and the reliability for each unit measurement period at which the actual power consumption is the predicted power consumption, for each unit of demand, as shown in FIG. 5 (S201).

Next, the standard deviation per unit time is calculated from the load value of the charging device (S202). Specifically, the chargeable/dischargeable power range with the contracted power as the upper limit based on the load value of the charging device is ranked according to reliability, and a model is constructed by machine learning based on the accumulated past data. The standard deviation per unit time is calculated based on the model and external conditions such as weather (S202).

Then, the required adjustment amount is set for each charging device based on the calculated predicted value and the rank of reliability from the standard deviation (S203). In setting this required adjustment amount, the amount of power accumulated based on the duration of time during which the same power consumption continues is defined by varying each power consumption, time period, and time length, and the optimal power consumption amount, time period, and time length are calculated based on the predicted power consumption and reliability for each unit measurement period included in the defined time period and time length, and the amount of power exceeding the optimal power consumption amount is set as the required adjustment amount. A charging schedule is generated for each charging device based on this set required adjustment amount (S204). In this charging schedule, the power supply or charging amount is scheduled to form a reduction period in which the power supply amount is intermittently reduced while each charging device is charging according to the required adjustment amount and its rank of reliability, thereby adjusting the charging speed (charging amount per unit time).

Returning to FIG. 4, a power supply control step is performed in which the power supply control unit 15 controls power supply to the charging device 43 or charging to the vehicle 7 according to the charging schedule generated based on the predicted value calculated in the demand prediction step (S103). In this power supply control step, the power supply control unit 15 controls the power supply or charging amount based on the calculated predicted value so as to form a reduction period in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed, thereby adjusting the charging speed (amount of charge per unit time).

In step S103, the distribution power supply control unit 22 refers to the amount of power that can be supplied by the vehicle 7 in the current situation. In detail, the distribution power supply control unit 22 refers to the current state of charge of the power supply source 3 and the amount of power that can be supplied from the power supply source 3.

After that, while power supply or charging is being performed in this manner, the charging results for each charging device are recorded as actual information (S104). Specifically, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 starts charging the uncharged vehicle. In more detail, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 distributes AC power from the distribution power supply device 2 to the target charging device used to charge the uncharged vehicle, and power is supplied from the target charging device to the uncharged vehicle. At this time, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 transmits a charging start command to the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device. Based on the fact that the charging device communication unit 43d has received the charging start command, the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device switches the power supply switch 43a of the target charging device from the OFF state to the ON state. As a result, AC power from the distribution power supply device 2 is supplied to the uncharged vehicle.

The charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device controls the charging device notification section 43c of the target charging device to notify the user that charging is in progress when the power supply switch 43a of the target charging device is switched from OFF to ON. On the other hand, the distribution and power supply device control unit 22 executes processing to not charge the vehicle if the available power supply amount is equal to or less than the battery capacity of the uncharged vehicle. Specifically, the distribution and power supply device control unit 22 controls the distribution and power supply device notification section 26 to notify the user that charging is not possible. The distribution and power supply device control unit 22 also uses the distribution and power supply device communication section 23 to send a charging not possible notification to the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device.

The charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device maintains the power supply switch 43a of the target charging device in the OFF state based on the fact that the charging unavailable notification has been received by the charging device communication unit 43d, and controls the charging device notification unit 43c of the target charging device so that a charging unavailable notification is issued. Then, the distribution and power supply device control unit 22 executes a distribution stop process to stop the power supply available distribution using the wireless communication unit 25.

When charging of an uncharged vehicle is started, the charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device periodically determines whether a predetermined charging end condition is met. The charging end condition is arbitrary, but may be, for example, that the charging state of the target power storage device 71 of the uncharged vehicle has reached a fully charged state, or that the charging stop button of the target charging device has been operated in a configuration in which the charging device 43 is provided with a charging stop button. The charging device control unit 43b of the target charging device switches the power supply switch 43a of the target charging device from the ON state to the OFF state based on the charging end condition being met. This ends the charging of the vehicle 7 that is the target of charging.

Here, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 executes a charging end response process based on the completion of charging of the vehicle 7 that is the target of charging. The charging end response process is described in detail below.

First, in step S301, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 determines the amount of power used in charging the vehicle 7 that is the current charging target. Note that the manner in which the amount of power used is determined is arbitrary, but for example, in a configuration in which a current sensor or the like is provided to detect the current flowing through the target power storage device 71 of the vehicle 7, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 can be configured to calculate the amount of power used from the detection result of the current sensor. Then, the distribution power supply device control unit 22 updates the amount of power that can be supplied. The distribution power supply device control unit 22 determines the new amount of power that can be supplied by subtracting the amount of power used from the amount of power that can be supplied before the update.

Then, the distribution and power supply device control unit 22 updates the charging history, which is a history of charging the vehicle 7. The charging history includes, for example, information on the amount of power used for each vehicle 7 that was charged. In other words, the distribution and power supply device control unit 22 stores the amount of power used to charge the vehicle 7 each time the vehicle 7 is charged.

(Operation during token transfer transaction)
Here, a detailed description will be given of the token transfer process in the intermediary server 8. Fig. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating a processing procedure at the time of transfer in the energy trading system according to this embodiment, and Fig. 14 illustrates the relationship between the public key and the private key according to this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the token transfer process and the account process related to the token transfer utilize the mechanism of the distributed ledger system according to this embodiment. Here, an example is described in which a seller Ua sells an energy trading token to a new buyer Ub through a token trading platform. As shown in FIG. 13, this energy buying and selling transaction includes step S401 of issuing a public address and a private key, step S402 of registering related service history information, and step S403 of executing a rights transfer process.

