Information processing method, method for producing recording medium, and information storage method

Abstract

The data processing server implements an information processing method and processes emission amount information relating to carbon footprints, i.e., the emission amount of greenhouse gas relating to an object. The data processing server retrieves destination determination information from traceability information associated with the object if there is an undetermined amount among the GHG discharge amounts associated with the object because the destination of the object is not determined. Furthermore, in the case where no determination information exists in the traceability information, the data processing server prepares, in addition to a determined CFP indicating a determined amount of GHG discharge amount, an undetermined CFP that is calculated using a temporary calculation formula and that indicates an undetermined amount of GHG discharge amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a technology for processing and storing emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases. Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, the calculation method of greenhouse gas emissions varies depending on the country or region where the final product is used, that is, the destination of the final product. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, when the destination is not determined, a user operation of setting a temporary destination can be performed. As a result, the final user can confirm the greenhouse gas emissions calculated by the calculation method corresponding to the temporarily set destination.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-106291

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when the destination is undetermined, the value obtained by adding the determined amount of emissions and the undetermined amount of emissions is displayed on the screen as the carbon footprint. Therefore, even when a very small part of the emissions are undetermined, there is a concern that the reliability of the displayed carbon footprint is low due to the undetermined amount. Therefore, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement in the handling of greenhouse gas emissions of objects with undetermined destinations. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an information processing method, a recording medium production method, and an information storage method capable of appropriately processing the emission of greenhouse gases of an object whose destination is not determined.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a disclosed method is an information processing method, which is an information processing method for generating emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object, and the processing executed by at least one processor includes the following steps: when there is an undetermined amount in the emission associated with the object because the destination of the object is undetermined, the specific information of the destination is retrieved from the traceability information that establishes a correlation with the object, and when there is no specific information in the traceability information, in addition to the determined amount data, undetermined amount data is also prepared, wherein the above-mentioned determined amount data represents the emission of the determined amount, and the above-mentioned undetermined amount data is calculated using a temporary calculation formula and represents the emission of the undetermined amount.

[0007] Another disclosed method is a method for producing a recording medium that stores emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object, and the processing performed by at least one processor includes the following steps: when there is an undetermined amount in the emission associated with the object due to the undetermined destination of the object, the destination determination information is retrieved from the traceability information associated with the object, and when there is no determined information in the traceability information, in addition to the determined amount data, undetermined amount data is prepared, and the emission information including the determined amount data and the undetermined amount data is stored in the recording medium, wherein the determined amount data represents the determined amount of emissions, and the undetermined amount data is calculated using a temporary calculation formula and represents the undetermined amount of emissions.

[0008] In these methods, when there is no information on the destination of the object, undetermined quantity data indicating an undetermined quantity of emissions is prepared separately from the determined quantity data indicating a determined quantity of emissions, and the undetermined quantity data is calculated using a temporary calculation formula. In this way, by separating the undetermined quantity data from the determined quantity data, it is possible to appropriately handle the undetermined quantity of greenhouse gas emissions.

[0009] Another disclosed method is an information accumulation method, which is an information accumulation method for accumulating emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object in a database, and the processing executed by at least one processor includes the following steps: when there is an uncertain amount in the emission associated with the object because the destination of the object is uncertain, using a temporary calculation formula to calculate uncertain amount data of the emission amount representing the uncertain amount, and recording the uncertain amount data and the determined amount data of the emission amount representing the determined amount in the database together with the uncertain information indicating that the destination is uncertain.

[0010] In this method, when the destination of the object is undetermined, the undetermined amount data indicating the undetermined amount of emissions is calculated using a temporary calculation formula. Furthermore, the undetermined amount data prepared separately from the determined amount data indicating the determined amount of emissions is recorded in the database together with the undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined. As described above, the undetermined amount data is separated from the determined amount data, and the important factor that the emission amount cannot be determined is clearly indicated by the undetermined information of the destination, so that the undetermined amount of greenhouse gas emissions can be appropriately handled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the overall image of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2This is a diagram showing the details of emission information accumulated in the database and the display of the carbon footprint for the end user.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a table showing a plurality of CFP calculation formulae prepared in advance in a list.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining the details of the CFP calculation formula.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a detailed sequence diagram showing the traceability information accumulation process performed by the data processing terminal and the data processing server.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the details of the sub-process for generating emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a detailed sequence diagram showing the traceability information query processing implemented in the user terminal and the data processing server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 The information processing system 100 of one embodiment of the present disclosure shown is applied to a supply chain SC composed of many traders to manage transaction records of items traded between traders. The transaction record becomes traceability information (hereinafter referred to as traceability information) for realizing the traceability of items traded between traders. The transaction record contains a lot of information indicating the time and place of the transaction. As an example, in the case where the item is an industrial product, for example, the transaction record contains information related to raw materials, information related to processing and assembly, and distribution routes. In addition, in the case where the item is a food, the transaction record further contains information indicating the shelf life or expiration date.

