Server device

Abstract

To enable improvement of convenience for a user of an electric vehicle.SOLUTION: A server device has a communication unit and a control unit that performs communication by the communication unit. When a selling price corresponding to a predetermined amount of power of a battery of a vehicle is equal to or higher than a purchasing price corresponding to the predetermined amount of power, the control unit sends permission information for enabling selling of the predetermined amount of remaining power from the battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device. [Background technology]

[0002] In communities managed by local governments, companies, etc., a community EMS (Energy Management System) is being developed that manages the charging and discharging of various power sources scattered throughout the community, the power supply from the power grid of the power company, and the power demand occurring within the community as a whole. Various technologies have been proposed for managing the supply and demand of power within the community. The power sources within the community include not only power generation facilities installed within the community, but also electric vehicles that move within the community. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for controlling the charging and discharging of electric vehicles. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for controlling the power sources within the community in response to a request from the power company. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-207590 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6997289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the battery of an electric vehicle is charged or discharged to supply power to the power company's grid, a fee is charged. That is, when charging, the user of the electric vehicle pays a fee for the power required for charging, and when discharging, the user receives a fee for the discharged power from the grid. Here, there is room to improve the convenience for electric vehicle users.

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a server device and the like that enables improved convenience for users of electric vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The server device in the present disclosure has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates via the communication unit, and when the selling price corresponding to a specified amount of power in a vehicle's battery is equal to or higher than the purchasing price corresponding to the specified amount of power, the control unit sends permission information to enable the battery to sell the specified amount of remaining power. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the server device and the like of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve convenience for users of electric vehicles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of an information processing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation of the information processing system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation of the information processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The following describes the embodiments.

[0010] [System configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system in an embodiment. The information processing system 1 supports efficient buying and selling of electricity between a community and an electric power company. A community is an arbitrary block or area managed by a local government, a company, or the like. Charging and discharging devices 14 for charging and discharging the electricity of a vehicle 12 driven by battery power are installed in a distributed manner within the community. In the community, in addition to charging the vehicle 12, electricity is consumed by various electric loads 15 such as electrical appliances, lighting, and air conditioning equipment installed in residences, commercial facilities, and the like. The electricity consumed within the community is covered by purchasing (purchasing electricity) from a grid 18 of an electric power company, or by generating electricity using a distributed power source 16 such as a power generation device using alternative energy such as solar power or wind power, a fuel cell, or a storage battery. In addition, surplus electricity generated within the community is sold (selling electricity) to the grid 18. The cost of purchasing electricity by the vehicle 12 is borne by the right holder of the vehicle 12, for example, a user or owner (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a user). Furthermore, the profit from the sale of electricity by vehicle 12 is enjoyed by the user of vehicle 12. Information processing system 1 includes one or more server devices 10, vehicles 12, terminal devices 13, and charging / discharging devices 14, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information with each other via network 11. Server device 10 controls charging (power purchase) from grid 18 to vehicle 12 and discharging (power sale) from vehicle 12 to grid 18 via charging / discharging device 14 in accordance with power supply and demand within the community.

[0011] The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system, and operates as a CEMS (Community EMS) server and a vehicle information server that manages information related to the vehicle 12. The vehicle 12 is a passenger car or a multi-purpose vehicle that has a control and communication function and is driven by battery power, such as an electric vehicle (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid vehicle (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). The terminal device 13 is an information processing device with a communication function used by a user of the vehicle 12, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The network 11 is, for example, the Internet, but may also include an ad-hoc network, a LAN, a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other networks, or any combination of these. The charging / discharging device 14 is a charging / discharging station installed in the community, includes a charging / discharging stand to which the vehicle 12 is electrically connected, and is configured to be able to communicate with the server device 10 via the network 11. Information regarding the operation of the power loads 15 and distributed power sources 16 scattered throughout the community is transmitted between the server device 10 via the network 11 by power conditioners, smart meters, etc. that are connected to the network 11 and configured to be capable of communicating information.

[0012] In this embodiment, the server device 10 has a communication unit 101 and a control unit 103 that communicates through the communication unit 101. When the price of selling power to the grid 18 corresponding to a predetermined amount of power of the battery 128 of the vehicle 12 is equal to or higher than the price of purchasing power from the grid 18, the control unit 103 transmits permission information for enabling the battery 128 to sell power to the grid 18. Based on the permission information, the vehicle 12 discharges power to the grid 18 via the charging / discharging device 14, so that the user of the vehicle 12 can enjoy the benefit of the amount of the selling power price exceeding the purchasing power price, or at least prevent excessive expenditure due to purchasing power. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the user of the electric vehicle.

