Processing apparatus, program and method

Abstract

Responding to external requests for charging and discharging. [Solution] A processing device that generates an operation schedule defining the operation of electrical equipment for each time period and operates the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule comprises: a schedule generation unit that generates the operation schedule; a request information acquisition unit that acquires request information from an external device; an adjustment amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of power adjustment based on the request information acquired by the request information acquisition unit; an adjustment amount distribution unit that distributes the amount of adjustment calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit into a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount; a schedule correction unit that corrects the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount; and a request information generation unit that generates request information based on the second adjustment amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing device, a program, and a method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a charging control system that allows a plurality of persons to use a single vehicle is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a charging system that determines charging schedules for a plurality of mobile bodies based on the respective chargeable periods of the plurality of mobile bodies obtained from the usage schedules of the plurality of mobile bodies each equipped with a power storage device. However, no consideration has been given to responding to external charging and discharging requests from electric power companies or the like, leaving room for improvement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in view of the background described above, and provides a processing device, a program, and a method capable of responding to external charging and discharging requests.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing device is provided that generates an operation schedule defining the operation of electrical equipment for each time period and operates the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule, the processing device comprising: a schedule generation unit for generating the operation schedule; a request information acquisition unit for acquiring request information from an external device; an adjustment amount calculation unit for calculating a power adjustment amount based on the request information acquired by the request information acquisition unit; an adjustment amount distribution unit for distributing the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit into a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount; a schedule modification unit for modifying the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount; and a request information generation unit for generating request information based on the second adjustment amount.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a program is provided that causes a computer to function as the processing unit described above.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for generating an operation schedule that defines the operation of electrical equipment for each time period, and for operating the electrical equipment in accordance with the operation schedule, the method comprising: generating the operation schedule; acquiring request information from an external device; calculating a power adjustment amount based on the acquired request information; distributing the calculated adjustment amount into a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount; modifying the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount; and generating request information based on the second adjustment amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing apparatus, program, and method capable of responding to external requests for charging and discharging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2A]Figure 2A is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device management server device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B shows an example of the functions of the processing system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a conceptual diagram showing a device information table stored in the memory of a device management server device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B is a conceptual diagram showing a schedule information table stored in the memory of the device management server device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the processing sequence executed between the user terminal device, the equipment management server device, the power management server device, the vehicle, and the charging device in the processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the processing sequence executed between the user terminal device, the subscriber server device, the equipment management server device, the vehicle, and the charging device in the processing system according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Common components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] <First Embodiment> The processing system according to the first embodiment is, for example, a system for managing the charging and discharging of electrical equipment such as batteries mounted on a vehicle. The processing system generates a schedule for performing at least one of charging and discharging of the batteries mounted on the vehicle, and causes a charging device or the like to charge and discharge the batteries mounted on the vehicle. The processing system also includes an equipment management server device, which modifies the charging and discharging schedule of the batteries mounted on the vehicle based on requests from external sources, such as a power company.

[0012] For example, the processing system can schedule battery charging to coincide with periods when the power company has a surplus of electricity. Alternatively, the processing system can schedule battery discharge to coincide with periods when the power company has a shortage of electricity generated. The electricity discharged from the battery is then transmitted to the power company, for example.

[0013] The processing system described herein can perform charging and discharging of batteries based on external requests for such actions. In other words, by managing the charging and discharging of vehicles, the processing system can effectively utilize surplus electricity and alleviate power shortages in the market. Furthermore, the processing system can adjust the charging and discharging of vehicles in accordance with constantly changing electricity rates.

[0014] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processing system 1 includes a user terminal device 100, an equipment management server device 200-1, a power management server device 200-2, a vehicle 300, and a charging device 400. The user terminal device 100, the equipment management server device 200-1, the power management server device 200-2, the vehicle 300, and the charging device 400 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a wireless and / or wired network.

[0015] The user terminal device 100 is, for example, a wirelessly wireless portable terminal device such as a smartphone. The device management server device 200-1 stores and manages various information necessary for executing processing in the processing system 1, which is input by the user terminal device 100, and also sends and receives various information with the user terminal device 100. Its detailed configuration and processing will be described later.

[0016] In the example in Figure 1, only one user terminal device 100 is shown, but it may of course include two or more terminal devices. Similarly, only one equipment management server device 200-1 and one power management server device 200-2 are shown, but it may of course include two or more of each device.

[0017] The user terminal device 100 may be a feature phone, personal digital assistant, PDA, laptop personal computer, desktop personal computer, portable game console, stationary game console, or the like. Further, in the processing system 1, the user terminal device 100 may include a plurality of terminal devices, and the respective terminal devices do not need to be the same type of terminal device, and may be different types of terminal devices. Further, the user terminal device 100 includes, for example, an output interface, a processor, a memory, a communication interface, and an input interface. These constituent elements are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines.

[0018] Specifically, the output interface of the user terminal device 100 functions as an output unit that outputs to equipment such as a display and a printer in accordance with instructions from the processor. Such a display is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, electronic paper, or the like. The processor includes a CPU, and functions as a control unit that controls other connected constituent elements based on various programs stored in the memory. The memory includes a main storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, and a non-volatile memory, and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD and an SSD, and functions as a storage unit. The communication interface functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from a server device or the like installed at a remote location via a communication processing circuit and an antenna. The input interface is configured by a touch panel, hard keys, a camera, a microphone, and the like, and functions as an input unit that receives instruction inputs related to execution of the program according to the present disclosure, operation inputs for registering various types of information, and the like.

[0019] The vehicle 300 is typically exemplified by an electric vehicle equipped with a battery 301, and may include a traveling body capable of traveling by driving wheels using electric power stored in the battery 301, but is of course not limited to such a traveling body. For example, as the vehicle 300, a so-called hybrid vehicle including the battery 301 and an internal combustion engine, an aircraft capable of flying by driving a propeller instead of wheels, a watercraft or submersible capable of moving on or under water by driving a screw instead of wheels, or any other mobile body capable of executing the program according to the present disclosure can be suitably applied. In addition, although the processing system 1 may include a plurality of vehicles 300, each vehicle 300 does not need to be the same type of vehicle, and may be a different type of vehicle. Further, the vehicle 300 includes, for example, a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. These components are electrically connected to one another via control lines and data lines. Specifically, the processor is constituted by a CPU, and functions as a control unit that controls other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory. The memory includes a main storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, and a nonvolatile memory, and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD and an SSD, and functions as a storage unit. The communication interface functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the charging device 400. Details of the transmission and reception of information to and from the charging device 400 will be described later.

[0020] The charging device 400 is typically a device that electrically connects a connection terminal provided on a power cable to the vehicle 300 to transmit power to the battery 301 mounted on the vehicle 300 or receive power discharged from the battery 301, but is of course not limited to such a device. For example, as the charging device 400, any device capable of exchanging electrical energy with the vehicle 300 can be suitably applied, such as a device using an induced current system that supplies and discharges power in a non-contact manner (or in a state of being in contact but not fixedly connected) using high-frequency electromagnetic waves, and an optical wireless power supply system that propagates energy serving as a basis for electrical energy using light.

[0021] The charging device 400 includes, for example, a processor, memory, and a communication interface. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines. Specifically, the processor consists of a CPU and functions as a control unit that controls the other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory. The memory includes a main memory such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory, and an auxiliary memory such as an HDD or SSD, and functions as a storage unit. The communication interface functions as a communication unit that sends and receives information with devices such as the equipment management server device 200-1. Details regarding the sending and receiving of information with the vehicle 300 will be described later. In the first embodiment, the vehicle 300 and the charging device 400 may be used as examples of electrical equipment, but the electrical equipment is not limited to these. Electrical equipment may include, for example, home appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines. Electrical equipment may also include industrial products such as water pumps.

[0022] The equipment management server device 200-1 is a server device that manages the charging and discharging of power in the vehicle 300. The equipment management server device 200-1 is a server device managed by, for example, at least one of a predetermined aggregation coordinator and a predetermined resource aggregator. The equipment management server device 200-1 notifies the user of information regarding available power during times when there is surplus power, such as during times when electricity rates are low or when the amount of power generated by the power company significantly exceeds the amount of power consumed. The user who receives the notification can operate the charging device 400 to charge electrical equipment such as the battery 301 of the vehicle 300. Here, a user is a user who uses electrical equipment managed by the equipment management server device 200-1. The user registers information about themselves with the equipment management server device 200-1, for example.

[0023] Furthermore, the equipment management server device 200-1 notifies the user of information regarding the expected time period when a power shortage is predicted in the market. The prediction of whether or not a power shortage will occur in the market may be performed by the power management server device 200-2, which will be described later. Alternatively, it may be performed by a server device of a general power transmission and distribution company, etc. The time period when a power shortage is predicted is a time period when electricity rates are relatively high. Upon receiving the notification, the user can operate the charging device 400 to discharge the battery 301 of the vehicle 300. Details of the functions of the equipment management server device 200-1 will be described later.

[0024] The power management server device 200-2 is a server device managed by the power company. The power management server device 200-2 monitors the electricity generated by the power generation equipment owned by the power company and, for example, sets the electricity to a relatively low price during a predetermined period of time. It also performs control such as notifying the power company if it detects that the amount of electricity generated may fall below the amount of electricity consumed.

