Information processing device, information processing method, and food delivery system

Abstract

An information processing device 23 comprises: a power demand prediction unit 244 that predicts a first power demand in a first plant factory; a charging / discharging plan generation unit 246 that generates a first charging / discharging plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable power storage battery capable of performing charging / discharging with respect to the first plant factory; and a switching unit 247 that switches the state of the charging / discharging of the portable power storage battery on the basis of the first charging / discharging plan, to thereby control the supply of power to the first plant factory. As a result, it is possible to provide the information processing device 23, an information processing method, and a food product delivery system, which make it possible to perform charging / discharging between a plant factory and a portable power storage battery and to more efficiently control the supply of power to the plant factory.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a food delivery system, and more particularly to an information processing device and the like that can be suitably used for controlling power supply to a plant factory. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, food production has been carried out using plant factories. Generally, plant factories have the advantage of being more flexible in terms of location compared to open-field cultivation, and the harvest time can be controlled.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a power management system. This power management system discharges a battery that serves as a driving source for an electric vehicle connected to the factory equipment and a stationary storage battery in the factory equipment during a period when the power consumption of the factory load of the factory equipment is at its maximum, and compensates for the power consumption of the grid power by discharging the discharged power, thereby preventing the power consumption of the grid power from exceeding a predetermined power. The factory equipment is equipped with an FEMS control unit that controls the charging and discharging of the battery, and, when there is a possibility that the power consumption will exceed the predetermined power, compensates for the grid power with power supplied from the battery and the stationary storage battery before the predetermined power is exceeded, and charges the battery and the stationary storage battery after the period when the power consumption exceeds the predetermined power has passed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-196028 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In plant factories, renewable energy is sometimes used as a means of power supply for lighting devices such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) in order to reduce environmental impact. However, the power supply of renewable energy is unstable and is insufficient to supplement the amount of power required for plant factories. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the amount of electricity required for plant factories by using power sources other than renewable energy. As such a power source, a method of using portable storage batteries can be considered. The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a food delivery system that can charge and discharge between a plant factory and a portable storage battery, and more efficiently control the power supply to the plant factory. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an information processing device including a prediction unit that predicts a first power demand in a first plant factory, a creation unit that creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery that can be charged / discharged between the first plant factory based on the first power demand, and a switching unit that controls the power supply to the first plant factory by switching the charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan. In this case, it is possible to provide an information processing device that can charge / discharge between the plant factory and the portable storage battery and more efficiently control the power supply to the plant factory.

[0007] Here, the first power demand may be predicted based on power usage information determined based on outside temperature information and cultivation information in the first plant factory, so that the first power demand can be predicted more accurately. The power consumption information in the first plant factory can be determined by at least one of a lighting device that supplies light to the plants produced in the first plant factory, a circulation pump that supplies water to the plants, and an air conditioner that adjusts the temperature. In this case, the power consumption information can be obtained more accurately. Furthermore, the portable storage battery can be provided to a delivery means that delivers the products produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as its power source. In this case, the power supply can be controlled using the delivery means. Still further, the delivery vehicle can be an electrically powered vehicle, making it possible to utilize a more prevalent means of delivery. The system further includes a delivery information acquisition unit that acquires delivery information when the product is delivered by the delivery means, and the creation unit can create the first charge / discharge plan based on the delivery information in addition to the first power demand. In this case, the charge / discharge plan can be created taking into account the time period of delivery. Furthermore, the creation unit can create the first charge / discharge plan so that the total charge time is equal to or greater than the total discharge time plus the total delivery time during a predetermined period. In this case, the time periods for charging and discharging can be determined taking into account the time periods for delivery. Furthermore, the creation unit can create the first charge / discharge schedule so that the total charge time is greater than or equal to the total discharge time plus the total delivery time during a predetermined period. In this case, the remaining charge of the portable battery can be secured and the battery can be prevented from running out of charge. In addition, the power supply of the second plant factory that can be charged and discharged between the delivery means can be further controlled. In this case, the power supply of the second plant factory can be efficiently controlled in addition to the power supply of the first plant factory. The prediction unit predicts a second power demand in the second plant factory, and the creation unit creates a second charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging the delivery means based on the second power demand. In this case, the second charge / discharge plan can be used to efficiently control the power supply to the second plant factory. The creation unit can control the power supply to the first plant factory and the second plant factory by adjusting the first charge / discharge plan and the second charge / discharge plan. In this case, a charge / discharge plan that coordinates the first plant factory and the second plant factory can be created. Furthermore, the switching unit can switch the power supply to the first plant factory to the grid power source, the external renewable energy power source, or another portable storage battery based on the first power demand and the first charge / discharge plan. In this case, a more efficient power supply source can be selected.

