Matching system

What is AI technical title?
AI technical title is built by Patsnap AI team. It summarizes the technical point description of the patent document.
The matching system addresses the lack of objective evaluation in digital twin platforms by using a platform server to analyze digital twin and production capacity data, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of matching between orderers and recipients.

JP2025139430APending Publication Date: 2025-09-26CHUBU ELECTRIC POWER CO INC

View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number: JP2024038356
Authority / Receiving Office: JP · JP
Patent Type: Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date: 2024-03-12
Publication Date: 2025-09-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing digital twin platforms fail to provide objective evaluation and certification of factory status or production capacity for potential buyers, hindering appropriate matching between prospective orderers and potential recipients.

Method used

A matching system that includes a platform server capable of processing and analyzing digital twin information and production capacity data to generate authentication and evaluation information, facilitating more accurate matching between order recipients and orderers.

Benefits of technology

Enables more appropriate matching of prospective orderers with potential recipients by providing objective evaluation information, reducing the effort required for information collection and improving the accuracy of candidate selection.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

Figure 2025139430000001_ABST

Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a matching system capable of more appropriately matching prospective orderers with order reception candidates.SOLUTION: A matching system SS has a platform server 1. The platform server 1 includes a communication unit 7 and a control unit 8. The control unit 8 generates production capacity information MC based on digital twin information DT received from an order reception candidate side terminal 31. The control unit 8 generates order reception candidate evaluation information RI from at least one of order placement design information LD and order placement production information LM received from a prospective orderer side terminal 61, and the production capacity information MC. The control unit 8 transmits the order reception candidate evaluation information RI to the prospective orderer side terminal 61. The control unit 8 transmits at least one of order reception candidate selection information RD received from the prospective orderer side terminal 61 and prospective orderer information LI generated from the order reception candidate selection information RD to the corresponding order reception candidate side terminal 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a matching system that matches potential recipients who are capable of receiving orders for at least one of product production and product design with prospective orderers who are capable of placing orders for at least one of the product production and product design. [Background technology]

[0002] A known digital twin platform system that enables multiple users to use a digital twin is described in Japanese Patent No. 7362009 (Patent Document 1). A digital twin is a system that collects data from a real space, which is a spatial domain that actually exists, and then uses the collected data to recreate the same real space in a digital space. The real space may be related to the shape and layout of multiple pieces of equipment in a factory, for example. When updating a digital twin that has multiple participants who can use it, the digital twin execution unit of this system also updates other digital twins that can be used by each of the participants who can use the digital twin to be updated, thereby linking multiple digital twins for which the same user is set as a participant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7362009 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above system, equipment manufacturers and equipment users can share the digital twin. However, it is not expected that a third party will be able to refer to the factory status or production capacity of potential buyers in the digital space related to the digital twin for prospective buyers looking for a supplier to produce goods. The lack of objective evaluation and / or certification of the factory status or production capacity of potential buyers prevents prospective buyers from selecting the appropriate buyer. Therefore, the main object of the present disclosure is to provide a matching system that can more appropriately match prospective orderers with potential order recipients. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This specification discloses a matching system. The matching system may include a computer. The matching system may match a prospective order recipient who is capable of receiving an order for at least one of product production and product design with a prospective orderer who is capable of placing an order for at least one of product production and product design. The computer may include an input unit. The computer may include a control unit. The input unit may accept input of at least one of factory information, which is information related to a factory capable of producing the product, and design status information, which is information related to the current status of the product design, related to the prospective order recipient. The control unit may generate authentication information according to at least one of the factory information and the design status information. The matching system may cover processing, inspection, packaging, transportation, distribution, and / or management. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The main effect of the present disclosure is to provide a matching system that can more appropriately match prospective orderers with potential order recipients. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a matching system and related elements according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the platform server, the order-receiving candidate terminal, and the order-scheduling party terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing digital twin information, as well as the cumulative number of units produced, the cumulative distance traveled by workers, and the usage rate of production equipment calculated by a simulation using the digital twin information. [Figure 4] 4 is a table showing the number of production units, workers, cumulative travel distances of workers, and usage rates of production equipment calculated by the simulation of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing new digital twin information, as well as the cumulative number of units produced, the cumulative distance traveled by workers, the usage rate of production equipment, and the usage rate of robots calculated by a simulation using this information. [Figure 6] 6 is a table showing the number of production units, workers, cumulative movement distances of workers, usage rates of production equipment, and usage rates of robots calculated by the simulation of FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described together with modified examples thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. The embodiment is not limited to the following examples and modifications.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a matching system SS and related elements according to the present disclosure. The matching system SS according to the present disclosure includes one platform server 1. Depending on how it is viewed, the matching system SS may further include at least one of a plurality of order-receiving candidate terminals 31 and a plurality of order-planning party terminals 61, as appropriate. It should be noted that there may be provided a plurality of platform servers 1. When a plurality of platform servers 1 are provided, the functions of one platform server 1, which will be described later, may be performed by distributed processing. In addition, there may be only one of the order acceptor candidate terminal 31 and the order prospective party terminal 61.