[0025] Figure 2A is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the equipment management server device 200-1 according to this disclosure. The equipment management server device 200-1 does not need to have all of the components shown in Figure 2A; it is possible to omit some components or add other components. Furthermore, the equipment management server device 200-1 can also have the components shown in Figure 2A distributed across multiple devices. Although not shown in the diagram, the power management server device 200-2 may have the same configuration as the equipment management server device 200-1, or it may not necessarily have the same configuration as the equipment management server device 200-1.

[0026] The device management server device 200-1 includes a processor 212, a memory 213, and a communication interface 214. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines. In this embodiment, a database 215 for storing various information may be connected to the device management server device 200-1 via the communication interface 214. In this disclosure, the device management server device 200-1 may include only the memory 213, or only the database 215, or it may include both the memory 213 and the database 215.

[0027] The processor 212 includes a CPU and functions as a control unit for controlling other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory 213. The processor 212 may consist of a single CPU or multiple CPUs.

[0028] The memory 213 includes main memory (RAM, ROM, non-volatile memory, etc.) and auxiliary storage (HDD, SSD, etc.) and functions as a storage unit. The memory 213 stores instruction commands for executing the application and OS according to this embodiment as programs. Such programs are loaded and executed by the processor 212. The memory 213 (especially the RAM) is also used temporarily to write and read data while the program is being executed by the processor 212.

[0029] The communication interface 214 functions as a communication unit that performs processing such as modulation and demodulation in order to send and receive programs, various information, etc., via a network with a user terminal device 100 or other server devices. The communication interface 214 communicates with each terminal device and other server devices according to the wireless communication method or known wired communication method described above.

[0030] Figure 2B is a diagram conceptually illustrating the functions of the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. When a person managing the equipment management server device 200-1 participates in a power bidding process conducted by a designated power company, etc., and an agreement is reached, the equipment management server device 200-1 performs the predetermined exchange with the power management server device 200-2 described below. The equipment management server device 200-1 includes, for example, a usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001, a schedule generation unit 2003, a request information acquisition unit 2011, an adjustment amount calculation unit 2013, an equipment information acquisition unit 2061, an upper limit calculation unit 2063 and an upper limit reset unit 2065, an adjustment amount distribution unit 2020, a schedule correction unit 2031, a request information generation unit 2033, an instruction information generation unit 2035, a response status acquisition unit 2041, and an adjustment amount correction unit 2050.

[0031] The usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001 acquires usage schedule information for electrical equipment. Specifically, the usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001 acquires usage schedule information indicating the date and time when the vehicle 300 is scheduled to be used, such as reservations for the vehicle 300 by users and maintenance of the vehicle 300 by administrators. For example, the usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001 receives information related to reservations for the vehicle 300 transmitted by the user terminal device 100 in response to user operations via the communication interface 214.

[0032] The schedule generation unit 2003 generates an operation schedule based on the usage schedule information acquired by the usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001. The schedule generation unit 2003 generates an operation schedule that defines the operation of electrical equipment such as the vehicle 300 for each time period. The operation of the vehicle 300 includes charging and discharging of the vehicle 300's battery 301, driving the vehicle, and maintenance by the administrator. The operation schedule includes a usage schedule that indicates the reservation date and time of the vehicle 300.

[0033] The request information acquisition unit 2011 acquires request information from external devices such as the power management server device 200-2. That is, the equipment management server device 200-1 is equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with external devices, and the request information acquisition unit 2011 acquires request information via the communication unit. The request information is information for requesting the equipment management server device 200-1 to charge and discharge power in order to adjust the demand and supply of power. The request information includes, for example, information indicating the amount of charge and discharge requested for a predetermined time period. The information indicating the amount of charge and discharge requested is, for example, information indicating power or energy quantity. The power management server device 200-2 may, for example, transmit the request information to the equipment management server device 200-1 based on electricity rates that change moment by moment in accordance with the amount of power generated by the power company. The amount of charge and discharge requested is within the range of the amount of energy that the person managing the equipment management server device 200-1 won in the bidding process.

[0034] For example, if it is detected that the amount of electricity generated by the power company during a certain period may significantly exceed the amount of electricity consumed in the market, the power management server device 200-2 requests the equipment management server device 200-1 to charge a predetermined amount of electricity to the battery 301 during that period. This allows the power management server device 200-2 to request the equipment management server device 200-1 to charge the battery 301 installed in the vehicle 300 during periods when electricity consumption (i.e., demand) in the market is low. If electricity rates are set relatively low during a certain period, the power management server device 200-2 may also request the equipment management server device 200-1 to charge a predetermined amount of electricity to the battery 301 during that period.

[0035] Furthermore, if it is detected that the amount of electricity generated by the power company during a certain period may fall below the amount of electricity consumed in the market, the power management server device 200-2 requests the equipment management server device 200-1 to supply a predetermined amount of electricity during that period. For example, if it is detected that the amount of electricity consumed (i.e., demand) in the market is high or if high electricity demand is expected, the power management server device 200-2 requests the equipment management server device 200-1 to either stop electricity consumption during that period or discharge a predetermined amount of electricity from the battery 301. This allows the power management server device 200-2 to request the equipment management server device 200-1 to supply power from the battery 301 during periods of high electricity consumption (i.e., demand) in the market.

[0036] The equipment management server device 200-1 may also obtain information regarding electricity rates in advance from the power management server device 200-2, a designated electricity exchange, or a server device that manages electricity rates at multiple electricity exchanges. In this case, the equipment management server device 200-1 can, for example, charge a predetermined amount of power to the battery 301 during a predetermined time period when electricity rates are set low.

[0037] The power management server device 200-2 may transmit the request information only to the equipment management server device 200-1, or it may transmit it to other parties. These other parties may be, for example, one or more aggregation coordinators or resource aggregators. The power management server device 200-2 may also transmit the request information in response to requests from the equipment management server device 200-1, etc. Furthermore, the request information may include not only information that directly requests charging or discharging power, but also information indicating electricity rates and guidance information aimed at inducing customers in any way. Information indicating electricity rates may include, for example, information indicating a percentage discount on electricity rates during a specific time period, or a certain amount of discount on electricity rates during a specific time period. Guidance information will be described later.

[0038] The adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates the power adjustment amount based on the request information acquired by the request information acquisition unit 2011. The power adjustment amount is, for example, the amount of electricity to compensate for a predicted power shortage in the future or the amount of electricity to consume a power surplus in the future. A power shortage is, for example, a state in which the amount of electricity consumed is greater than the amount of electricity generated by the power company. A power surplus is a state in which the amount of electricity generated by the power company is a certain amount greater than the amount of electricity consumed. In other words, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 uses the battery 301 installed in the vehicle 300 to calculate the power adjustment amount in order to adjust the power shortage or power surplus to an appropriate state.

[0039] The equipment information acquisition unit 2061 acquires information related to the charging and discharging of electrical equipment, such as the specifications of the vehicle 300. Specifically, the equipment information acquisition unit 2061 acquires information such as the maximum chargeable amount, the maximum dischargeable amount, the maximum charge amount per unit time, the maximum discharge amount per unit time, and the latest stored energy amount of electrical equipment such as the battery 301 of the vehicle 300. The equipment information acquisition unit 2061 may also acquire specifications and other information about electrical equipment other than that of the vehicle 300.

[0040] The upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the electrical equipment based on the specifications information of the vehicle 300. That is, the upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates at least one of the maximum amount of power that the battery 301 of the vehicle 300 can discharge and the maximum amount of power that it can store. Here, vehicle 300 refers to one or more vehicles managed by the equipment management server device 200-1. Vehicle 300 may include one or more vehicles 300 that are not managed by the equipment management server device 200-1. One or more vehicles 300 that are not managed by the equipment management server device 200-1 may be, for example, part of the second electrical equipment described later. Even if the equipment management server device 200-1 does not manage a vehicle 300, it manages information about the user of that vehicle.

[0041] Electrical equipment, including vehicle 300, can be classified into multiple groups. For example, the groups of electrical equipment include Class 1 Electrical Equipment and Class 2 Electrical Equipment.

[0042] The first electrical equipment operates according to the operation schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 2003. In other words, the first electrical equipment is electrical equipment that the equipment management server device 200-1 can make perform operations such as charging and discharging. To put it another way, the electrical equipment belonging to the first electrical equipment is electrical equipment that the equipment management server device 200-1 can control.

[0043] The first category of electrical equipment includes the first-1 electrical equipment and the first-2 electrical equipment. The first-1 electrical equipment is electrical equipment that can be controlled by the equipment management server device 200-1 to perform operations such as charging and discharging, regardless of user operation. In other words, the equipment management server device 200-1 can forcibly control the charging and discharging of the first-1 electrical equipment according to the operation schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 2003.

[0044] The first two electrical devices, as will be described in detail later, are electrical devices that the device management server 200-1 can operate, such as charging and discharging, when the user responds to a request sent from the device management server 200-1 to the user terminal device 100. In other words, when the user responds to a request, the device management server 200-1 can control the charging and discharging of the first two electrical devices according to the operation schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 2003.