[0008] The present invention also provides an information processing method in which a processor executes software recorded in a memory to predict a first power demand in a first plant factory, create a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery capable of charging / discharging between the first plant factory based on the first power demand, and control the power supply to the first plant factory by switching the charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan. In this case, it is possible to provide an information processing method that can charge / discharge between the plant factory and the portable storage battery and more efficiently control the power supply to the plant factory.

[0009] Further, the present invention provides a food delivery system including a first plant factory that produces food, an information processing device that controls the power supply of the first plant factory, and a delivery means that delivers products produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as power, the information processing device having a prediction unit that predicts a first power demand in the first plant factory, a creation unit that creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery that can be charged / discharged between the first plant factory based on the first power demand, and a switching unit that controls the power supply to the first plant factory by switching the charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan. In this case, the food delivery system is capable of more efficiently controlling the power supply to the plant factory by charging / discharging between the plant factory and the portable storage battery. In this case, a food delivery system can be provided that is capable of more efficiently controlling the power supply to the plant factory by charging / discharging between the plant factory and the portable storage battery.

[0010] Here, the prediction unit predicts a second power demand in the second plant factory capable of charging and discharging with the delivery means, creates a second charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging and discharging with the delivery means based on the second power demand, and adjusts the first charge / discharge plan and the second charge / discharge plan, thereby controlling the power supply to the first plant factory and the second plant factory. In this case, the power supply to the second plant factory in addition to the first plant factory can be efficiently controlled. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a food delivery system that can charge and discharge between a plant factory and a portable storage battery, and more efficiently control the power supply to the plant factory. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a food delivery system according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information processing device. [Diagram 5] 5 is a first example showing a result of the power demand prediction unit predicting a first power demand of a first plant factory in step S404 of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a second example showing a result of the power demand prediction unit predicting the first power demand of the first plant factory in step S404 of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing delivery information acquired by a delivery information acquisition unit in step S405 of FIG. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an EV discharge plan created by a charge / discharge plan creation unit when creating an EV charge / discharge plan in step S406 in FIG. 4. [Figure 9]5 is a flowchart illustrating an EV charging plan created by a charge / discharge plan creation unit when creating an EV charging / discharging plan in step S406 in FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 9 is a diagram showing an EV discharge plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit using the method described in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] The charge / discharge plan creation unit creates an EV charging plan using the method described in FIG. [Figure 12] This is an EV charging and discharging plan created by adjusting the EV discharging plan in FIG. 10 and the EV charging plan in FIG. 11 . [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process for adjusting an EV charge / discharge plan. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information processing device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a diagram showing a result of a power demand prediction unit predicting a second power demand of a second plant factory. FIG. [Figure 16] 13(a) to 13(c) are diagrams showing an EV charge / discharge plan created by a charge / discharge plan creating unit in the second embodiment.

[0013] <Overall explanation of food delivery system 1> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a food delivery system 1 according to the present embodiment. The food delivery system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a power supply facility 10 that supplies power, a delivery source 20 that produces food, and a delivery destination 30 to which the food is delivered.

[0014] As shown in the figure, the power supply facility 10 is, for example, a power plant 10a and a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) 10b. However, the power supply facility 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a facility that can supply power. The power supply facility 10 may be, for example, a renewable energy power source. Examples of renewable energy power sources include wind power generation facilities and solar power generation facilities. Furthermore, the power supply facility 10 may be, for example, a fixed type storage battery facility. These may be included in the VPP 10b.

[0015] The delivery source 20 includes a plant factory that produces food. Here, a first plant factory 21a and a second plant factory 21b are illustrated as the plant factories. The delivery source 20 also includes delivery means 22a and 22b that deliver products produced in the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b and operate using electricity as power. The delivery means 22a and 22b include a portable storage battery. The portable battery is not particularly limited as long as it is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged, and examples of the portable battery include a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, and a lead storage battery.

