Information processor, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To realize power saving during a power-saving target period without giving a psychological burden to users.SOLUTION: A reduction instruction acquisition unit 111 acquires reduction instruction information for instructing the reduction of power consumption in a power-saving target area during a power-saving target period. An opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 acquires opening / closing history information showing a history of an opening / closing state of a door of a refrigerator 200 for each of a plurality of refrigerators 200 installed in a power-saving target area. A refrigerator selection unit 113 selects a target refrigerator that is a refrigerator 200 as a power saving promotion target from among the plurality of refrigerators 200 based on the opening / closing history information acquired by the opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121. A privilege information transmission unit 116 transmits privilege information indicating a privilege effective for shopping during a privilege target period corresponding to a power saving target period to a terminal device 400 used by the user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selection unit 113.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, various techniques for adjusting the balance between supply and demand of electricity are known. For example, when it is predicted that a certain region will experience a shortage of electricity during a certain time period, a technique is known that suppresses electricity consumption in that region during that time period.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a message is displayed on the refrigerator's LCD screen during times of tight power supply, requesting the user to reduce the number of times the door is opened and closed. The technology described in Patent Document 1 is expected to encourage refrigerator users to cooperate in saving power by following this message and reducing the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-33199 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 imposes a restriction on the user to reduce the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and closed, which may place a heavy psychological burden on the user. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that achieves power saving during a power saving period without imposing a psychological burden on the user.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that achieve power saving during a power saving period without imposing a psychological burden on the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing device according to the present disclosure includes: a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of a door of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for energy saving promotion from the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; and a benefit information transmitting means for transmitting benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selecting means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the present disclosure, benefit information indicating benefits valid for shopping during a benefit period corresponding to a power-saving target period is transmitted to a terminal device used by a user of a refrigerator that is a target for power-saving promotion and is selected based on the opening / closing history information. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, power saving during the power-saving target period can be achieved without imposing a psychological burden on the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] Configuration diagram of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment [Figure 4] Configuration diagram of a terminal device according to the first embodiment [Figure 5] Functional configuration diagram of an information processing system according to the first embodiment [Figure 6] A diagram showing device history information under normal conditions [Figure 7]Diagram showing cooking history information of appliances [Figure 8] A diagram showing the equipment history information when storing products [Figure 9] FIG. 10 shows a first benefit presentation screen displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an authentication code presentation screen displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 shows a second benefit presentation screen displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart showing a privilege information transmission process executed by the information processing device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 13] Functional configuration diagram of an information processing system according to a second embodiment [Figure 14] A flowchart showing a shift instruction process executed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 1000 is a system that executes information processing to achieve power saving during a power saving period without imposing a psychological burden on the user. The information processing system 1000 includes an information processing device 100, a plurality of refrigerators 200, an aggregator server 300, a plurality of terminal devices 400, and a store server 500. The information processing device 100, the plurality of refrigerators 200, the aggregator server 300, the plurality of terminal devices 400, and the store server 500 are connected to one another via a communication network 700. The communication network 700 is, for example, the Internet.

[0012] The information processing device 100 is a device that executes various types of information processing. More specifically, the information processing device 100 is a device that guides a user of a refrigerator 200 that is a target for promoting power saving among multiple refrigerators 200 installed in a power saving target area to do shopping during a period in which the amount of power consumed by the refrigerator 200 during a power saving target period will be reduced. The power saving target period is a period during which power saving is targeted and a reduction in power consumption is desired. The power saving target area is a region that is a target for power saving and a reduction in power consumption is desired. In this embodiment, the information processing device 100 is a cloud server that functions as a control device that controls the operation of the refrigerator 200. The cloud server is a server that provides resources in cloud computing. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 100 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 15.

[0013] The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), RTC (Real Time Clock), etc. The CPU is also called a central processing unit, central arithmetic unit, processor, microprocessor, microcomputer, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and functions as a central processing unit that executes processes and calculations related to the control of the information processing device 100. In the control unit 11, the CPU reads programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the information processing device 100. The RTC is, for example, an integrated circuit with a timekeeping function. The CPU can determine the current date and time from the time information read from the RTC.

[0014] The storage unit 12 includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc., and serves as a so-called auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 12 stores programs and data used by the control unit 11 to execute various processes. The storage unit 12 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 11 as a result of executing various processes.

[0015] The communication unit 15 communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700 under the control of the control unit 11. The communication unit 15 has a function of connecting to the communication network 700, and communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700. The communication unit 15 is provided with a communication interface that complies with various communication standards.

[0016] Refrigerator 200 is a device for storing items at low temperatures. Items stored in refrigerator 200 are mainly food. Refrigerator 200 can store items in a refrigerated state or in a frozen state. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which one refrigerator 200 is installed in each residence in a power saving target area. FIG. 1 shows an example in which refrigerator 200A is installed in the home of user A and refrigerator 200B is installed in the home of user B. Refrigerator 200 is a general term for refrigerators 200A, 200B, etc. As shown in FIG. 3, refrigerator 200 includes control unit 21, memory unit 22, display unit 23, operation reception unit 24, communication unit 25, cooling unit 26, open / close detection unit 27, inside refrigerator temperature detection unit 28, and outside refrigerator temperature detection unit 29.

[0017] Control unit 21 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an RTC, etc. In control unit 21, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of refrigerator 200. Storage unit 22 includes nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and serves as a so-called auxiliary storage device. Storage unit 22 stores programs and data used by control unit 21 to execute various processes. Storage unit 22 also stores data generated or acquired by control unit 21 executing various processes.

[0018] The display unit 23 displays various images under the control of the control unit 21. For example, the display unit 23 displays a screen for accepting various operations from the user. The display unit 23 includes a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), etc. The operation accepting unit 24 accepts various operations from the user and supplies information indicating the contents of the accepted operations to the control unit 21. The operation accepting unit 24 includes a touch screen, a button, a lever, etc.

[0019] The communication unit 25 communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700 under the control of the control unit 21. The communication unit 25 has a function of connecting to the communication network 700 and communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700. The communication unit 25 has a communication interface that complies with various communication standards. The communication unit 25 is connected to the communication network 700 via a relay device (not shown) such as a broadband router, for example.

[0020] The cooling unit 26 cools the inside of a storage compartment (not shown). A storage compartment is a space for storing items at low temperatures. The storage compartment may be a refrigerator compartment for storing items in a refrigerator, a freezer compartment for storing items in a freezer, or the like. The cooling unit 26 includes a processor (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the cooling unit 26, a cooler (not shown) that cools the surrounding air, a cooling fan (not shown) that supplies cooled air to each storage compartment, and a heater (not shown) that generates heat to melt frost that has adhered to the cooler.

[0021] Open / close detection unit 27 detects the open / close state of a door (not shown) of refrigerator 200. Specifically, open / close detection unit 27 detects whether the door of each storage compartment provided in refrigerator 200 is open or closed. Open / close detection unit 27 has an open / close sensor for each storage compartment that detects the open / close state of the door of the corresponding storage compartment. Open / close detection unit 27 supplies open / close state information indicating the open / close state of the door of each storage compartment to control unit 21.