[0010] The platform server 1 as a platform server computer is a non-portable computer that can execute the platform program PP. The platform server 1 is installed in a building associated with a service organization that provides a matching service between prospective orderers and potential order recipients. The service organization may be, for example, a power company that provides commercial power. The platform server 1 introduces potential order recipients to potential order recipients and matches them with potential order recipients. Potential order recipients and potential order recipients form a supply chain. Potential order recipients can supply products to potential order recipients. Potential order recipients can receive orders for the production of products. Potential order recipients can order the production of products. A supply chain is a relationship between one or more prospective buyers and one or more potential buyers. This relationship may be between one prospective buyer and one potential buyer, a serial relationship between three or more parties, with one prospective buyer and a potential buyer, a parallel relationship between a prospective buyer and potential buyers for different parts of a single product, or a combination of serial and parallel relationships. These relationships may be temporary, one-off, sporadic, or continuous, lasting for a predetermined period of time or more. The predetermined period of time may be as short as a few months, as long as several years, or any other period of time. The matching system SS may also be used for one or more prospective buyers and one or more potential buyers who are not part of a supply chain. The platform server 1 may be portable, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, or the like. The platform server 1 may also be a combination of multiple computers connected via a network. Furthermore, the platform server 1 may be installed in a building associated with an organization related to the service organization, or in a building associated with a rental server operating organization, or in other locations. The potential buyer may be able to supply the product design to the prospective orderer instead of or together with the product, and the platform server 1 may introduce the potential buyer related to the design to the prospective orderer.

[0011] The platform server 1 includes a display unit 2, an operation unit 4, a storage unit 6, a communication unit 7, and a control unit 8.

[0012] The display unit 2 displays information. For example, the display unit 2 is at least one of a display, a lamp, a printer, and an information output terminal. The operation unit 4 accepts operations related to inputting information. For example, the operation unit 4 is at least one of a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner, and an information input terminal. The display unit 2 and the operation unit 4 may be integrated into a touch-sensor display.

[0013] The storage unit 6 stores information. For example, the storage unit 6 is a memory. Note that part or all of the storage unit 6 may be replaced by an online data integration environment connected via the Internet IN. The communication unit 7 communicates information via the Internet IN. For example, the communication unit 7 is a communication device related to at least one of wired and wireless communication. At least one of the operation in the operation unit 4 and the reception in the communication unit 7 plays the role of an input unit that inputs information to the platform server 1. At least one of the display in the display unit 2 and the transmission in the communication unit 7 plays the role of an output unit that outputs information from the platform server 1. The information input by the input unit may be input from the operation unit 4 such as a keyboard or scanner based on at least one of handwritten materials and materials displayed on the screen of a mobile information terminal, or may be input from a portable or non-portable USB flash drive through the operation unit 4 which is an information input terminal. The information output by the output unit may be output as paper materials by a printer which is an example of the display unit 2, may be output by display on the screen of a mobile information terminal, or may be output to a portable or non-portable USB flash drive through the display unit 2 which is an information output terminal.

[0014] The control unit 8 controls the display unit 2, the operation unit 4, the storage unit 6, and the communication unit 7. For example, the control unit 8 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The platform program PP is stored in the storage unit 6 and executed by the control unit 8. The storage unit 6 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The platform program PP has a function for operating the platform. The platform program PP contains a set of instructions for performing the functions described below.

[0015] The platform server 1 is communicably connected to a sales order candidate's terminal 31, which serves as a sales order candidate's computer, via the Internet IN. The sales order candidate's terminal 31 is a non-portable computer capable of executing the sales order candidate's program RP. The sales order candidate may be an organization or an individual. The sales order candidate's terminal 31 may be portable. The order receiving candidate's terminal 31 is installed in a factory related to the order receiving candidate in this example. However, the order receiving candidate's terminal 31 may be installed in another location. The order-receiving candidate terminal 31 has a display unit 32 similar to the display unit 2, an operation unit 34 similar to the operation unit 4, a memory unit 36 similar to the memory unit 6, a communication unit 37 similar to the communication unit 7, and a control unit 38 similar to the control unit 8.

[0016] The storage unit 36 can store digital twin information DT, which is information related to a digital twin as a type of factory information related to the factory of the prospective buyer, and production capacity information MC. For ease of understanding, the following description will primarily focus on the case where one prospective buyer has one factory. Note that one prospective buyer may also have multiple factories. In this case, a factory identification number, digital twin information DT, and production capacity information MC may be stored for each factory. While the factory information is information related to the prospective buyer's factory, it may also be the number of units produced per unit time of a specific product, instead of or in addition to the digital twin information DT. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the factory information, design status information, which is information related to the current status of the prospective buyer's product design, may also be stored. The design status information is, for example, a combination of the specifications of a specific product and the design data created by the prospective buyer for those specifications. The design status information may be processed in the same way as the factory information. The digital twin information DT is a digital reproduction of the real-world factory assets of the potential contractor. Factory assets include, for example, facilities, equipment, and / or the workers who operate them. The production capacity information MC is information about the capacity to produce a product according to product information, which is information related to the product. The product information in the production capacity information MC may include the shapes of multiple parts and the relationships between the parts. The production capacity information MC is, for example, information about the number of products produced per specified time period according to specified CAD (Computer Aided Design) data. Note that the product information in the production capacity information MC may contain only one part. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to information about the capacity to produce a product according to the product information, the production capacity information MC may include production capacity information about products that are not based on the product information planned to be ordered by the planned orderer, such as existing product production capacity information, which is information about the capacity to produce existing products. The existing product production capacity information may be treated as information independent of the production capacity information MC. At least one of the digital twin information DT and the production capacity information MC is also stored in the storage unit 6 of the platform server 1 for each order recipient candidate. Note that part or all of the storage unit 36 may be shared with other storage units through an online data integration environment or the like. Such data sharing can be similarly changed for other storage units. Furthermore, the storage unit 36 may store design capability information instead of or in addition to the production capability information MC. The design capability information is information regarding the ability to create product information for product specifications, such as information regarding the ability to create CAD data from product specifications. The design capability information may be processed in the same way as the production capability information MC. The design capability information may be generated from design status information according to information on the product that the prospective orderer plans to order (order design information LD, described below), etc.