[0045] The second type of electrical equipment operates regardless of the operation schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 2003. In other words, the second type of electrical equipment is electrical equipment that the equipment management server device 200-1 cannot control, such as charging or discharging. To put it another way, the second type of electrical equipment is electrical equipment that the equipment management server device 200-1 cannot control, such as charging or discharging. The second type of electrical equipment includes rental cars.

[0046] The upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-first electrical equipment, the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-second electrical equipment, and the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the second electrical equipment. Here, the first-first electrical equipment, the first-second electrical equipment, and the second electrical equipment each include one or more electrical devices.

[0047] For example, if there are 3 units of the 1-1 electrical equipment, 3 units of the 1-2 electrical equipment, and 3 units of the 2 electrical equipment, and each electrical equipment is capable of charging and discharging 6 [kWh] of energy, the upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the upper limit of the adjustable amount for the 1-1 as 18 [kWh], the upper limit of the adjustable amount for the 1-2 as 18 [kWh], and the upper limit of the adjustable amount for the 2 as 18 [kWh].

[0048] The upper limit resetting unit 2065 resets the values ​​obtained by subtracting a margin from each of the first-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the first-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit. The margin is a value set to take into account situations such as when the amount of power cannot be adjusted due to a malfunction in the electrical equipment, when the amount of power cannot be adjusted because the user does not comply with the request for charging or discharging, and when the amount of power cannot be adjusted because the user complies with the request but does not operate the charging device 400.

[0049] Electrical equipment type 1-1, whose operation schedule is modified according to the first adjustment amount described later, does not require user permission for operations such as charging and discharging, and therefore the prediction accuracy of the extent of charging and discharging is relatively high. Electrical equipment type 2, on the other hand, which is restricted from being executed by the equipment management server device 200-1 or which cannot be executed by the equipment management server device 200-1, operates regardless of the operation schedule and requires the user to operate the electrical equipment type 2, resulting in a relatively low prediction accuracy of the extent of charging and discharging. Electrical equipment type 1-2, which can be executed by the equipment management server device 200-1 when approved by the user via the user terminal device 100, requires user permission for charging and discharging. Therefore, the prediction accuracy of charging and discharging for electrical equipment type 1-2 is lower than that of electrical equipment type 1-1, but higher than that of electrical equipment type 2. In other words, the margins for the upper limit of the first-1 adjustable amount, the margin for the upper limit of the first-2 adjustable amount, and the margin for the upper limit of the second adjustable amount are values ​​set according to the prediction accuracy of the charging and discharging of the first-1 electrical equipment, the first-2 electrical equipment, and the second electrical equipment.

[0050] For example, if one or more electrical devices belonging to the Class 1-1 electrical equipment malfunction, the Class 1-1 electrical equipment can only adjust an amount of power less than the amount of power indicated by the Class 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. Also, if a user using one or more electrical devices belonging to the Class 1-2 electrical equipment does not comply with the request, the Class 1-2 electrical equipment can only adjust an amount of power less than the amount of power indicated by the Class 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. Furthermore, even if a user using one or more electrical devices belonging to the Class 2 electrical equipment complies with the request, if the user does not actually operate the charging device 400 to perform charging and discharging, the Class 2 electrical equipment can only adjust an amount of power less than the amount of power indicated by the Class 2 adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. Due to these circumstances, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 resets the values ​​obtained by subtracting the margin from each of the first-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the first-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit.

[0051] The upper limit resetting unit 2065 may, for example, set the margin size such that the margin for the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit < the margin for the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit < the margin for the 2 adjustable amount upper limit, or it may set the margin for the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit > the margin for the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit > the margin for the 2 adjustable amount upper limit. The margin size can be determined as appropriate. The margin may also be a value subtracted from the upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063, or a value multiplied by the upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. Furthermore, a process to check the prediction accuracy of the amount of power during charging and discharging performed in the 1-1 electrical equipment, the 1-2 electrical equipment, and the 2 electrical equipment may be performed periodically. For example, the prediction accuracy check process may be performed daily or weekly. In this case, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may determine the size of each margin according to the prediction accuracy check result. Alternatively, the reliability of the prediction of the amount of power during charging and discharging performed in the first-first electrical equipment, the first-second electrical equipment, and the second electrical equipment may be calculated. In this case, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may determine the size of the margin according to the reliability of the prediction.

[0052] The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 to a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount. The first adjustment amount is the adjustment amount distributed to the first electrical equipment. The second adjustment amount is the adjustment amount distributed to the second electrical equipment.

[0053] If the equipment management server device 200-1 is equipped with an upper limit calculation unit 2063, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the first adjustment amount and the second adjustment amount based on the first-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the first-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. The first adjustment amount includes the first-1 adjustment amount distributed to the first-1 electrical equipment and the first-2 adjustment amount distributed to the first-2 electrical equipment.

[0054] For example, if the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates an adjustment amount of 36 [kWh], and the upper limit of the first-1 adjustable amount is 18 [kWh], the upper limit of the first-2 adjustable amount is 18 [kWh], and the upper limit of the second adjustable amount is 18 [kWh], then the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 will, for example, distribute 24 [kWh] to the first adjustment amount and 12 [kWh] to the second adjustment amount. Of the first adjustment amount, for example, 12 [kWh] will be distributed to the first-1 adjustment amount and 12 [kWh] will be distributed to the first-2 adjustment amount.

[0055] If the equipment management server device 200-1 is equipped with an upper limit resetting unit 2065, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the adjustment amount based on the reset upper limits of the adjustment amount. For example, if the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates an adjustment amount of 36 [kWh], and the upper limit resetting unit 2065 resets the first-first adjustable amount upper limit to 15 [kWh], the first-second adjustable amount upper limit to 12 [kWh], and the second adjustable amount upper limit to 9 [kWh], the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 will, for example, distribute 27 [kWh] to the first adjustment amount and 9 [kWh] to the second adjustment amount. Of the first adjustment amount, 15 [kWh] will be distributed to the first-first adjustment amount and 12 [kWh] will be distributed to the first-second adjustment amount.

[0056] The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may allocate the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 proportionally to each adjustment amount based on each upper limit. For example, if the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates an adjustment amount of 36 [kWh], and the upper limit reset unit 2065 resets the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit to 20 [kWh], the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit to 16 [kWh], and the 2 adjustable amount upper limit to 12 [kWh], the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may, for example, allocate 15 [kWh] to the 1-1 adjustment amount, 12 [kWh] to the 1-2 adjustment amount, and 9 [kWh] to the 2 adjustment amount.

[0057] Furthermore, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may distribute the adjustment amount in the order of the first-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the first-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit, so as to satisfy the adjustable amount upper limits.

[0058] For example, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the adjustment amount indicated by the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit to the 1-1 electrical equipment, and distributes the remaining adjustment amount to the 1-2 electrical equipment. In this case, if the remaining adjustment amount is greater than the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit, the adjustment amount indicated by the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit should be distributed to the 1-2 electrical equipment, and the remaining adjustment amount should be distributed to the 2 electrical equipment. The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may also distribute the adjustment amounts in the order of the 2 adjustable amount upper limit, the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit, so as to satisfy the adjustable amount upper limits.

[0059] Furthermore, if the requested information is information indicating the price of electricity, the requested information does not include information indicating the amount of charge / discharge requested during a predetermined time period. In this case, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may calculate a predetermined value as the adjustment amount. In addition, in this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may ignore the value calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 and use a plurality of predetermined values ​​as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, respectively. The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may also distribute the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the 2nd adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063 as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, respectively. Furthermore, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may distribute the values ​​set by the upper limit reset unit 2065 as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, respectively. In other words, if the requested information is information indicating electricity charges, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may use a pre-set value, a value calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063, or a value set by the upper limit reset unit 2065 as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, regardless of the value calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013. Alternatively, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may calculate the adjustment amount as the maximum value that can be set in advance. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may prorate and distribute the adjustment amount based on the upper limit value calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063.

[0060] Furthermore, the request information may include, in addition to information indicating the electricity charges, at least one of the following: information indicating the maximum number of recipients to whom the request information can be sent, and information indicating the maximum amount of electricity to be charged or discharged. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may calculate the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022 based on this information.

[0061] The schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule of the vehicle 300, etc., generated by the schedule generation unit 2003, based on the first adjustment amount distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020. For example, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule of the first-1 electrical equipment according to the first adjustment amount. More specifically, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule of the first-1 electrical equipment according to the first-1 adjustment amount.

[0062] The schedule correction unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule, for example, so that the battery 301 mounted on the vehicle 300 is charged during periods when the power supply is excessive. The schedule correction unit 2031 also modifies the operation schedule, for example, so that the battery 301 mounted on the vehicle 300 is discharged during periods when a power shortage is predicted. Information regarding periods when the power supply is excessive and information regarding periods when a power shortage is predicted may be sent from the power management server device 200-2 to the equipment management server device 200-1.

[0063] The request information generation unit 2033 generates request information based on the first and second adjustment amounts distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020. The request information includes information for requesting the user of the first and second electrical equipment to agree to charge or discharge the vehicle 300, or to stop charging and discharging. The request information generation unit 2033 also generates request information based on the second adjustment amount distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020. The request information also includes information for requesting the user of the second electrical equipment to charge or discharge the vehicle 300, or to stop charging and discharging it themselves. The request information may also include information specifying the region, charging device 400, and charge / discharge amount for the user of the first and second electrical equipment, or the user of the second electrical equipment.