[0022] The control unit 21 generates opening / closing status information indicating the opening / closing status of the door of each storage compartment in each unit time based on the opening / closing status information supplied from the opening / closing detection unit 27. The opening / closing status information is, for example, information indicating, for each storage compartment, the number of times the door is opened and closed during the unit time, and the door open time, which is the time the door was open during the unit time. The number of times the door was opened may be regarded as the number of times the door was opened or the number of times the door was closed. In this embodiment, the unit time is two minutes.

[0023] Internal temperature detection unit 28 detects the temperature inside refrigerator 200. That is, internal temperature detection unit 28 detects the temperature inside each storage compartment of refrigerator 200. Internal temperature detection unit 28 has a temperature sensor for each storage compartment that detects the temperature inside the corresponding storage compartment. Each temperature sensor is disposed inside the corresponding storage compartment. Internal temperature detection unit 28 supplies internal temperature information indicating the temperature inside each storage compartment to control unit 21.

[0024] Outside temperature detection unit 29 detects the temperature outside refrigerator 200. Outside temperature detection unit 29 is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature outside refrigerator 200. This temperature sensor is disposed outside refrigerator 200. Outside temperature detection unit 29 supplies outside temperature information indicating the temperature outside refrigerator 200 to control unit 21.

[0025] The aggregator server 300 is a server managed by an aggregator. An aggregator is a business that aggregates the power demands of consumers and provides an efficient energy management service. The aggregator server 300 transmits reduction instruction information to the information processing device 100, instructing the information processing device 100 to reduce the amount of power consumed in a power-saving target area during a power-saving target period. The reduction instruction information includes, for example, information indicating the power-saving target period and information indicating the power-saving target area. The reduction instruction information is, for example, information corresponding to a DR command (Demand Response) in a demand response, which is a mechanism for adjusting the balance between power supply and demand. The aggregator server 300 has a communication interface for connecting to the communication network 700.

[0026] Terminal device 400 is a terminal device carried by a user of refrigerator 200. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which one refrigerator 200 has one user, and one user carries one terminal device 400. FIG. 1 shows an example in which user A, who is the user of refrigerator 200A, carries terminal device 400A, and user B, who is the user of refrigerator 200B, carries terminal device 400B. Terminal device 400 is a general term for terminal device 400A, terminal device 400B, etc. Terminal device 400 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, etc. As shown in FIG. 4, terminal device 400 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a display unit 43, an operation reception unit 44, and a communication unit 45.

[0027] The control unit 41 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, RTC, etc. In the control unit 41, the CPU reads out programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to perform overall control of the terminal device 400. The storage unit 42 includes non-volatile semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM, and serves as a so-called auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 42 stores programs and data used by the control unit 41 to execute various processes. The storage unit 42 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 41 as a result of executing various processes.

[0028] The display unit 43 displays various images under the control of the control unit 41. For example, the display unit 43 displays a screen for accepting various operations from the user. The display unit 43 includes a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, an LED, etc. The operation accepting unit 44 accepts various operations from the user and supplies information indicating the contents of the accepted operations to the control unit 41. The operation accepting unit 44 includes a touch screen, a button, a lever, etc.

[0029] The communication unit 45 communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700 under the control of the control unit 41. The communication unit 45 has a function of connecting to the communication network 700, and communicates with devices connected to the communication network 700. The communication unit 45 is provided with a communication interface that complies with various communication standards.

[0030] The store server 500 is a server managed by the store where the user shops. The store server 500 is, for example, a server provided in a POS (Point Of Sale) system. When the user shops, the store server 500 executes processing according to the benefit granted to the user. The store server 500 transmits usage history information indicating the user's usage history of the benefit to the information processing device 100. The store server 500 has a communication interface for connecting to the communication network 700.

[0031] Next, functions of information processing system 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. Information processing device 100 functionally includes reduction instruction acquisition unit 111, appliance history acquisition unit 112, refrigerator selection unit 113, usage history acquisition unit 114, benefit determination unit 115, and benefit information transmission unit 116. Refrigerator 200 functionally includes appliance status acquisition unit 211 and appliance history transmission unit 212. Aggregator server 300 functionally includes reduction instruction transmission unit 311. Terminal device 400 functionally includes display control unit 411. Store server 500 functionally includes benefit processing unit 511 and usage history transmission unit 512. Each of these functions is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in ROM, memory unit 12, memory unit 22, memory unit 42, etc. The CPU then executes programs stored in the ROM, storage unit 12, storage unit 22, storage unit 42, etc., to realize these functions.

[0032] First, the functions of refrigerator 200 will be described. Appliance status acquisition unit 211 acquires appliance status information, which is various information related to the status of refrigerator 200. For example, appliance status acquisition unit 211 generates open / closed status information indicating the open / closed status of the doors of each storage compartment at each unit time, based on open / closed state information acquired from open / closed detection unit 27. Appliance status acquisition unit 211 also acquires inside temperature information from inside temperature detection unit 28 and outside temperature information from outside temperature detection unit 29.

[0033] The appliance status acquisition unit 211 generates appliance history information by periodically accumulating appliance status information including opening / closing status information, inside refrigerator temperature information, and outside refrigerator temperature information. For example, the appliance status acquisition unit 211 generates appliance history information by accumulating appliance status information acquired every two minutes. The appliance history information is information that indicates the history of the status of the refrigerator 200. The appliance history information includes, for example, opening / closing history information that indicates the history of the opening / closing status of the door of the refrigerator 200, inside refrigerator temperature history information that indicates the history of the inside refrigerator temperature, and outside refrigerator temperature history information that indicates the history of the outside refrigerator temperature.

[0034] The device history transmission unit 212 transmits the device history information acquired from the device status acquisition unit 211 to the information processing device 100. The device history transmission unit 212 transmits the device history information to the information processing device 100 in accordance with a request from the device history acquisition unit 112, for example.

[0035] Next, the functions of the information processing device 100 will be described. The reduction instruction acquisition unit 111 acquires reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period. For example, the reduction instruction acquisition unit 111 acquires the reduction instruction information from the aggregator server 300 via the communication network 700. The reduction instruction acquisition unit 111 is an example of a reduction instruction acquisition means.

[0036] The device history acquiring unit 112 acquires, from a plurality of refrigerators 200 installed in a power saving target area, device history information indicating a history of the status of the refrigerators 200. The device history acquiring unit 112 includes an opening / closing history acquiring unit 1121.

[0037] The opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 acquires opening / closing history information indicating the history of the opening and closing status of the door of each of the plurality of refrigerators 200 installed in the power saving target area. The opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 can extract the opening / closing history information from the device history information. The opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 is an example of an opening / closing history acquisition means.

[0038] Refrigerator selection unit 113 selects a target refrigerator from among multiple refrigerators 200 based on the opening and closing history information acquired by opening and closing history acquisition unit 1121. The target refrigerator is refrigerator 200 that is a target for promoting power saving. For example, the target refrigerator is refrigerator 200 that has a large estimated value for power consumption during the power saving target period and is expected to reduce power consumption during the power saving target period. Refrigerator selection unit 113 selects at least one target refrigerator from among multiple refrigerators 200.