First, in step S401, in the intermediary server 8, the public address management unit 94b functions as an address issuing unit, and this public address management unit 94b issues a pair of a public address PA3 unique to the token trading platform and a private key SK3 corresponding to this public address for trading PA3. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the intermediary server 8 uses a random number generator or the like to generate a private key SK3 associated with the public address unique to the token trading platform by public key cryptography. The random number generator may be, for example, built into the public address management unit 94b as a program. As described above, this private key SK3 is used for the electronic signature of a transaction (here, a sale from the token trading platform to the buyer Ub) in which the paired public address for trading PA3 is the power transfer source.

Next, the intermediary server 8 generates a public key PK3 from the private key SK3 based on an electronic signature algorithm such as Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ESDSA). The generated public key PK3 and private key SK3 form a key pair in a public key cryptosystem. Due to the nature of this public key cryptosystem, it is possible to generate the public key PK3 from the private key SK3, but it is impossible to generate the private key SK3 from the public key PK3 in terms of the amount of calculation required. In other words, it is not possible to identify the private key SK3 from the public key PK3, but it is possible to identify the public key PK3 from the private key SK3. Note that the type of electronic signature algorithm used is not limited to Elliptic Curve DSA, and may be selected appropriately depending on the embodiment.

Then, the intermediary server 8 generates a transaction public address PA3 from the public key PK3 by applying a one-way hash function such as SHA-259 or RIPEMD-190 to the public key PK3. For example, the intermediary server 8 can generate the transaction public address PA3 by applying SHA-259 twice to the public key PK3. That is, this transaction public address PA3 is a hash value of the public key used to sign the above-mentioned transaction, and is used to identify the transfer destination and transfer source of the token. Note that, since a one-way hash function is used to generate the transaction public address PA3, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to generate the transaction public address PA3 from the public key PK3, but it is configured such that it is not possible to generate the public key PK3 from the transaction public address PA3.

In the next step S402, the seller Ua, who is the source of electricity, records transaction history data associated with each token, such as the history of services provided to the electricity token trading platform, in the node by linking it to the public transaction address PA3 generated in step S401. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 10, performance data acquired by the intermediary server 8 is linked to the public transaction address PA3 and made public. This performance data can be freely viewed by anyone who has obtained the public key PK3 related to the public transaction address PA3. As a result, anyone can verify whether there has been any fraud or tampering in the history of the power generation method and power generation location from which the electricity originates, or in the transaction history.

After that, in step S403, the intermediary server 8 performs a transaction of transferring rights to the transaction public address PA3 generated in step S401 in accordance with the specified power transfer conditions. Then, when the transfer is completed, the intermediary server 8 ends the processing related to this operation example. Here, an application executed on a power control terminal or the like is used to exchange various tokens related to this embodiment. Therefore, in FIG. 10, an application that executes the token transaction mechanism is also installed in the public address management unit 94b of the intermediary server 8, and this application controls the pool public address managed by the platform.

While the energy token belongs to the seller Ua, the token is associated with the seller Ua's unique public address PAa and the paired private key SKa in the seller Ua's energy control terminal, and when the transfer procedure is carried out in the token trading platform, the seller Ua can use the energy control terminal to temporarily transfer and pool the token from the public address PAa (transfer source) to the trading public address PA3 (transfer destination) generated by the energy trading company in step S401.

In response to this, a buyer Ub wishing to newly purchase electricity can use his/her own electricity control terminal to obtain the public key PK3 to which the electricity trading token is linked, as illustrated in FIG. 15, and the buyer Ub can view power generation data, trading progress information, and related electricity-specific history related to the electricity linked to the public trading address PA3 of the token trading platform.

Specifically, an application is also installed on the power control terminal of the buyer Ub, and this application manages the public address PAb held by the buyer Ub. The buyer's own private key SKb is associated with the public address PAb, which allows the buyer Ub to further transfer the token from his or her own public address PAb to another person. In other words, the buyer Ub can freely use the token stored in the public address PAb and its transaction history using each private key SKb. Here, the buyer Ub uses the application on the power control terminal to receive the token transferred from the power-specific public address for transaction PA3 to the public address PAb.

(Operation of the warranty system)
Here, the mechanism of the distributed ledger system adopted in the above-mentioned guarantee system will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the guarantee system 9 provides a blockchain interface service, and this service includes a plurality of nodes that store at least a part or all of the data generated by each user system or the intermediary server 8, and these nodes aggregate and block the stored data at a predetermined timing, form a blockchain using the blocks, and share the blockchain among the plurality of nodes and store it as a distributed ledger.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the energy trading system according to this embodiment issues a key pair of a public key PKa and a private key SKa based on a public key cryptosystem through a guarantee system 9 when issuing, transferring, and cancelling various tokens, and generates a public address PAa from the public key PKa corresponding to the issued token. This public address PAa is used as an address indicating the transferee (buyer Ub) and transferor (seller Ua) in the energy trading contract, while the private key SKa is used for the electronic signature of the transaction in which the public address PAa is the transfer source.

Energy trading in this embodiment is carried out between two nodes on a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) network 90 (here, between a seller Ua and a buyer Ub), and the transaction information is broadcast to and shared among the nodes 90a to 90f in the P2P network 90. As a result, a transaction history database (a so-called blockchain) based on a distributed ledger system is formed on the P2P network 90, and various tokens and the transaction history of energy trading are stored.

In this embodiment, the transaction history database of this distributed ledger system executes, approves, and manages the energy trading contract when the owners of various tokens are rewritten through the intermediary server 8. In order to mediate the transaction between the seller Ua and the buyer Ub, the intermediary for the energy trading (each energy control terminal) generates a public address PA3 for trading that is unique to the token trading platform (intermediary server 8), and relays the transfer of the tokens, assuming that the tokens that are the subject of the transaction are temporarily deposited in the token pool of the token trading platform.