[0064] Request information may include, for example, information requesting that vehicle 300 be charged and discharged during a specific time period. Request information may include, for example, information such as, "Shall we charge tomorrow from 12:00 to 14:00?" Or, request information may include, "Please select a time slot tomorrow from the following available for charging: 12:00-14:00, 14:00-16:00, 16:00-18:00."

[0065] Request information may include incentive information. Incentive information may include, for example, information indicating money or benefits equivalent to money that can be obtained by complying with the request indicated in the request information, or information indicating that a specified service can be received. In other words, including incentive information in the request information can increase the likelihood that users of the first and second electrical devices will comply with the request for charging and discharging. Incentive information may also include information indicating discounts on charging fees, point accrual, cashback, discounts on products at participating stores, and the provision of free gifts.

[0066] The request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033 is transmitted to the user terminal device 100, etc., via the communication interface 214. The request information is transmitted to the user terminal device 100 via email, SNS, and applications, etc. The request information does not necessarily have to be transmitted directly to the user terminal device 100; it may also be transmitted to the user terminal device 100 via an external device, etc. The external device may be, for example, a user terminal management server that manages the user terminal device 100.

[0067] The user terminal management server manages, for example, users' personal information (telephone number, email address, address, contracted electricity company, contract plan, etc.). In this case, the equipment management server device 200-1 may send the user conditions for which the request information will be sent to the user terminal management server. The user conditions for which the request information will be sent may be, for example, "1000 users whose address is in Tokyo." Alternatively, the user conditions for which the request information will be sent may be, for example, "100 subscribers to contract plan B of contracted electricity company A." The equipment management server device 200-1 may send the user conditions along with the request information to the user terminal management server, and the user terminal management server may send the request information to users who meet those conditions. However, the equipment management server device 200-1 may manage the users' personal information and identify users who meet the conditions before sending the request information to the user terminal management server. In this case, the user terminal management server sends the request information to the users identified by the equipment management server device 200-1.

[0068] Furthermore, the request information may be transmitted to devices other than the user terminal device 100, for example, to a web page managed by the administrator of the equipment management server device 200-1. The request information may also be transmitted to a navigation system installed in the vehicle 300. If the request information is transmitted to the navigation system, the navigation system may present the request information to the user by displaying it on a screen or by emitting an audible message from its speaker.

[0069] The instruction information generation unit 2035 generates instruction information for charging and discharging the first electrical equipment based on the operation schedule corrected by the schedule correction unit 2031. Specifically, the instruction information generation unit 2035 generates instruction information to be transmitted to the charging device 400 to which the battery 301 of the vehicle 300 is electrically connected, in order to perform charging and discharging of an amount of power corresponding to the 1-1 adjustment amount. The instruction information generated by the instruction information generation unit 2035 is transmitted to the charging device 400, etc., via the communication interface 214.

[0070] The response status acquisition unit 2041 acquires the response status to the request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033 and sent to the user. That is, the response status includes information indicating whether or not the request contained in the request information has been accepted. The response status acquisition unit 2041 acquires the response status from at least one of the users of the first-to-second electrical equipment and the user of the second electrical equipment. However, the response status acquisition unit 2041 does not necessarily have to acquire all response statuses. Also, the response status acquisition unit 2041 is not an essential component, and the equipment management server device 200-1 does not have to be equipped with the response status acquisition unit 2041. In this case, the equipment management server device 200-1 may include information in the request information sent to the user of the first-to-second electrical equipment that forces charging and discharging of the first-to-second electrical equipment.

[0071] The response status acquisition unit 2041 acquires the response status, for example, when the user replies to the request information via email, social media, app, etc. The response status may include information indicating that part of the request contained in the request information has been accepted.

[0072] The response status acquisition unit 2041 may further acquire the operating status of the first-1 electrical equipment, the first-2 electrical equipment, and the second electrical equipment. The operating status includes information indicating whether or not the electrical equipment belonging to each electrical equipment category is actually performing charging or discharging. The operating status may also include time-series data of the power being charged or discharged by each electrical equipment.

[0073] The response status acquisition unit 2041 may, for example, acquire information indicating whether the battery 301 installed in the first- and second electrical devices is performing charging and discharging during a predetermined time period when the user of the first- and second electrical devices agrees to a charging and discharging request. Alternatively, the unit may acquire information indicating whether the second electrical device is performing charging and discharging during a predetermined time period when the user of the second electrical device agrees to a charging and discharging request.

[0074] The adjustment amount correction unit 2050 corrects the adjustment amount according to the response status acquired by the response status acquisition unit 2041, for example. The adjustment amount correction unit 2050 includes the first-first adjustment amount correction unit 2051-1, the first-second adjustment amount correction unit 2051-2, and the second adjustment amount correction unit 2052.

[0075] The first-1 adjustment amount modification unit 2051-1 modifies the first-1 adjustment amount according to the response status. The first-2 adjustment amount modification unit 2051-2 modifies the first-2 adjustment amount according to the response status. The second adjustment amount modification unit 2052 modifies the second adjustment amount according to the response status. For example, the first-1 adjustment amount modification unit 2051-1 modifies the first-1 adjustment amount according to the response status of the users of the first-2 electrical equipment and the users of the second electrical equipment. For example, if many of the users of the first-2 electrical equipment and the users of the second electrical equipment do not accept the charge / discharge request, the adjustment amount modification unit 2050 modifies the first-1 adjustment amount to increase it.

[0076] The schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule of the first- and second electrical devices according to the response status to the request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033. For example, if the user of the first- and second electrical devices agrees to a charging request, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule so that the first- and second electrical devices are charged during off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower. For example, as described above, if the request information includes the question, "Shall I charge it tomorrow from 12:00 to 14:00?", and the user agrees to this, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule so that the first- and second electrical devices used by the agreeing user are charged tomorrow from 12:00 to 14:00. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the request information includes the following: "Please select a time slot tomorrow from the following available for charging: 12:00-14:00, 14:00-16:00, 16:00-18:00." If the user agrees to charge during "12:00-14:00," the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule so that the first and second electrical devices used by the agreed-upon user are charged during 12:00-14:00 tomorrow.

[0077] Furthermore, if the request information includes multiple available charging time slots, and the user selects multiple available charging time slots, the schedule modification unit 2031 may modify the operation schedule so that the first and second electrical devices are charged during the time slot with the lowest electricity rates among the selected time slots. For example, if the request information includes the following information for tomorrow: 12:00-14:00, 14:00-16:00, 16:00-18:00, and the user selects "12:00-14:00" and "16:00-18:00", the schedule modification unit 2031 may modify the operation schedule so that the first and second electrical devices are charged during the time slot with the lowest electricity rates, for example, 12:00-14:00.

[0078] Furthermore, the schedule modification unit 2031 further modifies the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the operation schedule modified by the schedule modification unit 2031. For example, the schedule modification unit 2031 further modifies the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the 1-1 electrical equipment shown in the operation schedule modified by the schedule modification unit 2031 and the actual operating status of the 1-1 electrical equipment. As a specific example, if the operation schedule stipulates that the 1-1 electrical equipment should be charged during a predetermined time period, but for some reason it is not possible to charge the 1-1 electrical equipment, then the 1-1 electrical equipment needs to be charged again during a time period later than the predetermined time period. Therefore, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule again so that the 1-1 electrical equipment is charged during a time period later than the predetermined time period.

[0079] Furthermore, if, despite the operating schedule specifying that the electrical equipment 1-1 should be charged during a predetermined time period, it becomes impossible to charge the electrical equipment 1-1 for any reason, the system may adjust the schedule so that other electrical equipment 1-1 is charged during that predetermined time period. In this case, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operating schedule again so that other electrical equipment 1-1 is charged during the predetermined time period. This allows other electrical equipment 1-1 to be charged as a backup.

[0080] Furthermore, if, despite the operating schedule specifying that the electrical equipment 1-1 should be charged during a predetermined time period, it is not possible to charge the electrical equipment 1-1 for any reason, the request information generation unit 2033 may generate request information to request additional charging or discharging from at least one of the users of the electrical equipment 1-2 and the electrical equipment 2. If the user of the electrical equipment 1-2 or the electrical equipment 2 agrees to this request, the electrical equipment 1-2 and the electrical equipment 2 can be charged as a backup.

[0081] The schedule modification unit 2031 may further modify the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the response status to the request information. For example, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule based on the difference between the actual operating status of the first and second electrical equipment and the actual operating status of the second electrical equipment, and the user response status of the first and second electrical equipment and the user response status of the second electrical equipment. The request information generation unit 2033 may also generate request information to request charging and discharging to at least one of the users of the first and second electrical equipment and the user of the second electrical equipment, based on the difference between the actual operating status of the first and second electrical equipment and the actual operating status of the second electrical equipment, and the user response status of the first and second electrical equipment and the user response status of the second electrical equipment. The request information generation unit 2033 may also generate additional request information based on the user response status of the first and second electrical equipment and the user response status of the second electrical equipment, and send it to the users of the first and second electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment. For example, if the ratio of users who have accepted the request to the number of users of the first and second electrical equipment to which the request information was sent is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the request information generation unit 2033 may generate additional request information and send it to the users of the first and second electrical equipment. In this case, incentive information may be added to the previously sent request information, or if incentive information is already included, incentive information with an increased incentive may be sent.