[0039] Refrigerator selection unit 113 can select a target refrigerator from among candidate refrigerators among multiple refrigerators 200. A candidate refrigerator is a refrigerator 200 that is estimated from the opening and closing history information to have a door opening and closing count or door open time equal to or greater than a threshold during a power saving target period. Refrigerator selection unit 113 estimates the door opening and closing status during the power saving target period from the past door opening and closing trends indicated by the opening and closing history information. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 can estimate the door opening and closing status during the power saving target period based on the door opening and closing status during at least one similar period.

[0040] The similar period is, for example, the same time period as the power-saving target period on a day before the day to which the power-saving target period belongs. The similar period may be limited to the same day of the week as the day to which the power-saving target period belongs. For example, if the power-saving target period is from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 12, 2023, the similar period may be from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2023, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 29, 2023, or from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 22, 2023.

[0041] In this case, refrigerator selection unit 113 may estimate the door open / close status during the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2023 as the door open / close status during the power saving target period. Alternatively, refrigerator selection unit 113 may estimate the door open / close status during the power saving target period as an averaged door open / close status based on the door open / close status during the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2023, the door open / close status during the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 29, 2023, and the door open / close status during the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 22, 2023.

[0042] Refrigerator selection unit 113 identifies, as candidate refrigerators, refrigerators 200 that are estimated to have their doors opened and closed many times during the power saving period or refrigerators 200 that are estimated to have their doors open for long periods during the power saving period. Candidate refrigerators are refrigerators 200 that are candidates for the target refrigerators. Candidate refrigerators are refrigerators 200 that are estimated to consume a lot of power during the power saving period and are refrigerators 200 that can be expected to save power during the power saving period.

[0043] Refrigerator selection unit 113 selects a target refrigerator from the identified candidate refrigerators. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 can select, from among the candidate refrigerators, refrigerator 200 in which it is estimated from the opening and closing history information that products purchased during shopping will be stored during the power saving target period, as the target refrigerator. In other words, refrigerator selection unit 113 estimates the door opening and closing status during the power saving target period for each candidate refrigerator from the past door opening and closing trends indicated by the opening and closing history information, and selects, as the target refrigerator, a candidate refrigerator in which the estimated door opening and closing status is similar to the door opening and closing status when products are stored.

[0044] Hereinafter, with reference to Fig. 6, Fig. 7, and Fig. 8, a method by which refrigerator selection unit 113 identifies candidate refrigerators, target refrigerators, etc. based on appliance history information will be described. Fig. 6 shows appliance history information showing the history of appliance status during normal times. Fig. 7 shows appliance history information showing the history of appliance status during cooking. Fig. 8 shows appliance history information showing the history of appliance status during product storage.

[0045] In this embodiment, the device history information is information that indicates the past status of refrigerator 200 in two-minute intervals, and one record is information that indicates the status of refrigerator 200 for two minutes. In this embodiment, the power saving target period is the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 12, 2023, and the similar period is the period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2023. The status of refrigerator 200 in the power saving target period is estimated from the status of refrigerator 200 in the similar period.

[0046] The device history information includes multiple records, each containing a number, a target period (starting time), the number of times the door was opened and closed (times), the door open time (seconds), the temperature inside the refrigerator (°C), and the temperature outside the refrigerator (°C). The number is the record number and is used to identify the record. The target period is the period during which the information included in the record was acquired. The target period is identified by the starting time of the target period. For example, the target period indicated by the first record, from 13:00 on August 5, 2023 to 13:02 on August 5, 2023, is identified by the starting time of 13:00 on August 5, 2023.

[0047] The door opening / closing count is the number of times the door of refrigerator 200 is opened and closed during this target period. In this embodiment, this door opening / closing count is the total number of times the doors of all storage compartments in refrigerator 200 are opened and closed. The door open time is the time during which the door of refrigerator 200 is open during this target period. In this embodiment, this door open time is the total value of the door open time of all storage compartments in refrigerator 200. In other words, if the doors of multiple storage compartments are open at the same time, the door open times of the multiple storage compartments are overlapped and added together. The internal temperature is the temperature inside refrigerator 200 during this period. The internal temperature may be the temperature inside a specific storage compartment or the average temperature inside all storage compartments. The external temperature is the temperature outside refrigerator 200 during this period.

[0048] Normal times are times when neither cooking nor storing products is taking place. During normal times, the door of refrigerator 200 is opened only when a specific food or drink is taken out of the storage compartment or when a specific food or drink is stored in the storage compartment. Therefore, during normal times, the door of refrigerator 200 is unlikely to be opened and closed frequently, and is unlikely to be opened continuously for long periods of time. Therefore, during normal times, the degree of change in the temperature inside the refrigerator is likely to be small. Furthermore, during normal times, cooking utensils are unlikely to be used, so the temperature outside the refrigerator is likely to not change much.

[0049] The cooking time is when the user is cooking. During cooking, ingredients, seasonings, etc. are likely to be frequently taken in and out of refrigerator 200 over a long period of time. Therefore, during cooking, the door of refrigerator 200 is likely to be frequently opened and closed over a long period of time. Therefore, during cooking, the temperature inside the refrigerator is likely to change frequently, but the degree of change in the temperature inside the refrigerator is likely to be small. Furthermore, during cooking, cooking utensils are likely to be used to heat ingredients. Therefore, during cooking, the temperature outside the refrigerator is likely to rise significantly.

[0050] The time of storing products is when a user stores products purchased during shopping trips in refrigerator 200. When storing products, there is a high possibility that food ingredients, seasonings, etc. will be stored in refrigerator 200 intensively in a short period of time. Therefore, when storing products, there is a high possibility that the door of refrigerator 200 will be opened and closed frequently in a short period of time or that it will be opened continuously for a long period of time. Therefore, there is a possibility that the temperature inside the refrigerator will change significantly when storing products. Furthermore, there is a low possibility that cooking utensils will be used when storing products, so there is a high possibility that the temperature outside the refrigerator will not change much.

[0051] Here, there is a high possibility that there is not a large difference between the status of refrigerator 200 in the similar period and the status of refrigerator 200 in the power saving target period. For example, if the door of refrigerator 200 is frequently opened and closed in the similar period, there is a high possibility that the door will also be frequently opened and closed in the power saving target period. Therefore, refrigerator selection unit 113 estimates the status of refrigerator 200 in the similar period as the status of refrigerator 200 in the power saving target period.

[0052] Furthermore, refrigerator 200 whose door is likely to be opened and closed frequently during the power saving period is likely to be refrigerator 200 whose power consumption can be reduced by suppressing the opening and closing of the door during the power saving period, that is, refrigerator 200 whose power consumption can be reduced. On the other hand, refrigerator 200 whose door is unlikely to be opened and closed frequently during the power saving period is likely to be refrigerator 200 whose power consumption cannot be reduced by suppressing the opening and closing of the door during the power saving period, that is, refrigerator 200 whose power consumption cannot be reduced.

[0053] Therefore, it is preferable that refrigerator selection unit 113 identify refrigerators 200 whose door has been opened and closed many times during a similar period as candidate refrigerators. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 may identify refrigerators 200 whose door has been opened and closed a reference number of times or more during a similar period as candidate refrigerators. Alternatively, refrigerator selection unit 113 may identify a specified number of refrigerators 200 whose door has been opened and closed many times during a similar period as candidate refrigerators.