[0013] [Configuration of server device 10] The server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103. The server device 10 is, for example, a single server computer. Alternatively, the server device 10 may be configured with two or more computers that are communicably connected and operate in cooperation with each other. In this case, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately arranged in the two or more computers.

[0014] The communication unit 101 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 101 receives information used in the operation of the server device 10, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the server device 10. The server device 10 is connected to a network 11 by the communication unit 101, and communicates information with the vehicle 12 or the charging / discharging device 14 via the network 11.

[0015] The storage unit 102 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of them, functioning as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static RAM (SRAM) or a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). The storage unit 102 stores information used in the operation of the server device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

[0016] The control unit 103 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 103 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each unit of the server device 10.

[0017] The functions of the server device 10 are realized by executing a control program in a processor included in the control unit 103. The control program is a program for making a computer execute processing of steps included in the operation of the server device 10, thereby making the computer realize a function corresponding to the processing of the steps. In other words, the control program is a program for making a computer function as the server device 10. Also, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 103. Also, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording / storage medium readable by the server device 10, and read by the server device 10 from the medium.

[0018] [Configuration of terminal device 13] The terminal device 13 includes a communication unit 131, a storage unit 132, a control unit 133, a positioning unit 134, an input unit 135, and an output unit 136. The terminal device 13 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0019] The communication unit 131 has a communication module compatible with a wired or wireless LAN standard, a module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), etc. The terminal device 13 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 131 via a nearby router device or a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11.

[0020] The storage unit 132 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 132 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 132 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 133 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 133.

[0021] The control unit 133 has, for example, one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or one or more dedicated processors specialized for a specific process. Alternatively, the control unit 133 may have one or more dedicated circuits such as an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like. The control unit 133 generally controls the operation of the terminal device 13 by operating according to a control / processing program, or operating according to an operating procedure implemented as a circuit. The control unit 133 transmits and receives various information to and from the server device 10, etc. via the communication unit 131, and executes the operation according to this embodiment.

[0022] The positioning unit 134 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. The GNSS includes at least one of, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. The positioning unit 134 acquires location information of the terminal device 13 and transmits it to the control unit 133.

[0023] The input unit 135 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interfaces include, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, a camera for capturing a captured image or an image code, or an IC card reader. The input interface may include a microphone for receiving voice input. The input unit 135 receives input of information used for the operation of the control unit 133 and sends the input information to the control unit 133.

[0024] The output unit 136 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 136 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 133.

[0025] The functions of control unit 133 are realized by a processor included in control unit 133 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as control unit 133. In addition, some or all of the functions of control unit 133 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in control unit 133.

[0026] [Vehicle 12 Configuration] The vehicle 12 includes a control device 120, a battery 128, and a driving unit 129 driven by the power of the battery 128, and travels when the driving unit 129 is driven under the control of the control device 120. The control device 120 has a configuration equivalent to the communication unit 131, the storage unit 132, the control unit 133, the positioning unit 134, the input unit 135, and the output unit 136 of the terminal device 13, and includes, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control device 30 may be configured with two or more devices including a communication device. The communication device includes, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module). The control device 30 may also include a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a navigation device, and the like. The battery 128 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The driving unit 129 includes a motor for driving a driving wheel, a braking mechanism, and the like, and a control circuit thereof. The vehicle 12 further includes a detection unit 127. The detection unit 127 has sensors for detecting the remaining charge of the battery 128, the temperature of the motor of the drive unit 129, the current value, etc. Each unit is connected to each other or to other devices and apparatuses of the vehicle 12 so as to be able to communicate information with each other or with other devices and apparatuses of the vehicle 12 via an in-vehicle network conforming to standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The control device 120 performs various information processes for controlling each unit of the vehicle 12 based on information received from the detection unit 127.

[0027] [Configuration of charging / discharging device 14] The charging / discharging device 14 includes a control device 140 and a charging / discharging unit 48. The control device 120 has a configuration equivalent to the communication unit 131, the storage unit 132, the control unit 133, the input unit 135, and the output unit 136 of the terminal device 13. The charging / discharging unit 48 includes a charging / discharging station having a connector and a power supply cable connected to an inlet of the vehicle 12, a switch for opening and closing a connection of a power line to the power load 15 or the grid 18 in the community, a battery or a capacitor for storing electricity, and the like. The charging / discharging unit 48 switches the switch in response to an instruction from the control device 140, and can charge the battery 128 of the vehicle 12 with power supplied from the grid 18, or supply power discharged from the battery 128 of the vehicle 12 to the power load 15 or the grid 18.