[0016] The delivery means 22a and 22b are, for example, automobiles powered by electricity. Examples of automobiles powered by electricity include electric vehicles (EVs) powered by a motor, fuel cell vehicles that generate electricity using a fuel cell and use a motor as a power source, and hybrid automobiles that use an internal combustion engine (engine) and a motor in cooperation as a power source. The delivery means 22a and 22b may also be, for example, small aircraft such as a drone that flies by rotating a propeller using electricity. The delivery means 22a can be charged and discharged between the first plant factory 21a. The delivery means 22b can be charged and discharged between the second plant factory 21b. However, the delivery means 22a and the delivery means 22b can be interchanged depending on the distance from the delivery destination 30 and the charging and discharging states of the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b, which will be described in detail later. That is, the delivery means 22a and the delivery means 22b can be charged and discharged in both the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b. Furthermore, the delivery source 20 includes an information processing device 23 that controls the power supply to the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b. Although two plant factories, the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b, are shown here, the number of the plant factories may be any number. Furthermore, although two delivery means, the delivery means 22a and 22b, are shown here, the number of the delivery means may be any number.

[0017] Delivery destination 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is a delivery destination of food. For example, it may be a retail store such as a supermarket, a food service industry such as a restaurant, a food processor, or an individual. It may also be a storage facility such as a food warehouse, or a distribution base such as an airport or a port. Note that here, although two delivery destinations 30, 30a and 30b, are illustrated as delivery destinations 30, the number of delivery destinations may be any number.

[0018] [First embodiment] First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, charging and discharging are possible between the first plant factory 21a and the delivery means 22a. The information processing device 23 predicts a first power demand, which is the power demand of the first plant factory 21a, and creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging and discharging the first plant factory 21a by the delivery means 22a based on the first power demand. By executing this, the power supply of the first plant factory 21a is controlled. In the following description, the first embodiment will be explained by taking as an example a case where it is applied to the first plant factory 21a and the delivery means 22a, but it goes without saying that the same can be applied to the second plant factory 21b and the delivery means 22b.

[0019] <Description of the configuration of the information processing device 23> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 23. As shown in FIG. The information processing device 23 is a calculation means and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 24, which is an example of a processor, and a memory 25, which is a storage means and includes a main memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The CPU 24 executes various software such as an OS (operating system) and an application program (application software). The memory 25 also stores various software and data used for executing the software, and stores input data for the various software and output data from the various software. The information processing device 23 also includes a communication circuit 26 such as a communication interface for communicating with the outside, and an input / display device 27. The input / display device 27 is, for example, an input device for inputting and outputting, such as a keyboard or a mouse. The input / display device 27 is, for example, a display device formed of a liquid crystal display or the like.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 23. As shown in FIG. The CPU 24 of the information processing device 23 has the functions of an outside temperature information acquisition unit 241, a cultivation information acquisition unit 242, a power usage information acquisition unit 243, a power demand prediction unit 244, a delivery information acquisition unit 245, a charge / discharge plan creation unit 246, and a switching unit 247.

[0021] The outside temperature information acquisition unit 241 acquires outside temperature information of the first plant factory 21a. In this case, a thermometer (not shown) is installed outside the first plant factory 21a and monitors the outside temperature of the first plant factory 21a. The outside temperature information acquisition unit 241 acquires information on the outside temperature measured by this thermometer as outside temperature information at predetermined intervals. The outside temperature information may be acquired from weather information released by the Japan Meteorological Agency or the like.

[0022] The cultivation information acquisition unit 242 acquires cultivation information of the first plant factory 21a. The cultivation information is information about a cultivation plan for the first plant factory 21a. The cultivation information includes, for example, the cultivation type of a plant corresponding to a date and time and a cultivation shelf number. The cultivation type of the product produced in the first plant factory 21a is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, leafy vegetables in general (leaf lettuce, herbs, baby leaves, etc.), strawberries, etc.