[0017] The communication unit 37 is connected to the platform server 1 via the Internet IN. The order receiving candidate terminal 31 is capable of executing the order receiving candidate program RP. The order receiving candidate program RP is stored in the storage unit 36 and executed by the control unit 38. The storage unit 36 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The order receiving candidate program RP has a function of operating the order receiving candidate terminal 31. The order receiving candidate program RP contains a set of commands that cause the order receiving candidate terminal 31 to perform the functions described below.

[0018] The platform server 1 is communicably connected to a prospective orderer terminal 61, which serves as a prospective orderer computer, via the Internet IN. The prospective orderer terminal 61 is a non-portable computer capable of executing the prospective orderer program RP. The prospective orderer may be an organization, an employee of the organization, or an individual. The prospective orderer terminal 61 may be portable. The prospective orderer terminal 61 is installed in a building associated with the prospective orderer in this example, but the prospective orderer terminal 61 may be installed in another location. The prospective orderer's terminal 61 has a display unit 62 similar to the display unit 2, an operation unit 64 similar to the operation unit 4, a memory unit 66 similar to the memory unit 6, a communication unit 67 similar to the communication unit 7, and a control unit 68 similar to the control unit 8.

[0019] The storage unit 66 can store order design information LD and order production information LM related to products to be ordered on the side of the prospective orderer. The order design information LD is product information related to the product to be ordered, such as at least one of mechanical design data, electrical design data, material information, component information, processing information, heat treatment information, painting information, surface treatment information, inspection information, quality control information, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), environmental pollution information, and legal information related to the product to be ordered. The electrical design data is, for example, circuit diagram data. The product information related to the product to be ordered may include the shapes of multiple parts related to the product to be ordered and the relationships between the parts. The order production information LM is information on the required production quantity of the product to be ordered. At least one of the order design information LD and the order production information LM may include allowable error information, which is information on an allowable error. At least one of the order design information LD and the order production information LM is also stored in the storage unit 6 of the platform server 1 for each prospective orderer. The storage unit 66 can also store order candidate evaluation information RI, which is information for introducing order candidate candidates who have factories suitable for producing the products to be ordered. The order candidate evaluation information RI is also stored in the storage unit 6 of the platform server 1 for each order candidate. At least one of the order design information LD and the order production information LM may be stored in the memory unit 36 of the order candidate terminal 31. At least one of the digital twin information DT and the production capacity information MC may be stored in the memory unit 66. In addition, the order design information LD and the order production information LM may be integrated into one piece of information. Furthermore, order specification information relating to the specifications that the product to be ordered must meet may be stored instead of or together with the order design information LD. Furthermore, the product to be ordered may have only one part.

[0020] The communication unit 67 is connected to the platform server 1 via the Internet IN. The prospective orderer terminal 61 is capable of executing the prospective orderer program LP. The prospective orderer program LP is stored in the memory unit 66 and executed by the control unit 68. The memory unit 66 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The prospective orderer program LP has a function of operating the prospective orderer terminal 61. The prospective orderer program LP contains a set of instructions that cause the functions described below to be realized. The same terminal may be equipped with the functions of the order-receiving candidate terminal 31 and the functions of the prospective orderer terminal 61. A prospective orderer may be an order-receiving candidate for another product, and an order-receiving candidate may be a prospective orderer for another product.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the platform server 1, the order-receiving candidate terminal 31, and the order-scheduling party terminal 61. The platform server 1 can provide a 3D simulation environment SE to the order candidate terminal 31 via the communication unit 7, the Internet IN, and the communication unit 37, in order to construct digital twin information DT of a factory belonging to the order candidate terminal 31 by simulation, particularly 3D simulation. The 3D simulation environment SE is provided as a service for constructing digital twin information DT by a cloud with the platform server 1 as a service providing server. In the 3D simulation environment SE, the platform server 1 displays, for example, a screen for accepting information input on the display unit 32. The platform server 1 also accepts 3D data of assets in a factory from the operation unit 34. The 3D data of assets is, for example, at least one of 3D data of various devices in the factory, 3D data of various equipment in the factory, and 3D data of worker movements. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the platform server 1 constructs assets in a virtual space corresponding to the assets in the real space of the factory from the accepted 3D data, and stores this as digital twin information DT of the factory in the memory unit 6 together with the identification information of the prospective orderer. Additionally, the platform server 1 transmits the constructed digital twin information DT to the order candidate terminal 31, and the order candidate terminal 31 stores the digital twin information DT in the memory unit 36. The 3D data input to the operation unit 34 may be performed by converting at least one of still images and video captured by a camera. The 3D data input to the operation unit 34 may be performed by a user related to the potential order recipient or by a service staff member dispatched from the service organization to the factory. The 3D simulation environment SE may be provided by downloading 3D simulation software instead of or in addition to the cloud. Furthermore, the transmission of the digital twin information DT by the platform server 1 and the storage of the digital twin information DT in the potential order recipient terminal 31 may be omitted. Furthermore, the simulation may be 2D or other. Additionally, the input of the digital twin information DT may be accepted by operating the operation unit 4 instead of or in addition to reception by the communication unit 7. For example, at least one of the service staff member and the potential order recipient may bring a memory containing the 3D data to the service organization and load the 3D data from the memory into the platform server 1 via the operation unit 4. The prospective buyer may create the 3D data themselves, or may outsource the work and obtain it from another party. Such input modification examples are also applicable to other inputs as appropriate. Furthermore, the asset status obtained from the digital twin information DT is not limited to the combination of the cumulative number of products produced, the cumulative distance traveled by workers, and the amount of production equipment used.

