Negotiation device, negotiation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a negotiation device, a negotiation method, and a program that enable negotiation that takes an environment into consideration.SOLUTION: A negotiation device 1X mainly includes environmental load calculation means 35X and candidate proposal generation means 30X. The environmental load calculation means 35X calculates an environmental load related to an order that a first negotiation entity negotiates with a second negotiation entity. The candidate proposal generation means 30X generates, on the basis of the environmental load, agreed candidate proposals for the order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical fields of a negotiation device, a negotiation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Systems are known that automatically negotiate terms between an ordering party and an order receiving party. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic negotiation system that stores negotiation candidates in advance in response to expected orders from the ordering party, and transmits the negotiation candidates to the ordering party in order of priority, starting with the negotiation candidates that have the greatest utility in relation to the negotiation terms received from the ordering party. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication WO2021 / 024414 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the production and transportation processes of the products that are the subject of an order place a burden on the environment, so negotiating parties who place importance on environmental issues want to negotiate orders while taking the impact on the environment into consideration.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a negotiation device, a negotiation method, and a program that are capable of conducting negotiations that take the environment into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the negotiation device is an environmental load calculation means for calculating an environmental load relating to an order negotiated by a first negotiating entity with a second negotiating entity; a candidate plan generating means for generating a candidate agreement plan for the order based on the environmental load; It is a negotiation device that has the following features.

[0007] One aspect of the negotiation method includes: The computer Calculate the environmental impact of the order that the first negotiating party will negotiate with the second negotiating party; generating a candidate agreement for the order based on the environmental impact; It is a negotiation method.

[0008] One aspect of the program is Calculate the environmental impact of the order that the first negotiating party will negotiate with the second negotiating party; The program causes a computer to execute a process of generating a candidate agreement plan for the order based on the environmental load. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it becomes possible to conduct negotiations that take the environment into consideration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] The configuration of the negotiation system is shown. [Figure 2] 1 shows the hardware configuration of a platform providing device. [Figure 3] 1 shows the hardware configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4] 1 is an example of a functional block in a negotiation platform. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of an offer editing screen before input by a negotiating subject. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of an offer editing screen after input by a negotiating subject. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of a flowchart executed by the platform providing device. [Figure 8] The configuration of the negotiation system is shown. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a negotiation device. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a negotiation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a negotiation device, a negotiation method, and a program will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] In the following description, "negotiation" refers to the adjustment of terms and conditions between the parties placing and receiving orders (i.e., the delivery and receipt of an order) until an agreement is reached. In this embodiment, it primarily refers to the act of the parties alternately offering each other potential agreement proposals (also called "offers") on the terms and conditions of the order until an agreement is reached. The negotiation in this case may be between parties with conflicting interests, or between parties without conflicting interests (so-called adjustment). Examples of the conditions (so-called issues) negotiated include the product price, delivery date, quantity, environmental impact, transportation method, resources used (airspace if the transportation method is a drone), functionality, and quality. The "negotiating entity" refers to the entity placing and receiving orders, and is, for example, an entity that has the ability to generate potential agreement proposals to provide to other negotiating entities and the ability to decide whether to accept an offer received from another negotiating entity. The negotiating entity may be an individual or an organization. The negotiating entity may negotiate using AI, robots, or other devices (including drones and self-driving cars) that reflect the will of these individuals or organizations.

[0013] First Embodiment (1) System Configuration FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a negotiation system 100. The negotiation system 100 mainly comprises a platform providing device 1 that provides an electronic negotiation platform for negotiating terms, and terminal devices 2A and 2B used by negotiating entities that conduct negotiations on the negotiation platform provided by the platform providing device 1. The platform providing device 1, terminal devices 2A, and terminal devices 2B communicate data via a network 3. As an example, FIG. 1 illustrates terminal device 2A used by negotiating entity A and terminal device 2B used by negotiating entity B; hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B, they will also be simply referred to as "terminal device 2."

[0014] The following explanation will be given using an example of one-on-one negotiation between negotiating parties A and B. Note that the one-on-one negotiations explained below may be combined to develop into competitive quotation negotiations, total quantity negotiations, and nested negotiations.

[0015] The platform providing device 1 provides a negotiation platform necessary for negotiating parties A and B to negotiate terms via terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B. For example, the negotiating party that places an order is a product manufacturer, and the negotiating party that receives an order is a supplier that supplies parts necessary for manufacturing the product. The platform providing device 1 generates display information necessary for displaying information necessary for negotiation, and controls the display of terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B by transmitting the generated display information to terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B. In this case, the platform providing device 1 receives input information related to offers from terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B, and generates the above-mentioned display information based on the received input information. The platform providing device 1 is an example of a "negotiation device."

[0016] The terminal devices 2 (2A, 2B) are communication devices that can be used by the negotiating entities, and display information and accept input from the negotiating entities using them based on data communication with the platform providing device 1. In this embodiment, as an example, the negotiating entity A basically performs automatic negotiation using a negotiation AI (the negotiation AI will be described later), and the negotiating entity B performs negotiation based on human input via the terminal device 2B without using the negotiation AI (hereinafter also referred to as "manual negotiation"). Note that when it is determined that an agreement cannot be reached through automatic negotiation using the negotiation AI, or in other cases where it is determined that manual negotiation is necessary, the negotiating entity A can switch to manual negotiation based on input via the terminal device 2A.