[0019] Supply chain SC is used to connect traders to deliver industrial products, agricultural products, and aquatic products to end users EU. As an example, the supply chain SC that supplies industrial products to end users EU includes many suppliers SP, transporters TP, and finished product manufacturers MF as traders, which supply raw materials, manufacture components, and assemble components. Traders may also include secondary users and recycling companies of the final products. The final products supplied through the supply chain SC may be various items such as automobiles, batteries, semiconductors, fresh food, aquatic products, food, flowers, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

[0020] The information processing system 100 is capable of calculating and verifying the carbon footprint of the entire supply chain SC. The information processing system 100 regards items such as blanks, components, assemblies, and final products supplied through the supply chain SC as objects IM. The information processing system 100 processes emission information related to greenhouse gas (Greenhouse Gas) emissions (hereinafter referred to as GHG emissions) associated with the object IM. Specifically, the information processing system 100 processes the emission information associated with the object IM as traceability information, and continuously collects and accumulates the emission information. In addition, the information processing system 100 provides the accumulated emission information to each trader, end user EU, and supervisory authority.

[0021] In detail, the information processing system 100 acquires raw data indicating GHG emissions emitted in each process of manufacturing, circulation, and sales of the object IM as emission information, and accumulates it in the database 20. The information processing system 100 can further acquire GHG emissions associated with the use and maintenance management of the end user EU, GHG emissions in processes such as mining and recycling of raw materials, and GHG emissions in processes related to disposal such as incineration and landfilling. Based on the accumulated emission information, the information processing system 100 adds up the GHG emissions of each trader and visualizes it as the carbon footprint of the product unit of the object IM. The information processing system 100 can ensure the accuracy of the carbon footprint (the appropriateness of the numerical value) while achieving traceability of the carbon footprint.

[0022] As an example, in the EU, all batteries sold for automotive, industrial, and portable applications are required to display carbon footprints (EU Battery Regulation). Information processing system 100 is suitable for use in supply chains SC that supply batteries and other items that require carbon footprints to be displayed.

[0023] The greenhouse gas whose emission is recorded as a carbon footprint may be only carbon dioxide, or may appropriately include methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, etc. In this case, the emission of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide is converted into the emission of carbon dioxide and is included in the value of the carbon footprint presented.

[0024] [Configuration of Information Processing System 100]

[0025] The information processing system 100 is composed of a plurality of data processing terminals 50, a data processing server 10, a time stamp server 30, and an application distribution server 40. The information processing system 100 may further include a user terminal 110. Each element constituting the information processing system 100 is connected to a network as a node and can communicate with each other.

[0026] The data processing terminal 50 is an information processing device used by traders such as suppliers SP, transporters TP, and finished product manufacturers MF, which are related to the manufacturing process of the final product supplied through the supply chain SC. The data processing terminal 50 is installed in each business base of the traders. Items such as blanks, parts, and assembled products shipped from the business base of the traders in the previous process are delivered to each business base. The delivered items are processed and the like at the business base of the current process, and shipped as new items to the business base of the traders in the subsequent process.

[0027] Items exchanged between traders are attached with identification information for identifying each item. The identification information uses unique ID information (hereinafter, unique ID) issued by the data processing server 10, or a hash value generated with a predetermined number of bits. The identification information is recorded in a two-dimensional code CD such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an RF tag, and circulates with the product. The identification information can be updated for each trader, or the same information can be continuously used among multiple traders.

[0028] The data processing terminal 50 is mainly composed of a control circuit 50a. The control circuit 50a has a processor 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a bus connecting them, and functions as a computer that performs calculations. The processor 51 is hardware for calculations combined with the RAM 52. The processor 51 executes an application program (such as a traceability information accumulation program) stored in the storage unit 53. The traceability information accumulation program is a program for enabling the data processing terminal 50 to implement the information accumulation method disclosed in the present invention. Input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display, a scanner or camera that reads identification information, and a printer that outputs identification information to a paper medium or an RF tag are electrically connected to the input / output interface 54.

[0029] The data processing terminal 50 performs processing based on the traceability information accumulation program (see Figure 5 ), reads identification information, obtains information such as which trader (supplier SP of the previous process, etc.) purchased what item, when it was delivered, etc., as a transaction record related to the product. In addition, the data processing terminal 50 obtains emission information indicating the GHG emission amount related to the manufacture of the circulation product shipped from this process, etc. The data processing terminal 50 sends the transaction record and emission information, etc. to the data processing server 10.

[0030] The data processing server 10, the timestamp server 30, and the application distribution server 40 are server devices operated by the manager of the supply chain SC, or the platform PF selected by the manager. The manager is, for example, the finished product manufacturer MF, or a supervisory authority with supervisory authority over the final products supplied by the supply chain SC. The platform PF is an enterprise that provides large-scale information processing resources on the Internet, or an alliance (for example, Catena-X, etc.) for the purpose of sharing data of the entire supply chain SC. The data processing server 10, the timestamp server 30, and the application distribution server 40 can be either a locally deployed (on-premise) server device physically managed by a manager or a platform PF, or a virtual structure set up in the cloud. In addition, the data processing server 10, the timestamp server 30, and the application distribution server 40 can also be a structure managed by different managers or platforms PF.