[0054] Similarly, refrigerator selection unit 113 may identify refrigerators 200 with a long door-open time during a similar period as candidate refrigerators. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 may identify refrigerators 200 with a door-open time during a similar period that is equal to or longer than a reference time as candidate refrigerators. Alternatively, refrigerator selection unit 113 may identify a specified number of refrigerators 200 with the longest door-open time during a similar period as candidate refrigerators.

[0055] The device history information shown in Fig. 6 indicates the history of refrigerator 200 whose door was opened and closed a small number of times during a similar period and whose door was open for a short period of time during that period. Therefore, refrigerator selection unit 113 does not specify refrigerator 200 whose history is indicated by the device history information shown in Fig. 6 as a candidate refrigerator. On the other hand, the device history information shown in Fig. 7 and the device history information shown in Fig. 8 indicate the history of refrigerator 200 whose door was opened and closed a large number of times during a similar period and whose door was open for a long period of time during that period. Therefore, refrigerator selection unit 113 specifies refrigerator 200 whose history is indicated by the device history information shown in Fig. 7 and refrigerator 200 whose history is indicated by the device history information shown in Fig. 8 as candidate refrigerators.

[0056] Furthermore, the candidate refrigerators are considered to include refrigerators 200 for which a storage action is estimated to be performed during the power saving period. For such refrigerators 200, if the period during which the user shops can be shifted, it may be possible to eliminate this storage action during the power saving period. Therefore, in the present embodiment, information processing device 100 guides the user of such refrigerators 200 so that the storage action of the products purchased through shopping is not performed during the power saving period.

[0057] Specifically, information processing device 100 selects refrigerator 200 from among the candidate refrigerators, which is estimated to have undergone a storage action during the power-saving target period, as a target refrigerator. Information processing device 100 sets the benefit target period so that, when a user of the target refrigerator makes a purchase during the benefit target period, the act of storing the purchased item falls outside the power-saving target period. Information processing device 100 then notifies the user of the target refrigerator that a benefit can be obtained by shopping during the benefit target period, and provides the user with the benefit when the user makes a purchase during the benefit target period.

[0058] The method by which refrigerator selection unit 113 identifies refrigerators 200 from among the candidate refrigerators that are predicted to have performed a storage action during the power saving target period can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 can identify refrigerators 200 that are predicted to have performed a storage action during the power saving target period based on opening / closing history information, inside temperature history information, and outside temperature history information. Specifically, refrigerator selection unit 113 can identify candidate refrigerators whose inside temperature changes significantly but whose outside temperature does not change much during a similar period as refrigerators 200 that are predicted to have performed a storage action during the power saving target period. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 does not identify refrigerators 200 whose device history information shown in FIG. 7 indicates a history as the target refrigerator, but identifies refrigerators 200 whose device history information shows a history as the target refrigerator. Refrigerator selection unit 113 is an example of a refrigerator selection means.

[0059] The usage history acquiring unit 114 acquires usage history information indicating the usage history of a benefit by each user of the plurality of refrigerators 200. This benefit is valid for shopping during a benefit period corresponding to the power saving period. When a user to whom this benefit is to be granted makes a purchase during the benefit period, this benefit is granted to the user. This usage history information is information indicating the user's past use of the benefit after being attracted by the grant of the benefit, and is information indicating the user's past shopping during the benefit period. The usage history acquiring unit 114 acquires usage history information of each user from the store server 500. The usage history acquiring unit 114 is an example of a usage history acquiring means.

[0060] Refrigerator selection unit 113 selects a target refrigerator from among the candidate refrigerators based on the usage history information acquired by usage history acquisition unit 114. Here, a user with a greater usage history is more likely to make purchases during the benefit period, and a reduction in the amount of power consumed by refrigerator 200 during the power-saving period can be expected. Therefore, refrigerator selection unit 113 preferably selects, as the target refrigerator, refrigerator 200 used by a user with a greater history of using the benefit from among the candidate refrigerators. For example, refrigerator selection unit 113 can select, as the target refrigerator, refrigerator 200 used by a user whose history of using the benefit from among the candidate refrigerators is equal to or greater than a reference value. Alternatively, refrigerator selection unit 113 can select, as the target refrigerator, refrigerator 200 used by a reference number of users who have the highest history of using the benefit from among the candidate refrigerators.

[0061] Benefit determination unit 115 determines a benefit to be granted to a user of the target refrigerator. The method by which benefit determination unit 115 determines a benefit can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, benefit determination unit 115 determines a benefit such that a larger benefit is granted to a user who has a greater use history of the benefit indicated by the usage history information. A user who has a greater use history of the benefit is more likely to be attracted by the benefit and make purchases during the benefit target period, and a reduction in the amount of power consumed by refrigerator 200 during the power saving target period can be expected. Therefore, by granting a larger benefit to such a user, the amount of power consumed during the power saving target period can be reduced. Benefit determination unit 115 is an example of a benefit determination means.

[0062] It is preferable that the benefit determination unit 115 determines the benefit period so that the start time of the benefit period is a time that is a specified time before the end time of the power-saving period. When the benefit period is determined in this manner, if the user shops during the benefit period, the possibility that products will be stored in the refrigerator 200 during the power-saving period is reduced, and it is expected that the amount of power consumed by the refrigerator 200 during the power-saving period will be reduced. For example, if the power-saving period is from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, it is preferable that the benefit period be determined to be from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. In this case, since there are only 30 minutes between the start of the benefit period and the end of the power-saving period, it is considered that the possibility that products will be stored in the refrigerator 200 during the power-saving period is low.

[0063] If the start time of the special offer period is set to a time before the end time of the power-saving period, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the user will go shopping during the latter half of the power-saving period. Therefore, in this case, since the user will be out during the latter half of the power-saving period, it is expected that the amount of power consumed by devices other than refrigerator 200 will also be reduced. However, if the time difference between the start time of the special offer period and the end time of the power-saving period is too large, there is a high possibility that products will be stored in refrigerator 200 during the latter half of the power-saving period. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the time difference between the start time of the special offer period and the end time of the power-saving period to an appropriate time difference.

[0064] Furthermore, when products are stored in refrigerator 200, not only does the opening and closing of the door increase the amount of power consumption, but the amount of power consumption due to cooling the products also increases. Therefore, for example, if the end time of the special offer period is set to a time before the start time of the power-saving period, even if there is no increase in power consumption due to opening and closing of the door during the power-saving period, there will be an increase in power consumption due to cooling the products during the power-saving period. For this reason, it is preferable that the end time of the special offer period not be set to a time before the start time of the power-saving period.

[0065] Furthermore, the benefit determination unit 115 may determine the benefit period so that the start time of the benefit period is after the end time of the power-saving period. When the benefit period is determined in this way, it is unlikely that a user will go out during the power-saving period to receive the benefit, but it is considered that the possibility of storing products in the refrigerator 200 during the power-saving period is reduced.