Then, the parties to the transaction (seller Ua and buyer Ub) use the energy trading system to transfer the tokens from the current seller Ua to a public transaction address PA3 specific to the token trading platform, thereby initially receiving the tokens, and then transferring the tokens to the new buyer Ub via the public transaction address PA3, thereby establishing a sales contract on the energy token trading platform between seller Ua and buyer Ub.

This allows the transferee, buyer Ub, to receive the token at his/her public address PAb, and allows him/her to view the service history linked to this transaction public address PA3 and use the service. Note that this public address may be issued by the intermediary server 8, or by software on each transaction user terminal, or by the server of an independent service management institution or financial institution.

Here, we will explain in detail how electronic cryptocurrency transactions work. The transaction history regarding the issuance, transfer, and cancellation of each token is defined as a chain of a series of electronic signatures. When the owner of each token transfers its transaction history to the next owner, they add to the token's transaction history the hash value of the previous transaction and the hash value of the public key related to the next owner, which are electronically signed with their own private key. Note that one-way hash functions such as SHA-259 and RIPEMD-190 are used to calculate these hash values.

Various tokens can be defined as a chain of a series of electronic signatures. Here, the hash value of the public key is the public address. In other words, the tokens stored in this public address can only be transferred by those who can perform electronic signatures for energy trading with this public address as the transfer source, that is, those who have the private key corresponding to this public address. For this reason, the private key is generally kept secret so as not to be leaked to anyone other than the owner. Note that the token and data related to it, such as transaction history, are stored in a public address linked to the current owner. In addition, since this electronic signature alone cannot verify that any of the past owners of the token have used the token multiple times (transferred it multiple times), the token trading mechanism according to this embodiment uses a mechanism called a blockchain to prevent this multiple use.

Each block recorded in a token or the like stores multiple transactions, a nonce, and the hash value of the previous block. The nonce is a disposable random value used in cryptographic communication, and the node (miner) 90a to 90f that first discovers this value acts as an approver and updates the blockchain by adding the block in which the nonce was discovered to the end of the blockchain. This allows a consistent transaction history to be recorded in the blockchain, and by sharing this blockchain with all of the nodes 90a to 90f participating in the P2P network 90, a consistent transaction history can be shared throughout the P2P network 90. In other words, this blockchain serves as part or all of the token transaction history database 91a and key information database 91b in the guarantee system 9 described above. In this embodiment, in energy trading based on public key cryptography, various tokens are traded using this mechanism.

(Example of change)
The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made depending on the design, etc., without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

For example, the data acquisition unit 12 may collect operation schedules for rental cars, car sharing, etc. for each vehicle in the data acquisition step (step S101 in FIG. 4) described above, and the demand prediction unit 16 may make a prediction based on the operation schedule collected in the demand prediction step (step S102 in FIG. 4). In this case, the operation schedule holds information regarding the departure point, departure time, destination, and arrival time of a shared vehicle shared by multiple users, and the demand prediction unit 16 identifies a charging device suitable for charging based on the operation schedule, and predicts the power required for charging at the identified charging device and the time period during which charging should be performed.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, this modified example is provided with a rental car management system that has the function of linking with the power management device 1 of the power supply system described above. This rental car management system is a system that manages the operation of automobiles related to rental car services. This rental car management system is broadly composed of a vehicle management server 5 that accumulates information related to rental car operation and provides viewable information on usage status via a communication network 10, and an on-board terminal 6 that is installed in the vehicle used for rental cars.

The vehicle management server 5 is made up of a group of multiple servers, including a database server that stores information about vehicle rentals and a web server that distributes information about the rentals. The functions of each server device are realized by a server computer that executes various information processing operations or software that has such functions.

The Web server here refers to a server computer or software with that function that transmits information such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, and music files in a document system such as the World Wide Web (WWW), and stores rental-related information such as HTML documents and images, and transmits information about rental cars via the communication network 10 in response to a request from the vehicle-mounted terminal 6.

The in-vehicle terminal 6 is a device fixed to the instrument panel or the like in the vehicle, which has functions such as a car navigation system and a function of transmitting and receiving data to a server through a communication function, and is an electronic device that measures the current position and its displacement of the vehicle and electronically provides route guidance to the current position and destination while the vehicle is traveling. Note that this in-vehicle device is not limited to a device fixed in the vehicle, but may be, for example, a portable information terminal device that uses wireless communication, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet PC, or a mobile computer. This in-vehicle terminal 6 acquires the current position using GPS or the like, and wirelessly communicates with relay points such as a wireless base station 10a, and can receive communication services such as data communication while moving. Examples of communication methods for this mobile phone include the 5G method, LTE method, 3G method, FDMA method, TDMA method, CDMA method, W-CDMA, as well as the PHS (Personal Handyphone System) method and public wireless LAN method.

Destination D is the final destination of vehicle 7, and may be, for example, the office of the rental car company that manages the car, a parking lot or convenience store that has a parking space usage contract with the rental car company, or a car sharing vehicle pick-up location, where a certain number of parking spaces are secured on the premises.

The wireless base station 10a is a device that is connected to the communication network 10, establishes a wireless communication connection with the vehicle-mounted terminal 6, and provides data communication by the vehicle-mounted terminal 6. The wireless base station 10a includes node devices such as modems, terminal adapters, and gateway devices for connecting to the communication network 10, such as relay devices, and these relay devices select communication paths and convert data (signals) between each other, performing relay processing between the wireless base station 10a and the communication network 10.

(Functional modules of each device)
Next, the internal configuration of each device will be described in detail. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the in-vehicle terminal 6 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the vehicle management server 5 according to this embodiment. Note that the term "module" used in the description refers to a functional unit that is configured by hardware such as a device or equipment, software having the function, or a combination of these, and that performs a predetermined operation.