[0028] [Operation of information processing system 1] 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams showing an example of the operation of the information processing system 1. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show the procedure of the cooperation operation by the server device 10, the vehicle 12, the terminal device 13, and the charging / discharging device 14. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, steps related to various information processing of the server device 10, the vehicle 12, the terminal device 13, and the charging / discharging device 14 are executed by the respective control units 103 and 133. Furthermore, steps related to the transmission and reception of various information of the server device 10, the vehicle 12, the terminal device, and the charging / discharging device 14 are executed by the respective control units 103 and 133 transmitting and receiving information to each other via the communication units 101 and 131. In the server device 10, the vehicle 12, the terminal device 13, and the charging / discharging device 14, the control units 103 and 133 store the transmitted and received information in the storage units 102 and 132 as appropriate. Furthermore, the control units 133 of the vehicle 12, the terminal device 13, and the charging / discharging device 14 each accept input of various information through an input unit 135, and output various information through an output unit 136.

[0029] The procedure of FIG. 2 may be performed, for example, when a user of the vehicle 12 charges the battery 128 of the vehicle 12.

[0030] In step S21, the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13 sends a charging request to the server device 10. The charging request is information requesting permission to charge the vehicle 12, and includes identification information for identifying the user and the vehicle 12. The control device 120 or the terminal device 13 of the vehicle 12, for example, displays a screen prompting the user to input the identification information and the charging request. The user inputs the identification information, the charging request information, and the like, for example, by a touch operation on a touch panel. The identification information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 132. The control device 120 or the terminal device 13 sends a charging request including the identification information input or read from the storage unit 132 to the server device 10. Alternatively, the charging request may be sent from the charging / discharging device 14 to the server device 10. For example, a user who brings the vehicle 12 to a charging / discharging station may operate the control device 140 to input information for the charging request, and the charging / discharging device 14 may send the charging request.

[0031] In step S22, the server device 10 transmits a charging permission to the charging / discharging device 14 in response to the charging request. The server device 10 determines a power supply source for charging, and generates information for identifying the power supply source. The power supply source is the grid 18 or the distributed power source 16. The charging permission includes information for authorizing the charging / discharging device 14 to charge, as well as information for identifying the power supply source.

[0032] In step S23, the vehicle 12 charges the battery 128. The vehicle 12 is charged by the charging / discharging device 14 that has become capable of discharging in response to the charging permission. In the charging / discharging device 14, the control device 140 charges the battery 128 of the vehicle 12 using power supplied to the charging / discharging unit 148 from the grid 18, or alternatively or in addition to this, using power generated and supplied by the distributed power source 16. Alternatively, the vehicle 12 may be charged by private power generation by the distributed power source 16 owned by the user, for example, when the user owns one of the distributed power sources 16 such as solar power. In that case, steps S21 and S22 can be omitted.

[0033] In step S25, the vehicle 12 transmits charging information to the server device 10. The charging information includes identification information of the vehicle 12 and information indicating the amount of charged power (hereinafter referred to as the charging amount). In the vehicle 12, the control device 120 transmits information on the charging amount acquired by the detection unit 127 to the server device 10. The charging amount is calculated, for example, from the difference in SOC (State of Charge) values ​​before and after charging. The charging information may be transmitted from the control device 120 of the vehicle 12 to the server device 10 via the terminal device 13. Alternatively, when the vehicle 12 is charged from the charging / discharging device 14, the charging / discharging device 14 may transmit information on the charging amount derived from an integrated value of current or the like to the server device 10. When the vehicle 12 is charged by private power generation, information indicating that the power supply source is private power generation is added to the charging information.