[0017] The configuration of the negotiation system 100 shown in Figure 1 is an example, and various modifications may be made to the configuration. For example, the platform providing device 1 may be composed of multiple devices. In this case, the multiple devices that make up the platform providing device 1 exchange information necessary to execute pre-assigned processing between these multiple devices.

[0018] (2) Hardware Configuration 2 shows the hardware configuration of the platform providing device 1. The platform providing device 1 includes, as hardware, a processor 11, a memory 12, and an interface 13. The processor 11, the memory 12, and the interface 13 are connected via a data bus 19.

[0019] The processor 11 executes a predetermined process by executing a program stored in the memory 12. The processor 11 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). The processor 11 may be composed of multiple processors. The processor 11 is an example of a computer.

[0020] The memory 12 is composed of various types of volatile and non-volatile memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The memory 12 also stores programs for the platform providing device 1 to execute various processes. The memory 12 is also used as a working memory.

[0021] Moreover, the memory 12 functionally includes a negotiation information storage unit 121, a model information storage unit 122, an environmental load information storage unit 123, and a parts information storage unit .

[0022] The negotiation information storage unit 121 stores negotiation information, which is information related to negotiations between negotiation parties A and B. The negotiation information includes information related to the offer currently agreed upon between negotiation parties A and B. For example, an order number is assigned to each product to be ordered or received according to the type of product, and an offer indicates proposed conditions for multiple order numbers.

[0023] The model information storage unit 122 stores model information (including parameters) for configuring a negotiation AI, which is an artificial intelligence model that negotiates with one negotiation entity on behalf of another negotiation entity. The negotiation AI is used by negotiation entity A, which is a human or organization, to negotiate with another negotiation entity (here, negotiation entity B).

[0024] The negotiation AI has an acceptance strategy function that determines whether an offer provided by another negotiating entity is acceptable (so-called acceptance determination), an offer generation function that generates an offer, etc. Note that the generation of an offer also includes generating an alternative offer (also called a "counteroffer") when it is determined that the offer provided by the other negotiating entity is unacceptable. Offer generation may use any method, such as beam search, grid search, search by stochastic optimization based on a genetic algorithm, search by Bayesian optimization, or a combination of these.

[0025] The negotiation AI may also calculate utility using a utility function that calculates the desirability of receiving or placing an order, and determine whether to accept an offer from the other negotiating entity and which offer to notify to the other negotiating entity based on the utility. For example, the negotiation AI may adopt an acceptance strategy in which it accepts offers whose utility is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and does not accept offers whose utility is less than the threshold. The negotiation AI may also create multiple offer candidates and determine which offer to notify to the other negotiating entity in descending order of utility. Note that a method for determining an offer based on a utility function is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. As will be described later, the negotiation AI may also take environmental impact into account when calculating utility using the utility function.

[0026] The environmental load information storage unit 123 stores environmental load information, which is information about the environmental load generated in the production process for each item. The environmental load information is, for example, a database in which an index value of the environmental load is associated with each type of item. The items include products that are the subject of orders and receipts, or items that can be components of products (including any resources such as raw materials). The environmental load index may be an index that quantitatively represents a specific chemical substance (e.g., CO2 or NOx), an index that quantitatively represents the consumption of resources (e.g., iron or copper), an index that represents the impact on a specific phenomenon such as air pollution or global warming, or an index of the environmental load that comprehensively takes these into consideration. An example of a database in which an index value of the environmental load is associated with each type of item is the IDEA database.

[0027] The part information storage unit 124 stores part information indicating the relationship between a product and the parts (resources) that are components of the product. The part information is, for example, a database or table having records that associate, for each product, the parts that are components of the product, and corresponds to, for example, a BOM (Bill Of Materials).

[0028] The interface 13 is an interface for electrically connecting the platform providing device 1 to other devices. These interfaces may be wireless interfaces such as network adapters for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices, or may be hardware interfaces for connecting to other devices via cables or the like.

[0029] The hardware configuration of the platform providing device 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 2. For example, the platform providing device 1 may include at least one of an input device, a display device, and a sound output device. Furthermore, at least a portion of the information stored in the memory 12 may be stored in one or more storage devices other than the platform providing device 1. In this case, the storage device may be a hard disk connected to the platform providing device 1, a storage medium such as a flash memory, or a server device that performs data communication with the platform providing device 1.

[0030] 3 shows the hardware configuration of the terminal device 2, i.e., the hardware configuration common to the terminal device 2A and the terminal device 2B. The terminal device 2 includes, as hardware, a processor 21, a memory 22, and an interface 23. The processor 21, the memory 22, and the interface 23 are connected via a data bus 29.

[0031] The processor 21 performs predetermined processing by executing a program stored in the memory 22. The processor 21 is a processor such as a CPU, a GPU, or a TPU. The processor 21 may be composed of multiple processors. The processor 21 is an example of a computer.

[0032] The memory 22 is composed of various types of volatile and non-volatile memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The memory 22 also stores programs for the platform providing device 1 to execute various processes. The memory 22 is also used as a working memory.

[0033] The interface 23 is an interface for electrically connecting the terminal device 2 to other devices. These interfaces may be wireless interfaces such as network adapters for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices, or may be hardware interfaces for connecting to other devices via cables or the like.

[0034] Furthermore, the interface 23 performs interface operations for the input unit 25 and the output unit 26. The input unit 25 is a user interface that accepts external input, and corresponds to, for example, a touch panel, a button, a keyboard, or an audio input device. The interface 23 supplies the input signal generated by the input unit 25 to other components within the terminal device 2 or to a device external to the platform providing device 1. The output unit 26 displays predetermined information or outputs audio based on the output signal supplied via the interface 23. Examples of the output unit 26 include a display, a projector, an audio output device, etc.