[0066] Benefit information transmitting unit 116 transmits benefit information to terminal device 400 used by the user of the target refrigerator selected by refrigerator selecting unit 113. The benefit information is information indicating benefits that are valid for shopping during a benefit period corresponding to the power-saving target period. Terminal device 400 presents the received benefit information to the user. If the user follows this information and shops during the benefit period, the user can expect to reduce the amount of power consumed by refrigerator 200 during the power-saving target period. Benefit information transmitting unit 116 is an example of a benefit information transmitting means.

[0067] Next, the functions of the aggregator server 300 will be described. The reduction instruction transmission unit 311 transmits reduction instruction information to the information processing device 100, instructing the information processing device 100 to reduce the amount of power consumption in a power-saving target area during a power-saving target period. In this embodiment, the reduction instruction information includes information indicating the power-saving target period and information indicating the power-saving target area. For example, when a power shortage in a first area during a first period is estimated, the reduction instruction transmission unit 311 transmits to the information processing device 100 reduction instruction information including information indicating the first period as the power-saving target period and information indicating the first area as the power-saving target area.

[0068] Next, the functions of the terminal device 400 will be described. The display control unit 411 controls the display unit 43 to display various information. For example, the display control unit 411 displays a screen presenting information related to the benefit indicated by the benefit information supplied from the information processing device 100. Below, the screens presented by the display control unit 411 will be described with reference to Figs. 9, 10, and 11. Fig. 9 shows a screen 420 which is a first benefit presentation screen. Fig. 10 shows a screen 430 which is an authentication code presentation screen. Fig. 11 shows a screen 440 which is a second benefit presentation screen.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 9, screen 420 is a screen that presents information about a benefit. Specifically, screen 420 is a screen that shows the benefit content, validity period, eligible stores, link destination, etc. Screen 420 is, for example, a screen for an email that notifies the user of a benefit. The benefit content is the content of the benefit, such as the discount amount, discount rate, and awarded points. The validity period is the period during which the benefit is valid, and corresponds to the benefit eligible period described above. The eligible stores are stores that are eligible for the benefit. The link destination is a link destination for transitioning to a screen that presents an authentication code. The link destination shown on screen 420 is a link destination for transitioning to screen 430.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 10, screen 430 is a screen showing an authentication code. Screen 430 is, for example, a web screen for presenting the authentication code. The authentication code is a code that is presented at the time of checkout to receive a benefit. The authentication code is, for example, a two-dimensional barcode. In addition to the authentication code, screen 430 also shows the benefit details, validity period, eligible stores, etc.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 11, information about the benefit, such as the benefit content, validity period, eligible stores, and the authentication code, may be displayed on a single screen. As shown in FIG. 11, screen 440 is a screen that simultaneously presents information about the benefit and the authentication code. Specifically, screen 440 is a screen that displays the benefit content, validity period, eligible stores, authentication code, and the like. Screen 440 is, for example, a screen on a dedicated application provided by a store. Display control unit 411 is an example of a benefit information presentation means.

[0072] Next, the functions of store server 500 will be described. Bonus processing unit 511 grants a bonus to a user of a target refrigerator when the user makes a purchase during a bonus period. For example, bonus processing unit 511 acquires bonus information indicating the bonus content, bonus period, target store, and target user from bonus information transmission unit 116. When the target user makes a purchase at the target store during the bonus period, bonus processing unit 511 grants the user the bonus indicated by the bonus content. When bonus processing unit 511 grants a bonus to a user, it updates usage history information. The usage history information is information indicating the user's usage history of the bonus, such as information indicating the date and time when the bonus was used, the fact that the bonus was used, etc. Usage history information is prepared for each user.

[0073] The usage history transmission unit 512 transmits the usage history information acquired from the bonus processing unit 511 to the information processing device 100. The usage history transmission unit 512 transmits the usage history information to the information processing device in accordance with a request from the usage history acquisition unit 114, for example.

[0074] Next, a description will be given of a privileged information transmission process executed by the information processing device 100 with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 12. The privileged information transmission process is executed, for example, after the information processing device 100 is powered on.

[0075] First, the control unit 11 included in the information processing device 100 determines whether or not reduction instruction information has been received from the aggregator server 300 (step S101). If the control unit 11 determines that reduction instruction information has not been received from the aggregator server 300 (step S101: NO), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S101. If the control unit 11 determines that reduction instruction information has been received from the aggregator server 300 (step S101: YES), the control unit 11 acquires device history information from each refrigerator 200 (step S102). After completing the process of step S102, the control unit 11 acquires usage history information of each user from the store server 500 (step S103).

[0076] Upon completing the process of step S103, control unit 11 selects target refrigerators that are targets for power saving promotion (step S104). For example, control unit 11 estimates the number of times the door will be opened and closed during the power saving target period based on the device history information for each refrigerator 200, and identifies refrigerators 200 with the most estimated number of times the door will be opened and closed as candidate refrigerators. Control unit 11 also selects target refrigerators from among the candidate refrigerators based on the device history information and usage history information. For example, control unit 11 estimates refrigerators 200 among the candidate refrigerators that are estimated to be used for storing items during the power saving target period based on the device history information, and selects the estimated refrigerators 200 as the target refrigerators. Alternatively, control unit 11 identifies refrigerators 200 of users who have a high history of using the special offer among the candidate refrigerators based on the usage history information, and selects the identified refrigerators 200 as the target refrigerators.

[0077] Upon completing the process of step S104, control unit 11 determines a benefit for each target refrigerator (step S105). Determining the benefit includes determining a benefit period and determining the content of the benefit. The method by which control unit 11 determines the benefit period can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, control unit 11 can determine the benefit period so that the start time of the benefit period is slightly before the end time of the power saving period.

[0078] In this case, if the user goes shopping during the special benefit period, the timing when the user stores the purchased items in refrigerator 200 will be after the power-saving period has elapsed. As a result, an increase in power consumption due to opening and closing the door when storing the items, an increase in power consumption for cooling the items, etc., occurs after the power-saving period has ended. In addition, in this case, there is a high possibility that the user will start going out to do shopping before the power-saving period has ended. Therefore, going out during the power-saving period can be expected to reduce not only the power consumption of refrigerator 200 but also the power consumption of other devices.

[0079] Furthermore, the control unit 11 can determine the content of the benefit for each user based on the usage history information. Here, a user with a greater usage history is more likely to shop during the benefit period, and the refrigerator 200 of a user with a greater usage history can be expected to reduce the amount of power consumed during the power-saving period. Therefore, it is preferable for the control unit 11 to grant a larger benefit to a user with a greater usage history. For example, the control unit 11 may grant a 10% discount benefit to a user who has used the benefit 10 or more times in the past year, and a 5% discount benefit to a user who has not used the benefit 10 or more times in the past year.

[0080] When control unit 11 completes the process of step S105, it transmits benefit information to terminal device 400 corresponding to each target refrigerator (step S106). Terminal device 400 corresponding to the target refrigerator is terminal device 400 used by the user of the target refrigerator. Information processing device 100 can identify terminal device 400 corresponding to the target refrigerator by referring to correspondence relationship information indicating the correspondence relationship between refrigerator 200, the user, and terminal device 400. The correspondence relationship information is stored in storage unit 12, for example. Control unit 11 transmits benefit information that can identify the benefit period and benefit content to terminal device 400.