[0082] For example, if a user of electrical equipment 1-2 agrees to a request for discharge during a predetermined time period, but for some reason is unable to discharge during that time period, then it is necessary to discharge using other electrical equipment during that time period. Therefore, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule again, for example, so that discharge is performed by electrical equipment 1-1 during the predetermined time period.

[0083] Furthermore, if the user of the second electrical equipment accepts a request for discharge during a predetermined time period but fails to discharge for any reason during that time period, it becomes necessary for other electrical equipment to discharge during that time period. In this case, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule again, for example, so that discharge is performed by the first-1 electrical equipment during the predetermined time period. Alternatively, in this case, discharge may be performed by at least one of the first-2 electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment during that predetermined time period. In other words, the request information generation unit 2033 may generate request information to request discharge from at least one of the first-2 electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment during that predetermined time period and send it to the user.

[0084] Figures 3A and 3B conceptually illustrate various information tables stored in the memory 213 of the device management server device 200-1 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. In this disclosure, the case in which the various information tables are stored in the memory 213 of the device management server device 200-1 is described, but the various tables may also be stored in a database 215 that is communicated with the device management server device 200-1 via a network. In this case, the device management server device 200-1 temporarily reads these information stored in the database 215 into the memory 213 of the device management server device 200-1 as processing progresses and processes them.

[0085] According to Figure 3A, the equipment information table stores "classification," "chargeable capacity," and "dischargeable capacity" in association with the electrical equipment ID. The "electrical equipment ID" is an identification number assigned to each piece of electrical equipment, such as vehicle 300. The "classification" is information indicating the classification of the electrical equipment, such as vehicle 300. In the first embodiment, the "classification" is divided into three groups, for example, 1-1 electrical equipment, 1-2 electrical equipment, and 2 electrical equipment, but it may be divided into fewer or more groups.

[0086] "Chargeable amount" is information indicating the amount of electrical energy that can be charged in the battery 301 of the corresponding vehicle 300. For example, if the current charge level of battery 301 is 30% of its maximum charge level, the "chargeable amount" will be the amount of electrical energy equivalent to 70% of the battery 301's maximum charge level. However, the chargeable amount may also be calculated based on various information included in the processing system. This information may include, for example, information regarding priority charging for renewable energy. For example, if renewable energy charging (for example, charging using solar power generation) is scheduled to take place between 12:00 and 14:00, and battery 301 is fully charged before this time, charging using renewable energy will not be possible. In this case, the chargeable amount is calculated taking into account that charging using renewable energy will take place.

[0087] "Dischargeable amount" is information indicating the amount of electrical energy that can be discharged from the battery 301 of the corresponding vehicle 300. For example, if the current charge level of battery 301 is 30% of its maximum charge level, the "dischargeable amount" will be the amount of electrical energy equivalent to 30% of the battery 301's maximum charge level. The "dischargeable amount" may also be calculated based on information related to the vehicle 300's reservation. For example, when the battery 301 is charged at 30%, considering the information related to the next vehicle reservation, it may only be possible to discharge up to 20%. This is because discharging beyond 20% would prevent the necessary charge from being secured for the next vehicle reservation. In this case, the dischargeable amount is calculated as "10%". The amount of charge required for the next vehicle reservation can be calculated based on information such as the reservation time, vehicle type, availability of fast charging, and reservation user. The "chargeable amount" and "dischargeable amount" may be obtained directly from electrical equipment such as the vehicle 300, or they may be estimated from information such as the vehicle 300's specifications and mileage. Furthermore, in order to prevent deterioration of the battery 301, if it is not possible to fully charge or discharge the battery 301 depending on the specifications of the vehicle 300 and the charging device 400, the "chargeable amount" may be defined as 90% of the maximum charge amount minus the current charge amount of the battery 301, and the "dischargeable amount" may be defined as 10% of the current charge amount of the battery 301 minus the maximum charge amount.

[0088] According to Figure 3B, the schedule information table stores "electrical equipment ID" and "charge / discharge request value" in association with the schedule ID information. The "schedule ID" is an identification number assigned to each charge / discharge schedule. The "electrical equipment ID" is, as mentioned above, an identification number assigned to each piece of electrical equipment, such as vehicle 300. The "charge / discharge request value" is information indicating the charge / discharge request value obtained from, for example, the power management server device 200-2. Note that the memory 213 may store a management table that combines data from multiple tables, rather than storing the various information tables described above separately.

[0089] In addition to the equipment information table and schedule information table shown in Figures 3A and 3B, or in addition to these tables, the memory 213 of the equipment management server device 200-1 may also store a charging device management table for managing the charging devices 400. In the charging device management table, for example, the charging device ID assigned to each charging device 400 should be associated with the charge / discharge schedule of each charging device 400 and stored accordingly. When managing the schedule of the charging devices 400 using the charging device management table, for example, the charge / discharge schedules of multiple vehicles 300 can be managed.

[0090] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the processing sequence executed between the user terminal device 100, the equipment management server device 200-1, the power management server device 200-2, the vehicle 300, and the charging device 400 in the processing system 1 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. As described above, the power management server device 200-2 is a server managed by a power company. The equipment management server device 200-1 is, for example, a server device that manages the charging and discharging of power in the vehicle 300.

[0091] The equipment management server device 200-1 generates a schedule for vehicle 300 based on information indicating the date and time when vehicle 300 is scheduled to be used (scheduled usage information) (step S1). That is, the scheduled usage information acquisition unit 2001 acquires information indicating the date and time when vehicle 300 is scheduled to be used, and the schedule generation unit 2003 generates an operation schedule that defines the operation of vehicle 300 for each time period based on said information. In step S1, the equipment management server device 200-1 may generate a schedule for the charging device 400 in place of, or in addition to, the schedule for vehicle 300.

[0092] Meanwhile, the power management server device 200-2 transmits charge / discharge request information (request information) to the equipment management server device 200-1 via the communication interface 214.

[0093] When the equipment management server device 200-1 receives the request information, it calculates the amount of power adjustment (step S2). That is, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates the amount of power adjustment related to the charging and discharging of the battery 301 of the vehicle 300 in order to satisfy the charging and discharging request related to the request information.

[0094] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 acquires equipment information related to the charging and discharging of electrical equipment, such as the specifications of the vehicle 300 (step S3). That is, the equipment information acquisition unit 2061 acquires equipment information, including the specifications of the vehicle 300.

[0095] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the electrical equipment (step S4). That is, the upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the electrical equipment.

[0096] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 sets the upper limit as a value obtained by subtracting a margin from the upper limit of the adjustable amount (step S5). That is, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 resets the upper limit by subtracting a margin from the upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063.

[0097] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 distributes the calculated adjustment amount (step S6). That is, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the adjustment amount based on the upper limit set by the upper limit reset unit 2065.

[0098] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 modifies the operation schedule based on the adjustment amounts distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 (step S7). That is, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule generated by the schedule generation unit 2003 based on the distributed adjustment amounts.

[0099] Next, the equipment management server device 200-1 generates request information based on the adjustment amounts distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 and the operation schedule modified by the schedule modification unit 2031 (step S8). That is, the request information generation unit 2033 generates request information based on the distributed adjustment amounts and the modified operation schedule, and transmits the generated request information to the user terminal device 100.

[0100] Furthermore, the equipment management server device 200-1 generates instruction information (step S9) based on the processing result of the operation schedule modification process (step S7). That is, the instruction information generation unit 2035 generates instruction information and transmits the instruction information to the charging device 400 via the communication interface 214.

[0101] When the user terminal device 100 receives the request information, and accepts the user's response input operation to the request (step S10), it transmits information indicating the response status to the equipment management server device 200-1. In this case, the response status acquisition unit 2041 of the equipment management server device 200-1 acquires the response status. The response status acquisition unit 2041 may also periodically query the user terminal device 100 to acquire the response status.

[0102] Furthermore, upon receiving instruction information, the charging device 400 performs charging and discharging of the vehicle 300's battery 301 based on the instruction information (step S11). After charging and discharging the vehicle 300's battery 301, the charging device 400 transmits the above-described operating status to the equipment management server device 200-1 via the communication interface.

[0103] The equipment management server device 200-1 modifies the adjustment amount again based on the response status received from the user terminal device 100, the operating status received from the charging device 400, and the processing result of the operation schedule modification process (step S12). That is, the adjustment amount modification unit 2050 performs the adjustment amount modification process. Finally, the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operation schedule again based on the adjustment amount modified by the adjustment amount modification unit 2050 (step S13).

[0104] Subsequently, the processing system 1 repeatedly executes these processes. The processing system 1 may also execute the processes in a different order than shown in Figure 4. For example, in the embodiment described above, the schedule correction unit 2031 corrects the schedule, and then the request information generation unit 2033 generates the request information. However, the schedule correction unit 2031 may correct the schedule after the request information generation unit 2033 has generated the request information. Alternatively, the processing system 1 may skip some processes and execute the process. For example, the equipment management server device 200-1 may not correct the operation schedule in step S7, but instead correct the operation schedule in step S13, taking into account the response status and operation status. Furthermore, some processes may be repeatedly executed while the processes from step S1 to step S13 are being executed.