(1) Vehicle-mounted terminal 6
As shown in Fig. 8, the in-vehicle terminal 6 includes an input interface 62 and an output interface 63 as user interface modules. The input interface 62 is a device for inputting user operations, such as an operation button, a touch panel, or a jog dial. The output interface 63 is a device for outputting video and audio, such as a display or a speaker. In particular, the output interface 63 includes a display unit 63a, such as a liquid crystal display.

The in-vehicle terminal 6 also includes a wireless interface 61 as a communication module. This wireless interface 61 is a wireless communication interface capable of making calls and communicating data, and can transmit and receive packet data via wireless data communication. The wireless interface 61 also includes a short-distance wireless communication unit 61a, which is a device for performing short-distance wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), infrared, or the like. The wireless interface 61 also includes a function for receiving FM multiplex broadcasts and VICS (registered trademark) signals transmitted from transmitters on the road, thereby acquiring real-time traffic and road information, such as traffic jams, traffic restrictions, and parking lot congestion.

The vehicle-mounted terminal 6 further includes a location information acquisition unit 64 and a memory 65. The location information acquisition unit 64 is a module that measures the current location of the vehicle itself, and is capable of calculating the coordinates of the current location based on, for example, a GPS signal from a satellite, and acquiring location information for the vehicle-mounted terminal 6 itself from the base station identifier of the base station with which the vehicle is communicating and radio wave conditions such as the signal strength from this base station.

The memory 65 is a storage device for storing various data, and stores the control program for the control unit 67 to control each unit, various initial setting values, font data, each dictionary data, a navigation program for executing the navigation function, the rental car management program according to this embodiment, a vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle, and the like. The memory 65 also receives and stores information relating to the usage status of the current user and the person who made the reservation (user ID, usage time, etc.) from the vehicle management server 5.

The in-vehicle terminal 6 further includes a control unit 67 and a usage information transmission unit 66 as application execution modules. The control unit 67 is a calculation module configured with hardware such as a processor, such as a CPU or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), memory, and other electronic circuits, or software such as a program having the functions, or a combination of these, and virtually constructs various functional modules by appropriately reading and executing programs, and each constructed functional module controls the operation of each unit and performs various processes in response to user operations. In particular, in the case of this embodiment, the control unit 67 executes general route guidance functions using the navigation program in the memory 65, and also executes rental car return functions, etc. using the rental car management program.

The control unit 67 also includes a navigation control unit 67a, an operation plan setting unit 67b, and an arrival information notification unit 67c. The navigation control unit 67a is constructed by executing a car navigation application and is a module for browsing web pages. It accesses the vehicle management server 5, downloads map information and information required for using the rental car service, analyzes the layout, and displays and plays back. In particular, in this embodiment, the navigation control unit 67a displays information required for the car navigation system, as well as information related to the rental car service, such as a rental car reservation screen and a screen for setting the return destination, as web pages on the display unit 63a, making them viewable.

The operation plan setting unit 67b is a module that sets an operation plan for the rental car in response to user operations, and is configured to set an operation plan based on information regarding the departure point or destination of the vehicle while it is in operation, and arrival information at the time of return. Specifically, by determining the departure point or destination during the rental period from the map display screen displayed on the display unit 63a, an operation plan including the route and time searched based on that information is sent to the vehicle management server 5 and recorded.

The operation plan setting unit 67b also has a function of accepting the desired delivery point of the vehicle as a destination designation based on the operation of the next user U2 before setting the arrival information, and setting an advance reservation for the rental of the vehicle 7 at the desired point. For example, this advance reservation is made by inputting the location selected by the operation of the next user (e.g., destination D) and the desired start time of use, and the information is set as advance reservation information and transmitted to the vehicle management server 5.

The arrival information notification unit 67c is a module that sets the destination of the vehicle as the return destination based on the user's operation. At this time, the arrival information notification unit 67c also has a function of calculating the estimated time of arrival at the return destination according to the measurement results (location information) by the location information acquisition unit 64 or the location information acquisition unit 64 of the in-vehicle terminal 6, and notifying the vehicle management server 5 of the calculated estimated time of arrival and information related to the set return destination as arrival information. Specifically, the arrival information notification unit 67c calculates the travel distance from the current location information and the location information of the destination, and calculates the estimated time of arrival based on the road's speed limit. At this time, it is also possible to change the estimated time of arrival by acquiring information related to the traffic conditions on the road.

The arrival information notification unit 67c also has a function to accept search conditions and narrow down the destination when setting the return destination. Various search conditions can be set, and for example, it is possible to search within a specific area, or by store type such as rental car operating company offices or convenience stores, and it is also possible to search only within stores of the same chain.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the arrival information notification unit 67c has a function of referencing map information when the driver U1 sets the destination and displaying desired locations designated as advance reservations as selectable candidate locations. This advance reservation information is received from the vehicle management server 5 at any time during the destination setting operation.

Then, the vehicle management server 5 transfers the arrival information from the arrival information notification unit 67c to the power management device 1. The demand prediction unit 16 of the power management device 1 calculates the destination, arrival time, power consumption (required charge amount), etc. described in the arrival information, and reflects them in the power demand prediction.

The control unit 67 also has an email function, and is configured to receive a confirmation email of reservation completion from the vehicle management server 5. When the rental car management program is installed on this terminal, the control unit 67 also displays an initial setting screen and accepts input of personal information such as the user's name, address, and date of birth. In addition to this personal information, the control unit 67 extracts the terminal's telephone number and serial number of the IC chip, etc. from the memory 65 and transmits them to the vehicle management server 5.