[0023] The power usage information acquisition unit 243 acquires power usage information, which is information on the amount of power usage in the first plant factory 21a. The power usage information is determined based on the outdoor temperature information and cultivation information in the first plant factory 21a. That is, the greater the difference between the room temperature in the first plant factory 21a and the outdoor temperature, the greater the amount of power usage to operate the air conditioning device (air conditioner) that adjusts the temperature. Also, the lighting device that supplies light to the plants needs to be turned on when the plants are growing. On the other hand, for example, the lighting device may not be turned on for about one day until the next cultivation begins on a cultivation shelf where cultivation has ended due to harvesting. Also, the same applies to the circulating pump that supplies water to the plants. The operating status of the lighting device and the circulating pump can be determined from the cultivation information. Therefore, the power usage information acquisition unit 243 can estimate the power usage information based on the outdoor temperature information and cultivation information. The relationship between the outdoor temperature information and cultivation information and the amount of power usage can be estimated from past performance. These past results are stored in the outside air temperature information storage unit 251, the cultivation information storage unit 252, and the power usage database 253, which will be described later, and the power usage information acquisition unit 243 estimates the power usage based on this information. In this case, it can also be said that the power usage information is determined by at least one of the lighting device that supplies light to the plants produced in the first plant factory 21a, the circulation pump that supplies water, and the air conditioner that adjusts the temperature.

[0024] The power demand prediction unit 244 is an example of a prediction unit, and predicts a first power demand, which is a power demand in the first plant factory 21a. The first power demand is an average value of power consumption for a predetermined period (e.g., every 30 minutes) in the first plant factory 21a. The first power demand is predicted based on power usage information determined based on outside temperature information and cultivation information in the first plant factory 21a.

[0025] The delivery information acquisition unit 245 acquires delivery information when the product is delivered by the delivery means 22a. The contents of the delivery information will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0026] The charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 is an example of a creation unit, and creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging the delivery means 22a capable of charging / discharging to / from the first plant factory 21a based on the first power demand. Note that in practice, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 creates the first charge / discharge plan based on the delivery information in addition to the first power demand.

[0027] The switching unit 247 controls the power supply of the first plant factory 21a by switching the charge / discharge state of the delivery means 22a based on the first charge / discharge plan. Although details will be described later, there are three charge / discharge states of the delivery means 22a: "charge", "discharge", and "stop". "Charge" is a state in which power is supplied from the first plant factory 21a to the delivery means 22a, and the delivery means 22a charges. "Discharge" is a state in which power is supplied from the delivery means 22a to the first plant factory 21a, and the delivery means 22a discharges. "Stop" is a state in which neither charging nor discharging is performed, and no power is exchanged between the first plant factory 21a and the delivery means 22a. Thus, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 plans "charge", "discharge", and "stop" of the delivery means 22a for the date and time. Then, the switching unit 247 executes a process of switching the state of the delivery means 22a between "charge", "discharge", and "stop" based on the first charge / discharge plan.

[0028] The memory 25 has the functions of an outside temperature information storage unit 251, a cultivation information storage unit 252, a power usage database 253, a power demand storage unit 254, a delivery information storage unit 255, and a charge / discharge plan storage unit 256.

[0029] The outside temperature information storage unit 251 stores the outside temperature information acquired by the outside temperature information storage unit 251. When the power usage information acquisition unit 243 estimates the power usage information, the outside temperature information is provided to the power usage information acquisition unit 243. The cultivation information storage unit 252 stores the cultivation information acquired by the cultivation information acquisition unit 242. When the power consumption information acquisition unit 243 estimates the power consumption information, the cultivation information storage unit 252 provides the power consumption information acquisition unit 243 with the cultivation information.

[0030] The power usage database 253 stores the power usage acquired by the power usage information acquisition unit 243. When the power usage information acquisition unit 243 estimates power usage information, the power usage database 253 provides the power usage information acquisition unit 243 with information on past power usage. The power demand storage unit 254 stores the first power demand predicted by the power demand prediction unit 244. Then, when the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 estimates the first charge / discharge plan, the power demand storage unit 254 provides information on the first power demand to the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246.

[0031] The delivery information storage unit 255 stores the delivery information acquired by the delivery information acquisition unit 245. Then, when the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 estimates the first charge / discharge plan, the delivery information is provided to the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246. The charge / discharge plan storage unit 256 stores the first charge / discharge plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246. When the switching unit 247 executes the first charge / discharge plan, the charge / discharge plan storage unit 256 provides information on the first charge / discharge plan to the switching unit 247.