[0035] The hardware configuration of the terminal device 2 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 3. For example, at least one of the input unit 25 and the output unit 26 may be configured separately from the terminal device 2.

[0036] (3) Negotiation Platform Overview Next, we will explain the outline of the negotiation platform realized by the platform providing device 1. The platform providing device 1 generates offers based on environmental loads and determines whether to accept offers that take environmental loads into consideration in automatic negotiations by a negotiation AI used by negotiating entity A. This enables business negotiations that take environmental loads into consideration, such as reducing the environmental load by raising the price and delaying the delivery date.

[0037] 4 shows an example of functional blocks in a negotiation platform realized by the processor 11 of the platform providing device 1. The negotiation platform has, as functions on the side of negotiating party A, an offer generation / update unit 30A, an offer transmission unit 31A, an offer acceptance determination unit 33A, a negotiation result display unit 34A, and an environmental load calculation unit 35A. Furthermore, the negotiation platform has, as functions on the side of negotiating party B, an offer generation / update unit 30B, an offer transmission unit 31B, an offer acceptance determination unit 33B, and a negotiation result display unit 34B. Note that, although solid lines connect blocks where data is exchanged in FIG. 4, the combination of blocks where data is exchanged is not limited to this. The same applies to other functional block diagrams described later.

[0038] First, the function of negotiating entity A will be explained.

[0039] The offer generation / update unit 30A generates and updates offers using a negotiation AI. "Updating an offer" refers to the generation of a counteroffer when the offer provided by negotiation party B cannot be accepted. In this case, for example, the processor 11 configures the negotiation AI by referring to the model information stored in the model information storage unit 122, and executes processing related to the offer generation / update unit 30A.

[0040] In this case, the offer generation and update unit 30A generates an offer based on the calculation result regarding the environmental load by the environmental load calculation unit 35A and the negotiation information stored in the negotiation information storage unit 121. Furthermore, the offer generation and update unit 30A generates a counteroffer when it receives an offer previously received by an offer reception unit 32A (described later) and a determination result indicating that the offer cannot be accepted from an offer acceptance determination unit 33A (described later). In this case as well, the offer generation and update unit 30A generates a counteroffer based on the calculation result regarding the environmental load by the environmental load calculation unit 35A. Generation and updating of offers based on environmental loads will be described later. The offer generation and update unit 30A supplies the generated or updated offer to the offer transmission unit 31A.

[0041] The offer sending unit 31A supplies information indicating the offer generated or updated by the offer generating / updating unit 30A to the offer receiving unit 32B. In this case, for example, the processor 11 functions as the offer sending unit 31A, generates display information for displaying the offer generated or updated by the offer generating / updating unit 30A on the terminal device 2B, and transmits the generated display information to the terminal device 2B via the interface 13.

[0042] The offer receiving unit 32A receives information indicating an offer supplied from the offer sending unit 31B, which will be described later. In this case, for example, the processor 11 functions as the offer receiving unit 32A and receives information indicating an offer supplied from the offer sending unit 31B, which will be described later.

[0043] The offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines whether to accept (i.e., agree to) the offer received by the offer receiving unit 32A. In this case, for example, the processor 11 configures a negotiation AI by referring to the model information stored in the model information storage unit 122, and executes processing related to the offer acceptance determination unit 33A.

[0044] In this case, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A supplies information indicating the above-mentioned offer to the environmental load calculation unit 35A, and receives the calculation result of the above-mentioned environmental load of the offer calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A based on the supplied information from the environmental load calculation unit 35A. Then, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines whether to accept the offer based on the calculation result of the above-mentioned environmental load of the offer calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A.

[0045] Note that the environmental load calculation unit 35A does not need to generate the above-mentioned calculation result regarding the environmental load when the information indicating the offer supplied from the negotiating party B includes information regarding the environmental load. In this case, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines whether to accept the offer using the information regarding the environmental load supplied from the negotiating party B. Alternatively, the environmental load calculation unit 35A may generate the above-mentioned calculation result regarding the environmental load even when the information indicating the offer supplied from the negotiating party B includes information regarding the environmental load. In this case, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines whether to accept the offer based on the calculation result generated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A. In this way, the environmental load calculation unit 35A may generate the above-mentioned calculation result regarding the environmental load regardless of whether the information indicating the offer supplied from the negotiating party B includes information regarding the environmental load.

[0046] Then, when the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that an agreement has been reached on the entire offer received by the offer receiving unit 32A, it supplies information indicating the agreed-upon offer (i.e., information indicating the offer received by the offer receiving unit 32A) to the negotiation result display unit 34A. Note that the offer acceptance determination unit 33A may also supply information indicating the agreed-upon offer to the negotiation result display unit 34B in the same way.

[0047] Furthermore, when the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that the offer received by the offer receiving unit 32A cannot be agreed upon and that it is necessary to switch to manual negotiation, it supplies information indicating the current offer to the negotiation result display unit 34A. Note that the offer acceptance determination unit 33A may also supply the above-mentioned information to the negotiation result display unit 34B. For example, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that it is necessary to switch to manual negotiation when there is no change between the offer received last time by the offer receiving unit 32A and the offer received two offers ago by the offer receiving unit 32A (i.e., when the negotiation has not progressed). In another example, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that it is necessary to switch to manual negotiation when there is a request from negotiating party B to discontinue negotiation.