[0105] For example, if the schedule generation unit 2003 generates an operation schedule for the charging device 400 associated with the vehicle 300 in step S1, and then the usage information acquisition unit 2001 acquires information related to the vehicle 300's usage reservation (i.e., the vehicle 300's usage schedule is changed), the schedule modification unit 2031 may modify the operation schedule in step S7 based on the changed usage schedule.

[0106] Furthermore, if the operating schedule of electrical equipment is changed based on the planned usage information, the second adjustment amount modification unit 2052 may modify the second adjustment amount according to the changes in the operating schedule. For example, if, during a predetermined time period, 5 kWh of power was scheduled to be discharged from the first electrical equipment and 5 kWh from the second electrical equipment, but due to a change in the operating schedule, only 3 kWh can be discharged from the first electrical equipment, the second adjustment amount modification unit 2052 will modify the second adjustment amount so that 7 kWh of power is discharged from the second electrical equipment. This allows the equipment management server device 200-1 to modify the adjustment amount in accordance with the changes in the operating schedule. The equipment management server device 200-1 may also modify the schedule and adjust the adjustment amounts at predetermined intervals. In addition, the equipment management server device 200-1 may modify each adjustment amount if the difference between the estimated charging state of the vehicle 300 based on the operating schedule and the actual charging state of the vehicle 300 exceeds a predetermined value.

[0107] Furthermore, if the usage schedule of electrical equipment is changed based on the planned usage information, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may calculate a third adjustment amount according to the changes in the operation schedule, and the request information generation unit 2033 may generate request information based on the third adjustment amount. For example, if 5 [kWh] of power is scheduled to be discharged from the first electrical equipment and 5 [kWh] from the second electrical equipment during a predetermined time period, the request information generation unit 2033 generates request information requesting the second electrical equipment to discharge 5 [kWh] of power and transmits the request information to the user of the second electrical equipment. On the other hand, if the change in the operation schedule reduces the discharge from the first electrical equipment to only 3 [kWh], the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates a third adjustment amount of 3 [kWh] in order to discharge an additional 3 [kWh] of power from the second electrical equipment. In this case, the request information generation unit 2033 generates request information based on the third adjustment amount and transmits the request information to the user of the second electrical equipment. As a result, even if the operation schedule changes after the request information has been sent, the equipment management server device 200-1 can resend the request information in accordance with the change.

[0108] Whether the adjustment amount correction unit 2050 corrects the adjustment amount or the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates a third adjustment amount when the vehicle 300 usage schedule is changed can be determined based on whether the request information generation unit 2033 transmits the request information to the user terminal device 100, whether the response status acquisition unit 2041 acquires the response status, whether a usage reservation has been added or canceled, etc. For example, before the response status acquisition unit 2041 acquires the response status, the third adjustment amount may be calculated and the user may be asked to perform additional charging and discharging.

[0109] The processing system 1 may, for example, execute the processes shown in steps S1 to S13 every 15 minutes. This allows the processing system 1 to adjust the operating schedule of electrical equipment in accordance with, for example, moment-to-moment fluctuations in electricity rates, newly added or canceled usage reservations, user response status, and the operating status of the vehicle 300. As a result, the processing system 1 can optimize the balance between energy demand and supply.

[0110] In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the upper limit resetting unit 2065 sets a predetermined margin over the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by each electrical device. However, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may change the margin depending on the destination of the request information. For example, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may change the margin depending on the age, gender, and residential area of ​​the user using the user terminal device 100 to which the request information is sent. If the acceptance rate of charging requests from users in a relatively older age group is higher than the acceptance rate of charging requests from users in a relatively younger age group, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may set a smaller margin for the second adjustable amount when the request information is sent to a user of the second electrical device of a predetermined age or older than when the request information is sent to a user of the second electrical device of a predetermined age or younger than when the request information is sent to a user of the second electrical device of a predetermined age or younger. Furthermore, if the acceptance rate for charging requests from users in relatively densely populated areas is higher than the acceptance rate for charging requests from users in relatively sparsely populated areas, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may reduce the margin for the second adjustable amount when request information is sent to users of the second electrical equipment residing in areas with a population density above a predetermined level, compared to when request information is sent to users of the second electrical equipment residing in areas with a population density below a predetermined level.

[0111] The upper limit resetting unit 2065 may change the margin depending on the content of the request information. The content of the request information may include, for example, information such as the region to be controlled by the electrical equipment, the target age group, the day of the week, and the time of day. For example, during the daytime on weekdays, the vehicle 300 is used for business purposes, so it is unlikely to be connected to the charging device 400 for charging and discharging. In this case, by increasing the margin during the daytime on weekdays, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 can set the upper limit value to match the amount of power that can actually be adjusted by the electrical equipment. The upper limit resetting unit 2065 may also change the margin based on past response conditions. For example, if the response conditions on a certain day of the week are good, the margin set for that day of the week may be made relatively small.

[0112] Furthermore, the margin may be a value obtained by multiplying each adjustment amount by a margin rate pre-stored in memory 213 corresponding to each adjustment amount, or a value obtained by subtracting a fixed value pre-stored in memory 213 corresponding to each adjustment amount from each adjustment amount, or both multiplication by the margin rate and subtraction by a fixed value may be used.

[0113] Furthermore, the sum of the first adjustment amount 2021 and the second adjustment amount distributed by the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may be greater than the total adjustment amount indicated by the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013. In this case, the sum of the amount of power for charging and discharging requested by the request information and the amount of power for charging and discharging instructed by the instruction information can be greater than the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013. In other words, by requesting and instructing a larger amount of power for charging and discharging in advance than the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013, the amount of power for charging and discharging requested by the request information can be met even if some electrical equipment fails to charge or discharge due to unforeseen circumstances.

[0114] In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the electrical equipment based on the specification information of the vehicle 300 acquired by the equipment information acquisition unit 2061, and the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes the adjustment amount based on this. However, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may also distribute the adjustment amount based on the request information. For example, if the request information transmitted from the power management server device 200-2 includes information requesting a discharge of 30 [kWh], the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may, for example, distribute 10 [kWh] of power to the 1-1 adjustment amount, 10 [kWh] of power to the 1-2 adjustment amount, and 10 [kWh] of power to the 2 adjustment amount. Also, as described above, the prediction accuracy of charging and discharging of the 1-1 electrical equipment, the 1-2 electrical equipment, and the 2 electrical equipment may be highest for the 1-1 electrical equipment and lowest for the 2 electrical equipment. Therefore, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 can redistribute the energy obtained by adding 5 [kWh] to the 1st-1 adjustment amount, 10 [kWh] to the 1st-2 adjustment amount, and 20 [kWh] to the 2nd adjustment amount, respectively, to the 1st-1 adjustment amount, 1st-2 adjustment amount, and 2nd adjustment amount. In other words, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 distributes 15 [kWh] to the 1st-1 adjustment amount, 20 [kWh] to the 1st-2 adjustment amount, and 30 [kWh] to the 2nd adjustment amount.

[0115] Furthermore, the request information generation unit 2033 may adjust the incentive information based on the response status acquired by the response status acquisition unit 2041. For example, if the number of responses is less than a predetermined number despite the request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033 being sent to the user, the request information generation unit 2033 may regenerate the incentive information to increase the benefits indicated by the incentive information and send the request information to the user again. This can improve the rate of user acceptance of the request information.

[0116] In the embodiment described above, the equipment management server device 200-1 further comprises a communication unit capable of communicating with the outside and a determination unit that determines the destination for sending request information, and the communication unit may send the request information to the destination determined by the determination unit. The destination for sending the request information may be, for example, a user in the region where the first and second electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment are located. That is, the determination unit may decide to send the request information to a user terminal device 100 used by at least one of the users of the first and second electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment located in a predetermined region.

[0117] Furthermore, the equipment management server device 200-1 further includes a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device and a determination unit that determines the destination of the request information. The request information includes destination information indicating the recipient, and the communication unit may transmit the request information, including the destination information, to the external device. The external device may include a power management server device 200-2. When the external device receives the request information, including the destination information, it transmits the request information to the destination indicated by the destination information.

[0118] The equipment management server device 200-1 may transmit request information to another power management server device managed by a different power company than the power company that manages the power management server device 200-2. In this case, the other power management server device transmits request information to a user terminal device 100 used by at least one of the users of the first-2 electrical equipment and the second electrical equipment located in the area under the jurisdiction of the other power company.

[0119] Furthermore, the request information transmitted to other power management server devices may include destination information specifying that the request information should be sent to electrical equipment located in a specific area within the region managed by the other power company. In this case, the other power management server device will transmit the request information to the user of the electrical equipment located in the specific area based on the destination information.

[0120] As described above, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to the first embodiment is a processing device that generates an operation schedule defining the operation of electrical equipment such as vehicles 300 for each time period and operates the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule, and comprises a schedule generation unit 2003 that generates an operation schedule, a request information acquisition unit 2011 that acquires request information from an external device, an adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 that calculates an adjustment amount of power based on the request information acquired by the request information acquisition unit 2011, an adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 that distributes the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 into a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount, a schedule modification unit 2031 that modifies the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount, and a request information generation unit 2033 that generates request information based on the second adjustment amount 2023.