[0031] The data processing server 10 is an information processing device with a control circuit 10a as its main body. The control circuit 10a has a processor 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a bus connecting them, and functions as a high-performance computer that performs calculations at high speed. The processor 11 is hardware for calculations combined with the RAM 12. The processor 11 executes various processes (instructions) related to the management and provision of data by accessing the RAM 12. An information management program that implements functions related to data management and an information provision program that implements functions related to data provision are stored in the storage unit 13. The information management program is a program for enabling the data processing server 10 to implement the information accumulation method disclosed in the present invention. The information provision program is a program (information processing program) for enabling the data processing server 10 to implement the information processing method and the method for producing a recording medium disclosed in the present invention.

[0032] The data processing server 10 receives and obtains the transaction record and emission information sent by the data processing terminal 50. The data processing server 10 stores the obtained transaction record and emission information in the database 20 as the traceability information of the object IM. In the traceability information, a lot of emission information accumulated is in a state of being related to each other based on the transaction record (see Figure 2 ). The database 20 may be constructed in a locally deployed file server managed by the platform PF, or in a virtual file server set up in the cloud.

[0033] The database 20 uses the blockchain BC technology to store the storage object data (traceability information) including transaction records and emission information in a state that cannot be actually tampered with. As an example, the database 20 stores the storage object data as a transaction in the block BL of the private blockchain BC. The database 20 makes it difficult to tamper with the storage object data stored in each block BL by hashing the information stored in one block BL and storing it in the next block BL (see Figure 2 As another example, the database 20 may make it substantially impossible to tamper with the storage object data by storing a hash value generated based on the storage object data in a block BL of a consortium-type or public-type blockchain BC.

[0034] The data processing server 10 receives and obtains the carbon footprint query request sent by the user terminal 110 (refer to Figure 7 ). The data processing server 10 extracts the transaction record of the object IM specified by the query request from the traceability information accumulated in the database 20. Based on the transaction record, the data processing server 10 further extracts the emission information related to the object IM from the database 20. The data processing server 10 calculates the carbon footprint of the object IM using the extracted emission information, and sends it to the user terminal 110 of the request source as provision data.

[0035] The timestamp server 30 is a server device including a computer as a main body. The timestamp server 30 uses news reports distributed by a news distribution server to generate input information. The timestamp server 30 generates a hash value of a specified number of bits (for example, 256 bits) as timestamp data by inputting the generated input information into a hash function. The timestamp data is provided to the data processing server 10 as verification data for verifying the existence of tampering of the acquisition time or storage time of the traceability information, and is stored in the database 20 together with the traceability information.

[0036] The application distribution server 40 is a server device including a computer as a main body. The application distribution server 40 distributes the traceability information query application to the user terminal 110 through the network. The traceability information query application is an application for querying the transaction records and carbon footprints of circulating products or final products. A carbon footprint query application (hereinafter referred to as a CFP query application) that omits the query function of transaction records and is dedicated to carbon footprint queries can also be distributed. The traceability information query application and the CFP query application are downloaded from the application distribution server 40 to the storage unit 113 of the user terminal 110, and are automatically installed on the user terminal 110 after the download is completed. In addition, the application distribution server 40 may also be a server device managed by the supplier of the operating system of the user terminal 110, for example.

[0037] The user terminal 110 is a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a dedicated reading terminal, etc. owned by the end user EU. The user terminal 110 is composed of a camera and a terminal communication device in addition to the control circuit 110a and the display 120. The control circuit 110a includes a processor 111, a RAM 112, a storage unit 113, an input / output interface 114, and a bus connecting them, etc., and functions as a computer that performs calculation processing.

[0038] The user terminal 110 is installed with a query application such as the above-mentioned traceability information query application or CFP query application. The query application is a program (information processing program) for enabling the user terminal 110 to implement the information processing method and the method for producing a recording medium disclosed in the present invention. The user terminal 110 functions as an information display device by executing the query application based on the processor 111, and displays the display screen DP (refer to Figure 2 ) shows the carbon footprint. The user terminal 110 cooperates with the data processing server 10 to implement the traceability information query processing described later (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0039] [Issues in calculating carbon footprint]

[0040] The calculation method of the carbon footprint (GHG emissions) described here is not uniquely determined, but is changed according to multiple conditions. In detail, the calculation method of the carbon footprint is different depending on the production location of the item such as the country or region where the raw materials, billets, components and assemblies are produced. In addition, the calculation method of the carbon footprint is different depending on the destination of the final product such as the country or region where the final product is used. In addition, even if the final product has a determined destination, it is expected to change the calculation method of the carbon footprint when it is delivered to another destination through secondary use such as reuse or refurbishment.