[0048] On the other hand, if the offer reception unit 32A determines that the offer received cannot be agreed upon and that there is no need to switch to manual negotiation, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A supplies information indicating the received offer and a determination result indicating that the offer cannot be accepted to the offer generation / update unit 30A. The offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that there is no need to switch to manual negotiation if there is a change between the offer received last time by the offer reception unit 32A and the offer received two offers ago by the offer reception unit 32A. In another example, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines that there is no need to switch to manual negotiation if there is no request from negotiating party B to discontinue negotiation.

[0049] The negotiation result display unit 34A causes the terminal device 2A to display the negotiation result based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33A. In this case, for example, the processor 11 functions as the negotiation result display unit 34A, generates display information based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33A, and supplies the generated display information to the terminal device 2A. For example, if the offer is agreed upon, the negotiation result display unit 34A causes the terminal device 2A to display information related to the agreed upon offer based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33A. On the other hand, if the offer is not agreed upon, the negotiation result display unit 34A causes the terminal device 2A to display information related to the offer made immediately before the negotiation was interrupted. Note that, if the offer acceptance determination unit 33B determines to interrupt the negotiation, the negotiation result display unit 34A may cause the terminal device 2A to display the negotiation result based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33B or the like.

[0050] The environmental load calculation unit 35A calculates the environmental load that occurs when a transaction is executed based on an offer (including candidate offers) generated and updated by the offer generation and update unit 30A or an offer for which acceptance is determined by the offer acceptance determination unit 33A. In this case, for example, the processor 11 configures a negotiation AI by referring to the model information stored in the model information storage unit 122, and executes processing related to the environmental load calculation unit 35A.

[0051] The environmental load calculation unit 35A calculates the index value of one or more environmental load-related indicators for an offer generated by the offer generation / update unit 30A or an offer for which the offer acceptance determination unit 33A makes an acceptance determination. Examples of environmental load index values ​​include kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per US dollar. In this case, the environmental load calculation unit 35A calculates the index value of the environmental load required to produce the commodity that is the subject of trading identified by the offer by referring to the environmental load information stored in the environmental load information storage unit 123 and the parts information stored in the parts information storage unit 124.

[0052] Specifically, the environmental load calculation unit 35A refers to the parts information corresponding to each product to be traded, identified by the offer, and identifies the parts (resources) used in each product. For example, if the product is a car, examples of parts include the engine, tires, and battery. The environmental load calculation unit 35A then refers to the environmental load information corresponding to each identified part and identifies the environmental load index value of each identified part. The environmental load calculation unit 35A then calculates the sum of the environmental load index values ​​of each part related to the product included in the offer, and uses the calculated sum as the environmental load index value corresponding to the offer. Note that the environmental load calculation unit 35A may also calculate the sum of the environmental load index values ​​for each order number included in the offer, and calculate the environmental load index value for each order number.

[0053] Furthermore, if the offer specifies a means of transporting the goods, the environmental load index value corresponding to the specified means of transport is also calculated. In this case, for example, the environmental load calculation unit 35A may calculate the environmental load index value for the goods transport by referring to information in which the environmental load index value is associated with each means of transport. In another example, the environmental load calculation unit 35A may calculate the environmental load index value for the goods transport by referring to a predetermined formula or lookup table that includes, as parameters (coefficients), each factor that affects the environmental load, such as the total weight of the goods, the transport distance, and the means of transport. The above-mentioned formula or lookup table is, for example, stored in advance in the memory 12. The environmental load calculation unit 35A supplies the calculated index value to the offer generation / update unit 30A or the offer acceptance determination unit 33A as the calculation result of the environmental load.

[0054] Next, the function of the negotiating party B will be explained.

[0055] The offer receiving unit 32B receives information indicating the offer supplied from the offer sending unit 31 A. In this case, for example, the terminal device 2B functions as the offer receiving unit 32B under the control of the processor 11, and receives the information indicating the offer supplied from the offer sending unit 31 A via the interface 23.

[0056] The offer acceptance determination unit 33B determines whether to accept (i.e., agree to) the offer received by the offer receiving unit 32B based on information input by the negotiating party B. In this case, the processor 11 functions as the offer acceptance determination unit 33B by controlling the terminal device 2B. For example, under the control of the processor 11, the terminal device 2B displays the offer from the negotiating party A based on the information received by the offer receiving unit 32B, and accepts user input specifying whether or not the offer is accepted and whether or not the negotiation needs to be suspended. Then, the terminal device 2B transmits the accepted input information to the platform providing device 1, and the processor 11 determines whether or not to accept (i.e., agree to) the offer based on the input information received from the terminal device 2B.

[0057] Here, the information received by the offer receiving unit 32B includes an index value for the environmental load. Therefore, when the offer of negotiating party A is to be displayed on the terminal device 2B, the offer acceptance determination unit 33B causes the terminal device 2B to display the index value for the environmental load for the offer of negotiating party A. In this way, the offer acceptance determination unit 33B notifies the second negotiating party of the offer of negotiating party A in a manner that clearly indicates the index value for the environmental load. In this way, the offer acceptance determination unit 33B allows negotiating party B to determine whether or not the offer is agreed to and whether or not the negotiation needs to be suspended, taking the environmental load into consideration.