The usage information transmission unit 66 is a module that transmits operation signals from the input interface 62 to the vehicle management server 5, and transmits, for example, a request to view the reservation/return screen, reservation information, arrival information, etc. in response to user operations. At this time, the usage information transmission unit 66 transmits current location information and user ID along with the operation signal to the vehicle management server 5.

(2) Vehicle management server 5
Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the vehicle management server 5. This vehicle management server 5 has both a function as a storage server that provides a memory area and a function as a Web server that distributes and manages rental car information, and can be configured as a single server device or a group of multiple servers, and various functional modules are constructed by server management applications executed on these server devices. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the vehicle management server 5 has a communication interface 51, a control unit 52, and various storage devices 53 (531 to 535).

The storage device 53 includes a map information storage unit 531 that stores map information, a user information database 532 that stores information about users, a power supply equipment information database 533 that stores information about power supply equipment, a usage status database 534 that stores rental car application information and usage status, and a vehicle information database 535 that stores information about vehicles. As shown in FIG. 6, these are relational databases that form relationships with multiple table data, and the user information, store information, usage status information, and vehicle information stored in each database are associated with each other and can be managed based on the vehicle ID, user ID, and store ID.

Specifically, the user information database 532 is a database related to users who use the rental car management service. This database is assigned a user ID that identifies the customer, and using this user ID as an index, the mobile phone number used, name, address, number of points awarded, etc. are recorded.

The power supply equipment information database 533 is a database that accumulates information about charging equipment capable of charging the vehicle 7. This database is assigned a charging device ID that identifies the power supply equipment such as a charging station, and information such as the location information of the power supply equipment, business hours, number of vehicles that can be installed, and current available space is stored using this charging device ID as an index.

The automobile information database 535 is table data related to information about the vehicle 7. This table data includes, for example, a vehicle ID that identifies the vehicle 7, such as the vehicle registration number, and information about the vehicle model, usage status, the store ID where the vehicle is waiting, and rental fees, etc., using the vehicle ID as an index.

The usage status database 534 is table data related to usage status including rental car reservation information, and includes the scheduled rental time, store ID identifying the rental store, scheduled return time, store ID of the scheduled return, user ID, vehicle ID, etc., using the reservation ID assigned when the application for use is accepted as an index.

The map information storage unit 531 is a storage device that stores map information that stores geographical information of a specified area. In addition to general map information and tourist information, in this embodiment, candidate destinations (stores, etc.) for car rental and return are stored as vector data on latitude and longitude coordinates. This map information also divides areas where multiple stores are scattered, such as prefectures, cities, wards, towns, and villages, or the west and east exits of train stations, into specified areas, and adjacent areas have overlapping areas where one or more stores are located. This map information is transmitted to the in-vehicle terminals 6 and stored in their respective memories.

The communication interface 51 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the in-vehicle terminal 6 via the communication network 10. For example, data related to a rental car application is transmitted through this communication interface 51, and reservation information related to the rental car is received.

The control unit 52 is a computation module that is composed of hardware such as a processor, such as a CPU or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), memory, and other electronic circuits, or software such as a program that has these functions, or a combination of these. It virtually constructs various functional modules by appropriately loading and executing programs, and each constructed functional module controls the operation of each unit and performs various processes in response to user operations.

In this embodiment, the control unit 52 includes a group of modules related to registration and application for rental cars, including an authentication unit 521, an operation signal acquisition unit 522, an information provision unit 525, a member registration unit 524, and an operation management unit 523.

The authentication unit 521 is a module that executes authentication processing using authentication information. Specifically, the authentication unit 521 is a computer or software having that function that verifies the legitimacy of the accessing person, and acquires a user ID and a store ID through the communication network 10, and verifies whether the accessing person has the right to access and whether the accessing person is the person himself/herself by checking against the user information database 532 and the power supply equipment information database 533. Note that, as an authentication method, for example, a configuration in which an ID and a password are input on a web page and authentication is performed based on the ID and password may be used. In addition, authentication processing may be performed using a one-time password in which a password that is periodically changed is distributed to the vehicle-mounted terminal 6 and M2, and authentication is performed by inputting the password at the time of authentication.

The operation signal acquisition unit 522 is a module that acquires user operations from the in-vehicle terminal 6 and M2. In this embodiment, if the operation signal is an operation related to member registration, the operation signal acquisition unit 522 transmits the information to the member registration unit 524, and if the operation signal is an operation related to reserving or returning a car, the operation signal acquisition unit 522 transmits the information to the operation management unit 523.

The information providing unit 525 is a module that distributes various kinds of web data through the communication network 10. Specifically, the information providing unit 525 transmits web data for reservation settings and return destination settings to the in-vehicle terminal 6 and M2 in response to a control signal from the operation management unit 523. The information providing unit 525 also has a function of distributing web data for member registration related to the user's member registration to the in-vehicle terminal 6 and M2 under the control of the member registration unit 524. The member registration unit 524 is a module that accepts member registration for a user based on an input operation for the web data for member registration, and acquires the user's name, address, telephone number, payment information, etc. Then, the information accepted by the member registration unit 524 is stored in the user information database 532.

The operation management unit 523 is a module that manages the rental and return of the vehicle 7, and in this embodiment, includes a reservation reception unit 523a and a return reception unit 523b. The return reception unit 523b is a module that receives arrival information regarding the return of the vehicle 7. In this embodiment, when the return reception unit 523b receives an operation signal for setting the return destination from the in-vehicle terminal 6, it selects a store with available space from a specified area based on the location information obtained at the same time. Then, the return reception unit 523b controls the information provision unit 525 to transmit the store ID of this store to the in-vehicle terminal 6. At this time, if the return reception unit 523b has received advance reservation information from the distribution power supply device 2, it also transmits information on the desired rental location.