[0081] Upon completing the process of step S106, the control unit 11 transmits the benefit information to the store server 500 (step S107). The benefit information transmitted to the store server 500 is benefit information that can identify the benefit period, the benefit content, and the user. After receiving the benefit information from the information processing device 100, the store server 500 grants a benefit for shopping by the user during the benefit period.

[0082] The terminal device 400 that has received the benefit information presents the benefit information to the user. The user follows this presentation and makes a purchase using the benefit during the benefit period as appropriate. When the user makes a purchase using the benefit, the store server 500 updates the user's usage history information. When the control unit 11 completes the processing of step S107, it returns the processing to step S101.

[0083] In the present embodiment, benefit information indicating benefits valid for shopping during a benefit period corresponding to the power-saving target period is transmitted to terminal device 400 used by a user of target refrigerator 200, which is a target refrigerator for promoting power-saving selected based on the opening / closing history information. If the user makes a purchase during this benefit period, there is a high possibility that the user will refrain from putting away products during the power-saving target period. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, power can be saved during the power-saving target period without imposing a psychological burden on the user.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a target refrigerator is selected from candidate refrigerators 200 that are refrigerators 200 estimated from the opening / closing history information to have a door opening / closing count or door open time equal to or greater than a threshold value during a power saving target period among a plurality of refrigerators 200. Therefore, according to this embodiment, power saving can be expected using refrigerator 200 that can significantly reduce power consumption during a power saving target period.

[0085] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, among the candidate refrigerators, refrigerators 200 in which it is estimated from the opening / closing history information that purchased items will be stored during the power saving period are selected as target refrigerators. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is expected that the number of refrigerators 200 whose power consumption increases due to storing items during the power saving period will decrease.

[0086] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a target refrigerator is selected from among candidate refrigerators based on usage history information indicating the user's usage history of a benefit. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, power saving can be expected from refrigerator 200, which is likely to be suppressed in storing items during the power saving period.

[0087] In addition, in the present embodiment, a larger benefit is given to a user who has a greater use history of the benefit indicated by the use history information. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is expected that the number of refrigerators 200 whose power consumption increases due to storage actions during the power saving period will decrease.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, the special benefit period is determined so that the start time of the special benefit period is a time that is a specified time before the end time of the power-saving period. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is expected that the number of refrigerators 200 whose power consumption increases due to storage actions during the power-saving period will decrease.

[0089] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the amount of power consumed during the power-saving period is reduced by suppressing storage actions during the power-saving period. In the present embodiment, an example is described in which the amount of power consumed during the power-saving period is reduced by suppressing defrosting operations during the power-saving period in addition to suppressing storage actions during the power-saving period. Note that the description of the same configurations and functions as those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0090] Referring to Fig. 13, functions of information processing system 1002 according to this embodiment will be described. Information processing system 1002 includes information processing device 102, a plurality of refrigerators 202, aggregator server 300, a plurality of terminal devices 400, and store server 500. Information processing device 102 has the same physical configuration as information processing device 100. Refrigerator 202 has the same physical configuration as refrigerator 200. Information processing device 102 functionally includes reduction instruction acquisition unit 111, appliance history acquisition unit 112A, refrigerator selection unit 113, usage record acquisition unit 114, benefit determination unit 115, benefit information transmission unit 116, defrosting period estimation unit 117, refrigerator identification unit 118, and shift instruction transmission unit 119. Refrigerator 202 functionally includes appliance status acquisition unit 211, appliance history transmission unit 212, and defrost control unit 213.

[0091] First, the functions of the refrigerator 202 will be described. The defrost control unit 213 controls defrosting by the refrigerator 202. For example, the defrost control unit 213 controls the cooling unit 26 to perform a defrosting operation. The defrosting operation is an operation to remove frost adhering to the inside of the refrigerator 202, particularly frost adhering to a cooler (not shown) inside the refrigerator 202. Specifically, the defrosting operation is an operation to stop the rotational operations of the compressor (not shown) and the cooling fan (not shown) and to perform a heating operation of the heater (not shown).

[0092] It is not desirable for the temperature of stored items to rise excessively during a heating operation for defrosting. Therefore, it is preferable to perform a pre-cooling operation prior to a heating operation. The pre-cooling operation is an operation that quickly cools the inside of the refrigerator 202 before the temperature rise occurs when a temperature rise inside the refrigerator 202 is estimated. In this embodiment, the defrosting operation is a concept that includes the pre-cooling operation and the heating operation. The power consumption during the heating operation is greater than the power consumption during normal operation. The power consumption during the pre-cooling operation is also greater than the power consumption during normal operation. In other words, the power consumption during the defrosting operation is greater than the power consumption during normal operation. The normal operation is an operation that maintains the inside of each storage compartment at a low temperature.

[0093] The defrost control unit 213 executes a defrosting operation at a timing when it is estimated that the amount of frost adhering to the cooler (not shown) will reach a certain level. The method by which the defrost control unit 213 determines the timing of the defrosting operation can be adjusted as appropriate. Here, the greater the number of times the door is opened and closed and the longer the door open time, the greater the amount of frost that will adhere to the cooler. Therefore, for example, the defrost control unit 213 executes a defrosting operation when the cumulative number of times the door is opened and closed since the previous defrosting operation reaches a count threshold, when the cumulative door open time since the previous defrosting operation reaches a time threshold, or when the elapsed time since the previous defrosting operation reaches a time threshold. The defrost control unit 213 periodically supplies the equipment status acquisition unit 211 with defrosting status information indicating whether or not the defrosting operation is in progress.

[0094] Next, the functions of the information processing device 102 will be described. The device history acquisition unit 112A acquires device history information from multiple refrigerators 202 installed in a power saving target area. The device history information is information that indicates the history of the status of the refrigerator 202. In the present embodiment, the device history information is information that is generated by accumulating device status information including opening / closing status information, inside temperature information, outside temperature information, defrosting status information, etc. The device history information includes, for example, opening / closing history information that indicates the history of the opening / closing status of the door of the refrigerator 202, inside temperature history information that indicates the history of the inside temperature, outside temperature history information that indicates the history of the outside temperature, and defrosting record information that indicates the record of defrosting operation. The device history acquisition unit 112A includes an opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 and a defrosting record acquisition unit 1122.

[0095] The defrosting record acquiring unit 1122 acquires defrosting record information indicating the record of defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to the inside of the refrigerator 202 for each of the plurality of refrigerators 202 installed in the power saving target area. The defrosting record acquiring unit 1122 can extract the defrosting record information from the device history information. The defrosting record acquiring unit 1122 is an example of a defrosting record acquiring means.

[0096] The defrosting period estimation unit 117 estimates a next defrosting period, which is a period during which a defrosting operation will be performed next, for each of the plurality of refrigerators 202, based on the defrosting record information acquired by the defrosting record acquisition unit 1122. The method by which the defrosting period estimation unit 117 estimates the next defrosting period can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the defrosting period estimation unit 117 can estimate the next defrosting period using a trained model generated by learning based on the defrosting record information.