[0058] When the offer acceptance determination unit 33B determines that there is an agreement on the offer, it supplies information indicating the agreed-upon offer (i.e., information indicating the offer received by the offer receiving unit 32B) to the negotiation result display unit 34B. When the offer acceptance determination unit 33B determines that there is no agreement on the entire offer and that there is an input specifying that the negotiation should be suspended, it determines that the negotiation should be suspended and supplies information indicating the current offer to the negotiation result display unit 34B. Note that the offer acceptance determination unit 33B may also supply the information supplied to the negotiation result display unit 34B to the negotiation result display unit 34A in the same way. When there is no agreement on the offer and there is no input specifying that the negotiation should be suspended, the offer acceptance determination unit 33B supplies information indicating the offer and a determination result indicating that the offer cannot be accepted to the offer generation / update unit 30B.

[0059] The offer generating and updating unit 30B generates and updates offers. In this case, the processor 11 functions as the offer generating and updating unit 30B by controlling the terminal device 2B. For example, when the offer generating and updating unit 30B receives a determination result from the offer acceptance determination unit 33B indicating that the offer cannot be accepted, the offer generating and updating unit 30B generates a counteroffer based on information input by the negotiating party B. In this case, the terminal device 2B accepts input specifying a counteroffer and transmits the accepted input information to the platform providing device 1. The offer generating and updating unit 30B may also generate a new offer based on the accepted input information at any timing.

[0060] The offer sending unit 31B supplies information indicating the offer generated or updated by the offer generating / updating unit 30B to the offer receiving unit 32A. In this case, for example, the processor 11 functions as the offer sending unit 31B.

[0061] The negotiation result display unit 34B displays the negotiation result based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33B on the terminal device 2B. In this case, for example, the processor 11 functions as the negotiation result display unit 34B, generates display information based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33B, and supplies the generated display information to the terminal device 2B. For example, if the offer is agreed upon, the negotiation result display unit 34B displays information related to the agreed upon offer on the terminal device 2B based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33B. On the other hand, if the offer is not agreed upon, the negotiation result display unit 34B displays information indicating the current offer on the terminal device 2B. Note that, if the offer acceptance determination unit 33A determines to interrupt the negotiation, the negotiation result display unit 34B may display the negotiation result based on the information received from the offer acceptance determination unit 33A or the like on the terminal device 2B.

[0062] The components of the offer generation / update unit 30A, the offer transmission unit 31A, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A, the negotiation result display unit 34A, the environmental load calculation unit 35A, the offer generation / update unit 30B, the offer transmission unit 31B, the offer acceptance determination unit 33B, and the negotiation result display unit 34B described in FIG. 4 can be realized, for example, by the processor 11 executing a program. Alternatively, the components may be realized by recording the necessary programs in any nonvolatile storage medium and installing them as needed. At least some of these components may not necessarily be realized by software programs, but may also be realized by any combination of hardware, firmware, and software. At least some of these components may also be realized using a user-programmable integrated circuit, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or a microcontroller. In this case, the integrated circuit may be used to realize a program consisting of the above components. Furthermore, at least a portion of each component may be configured using an ASSP (Application Specific Standard Produce), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a quantum processor (quantum computer control chip). In this way, each component may be realized using various types of hardware. The same applies to other embodiments described below. Furthermore, each of these components may be realized by the cooperation of multiple computers, for example, using cloud computing technology.

[0063] (4) Generation and acceptance of offers based on environmental impact Next, we will explain the details of generating offers based on environmental loads and determining whether to accept them. Here, we will explain a method of reflecting environmental loads in utility and a method of using environmental loads to filter offers.

[0064] In the method of reflecting the environmental load in the utility, the platform providing device 1 calculates the utility taking the environmental load into consideration. In this case, the platform providing device 1 lowers the utility as the level of the environmental load increases. In other words, the platform providing device 1 increases the utility as the level of the environmental load decreases.

[0065] In this case, for example, the utility function includes a parameter related to the environmental load, and the platform providing device 1 calculates the utility using the utility function based on the index value of the environmental load calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A. The parameter related to the environmental load is the index value of the environmental load calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A, and the utility function is a function such that the utility decreases as the level of the environmental load indicated by the parameter related to the environmental load increases. In other words, the utility function is a function such that the utility increases as the level of the environmental load indicated by the parameter related to the environmental load decreases. The utility function is pre-stored in the memory 12 or the like.

[0066] In another example, the platform providing device 1 calculates the utility using a utility function that does not have a parameter related to the environmental load, and then corrects the utility based on the index value of the environmental load calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A. In this case, for example, the platform providing device 1 calculates the utility using a utility function that uses parameters such as price, delivery date, quantity, and direct material cost, as shown in Patent Document 1. Thereafter, the platform providing device 1 corrects the calculated utility so that it is lower as the level of environmental load indicated by the index value calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A becomes higher. In other words, the platform providing device 1 corrects the calculated utility so that it is higher as the level of environmental load indicated by the index value calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A becomes lower.

[0067] Based on the utility that takes environmental load into consideration in this way, the platform providing device 1 determines whether to accept an offer from the other negotiating entity and determines the offer to be notified to the other negotiating entity. For example, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A of the platform providing device 1 accepts an offer whose utility is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and does not accept an offer whose utility is less than the threshold. In another example, the offer generation / update unit 30A of the platform providing device 1 creates multiple offer candidates and calculates the utility of each candidate taking environmental load into consideration. Then, the offer generation / update unit 30A determines the offer to be notified to the other negotiating entity in descending order of the calculated utility of the offer candidate.

[0068] In addition, when calculating utility, conditions related to transportation may be reflected in the utility. Examples of conditions related to transportation include conditions related to the transportation means and conditions related to the transportation distance. In this case, for example, the platform providing device 1 calculates utility using a utility function including parameters related to transportation. Examples of parameters related to transportation include a parameter (coefficient) representing the impact of the transportation method on delivery time (e.g., delay penalty), a parameter representing the impact of the transportation method on cost, and a parameter representing the impact of the transportation distance on environmental loads such as carbon dioxide emissions.