When the return reception unit 523b acquires the arrival information set by the customer from the in-vehicle terminal 6, it records the return destination store ID and estimated arrival time contained in the arrival information in the usage status database 534. At this time, if the acquired arrival information is for a desired location specified as an advance reservation, the return reception unit 523b notifies the reservation reception unit 523a of the information. Note that if there is a large time difference between the current time and the estimated arrival time, the return reception unit 523b may not record it in the usage status database 534, but may reflect it only when the time difference with the estimated arrival time falls within a specified range. In this case, it is possible to prevent the next user from being unable to use the service due to a change in plans, etc.

The return reception unit 523b also has a function to request the driver who sets the destination as the return destination to change the return destination to a specified store. This return destination request function is executed when the destination sent from the in-vehicle terminal 6 is a store in an area adjacent to the area included in the advance reservation information. Specifically, the return reception unit 523b notifies the in-vehicle terminal 6 of a message requesting that the return destination be changed to an overlapping store in the adjacent area. Thereafter, when the return reception unit 523b obtains consent information for the change of return destination, it confirms the change of return destination.

The reservation reception unit 523a is a module that receives reservations for the rental of a vehicle 7. In this embodiment, when the reservation reception unit 523a receives an operation signal related to an application from the in-vehicle terminal 6, it selects a store close to the location where the customer is staying from the power supply equipment information database 533 based on the location information of the in-vehicle terminal 6 that is simultaneously obtained, and selects vehicles that are waiting and scheduled to be returned from that store.

The selection of this vehicle 7 is based on the selected store ID, and refers to the automobile information database 535 to select a vehicle whose waiting store field contains the selected store ID, and refers to the usage status database 534 to select a vehicle whose return store field contains the selected store ID. The reservation reception unit 523a then controls the information provision unit 525 to transmit information on cars available for rental (waiting cars and cars to be returned) and the store information to the in-vehicle terminal 6. For cars that are to be returned, information on the scheduled return time is also transmitted.

After that, when the reservation reception unit 523a acquires reservation information for a request to rent a car from the in-vehicle terminal 6, it adds a new reservation ID and associates it with the vehicle ID and usage time information, etc., included in the reservation information, and records it in the usage status database 534. In addition, when the reservation reception unit 523a acquires advance reservation information from the in-vehicle terminal 6, it records in the usage status database 534 the store ID of the store that is the desired rental location or a store within the specified area, and the scheduled usage time information.

The reservation reception unit 523a also has a function of matching the desired location of the advance reservation with the destination of the person who plans to return the vehicle. Specifically, it accepts advance reservation information from the next user, and then when the desired location is selected as the return destination from the driver's in-vehicle terminal 6, it checks to rent the vehicle 7 to the next user who made the advance reservation, provided that the time and other conditions match. Note that, if the advance reservation information selects a desired area, the reservation reception unit 523a checks whether the selected destination is included in this desired area and then checks.

The reservation reception unit 523a also has a function of requesting the user who sets the reservation to rent the car at a specified store. This rental request function, for example, when the person who makes the reservation requests to rent the vehicle 7 in a specified area but there is no car in that store or area, searches for a vehicle 7 that is to be returned to another store or area, and if one is found, sends a message to the reservation's in-vehicle terminal 6 requesting a change of rental store. The operation management unit 523 also has an email function, and when the reservation reception unit 523a and the return reception unit 523b accept the reservation and return settings for the vehicle 7, they send a confirmation email to the in-vehicle terminal 6 and M2 to the effect that the acceptance has been completed.

The control unit 52 includes a power supply equipment information acquisition unit 526, a matching unit 528, a payment processing unit 527, and a timing unit 54 as a group of modules related to the power supply procedures and management after the end of use. The power supply equipment information acquisition unit 526 is a module that collects information about the power supply equipment from each power supply equipment and stores it in the power supply equipment information database 533. The timing unit 54 is a module that acquires the current time, and in this embodiment, acquires the time when the operation signal for the rental procedure or the operation signal for the return procedure transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 6 is acquired as the start time of use or the end time of use, and transmits the time information to the matching unit 528.

The matching unit 528 is a module that matches the information on the rental procedure or return procedure acquired from the in-vehicle terminal 6 with the reservation information. Specifically, when the matching unit 528 acquires an operation signal for the rental procedure at the start of the rental, it acquires reservation information corresponding to the user ID from the usage status database 534 based on the user ID acquired at the same time. The matching unit 528 then searches for map information around the departure point included in the acquired reservation information, and matches it with nearby power supply facilities that are capable of supplying power. The matching unit 528 also compares the usage time information in the reservation information with the time information acquired by the timing unit 54, and determines whether it is within the scheduled time.

If a power supply facility capable of supplying power is detected and is within the usage time information, information that the reserved vehicle is capable of supplying power is sent to the vehicle-mounted terminal 6 by web data or e-mail. On the other hand, if no power supply facility is detected, information that the vehicle cannot be supplied with power is sent to the vehicle-mounted terminal 6 by web data or e-mail. In addition, the matching unit 528 also has a function of changing the "usage status" item in the vehicle information database to "rented" based on the vehicle ID when the rental is permitted.

On the other hand, when an operation signal for the return procedure at the end of the rental period is acquired, the matching unit 528 also acquires reservation information corresponding to the acquired user ID from the usage status database 534 based on the acquired user ID. The matching unit 528 then searches for map information around the destination included in the acquired reservation information, and matches it with nearby power supply facilities that are capable of supplying power.