[0022] Furthermore, the platform server 1 calculates production capacity information MC from the constructed digital twin information DT. The platform server 1 calculates the production capacity information MC by operating the digital twin information DT in digital space for a predetermined period of time, in other words, by a simulation using the digital twin information DT. The platform server 1 stores the production capacity information MC in the memory unit 6 together with the identification information of the prospective orderer. The platform server 1 may calculate the production capacity information MC from the asset configuration related to the digital twin information DT. Furthermore, the platform server 1 may calculate at least any of the following from the digital twin information DT, instead of or in addition to the production capacity information MC: CO2 emission information, energy consumption information, manufacturing cost information, transportation cost information, product quality information, layout information, utility information, building information, equipment specification information, equipment control information, production technology information, process management information, quality control information, safety management information, environmental management information, and legal information. The units of these values and information may be any; for example, the unit of at least one of the CO2 emission amounts and energy consumption may be per specified period, per specified number of units produced, or per basic unit. Furthermore, the production capacity information MC etc. may be generated by calculation based on at least one of interviews with service staff etc., information collected by service staff etc., and past performance, instead of or in addition to calculation by simulation using digital twin information DT. The production capacity information MC etc. may be generated by at least one of the prospective order recipient or a third party, instead of or together with the service organization side. Furthermore, the platform server 1 or the service staff operating it may analyze the digital twin information DT stored in the storage unit 36, may provide advice based on the analysis, may provide new digital twin information DT with higher production capacity based on the analysis, or may construct a factory in real space in accordance with the new digital twin information DT. At least one of the above analysis, advice, provision of new digital twin information DT, and construction of a factory in real space may be performed based on information obtained from digital twin information DT related to other candidates for the order. In addition, the platform server 1 may perform payment processing for at least one of the fees for providing the 3D simulation environment SE as an environment for constructing the digital twin information DT, and the fees for the analysis, advice, provision of new digital twin information DT, and construction of a factory in real space. These fees are expenses paid by the potential contractor to the service organization. The payment processing may be performed by the platform server 1 transmitting payment request information to an external payment server computer and receiving payment completion information.

[0023] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the platform server 1 calculates through a 3D simulation using the digital twin information DT at the bottom of FIG. 3 that the number of products to be produced per 8 hours is 244. Similarly, the platform server 1 calculates that the number of workers required to produce the product is five, and that the cumulative travel distance of the workers required to produce the product is 7,500 meters. Each worker mainly manually transports the product between the devices related to the product being produced. Furthermore, the platform server 1 similarly calculates that the utilization rate of the production equipment in the production of the product is 95% (percent). The top graph in Fig. 3 shows the cumulative number of products produced since the start of production, calculated in a 3D simulation using digital twin information DT. The next graph on the left in Fig. 3 shows the cumulative distance traveled by workers since the start of production, calculated in a similar manner. The next graph on the right in Fig. 3 shows the usage rate of production equipment since the start of production, calculated in a similar manner. The cumulative production quantity, cumulative travel distance, and usage rate of the production equipment are examples of components of the production capacity information MC.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, if a service organization analyzes the digital twin information DT in Figure 3 and provides new digital twin information DT with higher production capacity based on the analysis, as shown in Figure 5, the platform server 1 can similarly calculate production capacity information MC using the new digital twin information DT. In the new digital twin information DT shown in Figure 5, manual transport by workers has been automated to robotic transport. By replacing workers with robots, the number of workers is reduced to one. The graph on the top left in Figure 5 shows the cumulative number of products produced since the start of production, calculated in a 3D simulation using the new digital twin information DT. The graph on the top right in Figure 5 shows the cumulative distance traveled by workers since the start of production, calculated in a similar manner. The graph on the next left in Figure 5 shows the usage rate of production equipment since the start of production, calculated in a similar manner. The graph on the next right in Figure 5 shows the usage rate of robots, calculated in a similar manner. As shown in FIG. 6, the platform server 1 calculates through a 3D simulation using the new digital twin information DT at the bottom of FIG. 5 that the number of products to be produced is 315 per 8 hours. Similarly, the platform server 1 calculates that the number of workers required to produce the product is one, and that the cumulative travel distance of the workers required to produce the product is 4,300 m. Similarly, the platform server 1 further calculates that the utilization rate of production equipment in product production is 96%. In addition, the platform server 1 similarly calculates that the utilization rate of robots in product production is 75%. The utilization rate of robots is an example of a component of production capacity information MC.