[0069] Next, a method of using environmental loads to filter offers will be described. In this case, the platform providing device 1 filters offers based on the comparison result between the index value of the environmental load calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A and a predetermined threshold value.

[0070] For example, if the environmental load index value calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A for a certain offer is worse than a predetermined threshold (i.e., the environmental load is high), the platform providing device 1 determines that the offer does not satisfy the requirements regarding the environmental load. In this case, for example, the offer generation / update unit 30A excludes candidate offers whose environmental load index value is worse than the threshold from the candidates for offers to be notified to the negotiating party B. Furthermore, if the offer acceptance determination unit 33A receives an offer whose environmental load index value is worse than the threshold, it does not accept the offer. On the other hand, if the environmental load index value for a certain offer is equal to or better than the predetermined threshold (i.e., the environmental load is low), the platform providing device 1 determines that the offer satisfies the requirements regarding the environmental load and keeps the offer as a candidate for an offer to be accepted or provided to the negotiating party B (i.e., does not exclude it).

[0071] The platform providing device 1 does not have to generate or determine whether to accept an offer based on the environmental load. Even in this case, the offer generation / update unit 30A includes the environmental load index value calculated by the environmental load calculation unit 35A in the information indicating the offer that the offer sending unit 31A is to send, and notifies the negotiating party B of the environmental load index value. Even in this case, the negotiating party B can determine whether to accept the offer from the negotiating party A by referring to the displayed environmental load index value.

[0072] (5) Display example Next, specific examples of information regarding offers that the terminal device 2B displays will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0073] 5 is an example of an offer editing screen before input by negotiating party B. Here, after negotiating party B (herein referred to as "Company B") inputs that it cannot accept the offer generated or updated by negotiating party A (herein referred to as "Company A"), an offer editing screen for generating a counteroffer is displayed. The platform providing device 1 generates display information based on the offer generated or updated by negotiating party A and transmits the display information to terminal device 2B, thereby causing terminal device 2B to display the offer display screen shown in FIG. 5 based on the display information.

[0074] The platform providing device 1 has, on the offer editing screen shown in Figure 5, an offer management table 40 having a record for each order number, an offer decision button 41 labeled "Offer with this content," a negotiation interruption button 42 labeled "Negotiation interruption," and an edit button 43 provided for each order number.

[0075] The offer management table 40 has records of orders for each order number, and has the following fields: "Order Number," "Before Change," "Company A's Proposal," and "Our Company's (Company B's) Proposal." The field "Order Number" indicates the order number corresponding to each record. In addition to the order number, identification information (including the product name, etc.) of the product corresponding to the order number may also be displayed.

[0076] The "Before Change" field shows the conditions before negotiating party A of the corresponding order number proposed an offer. The "Company A's Proposal" field shows negotiating party A's offers for each corresponding order number. The "Our Company's (Company B's) Proposal" field shows the counteroffers to the offers listed in the "Company A's Proposal" field for each order number. Figure 5 shows the initial state before input by negotiating party B, with no input yet being made in the "Our Company's (Company B's) Proposal" field. Additionally, the "Before Change" field for new order records is blank.

[0077] Here, the items "Before Change," "Company A's Proposal," and "Our Company's (Company B's) Proposal" each include sub-items "Delivery Date," "Quantity," "Transportation Method," and "Environmental Impact Index Value" that indicate detailed values ​​for each condition. The sub-item "Delivery Date" indicates the delivery date (year-month-day) of the product for each order number. The sub-item "Quantity" indicates the quantity of the product for each order number. The sub-item "Transportation Method" indicates the transportation method for the product for each order number. The sub-item "Environmental Impact Index Value" indicates an index value that indicates the degree of environmental impact required to procure the product (including production, transportation, etc.) for each order number. Note that the sub-items shown in the figure are just an example, and sub-items indicating other arbitrary conditions such as price may be provided.

[0078] The offer decision button 41 is a button for deciding to notify the other negotiating entity (negotiating entity A in this case) of the proposal content displayed in the "Our Company's (Company B's) Proposal" item in the offer management table 40 as a counteroffer. The negotiation interruption button 42 is a button for deciding to interrupt negotiation. The edit button 43 is a graphical user interface (GUI) for editing (inputting) counteroffers for each order number. Note that these buttons are not limited to the illustrated form and may be realized in any form.

[0079] FIG. 6 is an example of the offer editing screen after input by negotiating party B. FIG. 6 shows the offer editing screen after input regarding counter offers for each order number has been made. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the counter offers entered after selecting the edit button 43 are displayed in the item "Our company's (Company B's) proposal." For example, in the records for order numbers "P000124" and "P000125," the content of the offer by negotiating party A displayed in the item "Company A's proposal" matches the content of the offer by negotiating party B displayed in the item "Our company's (Company B's) proposal." On the other hand, in the record for order number "P000126," the content of the sub-item "Delivery date" is different, but the content of the other sub-items matches.

[0080] In addition, the sub-item "environmental load index value" of the item "our company's (company B's) proposal" may display a value input by negotiating entity B, or may display an environmental load index value calculated by the platform providing device 1. In the latter example, the platform providing device 1 calculates the environmental load index value of the counteroffer for each order number input by negotiating entity B based on the contents input in the other sub-items of the item "our company's (company B's) proposal", and displays the calculated index value in the sub-item "environmental load index value".