[0041] Furthermore, while information such as the country of origin and the country of processing can be made clear at the time of production, the destination of the items produced is often determined after the final product is manufactured. Therefore, it is difficult to calculate the correct carbon footprint at the time of production of each item.

[0042] In view of the above situation, in the information processing system 100, a plurality of calculation formulas for calculating carbon footprints (hereinafter referred to as CFP calculation formulas) are prepared in advance so as to correspond to a plurality of production sites and a plurality of destinations, respectively (see Figure 3 ). From these multiple CFP calculation formulas, a CFP calculation formula corresponding to both the production place and the destination is selected and used as the corresponding calculation formula.

[0043] exist Figure 3In each CFP calculation formula shown, the first superscript in the subscript is a character indicating the production location such as the country of raw material extraction and the country of processing. The second superscript is a character indicating the destination. As an example, if the destination of the final product of an item processed in countries A, B, C, and D is country E (see Figure 2 ), select f respectively AE (x), f BE (x), f CE (x), f DE (x) is used as the corresponding calculation formula.

[0044] Furthermore, among the multiple CFP calculation formulas associated with each producing country, in addition to the CFP calculation formula for each destination, a temporary calculation formula (hereinafter referred to as the temporary calculation formula) is included. The temporary calculation formula is a CFP calculation formula for calculating the uncertain amount of GHG emissions as a temporary value when there is an uncertain amount of GHG emissions due to an undetermined destination.

[0045] As an example, a temporary calculation formula is set with the production place of the item as the destination. That is, the CFP calculation formula f with country A as the production place and destination is AA (x) is the temporary calculation formula related to country A A (x). Similarly, the CFP calculation formula f with country B as the production place and destination is BB (x) is the temporary calculation formula related to country B B (x).

[0046] As another example, the country with the highest probability of being the destination of the final product is set as the temporary destination, and the CFP calculation formula corresponding to the temporary destination is used as the temporary calculation formula. That is, when the destination is likely to be country E, the temporary calculation formula f for the item with country A as the production place is A (x) and f AE (x)Same.

[0047] Here, if the CFP calculation formula is described in detail, Figure 4 As shown, the GHG emission (carbon footprint) is calculated as the sum of the GHG emission f1(x) when the material is generated and the GHG emission f2(x) based on the electricity used. In the CFP calculation formula, x substituted into each formula is a value representing the usage (weight) of the raw materials used in the production of the project (hereinafter, usage information). In addition, the GHG emission f2(x) is the value obtained by multiplying f3(x) by a predetermined constant (for example, 0.425, etc.). In addition, f1(x) and f3(x) are the usage of each raw material (x1 to x 11 ) multiplied by the constant corresponding to each raw material.

[0048] [Carbon footprint storage]

[0049] The data processing terminal 50 and the data processing server 10 perform the traceability information accumulation process. The traceability information accumulation process is a process of accumulating the traceability information including the transaction records and the GHG emission amount in the database 20. Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 , and refer to Figure 1 to Figure 4 The traceability information accumulation process is described in detail.

[0050] The data processing terminal 50 displays a recording start screen (S11) based on a worker operation for uploading data to the data processing server 10. The data processing terminal 50 reads identification information from a two-dimensional code Cd (or RF tag) attached to the shipped item while displaying the recording start screen (S12).

[0051] The data processing terminal 50 obtains the transaction record of the item for which the two-dimensional code Cd is read (S13). In addition to the transaction record, the data processing terminal 50 also obtains the usage information required for calculating the GHG emission. The data processing terminal 50 can obtain the transaction record and usage information automatically obtained or automatically calculated based on the collected information of the sensor group installed at the manufacturing base, or can obtain the value input by the staff of the manufacturing base as the transaction record and usage information.

[0052] The data processing terminal 50 uses the acquired transaction record and usage information to generate storage data (S14) to be uploaded to the data processing server 10. The data processing terminal 50 transmits the identification information read from the two-dimensional code Cd and the generated storage data to the data processing server 10 (S15).

[0053] The data processing terminal 50 performs a sub-process for generating discharge amount information in the step of generating the storage data (S14) (see Figure 6 In this sub-process, the data processing terminal 50 obtains and sets a CFP calculation formula for calculating a fixed amount of GHG emissions associated with the project (S141). The fixed amount of GHG emissions is a GHG emission that does not change the calculation method even if the destination is changed. In other words, it is a GHG emission associated with a raw material whose content of the CFP calculation formula does not change depending on the destination. The data processing terminal 50 obtains and sets a CFP calculation formula for calculating a fixed amount of GHG emissions associated with the project (S141). Figure 4 ) is substituted into the CFP calculation formula to calculate the GHG emission of the determined amount (determined amount data, determined CFP) (S142).