[0025] Moreover, the platform server 1 transmits the calculated production capacity information MC to the corresponding order receiving candidate side terminal 31. The order receiving candidate's terminal 31 stores the received production capacity information MC in the storage unit 36. Furthermore, the order receiving candidate's terminal 31 displays the production capacity information MC on the display unit 32. By visually checking the production capacity information MC, the order receiving candidate can objectively grasp the production capacity (production capability) of his / her own factory. The platform server 1 may transmit the calculated production capacity information MC to the corresponding order candidate terminal 31 if other conditions are met. For example, the platform server 1 may transmit the production capacity information MC to the order candidate terminal 31 after confirming that the condition, that payment for the provision of the production capacity information MC has been completed, is met. The platform server 1 may not transmit the production capacity information MC to the corresponding order candidate terminal 31. The order candidate terminal 31 may not store the production capacity information MC in the storage unit 36. Furthermore, the platform server 1 may output the production capacity information MC to the prospective orderer by displaying it on the display unit 2, instead of or in addition to transmission from the communication unit 7. For example, the platform server 1 may print out a piece of paper containing the production capacity information MC for the prospective orderer to refer to. Such output modifications may also be applied to other outputs as appropriate.

[0026] On the other hand, the platform server 1 receives the order design information LD and the order production information LM from the prospective orderer's terminal 61 via the communication unit 67, the Internet IN, and the communication unit 7. By receiving this information, the platform server 1 and the service organization can recognize a request from the prospective orderer for the introduction of potential order recipients who can place an order for the prospective order product. The prospective orderer requests the service organization to introduce potential order recipients by transmitting the order design information LD and the order production information LM. Note that the platform server 1 may accept the input of the order design information LD and the order production information LM by having a service staff member or the like operate the operation unit 4 based on paper on which the information is written, instead of or in addition to receiving the information from the prospective orderer's terminal 61. The platform server 1 stores the received order design information LD and order production information LM in the storage unit 6 together with the identification information of the prospective orderer. The platform server 1 may also perform a settlement process for the fee for introducing the order-receiving candidate. This fee is the cost paid by the prospective orderer to the service organization. The settlement process may be performed by the platform server 1 transmitting settlement request information to an external settlement server computer and receiving settlement completion information.

[0027] The platform server 1 then provides the prospective orderer terminal 61 with the order candidate evaluation information RI. The order candidate evaluation information RI is information about the order candidate's factory. The order candidate evaluation information RI is a type of certification information. The certification information is information about the order candidate recognized by a third party that is neither the order candidate nor the prospective orderer. The certification information is objective. In this example, the third party is the service organization. The order candidate evaluation information RI may be provided in other output formats, such as a printed copy of the information for the prospective orderer to refer to. The certification information may also include other information in addition to or instead of the order candidate evaluation information RI. For example, the certification information may include order candidate design capability evaluation information, which is information related to an evaluation of design capability, in addition to or instead of the order candidate evaluation information RI. The order candidate design capability evaluation information may be processed in the same manner as the order candidate evaluation information RI. The third party may be one or more certification organizations in addition to or instead of the service organization. Some or all of the certification authorities may have a certification authority-side computer. The certification authority-side computer may input and output the certification information, etc., to the platform server 1, etc., via communication, etc. The certification information may include, instead of or in addition to the order candidate evaluation information RI, information that is not derived from at least any of the digital twin information DT, production capacity information MC, order design information LD, and order production information LM, such as production capacity for existing products. The prospective orderer is presented with the details of the evaluation of the order candidate through the order candidate evaluation information RI. Based on the order candidate evaluation information RI, the prospective orderer can select the order candidate they wish to be introduced to from among the provided order candidates. The platform server 1 may provide the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition may be, for example, at least one of the following: payment for the introduction of the order receiving candidate has been made; and an input to the operation unit 64 of the prospective orderer terminal 61 has been made indicating a desire to receive the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI. The platform server 1 may also limit the scope of the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI to be provided. For example, the limitation may be limited to a range related to order receiving candidates for whom payment to the service organization has been completed, or to a range related to order receiving candidates who satisfy conditions (such as industry) specified by the prospective orderer in addition to the order design information LD and the order production information LM.

[0028] The order receiving candidate evaluation information RI is generated by the control unit 8. The order receiving candidate evaluation information RI can be configured in various ways. For example, the order candidate evaluation information RI may include the production capacity information MC itself. Furthermore, the order candidate evaluation information RI may include derived information, which is information derived from at least one of the digital twin information DT, production capacity information MC, order design information LD, and order production information LM. Examples of such information include adjusted production capacity information, which is production capacity information MC adjusted according to the order design information LD, production capacity gap information, which is information indicating the difference between the production capacity information MC and the order production information LM, adjusted production capacity gap information, which is information indicating the difference between the adjusted production capacity information and the order production information LM, adaptation predicted time information, which is information on the time until the order design information LD is adapted to production, CO2 emission information, energy usage information, manufacturing cost information, transportation cost information, and product quality information. At least one of the derived information may be derived using a predetermined function, or may be derived with reference to the digital twin information DT. For example, the adjusted production capacity information may be derived using a function with the value of the production capacity information MC and the complexity value of the order design information LD as independent variables, or may be derived from the production volume when a 3D model related to the order design information LD is virtually produced over a predetermined period in the digital twin information DT, or may be derived from past performance values.