[0034] In step S26, the server device 10 derives and stores the power purchase price information for each vehicle 12. The server device 10 derives the power purchase price information for each vehicle 12 identified by the identification information. The power purchase price information includes the amount of charge that the vehicle 12 has charged in step S23 and the purchase price thereof. The purchase price is calculated, for example, by multiplying the unit price of power purchase at the time of charging (for example, the price per kWh) by the amount of power charged. The unit price of power purchase at the time of charging is, for example, the unit price of power purchase provided by a power company, or the unit price of power purchase when power generated by the distributed power source 16 in the community is purchased from an aggregation coordinator. The server device 10 acquires the unit price of power purchase from the server of the power company, the server of the aggregation coordinator, or the like. The unit price of power purchase changes, for example, at any time of day, or changes according to the conditions of power generation by the distributed power source 16, such as weather conditions. The server device 10 acquires the power purchase price for the time period from when the charging request is received in step S21 to when the charging information is received in step S25, for example. When the vehicle 12 is charged by private power generation, the server device 10 sets the power purchase price to an arbitrary price (for example, 0 yen to 50 yen / kWh). When the power purchase price changes during the time period for which the power purchase price is acquired, the server device 10 uses, for example, a simple average of a plurality of power purchase prices, or an average weighted by the duration of each price. The server device 10 stores the derived power purchase price information in the storage unit 102 in association with the identification information of each vehicle 12.

[0035] The procedure of FIG. 3 is performed, for example, when a user of the vehicle 12 discharges the battery 128 of the vehicle 12.

[0036] In step S31, the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13 sends a discharge request to the server device 10. The discharge request is information requesting permission to discharge the vehicle 12 and sell the power to the grid 18, and includes identification information for identifying the user and the vehicle 12, and the amount of power to be discharged (hereinafter referred to as the discharge amount). The control device 120 of the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13 displays, for example, a screen prompting the user to input the identification information, the discharge amount, and the discharge request. The user inputs the identification information, the discharge amount, the charge request information, and the like, for example, by a touch operation on a touch panel. The identification information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 132. The discharge amount may be calculated, for example, from the remaining battery charge at the current time and an arbitrary target SOC value. The control device 120 or the terminal device 13 sends the discharge request including the identification information input or read from the storage unit 132 to the server device 10. Alternatively, the discharge request may be sent from the charge / discharge device 14 to the server device 10. For example, a user who brings vehicle 12 to a charging / discharging station may operate control device 140 to input information for a discharge request, and charging / discharging device 14 may then send out a discharge request.

[0037] In step S33, the server device 10 determines whether or not the power can be sold. The server device 10 determines whether or not the power can be sold for each vehicle 12 identified by the identification information. The server device 10 determines whether or not the power can be sold by using the discharge amount included in the discharge request and the power purchase price information derived in step S26 of FIG. 2.

[0038] The server device 10 derives the selling price that the user of the vehicle 12 can obtain by discharging. The selling price is obtained, for example, by multiplying the electricity selling price at the time of discharging (for example, the price per kWh) by the amount of discharge. The electricity selling price at the time of discharging is, for example, the unit price at which an electric power company or an aggregation coordinator purchases electricity. The server device 10 acquires the electricity selling price from a server of the electric power company or the aggregation coordinator. The electricity selling price changes for each arbitrary time period depending on, for example, the supply and demand of electricity. The server device 10 acquires, for example, the electricity selling price for a time period of an arbitrary length from the current time (for example, a time period obtained by adding an arbitrary margin time to a general discharging time according to the amount of discharge). When the electricity selling price changes during the time period for which the electricity selling price is acquired, the server device 10 uses, for example, a simple average of a plurality of electricity selling prices, or an average weighted by the duration of each unit price. Furthermore, when selling electricity via an aggregation coordinator, the electricity selling price may vary depending on the amount of electricity generated by the distributed power sources 16 in the community, and since the amount of electricity generated by the distributed power sources 16 from sunlight depends on the weather and location, the server device 10 may predict changes in the electricity selling price based on one or more of weather information, the location of the distributed power source 16, etc., and adjust the electricity selling price. Weather information is obtained from a server that provides weather information.

[0039] The server device 10 also derives the power purchase price for the amount of discharge. The server device 10 derives the unit price of power purchase based on the power purchase price derived in step S26 of Fig. 2. If power has been purchased at multiple power purchase prices in the past, the server device 10 derives the average of the power purchase prices weighted by the amount of power purchased corresponding to the power purchase prices as the unit price of power purchase. The server device 10 multiplies the amount of discharge by the derived unit price of power purchase to derive the power purchase price.

[0040] If the power selling price is equal to or higher than the power purchasing price, the server device 10 determines that the user is permitted to sell power, and if the power selling price is lower than the power purchasing price, the server device 10 determines that the user is not permitted to sell power.