[0121] As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 related to this disclosure distributes the adjustment amount calculated based on the request information to a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount 2023, and modifies the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount, thereby enabling the first electrical equipment belonging to the first electrical equipment category to be charged and discharged based on the modified operation schedule. Furthermore, by generating request information based on the second adjustment amount 2023, it is possible to request the user, etc., to charge and discharge the second electrical equipment belonging to the second electrical equipment category based on the second adjustment amount 2023. Therefore, the equipment management server device 200-1 related to this disclosure can instruct the first electrical equipment category to perform appropriate charging and discharging based on the request information. In addition, the equipment management server device 200-1 can request the second electrical equipment category to perform appropriate charging and discharging based on the request information.

[0122] Furthermore, the equipment management server device 200-1 includes a response status acquisition unit 2041 that acquires the response status to the request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033, and a first adjustment amount modification unit that modifies the first adjustment amount according to the response status acquired by the response status acquisition unit 2041. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to this disclosure modifies the first adjustment amount according to the acquired response status. Therefore, the equipment management server device 200-1 can modify the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount modified according to the response status.

[0123] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the electrical equipment includes a first set of electrical equipment that operates according to an operating schedule and a second set of electrical equipment that operates regardless of the operating schedule, and the first set of electrical equipment includes at least a 1-1 set of electrical equipment whose operating schedule is modified according to a first adjustment amount and a 1-2 set of electrical equipment whose operating schedule is modified according to the response status to request information generated by the request information generation unit 2033, and the schedule modification unit 2031 modifies the operating schedule of the 1-1 set of electrical equipment according to a first adjustment amount and modifies the operating schedule of the 1-2 set of electrical equipment according to the response status.

[0124] As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 modifies the operation schedule for the 1st-1 electrical equipment according to the first adjustment amount, and modifies the operation schedule for the 1st-2 electrical equipment according to the response status.

[0125] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the schedule modification unit 2031 further modifies the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the operation schedule modified by the schedule modification unit 2031. This allows the equipment management server device 200-1 to modify the operation schedule to match, for example, the actual operating status of the first electrical equipment.

[0126] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the schedule modification unit 2031 further modifies the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the response status to the request information. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 can modify the operation schedule of the first electrical equipment according to, for example, the actual operating status of the second electrical equipment. Consequently, the equipment management server device 200-1 can operate the first electrical equipment according to the operating status of the second electrical equipment.

[0127] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the equipment management server device 200-1 includes a usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001 that acquires usage schedule information for electrical equipment, and a second adjustment amount modification unit 2052 that modifies the second adjustment amount. The schedule generation unit 2003 generates (modifies) an operation schedule based on the usage schedule information acquired by the usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001. If the operation schedule of the electrical equipment is changed based on the usage schedule information, the second adjustment amount modification unit 2052 modifies the second adjustment amount according to the changes in the operation schedule. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to this disclosure can compensate for insufficient charge / discharge amount by modifying the second adjustment amount, even if, for example, a user suddenly makes a reservation to use electrical equipment and it becomes impossible to charge / discharge the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule.

[0128] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the equipment management server device 200-1 includes a usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001 that acquires usage schedule information for electrical equipment, a schedule generation unit 2003 that generates (modifies) an operation schedule based on the usage schedule information acquired by the usage schedule information acquisition unit 2001, and when the usage schedule for electrical equipment is changed based on the usage schedule information, an adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 calculates a third adjustment amount according to the changes in the operation schedule, and a request information generation unit 2033 generates request information based on the third adjustment amount. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 in this disclosure can compensate for the shortage of charge / discharge amount even if, for example, a user suddenly makes a reservation to use electrical equipment and it becomes impossible to charge / discharge the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule, by generating request information based on the third adjustment amount and making an additional request to the user.

[0129] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the equipment management server device 200-1 further comprises a communication unit capable of communicating with the outside and a determination unit that determines the destination to which the request information is to be sent, and the communication unit sends the request information to the destination determined by the determination unit. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the equipment management server device 200-1 further comprises a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device and a determination unit that determines the destination to which the request information is to be sent, and the request information includes destination information indicating the destination, and the communication unit transmits the request information including the destination information to the external device. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to this disclosure can, for example, also cause the external device to perform charging and discharging of electrical equipment other than electrical equipment such as a vehicle 300 whose operation can be controlled, by transmitting request information to the external device.

[0130] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the sum of the first adjustment amount 2021 and the second adjustment amount is greater than the total adjustment amount. This ensures that the equipment management server device 200-1 can reliably achieve the charging and discharging of the amount of power required by the power company.

[0131] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the equipment management server device 200-1 further includes an upper limit calculation unit 2063 that calculates an upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by electrical equipment. The upper limit calculation unit 2063 calculates the first-first adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-first electrical equipment; the first-second adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-second electrical equipment; and the second adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the second electrical equipment. The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 then distributes the first adjustment amount and the second adjustment amount based on the first-first adjustable amount upper limit, the first-second adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063. As a result, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to this disclosure can appropriately distribute the adjustment amount by charging and discharging each electrical equipment based on the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the electrical equipment.

[0132] In particular, in this disclosure, the first electrical equipment, which is an electrical device whose operating schedule is modified according to a first adjustment amount, does not require user permission for operations such as charging and discharging, and therefore the prediction accuracy of the extent to which charging and discharging will occur is relatively high. On the other hand, the second electrical equipment, which is restricted from being executed by the equipment management server device 200-1 or which cannot be executed by the equipment management server device 200-1, operates regardless of the operating schedule and requires the user to operate the second electrical equipment, so the prediction accuracy of the extent to which charging and discharging will occur is relatively low. Furthermore, the first electrical equipment, which can be executed by the equipment management server device 200-1 when approved by the user via the user terminal device 100, requires user permission for operations such as charging and discharging. Therefore, the prediction accuracy of charging and discharging for the first electrical equipment is lower than that of the first electrical equipment, but higher than that of the second electrical equipment. Therefore, the equipment management server device 200-1 can appropriately set the upper limits such that the margins increase in the following order: the margin for the 1-1 upper limit of the adjustable amount, the margin for the 1-2 upper limit of the adjustable amount, and the margin for the 2 upper limit of the adjustable amount.

[0133] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may change the margin according to the content of the request information transmitted to the user. In this case, the margin can be set by predicting the response status of the user, etc., according to the content of the request information (for example, information such as region, target age group, day of the week, etc.). In particular, if the request information includes incentive information and the incentive is attractive to the user, the user is more likely to comply with the request. For this reason, the margin related to the first- and second adjustable amount upper limits and the margin related to the second adjustable amount upper limit can be reduced. Furthermore, if the total adjustment amount calculated based on the margin determined by the upper limit resetting unit 2065 is less than the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may reduce the margin to resolve the shortage of adjustment amount by increasing the incentive. Furthermore, if the total adjustment amount calculated based on the margin determined by the upper limit resetting unit 2065 exceeds the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013, the upper limit resetting unit 2065 may increase the margin and reduce the excess adjustment amount by reducing the incentive. In this case, adjustment costs such as the generation and transmission of request information can be reduced.

[0134] <Second Embodiment> Figure 6 is a diagram showing the processing sequence executed between the user terminal device 100, the equipment management server device 200-1, the power management server device 200-2, the subscriber server device 200-3, the vehicle 300, and the charging device 400 in the processing system 1 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. However, the power management server device 200-2 is not shown in the diagram. The configuration of the processing system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 6, but the same configuration as in the first embodiment will not be described, and the configuration that differs from the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0135] In the second embodiment, in addition to the power management server device 200-2 in the first embodiment, a subscriber server device 200-3 is provided as a configuration requirement for the processing sequence. The subscriber server device 200-3 is a server device managed by a subscriber, such as a large retail store like a department store or a public transportation company like an airport. The subscriber server device 200-3 transmits request information to the equipment management server device 200-1 via a communication interface. The subscriber server device 200-3 may also transmit request information to the equipment management server device 200-1 via the power management server device 200-2.

[0136] Request information is, for example, information for requesting a predetermined amount of power charging or discharging from vehicle 300. Request information is, for example, information requesting the equipment management server device 200-1 to charge the battery 301 of vehicle 300 at a relatively low cost during a predetermined period. That is, the request information includes guidance information intended to guide the user, indicating the time period when electricity rates are relatively low and the electricity rates during that time period. Guidance means, for example, guiding the user to charge or discharge the battery 301 installed in vehicle 300 during the time period when the power company generates a relatively large amount of power, or during the time period when the power company generates relatively little power. In this case, the request information generation unit 2033 only needs to send request information including guidance information to the user terminal device 100. This makes it possible to guide the user to charge the battery 301 during the time period when electricity rates are relatively low. Alternatively, the guidance information includes, for example, information indicating the time period when electricity rates are relatively high and information indicating the electricity rates during that time period. In this case, the request information generation unit 2033 only needs to send request information including guidance information to the user terminal device 100. This allows users to be guided to use the service during times when electricity rates are relatively high, thereby encouraging the discharge of the battery 301.