[0054] The data processing terminal 50 determines whether there is an undetermined amount of GHG emissions (S143). The undetermined amount of GHG emissions is a GHG emission whose calculation method changes when the destination is changed, in other words, it is a GHG emission associated with a raw material whose content of the CFP calculation formula changes depending on the destination. When there is no undetermined amount of GHG emissions (S143: No), the data processing terminal 50 prepares emission information including at least a determined amount of GHG emissions and usage information (calculation information) for calculating the determined amount of GHG emissions (S149).

[0055] When there is an undetermined amount of GHG emissions (S143: Yes), the data processing terminal 50 determines whether the destination has been determined (S144). When there is no information on the determination of the destination (S144: No), the data processing terminal 50 obtains and sets a temporary calculation formula associated with the production site of the item (S145). In S145, a temporary calculation formula is set that regards the production site of the item as the destination.

[0056] The data processing terminal 50 substitutes the usage information (weight value) of the raw materials used in the project into the temporary calculation formula to calculate the undetermined GHG emissions (undetermined amount data, undetermined CFP) (S146). The data processing terminal 50 prepares emission information including at least the determined GHG emissions, the undetermined GHG emissions, and the usage information for calculating these GHG emissions (S149).

[0057] When there is information on the determination of the destination (S144: Yes), the data processing terminal 50 acquires and sets a corresponding calculation formula corresponding to both the production site and the destination (S147). The data processing terminal 50 substitutes the usage information of the raw materials used in the project into the corresponding calculation formula, and calculates the GHG emissions that become the determined amount by the determination of the destination (additional determined amount data). Furthermore, the data processing terminal 50 adds the newly calculated GHG emissions to the GHG emissions calculated in S142 as the determined amount of GHG emissions (S148). The data processing terminal 50 prepares emission information including at least the updated determined amount of GHG emissions and the usage information for calculating the GHG emissions (S149).

[0058] The data processing server 10 receives and obtains the identification information and the accumulation data sent by the data processing terminal 50 (S15). The data processing server 10 records the identification information and the accumulation data in a mutually associated state as traceability information in the database 20 (S16). The traceability information is stored in the database 20 in a state of establishing a correlation with the blockchain BC. The data processing server 10 can also associate the acquisition time (receiving time) of the traceability information with the traceability information and store it.

[0059] According to the above storage process (S16), the name of the project, the name of the production company of the project, the location of the manufacturing base (GPS information), the information of the production place, the information of the destination, the GHG emission of the determined amount (determined CFP), and the GHG emission of the undetermined amount (undetermined CFP) are accumulated (refer to Figure 2 ). In addition, when the destination is not determined, a message such as "undetermined" is recorded in the destination information. The recording method of such a message indicating that the destination is undetermined can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the usage information for calculating the GHG emission amount is also recorded in the database 20 (block BL) in association with the project. The usage information is used as "calculation information" described later and is used for recalculation of the GHG emission amount.

[0060] [Carbon footprint query processing]

[0061] The user terminal 110 and the data processing server 10 disclose the transaction records and carbon footprint (emission information) of the object IM to the end user EU etc. through the traceability information query process. Figure 7 , and refer to Figure 1 to Figure 4 The traceability information query process is described in detail.

[0062] In addition, the traceability information query process can use an information processing terminal such as the data processing terminal 50 held by the trader instead of the user terminal 110. In this way, it is not limited to the user terminal 110, and various information processing terminals such as smart phones, tablet terminals, and personal computers can be used to display carbon footprints.

[0063] The user terminal 110 starts the query application through the operation of the end user EU or the like (S101). The user terminal 110 uses an item such as a product or an end product as the object IM to be queried, and reads the identification information from the two-dimensional code Cd (or RF tag) attached to the object IM (S102). The identification information can be manually input using an input device such as a keyboard, or can also be obtained through the network. The user terminal 110 sends the read identification information together with a query request for querying the traceability information of the object IM to the data processing server 10 (S103).

[0064] When the data processing server 10 receives a query request (S103), it determines the object IM that is the object of the request based on the identification information (S104). The data processing server 10 retrieves the traceability information associated with the object IM from the many traceability information stored in the database 20. The data processing server 10 obtains the GHG emission of the determined amount included in the traceability information of the retrieved object IM (S105).

[0065] The data processing server 10 determines whether there is undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined in the traceability information of the retrieved object IM (S106). For example, when the object IM is items α to δ, the destination is "undetermined", and there is undetermined information in the traceability information. On the other hand, when the object IM is items ε and ζ, the destination is determined to be a specific country, and there is no undetermined information in the traceability information. In the case where there is no undetermined information (S106: No), that is, when the destination has been determined at the time of production, the data processing server 10 regards that there is no undetermined amount of GHG emissions, and prepares (generates) provision data containing a determined amount of GHG emissions (S114).

[0066] In this case, the data for provision includes, in addition to the carbon footprint of the current process (hereinafter, the current process CFP) in which the object IM is produced, the cumulative carbon footprint (hereinafter, the cumulative CFP) which is the cumulative GHG emission until the current process, and the value of each determined amount. The unit of the current process CFP and the cumulative CFP is "kg". The undetermined amounts of the current process CFP and the cumulative CFP are all 0kg (none).