[0032] <Explanation of the operation of the information processing device 23> FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information processing device 23. Here, a case where the first charge / discharge schedule is created on a daily basis will be described. Note that, here, the case where the delivery means 22a is an electric vehicle (EV) is illustrated. First, the outside air temperature information acquisition unit 241 of the information processing device 23 acquires outside air temperature information of the first plant factory 21a (Step S401). Next, the cultivation information acquisition unit 242 of the information processing device 23 acquires the cultivation information of the first plant factory 21a (Step S402). Furthermore, the power consumption information acquisition unit 243 of the information processing device 23 estimates and acquires power consumption information of the first plant factory 21a based on the outside temperature information and the cultivation information (Step S403). Then, the power demand prediction unit 244 of the information processing device 23 predicts the first power demand of the first plant factory 21a based on the power usage information (Step S404). Here, the power demand prediction unit 244 predicts the power demand for one day.

[0033] Next, the delivery information acquisition unit 245 of the information processing device 23 acquires delivery information when the product is delivered by the EV (step S405). Furthermore, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 of the information processing device 23 creates an EV charge / discharge plan as a first charge / discharge plan for the EV, based on the first power demand and the delivery information (step S406). Furthermore, the switching unit 247 of the information processing device 23 checks the remaining charge of the EV (step S407). Then, the switching unit 247 determines whether to charge (step S408), discharge (step S409), or stop (step S410) based on the remaining charge of the EV and the EV charge / discharge plan. Note that, since the remaining charge of the EV is taken into consideration, if the remaining charge of the EV is low, charging may be selected even if the EV charge / discharge plan specifies discharging or stopping. Furthermore, the switching unit 247 may switch the power supply to the first plant factory 21a to a system power source, an external renewable energy power source (including a VPP), or another portable storage battery, based on the first power demand and the EV charge / discharge plan. The charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 may create EV charge / discharge plans for multiple plant factories, and charge / discharge the EV in a nearby plant factory depending on the delivery status of the EV.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a first example of a result of the power demand prediction unit 244 predicting the first power demand of the first plant factory 21a in step S404 of FIG. In Figure 5, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents power consumption or temperature. Figure 5 shows the average power consumption for every 30 minutes. Note that power consumption is shown for each item: lighting, air conditioning (air conditioner), pump (circulation pump), and others. This figure shows a case where multiple LEDs, which are lighting devices, are all turned on and off at the same time. Therefore, the increase and decrease in power consumption is large, and the maximum power consumption is also large.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a second example of the result of the power demand prediction unit 244 predicting the first power demand of the first plant factory 21a in step S404 of FIG. The horizontal and vertical axes are the same as in FIG. Here, the figure shows a case where multiple LEDs, which are lighting devices, are turned on and off at different times. Therefore, the increase or decrease in power consumption is small, and the maximum value of power consumption is also small.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the delivery information acquired by the delivery information acquisition unit 245 in step S405 of FIG. The delivery information exemplified here consists of delivery time, delivery destination, delivery distance, item, and quantity. Delivery time consists of the scheduled departure time and scheduled return time of delivery means 22a such as an EV. Delivery destination is the address of the delivery destination. Delivery distance is the distance required for delivery expressed in km. Item is the type of product to be delivered. Quantity is the number of products to be delivered.

[0037] Fig. 8 is a flowchart explaining the EV discharge plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 when creating the EV charge / discharge plan in step S406 in Fig. 4. The EV discharge plan is a plan that determines the time period during which the EV is discharged. First, the charge / discharge schedule creation unit 246 refers to the first power demand and checks a time period during which the power consumption is equal to or greater than a predetermined power (step S801). The predetermined power is, for example, an average power. In this case, the time period during which the power consumption is equal to or greater than the predetermined power is a candidate for the EV discharge time period. Next, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 refers to the delivery information and determines whether or not there will be any delivery after each time period (step S802). As a result, if there is a delivery (Yes in step S802), the charge / discharge schedule creation unit 246 sets the time as a non-discharging time period for the EV (step S803). Stop An EV discharge plan is created to perform (step S410). On the other hand, if there is no delivery (No in step S802), this is set as the EV discharging time period (step S804). That is, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 creates an EV discharging plan so that the EV supplies power to the first plant factory 21a and discharges power (step S409) during this time period when there is no delivery and the power consumption is equal to or greater than the predetermined power.