[0029] The number of pieces of order receiving candidate evaluation information RI transmitted to the prospective orderer terminal 61 may be one for one order receiving candidate, or multiple pieces for multiple order receiving candidates. In the case of multiple pieces of order receiving candidate evaluation information RI, the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI for each order receiving candidate may be ranked in order of the degree of favorability of the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI to the prospective orderer. Alternatively, all pieces of order receiving candidate evaluation information RI may be provided to the prospective orderer terminal 61. The order candidate evaluation information RI may be output to the prospective orderer by printing out paper on which the order candidate evaluation information RI is written for the prospective orderer to refer to, instead of or together with transmission to the prospective orderer's terminal 61. Instead of or together with the order candidate evaluation information RI, order candidate design capability evaluation information may be output to the prospective orderer.

[0030] The prospective orderer terminal 61 stores the received order candidate evaluation information RI in the storage unit 66. In addition, the prospective orderer terminal 61 displays the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI on the display unit 62. Then, after viewing the order-receiving candidate evaluation information RI, the prospective orderer selects an order-receiving candidate from whom he or she wishes to be introduced, and inputs the order-receiving candidate selection information RD, which is information on the selected order-receiving candidate, on the operation unit 64. The order-receiving candidate selection information RD may be input by checking a checkbox provided for each order-receiving candidate, by selecting from a pull-down menu, or by pressing a key associated with a code uniquely provided for each order-receiving candidate. The prospective orderer terminal 61 stores the input order recipient candidate selection information RD in the storage unit 66 and transmits it to the platform server 1. Note that the order recipient candidate selection information RD does not have to be stored in the storage unit 66.

[0031] The platform server 1 stores the received order candidate selection information RD in the storage unit 6 in association with the identification information of the sender, the prospective orderer. The platform server 1 may also receive the input of the order candidate selection information RD by operating the operation unit 4 by a service staff member who has received a request from the prospective orderer. Furthermore, the platform server 1 generates planned orderer information LI according to the identification information of the prospective orderer who is the sender of the order candidate selection information RD and the identification information of the order candidate selected in the order candidate selection information RD, and stores the information in the storage unit 6. The planned orderer information LI is information indicating that the order candidate has been selected as the planned orderer. The planned orderer information LI is stored in association with the corresponding order candidate selection information RD. The platform server 1 transmits the generated prospective orderer information LI to the corresponding order-receiving candidate side terminal 31. The planned orderer information LI does not have to be generated. The platform server 1 may transmit the order candidate selection information RD to the corresponding order candidate side terminal 31 instead of or together with the planned orderer information LI.

[0032] The order-receiving candidate side terminal 31 stores the received order-receiving party information LI in the storage unit 36. In addition, the order-receiving candidate side terminal 31 displays the order-seeker information LI on the display unit 32. Then, upon viewing the prospective orderer information LI, the prospective order recipient decides whether or not they would like to be introduced to the prospective orderer related to the prospective orderer information LI, and inputs the determined information, the acceptance / rejection information AR, on the operation unit 34. The acceptance / rejection information AR is information indicating whether or not the prospective orderer information LI is acceptable. The acceptance / rejection information AR may be input in the form of radio buttons marked with accept and reject, or may be selected from a pull-down menu, or may be input by pressing a key associated with a symbol uniquely marked with accept and reject. The order receiving candidate side terminal 31 stores the input acceptance possibility information AR in the storage unit 36 and transmits it to the platform server 1. Note that the acceptance possibility information AR does not have to be stored in the storage unit 36.

[0033] The platform server 1 stores the received acceptance possibility information AR in the storage unit 6 in association with the identification information of the sender, the order receiving candidate. The acceptance possibility information AR is stored in association with the corresponding expected order receiving party information LI and order receiving candidate selection information RD. Note that instead of receiving the acceptance possibility information AR, or in addition to receiving the acceptance possibility information AR, the acceptance possibility information AR may be input from the operation unit 4. The platform server 1 transmits the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR to the corresponding prospective orderer terminal 61. The platform server 1 may transmit the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR only when the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR indicates acceptance. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to transmitting the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR, other output such as printing out paper on which the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR is written may be performed for the prospective orderer to refer to.

[0034] The prospective orderer terminal 61 stores the received acceptance / non-acceptance information AR in the storage unit 66. The acceptance / non-acceptance information AR does not have to be stored in the storage unit . Furthermore, the prospective orderer terminal 61 displays the acceptance possibility information AR on the display unit 62. Note that the prospective orderer terminal 61 may display the acceptance possibility information AR only when the acceptance possibility information AR is acceptance. If the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR indicates acceptance, the prospective orderer recognizes that the selected order candidate has accepted the introduction. When the platform server 1 or the prospective orderer's terminal 61 receives the acceptance information AR, which indicates acceptance, the prospective orderer and the potential order recipient are introduced, i.e., a match is made. Other conditions may be attached to the matching. For example, the other condition may be that at least one of the payment related to the prospective orderer and the potential order recipient has been completed. Furthermore, when a match is made, the platform server 1 may transmit some or all of the digital twin information DT of the potential order recipient's factory to the prospective orderer's terminal 61. This transmission to the prospective orderer's terminal 61 may be made on the condition that information related to permission to transmit the digital twin information DT has been received from the potential order recipient's terminal 31, or on the condition that the payment for the transmission of the digital twin information DT has been paid for at least one of the prospective orderer's terminal 61 and the potential order recipient's terminal 31.

[0035] The platform server 1, the order-receiving candidate side terminal 31, and the order-scheduling party side terminal 61 repeat the above processing as appropriate (Return To Start).