[0041] In step S34, the server device 10 transmits the discharge possibility information to the charging / discharging device 14, or in addition to the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13. The discharge possibility information in the case where discharge is possible includes information that enables the charging / discharging device 14 to receive discharge from the vehicle 12, and information that prompts the user to perform discharge. The control device 140 of the charging / discharging device 14, or in addition to the control device 120 or the terminal device 13 of the vehicle 12, notifies the user that discharge is possible, and prompts the user to perform discharge. In this case, the discharge possibility information may include information on the sales profit that the user can expect to enjoy by performing discharge and selling electricity. On the other hand, the discharge possibility information in the case where discharge is not possible includes information for prohibiting the charging / discharging device 14 from receiving discharge from the vehicle 12, and information that prompts the user to stop discharging. The control device 140 of the charging / discharging device 14, or in addition to the control device 120 or the terminal device 13 of the vehicle 12, notifies the user that discharge is not possible, and prompts the user to stop discharging. In this case, the discharge possibility information may include information on the sales loss that the user can suffer by performing discharge and selling electricity.

[0042] If discharge is possible, in step S35, vehicle 12 discharges battery 128. Vehicle 12 discharges toward charging / discharging device 14 that is now able to receive the discharge. In charging / discharging device 14, control device 140 receives the power discharged from battery 128 of vehicle 12 by charging / discharging unit 148 and sends the power to grid 18. If discharge is not possible, step S35 is omitted.

[0043] According to the above-mentioned procedure, the user of the vehicle 12 can enjoy the benefit of the excess of the electricity selling price over the electricity purchasing price, or at least prevent the user from overspending on electricity purchases. This improves the convenience of the electric vehicle user.

[0044] In a modified example, when the server device 10 determines whether or not to sell the electric power in step S33, if an increase in the electric power selling price is predicted within an arbitrarily set time based on information from the electric power company, the server device 10 generates an electric power selling plan that specifies an arbitrary time after the increase in the electric power selling price in the electric power selling possibility information to encourage the electric power selling. Then, the server device 10 includes the electric power selling plan in the electric power selling possibility information and sends it to the vehicle 12 or the terminal device 13. This allows the user of the vehicle 12 to know that further profits from selling can be obtained by delaying the execution of discharge to a certain extent. This further improves user convenience.

[0045] In another modified example, when the server device 10 determines whether or not to sell electricity in step S33, if a change in the electricity purchase price is predicted based on information from the power company after an arbitrarily set elapsed time, the server device 10 adjusts the electricity purchase price by taking into account the change. It is foreseen that the user of the vehicle 12 needs to recharge the vehicle with an amount of electricity equivalent to the amount of discharged electricity after selling electricity. In that case, the change in the electricity purchase price when recharging the vehicle may increase or decrease the user's long-term sales profit. Therefore, the server device 10 derives the electricity purchase price, for example, by using the average of the past electricity purchase price and the electricity purchase price expected after discharging. By doing so, it is possible to level out the cost of long-term electricity purchase and to evaluate the sales profit expected from the user's electricity sale in the long term. Therefore, it is possible to pursue the sales profit in a more detailed manner.

[0046] In the above-described embodiments, the processing / control program that stipulates the operation of the control unit 133 of the control device 120 of the vehicle 12, the terminal device 13, or the control device 140 of the charging / discharging device 14 may be stored in the memory unit 102 of the server device 10 or in a memory unit of another server device and downloaded to each device via the network 11, or may be stored in a non-transitory recording / storage medium readable by each device and read from the medium by each device.

[0047] In the above, the embodiment has been described based on the drawings and examples, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Information Processing Systems 10. Server equipment 11 Network 12 Vehicles 13 Terminal Equipment 14 Charge / discharge device 15 Power load 16 Distributed power supply 18 strains 101, 131 Communications Department 102, 132 Storage section 103, 133 Control section 127 Detection Unit 128 Battery 129 Drive unit 134 Positioning unit 135 Input section 136 Output section 148 Charge / discharge section

Claims

1. The Communications Department and A control unit that communicates through the communication unit, The control unit transmits permission information for enabling the battery to sell the predetermined amount of remaining power when a selling price of the power corresponding to a predetermined amount of power in the battery of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a purchasing price of the power corresponding to the predetermined amount of power. Server device.

2. In claim 1, The control unit transmits a power selling plan indicating a time to sell the predetermined amount of power from the battery. Server device.

3. In claim 2, The control unit predicts a change in the power selling price based on at least one of a time and a place at which the power is sold, and weather. Server device.

4. In claim 1, The control unit derives the power purchase price using a price when the predetermined amount of power is charged or a price predicted when purchasing the predetermined amount of power after selling the power, Server device.

5. In claim 1, When a plurality of power selling prices correspond to the sale of the predetermined amount of power, the control unit uses an average of the plurality of power selling prices. Server device.

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