If no facility capable of supplying power is detected, information encouraging power supply at another time is sent to the in-vehicle terminal 6 by web data or e-mail. On the other hand, if a facility capable of supplying power is detected, information indicating that the vehicle can be returned is sent to the in-vehicle terminal 6 by web data or e-mail. After allowing the return, the matching unit 528 changes the "usage status" item in the automobile information database to "standby."

The payment processing unit 527 is a module that executes payment processing based on the information stored in the usage status database 534. Specifically, it refers to the information related to the usage status stored in the usage status database, and performs billing processing on the driver based on the payment information in the user information database 532. For example, this billing processing may involve notifying the customer when data permitting the return of the car is sent to the in-vehicle terminal 6, and the store may collect the fee directly from the customer, or the payment may be processed using a pre-registered credit card, etc.

(Power supply management method linked to rental car management)
The power supply management method of the present invention can be implemented by linking the rental car management system having the above configuration with the power supply management system. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing the operation when returning a rental car. Note that, in this example, it is assumed that the user has registered as a member with the vehicle management server 5, and the driver returns the car he is currently using to a rental car service shop.

In this embodiment, the link between the rental car management system and the power supply management system is executed during a destination setting operation that is performed when reserving a rental car or starting to use the car. In more detail, when the driver using the vehicle 7 starts up the rental car management application on the in-vehicle terminal 6 or smartphone and performs an operation such as pressing a destination setting start button to set the rental car return location as the destination (S301), the usage information transmission unit 66 transmits this destination setting operation signal together with the user ID to the vehicle management server 5 (S302).

When the vehicle management server 5 receives a destination setting operation signal from the in-vehicle terminal 6 (S303), the authentication unit 521 performs authentication processing using the user ID or vehicle ID. Once authenticated, the return acceptance unit 523b extracts the latest information about available spaces, such as whether the space required for returning the rental car is available at each service store or nearby parking lots, and extracts the power supply status and location information of power supply equipment such as charging stations present around the available space as power supply equipment information. The return acceptance unit 523b then selects the extracted available spaces and power supply equipment and transmits the location information to the in-vehicle terminal 6 (S304). The display unit 63a then displays the location information and related information of the available available spaces and the available power supply equipment on the screen based on this location information (S305).

After that, when the driver selects a destination such as a store to which the vehicle is to be returned (S306), the arrival information notification unit 67c acquires location information from the location information acquisition unit 64 (S307), calculates the estimated time of arrival at the destination (S308), and notifies the vehicle management server 5 of the estimated time of arrival, information about the store to which the vehicle is to be returned, and the power supply equipment as arrival information (S309). The return acceptance unit 523b acquires this arrival information (S310) and records the location information of the destination and the power supply equipment to be used, the store ID, and the estimated time of arrival in the usage status database 534. Then, the power management device 1 is notified of the arrival time and the required amount of power supply related to the selected power supply equipment (S311). The power management device 1 that has received this notification reflects this in the calculation of the predicted value of power demand performed in the step S102. Specifically, for the power supply equipment included in the arrival information, the estimated power supply is calculated taking into account the scheduled time of power supply at the arrival time of the rental car when the rental car is returned. At this time, the vehicle management server 5 calculates the amount of power consumed based on the distance traveled during the rental period of the rental car, and obtains power storage information such as the remaining charge in the storage battery directly from the vehicle to predict the amount of power required for power supply.

(Power Supply Management Program)
The power supply management system and the power supply management method according to the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example can be realized by executing a power supply management program written in a predetermined language on a computer. That is, a system having each of the above-mentioned functions can be easily constructed by installing the power supply management program on a dedicated device such as a server device, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or an in-vehicle terminal, or an IC chip and executing it on the CPU of the device. This program can be distributed, for example, through a communication line, and can be transferred as a package application that runs on a standalone computer.

Such a program can be recorded on a recording medium that can be read by a personal computer. Specifically, it can be recorded on a variety of recording media, including magnetic recording media such as flexible disks and cassette tapes, optical disks such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, as well as USB memory and memory cards.

(Action and Effects)
According to the present embodiment described above, since EV stay prediction is performed by learning from the past power supply records (day of the week, time period, available charging capacity, charging time, etc.) for each charging device, power demand can be predicted for each charging device, and even when it is difficult to predict individual behavior and stay, it is possible to set a degree of accuracy for the stay prediction (the most recent is more accurate) and provide a short reduction period to slice the power supply, thereby allowing so-called power supply slicing. As a result, the stay prediction slices of multiple EVs can be bundled and managed as an adjustable capacity, and EVs can be used as an adjustable capacity for power to implement power control such as peak cutting.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified to the extent that the gist of the invention is not deviated from. In addition, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all of the components shown in the embodiments.

In addition, according to this embodiment, various tokens are issued based on the time, place, and method of generating electricity in the power supply source 3, and the tokens can be used to buy and sell electricity and settle the price. As a result, in diversifying electricity transactions such as environmental value transactions and adjustment power transactions, added value can be accumulated and allocated as tokens for each transaction unit. For example, by using tokens, it is possible to freely link supply destinations and demand destinations in transaction units such as self-consumption, sharing with others, market buying and selling, and PPS provision in comparison with market value. In addition, by providing an API or terminal for interfacing with the platform, it is possible to easily enter the platform. Furthermore, since a blockchain interface service is also implemented, it is also easy to enter from an existing interface. As a result, according to the present invention, in an electricity trading market where diversified electricity values are mixed, it is possible to freely link supply sources and demand destinations while properly evaluating the value of electricity, and to charge and buy and sell.

In particular, because a distributed database mechanism is used as the guarantee system, there is no need for each business operator to set up facilities for robust single system management and operation. When information is exchanged between businesses, the distributed database mechanism shares a common database for sharing information, and high-level security measures against privacy protection and data tampering are guaranteed, reducing equipment and operating costs.