[0036] Such a matching system SS has the following advantages. That is, the matching system SS matches a prospective order recipient who can receive orders for at least one of product production and product design with a prospective orderer who can place an order for at least one of product production and product design. The matching system SS has a platform server 1 as a computer that is not located on the side of the prospective order recipient or on the side of the prospective orderer. The platform server 1 is equipped with a communication unit 7 as an input unit and a control unit 8. The communication unit 7 accepts input of digital twin information DT as factory information related to the prospective order recipient, which is information about a factory that can produce the product. The control unit 8 generates prospective order recipient evaluation information RI as authentication information according to the digital twin information DT. Therefore, the prospective orderer can refer to the objective candidate evaluation information RI to select a candidate who is more suitable for them. Therefore, a matching system SS is provided that can more appropriately match prospective orderers and candidate orders. In addition, compared to when a prospective orderer or candidate orderer searches for the other directly, searching using the matching system SS, which can collect information related to the prospective orderer and candidate order, requires less effort and is more objective.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 8 generates the order candidate evaluation information RI by performing a simulation in the digital space for the digital twin information DT. Therefore, more accurate order candidate evaluation information RI can be obtained more easily without moving actual assets. Furthermore, the platform server 1 includes at least one of a communication unit 7 and a display unit 2 as an output unit. At least one of the communication unit 7 and the display unit 2 outputs the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI in a state that can be referenced by the order receiving candidate. Therefore, the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI for selecting a more appropriate order receiving candidate can be more easily presented to the prospective orderer. Furthermore, the input unit and the output unit include a communication unit 7. The communication unit 7 is capable of communicating with the prospective order recipient's terminal 31, which is a terminal on the side of the prospective order recipient, and is also capable of communicating with the prospective order recipient's terminal 61, which is a terminal on the side of the prospective order recipient. Thus, various information can be more easily input and output between at least two of the prospective order recipient, the prospective order recipient, and the platform server 1. Furthermore, the control unit 8 receives the digital twin information DT from the order receiving candidate side terminal 31. The control unit 8 transmits the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI to the order receiving candidate side terminal 61. Therefore, the order receiving candidate evaluation information RI for selecting a more appropriate order receiving candidate can be more easily presented to the order receiving candidate.

[0038] In addition, the matching system SS includes a platform server 1. The matching system SS matches potential order recipients who can receive orders for the production of a product with potential orderers who can place orders for the production of the product. The platform server 1 includes at least one of an operation unit 4 and a communication unit 7 as an input unit, at least one of a display unit 2 and a communication unit 7 as an output unit, and a control unit 8. At least one of the operation unit 4 and the communication unit 7 accepts input of digital twin information DT as factory information related to the potential order recipient, and at least one of order design information LD and order production information LM related to the potential order recipient. The factory information is information related to a factory capable of producing the product. The order design information LD is information related to a planned order product, which is a product that is scheduled to be ordered. The order production information LM is information related to the required production quantity of the planned order product. The control unit 8 generates production capacity information MC based on the digital twin information DT. The production capacity information MC is information related to the capacity to produce the product. The control unit 8 generates potential order recipient evaluation information RI, a type of authentication information, from at least one of the order design information LD and the order production information LM and the production capacity information MC. The order candidate evaluation information RI is information about evaluations of the factory. At least one of the display unit 2 and the communication unit 7 outputs the order candidate evaluation information RI in a state that can be referenced by the prospective orderer. Therefore, the prospective orderer can refer to the objective candidate evaluation information RI to select a candidate who is more suitable for them. Therefore, a matching system SS is provided that can more appropriately match prospective orderers and candidate orders. In addition, compared to when a prospective orderer or candidate orderer searches for the other directly, searching using the matching system SS, which can collect information related to the prospective orderer and candidate order, requires less effort and is more objective.

[0039] Furthermore, at least one of the operation unit 4 and the communication unit 7 serving as an input unit accepts input of order candidate selection information RD relating to the prospective order recipient. The order candidate selection information RD is information on the selected order candidate. At least one of the display unit 2 and the communication unit 7 serving as an output unit outputs at least one of the order candidate selection information RD and the prospective order recipient information LI generated from the order candidate selection information RD so that the corresponding order candidate can refer to it. The prospective order recipient information LI is information indicating that the order candidate has been selected as the prospective order recipient. Therefore, the prospective buyer can easily recognize that he or she has been selected as the prospective buyer.

[0040] At least one of the operation unit 4 and the communication unit 7 serving as an input unit receives input of acceptance / non-acceptance information AR relating to the order candidate. The acceptance / non-acceptance information AR is information indicating whether or not at least one of the order candidate selection information RD and the prospective orderer information LI is acceptable. At least one of the display unit 2 and the communication unit 7 serving as an output unit outputs the acceptance / non-acceptance information AR so that it can be referenced by the prospective orderer. Therefore, the prospective orderer can recognize the selection and acceptance of the selected order candidate.

[0041] Furthermore, the factory information includes digital twin information DT, which is information about the digital twin of the factory's assets in the real world, reproduced in the digital space. This improves the accuracy of the production capacity information MC, which is the basis for the order candidate evaluation information RI used to select order candidates. This allows for more appropriate matching between prospective order recipients and order candidates. Furthermore, the control unit 8 receives the digital twin information DT from the 3D simulation environment SE provided by communication to the order candidate terminal 31. Therefore, the order candidate does not need to prepare the 3D simulation environment SE himself, and can provide the digital twin information DT to the platform server 1 more easily. Furthermore, the control unit 8 generates the production capacity information MC through a simulation using the digital twin information DT. This makes the production capacity information MC more accurate. This allows for more appropriate matching between prospective orderers and potential order recipients.