[0067] When there is undetermined information (S106: Yes), the data processing server 10 determines whether there is an undetermined amount of GHG emissions in the traceability information of the object IM (S107). The data processing server 10 calculates the GHG emissions of the current process and the upstream side ( Figure 2 ) to the left of the process, and determines whether there is an undetermined amount. If there is no undetermined GHG emission (S107: No), the data processing server 10 prepares (generates) provision data including the GHG emission of each determined amount for the value in the current process and the accumulated value (S114). In the provision data in this case, the undetermined amounts of the current process CFP and the accumulated CFP are also 0 kg.

[0068] When there is an undetermined amount of GHG information (S107: Yes), the data processing server 10 retrieves the identified information from the traceability information (blockchain BC) associated with the object IM (S108). The data processing server 10 retrieves the identified information from the specific block BLs (refer to Figure 2 ) and subsequent blocks BL, and retrieves specific information along the time series. As an example, when item γ is the object IM, the block BL associated with item γ is the specific block BLs. The data processing server 10 sequentially retrieves the blocks BL downstream of the blockchain BC (supply chain SC) compared to the specific block BLs ( Figure 2 The block BL on the right side of the block BL is used to determine whether there is certain information.

[0069] When the traceability information has multiple confirmation information, the data processing server 10 obtains the latest confirmation information among the multiple confirmation information. In detail, in the step of retrieving confirmation information, the data processing server 10 extracts the confirmation information of the initial destination (country E) from the block BL (traceability information) associated with the project ε. In this case, the data processing server 10 continues to retrieve confirmation information on the condition that a block BL is further connected to the downstream side of the block BL with confirmation information. As a result, the data processing server 10 extracts updated confirmation information (country H) from the block BL (traceability information) associated with the project ζ.

[0070] The data processing server 10 determines whether the specific information can be obtained through the search (S109). If the blockchain BC records the specific information of the destination and the specific information can be obtained from the traceability information on the downstream side (S109: Yes), the data processing server 10 selects the CFP calculation formula (see Figure 3 ) selects a corresponding calculation formula (S110). The corresponding calculation formula is a CFP calculation formula corresponding to both the destination indicated by the determination information and the production place of the object IM. The data processing server 10 acquires and sets the corresponding calculation formula.

[0071] The data processing server 10 calculates recalculated data for determining the undetermined GHG emission amount using the selected corresponding calculation formula (S111). The data processing server 10 retrieves calculation information (usage information, equivalent to) for calculating the undetermined GHG emission amount from the traceability information. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The data processing server 10 calculates the additional determined amount of GHG emissions as recalculated data by substituting the calculation information obtained by the search into the corresponding calculation formula. The data processing server 10 calculates the additional determined amount of GHG emissions not only for the current process but also for the undetermined amount of GHG emissions on the upstream side based on the calculation information recorded in the block BL on the upstream side and the corresponding calculation formula.

[0072] The data processing server 10 updates the GHG emission of the determined amount by adding the GHG emission recalculated in S111 to the GHG acquired in S105 (S112). The data processing server 10 updates the GHG emission of the determined amount for the value in the current process and the accumulated value. The data processing server 10 prepares (generates) the provision data of each GHG emission including the updated determined amount (S114). In the provision data in this case, each undetermined amount of the current process CFP and the accumulated CFP is also 0 kg.

[0073] When the data processing server 10 cannot obtain the confirmed information from the traceability information on the downstream side (S109: No), it obtains the undetermined amount of GHG emissions to be recorded in the traceability information (S113). The data processing server 10 prepares (generates) provision data including the confirmed amount of GHG emissions obtained in S105 and the undetermined amount of GHG emissions obtained in S113 (S114). In addition, when all GHG emissions are undetermined, the confirmed amount of GHG emissions is recorded as 0 kg (none) in the provision data.

[0074] The data processing server 10 stores the generated provision data, that is, the discharge volume information including the determined CFP discharge volume and the undetermined CFP discharge volume, in the storage unit 13. In the above, a recording medium storing the discharge volume information is produced. Furthermore, the data processing server 10 transmits the generated provision data to the user terminal 110 that is the source of the query request (S115).

[0075] The user terminal 110 receives the provision data (discharge amount information of the object IM) from the data processing server 10 (S115). The user terminal 110 stores the discharge amount information including the determined CFP discharge amount and the undetermined CFP discharge amount in the storage unit 113 (S116). Through the above, a recording medium storing the discharge amount information and an information processing device equipped with the recording medium are produced.

[0076] The user terminal 110 displays the value based on the provision data as the carbon footprint of the object IM on the display screen DP of the display 120 (S117). The user terminal 110 displays the carbon footprints of the determined amount and the undetermined amount in the current process of producing the object IM, and the accumulated determined amount and the undetermined amount related to the production of the object IM. In addition, the unit of the carbon footprint value is not limited to "kg", and can be appropriately changed according to the type of the object IM, the region or country using the data processing server 10 or the user terminal 110, etc.