[0097] This trained model is a model trained using training data based on, for example, the opening / closing history information acquired by the opening / closing history acquisition unit 1121 and the defrosting record information acquired by the defrosting record acquisition unit 1122. The training data includes, for example, the cumulative number of door opening / closing operations since the previous defrosting operation was performed, the cumulative door open time since the previous defrosting operation was performed, the elapsed time since the previous defrosting operation, and the time until the next defrosting operation is performed. This trained model receives as input the cumulative number of door opening / closing operations since the previous defrosting operation was performed, the cumulative door open time since the previous defrosting operation was performed, and the elapsed time since the previous defrosting operation, and outputs the time until the next defrosting operation is performed.

[0098] The input of this trained model may be one or two of the following data: the cumulative number of times the door has been opened and closed since the previous defrosting operation was performed, the cumulative door open time since the previous defrosting operation was performed, and the elapsed time since the previous defrosting operation. Also, a trained model may be prepared for each refrigerator 202, or one trained model may be prepared commonly for all refrigerators 202. Defrosting period estimation unit 117 is an example of a defrosting period estimation means.

[0099] Refrigerator specifying unit 118 specifies an overlapping refrigerator from among multiple refrigerators 202. An overlapping refrigerator is refrigerator 202 whose next defrosting period estimated by defrosting period estimation unit 117 overlaps with a power saving target period. Refrigerator specifying unit 118 is an example of a refrigerator specifying means.

[0100] Shift instruction transmission unit 119 transmits shift instruction information to the overlapping refrigerators identified by refrigerator identification unit 118. The shift instruction information is information instructing to shift the next defrosting period so that the next defrosting period does not overlap with the power-saving target period. The shift instruction information may be information instructing to perform a defrosting operation in the next defrosting period that is set so that the end time of the next defrosting period is earlier than the start time of the power-saving target period. The shift instruction information may also be information instructing to perform a defrosting operation in the next defrosting period that is set so that the start time of the next defrosting period is later than the end time of the power-saving target period.

[0101] If the next defrosting period is shifted to before the power-saving period, the interval between defrosting operations will be shortened. This may increase the number of defrosting operations performed and increase the amount of power consumed by the defrosting operations. On the other hand, if the next defrosting period is shifted to after the power-saving period, the interval between defrosting operations will be lengthened. This may result in a longer period during which the cooling operation is performed with a large amount of frost on the cooler, resulting in a decrease in cooling efficiency. In other words, it is not easy to uniquely determine whether the next defrosting period should be shifted before or after the power-saving period.

[0102] Therefore, it is preferable that the shift instruction transmission unit 119 determines the direction in which to shift the next defrosting period based on the time relationship between the estimated next defrosting period and the power-saving target period. For example, if the estimated next defrosting period is before the center time of the power-saving target period, it is preferable to set the next defrosting period before the power-saving target period. On the other hand, if the estimated next defrosting period is after the center time of the power-saving target period, it is preferable to set the next defrosting period after the power-saving target period.

[0103] The overlapping refrigerator that has received the shift instruction information performs a defrosting operation in the next defrosting period after the shift, that is, in the next defrosting period that does not overlap with the power saving target period. Shift instruction transmitting unit 119 is an example of a shift instruction transmitting means.

[0104] Next, the shift instruction process executed by the information processing device 102 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 14. The shift instruction process is a process incorporated into the bonus information transmission process shown in Fig. 12. The shift instruction process is executed, for example, between step S102 and step S103 in the bonus information transmission process.

[0105] First, control unit 11 estimates a next defrosting period, which is a period during which the next defrosting operation will be performed, for each refrigerator 202 (step S201). For example, control unit 11 estimates the next defrosting period from the opening / closing history information and the defrosting performance information using the trained model described above. After completing the process of step S201, control unit 11 identifies overlapping refrigerators whose estimated next defrosting period overlaps with the power saving target period (step S202).

[0106] Upon completing the process of step S202, control unit 11 shifts the next defrosting period of the overlapping refrigerator (step S203). That is, control unit 11 shifts the next defrosting period of the overlapping refrigerator to before or after the power saving target period. Upon completing the process of step S203, control unit 11 instructs the overlapping refrigerator to perform a defrosting operation in the next defrosting period after the shift (step S204). That is, control unit 11 transmits shift instruction information to the overlapping refrigerator instructing the overlapping refrigerator to perform a defrosting operation in a period that does not overlap with the power saving target period. Meanwhile, defrost control unit 213 included in the overlapping refrigerator performs a defrosting operation in the next defrosting period after the shift. Upon completing the process of step S204, control unit 11 completes the shift instruction process.

[0107] In the present embodiment, shift instruction information instructing an overlapping refrigerator to shift the next defrosting period so that the next defrosting period does not overlap with the power saving target period is transmitted to the overlapping refrigerator. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, further reduction in power consumption in the power saving target period can be expected.

[0108] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the next defrosting period is estimated using a trained model generated by learning based on defrosting record information. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately identify overlapping refrigerators for which it is desirable to shift the next defrosting period.

[0109] (Variation) Although the embodiments have been described above, modifications and applications in various forms are possible. It is up to the discretion of the individual to adopt any of the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments. Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configurations, functions, and operations, additional configurations, functions, and operations may be adopted. Furthermore, the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments can be freely combined.

[0110] For example, in the first embodiment, an example was described in which the start time of the special offer period was set to a time that was a specified time before the end time of the power-saving period. The method for setting the special offer period is not limited to this example. For example, the start time of the special offer period may be set to a time after the end time of the power-saving period. Also, the end time of the special offer period may be set to a time that was a specified time before the start time of the power-saving period. Even in these cases, if a user makes a purchase during the special offer period, it is considered unlikely that the user will put away the products during the power-saving period.

[0111] In the first embodiment, an example in which a common benefit period is assigned to each user has been described. An individual benefit period may be assigned to each user. For example, the benefit period may be adjusted depending on the distance between the target store and the refrigerator 200. For example, if the target store is about a 10-minute walk from the refrigerator 200, the start time of the benefit period may be set to 10 minutes before the end time of the power-saving period. Also, if the target store is about a 30-minute drive from the refrigerator 200, the start time of the benefit period may be set to 30 minutes before the end time of the power-saving period. In any of these cases, if a user makes a purchase during the benefit period, it is considered unlikely that the user will put away products during the power-saving period.

[0112] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the refrigerator 200 generates device history information from the device status information, and the device history information is supplied from the refrigerator 200 to the information processing device 100. The device status information may be supplied from the refrigerator 200 to the information processing device 100, and the information processing device 100 may generate the device history information from the device status information.