[0081] When the negotiation is suspended or when the offer is agreed upon, the platform providing device 1 may cause the terminal device 2A to display the negotiation result including the index value of the environmental load as shown in Fig. 6. This allows the platform providing device 1 to allow the negotiating entity A to appropriately understand the negotiation result including the information regarding the environmental load.

[0082] (6) Processing flow Fig. 7 is an example of a flowchart executed by the negotiation AI of the platform providing device 1. The processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 corresponds mainly to processing executed by the offer generation / update unit 30A, the offer acceptance determination unit 33A, and the environmental load calculation unit 35A of the platform providing device 1.

[0083] First, the platform providing device 1 determines whether or not an offer to the negotiating entity (negotiating entity A here) represented by the negotiation AI has been received from the other negotiating entity (negotiating entity B here) (step S11).

[0084] If it is determined that an offer has been received (step S11; Yes), the platform providing device 1 determines whether or not an agreement can be reached taking the environmental load into consideration (step S12). In this case, the platform providing device 1 refers to the environmental load information stored in the environmental load information storage unit 123 and the part information stored in the part information storage unit 124, calculates an index value of the environmental load of the received offer, and determines whether or not to accept the offer using the calculated index value of the environmental load. On the other hand, if it is determined that an offer has not been received (step S11; No), the platform providing device 1 proceeds to step S13.

[0085] Next, the platform providing device 1 determines whether or not an offer should be generated (step S13). For example, if it is determined in step S12 that an agreement cannot be reached, the platform providing device 1 determines that an offer (i.e., a counteroffer) should be generated, and if it is determined in step S12 that an agreement can be reached, the platform providing device 1 determines that an offer does not need to be generated. Furthermore, even if an offer has not been received, the platform providing device 1 determines that an offer should be generated if a predetermined condition for generating an offer is satisfied (for example, if an input instructing the generation of an offer is detected).

[0086] If it is determined that an offer should be generated (step S13; Yes), the platform providing device 1 generates an offer that takes the environmental load into consideration (step S14). In this case, for example, the platform providing device 1 determines an offer to be proposed to the negotiating entity B by using an index value of the environmental load identified by referring to the environmental load information stored in the environmental load information storage unit 123 and the component information stored in the component information storage unit 124. Then, the platform providing device 1 transmits the generated offer to the other negotiating entity (step S15). As a result, the platform providing device 1 causes the terminal device 2B to display the offer including information about the environmental load. On the other hand, if it is determined that an offer should not be generated (step S13; No), the platform providing device 1 proceeds to step S16.

[0087] Next, the platform providing device 1 determines whether an agreement on the offer has been reached or whether the negotiation should be suspended (step S16). If the platform providing device 1 determines that an agreement on the offer has been reached or that the negotiation should be suspended (step S16; Yes), the platform providing device 1 ends the processing of the flowchart. On the other hand, if the platform providing device 1 determines that an agreement on the offer has not been reached and that the negotiation should not be suspended (step S16; No), the platform providing device 1 returns the processing to step S11.

[0088] (4) Variations Next, modifications that can be applied to the above-described embodiment will be described. The following modifications may be applied in any combination.

[0089] (Variation 1) The negotiation AI may be executed by the terminal device 2A instead of by the platform providing device 1.

[0090] In this case, the terminal device 2A stores the model information stored in the model information storage unit 122 in the memory 22, and the processor 21 of the terminal device 2A executes the negotiation AI by referencing the model information. As in the above-described embodiment, the negotiation AI calculates an index value of the environmental load and generates and accepts offers that take the environmental load into consideration. In this modified example, automatic negotiation by the negotiating entity A can also be preferably realized.

[0091] (Variation 2) The functions of the platform providing device 1 may be incorporated into the terminal device 2.

[0092] 8 shows the configuration of negotiation system 100A. Negotiation system 100A has terminal device 2A that can be used by negotiation entity A and terminal device 2B that can be used by negotiation entity B. Terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B communicate data via network 3. At least one of terminal device 2A and terminal device 2B realizes a negotiation platform by executing the processing executed by platform providing device 1 shown in FIG.

[0093] As shown in Figure 8, even in a state in which data communication is performed between terminal devices 2 used for negotiation, the terminal devices 2 can exchange information necessary for negotiation and preferably execute processing related to the notification and acceptance of offers.

[0094] Second Embodiment 9 is a functional block diagram of a negotiation device 1X. The negotiation device 1X mainly includes an environmental load calculation means 35X and a candidate proposal generation means 30X. The negotiation device 1X may be composed of multiple devices. The negotiation device 1X may be, for example, the platform providing device 1 in FIG. 1 or the terminal device 2A or the terminal device 2B in FIG. 8.

[0095] The environmental load calculation means 35X calculates the environmental load related to the order that the first negotiating entity negotiates with the second negotiating entity. The environmental load calculation means 35X can be, for example, the environmental load calculation unit 35A in the first embodiment.

[0096] The candidate plan generating means 30X generates an agreed candidate plan for an order based on the environmental load. The candidate plan generating means 30X can be, for example, the offer generating / updating unit 30A in the first embodiment.

[0097] 10 is an example of a flowchart executed by the negotiation device 1X. The environmental load calculation means 35X calculates the environmental load related to the order that the first negotiating entity negotiates with the second negotiating entity (step S21). The candidate proposal generation means 30X generates an agreement candidate proposal related to the order based on the environmental load (step S22).