[0077] (Summary of implementation methods)

[0078] In the present embodiment described so far, when there is no information on the destination of the object IM, an undetermined GHG emission amount (undetermined amount data) is prepared separately from the determined GHG emission amount (determined amount data) and is calculated using a temporary calculation formula. In this way, by separating the undetermined GHG emission amount from the determined GHG emission amount, the undetermined GHG emission amount can be appropriately processed. As a result, the convenience of carbon footprint can be improved.

[0079] In addition, in the present embodiment, in the step of retrieving the specific information, when there are multiple specific information in the traceability information, the latest specific information among the multiple specific information is obtained. Therefore, even in the case of secondary use such as reuse or refurbishment of the final product, the correct GHG emission can be calculated. Based on the above, the accuracy of the carbon footprint can be further ensured.

[0080] In addition, in the present embodiment, when there is undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined, retrieval of definite information is performed. As described above, if a message indicating that the destination is undetermined is stored as the traceability information, the data processing server 10 can appropriately determine whether retrieval of definite information is necessary. As a result, recalculation processing for determining the undetermined amount of GHG emissions can be appropriately performed.

[0081] In addition, the traceability information in this embodiment is recorded using the technology of blockchain BC. Furthermore, from the blocks BL located after the specific blocks BLs associated with the object IM among the multiple blocks BL constituting the blockchain BC, the specific information is retrieved along the time series. According to such a search process, the specific information required to determine the GHG emissions of the undetermined amount can be reliably extracted from the traceability information stored in the blockchain BC. Furthermore, in the absence of specific information, the GHG emissions as a temporary value based on the temporary calculation formula are prompted as the carbon footprint.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, when there is confirmation information in the traceability information, a corresponding calculation formula corresponding to both the destination indicated by the confirmation information and the production place of the object IM is selected. Then, using the selected corresponding calculation formula, recalculated data for confirming the unconfirmed GHG emission amount is calculated, and the recalculated data is added to the confirmed GHG emission amount. Based on the above, the confirmed GHG emission amount, that is, the correct carbon footprint, can be prompted at the moment when the destination is confirmed.

[0083] In addition, in the present embodiment, calculation information (usage information) for calculating the undetermined GHG emissions is retrieved from the traceability information. And, by substituting the calculation information obtained by the retrieval into the corresponding calculation formula, the recalculation data for determining the undetermined GHG emissions is calculated. As described above, the calculation information used for calculating the undetermined GHG emissions is directly used in the recalculation process, so that it is easy to ensure the correctness of the value of the additional determined GHG emissions (recalculation data). As a result, the undetermined GHG emissions can be processed more appropriately.

[0084] In the present embodiment, when the destination of the object IM is undetermined, the undetermined GHG emission (undetermined amount data) is calculated using a temporary calculation formula. The undetermined GHG emission prepared separately from the determined GHG emission (determined amount data) is recorded in the database 20 together with the undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined. As described above, the undetermined GHG emission is separated from the determined GHG emission, and the important factor that the GHG emission cannot be determined is clearly indicated by the undetermined information of the destination, so that the undetermined GHG emission can be appropriately handled. As a result, the convenience of the carbon footprint can be improved.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, a provisional calculation formula is set with the production site of the object IM as the destination. By setting such a provisional calculation formula, the undetermined GHG emission is unlikely to deviate significantly from the determined GHG emission even if it is calculated as a provisional value.

[0086] In addition, in the present embodiment, the calculation information (usage information) for calculating the undetermined GHG emission amount is recorded in the database 20 in association with the undetermined GHG emission amount. Therefore, the calculation information for calculating the undetermined GHG emission amount can be directly used in the recalculation process of the GHG emission amount after the destination is determined. As a result, it is easy to ensure the accuracy of the value of the additional determined GHG emission amount (recalculation data).

[0087] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, each storage unit 13, 113 corresponds to a "recording medium".

[0088] (Other Embodiments)

[0089] As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the determined amount data and the undetermined amount data are prepared for the GHG emission of the current process (current process CFP) and the accumulated GHG emission (accumulated CFP), respectively, and are stored in the recording medium as the determined CFP and the undetermined CFP. On the other hand, in the first variation of the above embodiment, the determined amount data and the undetermined amount data are prepared only for one of the GHG emission of the current process and the accumulated GHG emission, and are stored in the recording medium as the determined CFP and the undetermined CFP.

[0091] In the second modification of the above embodiment, the initial destination identification information is acquired for the generation of the recalculation data. As in the second modification, the recalculation of the carbon footprint reflecting the reuse such as reuse or renovation may not be performed.