[0038] Fig. 9 is a flowchart explaining the EV charging plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 when creating the EV charging / discharging plan in step S406 in Fig. 4. The EV charging plan is a plan that determines the time period during which the EV is charged. First, the charge / discharge schedule creation unit 246 refers to the first power demand and checks a time period in which the power consumption is less than the predetermined power (step S901). In this case, the time period in which the power consumption is less than the predetermined power becomes a candidate for the EV charging time period. Next, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 refers to the delivery information and determines whether or not there will be any delivery after each time period (step S902). As a result, if there is a delivery (Yes in step S902), the time period is set as an EV charging time period (step S903). In this case, the charge / discharge plan creating unit 246 creates an EV charging plan to perform charging (step S408). On the other hand, if there is no delivery (No in step S902), the charge / discharge plan creating unit 246 determines whether or not there is a discharge time period after each time period (step S904). As a result, if there is a discharging time period (Yes in step S904), it is set as an EV charging time period (step S905). In this case, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 creates an EV charging plan to perform charging (step S408). On the other hand, if there is no discharging time period (No in step S904), the time period is set as a non-charging time period for the EV (step S906).

[0039] Fig. 10 shows an EV discharging plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 using the method described in Fig. 8. Also, Fig. 11 shows an EV charging plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 using the method described in Fig. 9. And Fig. 12 shows an EV charging / discharging plan created by adjusting the EV discharging plan in Fig. 10 and the EV charging plan in Fig. 11.

[0040] The EV discharge plan shown in FIG. 10 is a daily discharge plan in which the control of the EV charge / discharge state is set to either discharge or stop for each hourly time slot. Moreover, the EV charging plan shown in FIG. 11 is a charging plan for one day, and sets the control of the EV charging / discharging state to either charging or stopping for each hourly time slot. Furthermore, Fig. 12(a) is a graph of the EV discharge plan in Fig. 10 and the EV charging plan in Fig. 11. Moreover, Fig. 12(b) is an adjustment of the EV discharge plan and EV charging plan in Fig. 12(a). In other words, Fig. 12(a) is the EV charging / discharging plan before adjustment, and Fig. 12(b) is the EV charging / discharging plan after adjustment. In Figs. 12(a)-(b), the horizontal axis represents the time period, and the vertical axis represents the power during charging or discharging. At this time, if the "total charging time < total discharging time + total delivery time" during a predetermined period (for example, one day), the system appropriately adjusts the time so that the "total charging time ≧ total discharging time + total delivery time" is satisfied. This ensures the remaining charge of the portable battery and prevents it from running out of charge. In Fig. 12(a), "total charging time < total discharging time + total delivery time". For this reason, as shown in Fig. 12(b), 3:00 and 23:00, when power consumption according to the prediction results of the first power demand is relatively low, are set as the charging time slots. In Fig. 12(b), this is indicated by a dotted ellipse. In Fig. 12(b), "total charging time = total discharging time + total delivery time" is established. As described above, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 determines the charging and discharging time periods based on whether or not there are any delivery schedules after the candidate charging or discharging time periods, which are determined from the amount of power consumption by the first power demand, and creates an EV charge / discharge plan.

[0041] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the process of adjusting the EV charge / discharge plan. First, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 acquires an EV discharge plan (step S1301). The EV discharge plan can be created by the method described in FIG. 8, and is as shown in FIG. Next, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 acquires an EV charging plan (step S1302). The EV charging plan can be created by the method described in FIG. 9, and is as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the charge / discharge schedule creating unit 246 determines whether or not the total charging time is less than the sum of the total discharging time and the total delivery time in one day (step S1303). As a result, if it is not smaller (No in step S1303), that is, if (total charging time)≧(total discharging time)+(total delivery time), an EV charging and discharging plan is created without adjusting the discharging plan and charging plan (step S1304). On the other hand, if it is smaller (Yes in step S1303), that is, if (total charging time)<(total discharging time)+(total delivery time), a first power demand is acquired (step S1305), and the time period other than charging when power consumption is minimum is changed to charging (step S1306). As a result, the charging time and discharging time are adjusted so that (total charging time)≧(total discharging time)+(total delivery time). At this time, in the first power demand acquired in step S1304, the time period other than charging when power consumption is minimum is changed to charging.

[0042] <Modification> Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information processing device 23 in the modified example of the first embodiment. Here, we adopt a method in which an EV charging / discharging plan is first created on a weekly basis and then corrected on a daily basis. In Fig. 14, steps S1401 to S1405 are the same as steps S402 to S406 in Fig. 4, and therefore the description will be omitted. However, in the case of Fig. 14, the processing of steps S1401 to S1405 is performed on a weekly basis, and the EV charge / discharge plan of step S1405 is created on a weekly basis. In this case, the average temperature for the year or the minimum obtainable outside temperature information may be used.