[0042] In addition, the control unit 8 transmits the production capacity information MC to the order candidate's terminal 31. Therefore, the order candidate can take measures to improve the production capacity information MC to further increase the possibility of being selected by the prospective orderer. Furthermore, the service organization can provide advice on such measures. Such advice can be more appropriately provided based on at least one of the factory information and the production capacity information MC related to various order candidates. Furthermore, the control unit 8 includes the adjusted production capacity information, which is the production capacity information MC adjusted according to the order design information LD, in the order candidate evaluation information RI. This allows the prospective orderer to recognize the order candidate evaluation information RI according to the product to be ordered. This allows for more appropriate matching between the prospective orderer and the order candidate.

[0043] Furthermore, the order design information LD includes at least one of CAD data and electrical design data for the product to be ordered. For example, the order design information LD is product information related to the product to be ordered, such as at least one of mechanical design data, electrical design data, material information, component information, processing information, heat treatment information, painting information, surface treatment information, inspection information, quality control information, chemical substance safety data information, environmental pollution information, and legal information related to the product to be ordered. The electrical design data is, for example, circuit diagram data. Furthermore, the order production information LM includes information on the required production quantity of the product to be ordered. Furthermore, the production capacity information MC includes information on the number of products to be produced per specified time period for the product to be ordered. Therefore, various types of information become easier to handle.

[0044] In addition to the above-mentioned modifications, the matching system SS also has the following modifications as appropriate. In other words, the platform server 1 in the matching system SS, the candidate order recipient terminal 31, and the prospective orderer terminal 61 may be connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a dedicated line or the like rather than the Internet IN, in short, they may be connected by a communication network. Furthermore, each step in the operation examples (each flowchart) of the platform server 1, the potential order recipient terminal 31, and the prospective order recipient terminal 61 may be replaced with another step of substantially similar content, or may be divided into multiple steps of substantially similar content, or at least any two of them may be combined with each other, or the order may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, at least one of the distinctions and elements relating to the various types of information may be changed in various ways depending on the ease of processing, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1··Platform server (computer), 2··Display unit (output unit), 4··Operation unit (input unit), 7··Communication unit (input unit, output unit), 8··Control unit, 31··Order candidate side terminal, 61··Order prospective party side terminal, AR··Acceptance / non-acceptance information, DT··Digital twin information (factory information), LD··Order design information, LI··Order prospective party information, LM··Order production information, MC··Production capacity information, RI··Order candidate evaluation information, SE··3D simulation environment, SS··Matching system.

Claims

1. A matching system having a computer, which matches a prospective order recipient who can receive an order for at least one of product production and product design with a prospective orderer who can place an order for at least one of the product production and product design, The computer includes an input unit and a control unit, The input unit receives input of at least one of factory information, which is information about a factory capable of producing the product, and design status information, which is information about a current status of the design of the product, related to the order candidate; The control unit generates authentication information according to at least one of the factory information and the design status information. A matching system characterized by:

2. The control unit generates the authentication information by performing a simulation in a digital space for the factory information.

2. The matching system according to claim 1.

3. The computer further comprises an output unit; The output unit outputs the authentication information in a state that can be referenced by the order-receiving candidate.

2. The matching system according to claim 1.

4. the input unit and the output unit include a communication unit, The communication unit is capable of communicating with an order receiving candidate side terminal which is a terminal on the side of the order receiving candidate, and is also capable of communicating with an order planning party side terminal which is a terminal on the side of the order planning party, The control unit receives at least one of the factory information and the design status information from the order candidate terminal and transmits the authentication information to the prospective orderer terminal.

4. The matching system according to claim 3.

5. The computer is not located at the side of the prospective order recipient and is not located at the side of the prospective order recipient.

2. The matching system according to claim 1.

6. A matching system that includes a computer and matches a potential order recipient who can receive an order for the production of a product with a prospective orderer who can place an order for the production of the product, the computer includes an input unit, an output unit, and a control unit; the input unit accepts input of factory information and design status information related to the order candidate, and also accepts at least one of order design information and order production information related to the planned order recipient, wherein the factory information is information related to a factory capable of producing the product, the design capability information is information related to the current status of the design of the product, the order design information is information related to a planned order product which is the product planned to be ordered, and the order production information is information on the required production quantity of the planned order product, The control unit generating at least one of production capacity information based on the factory information and design capacity information based on the design status information, wherein the production capacity information is information regarding a capacity to produce the product, and the design capacity information is information regarding a capacity to design the product; generating order candidate evaluation information from at least one of the order design information and the order production information and the production capacity information, and generating order candidate design capability evaluation information from the order design information and the design capability information, wherein the order candidate evaluation information is information regarding evaluation of the factory, and the order candidate design capability evaluation information is information regarding evaluation of the order candidate's design capability, The output unit outputs at least one of the order candidate evaluation information and the order candidate design capability evaluation information in a state that can be referenced by the order planner. A matching system characterized by:

7. The input unit accepts input of order receiving candidate selection information related to the order planning party, wherein the order receiving candidate selection information is information on the selected order receiving candidate, The output unit outputs at least one of the order receiving candidate selection information and the planned order receiving party information generated from the order receiving candidate selection information so that the corresponding order receiving candidate can refer to it, and the planned order receiving party information is information indicating that the order receiving candidate has been selected as the planned order receiving party.