[0092] In the third variation of the above embodiment, in the blockchain BC, after determining the block BL group connected to the downstream side of the block BL recording the information of the object IM, the information is sequentially retrieved from the latest block BL. As in this third variation, the method of retrieving the information of the destination can be appropriately changed. In addition, if the security of the database 20 is sufficient, the storage of the traceability information may not use the technology of the blockchain BC.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, all usage information related to the project is uploaded to the data processing server 10. On the other hand, in Modification 4 of the above-described embodiment, only usage information for calculating an undetermined GHG emission amount, that is, only usage information required for recalculation to determine the undetermined GHG emission amount, is uploaded to the data processing server 10 as calculation information.

[0094] In the above-mentioned embodiment, each function provided by the data processing server 10 and each terminal 50, 110 can also be provided by software and hardware executing the software, only by software, only by hardware, or by a combination of these. In the case where such a function is provided by an electronic circuit as hardware, each function can also be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

[0095] Each processor of the above-mentioned embodiment can be configured to include at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit: Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit: Graphics Processing Unit) and other computing cores. The processor can be configured to further include FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array: Field Programmable Gate Array), NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit: Neural Network Processing Unit) and other IP cores with dedicated functions. In addition, the processor is not limited to a chip structure independently installed on a printed circuit board. It can also be installed in an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit: Application Specific Integrated Circuit), SoC (System on Chip: System-level chip) and FPGA, etc., which is equivalent to a processor.

[0096] The form of the recording medium (non-transitorytangible storage medium) used as each storage unit of the above-mentioned embodiment and storing each program can be appropriately changed. For example, the recording medium is not limited to the configuration provided on the circuit substrate, and can be configured to be provided in the form of a memory card, etc., inserted into the socket, and electrically connected to the bus of the computer. In addition, the recording medium can also be an optical disk, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. used as a copy source or distribution source of the program to the computer.

[0097] The control unit and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated computer that is programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the device and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers that are composed of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may also be stored as an instruction executed by a computer in a non-migratable tangible recording medium that can be read by a computer.

Claims

1. An information processing method, characterized in that: An information processing method for generating emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object, The process performed by at least one processor includes the following steps: When the destination of the object is undetermined and the discharge amount associated with the object has an undetermined amount, retrieving information specifying the destination from traceability information associated with the object; and When the traceability information does not include the definite information, in addition to the definite quantity data, undetermined quantity data is prepared, wherein the definite quantity data indicates the definite quantity of the discharge quantity, and the undetermined quantity data is calculated using a temporary calculation formula and indicates the undetermined quantity of the discharge quantity.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of searching for the specific information, when there is a plurality of the specific information in the traceability information, the latest one of the plurality of specific information is acquired.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In the step of searching for the specific information, when there is undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined, the search for the specific information is performed.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Use blockchain technology to record the above traceability information. In the step of retrieving the specific information, the specific information is retrieved along a time series from the blocks located after the specific block associated with the object among the plurality of blocks constituting the blockchain.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes the following steps: When the traceability information includes the identification information, selecting a calculation formula corresponding to both the destination indicated by the identification information and the production place of the object as a corresponding calculation formula; Using the selected corresponding calculation formula, calculating recalculation data for determining the undetermined discharge amount; as well as This recalculated data is added to the above-mentioned determined amount data.

6. The information processing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the step of calculating the above recalculated data, retrieving calculation information for calculating the above-mentioned undetermined quantity data from the above-mentioned traceability information, The recalculation data is calculated by substituting the calculation information acquired by the search into the corresponding calculation formula.

7. A method for producing a recording medium, characterized in that: A method for producing a recording medium storing emission information related to the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object. The process performed by at least one processor includes the following steps: When there is an undetermined amount in the discharge amount associated with the object because the destination of the object is undetermined, information specifying the destination is retrieved from traceability information associated with the object; In the case where the traceability information does not include the definite information, in addition to the definite quantity data, undetermined quantity data is prepared, wherein the definite quantity data indicates the discharge quantity of the definite quantity, and the undetermined quantity data is calculated using a temporary calculation formula and indicates the discharge quantity of the undetermined quantity; as well as The discharge amount information including the determined amount data and the undetermined amount data is stored in the recording medium.

8. An information accumulation method, characterized in that: The method is to accumulate information on the emission of greenhouse gases associated with an object in a database. The process performed by at least one processor includes the following steps: When there is an undetermined amount in the discharge amount associated with the object because the destination of the object is undetermined, calculating undetermined amount data of the discharge amount indicating the undetermined amount using a temporary calculation formula; and The undetermined amount data and the determined amount data of the discharge amount indicating a determined amount are recorded in the database together with undetermined information indicating that the destination is undetermined.

9. The information accumulation method according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the step of calculating the undetermined quantity data, the calculation formula is temporarily set by regarding the production place of the object as the destination.

10. The information accumulation method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: In the step of recording in the database, calculation information for calculating the uncertain amount data is recorded in the database in association with the uncertain amount data.

11. A computer-readable recording medium, characterized in that: is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in claims 1, 7 and 8 is implemented.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that is a computer program product containing a computer program, When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in claims 1, 7 and 8 is implemented.

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