[0043] The next step S1406 is similar to step S401 in FIG. 4, and the outside air temperature information acquisition unit 241 of the information processing device 23 acquires outside air temperature information of the first plant factory 21a. Then, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 corrects the EV charge / discharge plan based on the outside temperature information (step S1407). The processes of steps S1406 to S1407 are performed on a daily basis. Since more precise outside temperature information can be obtained the day before, the created EV charge / discharge plan for one week is corrected on a daily basis. Note that other information, not limited to outside temperature information, may also be updated each time and reflected in the daily correction. The subsequent steps S1408 to S1411 are similar to steps S407 to S410 in FIG. After the EV charge / discharge plan is generated, the power usage for lighting, air conditioning, and the like in the first plant factory 21a may be adjusted in consideration of the amount of stored power in the EV based on the EV charge / discharge plan.

[0044] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the information processing device 23 further controls the power supply of the second plant factory capable of charging and discharging between the delivery means 22b. The information processing device 23 predicts a first power demand, which is the power demand of the first plant factory 21a, and predicts a second power demand, which is the power demand of the second plant factory 21b. Based on the first power demand, the information processing device 23 creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging and discharging the first plant factory 21a by the delivery means 22a, and creates a second charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging and discharging the second plant factory 21b by the delivery means 22a, based on the second power demand. By executing this, the power supply of the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b is controlled.

[0045] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a result of the power demand prediction unit 244 predicting the second power demand of the second plant factory 21b. The horizontal and vertical axes are the same as in Figures 5 and 6. Here, the figure shows a case where multiple LEDs, which are lighting devices, are turned on for 4 hours and then turned off for 4 hours, repeatedly. In this case, this is repeated three times in a day. Therefore, power consumption increases when the LEDs are turned on, and decreases when they are turned off.

[0046] Then, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 creates a second charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging the delivery means 22b based on the second power demand. 16(a) and 16(b) are diagrams showing an EV charge / discharge plan created by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 in the second embodiment. 16(a) shows a case where a charge / discharge plan is created only for the first plant factory 21a, while FIG. 16(b) shows a case where a charge / discharge plan is created not only for the first plant factory 21a but also for the second plant factory 21b. That is, FIG. 16(a) is the same as the first embodiment. Meanwhile, FIG. 16(b) is a charge / discharge plan when the second embodiment is applied. In this case, the upper diagrams of FIG. 16(a) and FIG. 16(b) are charge / discharge plans for delivery means 22a, which is an example of the first charge / discharge plan. Also, the lower diagram of FIG. 16(b) is a charge / discharge plan for delivery means 22b, which is an example of the second charge / discharge plan.

[0047] 16(b) assumes that the power demand of the second plant factory 21b is less than that of the first plant factory 21a. In this case, the delivery means 22b is used to provide power to the first plant factory 21a. Specifically, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 16(b), the delivery means 22b is moved from the second plant factory 21b to the first plant factory 21a at 9:00, and from the first plant factory 21a to the second plant factory 21b at 12:00. The discharge power shown here is the power required for the delivery means 22b to move. Then, between 10:00 and 11:00, the delivery means 22b that has moved to the first plant factory 21a discharges electricity to the first plant factory 21a. As a result, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 16(b), the delivery means 22a can be changed from discharging to charging during the time periods of 10:00 and 11:00. As a result, it is expected that the total power consumption of the first plant factory 21a and the second plant factory 21b combined will be reduced. In addition, during the time periods when power consumption is high, the delivery means 22b used in the second plant factory 21b will supply power to the first plant factory 21a, thereby expecting a peak-cutting effect. In other words, it is expected that the maximum value of power consumption will be reduced. Also, for example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 16(b), this amount of power can be reallocated and discharged at 3:00 and 6:00. In this manner, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 246 controls the power supply to the first plant factory and the second plant factory by adjusting the first charge / discharge plan and the second charge / discharge plan.

[0048] <Explanation of information processing method> The above-described processes performed by the information processing device 23 are realized by the cooperation of software and hardware resources. That is, a processor in a computer provided in the information processing device 23 loads software for realizing each of the above-described functions into memory, executes the software, and realizes each of these functions.