[0137] Specific guidance information could be, for example, "The electricity rate from 13:00 to 15:00 is A yen," or "The electricity rate from 13:00 to 15:00 is B yen off." In this example, if the customer is a large retail store such as a department store, the customer can increase their customer numbers by allowing customers to charge their vehicle batteries 301 at a relatively low cost during times when customer traffic is expected to be relatively low. In this case, the request information that the equipment management server device 200-1 transmits to the user terminal device 100 could include, for example, guidance information indicating that charging of the battery 301 can be done at a low cost during a predetermined time period, or guidance information indicating that discharging of the battery 301 can be done at a relatively high cost during a predetermined time period.

[0138] Furthermore, if the contracting party is a public transportation system such as an airport, the public transportation system can reduce its overall electricity costs by discharging the battery 301 of a vehicle 300 used by a user of the public transportation system during times when electricity rates are relatively high, to charge the battery 301 of another user's vehicle 300, and then charging the battery 301 of the vehicle 300 during times when electricity rates are relatively low.

[0139] The equipment management server device 200-1 performs the following based on the received request information: calculation of the adjustment amount (step S2), acquisition of equipment information (step S3), calculation of the upper limit (step S4), resetting of the upper limit (step S5), and distribution of the adjustment amount (step S6). In step S4, when calculating the upper limit, the equipment management server device 200-1 may set the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit and the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit to 0. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 sets the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit and the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit to 0 and distributes the adjustment amount to the 1-1 electrical equipment and the 1-2 electrical equipment.

[0140] Furthermore, if the requested information is guidance information indicating a time period when electricity rates are relatively low and the electricity rates during that time period, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may calculate the adjustment amount as a predetermined value or the maximum value that can be set. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may ignore the value calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 and use a number of predetermined values ​​as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, respectively. The adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may also distribute the 1-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the 1-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the 2nd adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063 as the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022, respectively. Furthermore, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may distribute the values ​​set by the upper limit reset unit 2065 as the first-first adjustment amount 2021-1, the first-second adjustment amount 2021-2, and the second adjustment amount 2022, respectively. In other words, if the request information is guidance information, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may use a pre-set value, a value calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063, or a value set by the upper limit reset unit 2065 as the first-first adjustment amount 2021-1, the first-second adjustment amount 2021-2, and the second adjustment amount 2022, regardless of the value calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013. Alternatively, the adjustment amount calculation unit 2013 may calculate the maximum possible value that can be set in advance as the adjustment amount. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may prorate and distribute the adjustment amount based on the upper limit value calculated by the upper limit calculation unit 2063.

[0141] Furthermore, the request information may include, in addition to information indicating the electricity charges, at least one of the following: information indicating the maximum number of recipients to whom the request information can be sent, and information indicating the maximum amount of electricity to be charged or discharged. In this case, the adjustment amount distribution unit 2020 may calculate the 1-1 adjustment amount 2021-1, the 1-2 adjustment amount 2021-2, and the 2nd adjustment amount 2022 based on this information.

[0142] The equipment management server device 200-1 modifies the operation schedule based on the allocated adjustment amount (step S7) and generates request information (step S8). The equipment management server device 200-1 transmits the request information to, for example, the user terminal device 100 of the user of vehicle 300 which falls under the category of second electrical equipment. The request information includes guidance information intended to guide the user.

[0143] Upon receiving request information including guidance information, the user terminal device 100 displays the guidance information on its display. The user looks at the guidance information displayed on the display and decides whether or not to charge or discharge the battery 301 of the vehicle 300 and responds (step S10). If the user decides to charge or discharge the battery 301, the user electrically connects the battery 301 to the target charging device 400, for example, to charge or discharge it (step S11).

[0144] With this configuration, the equipment management server device 200-1 according to the second embodiment can effectively attract customers through its subscribers.

[0145] Although the embodiments described above explain the processing related to this disclosure, the processing may be carried out in embodiments that combine these embodiments as appropriate. Furthermore, the entity that executes the processing related to this disclosure is not limited to those described above; some or all of the processing may be carried out by different entities.

[0146] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the adjustment amounts for power relating to the first-first electrical equipment, the first-second electrical equipment, and the second electrical equipment were explained using the first-first adjustment amount, the first-second adjustment amount, and the second adjustment amount. However, the number of adjustment amounts may be one, two, or four or more.

[0147] The processes and procedures described herein can be implemented not only by means of expressly described herein, but also by software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Specifically, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented by implementing logic corresponding to the process on media such as integrated circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, magnetic disks, and optical storage. Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented as computer programs and executed by various computers, including terminal devices and server devices.

[0148] Even if it is stated that the processes and procedures described herein are performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software programs, multiple components, and / or multiple modules. Similarly, even if it is stated that the various types of information described herein are stored in a single memory or storage unit, such information may be distributed and stored in multiple memories within a single device or in multiple memories distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be implemented by integrating them into fewer components or by decomposing them into more components. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0149] 100 User terminal devices 200-1 Equipment Management Server Device (Processing Device) 200-2 Power Management Server Device (External Device) 200-3 Subscriber Server Device (External Device) 212 processors 213 memory 214 Communication Interface 215 Databases 2001 Information Acquisition Department for Planned Use 2003 Schedule Generation Unit 2011 Request information acquisition part 2013 Adjustment amount calculation section 2020 Adjustment amount distribution section 2031 Schedule Revision Department 2033 Request Information Generation Department 2035 Instruction information generation unit 2041 Response Status Acquisition Unit 2050 Adjustment amount correction section 2051-1 1st-1 adjustment amount correction section 2051-2 1st-2 adjustment amount correction section 2052 2nd adjustment amount correction section 2061 Device information acquisition section 2063 Upper Limit Calculation Unit 2065 Upper Limit Reset Section 300 vehicles 301 Battery 400 Charging device

Claims

1. In a processing device that generates an operation schedule defining the operation of electrical equipment for each time period and operates the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule, A schedule generation unit that generates the aforementioned operation schedule, A request information acquisition unit that acquires request information from an external device, Based on the request information acquired by the request information acquisition unit, an adjustment amount calculation unit calculates the amount of power adjustment, An adjustment amount distribution unit distributes the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit to a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount, A schedule correction unit that corrects the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount, A processing apparatus characterized by comprising: a request information generation unit that generates request information based on the second adjustment amount.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a response status acquisition unit that acquires the response status to the request information generated by the request information generation unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a first adjustment amount modification unit that modifies the first adjustment amount according to the response status obtained by the response status acquisition unit.

4. The aforementioned electrical equipment is First electrical equipment that operates according to the aforementioned operating schedule, It includes a second set of electrical equipment that operates regardless of the aforementioned operating schedule, The aforementioned first electrical equipment is, The first electrical equipment whose operating schedule is modified according to the first adjustment amount, The system includes at least the first- and second electrical devices, The aforementioned schedule correction unit, The operating schedule of the first electrical equipment is modified according to the first adjustment amount. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, which modifies the operation schedule of the first and second electrical devices in accordance with the response status.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the schedule correction unit further corrects the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the operation schedule corrected by the schedule correction unit.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the schedule correction unit further corrects the operation schedule based on the difference between the operating status of the electrical equipment and the response status to the request information.

7. A unit for acquiring information on the planned use of the aforementioned electrical equipment, The system includes a second adjustment amount correction unit for correcting the second adjustment amount, The schedule generation unit generates the operation schedule based on the usage schedule information acquired by the usage schedule information acquisition unit. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the operation schedule of the electrical equipment is changed based on the planned usage information, the second adjustment amount correction unit corrects the second adjustment amount according to the changes in the operation schedule.

8. The system includes a unit that acquires information on the planned use of the aforementioned electrical equipment, The schedule generation unit generates the operation schedule based on the usage schedule information acquired by the usage schedule information acquisition unit. If the usage schedule of the electrical equipment is changed based on the usage information, the adjustment amount calculation unit calculates a third adjustment amount according to the changes in the operation schedule. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request information generation unit generates the request information based on the third adjustment amount.

9. A communication unit capable of communicating with the outside world, The system further comprises a determination unit that determines the destination of the request information, The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit sends the request information to the destination determined by the determination unit.

10. A communication unit capable of communicating with the aforementioned external device, The system further comprises a determination unit that determines the destination of the request information, The aforementioned request information includes destination information indicating the recipient, The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits the request information, including the destination information, to the external device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sum of the first adjustment amount and the second adjustment amount is greater than the adjustment amount.

12. The system further includes an upper limit calculation unit that calculates the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the aforementioned electrical equipment, The upper limit calculation unit calculates the first-first adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-first electrical equipment, the first-second adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the first-second electrical equipment, and the second adjustable amount upper limit, which is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be adjusted by the second electrical equipment. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment amount distribution unit distributes the first adjustment amount and the second adjustment amount based on the first-1 adjustable amount upper limit, the first-2 adjustable amount upper limit, and the second adjustable amount upper limit calculated by the upper limit calculation unit.

13. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the request information includes incentive information.

14. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request information includes guidance information intended to guide the user.

15. A program that causes a computer to function as the processing unit described in claim 1.

16. A method for generating an operation schedule that defines the operation of electrical equipment for each time period, and for operating the electrical equipment according to the operation schedule, The steps include generating the aforementioned operation schedule, Steps include obtaining request information from an external device, A step of calculating the amount of power adjustment based on the acquired request information, The steps include distributing the calculated adjustment amount to a first adjustment amount and a second adjustment amount, A step of modifying the operation schedule based on the first adjustment amount, A method comprising the step of generating request information based on the second adjustment amount.

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