[0113] In the above-described embodiments, the CPU in the control unit 11, the control unit 21, or the control unit 41 executes a program stored in the ROM, the memory unit 12, the memory unit 22, or the memory unit 42 to function as each unit shown in FIGS. 5 and 13 . However, in the present disclosure, the control unit 11, the control unit 21, or the control unit 41 may be dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. When the control unit 11, the control unit 21, or the control unit 41 is dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be realized collectively by a single piece of hardware. Furthermore, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware. In this manner, the control unit 11, the control unit 21, or the control unit 41 may realize the above-described functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0114] An operating program that defines the operation of an information processing device, refrigerator, or terminal device according to the present disclosure can be applied to a computer such as an existing personal computer or information terminal device, causing the computer to function as the information processing device, refrigerator, or terminal device according to the present disclosure. Such a program can be distributed in any manner, and may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto Optical Disk), or a memory card, or distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0115] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0116] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0117] (Appendix 1) a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of a door of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for energy saving promotion from the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; and a benefit information transmitting means configured to transmit benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selecting means. Information processing device. (Appendix 2) the refrigerator selection means selects the target refrigerator from among the plurality of refrigerators, which are candidate refrigerators that are refrigerators estimated from the opening and closing history information to have a door opening / closing count or door opening time equal to or greater than a threshold value during the power saving target period. 10. The information processing device according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) the refrigerator selection means selects, as the target refrigerator, a refrigerator in which it is estimated from the opening / closing history information that a product purchased in shopping will be stored during the power saving target period, from among the candidate refrigerators. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2. (Appendix 4) a usage history acquiring means for acquiring usage history information indicating usage history of the benefit by each user of the plurality of refrigerators, the refrigerator selection means selects the target refrigerator from among the candidate refrigerators based on the usage history information acquired by the usage history acquisition means. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2. (Appendix 5) a benefit determination unit that determines the benefit so that a larger benefit is given to a user who has a greater use record of the benefit indicated by the use record information; 5. The information processing device according to claim 4. (Appendix 6) a benefit determination means for determining the benefit period so that the start time of the benefit period is a time that is a specified time before the end time of the power saving period; 6. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) a defrosting record acquiring means for acquiring defrosting record information indicating a record of a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to the inside of the refrigerator from the plurality of refrigerators; a defrosting period estimation means that estimates a next defrosting period, which is a period during which the defrosting operation will be performed next, for each of the plurality of refrigerators, based on the defrosting record information acquired by the defrosting record acquisition means; a refrigerator specifying means for specifying an overlapping refrigerator, which is a refrigerator in which the next defrosting period estimated by the defrosting period estimation means overlaps with the power saving target period, among the plurality of refrigerators; a shift instruction transmitting means configured to transmit shift instruction information instructing the refrigerator to shift the next defrosting period so that the next defrosting period does not overlap with the power saving target period to the overlapping refrigerator identified by the refrigerator identifying means, 7. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) The defrosting period estimation means estimates the next defrosting period using a trained model generated by training based on the defrosting record information. 8. The information processing device according to claim 7. (Appendix 9) a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of a door of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for energy saving promotion from the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; and a benefit information presentation means for presenting benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selection means. Information processing system. (Appendix 10) Acquire reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of refrigerator doors for each of a plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for promoting power saving from among the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening / closing history information; transmitting benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator; Information processing methods. (Appendix 11) Computer, a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information instructing a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of the doors of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; a refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for power saving promotion from among the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; functioning as a benefit information transmitting means that transmits benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selecting means; program. [Industrial Applicability]

[0118] The present disclosure is applicable to information processing systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 11, 21, 41 Control unit, 12, 22, 42 Memory unit, 15, 25, 45 Communication unit, 23, 43 Display unit, 24, 44 Operation reception unit, 26 Cooling unit, 27 Open / close detection unit, 28 Inside temperature detection unit, 29 Outside temperature detection unit, 100, 102 Information processing device, 111 Reduction instruction acquisition unit, 112 Equipment history acquisition unit, 113 Refrigerator selection unit, 114 Usage record acquisition unit, 115 Benefit determination unit, 116 Benefit information transmission unit, 117 Defrosting period estimation unit, 118 Refrigerator identification unit, 119 Shift instruction transmission unit, 200, 200A, 200B, 202 Refrigerators, 211 Equipment status acquisition unit, 212 Equipment history transmission unit, 213 Defrosting control unit, 300 Aggregator server, 311 Reduction instruction transmission unit, 400, 400A, 400B terminal device, 411 display control unit, 420, 430, 440 screen, 500 store server, 511 benefit processing unit, 512 usage record transmission unit, 700 communication network, 1000, 1002 information processing system, 1121 opening / closing history acquisition unit, 1122 defrosting record acquisition unit

Claims

1. a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of a door of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for energy saving promotion from the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; and a benefit information transmitting means configured to transmit benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selecting means. Information processing device.

2. the refrigerator selection means selects the target refrigerator from among the plurality of refrigerators, which are candidate refrigerators that are refrigerators estimated from the opening and closing history information to have a door opening and closing count or door opening time equal to or greater than a threshold value during the power saving target period. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the refrigerator selection means selects, from the candidate refrigerators, a refrigerator in which it is estimated from the opening / closing history information that a product purchased in shopping will be stored during the power saving target period, as the target refrigerator. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. a usage history acquiring means for acquiring usage history information indicating usage history of the benefit by each user of the plurality of refrigerators, the refrigerator selection means selects the target refrigerator from among the candidate refrigerators based on the usage history information acquired by the usage history acquisition means. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

5. a benefit determination unit that determines the benefit so that a larger benefit is given to a user who has a greater use record of the benefit indicated by the use record information; The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. a benefit determination means for determining the benefit period so that the start time of the benefit period is a time that precedes the end time of the power saving period by a specified time; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. a defrosting record acquiring means for acquiring defrosting record information indicating a record of a defrosting operation for removing frost adhering to the inside of the refrigerator from the plurality of refrigerators; a defrosting period estimation means that estimates a next defrosting period, which is a period during which the defrosting operation will be performed next, for each of the plurality of refrigerators, based on the defrosting record information acquired by the defrosting record acquisition means; a refrigerator specifying means for specifying an overlapping refrigerator, which is a refrigerator in which the next defrosting period estimated by the defrosting period estimation means overlaps with the power saving target period, among the plurality of refrigerators; a shift instruction transmitting means configured to transmit shift instruction information instructing the refrigerator to shift the next defrosting period so that the next defrosting period does not overlap with the power saving target period to the overlapping refrigerator identified by the refrigerator identifying means, The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The defrosting period estimation means estimates the next defrosting period using a trained model generated by training based on the defrosting record information. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of a door of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for energy saving promotion from the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; and a benefit information presentation means for presenting, to a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selection means, benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period. Information processing system.

10. Acquire reduction instruction information that instructs a reduction in power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of refrigerator doors for each of a plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for promoting power saving from among the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening / closing history information; transmitting benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator; Information processing methods.

11. Computer, a reduction instruction acquisition means for acquiring reduction instruction information instructing a reduction in the amount of power consumption in a power saving target area during a power saving target period; an opening / closing history acquiring means for acquiring opening / closing history information indicating a history of opening / closing states of the doors of each of the plurality of refrigerators installed in the power saving target area; a refrigerator selection means for selecting a target refrigerator that is a target refrigerator for power saving promotion from among the plurality of refrigerators based on the opening and closing history information acquired by the opening and closing history acquisition means; functioning as a benefit information transmitting means that transmits benefit information indicating a benefit valid for shopping during a benefit target period corresponding to the power saving target period to a terminal device used by a user of the target refrigerator selected by the refrigerator selecting means; program.

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