[0098] The negotiation device 1X according to the second embodiment can generate a candidate agreement proposal that takes environmental load into consideration in a favorable manner during negotiation.

[0099] In addition, part or all of the above-described embodiments (including variations, the same applies below) may also be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. Furthermore, part or all of the configurations described in supplementary notes 2 to 8, which are dependent on supplementary note 1, may also be dependent on supplementary notes 9 and 10 in the same dependent relationship as supplementary notes 2 to 8. Furthermore, not limited to the devices, methods, and storage media described in the supplementary notes, but also to methods, various hardware, software, various recording means (including storage media) for recording software, or systems, all of the configurations described as supplementary notes may be dependent on the above-described embodiments.

[0100] [Appendix 1] an environmental load calculation means for calculating an environmental load relating to an order negotiated by a first negotiating entity with a second negotiating entity; a candidate plan generating means for generating a candidate agreement plan for the order based on the environmental load; A negotiation device with. [Appendix 2] 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load calculation means identifies the environmental load of each part that constitutes the product that is the subject of the order based on part information about the parts and environmental load information about the environmental load of the parts, and calculates the environmental load related to the order based on the sum of the environmental loads of the parts. [Appendix 2] 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, further comprising a candidate proposal notification means for notifying the second negotiating entity of the candidate agreement proposal in a manner in which the index value indicating the environmental load is clearly indicated. [Appendix 3] The proposed agreement includes terms relating to transportation; 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load calculation means calculates an environmental load based on the conditions related to the transportation. [Appendix 4] The conditions regarding the transportation are conditions that specify at least a means of transportation, 4. The negotiation device according to claim 3, wherein the environmental load calculation means calculates an environmental load according to the transportation means. [Appendix 5] A negotiation device as described in Appendix 1, further comprising a determination means for, when the second negotiating party provides another candidate agreement proposal different from the candidate agreement proposal, determining whether to agree to the other candidate agreement proposal based on the environmental impact of the other candidate agreement proposal. [Appendix 6] the environmental load calculation means calculates the environmental load of the other agreement candidate plan; 6. The negotiation device according to claim 5, wherein the determination means determines whether to agree to the other proposed agreement candidate based on the calculated environmental load of the other proposed agreement candidate. [Appendix 7] The negotiation device described in Appendix 1, wherein the candidate generation means calculates the utility of each of a plurality of candidate agreement proposals for the order based on the environmental impact of each of the plurality of candidate agreement proposals, and determines the candidate agreement proposal to be notified to the second negotiating party from the plurality of candidate agreement proposals based on the utility. [Appendix 8] 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the candidate generation means excludes the candidate agreement proposal from being notified to the second negotiating entity if the environmental impact of the candidate agreement proposal is higher than a predetermined threshold. [Appendix 9] The computer Calculate the environmental impact of the order that the first negotiating party will negotiate with the second negotiating party; generating a candidate agreement for the order based on the environmental impact; How to negotiate. [Appendix 10] Calculate the environmental impact of the order that the first negotiating party will negotiate with the second negotiating party; A program that causes a computer to execute a process of generating a candidate agreement for the order based on the environmental load. [Appendix 11] A storage medium storing the program described in Appendix 10.

[0101] In each of the above-described embodiments, the program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a computer processor or the like. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable medium can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0102] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications within the scope of the present invention that would be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible for those skilled in the art based on the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical ideas. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited patent and non-patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Platform provider 2(2A, 2B) Terminal equipment 3 Network 4 Storage device 100, 100A Negotiation System

Claims

1. an environmental load calculation means for calculating an environmental load relating to an order negotiated by a first negotiating entity with a second negotiating entity; a candidate plan generating means for generating a candidate agreement plan for the order based on the environmental load; A negotiation device with.

2. 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load calculation means identifies an environmental load for each part that constitutes the product that is the subject of the order based on part information about the parts and environmental load information about the environmental load of the parts, and calculates the environmental load for the order based on a sum of the environmental loads for each of the parts.

3. 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, further comprising a candidate proposal notifying means for notifying the second negotiating entity of the candidate agreement proposal in a manner in which the index value indicating the environmental load is clearly indicated.

4. the proposed agreement includes at least a term specifying the means of transportation; The negotiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the environmental load calculation means calculates an environmental load according to the means of transportation.

5. 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, further comprising a determination means for, when the second negotiating party provides another proposed agreement candidate different from the proposed agreement candidate, determining whether to agree to the other proposed agreement candidate based on the environmental impact of the other proposed agreement candidate.

6. the environmental load calculation means calculates the environmental load of the other agreement candidate plan; 6. The negotiation device according to claim 5, wherein the determining means determines whether to agree to the other proposed agreement candidate based on the calculated environmental load of the other proposed agreement candidate.

7. 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the candidate generation means calculates the utility of each of a plurality of candidate agreement proposals for the order based on the environmental impact of each of the plurality of candidate agreement proposals, and determines the candidate agreement proposal to be notified to the second negotiating party from the plurality of candidate agreement proposals based on the utility.

8. 2. The negotiation device according to claim 1, wherein the candidate generation means excludes the agreement candidate from being notified to the second negotiating entity when the environmental impact of the agreement candidate is higher than a predetermined threshold.

9. The computer Calculating the environmental impact of the order negotiated by the first negotiating entity with the second negotiating entity; generating a candidate agreement for the order based on the environmental impact; How to negotiate.

10. Calculating the environmental impact of the order negotiated by the first negotiating entity with the second negotiating entity; A program that causes a computer to execute a process of generating a candidate agreement for the order based on the environmental load.

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