[0049] Therefore, the processing performed by the information processing device 23 can be considered as an information processing method in which the processor executes software recorded in the memory to predict a first power demand in the first plant factory, creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging and discharging a portable storage battery that can be charged and discharged between the first plant factory based on the first power demand, and controls the power supply to the first plant factory by switching the charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan.

[0050] According to the above-described embodiments, it is possible to provide the information processing device 23, the information processing method, and the food delivery system 1 that can charge and discharge between the plant factory and the portable storage battery and more efficiently control the power supply to the plant factory. As a result, it is possible to contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society.

[0051] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] Reference Signs List 1...food delivery system, 10...power supply facility, 20...delivery origin, 30...delivery destination, 21a...first plant factory, 21b...second plant factory, 22a, 22b...delivery means, 23...information processing device, 241...outdoor temperature information acquisition unit, 242...cultivation information acquisition unit, 243...power usage information acquisition unit, 244...power demand prediction unit, 245...delivery information acquisition unit, 246...charge / discharge plan creation unit, 247...switching unit

Claims

1. a prediction unit that predicts a first power demand in the first plant factory; A creation unit that creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery that can be charged / discharged between the first plant factory and the portable storage battery based on the first power demand; a switching unit that controls power supply to the first plant factory by switching a charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan; Equipped with The portable storage battery is provided in a delivery means that delivers the produce produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as its power source, The creation unit creates the first charge / discharge plan so that a total charge time is equal to or greater than a total discharge time plus a total delivery time during a predetermined period. Information processing device.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first power demand is predicted based on power usage information determined based on outside temperature information and cultivation information in the first plant factory.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the power usage information in the first plant factory is determined by at least one of a lighting device that supplies light to plants produced in the first plant factory, a circulation pump that supplies water to plants, and an air conditioning device that adjusts temperature.

4. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delivery means is an electrically powered automobile.

5. A delivery information acquisition unit that acquires delivery information when the product is delivered by the delivery means, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the creation unit creates the first charge / discharge plan based on the delivery information in addition to the first power demand.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein the creation unit determines the time periods for charging and discharging based on whether or not there is a delivery scheduled after a candidate time period for charging or discharging, which is determined from the magnitude of power consumption by the first power demand, and creates the first charging and discharging plan.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further controlling a power supply to a second plant factory capable of charging and discharging between the second plant factory and the delivery means.

8. The prediction unit predicts a second power demand in the second plant factory, The information processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the creation unit creates a second charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging the delivery means based on the second power demand.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8 , wherein the creation unit controls power supply to the first plant factory and the second plant factory by adjusting the first charge / discharge plan and the second charge / discharge plan.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit switches the power supply to the first plant factory to a system power source, an external renewable energy power source, or another portable storage battery based on the first power demand and the first charge / discharge plan.

11. The processor executes the software stored in the memory, A first power demand in a first plant factory is predicted; creating a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery capable of being charged / discharged between the first plant factory and the portable storage battery based on the first power demand; Controlling power supply to the first plant factory by switching a charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan; The portable storage battery is provided in a delivery means that delivers the produce produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as its power source, The first charge / discharge plan is created so that a total charging time is equal to or greater than a total discharging time plus a total delivery time during a predetermined period. Information processing methods.

12. The first plant factory produces food; an information processing device that controls power supply to the first plant factory; A delivery means that delivers products produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as power; Equipped with The information processing device includes: A prediction unit that predicts a first power demand in the first plant factory; a creation unit that creates a first charge / discharge plan as a plan for charging / discharging a portable storage battery that can be charged / discharged between the first plant factory and the portable storage battery based on the first power demand; a switching unit that controls power supply to the first plant factory by switching a charge / discharge state of the portable storage battery based on the first charge / discharge plan; having The portable storage battery is provided in a delivery means that delivers the produce produced in the first plant factory and operates using electricity as its power source, The creation unit creates the first charge / discharge plan so that a total charge time is equal to or greater than a total discharge time plus a total delivery time during a predetermined period. Food delivery system.

13. The prediction unit is predicting a second power demand in a second plant factory capable of charging and discharging between the second plant factory and the delivery means; creating a second charge / discharge plan as a charge / discharge plan for the delivery means based on the second power demand; The food delivery system according to claim 12 , wherein the power supply to the first plant factory and the second plant factory is controlled by adjusting the first charge / discharge plan and the second charge / discharge plan.

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