PAa...public address PAb...public address PKa...public key SKa...private key SKb...private key U1...driver U2...user Ua...seller Ub...buyer 1...power management device 2...distribution and power supply device 3...power supply source 4...charging station 5...vehicle management server 6...vehicle-mounted terminal 7...vehicle 8...intermediary server 9...guarantee system 10...communication network 10a...wireless base station 11...communication interface 12...data acquisition unit 13...database 14...control instruction schedule management unit 15...power supply control unit 16...demand forecast unit 17...performance information analysis unit 20...user system 21...power conversion unit 21a...token management database 22...distribution and power supply device control unit 23...distribution and power supply device communication unit 24...location information acquisition unit 25...wireless communication unit 26...distribution and power supply device notification unit 40...power control terminal 41...smart meter 42: Storage battery 43: Charging device 43a: Power supply switch 43b: Charging device control unit 43c: Charging device notification unit 43d: Charging device communication unit 51: Communication interface 52: Control unit 53: Storage device 54: Timekeeping unit 61: Wireless interface 61a: Short-range wireless communication unit 62: Input interface 63: Output interface 63a: Display unit 64: Position information acquisition unit 65: Memory 66: Usage information transmission unit 67: Control unit 67a: Navigation control unit 67b: Operation plan setting unit 67c: Arrival information notification unit 71: Target storage device 72: Charger 73: Vehicle control unit 74: Target vehicle communication unit 521: Authentication unit 522: Operation signal acquisition unit 523: Operation management unit 523a: Reservation reception unit 523b: Return reception unit 524: Member registration unit 525: Information provision unit 526: Power supply facility information acquisition unit 527: Settlement processing unit 528: Collation unit 531: Map information storage unit 532: User information database 533: Power supply facility information database 534: Usage status database 535: Automobile information database

Claims (6)

A power supply management system that charges a target power storage device mounted on a target vehicle that is a target of power supply,
A charging device that charges the target power storage device;
a data acquisition unit that records, for each charging device, a time, a required time, and an amount of power that was charged to a target vehicle, as well as a change in the amount of stored power in a charged target power storage device;
a demand prediction unit that predicts the power required for charging each of the charging devices and a time period during which charging should be performed based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit;
a power supply control unit that controls power supply to the charging device or charging to the target vehicle based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit ;
A token issuing unit that issues tokens according to the contribution to the environment or the compensation for the surplus electricity generated based on the analysis results of data including the amount of electricity consumed by each user, the time period, and the method of generation;
Equipped with
The data acquisition unit collects operation schedules of each vehicle,
The demand forecasting unit performs the forecast based on the collected operation schedule,
The power supply control unit controls the power supply or the charging amount by forming a reduction period in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed. The operation schedule holds information regarding a departure point, departure time, destination, and arrival time of a sharing vehicle that is shared and used by multiple users,
The power supply management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the demand prediction unit identifies a charging device suitable for charging based on the operation schedule, and predicts the power required for charging at the identified charging device and the time period in which charging should be performed. A power supply management method for managing power supply by a server device in order to charge a target power storage device mounted on a target vehicle to be supplied with power, comprising:
a data acquisition step in which a data acquisition unit of the server device records, for each of the target power storage devices to be charged, the time, the required time, and the amount of power charged to the target vehicle, and a change in the amount of stored power in the charged target power storage device;
a demand prediction step in which a demand prediction unit of the server device predicts, based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit, power required for charging each charging device that charges the target power storage device and a time period in which charging should be performed;
a power supply control step in which a power supply control unit of the server device controls power supply to the charging device or charging to the target vehicle based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit ;
A token issuing unit issues tokens according to the contribution to the environment or the price of the surplus electricity generated based on the analysis result of the data including the amount of electricity consumed by each user, the time period, and the method of generating electricity.
Including,
In the data acquisition step, the data acquisition unit collects operation schedules of each vehicle,
In the demand forecasting step, the demand forecasting unit performs the forecast based on the collected operation schedule,
The power supply management method, wherein in the power supply control step, the power supply control unit controls the power supply or charging amount by forming a reduction period in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed. In the data acquisition step, the operation schedule holds information regarding a departure point, departure time, destination, and arrival time of a sharing vehicle shared by a plurality of users,
The power supply management method according to claim 3, characterized in that in the demand prediction step, the demand prediction unit identifies a charging device suitable for charging based on the operation schedule, and predicts the power required for charging at the identified charging device and the time period in which charging should be performed. A power supply management program for charging a target power storage device mounted on a target vehicle to be supplied with power,
a data acquisition unit that records, for each charging device that charges the target power storage device, a time, a required time, and an amount of power that the target vehicle is charged, as well as a change in the amount of stored power in the charged target power storage device;
a demand prediction unit that predicts the power required for charging each of the charging devices and a time period during which charging should be performed based on the information recorded by the data acquisition unit;
a power supply control unit that controls power supply to the charging device or charging to the target vehicle based on the prediction by the demand prediction unit ; and
A token issuing department that issues tokens according to the contribution to the environment or the compensation for surplus electricity generated based on the results of analysis of data including the amount of electricity consumed by each user, the time period, and the method of generation.
Function as a
The data acquisition unit collects operation schedules of each vehicle,
The demand forecasting unit performs the forecast based on the collected operation schedule,
The power supply control unit controls the power supply or the charging amount by forming a reduction period in which the amount of power supply is intermittently reduced while charging is being performed. The operation schedule holds information regarding a departure point, departure time, destination, and arrival time of a sharing vehicle that is shared and used by multiple users,
The power supply management program according to claim 5, characterized in that the demand prediction unit identifies a charging device suitable for charging based on the operation schedule, and predicts the power required for charging at the identified charging device and the time period in which charging should be performed.